OUTSIDERS

I sat up in bed after a futile attempt at sleep that just made my head hurt and my muscles ache. Instead of being rested I felt more drained than ever. "Great," I said rubbing my eyes then checked the time in my status.

[Time: 5/35AM]

I discovered I could just choose one thing to check in my status without pulling out the whole screen. Curfew ended at 5am so I can leave now. Looking down at the reptile clinging on my chest with sharp claws, I sighed and poked it with a finger. "Wake up you lazy ass," I said. "It's morning... Well, sort of," the dim lights in the barracks was constant no matter the time of the day. The light of the Rankers City changed though as I saw it dimming when we were returning to our floor. Honestly it wouldn't surprise me if they simulate day and night up there.

Cradling the reptile in my arm, I crawled out of bed. A brief business in my locker I took a toothbrush and left for the bathroom. The reptile had coiled up in my pocket. At the door, I stopped as I saw Sid and Sky coming out of the bathroom through a different entrance. "You up already?" I said in surprise.

"Yeah," Sky grinned. She's a thin girl with thick curly black locks and big blue eyes. "I woke Sidy up to help me with a little something. Should have awoken you but was scared you'd lash out and stuff, so don't be jealous,"

Her Columbian accent was rich like Sofia's. Me and Sid got ours beaten out of us in the mansion so we sound more mainstream American. That's because Columbians are discriminated a lot in the region. That's why Sofia was pissed off yesterday, she'd thought I was american pointing out her accent- I'd done it on purpose. Though I wouldn't have minded keeping my accent to be honest.

"Why would I be jealous?" I wondered. "Are you stupid?"

Sky shrugged. "You know, you and Sid are the tight friends, don't wanna seem like I am stealing her,"

"We are not tight friends," I glared. "And I see you are feeling rather good today eh? no more crying for help huh?"

She frowned. "That's petty princess,"

"I always hated that name you know?"

"Everybody calls you that but you only shout about me, it's not fair!"

I clenched my fist and gritted my fist. "You know what, I don't have time for this!" I stormed into the bathroom. Then stopped just inside the door to calm myself.

"What's with her?" I heard Sky ask.

"The nickname is not princess, but your majesty or something," Sid replied.

"And what's the difference?"

"My mom use to call her the former. Come on, it's not your fault you didn't know,"

After they left, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I am so stupid. Why do I have to be at war with everything and everyone? Even myself. But it's bad enough that she calls me that when we are alone, but in front of Sid?

At quarter after six we'd gathered around the table in the mostly empty cafeteria having breakfast. Sky was stuffing herself, bubbly as ever. "So who's she?" Dragon asked looking put off.

"She's Sky. Sam and Sid's cousin," Chloe replied.

"Of course she's," he said peevishly.

"What's with you?" I snapped.

Dragon scowled. "She tried to kill me in the forest,"

"Oh, I did now?" Sky said blithely. "Huh, it happens right? I hope you don't keep a grudge,"

"I guess it's alright," he said sarcastically.

"Why did she even try to kill you?" Owen asked.

"That's the problem," Dragon groaned. "She wouldn't say, keeps coming at me with a dagger. Bitch,"

"That's troubling," Omar grinned taking pleasure in others misfortune. Dragon kept staring at the girl though so I knew I'd have to play peacemaker.

I sighed. I guess it's too much to hope for a peaceful breakfast. "Why did you want to kill him Sky?"

"He looked dangerous," She said. Seeing everyone's blank expression she added. "I felt that he could kill me so I decided to kill him first, though I instead failed and made an enemy,"

I would have rolled my eyes if I was in a better mood. "Is there any way we can solve this?"

"If he'll forgive me I'd stay away from him from now on, but I doubt he would,"

I turned to Dragon. "Would you forgive her?"

He kept staring at her- his brows furrowed- as she eat. But still waved his hand. "Sure, sure,"

"Great," Sky smiled. "I didn't want to fight you since you are Sam's friend,"

"We are not..." I started but Sid kicked me on the leg and I shut up.

"We are not here for this," Sid said. I glared at her but she pointedly didn't looked everywhere but my direction. "Me and Sam are planning on checking out the training ground, what are you guys' plans?"

"Same here," Willow said.

"We could ask Salem for directions again," Chloe added.

"I will tag along," Omar said.

Sid smiled. "Then it's a plan,"

As I watched them talk, I covertly snuck food into my pocket for Groovy who eat everything I gave him. Chicken wings and boiled egg and bread and bacon. What a strange lizard.

Salem gave me an irritated look after I asked and said, "I thought I told you, if you need directions or anything just ask the Automatons, it's their duty to help you out. Haven't you read any book on introduction to Camp?"

