"What do you have to say about the big show today, Owl?"
The radio crackled with statics over the conversation. The moderately low pitched but firm voice was replied with a delicately high-pitched voice.
"Rein, let's be honest here, all the data we have worked on all this time about, more then 50% of them has been made outdated after the recent change added by the developers. It is too big of a change so I myself am in a disarray about this matter."
"As much as that is true Owl, I believe that the best of the best and a well-known analytic such as yourself has some information to share with us and the audience?"
After a short pause, the Owl continues. He sounds happier and more prideful. The flattery got to him.
"Now, we all know of the big change. which are Teams. It is the new self-proclaimed mainstream mode added to our millennium old game. We are lacking the critical information required to make an accurate or even an acceptable presumption as all players will adapt, change and improve in other ways which may change their playstyles, patterns or gameplay entirely."
"Oh, what are the possible changes players will bring you imagine?"
"Many, to be honest," Owl replied. "New or old players could shift from complete self-sufficiency to a fully supportive role, or vice versa! Take Paint, for example. Before, he terrorized the map with his iconic weapon, the Brush – well known in the community as the Mop – controlling areas and teleporting wherever his paint touched. Now, rumors claim he's switched entirely to supporting his team! Who knows what strategy he'll employ now? Another player to keep an eye on is TheFountain. His entire strategy revolves around healing any damage he takes until the zone eliminates everyone else. The audience hates him for his boring and lazy tactics – and the fact that he only wears a helm, the default pants all humanoid creatures are forced to wear and a small heart armor, in other words, practically naked. Regardless, his healing aura is and always has been an AOE ability! Since he never had teammates before, we had no clue! If one of him was such a nuisance, imagine three more healing at once – it'll be a nightmare! One of his signature wins where he simply out healed the damage dealt by "The End." Players of all stripes have joined teams, while others remain solo to face the challenge head-on. Ceres and Helmuine are prime examples."
"So going in solo is still an option in the game?" Rein clarified.
"Why yes of course. Even if there is a numbers disadvantage, many players are better in this case while many just wants to challenge themselves while some cannot exert their full capabilities if they are teaming up. There is also the fact that player races could just be very.... anti life. For example, the Radeon race, which is what we call them anyways, uses radiation naturally at every moment of their lives for anything and everything. They would have a very hard time getting teams. So, opting in to be solo is a great option for them. This is only an example. Of course, they can just join in with their own race or those races who aren't harmed by them. Some races even have an advantage in this regard in terms of the new objective system mechanic."
"In that same line of thought, going in as a duo is also an option?"
"Why yes, absolutely. Also, before you ask, trio is also an option."
"That's quite the mix-up. It's about to be very chaotic down folks! But, as you were saying, what is this new objective mechanic that the developers had told us about?"
"Objectives are things that can affect the outcome of the match. There are team bonuses that can boost the performance of the players and also bonus. There are also team challenges which can be received mid game that can reward or penalize the teams based on their actions and decisions. Grand objectives which will gather many oppositions together into one place. And there are team secrets that can reveal or hide crucial information about the teams and their opponents. These factors can make the match more dynamic and unpredictable while making killing the competition one of the options, but not the only one....is what the developers told us upon the implementation of this game mode. My best assumption is that these are basically a quest mechanic or some form of event which can change the map in ways. These systems can also be seen in other games in the present times. Since players can receive rewards, I would guess the players will gather to it for the items there is also a chance that players can get the same quest with the same goals but limited rewards or opposing quests. Soon I, and my team will have our hands full with all the new information and will get busy again."
"It seems like players aren't the only ones who face difficulties when the game changes in every aspect."
Rein and Owl share a laugh agreeing.
"Speaking of teams, what is your opinion about them? As someone who has been in this community practically since the start, what is your take on this new addition."
"I do indeed have an opinion about this regard. But I would like to clarify that it is my opinion alone and not of the entire team."
"Yes of course!"
The static is starting to fluctuate more and more.
"Teams—they add depth to the game's core. Until now, it's been about survival, outlasting everyone else. But with teams of 4, there's a whole new dynamic—covering weaknesses, boosting strengths. There's a lot more to coordinate and strategize, especially with the objectives in play. Picture the thrill of shared objectives, multiple groups competing for the same rewards, keeping the spectators on the edge. More people meaning there is more action to witness. The developers get more audience and their retention, meaning more earnings for them, audience gains more to watch at all times and the players gains more fame and money too. So, it is really a win for all parties which are involved in this game. Although this sudden increase in requirements needed for players to enter the game can also deter newer players from getting into it, I do not think it will be bad as it's only a matter of time before players get used to it.
