"Number 8, huh? That's my lucky number". He whispered to himself.
He passed by the heated atmosphere of the battlefield he's in. Heavy air rides on his shoulders and wondrous stared rained on him as he went to his registered computer. With his brat-like attitude, he smirked through it all.
He was amazed by the high-end units that the game provider lent to them the moment he reached the spot.
"This PC is never a match to what I have at home." He thought.
He sat wide-eyed in front of a 55in-wide 1080x1920p resolution three-fold monitor curving in front of him. The keyboard is flashed on a glass screen below the monitor and is showing the ORION logo as a screen saver. The mouse which was like a half of a ball lay beside the keyboard and responds to the minutest hand movement.
"For an Elimination tournament, they've spent quite a lot of currency on this. And, even if I won't be able to win this tournament, I'm still the happiest." Markus muttered. "I can just boast that I have used this equipment once in my life!!" his blood boiled.
He hovered his hand on the mouse and scanned the ticket he got from the registration booth on the micro cam just below it that is attached to the table. The unit came to life and flashed,
"Whoa.." he blurted. It was a very good experience for a grade-schooler.
He immediately sat on the gaming chair and inserted his account card on the port near the mouse. The Arsenal flashed on the screen and the list of his equipment appeared on the side.
Arcane Phantom. "I'm glad I've changed my account name ahead of time. It's quite embarrassing if they knew the old dull name has appeared on the screen, and everyone watching in here would see it. I can't take that.". He muttered in his brain, all feeling butterflies.
He heard the announcements from the MC and he followed the instruction. He wore the headgear and turned it on. He heard the cheering slowly fading as the earphones cancel all the outward sounds and brought them into the virtual game.
All the players were sent into different locations inside a ruined building.
Welcome to Nirvana! Ladies and gentlemen. This is the new place where you'll fight to your heart's content. The MC declared as he appeared floating in front of every player as a hologram.
"He said to start but I don't think I know where I am," Markus muttered. "Oh, I remember we have this." he swiped his hand in front and a floating holographic monitor shaped like a black ball with the black-colored top plushie, Minz, appeared. "Hi there, Minz." the ball creaked.
The monitor replied with 3 dots that are floating as if waiting for a command.
"Show me the map," Arcane Knight commanded and the map appeared on Minz.
"Oh..." he sighed. He leaned his back on the wall behind him, slowly dragging himself to the floor, and sat silently. "So this game is like Dungeon hunting. The place has a maze-like field full of diversions and traps on every floor of a tall building, about 50 floors. It was in a hexagonal shape with a huge open center field lighted with a solar circle on the ceiling." the kid traced his finger to the ladders on every floor. "Everyone is scattered and we have to fight for the loots. It is indeed a battle of survival."
Arcane Knight looked around and even scanned himself.
"A wright in this kind of environment doesn't sound right," he muttered. "I guess I should change my skin."
He clicked on his arsenal and picked a skin from his 4 skin wardrobe. "I bet the Ninja skin is best suited in this arena." he giggled and his avatar changed its appearance.
His Arcane Knight turned his cape into a modern ninja suit and covered his face with the mask. His weapons changed into a pair of shotguns hanged on his back like an X.
"I liked it better this way, huh!"
He activated his equipment and readied the traps he can leave on the way.
"This would do. The more loot you gain by hunting and conquering a room or a floor and by stealing from other players, the better. And as you venture on the floors, you can find the precious item, the Aegis, that will surely earn you a spot for the next round. I mean, finding the Aegis gives you a lot of points so having it is a sure win." the kid muttered and looked around, holding his breath.
"So, where am I, Minz?" she exclaimed.
AP found himself on the 4th floor of the northeast part of the building where he can clearly see anyone who passes at the center field.
"Great chance" he whispered and smiled. "This bunny is very useful, huh."
The theme for this game is modern warfare.
He wore a vest with ammo loaded on every pocket like a SWAT member. He checked his surroundings using his 'scan' skill and he saw readings from his map that he has companions (enemies) near him at 3 and 6 o'clock.
"I need to take care of them..." AP said, aiming his pistol. "Or else I'll be doomed.." he mumbled.
He advanced his pace and approached the one from his 3 o'clock. He dashed to the enemy and jumped on him making him land on his groin.
"Gotcha!!" he shouted and shot his prey.
They stumbled on the floor leaving the ambushed player on the ground.
"And another one" He stood immediately and shoot another player on the head.
A buzz was heard throughout the arena, a signal that someone has fallen.
"That was a pretty nice Luck.." Arcane Knight muttered wearing a playful grin. "I never knew Ninja skills will still be useful in this time."
He scanned his map again and saw that the enemy he had on 6 o'clock grew in number.
"Oi,, oi,,, I guess they're teaming up against me." He dashed and found cover inside a darkened room. "I never knew we can form Party in this game too." he pouted. "Anyway, you can team up against me but I can still win because I have this!" he threw his hand on the air, in joy.
