《The Millennium Conflict: Asa's Mercenaries》 Prologue: Home Sweet Dome Asa never expected her 17th birthday to be quite like this. It was like every other day at the orphanage, she wakes up shakes the dirt and grime of her clothes from the day before and heads down to the kitchen four flights down from her room. The only thing that might be different, is that she can look forward to some kind of desert today, birthdays are the only time the matron ever gives sweets out to the children. She was thinking of her favorite stuffed pastry when she walked into the lobby, normally the sound of children running around and playing would fill her ears but today all was quiet. Taking the chance to get her mind off of desert what greeted Asa was not little Sam, Sammy, Samantha, and Seth playing around and chasing each other. But three Telten Enforcers the police who keep order on Telten a moon orbiting a gas giant in the Telder system, standing behind them was a young Female officer looking in her 20s who was talking to the Matrion. She had an air of danger and gloom about her which was only amplified by the scars on her face. A plasma round seems to have burned a hole through the side of her Jaw with a long line scar connected running down the left side of her face. It seems whatever shot her fired at her from above. Her hawkish grey eyes gave her this sharp look that matched her narrow jaws and high cheekbones. The weird thing was that she kind of resembles me a bit. I walked down the steps having taken their attention form whatever they were discussing. Our eyes meet and I could see a look of recognition fash through her eyes that showed excitement and affection I could not comprehend. Before I could even react she rushed past the Matrion and stood before me right in my face. "Ahha" Startled I leaned back to much and lost my balance almost falling, grabbing my hand the woman swiftly pulled me up and at the same time pricked my palm with a scanner. "ouch" Then I heard a beep, looking down towards the sound that''s when I noticed the scanner and the woman looking intensely at it which made me nervous, I still had no clue what was going on.Seemingly happy with the results the woman smiled and looked at me, making me even more nervous her smile although beautiful was made disconcerting by the scars. "Finally found you, my good Niece"..... "Niece?" was all I managed to say before I was yanked behind the woman claiming to be my Aunt as she was heading toward the exit. Looking for help I signaled to Matrion Natalie with my eyes for assistance. Seeming to have finally caught up to the unexpected events of the last minute Matrion Natalie bared the way of the woman pulling me. "Major please hold a second I fail to follow the nature of your visit here are you trying to adopt Asa. Or are you kidnaping this young lady under my care." Coming to a halt the woman seemed to think about her next actions. With a look of slight clarity, she taped her arm tablet and pulled up a document I could not see, showing it to Matrion Natalie. Looking shocked at the panel the matrion looked at her then me and was about to say something before being signaled by the Major to shut up. Totally not understanding the situation I keep my mouth closed. Looking toward me the woman seems to see my confusion. "Look little Niece ill give you all the answers you need, but this aunt of yours needs to get you out of this dirty squaller of a living block, and to a safer place before people realize where you are. I really have to get you back so I can finally redeem myself from the shame of that year." Her words made even less sense to me I always assumed I had no family, I mean if I did they obviously did not care for me, or I would not be in an orphanage. "Ok ill play along with this game of yours, but I need to gather my things and say bye to the other kids before I go anywhere." She stared at me for half a second."Little girl, I think you did not understand me we are leaving now, your stuff will be collected later and you can visit at a later date but we are leaving now!" Continuing to drag me toward the door she signaled one of her escorts to go and collect some of my stuff and for the others to head outside. Walking behind her I had no courage to argue anymore her aura completely changed I could feel the heaviness in the air. In the street, I was meet by the whole sector being locked down by tens of Telten Enforcers all protecting military transport I was heading toward. Picking up the pace my escort hurried to the transport and up the back ramp. Then strapping me in the most secure seat surrounded by Enforcers and the woman claiming to be my Aunt. It took only seconds before I heard the spooling of the engines as we lifted from the streets and into the air. With much uncertainty, I could not figure out what was so important about me that all this was needed. Thinking about all the details the only thing I could do is ask, glancing at the right my ''Aunt'' was looking at me real hard with a look of guilt and happiness all in one."So are you really my Aunt, and if so who are you how do you have so much control of the Enforcers?" "I am indeed truly your aunt as for the who, I''m Helena Tanoute leader of House Tonoute''s special response unit! And today my special task was to pick up a...... lost member of the family." "If that''s the case then why am I only now being ''found'' I''ve been an orphan for seventeen years I think it''s too late to be picking me up now." There was hurt I saw on Helena''s face at that comment but I could not scrounge up the pity to care. Till I realized what it was I just heard, House Tonoute the nominal owners and rulers of Telten a mercenary family turned simi-Nobles. "Well, that''s a complicated story we won''t be talking about right this moment. Just understand that all will be clear and explained when we land at the family compound." "Wait a minute yours from house Tonoute! You''re saying that I''m a member of that family!" Looking at me like I just realized the obvious Helena had a smirk on her face and shook her head."Yes, you are do you think a main family member like me would just pick up a random girl off the street." There was silence as I contemplate those words........how could the ruling family of this moon lose someone and just now find them, it makes no sense especially because I''ve been under there nose this whole time. I mean come on its ridiculous and sad.......now I''m a little depressed. At that exact moment, the transport was slowing down and landing. leaving my thoughts behind I lifted my head to see what''s going on. The ramp lowered revealing to me a sight most stunning before I was a welcome of several dozen armored soldiers at attention. All wearing the colors black, dark blue, and Byzantium Purple of House Tonoute. Behind them, a huge Dome covered all I could see with parks and exotic plants on the inside and out. It was Tonoute Town the first settlement on Telten from over 300 years ago. The seat of power of the ruling House and home to all there family and relatives. With a pat on my back, Helena ushered me forward toward the military entrance of the dome where a convoy was waiting to take us further in. Waiting for us was a luxury hover limo escorted by four armored vehicles I did not recognize. At the orphanage, I read all kinds of things about Telten and how it was founded and in all accounts mentions of the dome and the efforts taken to terraform the moon over the course of 300 years to a liveable standard. Which at the time was cutting edge technology that only a few corporations and governments had access too. Now terraforming is used more often, but still, only the rich powers can afford to use it. I can''t believe I''m here seeing it in person a poor orphan from the shady side of Telten. The story goes that Celta and Rendal Tonoute at the time were a pair of brother and sister that were running a medium-small sized mercenary company. They were asked to protect a certain ship leaving for the Seltas Duchy a local stellar state in this part of the Galaxy, they were attacked along the way and in the end, almost lost half there staff in casualties to ''pirates''. Come to find out the ship they were protecting was delivering a princess to the Seltas Duchy for a marriage solidifying a merger between the Duchy and the close Deltras Kingdom thus forming the DelSeltas Empire of now. The route and cargo were a secret but someone leaked it, the pirates were from a rival power trying to stop the merger but against both side''s expectations, the Tonoute siblings succeeded in their contract. And as a reward for there unexpected success against superior numbers they were both awarded the Status of a Baron and Baroness in the newly formed DelStelas Empire thus gaining joint ownership of the Telder System and all planets and moons found around its star. The problem was that only Two planets/moons were a candidate for a terraforming colony and the empire was only willing to help with the smaller of the two Telten. These days it''s rumored that the Tonoute family has plans to start terraforming the other potential colony planet that''s closer than most as a perfect earth-like world. Its also rumored that Celta and Rendal are still living till today even though at the time they were in there late 400s in an age now they have to be about in their 900s. Only the rich can afford the kind of money it takes to rejuvenate the body for so long. As I was recalling all this the limo was already moving towards the central zone of Tonoute Town. Driving through I see small kids playing and older kids training and relaxing all over the place. But as we drive I notice all eyes are drawn towards the convoy. It seems news of who is riding inside has spread to the youths of the family, even though I myself am still unsure of who I am. The drive drags on for 20min and as we approach the central Manor complex Helena seems to be getting slightly tenser. I can feel the tension shes releasing into the air. screech!! Our Escorts come to a fast stop as we move into the manor courtyard, they stay at the entrance as we move up. Waiting for us in front of the large manor spanning several Football fields is a team of maids and I''m guessing a member of the family. Right in the middle I spot a woman who looks very similar to Helena almost like twins the only difference is the eye color hers is an icy blue and she lacks the scars, she has a business management air about her but that strong frown on her face is telling me she might not be happy to see me. Stepping out first is Helena, who I meekly follow I don''t want any part of the storm about to take place here. The woman yells "Helena!! what is going on here, are you bringing another decoy those bastards left behind, so you want to hurt me even more than you already have." Furry and hurt leak out of her tone. "Selena this is not what this is, I found the real one this time there is no DNA degradation from her scan and that special marker came back as well shes the real one I promise this time." Pleading with guilt Helena handed over the scanner she pricked me with earlier. Slowly reaching out Selena snatched it and got quiet as she looked it over...........................her face slowly relaxed. She looked up at Helena then shifted her focus to me. ".......Ok, you might be right this time, but if I''m to believe this girl who looks like she came out of a dust pile is my eldest daughter. Then more tests are needed." With a shock, I stared back so this woman could be my Mom. My life could be heading in an amazing new direction. If only at the time I realized that a life of blood and pain, luxury, and decadence was all that awaited me in the coming years. Ch: 1 The prodigal Daughters unclear Fate Diary entry #127. #1st entry in my new home, its been two days since I arrived here and I''ve been given a new arm PAL to support my new living situation. A fancy little device that I''m now using to write my diary. But anyway It''s been one test after the other with that woman Selena aka my potential real mother trying to determine if I''m really her daughter. Blood has been drawn skin lifted scans scanning and mind probed all to determine if I''m really me. When I still don''t understand who else they think I could possibly be. But if anything can shed light on that its the conversation Helena had with Selena when I first arrived. There was something about me being the real one this time.....but that could mean lots of things. Someone could have been trying to impersonate me and gain access to the Tonoute family, or as decoys for something else I just don''t know. But ill think about that later my main concern is my future will I pass Selena''s tests, will she accept me can I finally have a real family to love and to be loved by. I''m.......I''m not sure Selena seems always tense around me and I still have no idea who my Father is or if I have other close relatives. I also never did confirm if Selena and Helena were twins or not. They look too similar not to be. Anyway, the staff is distant like there looking at a dead person walking. At least Helena seems to want to have some relations with me she always visits twice a day. Asking about how I''ve lived till now and how I''m adjusting the thing is I still have no idea what my future here is. At least the room they gave me is nice and I can live in comfort till whatever happens happens. Knock Knock Knock. Looking up from my Diary Helena walks in with Selena. But the face Selena is staring at me with is different than usual it''s not that all business look with no emotions. She actually has a little smile on her face. She walks up to me and places her hands on my shoulders."My daughter your really her...Welcome home welcome home." Hugging me into her chest Selena cries into my neck. I freeze and get stiff as she does so and looks up at Helena not knowing what to say or do. With a wide scary grin from her scars she just looks on. With new confidence, I hug Selena.... no mom back forgetting the past few days of her harsh tests. I start to tear up not knowing where these emotions flood out from. We sit in silence for a few minutes as Selena gathers herself back together. "So my daughter I know we''re late with your explanation of our separation but your aunt has updated me on the conversations you''ve been having. And first, we have to fix your understanding of your name, Asa is not your full name it was just what was leftover from your name tag after the kidnapping. The matron just used it because that''s all she had to go on." With just a few words my new mom just revealed to me I know nothing about how I came to be who I am today. I mean Kidnapped how typical what is this the fairy tale that''s reality. Seeing how speechless I am Selena I mean mom, it will take a while to get used to this. Mom continued her monologue. "Right focus my girl your full name is Asandria Ester Anthelia Tanoute eldest of my line and heir to the Celta line of House Tanoute. You were kidnapped a week after your birth by people I won''t mention right now. The important part is that they were after some special secret research we applied to you during birth, a special body and mind treatment meant to enhance your performance in the future and hopefully increase lifespan in the longterm." I had no time to process that lump of info before she continued." They broke into the family hospital somehow breached our security and stole you. Your Aunt Helena was head of security that night"....glancing over her shoulder Selena gave Helena a look of understanding. "That''s how she got that nasty scar you know, one of the infiltrators shot her from the top of the stairs to your room hit the side of her face knocking her straight out shes lucky. Normally that would be a fatal shot and I would have lost my sister and child in the same evening." Still looking at each other Selena continues."But I never blamed her even though she blames herself. We were all caught off guard no one knew of that project at least that was our belief at the time, it came to light we had a traitor in the project spying for another family. Trying to steal the formula to our cutting edge youth-enhancing treatments. They took you scanned you we think and created light clones of you to spread around and keep to through us off their trail." "And it worked at least for a while, but we eventually caught up to them. By that time though you were already gone scattered among the light clones they spread in this and neighboring systems. We think there plan was to through us off your true location so they could come to collect you later but ironically enough they lost you in there own ploy. And in the last Seventeen years, we have been fighting against the clock to locate the real you. There were over 50 light clones spread around the place and our opponents have been trying to collect the same as us."This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "The good and bad part about light clones is that they don''t live long about 12-17 years to be exact they break down and die due to organ failure and DNA corruption. I''ve lost and buried 23 Asandria''s these past 17 years collected at different times and places all dead because they were light clones. The other 20 something clones were collected by the opposition there fates most likely the same as the ones here. I''ve shed tears every time one died, and I lost all hope to see the original Asandria ever again. Who would have thought you were here the whole timeless than a 15min flight away." With more tears in her eyes mom hugged me again. This explains so much no wonder it took 17years to find me, they did several times while fighting a rival each time they thought they did. I can''t even be mad at them no wonder mom was so skeptical of me she had all the reasons to and losing another me would hurt her a little more each time. Those cynical bastards how dare they do this to me and my family all those poor other me''s. Pawns in a game not of there knowledge. "Now Asandria your life is going to get harder you are no longer a young girl living a normal life but the eldest of the line in your generation. Of course privilege you will have but duty comes with it. You''re behind your whole generation in terms of training and learning and that will reflect poorly on you. No one will give you pity even though you just came back, power and resources are limited in the family, and only the talented and gifted reach the top." Peering deep into my eyes Mom gave me a look of worry and determination. Staring back I took her words to heart it seems ill have to work hard to belong here. "Now that I''ve broken my persona in front of you, they''re no longer any reasons to delay explaining your exact position and who your close relatives are. So, of course, I''m your mother and you already know your aunt my twin, that leaves my husband your father and then the twins Dawn and Shawn, and last but not least Selera the youngest. Your dad is off on a mission and I did not want to tell him about you unless I was sure you were the original Asandria. As for the twins and Selera, they know nothing of this they have heard of the clones and know you could have been out there, but they have never shown interest in you being alive and or back." I was hurt about my new siblings not being interested in me but what can I blame them with they never meet me I''m a stranger as far as there concerned and a thief of there status if I''m understanding how things work so far. Seeing my face mom speaks up "now don''t make that face you will have chances to bond with them and I''m sure eventually get along with them. But the most important thing is you knowing your place in the family. Being the eldest in the Celta line means you will eventually lead this branch of the family of course after the current head and those after either die or retire. Truthfully your about 6th in line after me and my mom only women inherit the Baroness title in the Celta line the Rendal line Follows male-only inheritance of the title." Taking my hand mom pulls me up from my bed and leads me down the hall. Following is aunt Helena who has been quiet this whole time. "There''s not much time we need to get you up to par with your peers. You could lose your right to inherit if your skills can''t meet the standards of a Tonoute. Good thing our enhancements to you when you where young are still active we can kick start your learning and catch you up on 17years of training." "Wait mom I get your reasons but why the urgency is there an evaluation or something that is in the next days. I would have really bad luck if that was true" I said in a joking manner. But the look on her and my aunt''s face said it all."You can''t be serious really such a thing is actually taking place in the next few days!" throwing my free hand up. "Yes my dear it is, but worry not we have a solution right in my lab here." Doors pushed open revealed my mom''s lab the place I''ve been testing in the last few days. "Come along and sit here" I have pushed ontop a reclined chair with a helmet and straps connected to it. "Uh, what''s this" pointing to the helmet hovering over my head. " That my girl is a VIU device not unlike the VR game helmets the commoners us to play there lives away. This, on the other hand, brings you to mind straight into a virtual environment, and in that space, we can provide a 10x-1000x times of time than real space to help you catch up. Of course, normally 10x speed would be a burden for the common brain and 50x for the enhanced brain. But you my child can endure 80-120x speed according to your test. All thanks to that research from the past." "A new limit and your advantage against your peers" With swift hands she strapped me in the chair and lowered me into a pod of some sort."Now listen here the trials are in 2 weeks at most I can keep you under for 12 days, in that time the pod will keep you healthy and fit and an AI will monitor you at all times for safety. I''ll also be here but I can''t keep watch 24/7 but don''t worry we will slowly increase time compression to not tax your brain ill see you when you get back be safe and do your best." Before I could respond to her she closed the pod in my face. Then the fluids to keep me healthy started to fill the pod, the helmet lowered and covered my head then all went dark. Something pricked my neck and then I blacked out. Spoiler: Spoiler PAL-a Personal Artificial Learner are devices that act as assistants, communicators, writing devices and ect. The key feature is that they learn there owners and eventually develop a AI personality to further help there owners. VIU- a Virtual interface Unit are pods that the rich and military use to train and provide a safe learning enviroment for there soliders and youths. Next time on MCAM Asa finally finds what talents she really has and learns what it means to belong to a military-like family. Ch: 2 Fate is Forged Not Determined
Welcome Asandria to Virtual Training Part 1
You Will now go over all the basics a member of Noble Society needs.
