Dynorion
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Mind & Machine C.34
🕑 Added 2024-06-13 02:35:17 +0000 UTCChapter — 34
Rei walked out into the arena through the less-than-lukewarm cheering from the stands, where one hundred or so people of all ages sat, shielded by plexiglass. Camera drones circled above the twenty-by-twenty meter square space before buzzing down toward Rei and her opponent.
Rei was unfazed by the camera lenses focusing on her proud posture. Thanks to [Athleticism], she moved with cat-like grace, her violet eyes burning with a chilly intensity from [Merciless].
Her opponent didn't seem as composed. He was a fairly muscular man with no shirt on but bracers covering each forearm — a curious choice, but one Rei could understand if he wanted to gain followers due to his lats and abs — and he carried a battleax in both hands that seemed just a bit too heavy for him. He had styled red hair on top of his head pulled back in a man bun, and his eyes were a mix of red and green.
Rei had no idea if his weapon had an oscillating edge, but if it did, then her opponent would have to be really careful not to bisect her with each swing. Without the skill to wield such sharp and heavy weapons, it would be easy to go into immense debt to Colosseum Inc.
Settling into too much debt to any corporation didn't lead to a good end, as when it reached a point where the indebted had no way to repay it, the corporation wouldn't be censured for forcing the one in question to pay in alternative ways.
Test subjects, for example, were always in high demand.
Rei listened in on the announcer for their match as both warriors reached their specific starting points — the two spots highlighted with circular white holograms set on the hard-packed, dark gray gravel-like ground.
"Voidliac, F-rank, Total: Zero, Ratio: N/A," a sonorous male voice said as a spotlight flashed above down onto Rei while the hologram on the ground around her equally brightened to cast her figure into light that removed any and all shadows.
Feeling a bit bored from listening to the AI-generated voice and impatient to start, Rei took both her daggers from her sheaths and began playing with the one in her dominant right hand, twirling it between her fingers without slipping up thanks to [Melee Mastery]. She didn't even consider that her actions could be seen as a taunt.
Her place in the spotlight only lasted for a few seconds, as the bodiless voice continued, her opponent lighting up as she had, "Versus: Goreaxor, F-rank, Total: Three, Ratio: 67%."
As the light illuminated her opponent, she took him in more critically.
Hmm, one of his hands may be cybernetic, and there's no way to tell when it comes to his lower body with those ripped jeans of his. Those rips may be strategically placed to only show synth skin while other places show his legs as entire cyberware. I'll have to watch out for potential fleet-footedness.
As Goreaxor's time in the spotlight ended, the arena returned to normal light levels, the drones flying a bit higher after their close-up circling of the two warriors.
"Match start in: Three, two, one,"
Rei crouched, her feet twisting slightly into the hardpacked gravel for maximum grip.
I'll stand the best chance by taking him by surprise before he can swing his longer-reach weapon.
"FIGHT!" the arena AI bellowed, and the crowd began to cheer for blood.
Not hesitating, Rei sprung forward, her peak, non-augmented human physicality propelling her like the fastest sprint runners of old — the VibroFang in her right hand held in a reverse grip in front of her and her DuskClaw held at her side.
As I thought.
Goreaxor's eyes had widened when she charged, but he recovered way quicker than she'd have liked, his two-handed axe coming up as if he was preparing for a diagonal down-swing.
Taking advantage of his reach over me instead of trying to block with the weapon's handle; at least he's not stupid.
It was too telegraphed, however, at least Rei thought so before she sidestepped and closed in — her VibroFang activating as she ruthlessly moved to cut off one of the hands holding the battleax — only to have to apply [Athleticism] and [Melee Mastery] in conjunction to partially dodge the kick serving as his actual attack.
It had been way faster than non-augmented muscle could perform, nearly blurring in her vision and only being picked up on due to her split stream of consciousness keeping track of her surroundings.
Rei had to use her knee to bat it aside as she spun, losing track of her opponent for a second before her turn finished, and she went back for more.
