Set of Arachnophobia (Platin)
Armor: 5000 per piece
Class: Heavy
Condition: Perfect
Pieces: 5/5 – Bonus feature unlocked!
When wearing the full set, you gain 20% extra health, 20% extra stamina, and 100% resistance against any poison.
When taking any kind of damage, you have a 15% chance of spawning a Guardian. The Guardian will fight for you for 20 seconds or until killed. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Enjoy the arachnophobia in your foes’ eyes!
That was an epic set!
Right after logging into the game, Kai had received a message from the system.
Yesterday, the Dark Lair experienced an unexpected incident, which we deeply regret. Despite our best efforts, sometimes the code experiences unforeseeable glitches. Rest assured that all issues have been fixed and that TSOTA is as safe a virtual environment as it can be. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope you enjoy the little gift we placed in your inventory. The TSOTA Team.
“Yeah, I got it, too. It’s cool,” Stan said. “Now stop deflecting. You did fucking what?”
“I applied for the Cyber Squad,” Kai said, trying to sound as casual as possible. Even though he was playing it cool toward his friend, he was so excited that he wanted to shout the news all over the Cydonian realm.
“Why the hell would you do that?” Stan asked in disbelief. “Are you insane?”
Kai equipped his new gear and closed the inventory. He looked at his friend, who was wearing the breathtaking Dark Elven avatar again. The expression of confusion and dismay on her face looked as real as on an actual person’s.
“You witnessed yourself what those guys are capable of, didn’t you? I’ve never seen anything like it in my entire life.”
“That’s true, but–”
“Besides, I didn’t get the job yet, so relax. All they did was invite me to an interview.”
Stan frowned but said nothing.
“Most likely, nothing will come of it,” Kai said, shrugging.
In truth, he very much hoped that something would come of it. A new job. The coolest job in the world. Playing games for a living, equipped with buffs and gear any ordinary player could only dream of.
“Hm, guess you’re right,” his friend said. Then he chuckled. “But it didn’t stop you from flipping off your boss and quitting!”
“Man, I hated it there so much. Besides, the interview is tomorrow at noon. Hana would never have given me a day off, and if I stayed away, she would have fired me. So, screw her.”
Stan laughed, hitting Kai’s shoulder. “Well done, mate.”
Kai looked down at himself, inspecting the new armor he had equipped. “Wow.”
He summoned a mirror from his inventory, and it appeared right in front of him. The gleaming sunlight in the courtyard reflected in it.
The mirror was an item most players chose to carry in their inventory at all times, even though it took three slot points and was a premium item that had to be bought with real money. After all, when equipping new gear or a new costume to cover the gear, everyone wanted to check if it made them look like a badass or an idiot. Like the majority of VR games, TSOTA was a 100% first-person experience with the user becoming the character they played. This made it impossible to look at yourself in third-person, like in earlier times.
Kai liked what he saw in the mirror. Very much. The armor set had been designed with incredible details. It looked as if it had been crafted in shiny, black chitin and was ornamented with artfully sculpted spider reliefs.
Although it was heavy armor, it felt surprisingly light and allowed more agility than other sets usually did. Yet somehow it didn’t feel right wearing it. Like a stale, unpleasant taste you couldn’t get rid of, no matter how much water you drank.
“It’s an amazing set,” Stan acknowledged, watching how Kai posed in front of the mirror. “I got the medium version and it looks even better. And the stats… Jesus fucking Christ! It’s probably the best set in the game! The Guardian it spawns is a tad smaller than the one we fought but still a frightening sight.”
“Don’t you think it feels wrong somehow, though?” Kai asked.
“What do you mean? It suits you perfectly!”
“No, I mean… somehow it feels like blood money. They paid us off so we’d keep quiet about what happened.”
“Oh, that… yeah.”
They both fell silent for a moment. No one in the guild had seen any of the players who had suffered heavy damage yesterday. Which was suspicious, because Red and Cloudgirl in particular spent almost all their days in the game. It wasn’t like them not to show up all day and not send a message to anyone. Kai had a very bad feeling about that.
“I’m sure they’re gonna be fine,” Stan said, as if he sensed Kai’s concern. “This is a game, after all. Not real. Everything that happens to you here can’t affect your actual body.”
He parroted the mantra game devs and publishers repeated over and over, and most players believed it. Luckily he and the rest of the crew hadn’t got injured.
Kai frowned, thinking about the bruises on his real body. He didn’t tell his friend anything about it because he didn’t want to concern him. He also knew that Stan was lying to himself with what he was saying. His friend knew all too well that accidents happened. Otherwise he wouldn’t think that the Cyber Squad was such a dangerous job.
“So, what do you think, pal? Shall we put our new gear to the test in PvP? We could smash some noobs in a couple of Death Matches.” Stan’s voice revealed excitement about the prospect, and the big eyes of his elven avatar gleamed.
“Sure, why not?” Kai smiled.
“Cool! I’ll check in the guild to see if we can find two more people to go in with a full team. This is going to be epic! Watch how everyone runs when our big-ass spiders spawn!”