These words were shoved in my face as soon as I appeared in the virtual space. All around me was an empty field as far as the eyes could see. Covered in emerald grass shifting in the wind. There was just the sound of the rustling grass blades in my ears, it was very peaceful. .........Man, she could of at least waited a few minutes before she shoved me into a VIU pod. We really had no time for me to say or settle things with this situation. Wow, She did that on purpose didn''t she! Ohhhhhh ill get her to win I get out of here. BAM! Jumping back from the surprise I slipped on the grass falling to my butt. From the sky fell a school building ancient in design like from a period piece talking about old Earth.
Student Asandria your first class Starts now.
Walking into the building the walls were made of what I think was brick, only one classroom was open at the end of the hall. There I found one desk and chair and a teacher. She wore a business-like jacket and a skirt in navy blue coloring. She looked towards me and spoke. "Greetings Lady Asandria I am Spire the AI in charge of your basic education from Elementary to HighSchool. It has come to my attention time is of the essence so further chit chat is pointless to let us begin with your knowledge assessment." She gestured toward the desk where a tablet was waiting for me to pick up. "Um ok so what is this test about and what am I learning here," I asked grabbing the tablet and siting. "Questions answered after you partake in the assessment, Now begin" Nodding my head I thought well the sooner I finish the faster I get out this virtual world. So I can complain to my new mom. Stating of the test at first was easy but 10min in and my head was hurting from unknown formulas and questions I had no idea how to answer. But I tried anyway who knows might get lucky. Time ticked on and after one and a half hours time was up. Well..... I failed without a dought. "Well, lady Asandria your results were abysmal by all standards but in history, free-thinking, and average in math. But fear not it was expected, your education was poor at best till now Ill have you caught up and excelling at your strong points by the end of my time with you." "Now its time for real Learning" With a smile on her face that sent chills down my spine I knew the coming days were going to be tough and they were. I knew not how long our lessons went for but at least three months went by before she considered my knowledge acceptable by normal standards. Then the true nightmare began I had no breaks and no rest for at least another nine months before she told me I graduated HighSchool for real and I was handed a Digital Diploma. In the real world, I was not to graduate for another 2 years at least. But it was not over as I was thought it was, we continued my lessons on areas she said I showed promise in such as programming, engineering, and my favorite History and psychology. I always found history interesting learning about past discoveries and uncovering the mysteries of our ancestors and the galaxy around us. Past wars and lessons humans never seem to learn and continue to repeat. We are a paradox of compassion and hate we call for justice but creat tragedy. I digress it was another six months of this advanced learning when I learned I had earned a Bachelor of History, psychology, and computer engineering with a minor in math. It was the proudest day of my life I never thought I could get this far in life. Tears were in my eyes I assumed I would eventually end up a space miner or dead in the streets killed buy some gang or forced into prostitution in some dark basement. Life on the dark side of Telten is never easy or safe for long and for a somewhat pretty girl like me never peaceful. Many girls have gone missing after leaving the orphanage never to return. Time compression must have ticked up quite a bit, there is no way I could have done this so fast otherwise three degrees and a minor I''m speechless. I wonder how high it is "Teacher Spire how much time has passed in realtime when do I get to go back." I looked at her with pleading eyes she may be strict but she has a soft side if you poke her sympathy right. My psy degree is coming in handy already hehehe. "Little Lady doesn''t try and get me with those pitiful eyes I would have told you already if you had just asked. Its been about eight days in real-time but the time compression is only increasing so you have about another six to eight months left of learning time normally we would continue your education but now its time to learn Noble customs, rules and important facts and names. Then you continue on to basis in self-defense and modern combat boot camp with another AI." My face collapsed into a frown I thought I was almost done there''s still more to go over. "Do I really need to learn that noble stuff" With a stern glare Spire just locked eyes with me.............."Fine, you don''t need to give me a death glare I get it, important noble stuff blah blah blah it''s for my future and owns good. Let''s just get it over with at least its kind of interesting I just want to get out of here, it''s just the two of us here Spire I''m bored with just all the learning there''s nothing fun." I slammed my head on the desk. "Well, lady Asandria tired as you might be like you said it is for your own good. You will be done before you know it and be a proper member of the house Tonoute upon the completion of your training. Now let us get started it should not be too hard a lot of facts and customs were covered in your history lessons." "Nobles are broken into three layers lower nobles, upper nobles, and royalty. Lower nobles include Knights, Barons, Viscounts, and Counts and all their female counterparts. Upper nobles Include Marquess, Dukes, And ArchDukes including female equivalents. Royalty includes Princes, princesses, Queens, Kings, and Emperors/Empresses. All of them have there roles and powers as I''m sure you understand." "Our House made of two brother-sister Baron rank individuals is in the lower noble layer but we have the land and power of a Count house maybe Marquess house. A knight usually has no land but some have towns or cities s typical baron might own a Continent on one planet or moon or even just a few cities on a planet. Viscounts two continents, Counts a Planet or moon, Marquess two to three planets, Dukes a solar system with 3-5 liveable planets, ArchDukes 2-3 solar systems and of course a King a kingdom of 20-40 liveable systems with all kinds of systems in between. An Empire 50-100 liveable systems." "This is the power level of the different noble ranks. Usually, lower nobles are under the rule of Upper nobles helping them to manage their territory we are luckily an independent Baron family directly under the Emperor we answer only too him. But this favor has earned us the displeasure of many other noble houses. Creating a stressful political environment for us, one of these houses was responsible for your kidnapping." She took a pause to see my reaction. Her words drew my attention more than usual, so that''s, why the family has not directly retaliated for that event the other house, must be of higher noble rank. "Now on to matters of customs and language" My lessons continued in that pace for three more months I learned posture, walking, presence, names and territories of the empire, and the internal structure of the House. Its managed like a company run by two presidents Celta and Rendal Tonoute the two twin founders are still alive. Under them, a board of elders and successors runs the day to day of the house which is split between the descendants of Celta and Rendal. Technically there are two Baron Houses with the same name residing in the same place. Each branch manages there own people but we share the same resources. After all that stiff noble junk I said farewell to Spire with a big hug. She was uptight about it but I knew she would miss me as well. I was then transferred to a new space to start boot camp.
Recruit Tonoute welcome to Basic Training.
I found myself in another large field but this time it was covered in military equipment and in the distance, there were all kinds of terrain from mountains to desert and tundra. "Wake Up Recruit! there is no daydreaming in my camp!" I jumped with fright and turned around the person who just yelled in my ear was a tall dark brown-skinned man with muscles ripping through his military camo uniform. He was giving me a mean look. "I''m Sargent Fortress your instructor for basic but you call me Sir or Instructor from now on. When you respond to me you respond yes Sir YOU HEAR ME RECRUIT!" "Yes Sir" "I said YOU HEAR ME!" "Sir YES SIR" "That''s good you have some lungs on you now we need to put some muscle on you, Connect to your PAL and look up your stats on the double."
Name:(Asa)Asandria Tonoute Alias:
Military Rank: Recruit Noble Rank: Lady
Skills Special Skills
Programing Lv 5 Evaluate Mind Lv 3
AI Lv 2 Search Intentions Lv 4
Computer repair Lv 4
Ethical Hack Lv2
Computer systems Lv 6
Equipment Property
Civilian Clothes NONE
PAL
Body Stats Height: 5''9 Weight: 161bs Mind Stats
Health: 3.21 Intelligence: 13.34
Speed: 4.10 Wisdom: 12.89
Strength: 2.32 Charisma: 4.22
Endurance: 4.46 Mental Endurance:15.34
Attraction/Beauty: 7.21 Flexibility: 11.11
DNA limit: 20.78 Learning:10.12
looking at the page that came up I had some ideas of what it meant I saw it before when I was learning from Spire its an estimation of a person''s abilities and skills. "Ok recruit its time to get you strapped up and caught up your body is pathetic I''ve seen seven-year-olds in better shape than you." Before I could retort my clothes changed and I was in a military camo uniform all white and green in color. Then a heavy backpack was thrown to my face. I caught it barely stopping myself from falling." Now put that on and run this whole base ten times and no stoping or ill double it." Endless torture was all I could call this I ended up stopping twice so now I have 40 laps total. I have no idea how long its been since I started but the sun went down and came up, but I''m almost done only one more lap. I would cheat if I could but this monster instructor is right behind me watching my every move with no sweat on his face and a smoothie in his hands jogging at a relaxed pace. Damn him and his smoothie. I''m so thirsty how can you be thirsty in a virtual world it''s killing me. Almost there I can see the finish line 20ft...10ft....5ft..3..2.1. Falling face-first into the dirt I no longer had the energy to move.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. " Well well well slurp slurppppp. Ahhh that was good, finally done I see a good job I thought it would take another day for you to finish." He said while walking toward a bucket next to the wall. Grabbing it he threw the water at my face. Seeing it approach I opened my mouth to get some. It was a mistake the water was rancid and swampy I threw up what little water was in my stomach. Cough Cough cough "whyyyyyyy". "The second rule of camp, mouth shut face up there''s no relaxing on my grounds you sleep and rest when I say. Now get up and clean up I want that uniform spotless and shiny by tomorrow''s training Dismissed." In the end, I failed to get the uniform clean all the way, the punishment more running and no lunch this went on for days till I learned to keep it spotless during the run avoiding mud and other dirt. I then moved on to uniform inspections taught and inspected by the instructor along with map reading, com usage, gun training, survival training, and hand to hand combat. This also included team combat, basic medicine, and small area tactics. My training went on and on and by the end, I was a new me my skin was tan before but now it''s a healthy light bronze my baby fat is gone and I can see muscle and definition all over. I have four-pack abbs now and my butt has perked up and rounded out its soft but firm I would hug it if I could. I got taller is now 6ft 1in on the dot a little taller than the average 5ft 10in for women these days. My chest even got a little bigger I think I''m a size or two larger may be in the D range. "Well done recruit well done your training is almost complete now you just need to pick your specialization training and you''re done."
Select Primary path and secondary Path
Forward Scout, Heavy Gunner, Anti Armor, Non-Specialized, Tech expert, and support gunner, support engineer.
I had a tough choice to make I really don''t want heavy gunner or support gunner, Non-specialized is like the same as nothing and anti-armor sound cool but I don''t want that either. Forward scout sounds dangerous but fun and Tech expert and support engineer sound just like me. But I only have two spots they all three sound so good. "Ok I pick Forward Scout, support engineer, and tech expert"
Hidden option unlocked Ambitious Learner. The second sub-specialization unlocked.
"Wow, I expected a no there not a hidden option, well glad I tried now I can do everything I wanted." "ok Recruit you''ve been promoted to Cadet class 2 congratulations your now on the road to a real soldier. Now its time for real training follow me." We walked to the familiar armory. "Its time for your weapons and armor loadout this will determine your effectiveness and survivability on the battlefield. You selected the Scout class and two support classes lucky you, these are your weapon options determined by skill and rank."