She had to dodge yet again, however, as he'd taken the cybernetic fist off his axe to punch her in the face — having used the failed kick to step forward and keep close to her.
Is he an axeman or a pugilist?
It didn't matter to Rei, as dodging beneath his extended fist was a breeze — her long hair fluttering — and she used her split mind to slash upward with her DuskClaw and toward the artery in his armpit with her VibroFang, which was still buzzing softly in her grip from its oscillating edge.
Her left arm felt somewhat awkward with the angle, and Rei was not used to wielding a dagger with it, but the arm holding her VibroFang had no such issues. Still, both weapons hit their targets, blood spurting onto Rei's half-face mask and forehead — a few drops going into her eyes.
Them being cybernetic, all it did was hinder her vision partly while being a tiny bit annoying, but it didn't prevent her from seeing the end of the battleax's handle spinning in his grip to hit her in the head.
Goreaxor was far too late, and Rei used her DuskClaw to parry while dodging backward, creating distance.
Her opponent was finished, and he seemed to know it, too. He fell to one knee and supported himself with the axe as he said, "I yield," in a pained voice between gritted teeth.
Then, under Rei's cold gaze, the ground beneath him writhed, opening up and letting him fall through as if the gravel had become water — seamlessly closing itself up again over his dropping form.
O-kay. That's something I've never seen before.
All the arena fights Rei had previously watched on the public mesh were from unsanctioned minor corporations, which had no means to limit the spread of recordings from their arenas.
Is this some proprietary tech from Colosseum Inc.?
She didn't have more time to ponder, however, as the spotlights came on again, and all the drones flew down to circle her, their camera lenses whirring as they zoomed in and out.
"Winner, Voidliac," the sonorous male voice boomed as the crowd she'd filtered out during the battle cheered more enthusiastically after the bloodshed.
The spotlight extended toward a third exit that had been closed off before and during the battle, lighting the path outlined in luminous white holographic lines on the gravel, and Rei took her cue as she departed. She flicked her daggers to remove some of the blood before twirling them once and resheathing them on her thighs — head held high as she made her exit.
Exiting the arena, she entered a small chamber, and the door closed behind her. It swiftly filled with what looked to Rei like the same kind of mist her mist washer she put clothes into used.
Aircurrents began blasting from vents beneath, above, and from the sides, the mist twirling around her as it removed the blood and dust from her clothes, leaving her spotless before the mist was sucked back into the walls.
Well, that's at least convenient, Rei thought as the door in front of her opened, letting her walk out into a new corridor that would take warriors back to the waiting hall or the path to the exit if they desired to leave.
***
Rei grinned behind her half-face mask as she lounged on one of the couches in the waiting hall — having already registered for another fight.
Dopamine was still coursing through her veins from when she'd left the arena and let the effects of [Merciless] fade. She'd felt giddy as she'd moved through the corridor leading back to where she now sat once more, the fight playing through her mind on repeat.
That was fucking awesome! And how my opponent just vanished through the floor — no doubt dropping down into a medical facility — after he'd surrendered was such a remarkable piece of tech!
That wasn't what made her the happiest, however.
100 CREDITS! Not counting the waiting time, I just made a fifth of my UBI in about three minutes!
Her second thread of consciousness moved toward her CIP, reading through it for the third time since her battle to keep herself busy and prevent herself from standing up and showing off some of the moves she'd learned at Tranquilnot in her glee.
She'd regret the embarrassment later if she did.
「[Colosseum Inc. Profile]
Name: Voidliac
Rank: F
Total fights: 1 / 50
Ratio: 100%
Personal data: [...]」
Fifty fights will net me 5000 credits, and after I rank up — which will probably not happen after only fifty fights — I'll earn even more credits each time I win.
Losing a match earned you nothing apart from the frankly generous, free medical care. It made sense to Rei, though, that wounds that weren't overly expensive to heal would be taken care of, as more combat-fit warriors also meant more entertainment to provide to the masses.
