Time moved slowly over the remaining week. I spent days figuring out how to merge with code and make the system mine or make it seem like I was part of it. The system was complicated. Algorithms and Keycodes for everything were locked deep in gene-code like structures. It was like trying to make myself out to be a single small brick or speck of dust that made up a castle wall.
It was very difficult at first. We had started our little raid on the system around Wednesday. It was Friday by the time I felt an almost systematic flow to starting my hacking again. Like my brain had wired itself to do the coding ahead of time to make things easier.
I could now make dust proof off the floor with a bit of a push in the system. But more than that and it would be alerted to something messing with it.
"This is going to take a lot of time." I grumbled as Henry was dragged upstairs by Hoy. Henry was letting out what seemed to be constant mumbling about something the rest of us couldn't make out. His face seemed distant and his body limp as he was dragged. Meanwhile Hoy looked like he was dressed up like a teacher. Glasses, tie, hell he even had his hair slicked over for comical evil professor look.
Meanwhile Lily had literally been watching me like a hawk every chance she got to make sure I didn't go too far with my coding. She didn't want the system finding me and erasing me thinking I was a virus or something. A flaw in the algorithm maybe. But I still worked hard. Even till the day of the dome. And when the day came Lily looked us all in the eye and stated something very clearly.
"We may not win today. But we have worked hard to be here. Not everyone got this chance. So make it count." She said as we all nodded in agreement. We were a testament for the ages. Like carbon under pressure. Over enough time and put under just the right amount of pressure. Carbon can form Diamond. And very few things are harder than a diamond. Stronger, more durable, or precious. Just like my Faction mates.
Soon we made our way out the door and headed for the elevator. The dome and it's dark skies waited for us.
"So you think it's the desert this time Lil? Not often that we get thrown into the same map twice in a row. And we just had a Tundra battle a couple weeks ago." Henry whispered to Lily. The five of us making a neat little arrow head shaped group as we moved.
She gave a slight nod in return. "It would make sense. The dome is the one thing Echidna can't screw with. She makes the monsters sure. But the system has a natural limit and she doesn't have high enough clearance to alter the code for it. Courtesy of Johann. Probably the only real blessing he left besides having our minds trapped in here instead of dead. Immortal yet always under threat. I can only imagine what would happen if people caught him." Lily grumbled.
The crowds were tight knit and bustling as always as we made our way towards the enormous doors of the dome. The dark sky rumbling and striking it's structure with lightning every now and again like it was attempting to break in so the sky could watch the show as well.
Soon we arrived at the front. Every faction had their eyes on us. We had missed the last dome. And that was unheard of in most factions as it meant a loss in the leaderboards as some would say. But in doing so the Warrior faction had managed to win. Not by a landslide and certainly not by a hair. But they had pulled ahead due to some ingenious thinking.
The last map we had missed was another type of city scape. But this one had been mostly ruins and very few people made it to PvP due to a certain massive worm destroying everything it came across. So the Warrior faction had managed to take the final spot just by having more members left really.
So a fair chunk of other people's attention was on the Warrior faction as they were getting alot of salty/angry glares from quite a few directions.
But as I was looking around a hooded figure came to stand next to Lily who had taken her battle form. Lily hardly seemed bothered let alone nervous of the person. Which caused the rest of us to stare at her. She wasn't particularly bothered. I leaned in close. "Who's your new friend?" I whispered and got a smirk in response. "You'll see soon enough." She said. Her smirk turning into a grin as we all took our battle forms. The cloaked figure was still cloaked. But the feet stuck out. Leather boots with some metal plating stuck out from beneath the cloak not revealing who it was.
Setting aside my intrusive thoughts I just shook my head and turned away.
I could only feel even more confused as I looked around even more in hopes of seeing Bell somewhere in the crowd. Geb and Leroy were around and easily noticeable in their battle forms. But Bell seemed to be nowhere. After what happened with Arthur I heard she had been in hiding keeping a very low profile. And with how busy we'd been this week I had lost track of her without even being able to say thank you.
"I hope she's okay." I thought as I focused on the door before us once more. The robed figure crouched a little as the doors began to rumble and we all rushed forwards. Beth had of course hopped on my back with Henry and hoy latching onto Lily.
But oddly enough it looked like the robed figure was sticking with us and had grabbed Lily's arm for good measure. I just managed to grab Hoy's shoulder as we got to the portal. And the feeling of weightlessness appeared again.