Guns: Equipment:
KillerBee-Light mini Pistol(Hidden Weapon), Stone87- light pistol. Plasma grenades, Smoke Grenades, Frag Grenades, Nanite Grenades
Saint 231- Pistol, Pl40-Pistol. Remote Demo bombs, Mini remote bombs, breaching charge(land, ship), smart bombs
MK3000-Heavy Pistol. Rounds: Tracker, Anti-Armor, Heat, Plasma, Regular, Bladed silent, Stun
Badger 3T-Multipurpose. Universal Suppressor/Silencer(Locked), pistol silencer, combat knife(curved, Regular)
DT50- Assult Ririle. Health Kit, Foam injector
Hawk30-Scout Rifle. Scout armor Mk1, Light Cloak armor(Locked), Infiltrator armor(Locked), Engineer armor
L89700-Rifle.(Locked) Personal Drop Pod(Regular, Cloaked(Locked))
I went through all my options and after consulting with instructor Fortress he recommended some things to me. Making my decisions I took the chance to equip my loadout. "Ok Cadet its time for some real training, too the battle range we go." Man, I don''t like the look he just gave me. The battle range is similar to the shooting range the only difference is that the targets shoot back stun rounds that knock you down for 5min of nerve searing pain and spasms. It''s not nice you never want to experience it, believe me, my third month was spent all on the ground moaning from stun rounds. I''ve learned when in dought take cover or you are done. "Ok rifle up I want head or heart shots, if you want to be a good scout silence and accuracy are your best friends now begin." I adjusted my rifle and took in breaths to calm my mind and heart we went over this in past training. In(Siiiiii), Out(hooooooo) down the sights 300meters my targets came out covered in armor these battle drones are a deadly adversary I aimed for the head and placed my finger on the trigger patience wait wait Now! BANG! my round flew and grazed my target on the head plate armor. Damn now the squad of drones is looking for me wait wait ok head down move position I took my rifle and moved 50meters left and set back up. "Ok, there in my sights again where is the leader ill get him first." Downrange the squad of seven was scanning for my position I positioned my scope on the command drone and fired again BANG! the round was dead center this time and the drone flopped to the side. "Now the sharpshooter drone" Bang! the round was short and clipped the shoulder, not a kill but it''s disabled it cant shoot now. This continued for a few minutes the drones eventually found me and fired back but by then only three were left. I was grazed by a stun round making my leg numb but I won in the end. "Good job now we train stealth. Complete the maze and enter the forest heading for the other side if you''re caught you start over with a stun round to the chest." Before I appeared a concrete building with one entrance and I''m guessing one exit. "Ok I can do this only a little more and it did with this." Heading toward the entrance I pulled out my Pistol and attached a silencer. Turning the knob slowly I opened the door, I found a dark hallway with no doors. Slowly I inched forward and eventually found a turn at the end, and around the corner, a drone patrol walking across a T shaped hallway section. Waiting for them to move past I came up behind them and passed them by heading up the next hall. I would be a fool If I started a shoot out right now, staying slow and steady I came across two more patrols but I can''t seem to find the exit this really is a maze. There are no signs and no landmarks just hallways and drones.....I need to get some kind of intel, I need to ambush a patrol silently and hack there map drive. Determined to take down the next patrol I increased my pace to the next intersection. "Oh shiiii" I came to a quick stop, behind the next corner was a three drone patrol I halfway walked in front of them and made a sound there heading right towards me. Sweat came to my brow, in a whisper "I don''t want a stun round please please please please." I lifted my pistol and grabbed my combat knife waiting for them to round the corner.........Where are they? ''Unknown to Asa the drones never saw her they thought the sound was a gear joint squeaking from one of them they continued there to patrol and a golden chance was missed by our brave Protagonist.'' Resolving to start the fight I peered around the corner only to find nothing.........Really they just left I missed an ambush chance....................well I guess I move on. I Continued the exploration but I only encountered larger and larger patrols with fewer places to hide along the way. Then I found my chance a command drone was heading for recharge the rest of the patrol continued. Sneaking up behind it I took my combat blade and jammed it into the spinal power core rendering it immobile but functional. "Nice now let''s see here" I lifted the head plate and removed the data drive connecting it to my PAL. "Come on come on i need this fast that patrol will be back soon" the data was downloading but was taking its sweet time with no time to waste tossing the head behind me I started moving. Leaving a nice surprise for when they found it I was on a clock as soon as I killed something with nowhere to hide a body its a guarantee they will find it. Five minutes later the download was done and decrypted, thank you ethical hacking lessons your knowledge was used for a good cause. Right then Boom! an explosion sounded out from where I came. It seems my trap was effective now all I need is the exit before they all converge on me. Sifting through the data a map appeared of the maze it seems I got myself fairly close to the exit but the two largest patrols are between me and it. "Let''s see are there any more options for me to leave" Scrolling through I noticed another exit on the roof and vents used to supply air to the building. So death ambush, vent crawl or roof hummmm I think the vents if I can fit that is. Referring to the map I located the closest vent and crawled in the space was barely enough but I found an exit leading right to the side of the building next to the forest. Slowly removing the vent cover I scanned the surroundings for any drones finding none I jumped down and went straight for the trees. The test was easier after that the drones are not really quiet in the forest. I passed training Part 2 and continued to learn about bombs and how to hack and protect systems and hardware, the weak points to buildings, and how to map and scout towns and terrain. By the end of the next few months, I could call my self a real soldier. "Cadet I''m proud of you making it this far not many last this long in my training most quit or go insane, but sticking it out means you have potential to be a real elite crushing all who stand in your way good luck out there and get out my fucking training ground." Those were the last words of the instructor before I was booted out of boot camp. My Stats looked completely different by the time I finished
Name:(Asa)Asandria Tonoute Alias:
Military Rank: Cadet Grade 1 Noble Rank: Lady
Infantry Primary: Forward Scout, Sub-support engineer, Sub- tech expert Navy: None
Skills Special Skills
Programing Lv 7 Evaluate Mind Lv 4
AI Lv 4 Search Intentions Lv 6
Computer repair Lv 7 Marksman Lv 6
Rifles Lv 7 Stealth Lv 4
Hacking Lv 5 Map Making Lv 5
Countermeasures Lv 4 Drone Hacker Lv 2
Demolition Lv 4 CQC Lv 4
Pistols LV 5 Team Combat Lv 7
Ethical Hack Lv 7
Computer systems Lv 6
Equipment Property
Scout armor Mk1 PAL
Health Kit, Foam injector Civilian clothes
KillerBee-Light mini Pistol(Hidden Weapon)
Saint 231- Pistol,Silencer
Hawk30-Scout Rifle.
Badger 3T-Multipurpose.
Frag, smoke grenades
Mini remote bombs
Smart bombs
Body Stats Height: 6''1 Weight: 171bs Mind Stats
Health: 9.30 Intelligence: 17.34
Speed: 10.10 Wisdom: 15.89
Strength: 8.22 Charisma: 9.22
Endurance: 14.46 Mental Endurance:20.44
Attraction/Beauty: 8.59 Flexibility: 14.13
DNA limit: 22.78 Learning:15.22
"Wow I got promoted again and it soon should be time for me to get out of this virtual hell." Mom, here I come to punch you in the face for not warning me. CH: 3 Meet the family Beat the Family I awoke in a thick clear liquid around me smelling of medicine and dirt the door to the pod slid open as I gained feeling in my limbs. Reaching for the helmet I removed it and brought my legs forward stepping out the pod. Realizing I was nude for some reason " Well where are my clothes did they dissolve in the liquid?'' The room was dark so I was unable to see if there was anything I could wear. "I remember there''s a control panel over here somewhere" taking my time in the dark I headed towards the panel and pressed a button. The room was illuminated in light blinding me for a second. I noticed I still had some of that medicine liquid on me I left a trail of it all the way to the panel from the pod. Which had a pile of clothes folded and prepared over to the side along with a towel. Walking over towards the towel I wiped all the gunk off my skin and as I did I noticed the changes I thought only existed in the virtual world turning out to be real all along. There was a mirror next to the clothes and the sexy woman staring back at me was a sight to behold. My skin was always a tan color but it had this gray pale coloring to it that was just unhealthy looking. Now its glossy and supple the color has deepened and become a light bronze color. My hazel eyes have become more pronounced with an added purple-gray lining around the irises. My cute nose and sharp chin are more pronounce giving me this air of quiet confidence highlighting my other improved features. My hight included I''ve grown a good 3-4 inches which filled me out a little more with increased muscle and giving room for my enlarged bosom it''s a good one or two sizes larger and the shape is more rounded and perky. leading to my killer waist and that could make a coke bottle jealous and a four-pack of abbs that I never thought I could see on my body. Turning to the side I eyed my lovely round and juicy butt I would hug it if I could, so scrumptious looking. Then those toned thighs and legs that belong on a track star Ummm so nice....... " Man I might become a narcissist if I''m not careful." Cough cough! "Asandria I don''t mind you admiring your self, but were short on time so why don''t you get dressed." "Ahhh" I jumped and turned around finding my mom in sleep clothes looking with a face of amusement. " Don''t sneak up on me like that, where did you even come from." A red face, I grabbed the change of clothes and started getting dressed. "Well I wasn''t trying to sneak up on you the AI informed me of your training completion, but when you were just standing there for over five minutes checking yourself out I had to get you moving along. Things have changed in the past few days the evaluation was moved up to tomorrow and the Family heads will be in attendance." In the middle of sliding on my nice black and blue jumpsuit I stooped to look up."Really tomorrow I thought I had like three more days what changed." " The family heads got involved somehow and there interested in the performance of the younger generation you especially I suspect." That gave me pause, I mean really for little old me how curious could they be. " Don''t worry about it I''ve seen your training data everything looks good your more than prepared, excelling even compared to some of your peers. But we have no time for this hurry follow me to your room I have some data and tips you need to look over before tomorrow morning it might give you a slight edge on the competition." Zipp with my jacket fully on I walked towards my mom following her towards the hall to the living area. "So I still think you just throwing me into the virtual world was kind of mean. Right after you and aunty just whisk me away and ruin my birthday all in a few short days and weeks." Pausing Mom just stood there just realizing I think that she missed the fact it was my birthday the day I was dragged here. "I''m so sorry Asandria I was too distracted and angry that day, I still thought you were not my original daughter then I''ll make it up to you I promise." She responded not looking back as we walked on she was so quiet after that, we continued to walk to my room in silence I regretted my rashness on the subject it was not fair the way I approached it. "Mom I''m sorry I was not trying to blame you just remind you for a second. And stop calling me Asandria I''m to use to Asa its just more convenient." She turned to me and smiled as we approached my room we walked in, the room before I am completely different from the one I left before my training. The gray spartan layout is gone replaced by light blue paint, a fancier desk, and bed replacing the old ones and the best touch some of my old items and stuff from the orphanage. "Wow, I don''t know what to say...thanks." "Your welcome I know this can''t make up for lost time but I hope it can help. Your aunt is to thank for retrieving your personal items from the orphanage, show her your appreciation the next time you see her. The data on your peers and evaluation are on the terminal built into your desk, get some rest, and be prepared for tomorrow." Finishing her words mom waved me goodnight as she walked out to go back to sleep. I glanced at the clock on my PAL 3:38 am. That gives me a little more than six hours till the evaluation, plenty of time for me to look over this data and rest. But do I really want to be here and do all this, sure I have a family now but is it worth all the complications that come with my new status. Mom and auntie seem nice but what about everyone else from what I gather this evaluation is very important to core members of the family. It determines my fate from here on.......the deceit and intrigue that nobles live with the wars and lust for power that plagues the upper class do I really want in that life. Sure the luxury and privileges are great but it comes at a cost of duty and corruption. Man, this thought process is too depressing for now I''ll let future me solve it I have tomorrow to worry about. let me get a quick nap then on to opposition research. Flopping on to the bed Asa drifted of to sleep unaware of the storm brewing over the horizon.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ------------------------------------------------------------ Universal Earth Time(UET) 04/4/16,003 , Evaluation Day, Telten I got ready for the evaluation early this morning, all my preparations and research was finished two hours before the designated time of the gathering which is at 10 am. Located on the primary town training grounds and arena behind the main manor building. Speaking of which this manor is huge it spans half a mile long and a quarter-mile wide, its six floors high with two basement levels. The design I heard is modeled after the capital building of an old earth empire called the USA whatever that means, apparently they had control of around half of the earth at one point. I''ll have to do more research on it later its an interesting topic. My breakfast was light just eggs and some toast, the juice though was heavenly it was this clear blue color and the sweet tartness was just so good, I want more but they ran out of stock in the kitchen. Apparently the evaluation is split into three age groups and the elite and regular sections. Ages 7-11 youths, 12-16 early teens, and the 17-21 young adults. I''m designated to participate in the young adult elite section because a potential heir to the family is expected to perform on elite levels. No wonder why mom and auntie were so concerned for me and just dumped me into a virtual two years of education and training at accelerated levels there was no way I could have been ready for this otherwise. And then there are the main power players in this years tests the people that mom gave me data on last night the elite of the elite. Tesal one of my cousins from the female mainline, she''s a combat and tactics prodigy. Dent a distant cousin also from the female mainline he won''t ever be able to inherit because he''s a man but his knowledge in all noble subjects are deep and his combat skills are in the top three of this generation. Also, there''s Alada from the main male line she''s like a jack of all kinds of girl she has skills in many subjects but not very strong in a particular one she''s always fourth in the ranking. Then there''s Fauder the main heir of the male mainline a true genius in all areas combat, tactics, leadership, and noble subjects. He''s the person everyone has to hope on for the future of the Family''s development I might have a shot beating the other three but with him, it''s a long shot at best. But you never know miracles can happen I''ll just do my best and hope I don''t run into any of them before the finals in the last round. Beep!, Looking at my PAL a notification just came it''s a message from my aunt wishing me luck. With a wide smile across my face, I replied thanks. There is one thing I appreciate about Aunt Helena is that she always takes the time to check in on me even if she only uses a few words, it''s nice to know someone cares. "Ok time to get ready, its almost 10 am now" Beep! right, when I said that my PAL had another message come in, this time from the evaluation community calling all participants to be on the training grounds in 15min. Taking my jumpsuit jacket from last night I left my room heading towards one of the back entrances. Along the way, I saw several teens and kids heading in the same direction talking among themselves some nervous some confident. Leaving the manor the training ground was on full display taking up about one-sixth of the surface area of the town its a massive facility. With several arenas withstands multiple fields for drills and at least two pool complexes the training grounds are truly a place where entertainment and training meet. Following the directions from my PAL I''m heading for the main arena, other groups are splitting of heading for there respective gathering spots. Mom told me that the twins and little Selera are also participating in their respective age brackets elite sections. The twins being 12 are in the early teen''s age group and Selera being 9 is in the youth group. Mom is cheering them on and Aunt Helena is going to be watching me Dad who I have not met yet is still on a mission so he is watching through a virtual stream. Proceeding on the route it brought be to the center field of the main arena, all around me the regular elites are lining up on there designated spots determined by rank and skill level. Expecting to be placed in the back because I''m unranked, the route instead took me directly to the front row facing the audience and the seats of honor. Making me stand right where I did not want to be in the center of attention along with the other genius elites. To my left stood Alada who seemed to be the first of the main elites to arrive. "Well, I should have known it would turn out this way." Alada looked toward me with curiosity trying to determine what my words meant. She is a nerdy cute looking 17-year-old girl with pale skin and red hair with some freckles sprinkled on her face complimenting her round emerald eyes, standing about 5''9 she seems to be hiding under a baggy jumpsuit. But I can see she has a sexy figure under there. "Well well look who the wolf dragged home this time, a street rat" My thoughts were interrupted by the arrogant voice of someone. With narrowed eyes, I turned seeing a large muscled youth about 6''5 and 18 years of age with tan skin and brown hair. His sharp narrow steel-grey eyes and sharp features gave him the look of a wolf on the prowl. " Who are you calling a rat mangey mutt." My response put a frown on his face but before he could continue someone else jumped in. "Now Dent don''t bully our newly found cousin she has enough problems on her hands already being thrown into the pit when she just got here. She most likely won''t pass anyway so don''t get so worked up I already feel bad for her." The silky voice of Tesal killed the tension in the air. Standing at 5''11 Tesal was a 19-year-old bombshell of a girl with her tannish brown skin a trademark of my side of the family. Her curves and figure could give me steep competition with exotic almond-shaped purple-blue eyes and curly black hair she could be one of those women that wars were launch over. I didn''t know if I should be happy she stuck up for me or mad that she doubted my chances today."Thanks, but I will be passing today." Tesal looked at me with amusement and a small smile " well if you say so girl good luck." She walked up and stood between me and Dent Facing forward toward the stands where all the adults and elders were sitting. Dent with a sneer did the same. Minutes passed by and it was only a few minutes till 10 am looking around almost all of the 500 young people participating in the elite section were here. Then Fauder finally showed walking up behind the rest of us he stood to Aladas left my first impressions were silent confidence complemented by a little pride. Fauder stood at 6''3 with a lean toned build his skin had a sunkissed look to it gleaming in the light, he had brown hair and eyes a dark brown that was full of wisdom and intelligence. Overall he reminded me of a lion looking over and ruling the savanna. He spoke no words only looked over the rest of us and gave a polite head nod, Alada and Tesal responded in kind and Dent just glared at him. When our eyes meet I saw recognition and then indifference. I also noded back but in my heart I swore then to show up these prideful Elites and prove my place in this family and this world. Ch: 4 The mind matters and swords Shatter. While my thoughts were on Fauder and the rest, the elder running the show decided it was time to get everything started. Then he had to do the classic welcome speech, I mean why can''t things ever just be simple there is always fanfare. "Welcome young adults to the start of your future paths and congratulations for being the selected elites of your generation. Gathered here you the top five hundred already have a head start compared to the other 2000 or so in the regular section. You''re garnered a slot for increased training in leadership and spaceship command but the real prize you''re fighting for is the top 50, top 10, and the top 3 prizes, and of course the 1st place prize that for now will remain a surprise. But just to get you motivated the top 50 get the opportunity to train with some of our special squads and units. The top 10 are awarded there own personal armored hovercar and the choice of a custom weapon. The final 3 will be awarded the ownership and command of their own Corvette class space ship." With explosive enthusiasm, the crowd''s reaction to the elder''s words were surprise and anticipation all the nervous people got this look of determination and the confidence got excited. The faces of the other top contenders were focused and serious now. The prizes were very tempting especially the prize for entering the top 3, that''s a surprising prize. I wonder what the first place winner will receive if the earnings of the top three are already so nice. I mean even if it is the smallest of vessel size warships it''s still a warship, I must get into the finals. But now that may be harder than it was a few minutes ago every Sub-Classification one is gunning for glory now. War Ship Classes: Spoiler