She was sure it had been suggested by some AI doing the calculations on profit and the draw aspiring warriors felt toward locales in which Colosseum had a stake.
When I reach E-rank, I'll earn 500 credits per win and need to participate in 100 additional total fights at the same 80% win-loss ratio to rank up again. I think I remember reading that the ratio becomes less steep at higher ranks, but that isn't relevant to me now.
Warriors could also get sponsorships that paid in credits, cyberware, or something else, and she'd receive royalties from everyone who paid to view the recordings of her fights. Now that Rei had experienced the process firsthand, she had no idea why she'd ever thought robbing The Pistons would be a lucrative venture.
I still have my revenge and my quest for answers to my many questions, but on a time-to-credit basis, this new career of mine is much more profitable. That doesn't mean I'll leave free loot lying, though.
Of course, there were other reasons to continue her fighting in the arena. Even though the risk of death was present, it was a lot safer than ambushing gangers in dark alleys, and it was an excellent place to gain combat experience. She couldn't train all her skills with the — in her opinion — loosely defined melee-only rules, but for those she could train, she planned on grinding until they became divine.
Rei brought up the notification she'd received as she waited for her next fight to be scheduled.
「Notice:
[Melee Mastery] skill level has increased.
Level: 4 → 5」
Just like Ichiro said, I can train my martial prowess with repetition of forms, but there's nothing like real combat to hone one's ability and instincts.
***
Rei's dead and merciless eyes met her opponent's as the spotlight lit her up and showed off her sculpted figure covered in what looked like tight black Kevlar with ceramic plating beneath shielding her vitals. It resembled Rei's clothes but looked like proper combat gear, not merely a cosplay.
"Royal Gloom, F-rank, Total: 22, Ratio: 82%," the deep and resonating synthesized AI voice said before the spotlight winked out — appearing on Rei instead.
The cheering from the crowd diminished slightly.
Rei ignored her own introduction; instead, she took the time to analyze her opponent for potential weaknesses.
The Kevlar-like armor fabric covered most of her body, but she had no mask, showing off a haughty expression and perfect looks fitting the 'Royal' part of her warrior name. Her chin-length hair reflected like platinum and gold, and her eyes were likewise pools of sunny metal. She had black lipstick or perhaps lips that weren't organic, and her dark eyeshadow and mascara looked smudged by dried tears.
Is it 'Gloom' because she's genuinely miserable, or is it only theater for the spectators?
Black and gold seams along the back of her exposed hands hinted at cyberware within, and Rei wouldn't be surprised if there were even more that weren't as overtly on display.
What interested Rei most, however, was her weapon of choice:
A staff.
It was as tall as her opponent and a little taller than Rei. It looked to be made of black plasteel with golden inlays that snaked in mesmerizing patterns that glittered. Each end was capped in platinum silver.
This might get interesting. Never fought against someone wielding a staff.
It was an even worse match-up than her previous fight, but Rei still believed she had a shot at winning, even if it might be slim. Her opponent didn't have a perfect win streak, so there were a few others better than Royal Gloom in their rank.
A tiny part of Rei, spurred mercilessly on by her own feeling of inadequacy, wanted to prove she was one of those betters.
"FIGHT!"
Almost immediately after the signal to start, Rei realized how out of her depth she was.
Her opponent moved toward her — staff held horizontally to her side as her feet hit the gravel with long, swift, and powerful strides. There was a near-instant momentum behind the woman that spoke of strength in her legs far surpassing Reis.
Rei dodged sideways, both daggers coming up as she also switched her DuskClaw into a reverse grip — bracing for the staff's collision course with her torso.
Rei tried leaping with the staff's momentum, but even though she'd timed it correctly, the force exerted by her opponent was way above what she'd expected, nearly making Rei drop her daggers as she was flung backward.
