(???, Euclid’s Domain)

[https://i.imgur.com/xAOvRDd.png]

Back in a tiny, sparsely furnished apartment that was my home, I was lounging on the sofa. On mental command I opened the menu.

(TODO Image: Seen from above, scores of floating golden cities overlooked the orbit of the Earth. Arrayed against the blackness of space, they have a golden bloom and shine in a radiance that illuminates the shadowed parts of the world. On the other side of the world, the shining star that is the sun illuminated it bouncing off the glossy blue waters. Directly below, the lights of the cities can be seen on the North and South American continents.)

> Heaven’s Key Menu (4 chips left):

> Time Until Next Tournament: 29 days 20 hours left

- Personal Domain Control

- Domain Access

- Loadout (71/200 kg)

- Mail (1 unread)

- Game Settings

- Internet

I’ve learned my lesson about game selection from last time. Whether it be sports or gambling, those games do not scale well as the player grows in power. But I enjoyed the betting aspect of Heaven’s Key and the overall setting, so I had a talk with Simulacrum’s game administrator AI and we hashed out new rules for it.

One of the most important changes that I have done is to get rid of the projection aspects, and firmly ground the setting in nanotechnology. The difference between a wizard and a programmer is nanotechnology, and now whatever programs I extract from the game will also be usable in real life as a result. It might seem like a huge hack to be able to get all kinds of technology beyond what the real world has just from playing a game, but everything I can find in the game I could derive by myself simply by making use of the full power of the core. I thought about it and since I am under no pressure to gain power as rapidly as possible, I might as well have some fun, hence the female body and me playing games. I have my mind in order, so what having more computation would allow me is to develop powers better and faster. Still, it would be definitely more fun to just plunder them instead of spending all my life in simulation.

It might be just vanity, but I want to feel the effect of my power on the real world and dab on the NPCs.

The other important change that I’ve made is to get rid of public spaces. The last time I played Heaven’s Key the game ended up turning into a big melee between me and the setting’s equivalent of the police. I didn’t even get to the first tournament. Some Inspired might like that kind of atmosphere, but I am not aiming to become the Police Slayer.

Let me demonstrate how I’ve done it.

In the HK Menu I select Domain Access. Immediately, the scene shifts to a suburban home in the city near the rim. As I look at the front door, I receive information.

> Euclid’s Domain (level 0)

It gives out my name, Bayesian estimation of my level based on the past HK results rounded to the nearest integer, as well as profile and tournament record of the owner. The domain can also have a description and tags.

I can move around freely in the scene and look at some of my neighbors. Flying around I check out some of the dwellings. I receive information from the game system on them.

> Ashif’s Domain (level 2)

> Gido’s Domain (level 0)

> Griffin’s Domain (level 0)

> Rachel’s Domain (level 0)

…

I can’t actually leave my house into the streets outside, nor can any of the other people do it. And inside our domains the players have complete control over their property. We can only enter by invitation and can be kicked out at will. So there is no danger of some lunatic going around killing innocent citizens, it wouldn’t be good game design if that were the case.

The structure of the civilization here is more like an Internet chatroom. There is no need for police.

This will allow me to focus on the game itself. Many domain users have businesses, so I used the search function to find the nearest tech vendor. That is how I got introduced to Eloe.

I’ve been programming for what feels like forever now, so I’ll try opening some kind of art shop. I have the time to properly cultivate my prestige, so once it takes off, I’ll be able to make some chips that way. My ability to visualize and synthesize art is nothing to be scoffed at. In the real world, I could be my own one-man studio and compete with the best of what Hollywood has to offer. Art has the disadvantage of requiring time to take traction. Even if my ability was number uno, and I made the best manga or anime in the world, it would still take months to get any money out of it, so it is not appealing to me compared to robbery. Inside the game I have plenty of time. An hour in real life is almost 14 months here.

Nanotech studies, combat practice, aesthetic cultivation. I’ll focus my development on those 3 key areas, splitting my time between them.

I have plenty of dangerous abilities like save loading, but definitely, my most dangerous ability is my creativity. I’ll go a bit easy on the NPCs and not practice coming up with my own weapon and body designs, otherwise I’d crack this game right open. I’ll just study existing technology and store it in mind for later.

The new Heaven’s Key doesn’t have enough battle for my taste, so I'll also fork myself and do some dungeon crawling in a sci-fi setting. Dive to the bottom of the monster filled lair, get the nanotech data and get out. I’ll adapt a scenario to one that fits my specs.