Ship Type: Small > Large Default Class ShipSub-ClassificationBreak Down CrewSize/MaxMarine Count
Fast Attack Craft [A] length 40-85ft Includes Heavy [HA], Light [LA] 7-20, Marine detachment (MD) 10
Patrol Ship [P]. length Assault100-150ft In Atmosphere [IP], Space[SP] 20-35, (MD) 14
Corvette [V]. length 200-300ft Stealth [SV],Landing Assault [LV] 50-80, (MD) 20
Frigate [FF]. length 400-600ft Escort [EF], 100-200, (MD) 50
Submarines [SB] Water only 500-600ft Cloaked [SC] the only Current Version Space only 500-700ft 100-150, (MD) 20
Destroyers [DD]. 600-750ft Anti-Sub [AD] 300-500, (MD) 50-100
Cruisers [CC]. 800-1000ft Light [LC], Heavy [HC] 1000-3000, (MD) 200
Carriers(Size may vary) [CV] Fleet size:2000-3000ft Mini [MV] 500-700ft, Light [LV] 1000ft, Hive [HVC] 6000ft 500-18000, (MD) 100-5000
Battle Cruiser [BC] 1500-1700ft only one type/class 4000-5000, (MD) 300
Battleship [BB] 2000-3000ft only one type/class 6000-8000, (MD) 700
Dreadnought [DN] 5000-7000ft only one type/class 10000-15000, (MD) 2000
" Now now young ones calm down" with a large grin on his wrinkly face the elder seems to be enjoying himself. " This is what I love to see the young full of energy and ambition. But my next words are important so pay attention, there are three sections to the test. The first being a written exam in the real no digital versions and no virtual classroom, you will take it here in the field." As he finished those words a section of the arena floor came open and up from under the floor came an area full of about 400 desks all about 3ft apart. " These desks are where your first test takes place, and if you noticed there are only 400 seats the people who don''t get a seat have to stand and take the test. There are 80 questions and scenarios on the test, cheating, and sabotage is allowed on your fellow test-takers but no physical interference is allowed. A pre-question will determine who gets to sit in the seats good luck to you all the test start now." Ding! A notification flashed on my PAL with a question. (What determines success on the battlefield more. A-a skilled leader, B-Good military Intel, C-Battle Field Awareness, D-Adapting To Changes.) Ok wow they start off with a tough question, these are all important but which one is the most important. Looking around I see that others have already answered and on their way to the desk in the center. The first of which being Fauder with Tasal, Dent, and Alada close behind. I mean come on even Dent knows the answer I can''t fall behind. Looking at the question again I determine it''s between B and D because a good leader can''t work well without good intel and you have to adapt to changes or you and everyone else will die so it has to be D. I clicked D and a notification flashed saying I was correct. My seat number is 17 it seems a few others were faster than me when answering. Ahead in the seats, people were already starting there test rushing to catch up I jogged to my seat and flipped open the test envelope. Next to me to the left sat a nerdy plain-looking boy, and as I sat down in seat number 18 a rebellious looking party girl sat down. I''ve never sat between two people who look more opposite to each other in one place than now. Ignoring them I started the first question, things were going well for the first half of the test the questions were on a lot of things I covered in my studies. But then things started getting a little tense the 100 people with no seats were ether walking around between people trying to steal answers or disrupting other people trying to steal answers. And of course, their targets were those who got to there seats the fastest because they are ether smart to have more answers written down. So I became one of the prime targets being as I was one of the first few people to sit down. It became a game of cat and mouse for the last half of the test trying to protect my answers and maybe even steal some from the others around me. The boy to my left at seat 16 seemed to be doing good and I was stuck on one of my last few questions. Now I noticed that no one seems to be able to steal his answers because he bought a personal light reflection (PLR) device which pretty much just makes things dark and intangible around the area it protects so no one can see his desk. I don''t know if he was prepared beforehand or just lucky that he had one on him but that''s way too convenient and not against the rules.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. So I''m going to try a new strategy of giving and take they never said we could not help each other. "Spittttssss hey boy how about we team up for a little and share some answers." Bringing his head up from his test the boy turned towards me with a confused face. "And why should I do that I''m pretty sure of most of my answers and I don''t think you could help me that much or at all." With a smile, I said, " that''s exactly why because you don''t have all the answers and neither do I maybe if we help each other now it will benefit us both later." With a thoughtful look debating the benefits he faced me again." Ok, we can work together but how about we extend the deal we help each other now and the next test if possible deal." "Ok that''s a bold proposition but sure why not can''t hurt." "Hey how about I get in on that deal too." Those words came from my right turning around the party looking girl was giving me this wide playful grin. ........."I''m fine with that as long as he is, more friends never hurt the situation." Glancing back at the boy he just shrugged his shoulders not saying no so I guess this is now a three-way alliance. "Well, ok guess this is to a happy cooperation lets share some answers." From then on we compared notes while fighting off the other test takers people started noticing our strategy near the last five minutes and started replicating but by then It was mostly useless. So it came down to the last question which had a written response and we all had to do that personally so now outside help and the question was quite hard. Question 80: You are on the battlefield and your commanding officer has ordered you and you''re platoon to be the rear guard for a retreat to buy time for your allies. The soldiers under your command have run out of blank clone replacements and are in the field with there real bodies'' death for them is permanent if they fall in battle. Your options are to follow orders and hold back the enemy with your soldiers or perform a rolling slow retreat with your soldiers trying to save as many as you can with the risk that your actions may lead to the annihilation of your other forces who are retreating as well. What do you do? Man, this question is messed up ether route I go kill a few to save a lot or save as many as I can and hope for the best. I want to choose the second option which I know is a violation of orders and risking the overall objective. But can I really just let those soldiers die with no chance to come back. ........... I''ll go with my heart this time not my brain I''m going to save all I can and hope for the best. I wrote down my answer and finished the test, all around me many others were doing the same party girl and the nerdy boy just finished up as well. I looked at them and gave a nod our deal is still on now it''s time to see what the next part of the test is about. As the timer went off test proctors came and collected all the answers and slotted them into this machine. "Ok hope everyone was happy with there test answers I saw people working together near the end there nice thinking. I never did say you could not work together congratulations to those who took advantage of that," the elder seemed amused by the events that happened with people scrambling around during the test." The results will be listed at the end of the evaluation today and combined with the results of the other parts of the evaluation. So don''t slack off and lose focus or hope the winner is not determined just yet." "The next section is a two-parter personal combat evaluation all contestants will log into a virtual space and battle a training dummy in hand to hand combat. Then you will be placed in a battle royal scenario against the other contestants with your choice of basic weapons and gear. The last 10 standing get bonus points for the last test, and again good luck. Now proceed to your designated pods and log in." With that, another part of the arena lifted up to reveal 500 pods ready for use. Ding! Another notification came so I followed the instructions to my pod and what do you know it was right next to Tasal she gave me a small smile and then just hoped into her pod and I stared as it closed her in. Waiting no longer I did the same.
Welcome, Asandria.
Battle trainingprotocolstart please begin when ready.
That''s what greeted me when my download was done. I found myself in a tasteful training hall with wood flooring and tan walls with wooden pillars around. In front of me a weird manikin looking robot was just standing there looking at me with these faceless features it was crazy creepy how still it was very off-putting. I learned personal combat in training the instructor beat me almost every day near the end trying to drill it into me. Apparently I learned to the novice level of the Deltoran combat Arts named after the Deltoran space raiders a group of Asian and South American descent apparently that inherited arts from old earth. They were the worst pirates from around 5000 years ago during the era of expansion and war. Feared for there deadly skills in ship hallways and close combat skills they were masters of boarding operations. It''s a mix of using small blades and grappling along with knee and elbow strikes with the occasional Gun Fu or gun kata.
The combat Bot will increase difficulty every minute and eventuallyacquireweapons prepare ahead.
"Bring up my combat loadout." Ding!
Equipment Property
Scout armor Mk (half armor options-decrease defense increase flexibility) PAL
Health Kit, Foam injector Civilian clothes
KillerBee-Light mini Pistol(Hidden Weapon)
Saint 231- Pistol,Silencer
Hawk30-Scout Rifle.
Badger 3T-Multipurpose.
Frag, smoke grenades
Mini remote bombs
Smart bombs
Curved knife, knuckle knife, 3 throwing knives
"Ok let''s equip the knives and half armor, then regular and hidden pistols I don''t need anything else for this part of the test."Slotting my last knife in I''m ready to fight this robot. "Test Start" As soon as my words finished the bot rushed me we were 20ft apart now its just 5. Taking quick action I got into my stance feet stable, the bot got right up to me throwing a jab at my face I grabbed it''s arm and broke it then flipped it over and crushed its neck with my feet.
Round 1 complete round 2 starts.
The bot reset and this time was more cautious it inched toward me one foot forward and hands up. "Changing style are you" not willing to let it increase in difficulty on me I take the initiative rushing forward I kick out to its leg trying to break its balance. It responds with a counter kick to my center. I dodge to the side unleashing an elbow to the side of its leg doing damage and breaking balance. I then rush forward and grapple it in a chokehold and increase pressure. I almost get it when the second-minute passes and the difficulty increases. Reversing the hold the bot almost gets on top of me, not willing to get in a tussle I jump back to look for another chance. Now we are circling each-other looking for openings the bot moves forward to launch a hook then a one-two combo. I block then do a front grapple kneeing its chest and restricting its movement. It proceeds to jab my sides trying to break the hold so I release it and give it a spinning elbow to the neck. And in the process knock it out.
Round 3 difficulty Starts in 20sec.
Well, let''s see how long I can hold out the better I do the better my chances are for those nice prizes. Ch: 5 The mind matters and swords Shatter part 2 I had five seconds left before the bot reset, this is only going to get harder I have to be prepared for anything. I watched as the bot snapped and twitched its damage back into place dents disappeared and functions resumed. It slowly stood up and turned towards me then went into a battle stance. Ready for any movement I went into a guard position waiting to see if it will rush me or wait. Times moving and the longer this goes the stronger it gets looking to the timer in the corner of the room its 3.20 three minutes 20 seconds and counting. The higher the timer the more points I get lose one round and it''s game over I get kicked and have to wait for the next part. I spot movement in the corner of my eye the bot took advantage of me being distracted and moved towards me with a sidekick. I barely avoided it by backing up leaving an opening in my defense which was used as another kick slamed into my stomach. With the wind knocked out of me I went with the flow and rolled with the momentum to gain distance. The bot followed up trying to capitalize with the advantage, I didn''t let it grabbing my side I used one of my throwing knives it flew through the air and landed right in its forehead. Halting any purposeful movement the bot slid across the floor from momentum and died just like that.
Next round in 15sec difficulty increased to level 5.
"Stupid stupid stupid never take your eyes of the enemy, man I''m glad the instructor didn''t see that." Pulling myself up I went forward to retrieve my knife and then to gain space for the next round. As I turned to get eyes on the bot again the familiar self-repair took place but this time it had a knife about 5in long. And light body armor that resembled mine with renewed strenth it once again focused on me. "Great now it has weapons and armor" Pulling out my trusty curved knife I used a reverse grip and grabbed my knuckle knife which is like brass knuckles with a blade attached on both ends a small one inch on the backside and a three inch on the front side. Great in any close combat situation this will be my first time useing them in combat. Deciding to make the first move this time I inched forward at a steady pace the bot mirrored me in-kind confidence in its victory. We clashed as I attacked with a jab from the knuckle blade it blocked with the knife and countered with a hook to my side with its freehand but I cut its arm at the joint with the other knife. Jumping back with its arm disabled the bot proceeded to try another assault slashing at my neck. Acting fast I blocked with both blades, the bot then proceeded to try and kick my center again but I was ready this time. Blocking with my knee up I nullified the attack then triped it and pounced on top of it stabing down on the chest and neck it tried resisting but with one arm disabled it was over quick. "Man I''m getting tired I at least get a short break" my words were wasted as the bot started to repair it''s self "Dang it, a minute passed already." The zombie bot proceeded to grab a second knife and position its self for a counter-attack. Now with both combatints duel wielding the challenge got that much harder. " Now it''s time to get a little more serious." Not having many more cards to play I got ready to end this round fast. Using two throwing knives from the jump I decided to blitz the bot, forced to dodge one and block the other the bot was cought of guard and vulnerable. Rushing forward I threw the last one at its hand forcing it to drop a knife and then I got close and slit its throat ending the fight.
Round over next in 40sec. Difficulty increased to level 8.
The notification flashed in my face, I decided to go collect my knives and compose my self with this small breather. -------------------------------------------- Meanwhile unknown to Asa many of the other contestants were eliminated in this last round on the Level 7 difficulty, overwelmed by there bot''s fast and lethal actions that she did not give her''s time to use. Watching all this take place where the grownups and elders of the family. Many were paying attention to her and the others who were able to pass this hump in the test. The surprise was clearly on the face of some of them who were paying more attention to her specifically. "Well look at that the newly returned heir is doing better than some of the potential top 30 picks. I wonder how she prepared so fast little Helena." The one speacking was the elder procideing over the test this year Elder Landel a member of the male main line and great great grandfather to Fauder and grandson of the founder Rendal. "None of your business old goat her progress is of her own efforts and talent. Just watch and enjoy the show." With a smile he chuckled "Haha no need to get so defensive her secrets are her own no one was trying to pry, I was just curious from the rumors I heard her upbringing was a low resource area. But I guess even humble beginnings can''t hide talent." Their conversation was happening in the VIP lounge of the arena all around them were other High profile members of the main branches. Each having their own conversations in whispers and low tones and at the top level of the VIP lounge was an even higher section were there sat only two individuals. The Ancestors and founders of the current Tonoute family the twins Rendal and Celta. Their booth was quiet and dark beside the screen showing the highlights of the current test. With a deep and aged voice, the male started talking."Sister, seems the talent of this generation is especially good, maybe its time we implement the plan before our old bones rot out."......."Yes, maybe it''s time we don''t have much longer our rejuvenation treatment has run its course we have maybe 20-30 more years before our bodies fail us." Her voice filled with worry "The times are changing and the family must expand and adapt if we hope to survive, signs of unrest are already showing all across the Cluster. But first, you should deal with the trouble makers in your descendants we can''t afford infighting during this time." With sadness in his voice ", I know those stupid youngsters don''t they realize family is all you can count on, sigh... I''ll deal with it don''t worry."If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. -------------------------------------------------- While all this was going on the test was still in progress Asa has continued to survive the last few rounds.
Round 11 complete next round in 5sec.
