Soon, I arrived at the end of the blue line, staring up at a grand building. The Global Player Administration building. I could feel a sense of trepidation in the pit of my stomach as I took a deep breath and pushed the door open. The interior was bustling with activity, with people of all ages and races milling about, talking in hushed tones or excitedly gesturing at various screens. A row of booths lined the wall, each marked with a different organization or guild.
On the other side, various lines of people stood, talking to who I assume were the receptionists for Players. I took my place in line, watching the people around me as I waited. Some seemed excited to be back, chatting animatedly with the receptionists, while others looked lost or confused. I tried to blend in, not wanting to draw too much attention to myself.
Finally, it was my turn. I stepped up to the counter and was greeted by a friendly-looking receptionist, her name tag identifying her as Emily.
"Hello! How can I help you?" Emily smiled, her expression warm and welcoming.
"Ah... I'm here to register," I replied, trying to sound as confident as I could. "My name's Luquier Vaunt."
Emily typed something into her computer, then looked up at me with a smile. "Welcome to the GPA, Luquier. I'm going to need your identity verification and some basic information to get you set up. Can you please show me your Player Status Window?"
"Huh?" I blinked at her in confusion. "How do I do that?"
Emily's smile wavered, as if she felt a little annoyed. "Players are able to see each other’s stats as they would monsters. Non-Players are unable to see this though, so you need to bring it up to show them. As a Player, just pull it up normally and imagine it visible to others."
"R-right." I smiled sheepishly.
[System alert: Hand of Thanatos Shrouded Trait triggered. Would you like to hide/change your stats?]
I blinked at the message screen. What? I could do that? That seemed pretty useful in certain situations.
I wasn't sure if I should though. On one hand, if I were to use the Trait, I'd adjust my stats to match my level accordingly. That way, I wouldn't have to answer so many questions. On the other hand, there wasn't really a reason for me to lie about my stats, was there?
"Hey, Sephera," I whispered underneath my breath. "What should I do?"
[Well, you can't see me, but I'm rolling my eyes.]
"What? What the fuck, why?"
Emily glanced at me with a frown. "Is everything alright? You seem a little..."
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine!" I replied quickly, giving her a weak smile. "Just... trying to pull up my stats."
[Ugh, I'm sure you've already weighed the pros and cons already. Why don't you just hide it for now and reveal it later?]
Sephera had a point. I rarely played a lot of strategy games, but I knew information was vital. There was no telling what trouble I could get into if I showed my hand right away, so I decided to alter my stats before showing Emily.
[Name: Luquier Vaunt | Level: 17]
[Title: Reckless Immortal (A)]
[Health: 130 (10000) | Strength: 25 (4305)]
[Speed: 25 (4205) | Magic: 20 (4310)]
[Risk: 0 (2075) | Stat Points: 0]
[Experience: 86%]
"Reckless Immortal?" Emily repeated with a frown. "I've never heard of that title."
"Me neither," I agreed lamely. Emily raised an eyebrow, but nonetheless clacked away at her keyboard.
"Okay, I have you registered as a Player. From here, please go over to the assessment center, where you will undergo a couple of trials to gain your rank."
I nodded, feeling a little relieved. "Thanks, Emily."
Following behind a couple of other Players, I entered a waiting room, where a woman in a white coat directed us to different stations. "You're all here for the assessment. Please follow the directions of the examiner at your station. You will be given instructions as you go along. Good luck!"
I found my way to the station, where a stern-looking man in a lab coat was waiting. "Name?" he asked, handing me a clipboard.
"Ah, Luquier Vaunt," I mumbled, writing down my information.
"Well, Mr. Vaunt, there are three tests you will partake in. The first two tests will gauge your strength and speed, while the final test is a simulated battle adjusted according to the results of the first two tests. Understood?"
I nodded. "Understood."
All around me, other Players were also taking their tests, so it didn't seem like I'd have to wait in line to go next. The man gestured over to a machine with a punching bag. "Alright, first test is a strength test. Simply punch the target as hard as you can, which will then give us a rough idea of your strength. This is just another way to solidify your Strength stat."
I nodded and approached the machine. It looked kind of old-fashioned, but I supposed it must have some sort of sensor to measure the force behind my punches. I took a deep breath, focused on my fist, and swung as hard as I could.
In hindsight, I should have realized that with a Strength of 4305, the machine wouldn't be able to withstand my punch.
With a deafening boom, the machine flew back from the force of my punch, hitting the opposite end of the room and exploding. I stared, open-mouthed at what I had done. The other Players and examiners were also gazing at me in shock.
"Er... oops," I said, feeling a bit sheepish. The man in the lab coat looked at me incredulously, his jaw slack. "I-I didn't mean to... you know... break it..."
[So much for hiding your stats.]
"N-not a problem, Mr. Vaunt," The man in the lab coat composed himself, gesturing over to several rows of single tracks. "We'll just mark your Strength as higher than your reported stat... Moving on, please run down this strip as fast as you can. A speed-radar will clock your time."
