Meditation always felt like it was cut disappointingly short by something or another. Whether it be the loud metallic hiss of clashing blades or the screams of some one's agonizing defeat, my little semblance of peace never lasted. The culprit this time was relatively forgivable being a notification, this one pinging shortly after fight 89. I found myself chuckling aloud wondering how it took over 80 fights before
considering I'd yet to sleep, eat, or drink any water yet at all. After spending the last year drinking a daily gallon of water, the idea of fallen behind arose an intense uncomfortable anxiety.
It was torturous, watching the arena's hovering water dance high above, out of my reach. Yet mages of my affinity had already learned to bend the water in the air forming even larger pools. Most of the talented ones even shaped the water to create traps of sorts, or creating small defensive formations. My love for water lived far beyond elemental fighting concepts, however. Quite frankly, I just loved the feeling of being properly hydrated.
Call it what you will, humans need water only second in priority to oxygen for survival. It also required double the daily minimum consumption volume for those who are active or trying to develop their body. So to say the overwhelming shame that flooded my very spirit at blatantly neglecting life's liquid felt suffocating. Only after a short stint of self deprecation did I wonder if they auto-fed and watered us after each fight. Content with the theory, I dismissed the conflict ,deciding finally to open my new notification. The Gods were muted until further notice, meaning this had to be important.
*CONGRATULATIONS!*
You have qualified for a Top 10 rank in your world's Placement Tournament! The following rewards will be available after the commencement of your tutorial:
10,000 Tutorial Points.
Title unlocked -> [Of Earth's Finest] -you've proven yourself among the pinnacle of your world's greatest warriors, reaching the Top 10 in your Placement tournament. (+5%) to all stats
A smile creased my lips silently reveling in the achievement, before stiffening at reading over the stipulations. Specifically the section outlining I'd receive my rewards and titles after the tournament. Besides, boosting with percents now would only serve people with particularly high skill stats. I was about to close out my mental notifications when another one ding'd in, this one with a header that read, *click to join Earth's Finalists Tournament*.
My mind buffered, wondering if I'd received the last of humanities spam emails sent directly into my mind. Luckily my quiet-voiced common sense determined this was probably someone important given the timing. I willed for the message to expand, instead confusedly watching all of my notifications abruptly close. What's more, I found myself stood at the edge of a smaller, far more minimalistic arena surrounded by 9 other contestants. 2 of which I recognized almost immediately.
"Korbin? Hah, I figured I'd see you sooner or later." I said, shaking my head and slapping hands with my oldest friend.
"Well I'd certainly fucking hope so?" Korbin laughingly questioned, shaking his head.
"How was it over at the fire arena? You run into anyone particularly noteworthy?" I excitedly asked. Part of me hoped he's run into some kind of real competition. Maybe someone who fought so well, that even Korbin made a novel martial discovery. I'm sure there's plenty disappointed Gods that know by now I've had my fair share of close calls, but those challenges also lead to my best progre-
"Nah, that shit was boring. As. Fuck." Korbin's body physically deflated answering. I mirrored his slouching shoulders, sharing in his disappointment at his experience while he continued sharing.
"Most of the fighters there just either charged wildly or constantly retreated tossing fire at me. Found myself pushing fights out longer and throwing crazy shit just trying to make my own fun out of it by the 50th fight." Korbin finished, letting out a long sigh.
"Brutal." I replied, feeling no envy for 100 straight mind-numbing wipes of fights. Shaking his head, Korbin peered curiously up at me after a pause.
"Anyways, what about you, that light armor land you any close calls?" Korbin asked. I didn't even bother fighting a smirk while answering.
"Quite honestly, it served me well. Sure, I could've used some extra cushion for a few unlucky matchups here and there, but I handled myself just fine." I replied, as honestly as I needed to be. He glared at me through a narrow, analyzing gaze before smiling ear to ear.
"You didn't answer my question." He said in a dubious tone. After only looking me up and down once, his lids shot open in elated realization I had indeed had it rough at some point in this tournament.