The nice catch that Markus really liked about this game is the rule they have,
YOU CAN USE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE
"Use everything we have, huh?" he checked his belt, making sure he has it "...then, I will show you the best description of that rule..." he reloaded his gun with the expended ammo. "Cheats are the key to win this game, huh? That is pretty much in my favor... I guess Aegis has blessed me with this... haha". He laughed under his breath. "But this thing will come in surprise... those thugs are not worthy to see my weapon just yet. That's why I'm gonna do this the right way..."
He runs downstairs to get the enemies' attention. He let them follow him to the route he created and in an instant when the enemies were held on the place he prepared, he detonated the trap he had set.
Boooom!
A loud bang echoed the whole stadium as broken glasses shattered on the floor. The buzz sounded 5 times indicating the number of fallen participants.
"Don't underestimate the power of a gamer, damn it..." AP screamed and ran downstairs gathering the drops of his opponents.
During the first half of the game, Arcane Knight had all the winds on his sails. He managed to gain points and loot by using his own skill in competing in the game while leveling up. He scanned his map and entered rooms he felt like. But when he was about to have more points after defeating 3 more opponents inside that room, the thug who beat him at the Sunny-Go entrance, attacked him.
AP felt static and when he realized what happened, he found himself with nothing.
"You fiend!" he shouted. But the enemy just laughed at him and mocked him even more.
"What will you do now kid? You don't have enough time." Kirk taunted.
At that moment he saw that the timer was down to 1 minute and 30 seconds. Then, he remembered that the
"Sa,, what's wrong, kid??" Kirk put on a smirk.
"That cannot be helped,.." Arcane Knight laughed at him in reply.
"Have you gone insane, huh? Accepting defeat?" he took a step forward. "too late kid, you'll never be able to fight in this field. Not now, not in the future." Kirk charges with his knife.
"YOU'RE WRONG!, I'm laughing 'cause it will be over soon." AP spread his arms waiting for something to happen. His guns hang loose on his shoulders.
In the real world, Markus inserted the flash drive on his unit. The thing he brought with him and released the code he prepared. His special WEAPON appeared in the game.
"What are you saying kid?" the thug looked annoyed that his bullying is not affecting Markus. He stopped his attack.
"Because I have this..."
Markus grasped the knife with a sharp blade he hid under his belt, swung it towards Kirk's avatar, and gave a massive blow that sent him to hit a wall.
"You don't have enough time to fight, IDIOT!" Kirk boasted as he tried to stand.
"Who said that I am fighting you more?" Markus replied with a grin.
"Then what will you do?" the guy looked confused.
"Behold the power of my PHANTOM ALGORITHM."
Markus focused his might on the tip of his fingers and typed on his keyboard,
in a span of a split second.
Arcane Knight struck the knife on the ground and it rippled the ground with a surge of smoke, formed in circles.
"Phantom Strike!!" Markus yelled. He hit the ENTER button.
An earthquake was felt throughout the game and everything was suck unto him, immediately raising his specs into the max level.
"What kind of joke is this?" Kirk grumbled.
"This is not a joke,,, it's just a simple program created by an elementary student who happens to outsmart you." He gave him a cute smile to mock his enemy. "and a symbol of your defeat."
"Three, two, one, ZERO!" the announcer shouted and halted the game.
The timer turned zero and out of 150 players who made their way inside the ruined building, only a few remained with little points to spare. The rest of them all turned into zero.
The announcer broke the silence who engulfed the atrium the second the PHANTOM ALGORITHM was released "...ahh,, what was that? A new kind of cheat, huh? Behold that Phantom." he muttered on the microphone as he talked to himself in awe.
"There is no mistaking everyone, we have our champion for this tournament! It is the one who uses a Phantom!" he announced to the audience and everyone cheered.
"Phantom, huh? It was not my name, it was the program's.... But.. it sounds cool anyway. Arcane PHANTOM" he said to himself while removing the 3D glasses. His smile reached his ears. "Not bad."
The MC continued to declare the other winners. "The top three on this elimination will move to the next round that will be held next Sunday here at the same place. 3 more wins and the players will be playing at the ORION atrium. More prizes await the most prominent player who will beat the others at the finals, folks. Now, let us congratulate the winner and I can't believe it's just a kid!"
The crowd applauded him and the participants exited the atrium. Markus immediately went to his friends and they congratulated him.
"You won! You're the best, Marky!" Cassandra greeted as he stepped outside the gate of the mall. "I've never thought you've got something under your sleeves. What was that anyway?"
"I was not able to get the Aegis tho." Markus sulked.
"But you did great, Marky!" Dave added
"Ahh, thanks, it's all thanks to the Phantom Algorithm."
"Phantom Algorithm?" Dave replied confusingly.
"What was that?" Cassandra asked.
"I will explain later, but now, I'll treat you with cakes and cookies!" Markus held the two on their wrists and he leads the way.
"Really? Yehey! But where did you get the money?" Dave asked.
"They gave me this envelope when they congratulated me." he waved his price in the air. "I never knew there's a price when you win even the elimination round."
"Ahh, I see, then let's go!" Cassandra smirked. "I want a cheesecake."
"I'd like to have a pudding," Dave exclaimed.
"Hai!" Markus said and they went straight to a café.