"Come on creep bot go away" she saw a bot walking past. At around 10 the terrain changed into a maze-like structure with more than one opponent armed with stun pistols, knives, swords, and increased body armor. The maze has short hallways and many blind corners Asa''s luck was low this last round she was stunned from behind and then stabed in the leg decreasing her mobility. Now injured she became more cautious and trying to avoid being surrounded. Limping down the short halway she pined around the corner, finding this exsperience very similar to her stealth training she felt she could last a little longer. "Man my luck was quite bad, that second bot really got me good." Moveing around the corner she saw no bots but something told her to go back so she did. And good thing "Darn it a pair of bots" just walking into the corridor two bots were scanning their surroundings and walking toward Asa. Ok time for pistol action drawing her silenced Saint 231 that had a 30 round mag with thin blade-like shaped projectiles desinged to be silent and pass through gaps in armor not designed for stoping power but accurate shots. Pointing the pistol towards the corner she waited for the bots to turn towards her. Seconds passed as she waited for sweat dripping from her scalp creeping into her eyes. Come on you bastards turn the corner so I can get this done before more show up and the difficulty increases. Her wish came to pass the first bot came around the bend and she took action. I shot my first round missed slightly off due to the tension in my body. The second round struct true hitting the first bot right in the ear and going straight through, my third round deflected off the armor plating and from the sound ricocheted down the hall behind me narrowly missing my face. Reacting to the ambush the second bot drew a plasma eged saber and slashed towards me sliceing through his companion''s neck trying to reach my face. Barely ducking under the strike the blade passed by me and struck the wall going in half a foot deep. "That needs to go!" I fired a few rounds into its wrist forcing it to leave behind a hand and the blade. Drawing its sidearm the bot was about to send a few stun rounds my way "Like I''ll let you do that". Fireing for several more seconds I used half the clip before stoping the bot was down and out the fight. " That was very close, my neck was almost gone like that first bot." Looking down while rubbing my neck the severed head of random bot #1 was staring blankly into nothing. Man those are still creepy faces I''m complaining about that later, looking to the blade stuck in the wall I walked up to it and yanked it out. Almost falling back because it gave no resistance I gained back my balance more eager to examine the blade then before.
Round 13 dificulty double increase begins in 10sec.
"Really now of all moments! and a double increase come on!" "Ughhhhhh" the frustration was really piling on at this point. No breaks and no healing I can''t last much longer playing smart is what keeps me alive and with more points. But there is a limit and its fast approaching. Grabbing my newly acquired blade I looted the sheth from the bot and hooked it to my hip. "Time to move to a defensive position if I can find one." I continued to roam the hallways through two more rounds and by a miracle avoided the bots I never found a good spot and my luck finally ran all the way out. It was a dead end with a room and three bots were on my trail. It''s done or dies time, with nowhere to hide in the empty room I posted next to the entrance waiting for them to get close my pistol at the ready like before. But I was not prepared for what happened next, with no caution in them the bots rushed the door and sacrificing the first one to my rounds. It was full of holes but the other two used its body as a shield to get close, one was holding a knife and pistol the other just a sword. Time slowed as my brain tried to process and react to the danger shoving its buddies body toward me I was forced to back up. I Avoiding the dead one while grabbing my knuckle knife, with my pistol in the other hand I sent rounds out at the pistol one. It rased the knife deflecting some and tanking the rest with armor. "Oh no," The bots have become so strong there processors can predict the trajectory and their reaction time increased by several levels......I won''t win this one. Backing up to not be flanked by sword bot, I continued to fire at pistol bot hoping to either destroy or disarm it. But that''s not working I need a new strategy fast....I rushed up to pistol bot trying to close in and finish it fast. I discharged my last few rounds as I charged up, is blocked with the strong points of the armor. Prepared for me it fired a stun round but I moved to the side, there not the only ones who can predict movements. Now close and pesonal I stabed out at the pistol hand but was countered by the knife. It became a contest of strength that I was losing so I went with the flow and backed up right as the other bot slashed at me doing my job for me cutting the pistol in half along with the other bot. "Hehehe Stupid bots" My smile turned into a frown as the blade continued to move through the bot and towards me too late to doge I used my pistol and knife to block and it slowed but then went right through both then my left hand severing it completely. I watched as it flipped and flew through the air as the pain assaulted me "Ahhhhhhh" knife and gun lost the bot approached me fast blade over the head and chopping down. Bang Bang bang! Clang "Shatter" My second pistol hidden in my aneckle holster sounded off, at the last moment. The room was quiet and I was still alive but barely. Right before it got me I leaned back to the ground grabbed the pistol and quick shot at the handle. My two rounds hit the base of the blade cracking then shattering it the last one went past right into the bots neck. "Ok I''m done I request test completion"
Test Complete Congratulations On passing round 16.
The score will be added later, transfer in 5sec Stage battle Royal.
I lay there slowly bleeding out awaiting transfer to the next part of the test I never want to feel that pain again but I know my luck is not that good. Everything went white as the transfer took place. Ch: 6 Battle Dome "Ugghhhh man those last few moments were bad." I checked myself halfway expecting my left forearm and hand to still be gone. The phantom pain was still there but receding fast I test my fingers and clinch them into a fist, that last encounter was a failure, and those last few shots pure luck. I can never leave myself in a bad position like that again, CQC should only be a last resort or used as a sneak attack, I''m not good enough yet to totally rely on it but I will in time.
Testers are ready Battle will commence in 5min prepare your loadouts and gear.
The arena''s management AI sounded off once again it seems that the next portion is fast approaching I wonder how the other elites did in the close combat portion. I hope there luck was as bad as mine, well it does not matter now its time to plot I need a good strategy for the battle royal. Let''s look at my gear "Show my Stats"
Name:(Asa)Asandria Tonoute Alias:
Military Rank: Cadet Grade 1 Noble Rank: Lady
Navy Rank: None Education Level: 3 Bachelor''s and a minor in math
Infantry Primary: Forward Scout, Sub-support engineer, Sub- tech expert Navy: None
Skills Special Skills
Bladed Weapons Lv 2 > 4 Knife throwing Lv 2 > 3
Programing Lv 7 Evaluate Mind Lv 4
AI Lv 4 Search Intentions Lv 6
Computer repair Lv 7 Marksman Lv 6
Rifles Lv 7 Stealth Lv 4>5
Hacking Lv 5 Map Making Lv 5
Countermeasures Lv 4 Drone Hacker Lv 2
Demolition Lv 4 CQC Lv 4 >5
Pistols LV 5 Team Combat Lv 7
Ethical Hack Lv 7 Military History Lv 7
Computer systems Lv 6 History Lv 8
Equipment Property
Scout armor Mk (half armor options-decrease defense increase flexibility) Comes with waist pouches PAL
Health Kit, Foam injector Civilian clothes
KillerBee-Light mini Pistol(Hidden Weapon)
Saint 231- Pistol,Silencer
Hawk30-Scout Rifle.
Badger 3T-Multipurpose.
Frag, smoke grenades, Plasma nades, Nanite nades
Mini remote bombs, Remote Demo Charges, Breaching Charges, Smart bombs
Rounds: Tracker, Anti-Armor, Heat, Plasma, Regular, Bladed silent, Stun
Personal Drop Pod
Curved knife, knuckle knife, 3 throwing knives, Plasma EdgedSaber(New)
Body Stats Height: 6''1 Weight: 171bs Mind Stats
Health: 9.30 Intelligence: 17.34
Speed: 10.10 Wisdom: 15.89
Strength: 8.22 Charisma: 9.22
Endurance: 14.46 Mental Endurance:20.44
Attraction/Beauty: 8.59 Flexibility: 14.13
DNA limit: 22.78 Learning:15.22
Ok, everything looks good my stealth with some of my combat skills went up now time to pick my loadout I can''t take everything in my equipment section. let''s see I have two small pouches on my sides and a medium-large pouch on my lower back. So I''ll take 2 foam injectors, a health kit, 2 frag nades, 2 smoke, 5 mini remote bombs, 2 smart bomb, and 5 throwing knives. That takes up all my pouches but I still have some slots on my armor that hold my pistol and my main combat knife I''ll take the Badger 3T-Multi as my main weapon it can act as a medium-long assault/scout rifle it might not have as much punch as the Hawk rifle but it has more flexibility. Oh ok, I need to have some extra ammo and some special ones so let''s add a large pouch and not the medium one so now I have an extra 5 bladed rounds and regular mag, 1 mag of tracker rounds, a mag of stun rounds, and 1 mag of heat rounds. So a total of 14 damage dealing mags and 2 support mags all with 30 rounds each oh and a carbon rope never know when you might need one. Ok, I think I''m readily taking the chance to look at myself in a mirror interface I took my reflection on thescreen. My armor a slate gray with black and green camo hugs my figure the carbon silk bodysuit clings to my skin and placed over it layers of metal and organic composite armor designed to be light and flexible but still providing decent protection. To think this is only basic scout armor nowhere close to the good stuff higher-ranked officers get. A few good shots in the chest and it will fail and one well placed shot to the head can end my life even with the helmet some weapons are just too strong for this basic armor.
The battle starts in 10sec be ready for transfer. The spawn point is random, the environment is Urban Sprawl with surrounding forests.
Rule 1. Kills give points, 2. Points for time survived, 3. The test ends when only 10 people remain, 4. only 50 people move on to the next test points from this round and past rounds determine who.
Well, guess its time, doing a final check I waited for transfer. In a flash of white light, I found myself at the edge of a field between a small town and a forest. I was about 100 meters from the town and 200 from the forest, the second thing I noticed was that the whole area was surrounded by this large dome shield blue in color. Well, enough sightseeing I have to find a good over watchpoint and scout the area then maybe a base of operation.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Accessing my PAL I activated the GPS functions and the map application my AI started processing data from the local network of the town and determining the layout of the area. Just to be cautious I set up some protections and erased my tracks while also placing spy programs in the network I might get lucky and track some people. While that was happening I started heading towards high ground, based on the map I searched, this area is made of two towns one relatively in the middle of the map the other a few miles to the southwest of the map. They are connected by a road that zig zags through the small valleys that make up the low hills in the southern half of the map which is in turn covered by the forest that stretches over three-fourths of the map. Except for the Northeastern corner which consist of farmland and a large lake. Based on my GPS marker I''m somewhere in the southwest close to the smaller town, which has about 60 houses and a few larger buildings. The larger town seems to be about 200 houses and an industrial area. I could see the taller buildings in the town and the church. "umm.........ok the three tallest points around this area are a rocky hill with tree cover to my north, the bell tower to the church near the center of town, and the roof of a four-story mansion right outside of town to my southeast." The belltower is good but too obvious, the mansion only covers one-third of the town, and the hill is 300 meters to the edge of town so all long shots with my current rifle. The mansion is the best choice even though it sticks out but it''s good for pre-scouting and the hill a good base and fall back point. As for the belltower that''s a good place to set a trap or for distraction purposes, so too the mansion it is. Setting a waypoint for the mansion I head southeast along the edge of the trees my camo almost making me disappear. Minutes pass and I continue to move at a slow pace watching my surroundings and so far everything is quiet. The slight wind and rustling of leaves masks any noises I make but the same can be true for others, and that''s when I start hearing the gunshots. I jump to the ground and wait but it seems the shots are not towards me but in a different direction. That''s the first sound of combat I''ve heard, using the built-in zoom function of my helmet I scan the surroundings finding nothing there close though. In the past seven minutes, I have come to a lot closer to the mansion it''s only about 300ft to my south now I can just make out the outline through the underbrush. Clack clack clack the sound of gunfire is getting closer whoever is fighting is moving in my direction. I decide to increase my pace and get into that mansion sprinting forward it takes about 3min for me to get along the brick wall of the perimeter. I peek overlooking for anybody or any indication of activity recently, seeing nothing I vault over the wall and sprint to the back door of the mansion through the garden. It''s actually a very pretty garden full of all kinds of flowers and plants I''ve never seen in all the colors I can think of there are even a few in my favorite color a kind of violet-blue. "No distractions I can sightsee later." I bring out my tool kit and start lock picking the back door all the while my AI is scanning the mansions security system I don''t want any alarms going off when I walk in. Click the lock opens but I wait for my Al to finish it''s work before I open the door. Eventually, all kind of data pertaining to the mansion comes up including references to a hidden armory and a panic room along with an emergency hidden exit that leads to a bunker in the forest about halfway up the closest hill which happens to be the second largest one on this side of town. It''s my lucky day now I need to hide this data so it won''t become someone else''s luck break. I start erasing data and hiding traces of my presence all the while bringing the mansions security system under me and my AI''s control. I enter the mansion and lock the door behind me as cameras and automatic defense systems come under my influence, the alarms shut off, and the emergency systems on standby. I really lucked out this just turned into the best location for me to set as my base. The sounds of fighting still persist but now I can do something about it this mansion comes with five security bots and two security drones with cameras. I activate one of the drones and feed the image to my PAL. It flyes out a service vent and into the sky over the mansion the surrounding area comes into view. With the edge of town and the mansion insight, I spot two individuals that are poping shots at each other from separate sides of a street about 200ft from the mansion. Ones in a coffee shop the other in the top floor of a shoe store they seem to be both using traditional ammo and not stuff like blade ammo as that would be quieter. Either way, they are making noise, doing damage, and drawing attention to this area of town and I can''t have that with my new base being here and all. So I make my way to the roof to find a good vantage point so I can put some shots out at them hopefully catching them off guard. I get to the roof access and climb up through the roof hatch I go to the edge and scan for a good spot with cover and set my bipod up between two roof panels trying to hide my outline and reduce the chance someone sees me. I can see the closest street and the back, sides, and roofs of houses in this section of town I take my time to range my scope for the house halfway up the street then reference the drone feed to find the shooters. "There you are" I see the two guys fighting one in regular infantry armor the other in heavy gunner armor it seems the heavy gunner has the edge and is chasing down the other guy through the streets. The biggest threat is the heavy gunner so I load a blade mag because I want to reduce my sound profile and because I''m aiming for armor gaps. In through the nose out through the mouth I calm my self and relax finger on the trigger he''s behind cover so I can only see his face and shoulders I aim for his faceplate and send two rounds. A second later I see the impact one round clipped his shoulder plate and bounced off the other actually barely missed his faceplate and hit the side of his head snapping his head back but not killing him.The helmet saved his life but he seems dazed, he ducks down taking cover I''ll have to wait for another shot. POV: Heavy gunner dude "Hahahaha it''s my good luck to run into Kyler that idiot, who runs right in the middle of the street." Burtttttt my heavy chain gun shreds the coffee shop in front of me tunning it into swiss cheese Kyler ran in there and cornered himself. He will be my second kill in 5min my day is going just too well Wizz Wizz Snap that''s all I heard when something smacked me on the side of my head sending me stumbling and dizzy I took cover behind the counter and collected myself. Shaking me head a little.......where did that come from is there someone else around here that hit me from the left, Kyler is to my front so it can''t be him. Looking at my armor I see a scratch mark that''s the telling sign of a blade round lifting my hand to the side of my head I find one logged into my helmet. Sweat starts on my brow I need to sneak out of here there''s a sniper somewhere to the south this area is not safe. I hear more Whizzing sounds but there hitting the coffee shop so Kyler got spotted as well nows my chance to skip out. I launch myself full sprint out the back and northwest deeper into town I don''t want to be caught around here. But I''ll be back that''s for sure can''t have some sniper taking all my kills. POV end. I scan the shoe store for that gunner but he''s staying down, I switch my focus to the coffee shop where that another guy is, he is either dead or very good at hiding because that store is almost collapsed. But I eventually spot him crawling through the rubble drawing his gun and stalking the other guy, but I decided to take him out the equation now I lined him up for a shoot his armor is not as thick as the heavy gunner so it won''t deflect and stand up as well. Firing a few rounds he stopped moving, "beep" that''s when my AI notified me that the heavy gunner was running away I turned my scope in that direction and saw his back for a second but he moved behind some buildings before I could get off a shot. Dang now someone knows there''s a person in this area hunting from range. I stayed on the roof for a while with the drone patrolling the sky tagging points of interest and monitoring any fights that came to my side of town. But about an hour later it needed to charge so I called it back and sent the other one while I placed bomb traps at the front and back entrance of the mansion in case someone broke in despite the security system in place. The new drone after about 30min informed me that someone was