Chapter Eight
The next morning, Kai woke up before Alessia could activate the morning alarm. And that even though he had set the alarm for two hours earlier than usual. Today was a big day and he wanted to be sure to have enough time to master any obstacle reality could throw in his way. From an occupied bathroom to the train being late.
It turned out that he was the first one up in the apartment, and not only was the bathroom free but there was even enough hot water for him to enjoy his shower for once.
“I would suggest classic, semi-formal attire for a job interview,” the AI said as he stood in front of his open closet, staring inside and wondering what to wear. Usually, he didn’t give much thought to it and simply chose something clean that matched well enough not to let him look like a total dork.
Why is it so much easier to look good in VR than in real life?
He knew why. A perfectly shaped body looked good in almost anything. His avatar even looked great when naked. Something he couldn’t say about his real self…
After a moment of contemplation, he decided to listen to Alessia and put on a pair of blue jeans and a long-sleeved, plain shirt. He didn’t own other shoes but sneakers, but he did pick the least worn pair.
“You look formidable, Kai,” the AI said, and he wondered once again if that was a hint of sarcasm in her voice. “Good luck at your job interview!”
He left the apartment and was delighted and surprised to find the elevator operating. Maybe that was a good omen. At least he wouldn’t show up at the interview with sweat stains on his shirt.
It was so early when he exited the building that the street winding through the tenement canyon was almost empty. The usual drunks and drug addicts loitering on the corners and around benches were apparently still sleeping off their hangovers.
Fifteen minutes later, Kai was sitting on the train downtown. He was so excited that he could hardly sit still during the whole ride. It wasn’t the same route as his usual one to his old job. Instead, he had to change trains twice before he was heading to his final destination.
It was in the outskirts of the city, about forty-
five minutes from downtown, but in the opposite direction to where Kai lived. And the neighborhood couldn’t have been more different either. Instead of run-down tenements, Kai saw impressive buildings of glass and chrome, every one displaying a unique architecture. Some of the biggest tech companies and research facilities in the country were located in this district.
Looking around in awe, Kai made the twenty-minute walk from the train station to Helltek HQ. Once there, he couldn’t help but stare with an open mouth at what was lying before him. It was huge. Much bigger than he had anticipated. At first, all he could see was the exquisite glass architecture of the main building, erected in the center of the facility. The premises were surrounded by massive white walls with barbed wire on top. Every couple of feet there was a camera, and security bots were patrolling the site.
A bit intimidated, Kai went up to the main gate, which was operated by two human and two artificial guards, of which one resembled a canine. He introduced himself and presented his ID, as instructed in the email that had come with his invitation to his job interview.
While the human guards checked his ID and ran his face through a scanner, the four-legged robot approached and inspected him almost like a real dog would have. Kai had heard about those models. Apparently they were designed to detect hidden weapons, narcotics and explosives. They were also much faster than they looked.
Kai still remembered that when he was a child, people actually used to have real pets: cats, dogs, and others. No one had them anymore, though, and no one could really say why. Maybe because a pet robot could be simply switched off when its owner didn’t want to take care of it? It didn’t need food either, or a regular visit to the vet. Kai had had an artificial hamster a couple of years ago but eventually got bored with it, and now he couldn’t even remember where he had put it.
After a moment, the guards cleared him and he was good to go inside.
“Just go straight ahead,” one of the men said in a bored tone. “Enter the main building and get checked in at the reception desk. You can’t miss it.”
Kai’s heart was pounding as he approached the impressive and slightly intimidating main building. Above the main entrance, Helltek Labs Inc. was shimmering in oversized, holographic neon letters, which were changing their color every few seconds. Before entering, Kai looked around and noticed that this was by no means the only structure on the premises. Other, smaller buildings were close by, arranged around a Zen-style artificial lake and a park-like green area. Behind it stood buildings that looked like residential structures yet were not comparable with the gray, basic houses Kai was used to living in. The entire facility had the vibe of an ultra-modern campus.
Automatic glass doors opened, and Kai entered the building. He found himself in a huge entrance hall with white marble floors and glass walls. Pleasantly scented, cool air greeted him. It felt so clean that he almost felt refreshed by simply breathing it in. He approached the front desk. The woman sitting there was young and gorgeous.
“Hi. How can I help you?” she asked in a friendly tone that faked interest. Her blond hair was pinned up artfully, and her eyes were green like fresh spring leaves. A color that couldn’t possibly be natural. She wore a tight white dress and a pin with the company logo on her chest.
“Hi… um, I’m here for a job interview,” Kai said, trying to sound less nervous than he was.
“Ah, yes. You must be Kai,” she said after glancing at her screen. “Please take a seat over there. Rachel will be right with you.”
She pointed at some white lounge chairs near the window. Kai nodded and walked over to them. More than 30 minutes early, he took a seat. He had been so anxious that something might go wrong on his way there that he had calculated in some extra time. Now he would have to wait. Nervous as he was, thirty minutes would feel like an eternity.
Sitting down, he noticed that the chair was surprisingly uncomfortable, one of those designer furniture pieces that had the sole purpose of looking good and nothing more. A 3D hologram shone in the glass wall right next to him, showing a sequence of several promo videos for Helltek and the Cyber Squad. Kai forced himself to watch the sequence over and over again because otherwise his gaze would wander back to the gorgeous receptionist, and he didn’t want to appear like a creep.