There is one other notable change, but it can be left for later.

[https://i.imgur.com/JTuvdiP.png]

I check my mail. Eloe should have sent me the design data and the synthesis programs. I see that included in the attachment by Eloe as expected. But I see she gave me an opportunity as well.

///

Hey, Euclid! The data is attached as promised. Rather than bet it all on the tournament I sent a note to one of my acquaintances who is a squad leader of the Lightning Wild group. He goes by the name of Largo, you can find him in Morty’s Domain. I’ve attached the domain reference along with the invite in a separate file. That should get you in.

I am worried about you since it is possible to have a bad run of luck and repeatedly run into players beyond your league. The way the matches are arranged is random after all. With just 4 chips it can happen for you to lose them all simply because your opponents out-tech you. So instead take my advice and try beating Largo’s challenges. If he offers you a spot on the team, it will come with a sign up bonus that will keep you out of the frying pan.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

It is a chance, Euclid! Take it!

///

I’ll have to of course take this. I’ll have to return the favor to Eloe later. Her level is 34 so getting into her good graces can only bring me further opportunities. This is another way of playing the game owing to my good looks and social graces. It is ironic if you think about it. There is literally nobody in the real world worth impressing, but Eloe who is an NPC can offer me technology beyond my means, so she is worth it. To me this simulated character has value beyond all the real ones combined.

It is not as strange as it seems. Plenty of people in the real world treasure their machines more than the lives of strangers. And that is in fact, right. I won’t let anyone convince me that it is not justice.

Maybe whoever owns my own universe will see a similar kind of value in me. I should persevere to become such a valued person. I should believe in myself as well as my aesthetic sense. Maybe whoever is simulating my universe is not into human females, but if you think about it, suppose you were god yourself - would you rather simulate an universe full of eldritch horrors or cute girls? The latter. So there is a decent chance that our aesthetic tastes would match and I won’t be an eldritch horror in god’s eyes. Colorful clothing, slim curvy bodies, NPCs suffering endlessly. I do not dislike this kind of god.

Though to be properly beautiful I need to get a good nanomachine based body, instead of this biological one. Right now I might look good on the surface, but my combat weakness is bound to disgust whoever is looking. And to be a properly attractive woman, I need to kill a lot of people and bathe in their blood.

(Heaven’s Key, Morty’s Domain, Hotel Lobby)

[https://i.imgur.com/oJ8msHk.png]

Using the domain reference given to me by Eloe, I logged into Morty’s Domain, with the particular subdomain being titled the lobby. Before logging in, I sent a message, and had to wait a few hours for my welcome to be ready.

The area resembled a fairly large lobby of a high class hotel. Apart from various kinds of columns, there was a lot of free space for moving around. There were some obstacles where walls were erected that had plants on top. It looked like a decent place for a shootout. Beyond the doors leading to the outside, there was nothing. It wasn’t a particularly large subdomain.

Right now my own domain has only a single small subdomain, but once I go through my first tournament I will get the ability to expand the size of individual subdomains as well as buy more subdomains. This place is probably made to test newcomers like me.

[https://i.imgur.com/eJLf034.png]

I look around, and in a few moments, a person manifests a couple of feet apart from me. Over a head taller than me, he was a built out black man with very well cut muscles. He had a casual dark green sleeveless shirt, and camo fatigues which made me immediately peg him as military. He had a handgun holstered at the side of his right waist.

Both his wear and weapon made me be on guard.

“Yo!” He smiled amiably at me raising his hand in greeting. He came closer to me. “Ready to start your test?”

Before I had a chance to reply, I could see him clench his fist and tense. He swung his fist at my face in a hook. Even though the simulation was going at 10,000 fold real world time, I still had a factor of 10 million fold remaining for my own mind, so it was no problem at all to lead back with my flexible body and let the fist whiz past.

The man relaxed and smiled at me. I reciprocated the smile in return. He quickly drew his gun from the holster, pointed it at my face and fired. I timed it so that my head swung aside just as he started pulling the trigger. The bullets went past my face without grazing me, he’d retarget and fire again. In only a second, several shots were heard in the lobby. Not a single one touched me.

I love this. It was quite thrilling!

“Heh, not bad.” The man was suitably impressed by me. Next he took position and swung a high roundhouse kick at me using his whole body. I quickly ducked under and jabbed at his groin when he did that. To my disappointment, I didn’t strike any external organs, but hard muscle with bone behind it. The sudden counter attack unbalanced him a little, but didn’t topple him.