walking in my section of town, grabbing my rifle I went back to the roof and set up. He was sneaking around where the battle from earlier took place on his approach he went from cover to cover only exposing himself for a few seconds. His destination the body of my first kill he started looting his gear and ammo. "Well, I can''t have that those belong to me." I slowed my heart rate and rested my finger on the trigger and pulled three times, I watched as the Impacts happened one was off and hit the ground the other two were center mass near the heart and collar bone. Blood sprayed they went through, he collapsed and stopped moving. One more person came into my range by days end and I, of course, took them out but many other fights seem to be happening in town over points of interests like the church were about 3 hours after my second kill there was a battle between four people over equipment in the church. I decided to loot my kills then do an inventory of the armory in the mansion and then survey the escape tunnel and panic room. I have a feeling I''ll need it sooner rather than later. CH: 7 Battle dome 2 After finding nothing of great value on the bodies earlier, I decided to check the armory and panic room before deciding how to effectively get points for the duration of the test. It seems all the other participants have also decided to go quiet for the night, licking wounds and scheming victory. The hard part about this is figuring out how many of us are left and if combat is worth the risk of elimination because we know for sure that the last 10 are guarantee a spot in the next test. But everyone else''s fate is left to how we performed in past tests; at least that''s how I hope it works. Well, enough thinking on things I can''t control. I need to prepare more than they do. Preparation might outgun experience along with any mistakes I make along the way. The halls of the mansion were quiet and lonely as I walked to the armory of the mansion which, like the church in town, seems to be a point of interest participants are expected to fight over. Eliminating the weak and unlucky ones and boasting the survivor. Luckily I got here first, killed the close competition and - in the process - took this place over. Now I can make this a mini fortress and a trap for anyone looking to profit from it. Walking into the armory on the second floor I noticed the door was reinforced and covered by energy shields. But with my Ai''s nice hacking skills, all of that is out of the way and under new management. Inside I find all kinds of old era weapons and accessories that won''t even crack my type 1 scout armor. It''s nice but they¡¯re effectively useless (why?). Further into the armory I see the real prize¡­more explosives. More smart bombs and remote charges along with a sonic breacher. This baby is the centerpiece; the instrument any squad would die to have. When placed on a thin enough surface, this bad boy can vibrate a material at it¡¯s resonating frequency - compromising it¡¯s integrity - and in the process disintegrateing it as silently as falling sand. Too bad this one only has a single charge. I''ll have to save it for a special occasion. With that out the way, I proceeded to the fourth floor master bedroom. Turning the corner from the hall the sight before me was the definition of material waste. The walls were inlaid with blood silver; a rare crimson tinted silver compound only found on a certain moon. So expensive that you could buy a continent with a fist full.And this room was covered in it. They even have a polished wall to act as a mirror. ¡°Wow¡­just wow. If this is what rich looks like, I''m not sure if I want any part of it." Just a quarter of the wall in this room could renovate the whole of the shaded slums of lower Telten. Then the bed was Empress sized; taking half the room over. But at least the sheets matched the walls. Looks like they were going for a love nest honeymoon suite feel for the place. The heart-shaped bed and pillows are a dead giveaway but the materials are just extravagant. The wine wood frame and the scarlet worm silk just take it over the top. And when I thought it could not get any worse, the bathroom was gold plated in every way; the tile, toilet, shower even the lights. I just sat on the bed contemplating the meaning of life; slowly sinking into the plushness I almost lost myself to the sheets. But the insanity of this room just overwhelmed me. If this was real, I would strip this place and use the profit to help the poor like me who had no future. But it''s not real and I should get off my butt and get this test done so I can do some real good out there. "Ok now, where is that panic room?¡± I thought outloud. According to the map, it''s behind that wall mirror next to the bed. Ok, I do see some slits in the wall I wonder how you open it. Well, no mind that''s why you have hacked and personal AIs. I send out a query for any switches or panels connected to the wall and wait for comebacks. And built into the headboard is a switch hidden under a heart pattern. With a quick twist and pull the pattern comes lose and underneath is a small red switch. After a flick, the wall starts moving forward then to the side releasing low air pressure. Moving off the bed I head into the panic room. The walls are bare and simple but seem to be reinforced; everything is clean and in order. To the left I spot a row of security systems and controls for the room. Going over I lean over the screens and connect my PAL to an access port to start running a data sweep. There is nothing amazing but I do get control of the panic room¡¯s emergency functions and a data file on the escape tunnel. The tunnel can only be reached by using the elevator at the far end of the room along with a long-range radio coms signal. Then to the right of the elevator/tunnel entrance is a shelf of supplies and personal kitchen. "So nothing great but the radio might have some use." I turn the radio on only to get static switching between various channels giving the same result.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! I sigh deeply, ¡°huggh man this day never ends." Lounging back in the chair, I jump up moving back to the master bedroom. I flop on the mattress and relax myself staring at the fancy ceiling painting of a sunset. I...... do I really want this life? Can I live this life? Sure It''s nice that I found my family - or I guess they found me - but all kinds of things come with this: war, death, hardships, money, power and every other thing rich people do. But it seems I have no choice. Whoever it was that kidnaped me may still have ambitions for whatever mom injected me with. So until they¡¯re dealt with I can''t be safe or free. Then there are the noble responsibility I apparently have to live up to or my future flies into other''s hands. Man, I just want to sleep¡­I¡¯ll worry about this tomorrow. With a few swipes, I tell my PAL AI to up security patrols for the mansion. I roll on my side and grab one of the soft pillows; closing my eyes and finding my first peace in two weeks. Morning came with a calmness that I¡¯d lost over these past days. I mean sure, only a few weeks went by but in virtual years I''m almost two years older by now. The girl from the orphanage is growing up and now she needs to get into gear and finish this test on top. Now to hunt or bait? That''s the question. "Why not both?¡± I gather myself and prepare for a good fight. I head for the roof to scout the area and order a drone to survey the nearest parts of town. I ease into the crevice from yesterday and get into a good firing position and focus. Scanning the area turns up nothing but destroyed buildings and the occasional urban tumbleweed (plastic bags). I sit for an hour and see no one but that''s when I hear distant shooting going on., Someone is fighting again. There can''t be that many people in this area - at most 100- and I''m sure about 25 to 40 died yesterday. So I can assume there are only about 60 in and around this town and about 300 still in the fight across the whole map. After a while, it seems as though the whole town has transformed into a battlefield. That one fire fight sparked a hunting spree. Several battles were taking place and only the skilled and lucky would come out the other side; hopefully I will be one of them. And right then I saw one person heading towards my position from the town once again. But he was not fighting anyone; if anything he was looking for anyone hostile. I lined him up for a headshot, adjusted my angle and slowly put pressure on the trigger. "Bang!!" My round hit low impacting his chest and right through the armor surprisingly, he shrugged it off just tumbled and fell but continued to run shortly after. I lined him up again for the head and "Bang!" this one was spot on and hit his neck right through the spine he flopped down movement completely gone. "Well, that was quick" Ding! clang clang a few rounds slammed right into the area I was set up. "Dam" I rolled back behind the cover of the roof lining, rounds snapping the air around me....someone zeroed me in from that shot that dude was bait. They must have realized there might be a sniper around here and decided to put out a hook. Now they know I''m here and this has turned into a battle of positioning and awareness. "I need to move to a better spot and find those shooters." I slowly crawled towards the roof hatch. The suppression has stopped but I can''t be too careful. Leaping down my legs buckle from the fall. I think it''s best to head for a third-floor window that should provide some difference in elevation and cut their sight a little. "AI activate plan Alpha.¡± I had my AI follow some prearranged instructions to protect me and the mansion. Hopefully there are not too many enemies trying to assault my position. Before I even got to my new firing position notifications came in about my opposition. One person in standard armor was trying to flank the mansion from the approach I used to get in yesterday. So I changed direction and ran down a different hall trying to reposition on that approach. My boots were echoing as I went and the empty corridors only made it more pronounced. Daka daka daka! One of the bots was engaging the person but it was short-lived the bot was destroyed. Now that side of the mansion is unguarded. I picked up the pace and got to my destination in 2 minutes; raising my rifle to the window I used the scope to scan the surroundings. Then in the corner of my eye, running to the base of the wall, was the shooter. With a quick turn, I fired a shot that clipped him. I have no idea if it was fatal¡­but I have to check. I cant see from this angle. So I use a drone feed to find him.Projected into the corner of my , the drone showed the side of the mansion. I see him slowly maneuvering for the back entrance. Too bad for him that''s right where two of the remaining bots are waiting for intruders in a perfect cross ambush just past the entrance. One above looking into the back foyer and the other in a side hall that can see the entrance. He slowly creeps in checking his corners but he fails to look up when the bot on the second floor reveals itsself. Distracted by the bot to his left, he was caught in the open and gunned down. He never even got the chance to take the first bot out before he met his end by the second one. Well, this fight might be over but the day is still young and plenty of people are still out there looking for an edge. So I can expect more company by the end of the day. I make my way to the shooter and get any extra ammo he may have along with any special gear. The results are nothing interesting again; but a girl can hope. Never hurts to check. I return to the roof to do more potential sniping. And the day drags on and on. A few hours later, without seeing any other people heading my way, I decide its time to hunt and not be hunted. Ch: 8 Hunters Folly Checking my gear over one last time I prepare to leave the mansion behind and head into town. Walking out the front I activate the defense¡¯s and designate a patrol for the bots and drones don¡¯t want unfortunate to happen while I¡¯m gone but it never hurts to be prepared. It takes about 4min of walking to get to the edge of town following the small road from the mansion. From here I have to be extra careful, other participants are teaming up it seems and I don¡¯t have the luxury to be caught off guard. If only I can find the two I decided to partner with from the first test, but the chances of that are slim to none on such a large map. Well maybe I might be lucky enough to run into one of them and then we can work towards winning. Rifle up I slowly move from cover to cover checking my corners and blind spots. Everything is quiet with the occasional squeak of a shudder moved by the wind, and the sound of combat in the distance most likely past the hills north. The town is partially destroyed scarred by bullet holes and explosions the occasional wall crumbled from stress. My destination became the church in the near center of town, that¡¯s where most of the heavy fighting has taken place over the past few days and hours. The conflict seems to never be resolved. I wonder if it¡¯s because of special resources or just because people naturally head there, following the sounds of the battle of just because it¡¯s the center of town. Well, it matters not I¡¯m sure to find someone or something their ether way. I continued my journey unopposed but I did find the remains of various participants along the streets and in buildings, stripped of their important gear and left to rot. A nasty sight that almost made me gag this is one of the parts of war I can never get used too. As I moved on the thought of never-ending war leaked into my mind, that this is my future from now till death whenever that may be. (This premonition was a moment that forever imprinted into my mind never to be forgotten because it indeed came true.) Only 250ft from my destination the area between me and the church was completely visible. It was a plaza connected by three streets with the church at the center corner. The plaza and the buildings around it seem to the economic center of this small town. From my position, I can see a food and goods market right In the middle. I took a second to decide the best approach going down the street is suicide so it¡¯s either through the buildings or side alleys. Weapon up I went for the building closest to me maybe I can scout more before committing forward more. Slowly approaching the back door of the establishment I stacked to the right of the entrance. Putting my rifle down for my pistol for quicker response time. Reaching for the knob I slowly twisted it hoping its open, and it wasn¡¯t so I reached for my lock picking kit. Which I found on the body of one of the guys who attacked the mansion. Good thing I have training for this or It would be completely useless. After a minute of wiggling around the tools in the lock, it finally popped open. I slowly pushed it open ¡°Squeak¡± the door at the last second decided to make a loud noise and in this quiet plaza was like a siren going off telling everyone someone is here come shoot them. I bolted in checking my corners and the hall and dove into a side room. At a quick glance, I found no one was here. Deciding to cover my rear I placed a laser smart bomb next to the door on the wall where I came through it only responds to enemies and not me so If I run back through it no explosion but others won¡¯t be so lucky. Leaning out the side room I checked up the hall there are two more rooms on this floor and then a floor above lets the this slow and careful. One foot in frontof the other walking silently heels first I checked the first room from right to left exposing as little of myself as possible. ¡°Empty¡± I moved on to the next room doing the same it was also empty. I reached the front lobby where the outdoor and steps up were, I slapped another smart bomb next to the front door. Switching back to my rifle I proceeded up the stairs gun always pointing at the blind spot above and to the right. There was no trouble so I continued to clear out the building checking every room. Finding nothing I decided to set up in a room that had a clear view of the plaza and church. My initial scan showed nothing but after a few moments as I looked closer I discovered some others lurking in the shadows of the buildings. Most of themseem to be looking in thedirection of the church but otherscontinue to look at the various positions of the opposition. ¡°Well well well now this is a little complicated standoff.¡± I spotted two people but I¡¯m sure there are at least 2-3 more who have hidden better. Then there''s the church I''m positive someones in there or these people would have rushed it already. So overall I have 6-7 enemies all at different locations of the plaza and whoever fires first becomes the focus of the others. So what to do they know someone else has honed the party thanks to the loud door I came through or at least they suspect. So complete surprise is not in my playbook but I can still create opportunity through the chaos. The question is how¡­.. I check my inventory and see what I have on hand. ¡®(Insert equipment tab) Ok so I don¡¯t have anything majorly impressive that can turn the situation around but I do have a plan. The church is the focal point so if something happens there that can serve as a distraction I can take advantage and eliminate some competition. But first I need to plan my escape if this goes wrong so I made some preparations and then set my sights for the bell tower specifically the bell in the tower. Loaded with the blade rounds that should be silent enough not to draw attention to my position. I then proceeded to barricade the door to my room and set up a barrier in front of the window so it¡¯s harder to shoot in from the front. Laying my rifle on a table to give myself a good firing position behind cover I set up for the shot.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The bell was shining in the evening sun giving the church an even more sacred feel, it¡¯s too bad it¡¯s been desecrated by war and now me. With a suppressed ¡°poof¡± Sound my blade round was released and struct the bell a loud gong sound flooded the area followed by the classic sound of the ringing bell. With a quick movement, I turned my sights to a building on the right of the plaza north of my position. In the window of the third floor was one of my competitors who foolishly came out of cover, drawn by the bells but before I could someone else took a shot on him. A spray of blood was all that I saw what remained of his head was just torn shreds of flesh and bone. I froze shocked bythe sight before me processing it was slow then lightning fast my brain catching me up before I even realized I ducked down. An action that in turn saved my life well virtual life. A large crackling snap sound was all I heard before something flew above my head and smashed into the wall behind me. Leaving behind a large three-inch hole in the wall with spider web cracks spreading afoot around the impact. The barrier I placed on the window was gone and in pieces, that¡¯s when reality hit me I¡¯m not the best or most experienced out here. If anything I might be one of the smartest but for sure not the smartest someone just capitalized on my plan and then almost took me out with it. Sounds of gunfire and explosions sounded throughout the surroundings the party has started and I almost got a permanent dis-invite. And whoever it is has a large gun¡­..I looked to the wall¡­.¡±A very large gun.¡± I crawled to the back window its time for my exit I''m not risking my life on this one. The plaza turned into a disaster zone it seems I caused more chaos than expected. But well what do they say cowards live the longest I¡¯m out of here. At the back window, a rope was placed I secured it to the frame and tossed it out the window, then secured it to my waist hook with a good tug I tested it. But¡­..it broke¡­.. the rest of it falling out the window¡­.