Contest (The Stork Tower Book 6)

by Tony Corden

  “Dr Roberts and I reviewed your scans, and I brought Kevin into the discussion. Together we have designed a sling that should be straight forward to construct. It will limit your upper body movements considerably but should protect both shoulders and limit long-term effects. It should also help reduce the pain.”

  “That’s good. How much time will it take me to construct the brace in Dunyanin? I’ll need to make sure I leave enough time to do that and learn control of the shroud before the Merkize competition.”

  “It should be easy to construct. I filtered through everything you have collected and put together several things which are easily modified to form the sling.”

  While they talked Gèng led Leah toward the Dunyanin portal and then to a similar portal she had formed next to it. On a bench outside were a set of black pauldrons, a Succubeetle Cuirass similar to the one she’d found in Çaresiz and a dark green archer’s breast guard. Gèng explained how to connect the three together with the pauldrons and cuirass attached to the straps of the chest guard. Leah equipped her Dragon armour, then Gèng helped her modify the new sling until it fit like a glove. Despite the somewhat significant limitations it placed on Leah’s upper body mobility, she found it reduced her pain level significantly.

  Gèng said, “Dr Roberts and Kevin suggest you let Kevin strap your body similarly when you take your break.”

  “I thought the Pod required the user to be naked.”

  “It does. It needs sufficient skin contact to stimulate the muscles and to keep the body from dehydration and pressure injuries. Pods such as yours allow small areas like those covered by the bandages, though they will warn when too much skin is covered over. Certain materials have been designed to be used in the Pod in cases and situations when someone cannot or will not agree to being unclothed. These materials are expensive and are therefore rarely used. Kevin is adapting some for you to use as a shoulder harness.”

  “Where did he get some so quickly?”

  “He has deconstructed several of the sanitary products used during menstruation. It has several layers of the pod-suitable material.”

  Leah shook her head and said, “It’s strange, but for some reason, I find that more embarrassing than him seeing me mostly naked. Is there anything else happening that I should know before I head into the cyber-simulation?”

  “Olivia is currently meeting with the police to discuss the interview they requested. They are pushing strongly for an immediate interview while she is putting the case for an adjournment until after the Merkize event. Olivia expected it to be something they would readily agree to, but they are pushing for a midday meeting. Olivia sent a message saying she believes the police are being actively encouraged to prevent you from being able to attend the competition. They have quoted certain judicial findings which restrict someone’s right to use virtual gaming as an excuse to avoid timely legal proceedings from being carried out. Olivia suggests you continue as outlined and leave the legal side to her at the moment.”

  Leah nodded and donning the brace, stepped into the simulation.

  29

  Chapter 29

  December 17, 2073 - Morning - Part 9

  SURVIVAL SIMULATION - CYBERSPACE

  She appeared in a large circular room with nine statues around the edge. Gèng said, “On the floor are two lines. When you step toward one of the statues and cross the first line, you will see a montage of them fighting different opponents. If you cross the second line, the statue will respond to your attack similarly to the gameplay I have been able to observe.”

  Leah turned slowly so she could look at each of the statues. Her back, arms, and shoulders ached, and her life was complicated beyond belief, yet a shiver of anticipation ran down her spine. She knew she was mostly outmatched, but she wanted to test herself against these players. For most, it was nothing more than relishing the challenge to push herself and improve. To some, especially Ivan and Yuè Fēi, she admired them and wanted to prove she was worthy. To two, namely Gottes Kreiger and Merideath, she wanted to beat them so badly it was almost a physical need.

  Leah decided to start with the one with the lowest level. This was the now Level 440 Seishin_no_Kage_12. From the name, Leah suspected Seishin was Japanese, and the overall shape, although hidden by the grey and black clothing seemed female. She carried swords, knives and a whip made of segmented metal blades. Stepping over the first line, Leah watched samples of Seishin’s feed as she battled different creatures, MOBs and players. Leah observed moves she thought showed Seishin had studied Karate, Aikido and either Kung-fu or Shorinji Kempo. Seishin used a bladed whip which did no damage when it hit or wrapped around her. Leah was almost certain Seishin wasn’t using any preset moves and had mastered the whip in her martial art training.

