Chapter 7
Dane finally ended the Chimera; killing a chaos beast was the official trigger to become a player; his window status activated, and I congratulated him for returning as an official player. Dane wasn't surprised at all to see this notification. His experience points were equivalent to twenty years of entering the virtual game and testing his creation firsthand, but he never participated in the actual battles until now.
And because he worked remotely at his secret home, nobody actually saw him on a personal and social level; working on the virtual game of Arcane Crusade was his life work, especially when his parents died. His work was his life. While the rest of his team went out to seek out their own interests and socialize, Dane dedicated himself fully to perfecting Arcane Crusade. He knew that his dedication would pay off in the end, as he was determined to make his virtual world a reality for all to enjoy.
While the development team enjoyed their personal lives to the fullest, he buried his days and nights in the development of the game, as he created all functions of the monsters and even abilities and weaknesses for each character in the game, ensuring a fully immersive experience for players. Despite his isolation, Dane found solace in the virtual world he had created, where he could escape from the harsh realities of life and immerse himself in his passion.
But what makes the Arcane Crusade fun to play is the program they place that all creatures can adapt and learn if they escape or survive a player's attack. Every creature and NPC was unique; just because you first saw all the living things and creatures in the tower doesn't mean that they will all be the same a year later. The dynamic nature of the game kept players engaged and constantly challenged, as they never knew what to expect.
The system that the main developers created was Damon (aka now Dane). Lazarus, the team leader, made sure that the game constantly evolved and provided new challenges for players to overcome. This unique feature kept players engaged and coming back for more, making Arcane Crusade a popular choice in the gaming community.
So when the old gods made this game into reality, the same level of unpredictability and excitement was brought into the real world, creating a truly immersive experience for all players involved. This innovative concept blurred the lines between fantasy and reality; the down side players can now truly die and face real consequences.
Dane let go of his weapon as it instantly vanished and returned to his dimensional storage space. Dane saw the hunting dagger on the ground, and he picked it up and started to carve the dead creatures bodies, searching for every important material.
"What an amazing thing to actually see; these supernaturally created beasts are a hundred percent copy of what we made."
"I pity my coworkers are not seeing this now."
"The energy of the core is without doubt the same with what I coded; the formula that relates energy, frequency, and wavelength is the same."
He could feel the pulsating energy; it was warm, and it has this distingtive light and static electricity enough to feel it in his hand. Stronger cores need to be harvested by using specialized tools to avoid any potential danger, especially creatures that are in triple digits. This chimera was strong at level 35, but because it was already wounded, Dane exploited this weakness to his advantage.
It was violent but accurate in its attacks, making it look so captivating but deadly at the same time. Dane knew he had to act quickly and strategically; this is how he sees things; it was clear, and he felt neither remorse nor anger toward the dead creature.
Mary Kay was surprised to see him as he sat down and took a deep breath, feeling a mix of relief and accomplishment after defeating the chimera. She knew that Dane's quick thinking and skillful execution had huge implications for the test the Lazarus clan gave. Charlotte Lazarus, 22 years old and level 20, was also walking behind Mary Kay; she was more focused on the manner in which the monster fell and died in Dane hands.
When the pack of chaos cayotes swarm their place, she saw Dane was just reloading bullets in magazines and handing them out toward the elders in a cam manner. That reflection also made her question Dane's true capabilities and potential.
"Why was he hiding his skill; he could join the hunt before, and what and where are the weapons he used to kill this chimera?"
"We are all sure he took out a gun and a katana, those he has a specific abilities that are unknown to all other players."
Mary Kay was busy chatting with Dane, but the other stronger relatives were all inspecting the dead monster. Hamilton Lazarus, 24 years old and level 20, even stuck his finger in the creatures bullet wounds, hoping to retrive the bullets used to kill it. He wanted to know what type of ammo could penetrate its skin.
Dane was also curious about what his cousin was doing. Mary Kay saw and noticed Danes was now more interested in their other cousins motives on the dead monster, so Mary Kay explained that all chaos creatures are nearly immune to human weapons; the weapons that they are using were crafted inside the Obelisk of Chaos, as they were able to acquire them since they were already players within a year. The Lazarus clan has established their own domain in the vast first floor..