¡±Darn, it darn it all! This stupid test with bad ropes.¡± I threw the leftover rope in my hand out the window then turned to the door. The door that I barricaded to prevent someone from sneaking up on me. ¡°So I guess I¡¯ll just hang around for a little while.¡± Ok, new plan hunker down and wait out the major fighting, counter snipe that plan stealer, and then take all the glory. I inched closer to the desk I was at initially that sniper could not have seen me but from a few angles if I can determine where I can get them back. Inspecting the hole in the wall that went through one more wall¡­. man gives me chills down the neck. The angle of impact suggests he can only be north or northwest from the window as that¡¯s the only way he could have seen me. I was too far in the room for others to see me from different angles. So now patience as a hunter needs to be in order to catch anything. An explosion went off too the left somewhere so west and I¡¯m fairly sure I saw an arm flying through the air afterward ¡°eww¡±. That''s nasty glad I¡¯m not out there had to be at least 10-15 people In the area for the fighting to be this intense. Once again setting up my gun I searched for the mystery shooter, there are only about seven buildings that can see my window including the church. So, of course, that¡¯s the first place I look and what do you know there is someone there in the window below the bell. He must have been hiding earlier, but after my little bell toll he jumped out his hole. He seems to be wielding a heavy compact rifle, not a sniper but at this range, he might as well be this whole area is in the golden range of his weapon. Plus if he has goodgun sights he can see anyone fairly easy. That must be the special prize that this location provided but he has to have limited ammo or else this would not be a balanced test. Good thing he¡¯s currently distracted by someone to his right so nows my chance. I reload some regular rounds there is no point being quiet now and these will provide some extra stopping power. ¡°You going to wish you got me earlier, should have double-tapped me¡± I lined him up and aimed for his head ¡°Bang bang bang¡± sending three rounds out. They were off a little bit but hit him, his armor tanked the first few hits that went to his chest the last round struct his shoulder joint disabling his arm I could see the blood splatter from here. Hahaha he won¡¯t be using that heavy rifle anytime soon, but I spoke too soon a few seconds later he was back up and aiming towards me but I suppressed him sending five more rounds towards him. Ducking down he went back behind cover but not before shooting some in my direction trying to get me. His shots were all off a little because I gave him no time to aim but they still slammed into the room all around me sending drywall and debris flying through the air. I lunged to my belly and stayed in cover not that I¡¯m sure it would help much with that guns penetrating power. I need him out of the fight I think now is the time to use my heat rounds theses should give him a burning surprise. I reloaded with heat rounds and prepared to peek out of cover. I rolled to my right straight out of cover aiming up to the tower ¡° Shwap bam ¡° rounds were exchanged he shot two at me obliterating the desk and floor next to me. While my shots hit true slamming into him releasing heated gas and shrapnel igniting his armor and burning holes where it impacted. The resulting chain reaction was something I could not have predicted he proceeded to fall backward and not but a few seconds afterward cause an explosion that completely decimated the church and an area 100ft around it. Sending heat and debris 200ft into the air which ignited several houses and shops in the plaza. All sound stopped beside the flames as I¡¯m sure anyone in the area was caught off guard by the unexpected event. ¡°Come on! what is this an action movie all the loot was in there.¡± Ch: 9 Proving Something? Not taking cover was my first mistake though, the explosion was destructive and far-reaching. The shrapnel that was expelled from the epicenter decimated multiple buildings including the one I was occupying. Shards of glass, heated metal, and stone pelted my surroundings. Sending dust and material flying into the air. With wide eyes, I attempted to take cover but fate was not with me as several shards tore at my face and arms."Aahhhh" I screamed in pain with my face half-covered by my helmet, I avoided fatal harm but still, my face from the nose down was shredded and lacerated. With various small and large cuts, my arms were in a similar state through my armor reduced much of the damage only some of the shrapnel passed through it. But the pain was blinding with blood dripping down my face I reached for my gun, "ouch" I winced a little my hands raw and bloody. Placing it back down I reached for my large pouch and unclasped the flap grabbing the medical foam. I proceeded to spray it into the open wounds and watched as it foamed up and sealed them, I can only heal my left hand and my arms though. It''s not a good idea to have my mouth and nose covered with foam it would be funny though death by foam suffocation. Then I need a free hand to shoot with this foam will stiffen the site too much to shoot with the hand. Suddenly there were dull impact and rolling sounds. I turned just in time to see as one flash grenade and a regular grenade flew through the front window and bounced off the wall towards me. "BANG...BOOM." There was a blinding flash and ringing sound than an explosion. Good thing I was already behind the desk or I would be a little more than half-blind and for sure painted on the wall. My vision came back quickly but my hearing was all but gone between the church explosion and the current one. But I did feel as the floor shook while a notification that my tripwire at the front of the building went off. Meaning the swamp rat who tried to frag me got a face full of heated lead. Switching my gun to my pistol I ran for the back window there is no time for a clean getaway. "Crash" the glass shattered around me and as I fell towards the ground I committed to a combat roll as my scary instructor taught me. And I executed it perfectly all that pain was worth it because that just saved my life. Behind me, the room I had occupied was shot to death it resembled that fancy cheese that they use to serve on special occasions at the orphanage. It went very well with sandwiches. But enough of that I have to stay focused I ran to the building a street up back towards the way I came into town. While looking over my shoulder I saw someone breach the room I was in. I kicked open a door just as they looked out the window gun raised towards me, jumping behind the wall just as bullets impacted where I just stood. "Bang Bang Bang" I returned fire and then popped a smoke grenade out the door waiting for it to deploy more. I proceeded to run towards the entrance on the other side of the building that as it turned out was a butcher shop. I vaulted over the counter and out the front entrance onto a side street. I continued forward towards the edge of town occasionally checking my six. "Man what a waste of a good opportunity. At least I escaped this could have gone a lot worse..."Sigh". But what made that church go up like that there had to have been some very unstable material just on the floor. (Unbeknownst to our protagonist it was indeed the perfect mix of chance and bad luck coming together to create that result. First, her opponent was on an unstable platform with no railing. Second, a crate of plasma rounds was situated right under that platform, and one of those clips just so happened to be damaged in a fight the day before leaking some of the highly flammable and unstable concentrated gasses into the room. Then in a twist, our protagonist decided to use heat rounds to set her target on fire. He then did not surprisingly catch fire faint and fall back off his high platform right into the gas igniting the crate full of plasma rounds in the process. Thus creating an epic explosion heard through the whole map.) The biggest disappointment was missing the chance to grab that special gun but better lost than used by the enemy. Treading carefully through the town was nerve-racking though I had to move slowly or risk walking into an ambush, but fast enough not to be caught by pursuers. Checking all my corners and the windows I though suspect were taking all my brainpower. Eventually, I did reach my destination unmolested. The small road leading to the mansion was just insight and the drones I had patrolling the sky already had me in there sightlines. A heavy tension was lifted off my shoulders and I hurried to get to behind the secure and safe perimeter of the mansion security. I walked in finding everything the way it was before quiet and lonely the buzz of power running through the walls and ceiling. I can''t wait till this test is over then maybe I can finally spend some proper time with my family and get to know them. While taking the personal elevator to the fourth floor I started unclasping the seems in my armor trying to gain access to the areas I was injured during the confrontation at the plaza. "Ding" The doors slid open and I turned right down the hall. Then left into the master bedroom then into the bathroom. I released any Items still on me and stepped into the shower cleaning off all the blood and dust from my body. The medical foam was still stuck to some spots but I pulled it off and underneath the wounds were healed with scabs already forming. I stood there letting the cool water wash over me reflecting on the way I handled that engagement.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Overall not bad but there is definite room for improvement. "Ok" I stepped out and dried using the most ornate towel I''ve ever come across. With gold trimming and fancy embroidery, it just might be the biggest waste in this whole room. Suppressing the mental rant I was about to go on I left the bathroom and refitted my armor to my body adjusting and repairing what I could. Now I need to decide next steps obviously it''s too dangerous to go point seeking on my own so ether I wait it all out, or I seek allies. But it''s not like I know many if any other contestants and the two I kind of made an accord with are who knows where. So I either get lucky and find one of them if there not already dead and hope they don''t betray me, or I seek out others and hope they don''t just shoot me. Ok, so that''s no good choices and only mildly bad then worse choices to choose from. Yea I''ll just hold up here till I''m forced to do something else. "Hmmm" Alternatively I could task one of the drones to seek out contestants and hope one of them is who I''m looking out for. "Alrighty, that might not be a bad plan." I start swiping at my PAL "AI task drone two for scouting the movement and faces of the contestants in the area." With that out of the way, all I have to do is wait and see if trouble finds me first or help dose. But just in case I should shore up the defenses around here and then restock on supplies maybe I''ll find something I missed before. I surveyed the mansion again checking on the traps I already placed and setting up more on the ground and second floor. I rigged most of the large windows with smart bombs that will react to hostile movement. I also booby-trapped some of the rooms and hallways on the second floor that could be possibly accessed from outside. With that done I revisited the armory and added some more remote detonation bombs to my loadout. Placing some in the armory itself ready to armed and ready to blow if I lose control of the mansion. My preparations complete I just decide to relax on the roof rifle at the ready in case someone comes along to visit uninvited. While the day dragged on I got several scout drone reports of people moving around and fighting each other but none of them were my potential allies. I did however find someone interesting one of the clan heirs I meet when the tests started has wandered into the town. Her name was Alada if I remember correctly, the cute nerdy redhead was no longer wearing that baggy jumpsuit. She was suited up in light armor much like myself and boy did it reveal the curves she was hiding before. But that''s not the import part, what is though is the fact that shes destroying anyone she comes across. Armed with what seems to be a compact submachine gun loaded with explosive rounds. She''s literally tearing through the competition there bloody prices scattered over the battlefield. With very acrobatic and swift reflexes she seems to be just about unstoppable in an urban environment where she can take advantage of so much cover and blind spots. One guy who was hiding behind a wall even got flanked she flipped over then shot him in the back he and the wall were destroyed he never saw it coming. Her fighting style could be a direct counter to my sniper focused one if I miss the first shot. Man, I never expected someone so harmless looking too be so vicious. Well, I shouldn''t be surprised she''s not fourth place in this generation for nothing. Now the question is should I avoid her or try and take her out or even try and team up with her. I continued to think about it as I watched her continue the massacre, by this point she has basically cleared out the whole town. Anyone drawn to the fighting has ether died to her or the other people heading there, and then those who survived proceeded too be eliminated by her next. So either way, she benefited in the end. Then in the corner of the display being streamed through to my helmet from the drone, I spotted an individual walking out the forest heading towards town. And who else could it be but one of the people I was looking for the upbeat party girl. She of course was looked a little different being in armor and all but I recognized her. I never did learn her name though I should fix that. But she''s heading straight towards killer queen Alada and I cant have an alliance if the other members are dead. So time for action I grab my gear and head for the side of the roof hooking some rope to the edge I repel down the side of the mansion. I unclip myself 8ft from the ground so no one can use it to reach the roof. I hit the ground feet slightly numb from the impact. Hopefully, I can get there before a fight breaks out between the two heading into town everything has become silent the fighting has ceased. But from my drones visual I notice that everyone else is dead. We are all heading for a street not far from the edge of town I occupy but it seems despite my quick response they will make contact before I get there. -------------------------------------- POV: Cion (aka party girl) It seems one of the Elite 4 is wreaking havoc all over this part of the sim test I wonder which one it is. "No matter either way I''ll kick there butt and bring them down a notch." I''m tired of dads nagging and the way they get all the attention I mean are the rest of us in the top 20 garbage on the roadside. Our skills do not differ that... "Bang bang" (The corner of the wall directly to the front right of Cion was fired on right then. Flicking dust and brick into the air right in her face.) "Damn" I barely avoided those impacts its a lifesaver I have good reflexes. I did catch a glimpse of her thought its Alada she might be quiet but she just might be the most annoying to deal with out of the elite 4, she''s fairly adaptable to a lot of combat styles. People don''t call her the all-rounder for nothing, many have underestimated her and paid the price. I don''t plan to be one of them. I Check my ammo before I engage this will be interesting. I circle back to the other side of the building I''m on...."Bam bam bam" I fire a few rounds as she tries to outmaneuver me by building hopping but I give her no chance. I''m keeping this a mid-range fight there''s no way I''ll let her keep her pace and close the distance. "Bam bam bam bam". This fight is just getting started. Ch: 10 Conflict mediation "Huh huh huh" My breath was short, the sprint I performed was probably I''ll advised in this kind of station. You don''t want to be tired right before a shoot out. I checked my gun one last time before I walked out into the storm of lead eating away at the buildings around. Alada and the other girl have already engaged with each other within the 3min it required for me to arrive on the scene. But...just wow the destruction they have produced in that time is just ridiculous. I knew that Alada was using special explosive ammo but the other girl has some neat gear as well. Just a while ago she used a grenade launcher that took out the sidewall of a whole building. But it looks like she has limited ammo because she only used it once. I rushed over because I was fairly positive party girl was going to lose this fight but now I''m not so sure she seems to be holding her own. Although she is being slowly pushed back Alada is steadily getting closer to her. Now I have to figure out how to step in without getting killed. Then and there I decide to load stun rounds into my gun I only have one clip so I need to make them count. I don''t really want to kill Alada per se but I do want to stop this fight. So should I shoot both of them or just Alada...... whatever I''ll figure it out. There is no way I''m approaching this fight so I run along the back alley parallel to the main road up some emergency escape stairs and to the roof of the tallest three-story shop in the area. I can hear their fighting constantly as I set up a firing position the further away from that chaos the better. I crawl up to the edge of the roof on my belly secure the rifle into my shoulder and scope them out. By this point, they have almost entered within CQC( Close quarters Combat) range of each other they exchanging shots over the same few low walls and fences. All the while closing in on each other I watch as Alada runs out off ammo throws down her gun and switches to a plasma edge short sword. While the other girl switches to a pistol and knife now only a single stone wall separates them from each other. This puts them both right into my crosshairs how convenient, I rest my finger on the trigger ready to shoot ether one. I line up Alada she is obviously the bigger threat they are within 100 meters of me so I adjust my gun settings to default, and pull the trigger. "Bang" through my scope I watch as she takes it to the chest spasms and collapses. Switching targets to the other girl I see as confusion then dread flashes on her face and she tries to find cover from the unseen threat. But I don''t give her the chance "Bang" the round connects right in her back she also proceeds to collapse like a puppet with its strings cut falling face-first into the dirt. Mission accomplished I backtrack and head over to recover them. POV: Cion " Bam bam bam" Man this girl is nimble, she keeps avoiding my shots all the while getting closer, man that''s frustrating. I duck as she returns fire decimating my cover with her blasted explosive ammo. I pull back slowly to the building behind me time to take out the big girl. I reach for the gun on my back the Glade Mk 400.3 grenade launcher and load a high spread round "Dodge this" "Poop" the grenade sails through the air bounces of a trash can and impacts the wall next to it. "Booooom" "Hahaha, take that" the wall fragments and collapses dust permeating the air. "Crackle clack clack" "Whoa" I vault over a stone wall barely dodging the return fire. "Darn it I was sure I got her that time." I blind fire over the stone wall trying to stop her advance. "Click click" I look down at my gun...I ran out of ammo. How did I waste 150 rounds that fast at least I have a backup. I hear feet running up on my position so I pull my pistol and fire over the wall. I see as Alada dives for the cover of a wall within 10ft of me, sword in hand so she ran out as well. So now it''s down to CQC skills and I think she has the advantage in that. I draw my combat knife in my other hand silence permeates the air as we both wait for the others next move. "Bang" I hear a distant shoot to my right and clacking sound of a bullet passing by "sezzzttt" I look up at Alada who is twitching. "Oh no," I realize just then that she got sniped and that I''m for sure in their sights as well. I turn and run for the entrance of a doughnut shop but I never make it all I hear is a clack. Then the pain hits my back knocking the wind out my lungs as electricity attacks my nerves and muscles stiffening and numbing them. I lose control of my body I watch helplessly as I fall face first towards the ground. While twitching and blacking out I think whoever that was got us good I just wonder why they stunned us instead of caping us. I fade out wondering who could have done it. POV: Asa A few hours later. I managed to cuff and drag the two unconscious girls back to the mansion. It took a while but I got it done right now I have them locked up in a room on the second floor. With each one tied to a metal chair opposite of each other and on opposite sides of the room. Just in case they try and attack each other, I also installed a camera in there so I could watch them and react if anything changes. Now I''m just cleaning and maintaining my equipment while watching the cameras and drone feeds. Oh and I removed all the sharp objects from there person so they can''t break free on me, can''t have that now, can we. Well on the bright side I no longer need to worry about any other contestants in the area at least for a while Alada managed to clear out this whole town. In a little over 30min or so, man if the other top 4 are like her than I''m going to have a problem fighting them.