I nodded, following the man over to the tracks. I had to be more careful this time, since my Speed stat was 4205.
As we got there, I watched other Players run as fast as they could down the strip. I took my place at the starting line, while the man stood off to the side.
"Whenever you're ready, the radar will measure you as soon as you move."
I took a deep breath, tensing my body. It was a weird experience, having to do physical activity for the first time in a while. I wasn't much of an athlete, preferring to stay in and play games, but it was amusing for me to have to hold back in physical tests.
I pushed off, trying to maintain a balance between looking like I was putting in effort and watching my speed. It was much more difficult than I thought, and I managed to outrun every other Player as I reached the end of the track.
"Speed: 225." A mechanical voice emitted from my track.
Well... at least I managed to hold back as much as possible.
I jogged back over to the man, who was staring at me with a bewildered look in his eyes. "Your Speed stat is... impressive, Mr. Vaunt." He managed to choke out. "Er, for the final test, we'll simulate a battle adjusted to your strength and speed. You'll be facing off against a number of monsters, and your goal is to survive for five minutes. This test is designed to measure your combat abilities and strategic thinking under pressure."
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We entered another room, this one devoid of other Players. It seemed like the battle simulation was separate from the other rooms.
"You'll be fighting a mix of monsters, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. You have five minutes to survive. Good luck!" The man said, walking upstairs to leave me alone in the room.
The room was plain, completely white, and spacious with a hexagonal pattern. Up above, the man glanced down at me, standing next to a couple of technicians.
"The battle simulation will begin shortly. Your goal is to survive for five minutes, and your performance will determine your rank. Whether you slay the monsters or simply avoid them is up to you. If the test becomes too much for you to handle, we will halt the test right then and there. Do you understand?"
I flashed a thumbs up, pulling the Silver Serpent out from my inventory. I pondered my options, wondering if I should avoid them or kill them as they appeared. I leaned more towards killing them with my skills, since it'd be very useful to add their stats or skills to my arsenal.
[Don't waste your skills on them.]
"Huh?" I stared at Sephera's message. "Why not?"
[They aren't real monsters, so you gain nothing from them. Ironic, isn't it? A game-based system that can't harvest virtual data.]
Are you serious?
"Then, I should just avoid them?" I scowled, preparing to put away the Silver Serpent. Before I could, the test began, and several orbs of green light appeared around me.
[Name: Lesser Dragon | Level: 17]
[Health: 3000 | Strength: 500]
[Speed: 200 | Magic: 300]
Wait a minute.
[Name: Headless Knight | Level 17]
[Health: 2500 | Strength: 430]
[Speed: 250 | Magic: 240]
Hold on, what the fuck?
[Name: Chimera Pup | Level: 17]
[Health: 3200 | Strength: 250]
[Speed: 150 | Magic: 400]
What the fuck was this?! Why were these simulated monsters so strong? I was barely able to dodge a stream of fire from the dragons as I looked up at the spectator's box.
"Hey! What is up with these simulated monsters?!" I yelled out, weaving through swords and poisonous spit.
"I-I'm not sure, Mr. Vaunt!" The man cried out through the speaker. "Our system determined that this was a battle fit for your stats. I'm not sure where it got its results from!"
Oh fuck. [Oh fuck.]
Sephera and I reached the same conclusion. The battle simulator probably registered my real stats instead of the ones I showed with the Hand of Thanatos' Shrouded. Which meant that it gave me the strongest monsters possible appropriate to my stats. This was bad news. I needed to fight my way through this, or else I wouldn't stand a chance.
"Mr. Vaunt, just hold on! We’ll stop the simulation quickly!"
"No, it’s fine!" I shouted back, dodging a couple more breaths.
"But–"
"I said, it’s fine! Don’t quit the simulation!" I swore under my breath. Even if the simulation restarted, I knew that the results would be the same, since it clearly wasn’t fooled by my fake stats.
"Ugh, whatever!" I decided to go all out. It hadn't been long since I got out of Last Stand, so my reflexes were still sharp, enabling me to easily dodge and attack the monsters without any effort. In fact, I was still far stronger and faster than the simulated monsters, avoiding all of their attacks.
[You're making this look too easy.]
"I don't have a choice, do I?" I yelled at Sephera's message screen. "What, you want me to take hits? Did you forget I have a pain sensitivity penalty?"
[Kinda. But I thought masochists enjoy pain.]
"I told you, I'm not a masochist!" I snapped, dodging another stream of fire. The headless knights seemed to be the most persistent, constantly chasing me around the arena. The chimera pups and lesser dragons were more of a threat from a distance, flanking me and trying to pin me down with their magic.
[Can't fool me. You're playing a masochist. :P]
"Stop calling me that– You're using emoticons now?!"
[Hey, aren’t you glad you got my tower?]
"...What’s that supposed to mean?" I fended off several sword strikes, slashing through the headless knights with a couple of movements.
[Well, in other towers, the difficulty varies, but I chose to set mine on a more difficult setting.]