"Aahhh, you totally almost died. Tell me about it, what happened?! Did you go to Water Step and trip onto a spearhead or something?" He asked, but I knew he needed a moment to thoroughly enjoy his own questions. After about 5-7 more seconds of rhetorical questions and cackling, he straightened his posture looking at me expectantly.
"I have 4 skills now. Maybe you should've found an arena with some competition." I blurted back without thinking.
Fuck it, we're bringing the petty guns.
Korbin proceeded to unpack his own verbal artillery, mocking me in a nasally voice and protruding his lower jaw forward.
"'Meh meh meh, my name's Tom. Meh meh meh, I have 4 skills. Meh meh meh, I almost died.'" He rambled shaking his head, clapping his hand open and shut like a puppet next to him. I couldn't help bursting out in a hardy laugh at the whole bit. Sure, it was at my expense, but the fact he's joking about it means it at least annoyed him. Besides, he didn't say how many skills he's got yet.
"Just don't use it as an excuse when I see you after this for why I finally beat you." Korbin grinned a toothy smile at the last part as he replied.
"Emphasis on 'finally'." He replied wearing a devious grin. After a few more minutes of lightly insulting each other's existence, we both decided to get a look at our remaining competition. That's when I saw the blonde for a third time, only I didn't have to stare intently from hundreds of feet away to get a good look at her details.
At her waist rested a thin short sword, sheathed in a pocket that looked like an upward facing belt loop attached to her dark leather armor set. Her straight platinum blonde hair was tied up in a bun, her eyes a deep baby blue. For the sake of respectfulness, she was clearly in excellent physical shape.
For the sake of honesty, she was one of the most attractive woman I'd ever laid my mortal eyes on. She constantly glimmered a determined glint in her eye, yet her face was currently beaming with affability stopping by each remaining contestant for a chat.
There was an aura of decisiveness in her people-hopping as I she strolled into view as I scanned the crown from a distance. Occasionally, I'd get the feeling of having lasers burned into the back of my head while checking back with Korbin. Of course, when I turned to look for the source, Korbin let me hear it if I couldn't feel his disapproving glare.
A schemer. Great, now there's 2 here.
A prompt expanded before my vision automatically, playing audio that everyone else seemed to react as surprised to as I did as the unnaturally soothing female voice spoke.
"Welcome. You have reached the Finalists Tournament for your planet. Congratulations!" The strange effeminate voice said. Through my peripherals, I noticed everyone's reactions being fairly similar at the achievement; apathy. We were all here because we wanted to win it all, not to reach some self servicing 'first in your heart' rank and call it a day. It had to have been at least 3 days of violent time spent by now, and no one's slept. Didn't need to, I guess, but I knew I missed a full nights rest.
"The tournament will proceed shortly, only you will not receive any passive star boosts for being in an arena in alignment with your affinity. This also means there will be no inherent mana of any one affinity, but a mixture of them all at once within the battle arena. Each fight will be viewed one by one, until your plant has its top prospect. Good luck contestants, the multiverse is watching!" The soothing voice explained in length.
Okay, eerie way to end that.
Sure we all knew everyone was watching everywhere there is a place to apparently, but reminding us like that was super off putting. Not to mention she explicitly said 'multiverse', casually confirming what once got people labeled insane for believing might exist. Feelings 70 something fights-old of being a rat in a maze for whatever put us here creeped back into my mind, but I pushed them aside.
With only 9 others left in the entire tournament, soon there'll be plenty of time to ruminate on the bullshit morality of 'The System' later. Right now it was time to win. Even if I already missed being surrounded by the calming air that followed flying waves, the smell of fresh water dancing along the rocky walls surrounding my water arena.
It felt so pure, the air even tasted good. Now standing in a far smaller hollow building, housing only one minimalistic arena, I could still faintly feel that energy. Only it was buried under a plethora of strange, uncomfortable energies that filled my chest all the same. A grandiose old clock ticking-sound passively echoed throughout the arena, rumbling the organs in my body with each passing second.