She almost fell on her ass but tucked herself in and rolled, her hands shooting out to spring her upward when upside down — still clutching onto her daggers. As her roll finished and she got air, the staff barely missed her head — hitting the ground beneath and kicking up gravel that flew everywhere. An especially sharp piece of the rock-like material cut a thin line across Rei's cheek.
This crazy bitch would have instantly killed me with that blow.
It didn't count as breaking the rules, though, as Rei hadn't actually died, but it was a good reminder that no matter how well things went, some opponents wouldn't be worth fighting.
The overly aggressive approach might even be a scaring tactic to make people surrender...
Rei wouldn't surrender, though. Not yet. She wanted to see what else the woman could do and to test if there was any way for her to close the gap between them produced by Royal Gloom's weapon.
Rei leaned back as she landed, the staff's end, which had hit the ground, coming up to take her beneath the chin. It missed, but more gravel hit her face, and some smaller pieces more akin to dust scraped against her retinas. It was painful, but nothing she couldn't deal with.
Royal Gloom transitioned the upward swing into a diagonal upward slash as she dexterously spun it between her hands, the other platinum-capped end on an intercepting course for her stomach. Rei, though, had regained her balance and seen the transition coming due to [Melee Mastery], her body already in motion as she twisted around the staff and ducked.
To add whatever advantage she could, she also hit the staff from beneath with her forearm in passing, giving it some extra momentum that caught her opponent off-guard, judging by how she leaned backward to compensate.
It wasn't an opportunity Rei would miss, and she lunged forward, her VibroFang starting to hum softly as it went for Royal Gloom's wrist.
Rei hit her target, a crackling of electricity sparking inside the woman's forearm as Rei nearly sheared through half of it before the limb was jerked away.
Through her melee skills, Rei read how the woman shifted her balance and grip on the staff, now only clutched in one hand. Rei prepared for another tricky maneuver from the surprisingly versatile weapon, and just as she'd thought, it came as the staff in Royal Gloom's hand turned to smack her down.
Rei thought she'd been prepared for it, but she didn't know a wrist could turn 270 degrees with such unimaginable force — cybernetic or not. The butt-end of the staff fell on Rei like Thor's hammer, its weight seemingly like a mountain with unstoppable momentum.
She just managed to lean to the side enough that the staff's end hit her shoulder close to the collarbone instead of her head, and she felt the whole upper part of that side of her chest shatter. Had she not bent her legs while leaning but kept them straight, she had no doubt that they, too, would have at least received some fractures.
The crunch of bones was horrendous, and blood spewed as the staff tore through the outermost parts of the muscles holding it all together. Rei's knees hit gravel that scraped against her poor-quality pants, nearly piercing through to touch her skin.
The pain was as immense as it was instantaneous, but thanks to [Pain Tolerance], the damage sustained didn't break her concentration but sharpened her focus instead.
Her eyes grew even colder, and being as close to the woman as she was, she didn't even bother getting to her feet.
In a move that took her opponent by surprise — Royal Gloom having most likely thought the fight over — she lunged for the woman's legs, her VibroFang stabbing into her left knee.
Due to her shattered shoulder, collarbone, and at least one rib, the action wasn't as smooth as she would have liked, and the agony induced pierced through [Pain Tolerance] like fire. Still, as the dagger's edge oscillated at insane frequencies, it went smoothly inside the cybernetic limb's central joint.
The uninjured side of her body holding DuskClaw went to the only place that didn't seem to be as protected as Royal Gloom's vitals:
Her crotch.
It was a dirty move, but Rei didn't care. The woman could have killed her numerous times, so why should she be gentle?
Royal Gloom let out a shriek of pain and surprise as Rei pulled downward with DuskClaw and sideways with VibroFang — tearing the Kevlar-like armor and the flesh beneath as well as nearly severing one of her legs at the knee.
The woman wasn't alone in letting out sounds of pain as Rei let out a keening hiss as fragments of bone tore flesh inside her and exacerbated the blood flow from the violent motion.
