“On your right!"
“Fallback! Fallback"
"Gods, these fuckers are everywhere!"
"Keep firing!"
The shouts of several men were drowned out by the sounds of intense and non-stop gunfire as they fired upon the horde of beasts around them. Bullets, fire blasts and laser blasts flew out towards the enemy, mowing them down in droves, but one of them remained. The creature was a tall sphinx-like creature that had green skin and white wings and was slowly approaching the men. As one fell, two more took its place as they edged closer and closer towards the line. The prisoners were beginning to panic, but it was a testament to their training/torture that they did not break the line nor cease their valiant defense.
However, a blast of powerful water came from behind them cutting the creature completely in half and then faded into mist leaving behind only its bones. The men were astonished at this but they then heard the voice behind them.
“Looks like you guys could use some help”
The men turn towards a tall, young man with dark tanned brown skin, shaggy brown hair and piercing green eyes wearing a uniform with the Number A-24.
One of the Men named Zack in shock but relief said: A-24?! O, Thank the spirits you're here.
“Please tell me you are taking over for us”
“We have been doing this training simulation for hours!”
“Our bodies are about to drop dead here man!”
“Professor Draxum said I can take over from here, don't worry about it,” A-24 said with a reassuring smile which calmed down the group.
The men look at each other and nod, seemingly getting up roughly from the ground and walking out of the training chamber into the rest of the base as fast as they could, being glad that the session was over.
A-24 sighs after they leave and gets into a battle ready stance and then conjures blue green energy bubbles the size of basketballs around his hands and feet and then in the training chamber several other creatures appear. One is a werewolf, the second is a minotaur, the third is a giant hornet and the last is a ram.
A-24 is a bit surprised at the number but shrugs it off and gets ready. The chamber project's a hologram followed by a voice shouting “Go!”.
The monsters then all charged at him at once but the Young Man was already prepared. Swiftly, he evaded the ram's charge, leaping skyward to unleash a flurry of physical white strings created from his energy bubbles, ensnaring the creature in an intricate binding making it paralyzed.
Anticipating the minotaur's assault, A-24 fashioned an ice shield in a fleeting moment of ingenuity, deflecting the beast's strike before responding with a resounding blow. With precision, he hurled the shield towards the menacing hornet, severing it in twain, though not without receiving a stinging cut that elicited a momentary wince.
Utilizing his quick thinking, A-24 used the ensnared ram in his strings, by propelling it at the minotaur with formidable force causing both to be knocked into a wall instantly breaking their body apart due to the sheer force of it leaving nothing but bone after they faded into mist.
Confronting the werewolf head-on, A-24 deftly countered its ferocious assault, delivering a devastating magma blast from his creation bubbles that reduced the creature to mere ash, vanishing into the ether. The chamber's holographic facade dissipated, returning to its static blue and white state as the echoes of fierce combat lingered in the room.
A-24 mused softly to himself, “it's a relief these beings aren't truly alive,” as he surveyed the aftermath of the intense battle.
Due to how the training chamber works most of the monsters or other entities conjured by it aren't really alive or sapient at most having intelligence rival that of a low level AI app simply following their “programming” and aren't really capable of being alive for long anyway. Which clears up his conscience a bit since at least he isn't killing innocent animals for his fucked up owners. The training chamber itself looks like a simple but big hallway with blue floor tablets all over the place as well as large pillars that reach all the way to the ceiling.
As he was musing in his thoughts, he heard clapping behind him and he turned around seeing a tall man in a typical lab coat and glasses clapping at him albeit a bit mockingly. This was the Professor and also warden of this facility Nathaniel Draxum.
“Well, well, A-24," Draxum said, his voice dripping with condescension. "It appears you're starting to unlock the true potential of your Sacred Treasure. Maybe you'll amount to more than just a cog in our master plan after all. Though considering how the other you seemed so disappointing maybe i shouldn't get my hopes up too much”.
A-24 snarls saying “I keep telling you this, Draxum. I already have a name for myself and it's David Hickson not some bullshit designation number you assholes gave me. Now fuck off, i have already done the missions and training for the day”
Draxum however simply smirks seemingly unfazed by the threat
“Ah you need to watch your tone A-24 or there will be consequences..”
“Now Drax you shouldn't be too hard on A-24. He is just being a petty little child after all”
A soft voice echoes from the other side of the training hall
They turn around to see a six foot two inches tall liquid metal being with purple eyes, a humanoid face, and mild androgynous features wearing a futuristic suit. She goes by many names but she personally calls herself the Sentinel of Retribution otherwise known as simply Verdict and she is not only the person who runs this artificial Island facility but is also Draxum superior.
Draxam immediately bowed in respect while David reluctantly nodded his head as a greeting, a flicker of disdain crossing his eyes.