"Damn it." I groaned as whistling filled my ears and I saw the ground approaching from below. Broad sandy ground filled with dunes and a few oasis placed here and there.
I grunted as I felt Beth shift to be more in the center of my coffin. I tilted a little as I noticed the others close by with another figure I could easily recognize.
A Valkyrie. Broad wings stretched behind her body as leather and steel armor laced it's way across a battle dress. I couldn't catch more of a view as I had to focus more on my landing strategy. I aimed toward a larger sand dune with a greater slope. Should prove useful for softening my landing.
I spread my arms and legs trying to catch more wind to slow down which did little before I met the sand with a scraping thud.
I lost 40 points of health from the impact but my body parts were mostly okay. Nothing really broken. Maybe internal junk was messed up. But the good thing was Beth had a nicer landing in the soft sand. Her dress was a little ruffled but otherwise good to go.
I stood up as I saw my health points recovering. With the upgrades from going up to D grade. My 10 points every minute was a good boost. And it was the best passive I prayed in thanks for.
I heard the flutter of wings as I saw Hoy land dropping Henry and Lily to the ground. Their composure was great as always and nothing made me more jealous.
"Bloody wish I had wings.... Dumb System." I grumbled as I stretched to make sure nothing was really broken.
It was then I heard a very unceremonious thud and some very familiar swearing.
I turned and there was the Valkyrie. Her dress was incredibly crumpled and one of her wings was unnaturally crooked.
I raised an eyebrow on my masked face as I approached her slowly, before Lily sauntered up the woman and helped her to her feet.
"Told you wings take some getting used to. Hoy crash landed badly his first time. Yours looked much more graceful." She said with a grimace.
Hoy shook his head. "I didn't crash! The ground simply was too harsh to land gracefully and I tripped." He said with a frown.
My curiosity reached its peak as I had no clue why nobody else seemed to question why this person was here.
"Um. Excuse me. Care to explain what's going on here?" I said as looked between the stranger and our group.
The Valkyrie seemed to avoid eye contact as Beth stood straight next to her.
"Right! We never told you the plan. So... You remember Bellona right? Tada!" She said with a little gesture of her hands towards the woman. "And what's more she's our newest team member!!!" She jumped up and down excitedly.
My eyes widened in shock. "I didn't think we could change our battle forms." I muttered
Beth shrugged. "It's not that we can't but that it's difficult to find another form that's... Compatable or comparable with us. Some people will sometimes have a worse time with a different form than their original so we stick with what we have."
The Valkyrie ( Bell) smiled shyly as she ground the toes of her boot in the sandy ground. "It's a bit different. But it's alot better than being where I was before. " She had long flowing golden hair that reached her waist. Braids weaving in and out of it's yellow River.
As her face came to view I saw how beautiful she was.
A soft rounded face accented with strong cheek bones and hazel eyes. Her lips were crimson with a refined chin. Her skin was tanned and bore dark celtic tattoos across her neck and collarbones.
She held a rebellious and powerful air to her now. Her figure was similar to previously. A warrior queen in form. And despite the one wing being crooked she still looked majestic.
I shook my head to refocus. "Did you say she's our new team member? When were you planning on telling me?!" My eyes glared a little at Lily who blushed and rubbed the back of her head. "We planned to but with all the training I couldn't manage to."
"Hmmm." I grunted, obviously annoyed as I opened my Coffin and gestured for Bell to climb in. "You'll understand once you get in." I said as she eyed it questioningly before Beth shoved her in.
The lid slid into place and I saw my health decrease by 20 points before the lid slid back. Bell struggled to get out but was held back by the bandages wrapped around her wing. "I can't! I'm claustrophobic!" She cried out and Beth shoved her back in. "Just another minute and it'll be over. Don't be a baby!"
Another 20 points disappeared from my health before the lid slid itself back and Bell was spat out. Her wings perfectly fine despite her pale face and panting.
"Sorry about that. But it's the only way to heal people at the moment besides letting you heal naturally. I'll try to give you some space in that regard unless you ask for it." I said as I held out a hand to help her up.
She managed to slow her breathing before taking my hand to stand. She flexed her wings a few times to get a better feel for them. "Thanks." She said before she jerked her hand out of mine. A blush came to her face as she turned away.
Lily and Beth looked at each other with an expression I didn't understand. Probably something only women understand. I don't know. I'm a guy.