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Hum" on the display I see my guest starting to move a minute or so passes and they awake. They slowly rouse look around notice each other then the party girl whose name I still don''t know starts an argument with Alada. The funny thing is that she completely ignores her and continues to inspect her surroundings. Eventually finding my camera and then just stares at it, the other girl catches on and also looks at it. "Well guess I should go and greet the guest." Linking the live feed to my helmet display I proceed to the makeshift jail. They are now conversating with each other man I should have installed sound in there. It seems they are trying to break their restraints now but realize they are without the tools to do so. And the metal chairs and extra-thick zip ties make it that much more secure from them breaking free in any easy fashion. I slowly make my way there all the while watching this amusing interaction. A minute later I''m in the linking hall and there not any closer to getting free. A few seconds from the door and they seem to have heard my approach, so they stop their suspicious movements and stare at the entrance. It''s funny I can totally see them so why do they act innocent now. Deciding I''ve seen enough I walk in and turn off the video feed or I''ll be seeing double. I see the shock on there faces when I come in I assume I was not on the list of people they expected to be there captor. I speak first to the party girl with a smile on my face "Hey partner that alliance still valid?". She''s doing the classic open and close mouth thing where you''re speechless. "Wah hu... IT WAS YOU you are the one who bloody stunned me. You couldn''t I don''t know have just said hi Cion glad I found you lets team up or something." She went irate so I move on to Alada " Hi Alada glad you could join me on this lovely afternoon." She continues to look at me without saying anything but I can tell she is just trying to understand the situation. "Hi....so why did you not eliminate me, there must be a reason you kept me around obviously you have an accord with Cion but I do not." "Well I have not fully decided what to do with you but I''m sure there is an advantage to gain somewhere in this situation. What are you willing to give or offer that may change my mind?" Her brows and nose scrunched up slightly but her face stayed mostly neutral. I''ll leave her to think about it and I turn back to Cion whose name I finally got. I wonder why we never introduced our selves earlier? Her gaze is intense and pouty she seems mad I ignored her. I chuckle " Don''t get all sulky it was my bad, I did not want to risk you shooting me in the face we are after all newly acquainted. Besides I only used stun rounds I know they hurt but at least you blacked out fast." Her glare does not reduce " That''s easy for you to say have you ever be hit with one?" My focus drifts for a second as I remember my days in basic training and a slight shiver hits my spine. " As a matter a fact I do it''s not pleasant that''s for sure." "Then you know my pain and why I''m mad. Now untie me so we can talk properly." "Well about that I''m not going to do that till I''m sure you won''t shoot me in the face when I release you after all you don''t really know me. So is there a way to reduce my worries." With a shocked and offended face "I''m hurt after we bonded and shared answers and you still don''t trust me. We even agreed to work together if we meet up in this test I don''t understand." "That''s the thing we are in a test about elimination and point acquisition you acquire a point by eliminating me and reducing your competition. You don''t even have to do it now you could wait till the end then screw me over with around to the back of my head." Her brows come together and her eyes narrow but she loosens up and her face relaxes shortly after I stop speaking. " I would not do that you have shown too much potential, intelligence, and goodwill. The benefit of one point would not match my gains if we teamed up and made it to the top 10. I would then have a reliable Allie in the next round and maybe after this test, we could still work together." She looks up at me with a glimmer in her eyes like shes looking at fine gems. "I have no way for you to trust me completely but I can designate you as a friend in the system and that will prevent at least my first hostile action from damaging you. I stare her in the eyes looking for any deception but I find nothing that can refute her words. "Ok we can give it a try, just don''t undermine me and we will get along well. Oh and don''t try to kill Alada here we are still in negotiations." "Tch...fine I''ll play nice for now but this girl is more sly than you think don''t trust her at face value." And with that, she designated me as friendly and I cut her loose. She was rubbing her wrist but she kept to her word she just sat there and waited for my interaction with Alada to resume. At this point, I turned back around to continue my other conversation. Alada seems to have been waiting for me to approach her but her focus was on my other conversation. So when I turned to her, she was gazing at me and past me at the same time as our interaction hit a memory of some sort. "So have you come up with an offer?" ".....Yes, I propose a truce for this and the next round we don''t try to fight each other if we can help it and we go our separate ways. Of course, you can''t completely trust me so I''ll also throw in setting you as a friendly in my settings so the first attack I make on you is negated." "That is a reasonable offer but how about we extend that to reality as well. I know that family competition is fierce so it can''t hurt to not have one more person willing to be natural or friendly right?" She seems to think about it for a while but nods her head in the end. "Yea ok we can do that, as people from the same generation it never hurts to have more people not working against you. I can''t promise I will never work against you but I won''t try to sabotage you ether deal." I look her in the eyes for a few seconds "Deal". " Now let''s get to it do those settings and you can be on your way. I will blindfold you and drop you and then drop you off out of my territory ok." "Is the blindfold really necessary?" Alada committed. Yes, it is can''t have you scouting out my stuff on your way out no matter what we are still in the honeymoon period of this relationship it takes time to build trust." "Fine just get on with it I got people to eliminate and rivals to challenge." And so continue I did, she was blindfolded and cut from the chair but I kept her zip ties on. I and Cion marched her halfway across town, on the way I took all the twists and turns I could, and at one point I even twirled her around in a circle a few times just to throw her off. When we got to the central plaza I cut her ties and me and Cion left in a hurry. By the time she got the blindfold off we were out of sight and sneaking back to the mansion. CH: 11 The test of Command part 1 After I and Cion left Alada behind in the town center things remained quiet between us. About halfway back Cion decided to break the ice "So... I never expected that you would just let her go. You do realize she is going to be some of your biggest competition right." I responded without turning to face her " Yes I do but killing her now would most likely not change her overall ranking much anyway. I would just be making a powerful enemy for no reason I might as well at least gain some goodwill and a potential future friend." "You do realize you could have just shot her dead from range and she would not have been the wiser right. You completely caught us by surprise we never knew your position." ........."Yea I knew but someone on the outside would have told her eventually and I plan to play the long game. Not just focus on the current tests. Besides I plan to win this round by survival not kill count" " Well I''ll say this you managed to catch two people in the top 20 by surprise one of them even being in the elite 4 no less. So no one is going to question your skills or abilities after this. You definitely impressed me that''s for sure, I expected a newbie like you to be eliminated by now. I was actually trying to link up with Cethin up north when I got distracted by the fighting around here." "Uh.... oh is Cethin the boy we were planning to team up with from the first test. I never got his name during our alliance discussion." Cion just rolled her eyes to that comment and continued to talk." "Well, what did I expect It''s our fault for not properly introducing ourselves to you. Well, whatever a formal introduction can wait, for now, we need to decide how to win this and enter into the top 10 spots." Cion had made a valid point, even though our chances had increased with us linking up a win was not guaranteed. "Well we can either hunker down and make the mansion a fortress of death, or we can be sneaky and make it a deadly distraction while we lay low somewhere else." The silence came back as Cion contemplated the plans I suggested. She had a very thoughtful face on which enhanced her natural beauty in a tomboyish fashion. But she pulls it off well even though I don''t think she does it intentionally. About three minutes passed and I could already see the gate leading to the mansions front courtyard. "Ok I think I like the second plan more, but why can''t we do both for example make the mansion deadly then pull back and destroy it if someone actually manages to take it. So we get points and defend ourselves all the while at a minimum risk." As Cion finished up voicing her thoughts I considered how we could implement this to the greatest effect. Finally reaching the mansions front entrance I pushed open the door and made my way towards the stairs leading to the next floor. Cion followed quietly and a few minutes later we were inside the mansion''s study/conference room. So as I sat at the head table, with a swipe of my hand the projection table built into the floor and walls of the room displayed the layout of the mansion, including all the camera covered areas and security blind spots. I pointed to a room on the second floor. "Well this is where we are on the map, the first floor is a security nightmare there are three entry points and several windows and whatnot that can be used to break in so we can basically only stall any potential attackers. " The real advantage is this floor we can" suddenly a system message interrupted me.
Alert! Alert! Attention all remaining contestants testing phase 3 is now in effect.
Congratulations to the top 50 you are now recognized for your skills. The command Section is now officially starting.
All contestants are provided 2 squads of soldiers and 2 specialists of their choosing. Alliances are allowed, the last person or group standing wins then total points decide the overall winner. Good luck and good hunting.
I and Cion exchanged looks, by the light in her eyes I can tell she has the same thoughts as me. This series of messages caught us off guard. We both expected for this round to continue to the top 10 either that was a lie or the plans changed. Either way, it did not change our plans for a defensive play. We just have more resources now. "Well, how do we collect our soldiers and select the specialists?" Shrugging her shoulders Cion looked just as unsure as me." I don''t know I''m sure they made it obvious somehow, check your PAL." And I did just that and what did you know it was under a new tab in by PAL assets called acquisition troops then digital soldiers. Scrolling down I select the collect two squads option. It then gave me the option to select the designated spawn area I obviously chose the mansion lobby as the destination.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I was then prompted to select my choice of the specialist the list expanded with various options including demolition, marksman, engineer, logistics, drone operator, etc. But the ones that caught my attention the most in this situation, was the Defense engineer and the artillery support specialist. I glanced at Cion wondering what her choices would be.... wait maybe we should be coordinating this more. "Cion did you select your specialist yet." "Uhh no, I was just about to why?" "Well if we''re working together maybe we should plan this a little more carefully we have to take advantage of everything we have at our disposal." With a pondering expression "Oh ok well I was looking at the heavy weapons specialist and the terrain specialist." "Ok that''s good it seems we were on the same page without even realizing it. I was thinking about the artillery and defense engineer. With this, we can have a solid defense and a good fall back plan with these picks." "Alright then let''s get started, woohoo I''m so excited I was so frustrated after that fight earlier was never resolved. Let''s kick some butt and take those prizes for ourselves. Heheheheh" I could only give a half-smile towards Cion''s display pumping her fists and with a fire in her eyes. Anyway, she might have expressed it differently but my blood is also heated for a good challenge. A way to test my skills for real against the best of my peers. Sometime Later. Our preparations took several hours of planning and minor reconstruction of the mansion. Sandbags on the stairs and internal landings, mini bunkers facing all the main entrances. Sandbag positions covering all the elevator exits and sniper nests on the roof. We even placed booby traps on the perimeter of the property and the blindspots external cameras had. Not that those are not covered by the drones I have patrolling the air. Now it''s just a waiting game, it''s better to defend than to charge blindly into some other groups fortifications. We have several surprises for anyone stupid enough to attack this spot and a backup plan just in case they actually succeed. It would be a shame to win by holding up here but, hey all is fair in war and the winner has the last laugh be they, cowards or heroes. Not that I claim to be either I just have the desire to win this farce of a test and use my winnings to help the people in a bad situation around the orphanage. The one thing I will say that''s amazing about this situation is the digital soldiers they seem so real. From the limited exposure I''ve had with them, they have shown personality and desires. It makes it that much harder to send them to their deaths be them real or not. Hopefully, I never get used to just sending people to their death whether it''s a digital soldier, clones, or our troops who have extra lives due to spare clone spawns. As I was musing Sargent Flock the NCO of my two squads walked into the command room, that''s now based on the panic room in the master suite. "Commander" I looked at him "Go ahead, Sargent". "The preparations are complete, we have plan microwave boiled egg in motion and are awaiting further orders." My eye twitched at that plan name but Cion insisted that the name suited the plan even though I had no idea what a microwave was. I had to look it up then reference it to our situation it was some ancient cooking tech I still don''t get it though. I''ll ask her again later she said it would be a surprise but I''m not sure if I like the cogitation. " Well, Sargent just keep the troops at the ready but relaxed. We should have ample warning if someone encroaches on our perimeter. But we can thank Alada for killing all the local competition, by the time people find us here hopefully they will be damaged or lack the numbers to challenge us. The only real worry is Alada herself coming back with a vengeance" Sargent Flock just nodded to my words "Ok, I''ll see to my tasks commander call me if needed." He did an about-face and cleanly walked out of the room. Right as he left Cion walked in, I could see him move aside to accommodate her. "Asa it seems we''re all ready, can''t wait for that smell of heated plasma and gunpowder. it gives me shivers just thinking about it." "By the way is it settled we are staying out of the fight cause I want to be upfront." "Well not right up front but yea you can let loose. I''m going to participate through roof sniping or drones and hacking. There''s no point in getting in the thick of it for me unless I have no other choice." ............"So guess we just wait then" .........."Yea" More time later. We waited and waited with no sign of anyone trying to engage us. Until we got a confirmation of what I suspected was going on.
Congratulations to the top 25. You have reached a milestone in this phase of the competition only 9 teams remain. Good luck and good hunting.
This announcement came a good 8 hours after our preparations were complete and 14hours after the top 50 announcements were broadcast. Things were moving slow but it was in our favor. "Ugghhhh man I know this is working for us but at the same time I hope someone attacks us." As if by divine will Cion''s complaining came to pass. We both got a notification that one of my drones spotted a force of about 4 squads of men approaching from our north through the town. Me Cion shared a look she just had a wide grin on her face. "Alrighty then, sound the alarm and alert the men." With a push of a button, the lights of the whole mansion dimmed and certain ones flashed for 10 seconds. Catching the attention of our men who we doing various things through the mansion. I patted Cion''s shoulder and then made my way towards the roof, she headed in the opposite direction to the conference room on the second floor. As I opened the door to the roof I noticed that it was quite dark it was maybe 4 am or 0400 military times. A good and bad time for defense good thing my rifle scope has some light-enhancing functions or I might be out of luck. This low-level armor I''m using has no built-in night optics but hopefully, that means the enemy is in the same position. I edged up into the roof sandbag emplacements and rested my rifle on it. I scoped out to get a good look at the enemy and what I saw gave me pause...."Well, that might be a problem."