After a 6 thundering ticks rattled off, I guessed this was a 10 count given how loud it is. How fun. The ticks hit 8 as I turned over to Korbin, wondering if for the first time in over 10 years I saw a glint of worry in his eye. Tick number 9 sounded, and right before I could put up a reassuring 'fist bump' gesture, his rising hand beat mine, flipping me off with devious grin. His cackle was interrupted by the thunderous 10th tick, followed by a long, expectant silence. Everyone surveyed the room, poised for something to happen, someone to move or be teleported, anything.
The ambient sound of heartbeats was quietly audible, before being sharply drowned out by a short, high pitch beep sound. Just as quickly as the silence broke, 7 other contestants breathed a collective sigh of relief at the sight of seeing a skinny man in a big black cloth outfit cloak that looked strikingly like mourning clothes had been blipped in the ring. Directly opposite to him stood the blue eyed blonde.
Korbin leaned forward for a better view. "Not gonna lie, I see why you missed the introduction hologram. At least try not to let her distract you too bad though." Korbin said, slapping my chest with the back of his hand after sharing unsolicited words of wisdom. My attention was clung far tighter to why she's here to address his snide remark. I'd heard one horror story so far of her turning someone at the metal arena into 'red mist' but I'd done that by accident before fight 40. Can't imagine anyone here hasn't dramatically outmatched one of their opponents.
"Hey, blonde lady! My buddy thinks you're hot!" Korbin shouted, waving and pointing over my head to get her attention. I sighed, burying my face into my hands.
Thank you, Korbin.
Anyways, odds were favorable that her as well as everyone present had won in dominating fashion at some point or another. My last 30-ish fights had yielded notably stiffer competition, filled with people exponentially more brutal in nature than early on. Though, I hadn't seen how it went in any other fight arenas. For all I know, some ancient Pacifist God found their Chosen 5 hours ago. They may even dwarf our power levels with some sheer stat bullshit, like the old Healer I had to…help die. I really, really hope there's no more healers left.
The other guy cosplaying the reaper carried with him a long scythe, making me question exactly how No-Face let him leave like that.
"Hello, m'lady. My name is Haden." Whispered the oddball in a high, scratchy tone.
"I will be sure to treat you with the utmost care, even if I don't get to keep your vessel after, yet." He continued, with an unfitting bow of respect after saying…that.
"Ugh, why do I always get the socially awkward creeps?" The blonde disparagingly said with a sigh.
"Please, insults do not change your fate." Snapped back the cloaked man through clenched teeth. Korbin threw his hands up angrily.
"Who the fuck is this guy?", he exclaimed with a furrowed brow, glancing around the room for confirmation this guy was in fact a weirdo. The talented blonde woman apparently had enough creep energy already, angrily gritting her teeth and drawing her weapon. Haden, future God of the Socially Inept followed in kind lifting his scythe up from the ground.
It quickly became apparent Haden wasn't as chivalrous as he pretended, having chose to throw the first blow. His blade cut through the air at a sideways angle, sliding his hands along the pole arm to extend its range. Though, considering he began his strike before advancing, there was no way he was close enough to hit. Following through with the horizontal slash, a deep-red and black blade of energy ignited along its blade before launching off Hadens Scythe at the blonde prodigy.
As far as melee attacks go, he was completely out of range from the beginning. For a ranged attack, however, Hadens shuffling advance placed him at the equivalent of pressing a 12 gauge to someone's forehead. There's no way she has time to dodg-…
…
…so after the prodigy avoided Haden's hurtling red energy blade by leaping from a stationary position into a twisting side flip. Her body spiraled like a flipping topper around the red blade of energy, letting it pass by her spinning figure while horizontal in air. Of course, she capped it off with the hero pose landing, smashing a fist and knee to the floor.
Laughing in elation while clutching the top of his head, Korbin couldn't help but blurt out his expert analysis.
"Ho-hoooly shit that was cool." Korbin cheered, apposed to the rest of the worried, even fearful glares watching on. Haden stared wide eyed for a full minute before gathering himself, unleashing a barrage of ranged energy bolts from his twirling Scythe almost like a bo staff. Slowly, the hooded strange man advanced forward spinning his Scythe at unnatural speeds in front of and around his body. All the while firing his dark red energy blades at scary speeds between his twirling psyche.