"How does this addition affect your analytics team? I presume it has gotten more difficult then before!"
"Well, we are a team of 53 people. We made sure that those who has been working in the team to not be overworked or forced to do things they are not comfortable with. This is our first priority and has been maintained to a 100%. Now for the first few team games this could deteriorate as this change was too sudden. We will need everyone working and most likely work overtime as well. But, if I presume correctly, after we perform a small reorganization and expand our workforce further to match with the current happenings, the issue will die down and the problems will solve on their own. So in terms of difficulty, it is only a matter of adaptation."
"I wish you and your team gets a smooth journey where you move only upwards!"
The rate of statics becomes miniscule.
"Now, Let's talk about what is probably the most important factor and anticipated information in this game which we saved for last. Maps! The cornerstone of it all. The meat and bones of any good match in the game. Any comments about the map of today? Anything to take note of? Any point of interest? Anything?"
"Nothing"
A silence hung in the air.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
"....."
"Could you please elaborate?"
"It really is that way. Nothing, and I mean nothing was shared to us about the map by the developer. They kept it to themselves and made sure of no leaks. The only thing they told us that it will be very in depth and newer content rich. They also added that the main goal is still the same, but it will require more cooperation between not just team members, but with other teams as well. So we can't really find out anything about the map yet."
"That public post was the only thing ever?"
"That is the case this time! But we know now that the teams will need to work together in some cases which is a big news! Since before, if two players united before we would call that teaming, cheating, or somethings which are against the rules. But now, they are turning it into an actual necessity. Which I believe can change how things will work."
"Thank you for sharing your valuable information with us Owl. I had more questions for a professional like you however, today's time has ended as the game will start soon! I believe you wouldn't want to miss that!"
"No, no, let's not miss this historical day! Thank you for having me here, Rein. Believe me when I say that today's game must not be missed because the first game will signify how the future games will happen and change."
With a brief sound, followed by persistent static, Owl takes his leave. As soon as the sound of Owl leaving ends, all statics and extra noise disappears. The audio was now crispy clear.
"That was Owl, one of the best analysers loved by the community came here to share with us his insight and knowledge. Truly an honor to be here and personally talk to him face to face. The first game of the new team update is about to start! It will be a show to watch I hope you don't miss it and watch it on our channel. The fight will begin only just in a couple minutes later being captured by the Invis Drones which were sponsored to us by TE-" With a press of a button, the small radio is turned off and tossed inside a dark void.
...
Voidface stood on the rooftop, observing the vast forest that lay before him. Birds, animals, and insects filled the forest with life, their sounds blending into a symphony of nature. The wind whistled through the trees, causing the foliage to sway gently. Looking further, to his right, stood a city with skyscrapers reaching beyond the clouds. On the other side, a gigantic tree with black leaves expanded for miles to his left, opposing the cityscape. Beneath the tree, a labyrinth sprawled out, and a river split the land, connecting it with multiple bridges. The sun blazed perfectly in the sky, illuminating everything with its light. Dotted across the landscape were many small places that, from afar, looked like quaint towns. The nearest point of interest was a water dam, appearing tiny from this distance. Light fog blanketed some areas of the forest, adding to the scene's mystique.
A giant timer appeared in the sky showing [00:10]. It began to countdown. The day and night cycle accelerated with each passing second.
[00:08] The chirping and sounds of animals slowed down.
[00:07] The leaves and plants followed suit.
[00:06] All things came to a halt, except the sky.
[00:05] The day and night cycle stopped its frenzy as morning light started to break through.
Voidface witnessed all this while dressed in a charcoal grey long coat that extended to just above his knees, a purple-black hole looming on his back. The coat complemented his lean physique and gave him a polished appearance, along with a pristine white shirt and pointed collar, a black tie, slim-fit black pants, and fine leather oxford shoes. His fear-striking jet-black void where his head should be added to his menacing presence.
He saw all the contestants falling from the sky in pods of various designs, leaving colourful trails behind them. Each pod seemed unique, with features such as balloons, graffiti, wings, halos, and even some riding horses or strange machinery that Voidface couldn't describe. Despite their customization, all pods fell at the same pace. Some zipped around teleporting, while others rammed into each other, protected by some form of barrier. As they descended, it became clear that many pods were larger, bigger, smaller, stranger than others. The sky was covered like a blanket with an uncountable number of these pods.
In the next five seconds, all the pods landed with huge booms. The timer disappeared just before hitting zero.
[Survive]
was the last message displayed as the sky went completely dark for a split second, followed by a reverberating wave across the ground. The sounds of nature were restored, and the sun returned to its original cycle.