"We did," I said wondering why I'd been the one to step forward. "But we thought you'd give us more helpful answers,"

"Well, what can I say, I am flattered." she said with all the bitchiness of a cheerleader, then continued cleaning the counter with a rag. "You might be right though, those metal men scarcely put themselves in others shoes. Hmm.. How about I give you an advice?"

"Sure,"

"Don't go to the training ground this early. Wait it up till noon when the Rankers has done their training so you'd get space to really do something productive,"

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"Don't go till noon, got it," I said turning to the others waiting for me a distance away. I thanked the woman then walked back to them. After I told them what the woman had said we decided to got to the library first.

Today the library's population was sparse. We soon settled at a table. The first book I picked was All Power: Rank, Status, Stats.

The All Power is a rule of the world just like gravity, life and death. It's a law that let's one gain game like abilities after they absorb enough monster orbs in a Saturated environment. Saturated environment is an area with high concentration of Mana. Usually around a dungeon entrance.

....

It is also possible to highlight a particular stat or skill on the status screen just by thinking about it. [Assassin grade B: a silent killer, a quieter stalker, a person of death, striking fear to their enemies. +2 proficiency in any attacking skill. +3 proficiency in any stealth skill. +2 on all stats when hidden. Poison resistance; +3 on top of natural stats. Natural talent for attack and stealth skills. Proficiency in any alchemy involving poison.]

[Shadowalking (weak) Lv 1: when one wills, they'll cross space and time in an instance, a short distance of 6 meters as highest. One Mana point a jump; could lessen if skill levels up. Cannot upgrade grade. Current grade: weak]

[Archery (legendary) Lv3: a terrifying shooter, it's been sang that such an archer when at a high rank and grade could shoot the wings off a house fly, see a distance as a Queen eagle and bend the wind as they see fit. Automatic expertise on bow and arrows. Negligible Mana cost. Cannot upgrade grade. Current grade: legendary]

"That was helpful," I muttered. Shadowalking cost 1 Mana point per jump. Well, I'd deduced that in the forest already. That makes it possible to only make five jumps before I run out. Five 6 meters jump at the highest. Mana cost could decrease if I add level but not the distance. Maybe that'll require a higher grade. Could Sid jump farther since she's legendary?

While the [Archery] skill sounded powerful, the actual thing I could really do was open for debate. As the word at a 'high rank' demanded a condition be met before the fact. They were many questions about my skills but I'd have to wait to try things out in the training ground.

[Which came faster than I thought as half an hour past twelve, I found myself training in the guild. Okay, let's go back for a little bit as I have a few incidents to cover that are crucial to my story. Right, 12/07pm. Yes let's begin from there.]

Like Salem had said the automatons are really helpful. We just had to find one in the streets of Rankers city which was harder than we thought. In the lower Metro floor it was rather easy to bump into one of these metal people both in armor or not. But they were quite scarce in this floor. Maybe because their jobs is related to taking care of freshmen?

Dunno.

The people here mostly ignored us. Only a few will look at us with interest and call us Greens, usually those in modern cloths or wearing armors. Those in medieval cloths always gave us dirty looks. One kid even spat at our feet, glared and stalked off. It was irritating to be honest but the environment was so hostile I couldn't do anything about it.

Anyway, we finally found one automaton walking down the street after waiting outside the library for about ten minutes and intercepted him. He was unarmored, wearing a scholarly blue robe. "I am Levi of the Scholars guild," he dronned. "How can I be of assistance?"

Times like this I find myself doubting if these things are really sentient. Omar coughed. "We need direction... A guide to the training ground,"

"Which one?"

"What?"

"Oh, you are freshmen, right." Levi straightened. "They are five training grounds each in different adventurers guild,"

"Five guilds?" Willow gasped. "That will make this city quite large wouldn't it?"

"It's, there's about five thousand in this city,"

"Five thousand?" Sky said. "That's a fucking lot of students considering not all live here," [we'd caught her up on events.]

"Not all are students," Levi shrugged. "Come on,"

"What does that even mean?" Dragon said as we followed. We went up then crossed the busy street, bumping shoulders with other passersby.

"Some people don't want to leave," the automaton replied blithely. "They came as students but never got to leave so they settled here. Had children and grandchildren. Most of those knows only Camp as home and disdains the outside world, be careful with those kinds,"

"They don't like outsiders?" Chloe asked.

"Yes,"

"Well that explains the hostile environment," Willow pointed and we looked around warily.

"And the children," Sid said sourly. I blinked only now realizing the oddity of that. Children in Camp. Of course that explained it even though I never thought of it.