Haden's form with a pole arm is admittedly incredible, and had he just cut his own tongue out before hearing his thoughts aloud, I may have developed a true respect for him. Unfortunately, he's already proved himself untrustworthy to future human progress with his outfit alone.
Death? THAT'S your gimmick? Real 'edgy' dude.
My eyes shifted back to the blonde's side of the arena, watching the athletic fighter slip and dodge all of Haden's attack with ease. Her shifting head nearly hid her dull focus, moving as if she was drilling during a simple training day.
One shot in particular had been stacked closely behind two that had been aimed at her legs. She proceeded to leap up and out of the path of the first two energy blades. Simultaneously spinning her shoulders and hips while exploding her leg outward, she kicked a freaking laser.
Watching intently, I noticed a fraction of a moment before the blondes boot made contact with the strange red energy an explosion triggered, causing my ears to once again ring, singing in the forbidden frequencies of disorientation. A second explosion sounded, prompting my eyes to lock back on to where she was, only to find her flying towards Haden with her non-kicking foot facing away.
She hurled her sword forward, aiming for Haden's head. Before it could reach its deathly destination, sand formed beside Haden. With an inward gesture of her other hand, the sand flung up into Haden's face. Haden cringed, grasping his eyes, only for the sword to pierce into his hand and skull. The moment her feet landed however, his body dissipated into a fine black powder that moved in what looked like dark sand whisking around a few feet away, forming the outline of a humanoid shadow.
"That…was uncalled for, lady."
A voice sounding like a mixture between Haden's already off-putting voice and a demonic entity echoed through the arena, causing a few contestants to tremble a little.
"Don't be fooled, I fought a teleporting tank at the water arena. This guy's all bravado." I told Korbin, leaning forward as the fight now moved a bit further from our immediate view. Blonde's body language hinted restlessness at the sight.
"Okay okay, now reform already. You're wasting our time, and I bet you can't afford to lose any right now." The blonde said through a smirk and squinted eyes.
"Heheh, hahaHAHAHAHA!"
With a genuinely terrifying cackle that shook the pit of my stomach, the Dark Sand Formation collapsed into a pile, slithering along the arena.
It split into 4 piles, erecting 4 arms out of each. As if in concert, each hand formed 18 inch blades at their palms, and fired them towards the blonde. They traveled with a rounded darkness at its front, but as it passed my view the thin, razor sharp dark blade hid behind its parachute shaped hue.
The blonde dodged the first 3, but the 4th grazed her shoulder. Yet, she let out a restrained yelp as it connected regardless, and her flesh around the cut was dark.
Haden's eerie voice echoed from multiple directions.
"Yes, death cleanses all too weak to escape its gentle grasp. Embrace your birthright."
The blonde's face had looked defeated, crushed, as if this small wound completely incapacitated her.
Almost like she was infected with some super poison as it breached her skin. He mentioned letting 'death' have a claim to her, and I hoped death wasn't an affinity. That's a bit much.
The dark sand piles performed their greatest feat yet; reading the room. The dark piles washed together from four separate angles, forming an 'X' pattern as Haden's dark shape arose again. As soon as the entire pile came together as one crude pillar of sand, the blonde's face shot up from her downed position, revealing her shoulder untouched, except for a bit of black sand dribbling off of it.
*POP*
The prodigious blonde's open palm is colored against smashed against Haden's chest-shaped mass, unleashing a torrent of flames rippling out the sandy figures undeveloped back. The glassy hole left in its midsection was wide enough to see straight through, even outside the battle arena. Flickering embers left by the explosive attack reignited within the charred remains of the sandy figure in a puff of red smoke, before spreading out across the rest of his dark sand.
In a flash, what remained of Haden's pile disappeared, while the blonde blipped out of the arena roughly 8 paces to my left. I peered over, locking with the fierce woman. More than that, she held the gaze, winking at with a grin before turning and heading off. Maybe to meditate. I don't know, I figured everyone had to ponder their martial handiwork some way or another. One thing was certain though.
She's dangerous.