[You will be teleported to your designated location.]
Before teleporting, Voidface ripped a chunk from the void in his face and planted it on the floor.
In an instant, Voidface found himself in a meticulously designed room that exuded sophistication and functionality. The rectangular space featured white walls with tasteful yellow trims and subtle red accents. A simple table at the center held a vase of fresh flowers, neatly stacked papers, an open laptop hinting at ongoing work, and a classic pen stand. Two monitors, one on the wall and another outside on the balcony, displayed the number [249]. A glass door led to the balcony, flooding the room with natural light and maintaining its professional look. The monitors seemingly connected to nothing.
Voidface sat in the chair in front of the desk with the laptop. The display showed words that Voidface didn't understand. Luckily for him, the system was he-
"Ah, the system is with 01."
This made Voidface feel nostalgic. After practically creating the system, Voidface never thought of being without it.
"Welp, the old way it is."
Voidface headbutted the laptop, consuming it with the void. He absorbed all the data within it, gaining general knowledge, information about the area, and immediately useful, language data. Now, all words made sense.
Voidface reached into the void and pulled the laptop out again, putting it back as it was. It was no longer useful. The void had adapted.
"Ughh, not a desk-sitting leader again..."
A knock on the door.
Voidface sighed, "Come in."
A humanoid robot slowly opened the door and walked in, its joints creaking as it stepped into the room. Despite being a robot, its movements were smooth and human-like, chassis was scarred and battle-worn, with dim crimson eyes. Its chest armor was damaged, revealing whirring servos. Blades were stabbed into its legs, and shrapnel marked its body.
"Reporting to Titanium Maven, Model FS-512378219365, defence report." a perfectly normal human voice announced. Anyone without looking would have easily mistaken it for a real person. It was the voice of a human female, smooth and higher pitched. It walked inside and faced the wall. The robot then projected light from its forehead, revealing an array of images, statistics, expenditure and much more.
"Strange creatures of total number 8 had invaded the premises. Their actions resulted in- Minor vandalizing. Repairs are already underway. Unit responsible for defence- 5kMiles unit. Shots fired by the aforementioned unit- 6"
Images were shown Each took a railgun shot to the head from the 5kMiles unit, who were positioned to defend the area. Their corpses were reduced to strange tiny boxes and left behind what looks like treasure boxes. Thus, they had suffered no losses other than the minor vandalism they caused.
"Minor? And vandalizing?"
The area depicted in the images appeared utterly devastated, resembling a grim battlefield. Evidence of brutal conflict was everywhere. The surrounding road lay in ruins, its surface charred and riddled with bizarre black corruption. Twisted metal supports and cables protruded from the wreckage, while broken glass shards littered the ground alongside solid ice embedded into the earth. Nearby buildings bore the scars of the fray, marked by bullet holes, gouges, burn scars, and water puddles. Fragmented swords, shattered guns, and scattered crystals and stones attested to the intensity of the clash. Some areas appeared warped, as if subjected to unnatural forces. The ground was uneven and fractured, with sections entirely missing. Pools of black liquid dotted the floor, splattered against the walls in a grim testament to the violence that had unfolded. Additionally, eight distinct circular holes were present on the floor. Interestingly enough, the results of these fights didn't get announced on the monitor.
"Awaiting Orders," the robot said, staring into the wall. It oddly felt nostalgic. However, right now, Voidface had to order something from this bot in front of him.
Voidface couldn't care less about this. All he wanted was to see or do some action.
"Aw man, just do whatever."
"Do 'whatever' is not part of the directory. Provide a valid command."
Voidface recalled the data he had just retrieved, but his level of care was minimal. He skimmed through all the information and chose the one that sounded more...active.
"Go on the aggressive."
"Command received."
"Oh, and bring me the objects they left behind."
The robot left without another word. The door shut behind it, and Voidface was alone again with his thoughts. Looking outside at the balcony.
"Can I jump?"
Voidface got up from the chair. Walking to the glass door, it opened on its own. The balcony was simple, a fairly large extension outward, offering a panoramic view of the city below. Reaching the edge of the balcony, Voidface could see the chaos far away. The view was the same as before but from a lower angle. Voidface couldn't see everything as clearly as before. The sounds were still loud, and smoke could be seen.
The wind was strong, enough to be a threat of throwing a person away. Coming to the edge, Voidface checked the height—about 150 meters, 5,905.51 inches, 492.13 feet, 164.04 yards, 0.0932 miles.
"Eh, I fell from worse."