“Mistress Verdict, I didn't know you were coming. I was just checking in on A - 24 progress with his Sacred Treasure”.
Verdict smiled calmly and looked at David causing him to wince but he got over it quickly as she asked her next question “so tell me A - 24 have you discovered any new combat techniques for your sacred treasure? any new skills you want us to know”
David exhaled, aware that any attempt to deceive her would be futile; the omnipresent security cameras left no room for secrets. Plus unlike Draxum she won't tolerate his usual sassiness or defiant attitude, so he opted for honesty, sharing the information in an unusually professional and stoic manner, he said, "I've managed to figure how to conjure temporary object manifestations this time instead of the usual permanent ones, which could be useful for surprise tactics. Additionally, I've slightly expanded the scope of my tactile telekinesis. However, that's the extent of it. It's not like my original self memories can help me much here anyways"
Acknowledging his progress, she replied, "That's within my expectations. Nonetheless, further experimentation is necessary. We'll continue testing tomorrow morning. For now, you're dismissed. Rest."
With a gesture indicating the end of their discussion, she subtly signaled David to exit, needing privacy for her forthcoming conversation with Draxum.
He nods and goes out of the training chamber and walks into the hall thinking to himself.
‘Ugh that wrench….her and that lackey are going to get what is coming to them'
For the past month, he has been trapped on this secluded island facility, his only purpose being to undergo relentless training, embark on dangerous missions, create new substances and endure excruciating experiments. All of this is in service of Verdict's grand mission: creating her very own army, known as The Eradicators, fueled by her own twisted ideals of Justice and retribution and gaining some kind of counterbalance to the superheroes on Earth. Amidst the grueling trials, he has had no contact with his original self, leaving him uncertain of their fate, but desperately hoping that they have somehow managed to return home, alive and well.
Verdict herself possesses a Sacred Treasure, granting her the remarkable ability to harness a system known as the GAME. With this system, she can create a personal army of executioners, each one a clone crafted from the DNA samples she obtains. The clones then engage in the GAME system, wherein they are rewarded with new abilities for completing assigned quests and battles, much like characters in a video game. Only Verdict and the clones themselves can perceive this system, although they can enlist the help of others for specific quests. These quests are usually assigned by the system itself but Verdict can assign new quests also depending on the level the player is at. Right now most of the clones after completing their quests and getting to a high enough level were sent to the astral realm specifically a very unique spirit world of sorts that housed a giant temple where the supposed relic Verdant was looking for lies within.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
As the clones progress through the levels of the Game (ranging from Level 1 to 20), their abilities evolve to their utmost potential specifically attempting to match or counter balance the powers the clones original selves had whether gained from a Sacred Treasure or just Normal Asha Harnessing. They become capable of creating new players and, remarkably, Verdict can even absorb their acquired abilities when they are at Level 20 and complete the game. In her ruthless pursuit of power, Verdict exploits all 100 of the clones she made on the island as participants in the Game, constantly experimenting with their untapped potential in an audacious attempt to manipulate the system in her favor.
Though with him since he isn't part of it but still a useful asset nonetheless she keeps him here for further testing as well as use for creating new objects or materials needed for whatever they want or need at that moment.
As David walks past the courtyard, he witnesses a distressing scene: the island's guard dogs, known as the punishers, are disciplining a clone for insubordination. They activate the collar around his neck, subjecting him to electric shocks and inflicting pain through special asha modified curses embedded within the item. David's expression turns into a scowl at the sight, but he continues on his way without intervening.
The collars, a constant presence on all the inmates here, serve as a tool for control and punishment. They can deliver painful electric shocks or enact harmful curses upon the wearers, a power wielded by the punishers, the Warden/Professor Draxum, or Verdict herself for any perceived misbehavior. Draxum, in particular, has used this method on David and his friends multiple times, seemingly at whim. The curses vary in their effects, from causing temporary paralysis by activating the runes on the collar to inflicting severe pain for a long period of time, effectively breaking the will of the victims.
Finally he reaches his dorm room location and as he opens the door, he's warmly welcomed by one of his close friends here, a man of medium build with blond hair and blue eyes, donned in a uniform marked with A-42, a designation from the Eradicators' official ranking system. Despite this formal identification, he opts for the name Julius, seeking a semblance of personal identity.
Julius was one of David's close friends here with them bonding over being clones of superheroes, being seen as weird glitches due to not being able to access the GAME system that Verdict set up, similar interest in books, etc.
Julius greets him with a friendly hug, asking, "Had a challenging day?"
After the hug, David flops down on his bed, responding, "Pretty much the usual routine. Training, enduring tough experiments, missions, and then back to training. Y,know the usual drill."
Though David's tone suggests casual resignation, Julius detects his friend's underlying dissatisfaction. Upon David pondering the end of their relentless cycle, Julius confesses his own doubts.