Chloe scowled. "They wouldn't just try to lynch us would there?"

"Unlikely," Levi said.

Owen still couldn't believe it, "But I thought this floor is for Rankers, above level 20s and what not, these kids can't be all level 20s right or did I read rubbish the whole time?"

"The rule of levels is only for Outsiders,"

"And what are this indigenous people called?"

"Diggers,"

"What!?" We screamed.

Levi frowned. "We should not talk of this. I know what you are thinking, there are different ones, not the same, absolutely!... It was my mistake, how long was it?" His eyes went distant and he stared at the sky. "Just call them Campanos, it's their name... never call them Diggers. It's complicated."

With new found wariness we followed him. This new information came with many implications. Most important is that this is really a real city not just a student campus: that means footpads, drugs dealers, killers. The other, maybe just as important is the fact that they are indigenous people here and they're somehow connected to Diggers. I'd heard the name since I found myself in that train, and the longer I stay in Camp or its vicinity, the more I hear of them.

Somehow the more I heard the less I knew. What do I know? Well, I know The Diggers are some kind of outlaws with connections with the Campanos or, whatever, native people of Camp. They have a territory outside Camp and attacks students; something I experienced firsthand. Plus Camp hates them. I looked around at these people dressed in medieval cloths among the modern dressed people. They only know this box world all their lives, that's fucked up, I shivered.

The guild was a squat white two story building. 'ARES' guild was writing atop it. Levi separated from us at the door. Inside was a fairly busy common room with lots desks at the sides where Rankers lined up. The young man at the front desk was idle though. He was dark skinned, dark haired and gray eyed. He waved us over immediately we entered. "So freshmen huh?" He said. "I'd been wondering when one of you would show up, then you came all- together,"

"Hello mate, we came to use the training ground. Says it's free for freshmen," Chloe said.

"Yeah I know why you are here. I also know it's free, for your information." He snorted then picked up one of those phone like device and pushed a black disk sitting on the desk forward. "Place your transmitter wrist over the scanner,"

Chloe did and green light washed over her wrist. "Cool," the guy said. "Next. I will want all of you to be scanned so I know the perfect weapons for you,"

We went forward one after another. After we were done the guy studied the phone for some time and nodded. "We have an archer, a tank, a swordswoman, two mages and a dagger user, those ones are easy." He sighed. "The problem is the assassin class without any attacking skill and the Clerk,"

"What do you mean?" Omar asked.

The black guy laughed mockingly "I mean you are not fit for fighting, blah, it's impossible with your class,"

"Dude your class is Clerk?" Owen asked.

"Shut up," Omar grunted. "I'll still like a weapon,"

"No, no, you are not listening." The receptionist insisted. "That's why there are jobs you know? To classify classes according to their purpose in a party. The Scout job is a grouping of scouting classes- like the Thief and Assassins here- Tankers job is for classes that makes one good at taking attacks, Knights job are for classes that gives one powerful offense, while the Support job are for healers and priests, yes those that support from the back. And then there's you, a Schemer job, with your classes that are only good at information gathering, your role is at home, making strategies. Definitely nowhere close to a fight,"

"I still want a weapon," Omar said with a scowl.

The receptionist glared. "Sure,"

He reached behind him and grabbed a bow and quiver of arrows which he handed to me. The bow didn't seem modern like the ones I used in the mansion but it was alright. Even as I tested the bow the guy behind the counter kept bringing forth weapons.

He handed Chloe a pair of silver daggers, well made, almost ornate. He gave Sky a wooden sword. She pouted as she took the weapon. "Why am I the only one getting a dummy weapon?"

The guy shrugged. "Everyone practices with a wooden sword first,"

He gave Dragon a gauntlet saying, "You are the Sentry class, a unorthodox kind of Tanker, we can say, as you could also attack. The gauntlet will do you well since you have a martail art skill."

Next he gave Willow and Owen a wand each. The wands were made of some kind of dark metal, a narrow stick seven inches tall with a star atop. "These are practice wands,"

He stared at Sid. "So you are the Assassin without any attacking skill. Choose, sword or daggers?"

"What's the difference?"

"There are both good weapons but daggers are more light weight right? Since I will assume an 'assassin' class should support most attacking skills you'd have to practice with the sword enough, maybe it'll give you a sword skill, it happens sometimes."

Lastly he gave Omar a tower shield. "Good luck mate," he said but they was no kindness in it.

Still, Omar nodded thankfully.

"Okay, here's your room," he slapped a piece of paper on the counter. "It is at the other end of the training ground, if you go through that door," he pointed at the back door.

Sid picked the paper and we left.

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