As soon as Voidface attempted to climb on the railing, two drones, about the size of a person's hand, hooked onto his back.
"Dangerous intentions predicted."
Voidface was pulled back to his chamber and was given a warning by the drones in sync.
"Really?" said Voidface.
Voidface sat back down on his chair. Not out of frustration, but to think which skill he wants to use.
A piece of him left at the vantage point allowed him to still see what was happening clearly.
An explosion erupted inside the city of skyscrapers. Smoke filled the air, and the buildings below were barely visible. Many floors of the skyscrapers erupted in flames, while others crackled with thunder. Meanwhile, the tree thrashed its gigantic roots around the place, phasing in and out of reality. It changed colors each time it phased. Sparks and flashes were visible even from this distance. Kills poured in one after another, and the giant sky monitor displayed the names of the contestants and their actions.
[Jehto killed by Dotte]
[Gluestick killed by Arbal]
[Skyscratcher City is - Alerted]
[Shane killed by Coeden The Tree]
[The Druid is now - Active]
[Josee killed by Arbal]
[Jada killed by Coeden - The Tree]
[Adah killed by Coeden - The Tree]
[Mikara was killed by Hanso]
[Himlay killed by Dotte]
[Hanso was killed by Coeden - The Tree]
Voidface was salivating at all the actions happening outside.
Alright, no time to think. I will mis-
From the swirling void that served as his head a leg, slender and shadowy, began to extend out of the void, pushing its way into the room with an almost agonizing slowness. It wavered slightly, as if adjusting to the physical world, before planting itself firmly on the ground.
Then, another leg emerged, mirroring the first in its graceful yet eerie descent. They stood side by side, spectral and otherworldly, forming the base of a figure that seemed to be clawing its way out of Voidface's face.
Following the legs, a torso began to materialize, broad and imposing. It twisted and turned as it extricated itself from the void, the dark fabric of its existence shimmering with an unnatural light. The torso was soon followed by one arm, the hand flexing and clenching as if testing its newfound freedom. Another arm joined it, and the figure started to gain more substance and form.
Finally, the head began to emerge, but instead of a face, there was only another void, an abyss that mirrored Voidface's own. This new void-face hung there for a moment, suspended between dimensions, before fully coming out into reality. It floated midair, a clone of Voidface himself.
With a sudden almost... anticlimactic motion, the second Voidface lost the flying and fell forward. The descent was rapid... and most likely inevitable, the new entity tumbled through the air, landing heavily on the table with a resounding thud. The impact echoed through the room, causing the surrounding objects on the table to fall over to the ground. The second Voidface lay there, sprawled across the table, its limbs splayed awkwardly. For a moment, it seemed as though it might remain motionless. The next instant, its clothing changed to the same as what Voidface is wearing. Then he stands up beside the table.
2 "Could've stood up in a clear area when you were bringing me out couldn't you?"
1 "You are the one who came out on your own. How about you don't do that nex...why am I talking to you, get to your job. I am out of here."
1 got up and walked to the side and let 2 sits down on the chair.
Voidface pulled the void above him, the inky blackness rippling and expanding at his command. The void stretched out like a dark canvas, creating a portal that shimmered with an eerie, otherworldly energy.
As soon as he was about to step inside, he received a system prompt.
[01 requires assistance.]
"He chose the one you told him NOT to take, didn't he?" Voidface muttered, irritation clear in his tone.
[He rushed it.]
"Of course, he did."
[You need to get him out of there.]
"Control the time difference there and make it super slow for us but normal for him. I'm not going right now."
[Alright.]
"Ugh, now I need to rush things," Voidface grumbled.
Stepping through the portal, Voidface found himself back on the same rooftop he had just left. However, the scenery had dramatically changed. The once vibrant forest was now engulfed in some form of purple flames, sending thick plumes of white coloured smoke into the air. The towering skyscrapers that once stood proudly were...let's just say... are no longer skyscrapers. Their skeletal remains jutting out against the sky. The gigantic tree, previously serene, now thrashed its roots violently, phasing in and out of reality.
"Alright, that should be enough sightseeing. Let's go to the slightly less chaotic corner of this map," Voidface said, ready to move. In an instant, he was there.
The landscape shifted to a lush green land with a towering mountain in the distance. At the base of the mountain was an Adit, a mine entrance, it looked like the mouth of a beast. Voidface stood some distance away, surveying the scene. Several pods had crashed around the area, now emitting holographic projections. A signpost stood beside the mine entrance, and the ground was covered with footprints—many footprints. Beside the entrance there was one person standing. The destruction could still be heard from afar.
"Oh boy, this totally isn't an ambush!"