“Whoa.” He took a few steps backward before coming to a stop. I thought about pressing on the attack just for the lulz, but don’t know any martial arts. This counter attack was easy so I made it, but I just looked up some videos on shooting, striking and tackling before coming here. “Not bad at all, girl.”

I go smug. “Did I pass?”

“Yeah.” He offers me a hand and I shake it. “I am Largo.”

“Euclid.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Euclid.” He pumps it. I nod.

“I see you haven’t had a single tourney yet. Tell me about your fighting experience, Euclid.” What would be a based response here?

“I looked up some videos on the Internet before coming here. So I am at a world class level at the very least.” I joke.

“Ahahah!” He finds it funny. We release our hands. “Okay, let’s move on to the next part.” He snaps his fingers and we are transported to a different area.

(Heaven’s Key, Morty’s Domain, Martial Arts Ring)

“I am fine with you testing me in melee, but it is my intention to be a gunslinger or a sniper. Does Heaven’s Key have a lot of hand to hand combat?” I ask looking around. Right now me and Largo are in a white octagonal ring with an iron chain-link fence on all sides. I tapped the floor with my shoes and the floor below the canvas felt soft, as if it had some foam in its structure, but not so much that it would affect my balance.

“Certain fighting styles do. We’ll be checking your aptitudes one by one starting with close combat.” Largo said to me. I nod.

“My body is only a 2 chip one. I hope I won’t have to go against anybody with an advanced one.” I voice my concern.

“It is no problem. The one testing you will be using a body of the same quality as you. You don’t have to win, just show me how well you can do…oh, he’s here.”

Another person logs in. Unlike me who is in a red dress, and Largo who is in military fatigues, this guy fits the arena. He is wearing a pair of light blue combat briefs and light sparring gloves, but is otherwise unclothed and barefoot. He is a white man with a buzzcut the same height as Largo. Compared to Largo who should be 140-1500kg based on the bodies I’ve seen in Eloe’s shop, this person here is on the lighter side. Something like 110-120kg. He still looks way stronger and more imposing than me.

“Hey Largo.” He greets him.

“Hey Mike.”

“So who are we testing today? Her?” He looked at me and after a while became concerned. “I didn’t know you’d be a complete newbie, you haven’t even had your first tourney yet?” He shakes his head, looking at Largo with disapproval.

Since he is scanning me, I look him over myself. Based on how he worded it, he seems to have an ability to sense my level. I didn’t know the administrator added this. I fiddle around with my senses, and try to figure out how to display his status, but nothing works. No, my conjecture that there is some special feature must be wrong. Rather he is probably using some kind of service to get my profile based on my image. It is possible to find out the data on everybody from the Menu -> Domain Access. It might have been good to scrape it and store it on my core for situations like these. Anyway, I have his image on file. I’ll look up his records later. Largo’s too.

“You tried the surprise test?” Mike asked. Largo nodded.

“Yeah, the hook, the handgun volley from close range and even the round house. I got punched in the balls for that last one.” He touched his groin area.

“Ouh…” Mike cringed and turned his attention to me again. “Ok, sorry if it seems like I am looking down on you, miss. But in the Heaven’s Key tournament, matching ups are random and I am used to killing women as much as I wish I wasn’t. During this test I am going to hit you and it is going to hurt. Are you fine with that?”

“Sure, go right ahead if you can.” I say nonchalantly. ”What are the rules of this fight? I am not familiar with any martial arts. Do I have to wear combat clothing like you or will this dress be fine?”

“The rules are simple, anyone whose upper body touches the floor loses. That means arms, shoulder, head, chest and stomach. Anything above the waist.” Largo explains. “You can wear any clothing that you like, but weapons are forbidden. The only exception to that…” Largo manifests a pair of light gloves like the ones Mike is wearing and tosses them to me. I snatch them out of the air and look at them. Then I look at my hand imagining how it would be like to wear this glove.

I toss the gloves out of the ring.

“I wouldn’t know what to do with them.” I decide. “I’ll go the way I am.” Narrowing my eyes, I thrust my chest outward, letting my red dress flutter.

“Okay. Fighters go to your marked area. You will start on my mark.” Mark turns around, and so do I, going to my marked area.

“3, 2, 1. Start!” Largo goes off to the side and announces the start.