In an attempt to divert the conversation, Julius sees David pick up a new book and queries, "Which book have you got there?"
With renewed vigor, David props himself up slightly, displaying the book's cover.
"It's 'The Human with Ten Thousand Names.' It's about a shapeshifter who's lived on Earth for more than two thousand years, adopting endless identities until his actions begin to catch up with him," David explains, his enthusiasm for the series palpable.
With a gentle laugh, Julius comments, "Man, It sounds like you should be thanking Harry for sneaking those books out of Draxum's hold when he wasn't watching.”
Harry's uncanny ability to move stealthily, independent of his actual powers, allowed his to deftly swipe a book from behind Draxum while he was engrossed in conversation with another scientist. Occasionally, he would employ this skill mischievously to playfully snatch David's cosmetic products just to get under his skin.
David expressed his reservations, saying, "I understand his knack for showing off, but I'm not particularly excited about Harry flaunting how I owe him a favor now."
Julius laughed and david joined him till they hear a knock on the door
Surprised they ask who it is only for a soft boyish voice to respond with cheer
“Oh relax guys it's me”
The two men approach the door and open it, revealing a charming sight: a short but handsome young man with fiery red hair, clad in a simple white shirt and casual blue jeans. His cheerful demeanor shines through.
Harry greets them cheerfully, "Hey, guys! Natasha and Kaito want us to join them in the cafeteria. Let's not keep them waiting. Come on, follow me."
Before either of them could react, Harry grabs their hands, a surge of blue energy envelops them and transports them to the bustling cafeteria.
Julius, taken aback by the sudden teleportation, voices his concerns, "Um, shouldn't we be careful with using your teleportation powers so freely?"
Harry rolls his eyes and quips, "Relax, Julius. Draxum has granted me permission to teleport to approved areas in the facility."
He emphasizes the last part with playful air quotes. Initially worried about Harry teleportation abilities, Draxum realized their limitations within a 25-meter range and acknowledged her ability to maintain good behavior. Hence, he was granted some leniency in using his powers.
As they approach the table where Kaito and Natasha are seated, they exchange greetings with each other. Kaito, a young Zeldonese man with pale skin, brown eyes, and black hair, is the second oldest among this tight-knit group, while Natasha, with her unique blue skin and long brown hair, sharp black eyes, is the oldest at 26.
Both of them have their own GAME given special abilities but also their own Sacred Treasures. Kaito has two Sacred Treasures, one of them called DJ Toolkit's and the other one called Visual Interference. Which can help them set up illusions around themselves that disguise what they are actually doing to the cameras meanwhile Natasha has one ST called Double Damage. Which lets her hit certain spots or areas on a target with that area being two times weaker than before.
David addresses Kaito and Natasha, "Hey, guys."
Kaito smiles warmly, replying, "Hey, David and Julius. Hopefully, your day wasn't too hectic. I heard they were conducting new tests to enhance our GAME levels."
Julius responds, "Not much testing for me today, just the usual procedures to assess the limits of my familiar summoning powers. There's only so much they can do with it."
Harry chimes in, "Dr. Bran did mention she wanted to test more of my abilities, though. I recently reached level 5."
The gang is taken aback by the news, and David congratulates Natasha, giving her a fist bump. "Congratulations, Nat! So, what can you do now?"
In response, Natasha summons a swirling energy spiral around her fingertips, demonstrating her newfound powers. “Well I've become much better in utilizing my life energy shifting. And I still retain some of my powers while on land at least.”
The others were impressed while all of them were far above the limitations of normal humans, thanks to the system giving them all innate asha reinforcement (not counting David since he got his powers from his own Sacred Treasure not the Game since it rejected him) if Natasha had perfected her life energy shifting with enough she could probably get to a higher level soon..
Julius scoffs saying “Now if only we could have these powers without being treated like pawns in that asshole stupid game”.
Harry chimes in as well “I still don't get why they do all these painful or dangerous experiments and trials on us? Can't they give us something more safe?”
David jokes “I don't think Verdict or Draxum has our safety in mind given they are often sending us on life or death missions”
Julius adds with a dry tone “Plus you don't need to exactly treat your lab rats and prisoners with respect “
As he said that though, Kaito and Natasha looked at each other and nodded before facing back to the group with a serious, determined expression.
“What if we say we had a way to make sure we aren't prisoners anymore?” said Kaito with a sly tone.
The others are surprised but David gets over his shock saying “Ah so you guys have figured out a way out of the facility?”
The pair nodded in confirmation, grateful for the added protection of Kaito Sacred Treasure's illusions that concealed their conversation. The group had previously discussed the possibility of escape in the past, but the remote island location made it seem like a daunting task. Even if they were able to leave, there was no guarantee they would reach civilization. And hijacking the teleporter pads was no easy feat either.