Mary Kay added that the hunting knife he used did come from the tower, but unfortunately the suppress gun shoots were not that hard to ignore. Dane was wearing his favorite coat jacket and decided to end their curiosity and just show them his weapon of choice, but he did not want to show that his weapons came from his personal dimensional storage because he wasn't sure all other players could access this ability openly.
He still needs to be careful; having the ability to carry weapons in this manner is a unique advantage that he doesn't want to reveal too soon. So, he simply smiled and said, "I always come prepared for any situation.
So he placed his hand inside his coat jacket and quickly acquired his father's gun that Nobady knew. The gun modification can be only used by him, so he wants to be afraid to show off his so-called weapon.
"Guys, if you are wondering about the weapon here,"
"This is my father's gun; my late mother mentioned this in her last letter to me."
"I was lucky enough to recover it from the house I am currently staying in."
"This is just a normal desert eagle. But it feels too light to be one. It's a modified gun.!"
"I heard that our great uncle Edward Lazarus was known to do these things; guys, remember the gun. Uncle Emmit used it a few months ago."
"Ah, you mean the FN 545 tactical 45 ACP pistol?"
Hamilton was inspecting Danes gun and pointed out its peculiar design. He pointed out the parts were all handcrafted; it was like a Frankenstein of a gun. The group marveled at the craftsmanship of the modified gun, admiring the intricate details that made it stand out from a typical desert eagle. Great Uncle Edward Lazarus was known for his unique modifications to firearms, leaving a legacy that still intrigued his family members to this day.
"My mother had a huge crush on him when they were young."
"Yuk! And that's weird Hamilton."
"Geez, Liberty, its just a crush; you had a crush on that boy from your science class last year too."
Liberty rolled her eyes at Hamilton's teasing, knowing he was just trying to get a rise out of her. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," she replied dismissively, secretly grateful for the distraction from her own embarrassing crush.
Charlotte wiped her hands with a handkerchief and walked toward the group and asked Hamilton to remove the magazine and check the ammo. Hamilton looked at Dane as he gave him a gesture to proceed. As he gave his permission to see what bullets he was using, Dane was actually curious himself, as this was the first time he would also know, what modification his system created for him based on the personalized script he placed on the settings.
To everyone's surprise, his bullets were just armor-piercing bullets. Charlotte was confused and asked Dane if she could borrow his gun. Dane smiled and just answered.
"Go ahead, cousin,"
Charlotte took the gun from Hamilton and inserted the magazine and walked toward the dead chimera and opened fire twice, but the bullet just bounced off its thick hide. Dane realized that the personalized script was not active and he alone could use his weapons function, causing the bullets to be ineffective against the chimera because he wasn't the one using it. Charlotte turned around and walked toward Dane, who was still sitting on the ground. As she handed the gun back to him, she uttered a very simple
"It's not working for me; there is a chance your player powers are the only ones that can penetrate the chimera's defenses."
"We all know that each player has a unique ability. That is slightly connected to their personal experiences and strengths," Charlotte explained as she helped Dane to his feet.
"Maybe your power is connected to your weapons, but honestly, I am just assuming this."
"We won't know for sure; it's just my theory," she added with a reassuring smile.
"Let's focus on what just happened now."
" what if Dane here can infuse mana on the bullet,"
Hamilton gave his own opinion and asked Dane if he could use his gun to prove his theory. Dane just nodded. Hamilton took the gun and went toward where Charlotte stood and concentrated and infused his mana on the gun and pulled the trigger. Charlotte saw the ammo was able to puncture the skin but it wasn't deep enough, but the Hamilton Theory was somewhat right.
"Maybe Dane unconsciously infused his weapon based on many unknown factors, like adrenaline, natural instinct, fear, or even muscle memory."
Hamilton mused as he handed the gun back to Dan. "It seems like there's more to this than meets the eye," he added, deep in thought about the implications of Dane's unconscious mana infusion. As Dan took the gun back, he nodded in agreement with Hamilton's theory, so the conversation would finally end on a good note. Charlotte gave out a sigh and just told everybody.
"The first test is compilated, and Dane passed the test."
"Tomorrow will be the final test."
"Hay, what about the second test?"
"Do you really want to fight him now, after what he did to the Chimera?"
"Wait. The first was to hunt; the second was to fight. The third was to gain true freedom."
"So it means he needs to enter the tower.!"
"It's really up to Dane."
"Yeah, sure, why not, after I get settled in?"
"A week maybe; I still need to get my bearings."
"But I'm ready for whatever comes next."