  Seishin preferred surprise attacks, but her use of the sword and whip together was devastating when she attacked in the open. Leah noted that Seishin had access to several attack spells which looked to be based on shadow and fire magic. Her shroud formed an effective shield and was sometimes used to attack if the opponent got too close. Leah estimated Seishin’s range with the shroud attacks was less than a metre-and-a-half. Seishin was both fast and agile and could use any part of her body effectively as a weapon.

  After watching the feed for ten minutes, Leah crossed the line and battled the simulated Seishin for forty-five minutes. Gèng limited each bout to three minutes and Leah was pleased to finish with more wins overall. Her lack of mobility was evident and Leah knew the real Seishin would quickly develop moves to take advantage of these weaknesses.

  Leah turned next to Královna_Kouzel_666. From her name, Leah assumed she had a Czech background and was a serious mage with a dark bent. As she watched Královna_Kouzel_666 fight, Leah understood why she had called her clan Pavouk. Královna didn’t so much cast magic as spin it. Even as it left her, she could shape it and change it, mix it with previous casts and even join it with the magic of others in a complex web of mana and death. Královna was particularly adept with Blood and Water magic but showed familiarity with all the elements both in attack and defence.

  Both of Královna’s shrouds were used as effective shields, but Královna usually used them as batteries for her attacks rather than using them in attack. Although she had a sword, the few times she used it it seemed as though she was using the preset moves. Královna preferred to attack from a distance and actively stepped away from direct attacks. Twice Leah thought she saw the mage's eyes flash brightly under the hood just before one of Královna’s complex weaves successfully closed in an opponent. Leah asked Gèng to rerun both attacks several times but couldn’t see what effect the flash had except to signal the attack.

  Stepping forward Leah spent three-quarters of an hour fighting Královna_Kouzel_666. This time Gèng allowed for more prolonged bouts as both Královna and Leah had large stores of mana. Královna won most of the rounds using attacks Leah had no experience in overcoming. For the last ten minutes, Leah had Gèng simulate the different shrouds available to Leah, and even though Leah began to win several of the bouts, she was not satisfied that Gèng had been able to accurately mimic the unknown shrouds or Královna’s responses. She discussed the issue with Gèng and Gèng agreed most of the simulation had been interpretive on her part. Gèng did suggest her modelling had estimated that the simulated attacks and responses were unlikely to diverge from reality in ninety per cent of cases.

  Gottes_Kreiger_10 was currently seventy-eight levels higher than Leah. He was obviously a religious man, although his rhetoric seemed out of place with Leah's understanding of faith. She spent some time considering his words from their few meetings and had Gèng play them back several times. She was interested that over ninety-five per cent of his opponents were either from the dark races, of mixed race, dwarven or somehow connected with the lower classes. The few pure-blooded human and elven warriors he faced were dispatched clinically and treated with dignity. The rest of the time, he was just as deadly but seemed to be filled with
rage, and he took pleasure in prolonging the pain.

  He was both agile and strong, with an amazing ability to take punishment and keep fighting. He easily wielded the sword with either hand and sometimes used a two-handed mace covered in spikes and sharpened blades. Whatever Namus had gifted him with as a Paladin operated somewhat like a shroud and moved seemingly independently to shield him from attack. Leah realised that whatever the silver coloured shield was it seemed brighter and thicker when the attacks made use of dark magic, trickery, or deceit. She wondered if his character had led him to Namus or being Paladin had somehow corrupted him. Either way, she considered how to turn his attitudes into weaknesses.

  When she battled his simulation, she lost almost every fight because of his enormous stamina and strength. She found her injuries limited her overall agility and made it difficult to evade his attacks. A few times during the fights the simulation would scream abuse as he attacked, and Leah realised she hadn't noticed this when watching and filed it away in case she had to fight him at some stage.

