The Middle tower is under attack.
"I know that, you don't have to spell it out, dammit!" Dave complained as he kept on making the creeps out of their middle tower. "I don't need to be reminded!!" he screamed to the sky.
"Why are we having a hard time dealing with just these creeps?!"Jayson muttered. "They should be an easy kill…but I see they're quite different.." he continued firing at his opponents.
"There's just no end of them." Dave screamed as he charged to the swarm who just came in. "I hate it!! They are more beast-like than the usual creeps we see in this game." His expression turned from frown to disgust to excitement then back to frown. Sweat drips from his temple.
"We should have found their leader by now. The one who leads this attack must be defeated to stop the creeps from coming.." Jayson said with a sigh. "I don't want to drag this fight for long.."
"I know.. But, who could it be?" Dave complained again, he just beheaded his 76th creep. "I can't see anyone besides more creeps…" he paused and caught his breath. " more creeps.." he struck the gut of the running creep. "...and many more creeps.."
"Anyway, we need to keep this tower safe and ward off the beasts." Jayson said. "It would be fatal if we lose one of the towers."
"I know that." Dave frowned again. "But, we need to attack their tower as well, right?" He muttered. "…or this game will not end."
"We'll get there. Just—"
They were caught off guard that is why they flew more than 6 ft from their tower.
"Looks like it cracked but needs more beating…" said the man who suddenly appeared in front of the rubble. He touched the tower but his health was reduced somehow. His eyes glimmered with rage, his muscles immerged all over his body, his voice is as deep as hell, and his gigantic ax swings the air around him.
"You!" Dave shouted as he stood up, spitting blood.
"Ohh..It was you guys…" the ax man laughed. "Too bad I have to face you and lead you to your deaths.." he gave off a wild grin.
"How dare you show your face here? I thought you're on your way to the port!" Dave exclaimed. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Whoooa, are you concerned?" the guy said.
"That's right. What's going on here," Jayson stepped in front, trying to get an explanation. "--Ivan?"
"Nothing, Boss." Jayson replied with a grin and a sarcastic tone. "We're just like this since…" the guy smirked. He swing his ax again and hit their tower. "The day we started the game.."
"Get away from there!" Dave exclaimed and went straight to attack Ivan.
The guy evaded Dave's wild swing of his burning sword and ignited the surrounding creeps. "Scorched Earth"
"Whooaa. That's dangerous.." Ivan mumbled. He's trying to stop the burn on his right elbow.
"I'm not yet done, Ivan…Infernal Blade." Dave pushed his opponent to the edge of the riverbank. "I thought you were a friend, someone on our side." He crossed blades with their enemy. his hits were full of rage. "..You even helped us back at Phobos. I was impressed with your skills.." they deforested a kilometer surrounding the middle tower. "Then why? Why do you have to be an enemy?! What is QATSU thinking?!" Dave burned another group of creeps that granted him a power up. "Devour".
"This has nothing to do with you.." Ivan shouted, like a call and everyone focused around him. "Berserker's Call."
"What's happening. I can't move.." Dave said. "It's like… I'm drawn to attack him." he tried very hard to stop himself from attacking Ivan.
"My feet are moving on their own..." Jayson muttered and before he knew it, they were already at Ivan's reach.
The ax man sweep his weapon, turning like a hurricane, giving the duo with pure damage. They flew right to their tower that is now half cracked. "Counter Helix"
"I wont forgive you.." Dave muttered and ignited the ground. "Scorched Earth!!"
The ground trembled and everyone, except for Dave, lose their footing. Geysers and burning mud flew out from the ground.
"I can't... move…" Ivan said as he was trying to avoid the attack. "I don't even have my weapon…"
"Too late.." Dave said. "Jayson there casted his spell.."
"Fate's Decree." Jayson stepped forward, wearing a grin. "When I cast this with a skill, you'll have your weapon useless. You're also stuck there as your strength and power degenerate.."
"This can't be happening…I'm way stronger…" Ivan complained. He still tried to get away but can't move an inch.
"But, we're wiser." Dave said. "Marky counted for a betrayal to happen."
"Ehh?" Ivan was surprised. Every inch of his muscle were stunned. "That's a lie.."
"He thought of this at some point and told me, "Be careful with Qatsu.." I don't know how he knew it but he's smarter and wiser than I am. You could have done something to catch his attention that he posed suspicions against you." He glared at the guy. "Now, answer us.." Dave ordered. "Who asked you to do this?"
"Hhh.." Ivan hushed the thought. "Like the hell I will tell you." He arrogantly replied.
"You!!" Dave's busted in anger. He put down his weapon and punched the unmoving guy in front of him. "How dare you toy with us like this!!" he cried. "Do you think this is all a joke? Huh?!" he kept on punching him on the face. "Everyone is risking their lives to get the hell out of here and here you are, siding with the enemy." he stopped and took a deep breath. "How dare you.." he glared at the guy.
Ivan's face swelled and turned red. Jayson stood behind Dave, maintaining his spell.
I can't get myself into this conversation. Dave's on the peak. Jayson thought. But something here is not right.
"Marky trusted you and that's how you repaid him. He's doing all the hard work to get us out of here and here you are giving us a hard time to deal with. Just how rotten do you guys can be?!"
"We're all going to die, Dave." Ivan answered. "That's the fact we are facing now."
"And? What are you trying to say?"
"Yuri and the others liked to play a challenging game that is why we signed up for this conference. We are hoping to fight against GSTech once again and feel our bloods boiling." Ivan continued.
The two don't know what words they'll say. They just keep their ears open.