But Kaito started explaining to the group that he had secured a contract with an astral spirit named Lysa, whose unique abilities could absorb negative asha energy and also curses of both asha and spiritual origin. With Lysa's help, they could safely remove the cursed collars without suffering any consequences. It was a risky plan, but their best chance at breaking free from the clutches of Draxum and Verdict.
Kaito chimed in, sharing an update on their progress. They had convinced Lysa to open a portal to her spirit realm, and all they needed to do was get to the designated location when it opened. Kaito pulled up a map on his tablet, showing the way to the portal. He explained that the island's anti-spirit barriers made it challenging, but not impossible, to create a portal in and out. However, the portal would only be accessible at that specific spot for a limited amount of time before closing.
Harry, however, had his own doubts and asked Kaito what he had given up in exchange for Lysa's help. David and Julius shared the teleporter concern, but Kaito reassured them that Lysa had only asked for occasional visits in return.
Natasha interjected, reminding the group of the ultimate goal: escape and return to their lives. David then brought up the topic of the other clones, wondering how they would all leave the island.
"We can come back for them later," Natasha said, her tone indicating that it would be too much to handle at the moment.
David was disappointed but didn't argue with her since after all from what Kaito explained Lysa can only take a small handful of people into her spirit realm before it closes so even one more person won't be able to come with them.
The group of friends left the cafeteria with the illusion dropping but to the security cameras everything seemed fairly normal and they didn't pick up on their conversation.
However as David and Julius entered their room they were unknowingly being watched by Professor Draxum who simply walked away.
The next day they all met at one of the quieter parts of the facilities with the few camera's and then with the illusion power from Kaito ST activated they all proceeded to remove their collars from their necks.
“It's about fucking time” Harry said teleporting all over the place in glee.
“Finally! We are free!” said David happily
“We can celebrate later, let's go,” said Natasha.
The team proceeds to run down the different levels of the facility that aren't that populated, lucky they haven't been noticed to be gone till the facility alarms went off and a voiceover from Prof Draxum said that the clones have escaped and instructed several guards and captains to go after them.
“How did he know we were gone?!” Said Julius incredulously.
“Doesn't matter we are almost there” Said Kaito
As the team raced through the different levels of the facility, they were relieved to have gone unnoticed until the alarms blared and Prof Draxum's voice echoed through the halls, announcing the escape of the clones. Guards and captains were mobilized to track them down.
"How did he know we were gone?!" Julius exclaimed in disbelief.
"It doesn't matter, we're almost there," Kaito reassured the group.
Finally reaching one of the lower hidden floors where the Medium was located, they prepared to wait for Lysa to open the portal. However, their moment of respite was shattered when a menacing voice interrupted them.
"Ah, so this is where you ran off to."
Before anyone could react, a massive tentacle pierced through Julius, ending his life in an instant. Shock and grief gripped the group as they witnessed their friend's lifeless body on the floor.
Amidst their mourning, a pale man with brown eyes and black hair appeared behind them, standing tall at 6 feet 2 inches.
"Armament!" David exclaimed, a mix of bewilderment and anger in his voice.
"You murderer!" Harry teleported towards Armament, delivering a swift kick, while Natasha conjured water blasts to attack him with I. The Medium sprang into action, activating the portal they desperately needed.
David, fueled by rage and sorrow, unleashed his powers with a powerful left hook that sent Armament flying across the room. He demanded answers for Julius's senseless death, but Armament callously revealed his disdain for Julius and his belief that Verdict wouldn't care about his demise.
The room crackled with tension as the team faced off against Armament, their determination to avenge Julius's death burning brightly within them.
As Harry lunged in for another attack, Armament swiftly intercepted him, grabbing his arm and delivering a brutal stab with his tentacle before dropping him to the floor. Before harry could react, he turned his attention to David, attempting to strike him as well. However, David's kinetic armor protected him, only pushing him back against the wall.
Meanwhile, Natasha found herself ensnared by Armament's grasp, but Kaito acted quickly, sending a sharp wind blade to sever the tentacle and free her.
Frustrated and eager for revenge, David prepared to re-engage in the fight, but Kaito intervened, urging him to retreat. "We need to leave now," Kaito insisted, urgency in his voice as he grabbed David and pulled him towards the portal, which was on the verge of closing shut.
Reluctantly, David allowed himself to be ushered into the portal, the team escaping the clutches of Armament but carrying with them the weight of their fallen comrade. As they vanished into the unknown realm on the other side, the echoes of their battle and the memory of Julius's sacrifice and Harry Death lingered in the air.
Armament grunted, "They were worthless trash anyway," before leaving and heading towards the upper levels of the facility.