  Princesa_Amazônica_23 was only one level short of 500 and the next highest contestant. Leah stepped toward the statue and reviewed the montage of the elven Ranger in battle. The jaguar who had accompanied her to the Merkize opening was a pet and often fought beside her. She wasn’t dependent on the creature and could summon a variety of jungle animals to help her fight. Princesa_Amazônica_23 was best when fighting from a distance where her skill with the bow came to the fore. She used a variety of different arrows, many of which had been enchanted to explode or release spells of one sort or another. Up close, she was a gifted knife fighter, but she usually relied on the animals she conjured.

  Leah was surprised when the shroud not only served to protect Princesa but also the animals she called. Altogether Leah counted twenty different animals under the beast master’s control, but only two had ever been used simultaneously. When that happened, Leah noted that the creatures appeared wilder and even though they attacked as directed, they did so with less purpose than when called singly. If one of her beasts was killed, she seemed able to call a second without any delay.

  Stepping over the second line, Leah fought the simulation beast-master only twice in the forty minutes she’d allocated. Both times had ended in defeat when she ran out of mana. She had been unable to draw the ranger close in battle and the creatures she had summoned all failed to defeat the beastmaster’s. She had a few ideas on how to beat Princesa_Amazônica_23 and was about to start a third battle when Gèng reminded her she still had five more contestants to review.

  The orc, Мастер_Cмерти, was next and at Level 503 had advanced ten levels since their last meeting at the opening event. Leah hadn’t been impressed by his manners but was, she admitted to herself, intimidated a bit by his size. He stood over nine and a half feet tall and over three feet wide across the shoulders. His primary weapon was a machete, although as Leah watched him fight, he just as readily used his hands as his nails were razor sharp and strong enough to tear through armour. Similar to Gottes_Kreiger_10, Leah thought his main defence was his overwhelming supply of health, strength and stamina.

  When fighting, he lived up to his name and delivered death quickly and efficiently in all manner of circumstances. Besides his machete and nails, Leah watched as he killed creatures larger than himself using the sharpened edges on his armour and once he ripped their throat out with his teeth. Leah winced at that then chuckled with embarrassment when she remembered she was a vampire.

  While watching him battle several mages, Leah realised that some of his defence was magical. She had Gèng replay the montage three times and even had her increase the statue’s size so Leah could examine it in detail. Leah concluded that he had some form of shroud which he used both in defence and attack. Many attacks never reached his skin, and when Leah studied the feed up close, she noticed that although blades would drive him backwards, they were deflected a distance from his body. Reviewing his attacks, she could also see instances when his slashing arm looked to tear into an enemy, but in reality, the blow fell short, instead, something projecting from his body tore into his adversary.

  Leah’s investigations left her with less than thirty minutes to duel with Мастер_Cмерти, and once again Gèng limited their bouts to three minutes. Surprisingly, at least to Leah, she was able to win a third of the rounds. Her understanding of his shroud and her ability to grow to his size allowed her to negate some of his clear advantages. He still won the majority of bouts because Leah lacked the mobility to get out of the way. She purposefully didn’t use her misting ability because she really had no way of knowing how the shroud would affect it.

  Delta_Knight_01 was next. He was as tall as Thad, but his body was wider and thicker due to what Leah imagined was slabs of dense muscle. Every part of his body was covered in dark armour with gold etching. As Leah watched him battle players, MOBs and creatures of all varieties, she concluded that the numerous jewels which covered his armour held enchantments and spells of all kinds. Leah asked if he had ever shown magical abilities and Gèng explained that some master enchanters and mages in Clan Delta Force kept the armour fully charged with mana and spells. Also, the warrior was known to have had a living spell tattooed on his body, among other things, this spell increased the rate at which Delta_Knight_01 healed.