Luckily, he didn’t have to wait long. Only ten minutes later, the unmistakable sound of high-heels on a marble floor echoed through the hall.
Kai looked up and saw an elegant woman approaching. She was in her early thirties and dressed in a black pencil skirt and a red blazer. Brown-reddish locks were pinned up into a loose bun and blue eyes sparkled behind highly fashionable glasses.
Kai’s heart skipped a beat when looking at her. Was she even wearing anything under her blazer? It didn’t look that way. He felt sweat building up behind his ears and hated himself for it. He was used to seeing the prettiest creatures imaginable in VR, yet he rarely got into contact with beautiful women of flesh and blood. And they had a much stronger effect on him than their virtual counterparts.
“Welcome to Helltek, Kai,” she said in a friendly, slightly husky voice. “I’m Rachel from HR.”
“Hi!” he said, jumping up. “Nice to meet you.”
He put on his most winning smile and tried as hard as he could not to show how nervous he was.
“If you’ll follow me, please,” Rachel said, turning around.
Kai did as he was asked and couldn’t help but notice her heart-shaped ass under the tight skirt and her pretty legs while walking after her. No doubt, this was a woman who spent every night at the gym. But then she opened the door that led from the entrance hall to the main area of the building, and Kai’s attention shifted from her to what was lying there.
When approaching it, he had noticed that the building was curved, but it was only now that he saw that it was actually round. Shaped cylindrically, it stretched at least six stories up and probably the same amount down. It was difficult to tell at a quick glance since; instead of a staircase, the building had a ramp that wound through the whole structure like an oversized helix. The center was decorated with artfully installed plants and flowers that were hanging from the rim of the walkway. In the middle, two transparent elevators transported people up and down.
Rachel turned her head and smiled. “It’s impressive, isn’t it? The architects were inspired by the Getty Museum in New York.”
Kai nodded, though he didn’t know what the Getty Museum was as he had never been to New York. In fact, like most people, he had never been anywhere. The only place he went was VR. But he didn’t want to seem like an idiot, so he pretended as if he knew what the HR lady was talking about.
Instead of approaching the elevators, she took the walkway up. Following the alluring scent of her perfume, Kai peeked down and noticed that the building had at least as many stories underground as it had above. He saw employees using the ramp, the lifts and the glass catwalks connecting the main areas with the elevators in the middle. Most were in their twenties or thirties and well-dressed. Some wore business attire, others more casual clothes, and they all made Kai feel like a loser from the suburbs – which he technically was.
Only half a story up, Rachel stopped in front of a glass door that opened for her automatically. They entered a spacious office with panoramic windows that allowed a beautiful view over the whole campus and the Zen-style park. She sat down behind a modern desk made of milky plexiglass and pointed at a chair facing it.
“Please, make yourself comfortable,” she said with a smile, crossing her legs, before looking at her computer screen. Sitting down, Kai tried everything not to stare at her chest, but her outfit made that a difficult task.
“Thanks for sending us your resume, Kai,” Rachel said after studying something on her screen for a moment, most likely his profile. “It appears you’re a perfect candidate to work in game QA.”
“Am I?” he said, surprised, feeling like a total moron the moment his words left his mouth.
Rachel
chuckled.
“Yes, indeed. You have a degree in mathematics and an exceptional overall Gamerscore. Your gamer reputation is that of a team player who is considerate of others. You always put the well-being of your team over your own score. TSOTA is your favorite game, but you’re an allrounder with excellent skills in shooters, strategy games, and more.”
“Um, yes,” he said, not knowing what else to say.
None of this had been part of his resume. They must have pulled it from his X-Perience profile, which was like his fingerprint in the VR gaming world. It made sense for them to have done so.
“I can also see in our internal report that you’ve already come into contact with one of our teams,” Rachel continued, pausing for a second while reading something. Then she raised an eyebrow. “It was one of our Level Ten squads, in fact. Those guys are pretty impressive, aren’t they?”
Kai stared at her. He hadn’t expected the conversation to go in this direction at all. It began to occur to him that Helltek already knew everything about him and that this conversation with the HR lady was a pure formality. Obviously they were able to access all his game protocols if they wanted, and they’d also noticed his player signature during the incident with the glitched giant spider.
“Yes, they are,” he answered after a moment had passed.
“Was the encounter with our team the reason why you sent us your resume?”
“Yes and no,” he answered truthfully. If they already knew everything about him, he might as well be honest about his intentions. “It was like the final motivation for me to give it a shot, but I’d been playing with the thought for a while.”
Rachel leaned back in her chair and studied him.
“Can you elaborate on that?”
“I’ve seen your recruitment ads on the train and–”
“Ah, yes,” she interrupted him with a smile. “We target suitable candidates deliberately by using your neuro-plant data. Glad to hear you received the message.”
Kai stared at her for a moment until he realized how stupid he must look. He cleared his throat before speaking.
Cyber Squad - Level 1: A Gamelit/LitRPG Lite Cyberpunk Adventure Page 8