"Are you serious? You’re telling me I could’ve had an easier time? I could’ve died less?!" I moved on to the lesser dragons and chimera pups, but more headless knights began to spawn.
[Wait, before you get angry, just think about how strong you’ve become now!]
I clenched my jaw, realizing that Sephera was right. It didn’t make me less angry, though.
The battle was heating up. The headless knights had started to close in on me, their swords swinging wildly as they tried to reach their target. I easily dodged their attacks, my reflexes honed from countless deaths. The chimera pups and lesser dragons were no match for my speed and agility, but they were still a nuisance from their distance, raining down fire and poison upon me.
After what seemed like forever, the monsters suddenly disappeared into green particles. A buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the battle simulation.
"I apologize, Mr. Vaunt! I don't know what happened, but our system seems to have malfunctioned or something." The voice on the speaker said. "We'll look into it and make sure this doesn't happen again. In the meantime, please wait as a team of medics will be down to check on you."
"Ugh, that was awful." I panted, leaning against the wall. I put my Silver Serpent back into my Inventory. "And I gained nothing from that."
[Congratulations! You have earned the achievement: 'Untouchable'.]
"Never mind, I take it back." I smiled weakly to myself as I tapped on the name.
[Achievement: Untouchable.]
[Acquired by surviving against same-leveled or higher opponents without taking damage & having 1000 or more Risk points.]
[Description: Upon facing same-leveled or higher opponents, increases Speed by level difference + number of opponents.]
Reading about the Untouchable Achievement made me realize just how rewarding it was to put points in Risk. It seemed like my hard work was paying off.
[Wow. Had I not seen your performance in my tower, I'd assumed you were simply blessed for no reason. So this is what a masochist is capable of.]
I bit back a snarky comment toward Sephera as a group of medics approached me, checking my vitals.
"You're lucky, Mr. Vaunt," the lead medic said. "You were able to dodge and outmaneuver them all. Most people wouldn't have lasted this long. You must have put in a lot of work at your level."
"Ha-ha, yeah..." I shrugged awkwardly, realizing that the truth was about to be out soon.
----------------------------------------
After I was given the clear, I headed back out to a different room, where the examiner was waiting for me with an apologetic look.
"Mr. Vaunt, again, I deeply apologize for the malfunction back in the simulation room. Our technicians have determined that the simulation acquired a completely different value from your stats, and generated monsters in accordance to that."
The examiner paused, seemingly hesitant to continue. "However, we can't help but be impressed by your performance. Despite the monsters being of the same level you managed to avoid taking any damage. That's something we've never seen before."
He handed me a card, which was thick and surprisingly weighty. I glanced at it, noticing my headshot photo in the top left corner along with my information.
-Luquier Vaunt (Age 23) | Level: 17 | Rank: A-
-Reckless Immortal (A)-
-Guild: N/A-
"Rank A?" I asked, my voice filled with disbelief. "But I'm only level 17."
"W-well, from the results of your tests, you met and exceeded the expectations of a level 17. The system denoted you as an A-rank. The closest thing I've ever witnessed was the now S-rank prodigy Chronia, who was graded as B-rank when she first registered at level 10."
"Ah, I see." I realized that using the Hand of Thanatos' Shrouded was a useless tactic. "So, does this mean I'm eligible to join a guild now?"
"Indeed, but I'm hoping to have a word with you for a moment, Mr. Vaunt." A new voice cut through the air behind me.
I turned around to see a tall, striking woman with raven-black hair, pale skin, and piercing red eyes. She wore a red dress that seemed to glow with an inner fire, and a cloak that billowed behind her. A regal air surrounded her, and I could feel the weight of her presence. It was clear that she was no ordinary person.
"I am Tessa Iskra, chairman of Lambda Sector's GPA Branch. It is a pleasure to meet you, Luquier Vaunt."
Her voice was as regal as her presence, each syllable carefully enunciated. I bowed my head slightly in response, feeling honored and slightly intimidated at the same time. "Hi."
"I've been watching your performance since the beginning of the examination," she continued. "Your display of skill and adaptability has been nothing short of astounding."
[He's this strong because he's a masochist.]
"Er, thanks," I ignored Sephera's message screen, thankful that only I could see it. "I assume there's something that the chairman of an established organization wants to talk to me about?"
Tessa smiled, her eyes flashing dangerously. "You're quick to catch on. Yes, but I would prefer to speak in private. Please, follow me to my office."
****
[Name: Luquier Vaunt | Level: 17]
[Title: Reckless Immortal (A)]
[Health: 10000 | Strength: 4305]
[Speed: 4205 | Magic: 4310]
[Risk: 2075 | Stat Points: 0]
[Experience: 86%]
[Skills]
[Divinity (Passive)]
[Holy Element 17/17]
[Death’s Shadow 17/17]
[Reap 17/17]
[Final Gambit 17/17]
[Achievements]
[Even Death Can't Stop Me!]
[Pick On Someone Your Own Strength.]
[Untouchable.]
[Items]
[Silver Serpent]
[Hand of Thanatos]