"When the game was taken over, Yuri despaired. We all thought it was the end but we were given something to look forward to and that is to fight at the last battlefield. We are betting our lives, that's what makes it fun.." Ivan explained.
"Fun?! What's fun of dying?!! You are insane." He dealt another blow. "When someone dies, that's the end of everything. There is no do over. You don't know how the living would feel about their lost loved ones."
"That's why we wanted to experience the rest of our lives fighting." Ivan's eyes glimmered. He's serious, Jayson saw that.
"We don't want to die struggling. In this modern world, we in Qatsu, wants to give it our all. That is what Yuri wants and we will follow him."
"What's with that principle?" Jayson asked. "That's insane!" What's that mark doing on his neck? Jayson thought.
"No." Ivan replied. "That is what we can do to repay everything he's done for us. This is the least we can do to save him."
"Save him?" Jayson exclaimed as he jumped in the between the two. "What do you mean."
"Do you know what will happen if we die in this game?" Ivan asked indifferently. His eyes turned frail and the mark that Jayson saw grew larger.
"Theoretically speaking, we can respawn, since that's the original setting of this game." Jayson explained. I can see it clearly now; that circuit like pattern. Jayson thought. "But I don't think if there is no twist on the rules.."
"That's pretty cool if that's really the case." Ivan replied with a down voice. "But, with the nano machines implanted in every watch we used in this conference, which is controlled by the hacker, we don't stand a chance."
"Controlled? By the hacker? That means.." Jayson dropped a cold sweat. "I know about us being controlled by the watch but---" He sighed deeply.
"Nano machines.." Dave muttered.
"Hai. We'll be able to respawn but that means Apathy." Ivan's eyes turned feebler. "When the life meter turns red, that signals the activation of the nano machs. It works as fast as the red blood cells circulating in our body."
"Hoooy… What—" Dave was taken aback.
"Once it reaches the brain, it will take over the cells like a virus. That's when the apathy starts." Ivan continued but his voice had started to deteriorate.
"So you're saying, Yuri—" Jayson said.
"When the final set up was updated, that recent change brought us to death in apathy." Ivan said. "We all fell to the ground. But, Yuri tried to resist."
"Ehh?" Dave and Jayson replied in confusion.
"We were taken down but Yuri saved us by activating his own algorithm. He is not just a worthless guy; he's on par with your own Hacker. He tried to save us all but, he only brought the 4 of us back and he was brought to a pinch." Ivan explained.
"He overexerted himself. Too much to worn out his own mind." Jayson added. "In this AR, the mind is our lifeline. If we lose its gripping, we'll end up to nowhere."
"That's when the hacker appeared." Ivan continued.
"What?" Dave exclaimed.
"He gave us an extra lifeline, in return, we have to fight for him." the big guy muttered. "That's the reason why we're here."
"AI." Jayson whispered. "He gave you an Artificial Intelligence."
"AI?!" Dave exclaimed. "Like that wolf to Hachiro's brain?"
"Hai...though it turned into a fox now." Jayson replied. "It was a thing to take over the control center of the body, the brain, where our mind works. But I think it works differently than the Phantom Algorithm."
"What do you mean?" Dave asked.
"That thing on Hachiro, he's the one who's in control. Though, there are times that the PA is controlling one thing or another." Jayson pointed out. "…but to them, it seemed like they're manipulated. It shows that they are controlled through those nano machs."
"So those things are just receivers?!" Dave asked. "Someone is still in control?"
"No doubt. The question now is, how can we get it out from them?" Jayson replied.
"We really can't resist it, you know.." Ivan said in a sinister voice.
I've let my guard down. Jayson thought.
...….
"I will not let her drag this battle any farther, Sandra." Kath replied. She kept her breath in control but she is having a hard time.
Sandra shot another Frost Arrow loosing the tangles and made them break through from the root prison.
"Do you have an idea?" Sandra asked. She brushed the rest of the roots away from her and found her footing.
"Ahh, and we only have 1 chance to do this." Kath said.
"How?" Sandra replied, still on guard from the creeps who attacks form different directions.
Kath sent her the plan from their party network and Sandra understood what she has to do.
"This is quite reckless, Kath." Sandra complained. "What if we fail?"
"We wont." Kath replied with all confidence. "Because we don't have that option. If we lose now, it's the end of our line. We wont be of help to Hachiro and the rest."
"But this will put you—" Sandra said.
"I know the risks." Kath replied. "But I have to do this. I don't want to be a hindrance to anyone anymore."
"But—" Sandra tried to argue.
"She'll come out any second now…" Kath urged though she kept her spell on hold. "Be ready Sandra!"
Sandra looked sideways and caught a glimpse of a sparkling light.
"10 o'clock!" Sandra shouted and shot an arrow towards the area.
Kath threw her attack from their distance the moment Tori got out from her shadow realm.
"This can't be happening." Tori screamed as she merged with the blinding light attack.
...…
A cold sweat dripped at the back of Jayson's neck. He felt the tingle of an ice-cold water of defeat behind him. We're screwed.
"He holds our minds. We have to keep obeying his orders or we'll get to see Yuri in a dire state. That is why…" Ivan got loose from the spell and evaded the stun. "I have to keep on fighting!" he swirl his ax, creating a whirlpool of attack, and dealt a huge damage to the two.
But, Dave jumped up to escape the blow as he scorched the earth.
"Ahhhh.." Ivan shouted in pain.
"Too bad, I have to keep on fighting as well…" Dave landed a blow to Ivan's neck with is Infernal Sword that made him lost consciousness.
First blood
An Enemy has been slain
An Ally has been slain