Royal Gloom began to collapse toward Rei from the malfunctioning leg, her steely grip on her staff loosening until it passed her fingertips. Through Rei's highly attentive split stream of consciousness, though, she saw something extending from the wrist of the now empty hand as if in slow motion.
A hidden dagger?
There was no hesitation as the arm holding the now free VibroFang streaked upward to meet the woman's forehead as Rei let out her first scream from the agony of forcing her shoulder to raise the limb upward.
The pain didn't lessen as her arm was unceremoniously halted as Royal Gloom intercepted instead of aiming for Rei's own skull, the previously hidden blade piercing her forearm and scraping against bone.
One part of her mind focused on doing her best to reach the woman's neck instead of her skull, as aiming there in the first place had been stupid. Rei's legs pushed her upward as moving her shoulder any further wasn't possible with the hidden weapon piercing her forearm.
It was as sharp as her own VibroFang, and Rei's flesh parted as if an invisible zipper was being pulled all the way down to near her elbow.
Rei saw fear blossom in her opponent's eyes but didn't let up. The other part of her mind had relied on [Stealth] to hide her second dagger's position in the struggle, the blade creeping up on the woman and piercing her in the armpit as she finally fell to her knees.
Blood gushed as she tore the dagger out and, at the same time, pierced the woman's throat with VibroFang. The oscillating blade cut so effortlessly that Rei knew she'd sever her spine and the neural link entwined with it if she pushed any further.
Instead, she settled for jerking her right arm to her left with more grinding in her shattered shoulder and another scream that she swiftly stifled by channeling [Merciless] even deeper.
VibroFang made a clean exit as it cut off thick arteries and sprayed more blood onto Rei and the gravel around them.
There was panic in the woman's eyes then, but as the blood spurted with each thump of her quickly beating heart, Rei saw them slowly dim, her brain shutting down from the lack of oxygen.
Knowing the fight was over, Rei jerked herself backward from her kneeling position to spring to her feet — her opponent collapsing face-first on the ground.
Rei swayed somewhat unsteadily as she stood. She was growing less and less clearheaded by the second, yet as she felt her rising hunger, her mind snapped into focus like it hadn't even done during the fight.
I need to shut off [Self-Repair], NOW!
Focusing all her willpower, she slammed her thoughts into the System, mentally screaming at it to shut the perk off. She didn't even feel the faint nosebleed she earned from the mental force she'd exerted.
The System, though, followed her instructions without fuss, giving Rei whiplash from the lack of mental resistance.
I, I've never tried turning it off? Or have I? I don't... remember...
Rei felt herself stumble slightly, but her eyes regained a hint of clarity as she saw her opponent drop through the ground next to her, the announcer AI proclaiming, "Winner, Voidliac."
Then Rei, too, vanished.
Comments
Addicted_Reader
> When I reach E-rank, I'll earn 500 credits per win and need to participate in 100 additional total fights at the same 90% win-loss ratio to rank up again. No competent capitalist would use this system. Firstly, the bucketing doesn’t make much sense. From a purely mathematical standpoint, an S league with 10 people would require 10,000,000 F-rank people continuously doing blood sports to maintain. Secondly, the fact that buckets exist at all is very odd. An ELO system would more accurately capture distinctions between players (which increases drama and money) while also allowing people who are over skilled to instantly rank up to the appropriate arena by getting high ranking players to accept challenges. In contrast, the current system has a massive flaw: if several high skill players join F-tier, they could clog up each other’s deserved ascension by dragging win % low. An ELO system would weight wins against skilled players differently and prevent this problem. Finally, the tier-based payment system massively incentivizes non-Collesuem competition and lowers payer quality. Anyone who brings in more than 5000 credits per match is subsisizing those who don’t. They will just stream pay per view privately! Or low compensation will deter the best fighters from joining! Also from a narrative standpoint, ELO shouldn’t be too hard to keep track of. Just use one of the many calculators available online!
Stefan Landshut
Amazing!