  Delta_Knight_01 wielded his great broadsword with skill and Leah judged him to be at least as fast as she was when she was at full health. In her injured state, he was likely to cut her to pieces with ease. She watched intently as he fought mages and larger creatures, and although he never lost, she could see this was her only chance to get anywhere close to parity. Even then she decided not to get too close as his close-quarters combat skills, even without a sword, were the equal of anything she had seen so far.

  In the time she’d set aside to duel the armoured warrior, she lost every battle although she did reduce his health to under twenty per cent on several occasions. Her greatest success had been when she fought from a distance and then moved closer in the form of a beast. Leah refrained from using the glitch wolf and gravity spells because she was determined to save them for when, and if, she fought Merideath.

  Leah had three left to fight, and of all the warriors, she respected the next two the most. Ivan, who went by the name Боевой_молот, was next. He played a Barbarian warrior and Leah thought the name suited him perfectly. Ivan's primary weapon was a huge battle axe which he wielded effortlessly. Leah was amazed at his dexterity and the ease with which he changed the heavy weapon’s direction to change attack into defence or to make the most of an opportunity. Leah knew Ivan was ex-military, and the few times he fought without the axe, he showed skill with knives and hand-to-hand combat. Although he didn’t cast magic, he seemed to shrug off most magical attacks. Again Leah studied his image up close, and she observed that the bear tattoo which had appeared to move was made up of hundreds of tiny runes. She also studied the runes on his axe. From her knowledge of runes, she knew the apparent immunity he showed was due to the influence of the enchantments that looked as though they would deal with almost every type of magic she knew.

  As the montage closed, Leah watched Ivan fight an enormous ice wyrm which looked to be winning until the tattoo on Ivan’s chest began to glow and then, with a flash of light, it transformed into a fifteen-foot bear who fought beside Ivan. Whatever the spell was took all of Ivan’s mana because the spells on his axe and the runes on his body stopped glowing and moving.

  Once again, Gèng limited the length of the duels. Some of the bouts ended in a draw, but the others were all decided in Ivan’s favour. Leah did better toward the end as she became more familiar with the flow of Ivan’s movements. Her arms and shoulders were now aching constantly during the rounds and even during times of recovery because Gèng wasn’t able to restrict all the pain sensors.

  Yuè_Fēi_Lóng had tried to help Leah when they first met at the Merkize launch, and Leah knew she had a small crush on the tall
elf. He carried himself with enormous gravitas, and he had a reputation for generosity and compassion. His armour gleamed, and to Leah's mind, which had been influenced by Tolkien and Tolkienesque fantasy, he was everything that an elf should be. Enlarging his statue, Leah studied the detail on his armour and noted the many jewels of power and etched runes. She was surprised to find that some of the runes looked to mirror the writing in Lord Y’sam Ejderhasi’s spell book. She hadn't expected to see these on an elven set of armour.

  As she watched the montage Gèng had put together, she saw he was a natural swordsman who had studied the sword in a similar way to herself. His moves had obviously developed independently of the choreographed moves Dunyanin coded. Watching his style in hand to hand combat, she decided he had probably been in the military because, although his style was similar to that of someone who studied with a Shaolin master, he was sometimes brutally efficient at the expense of form. He often used his bow when attacking from a distance and had a variety of spelled arrows. For defence, Leah noted that in addition to his speed, his armour also provided some magical protection.

  Gèng kept the bouts to three minutes, but Leah had lost every single one. After twenty-five minutes Gèng stopped the simulation and said, “Leah, Yuè Fēi is not unbeatable. You have missed opportunities that you normally would have taken. At times it seems that you lose more than he wins. Let me show you.”

  Gèng displayed the last bout and stopped it after thirty-seconds. She said, “You are in a similar position to when you fought yourself in the mirror quest. Then you attacked and succeeded in wounding your clone. Here you gave up and tried to retreat, thus opening yourself to Yuè Fēi’s return stroke.”

  Twice more Gèng stopped the bout to show Leah her missed opportunities. When the episode finished Gèng said, “I noticed a similar response when you fought Ivan. You admire them and so you doubt yourself.”