Man Made God 003

by Brandon Varnell

  Fayte shrugged as if to say, “I wasn’t the one who came up with those names.”

  “I’m guessing the person next to Daren is the Spear God?” asked Adam.

  “That’s right,” Fayte said with a subtle nod. “In every game he has ever played, the Spear God has the same outfit and never changes it. No one has ever seen what he looks like either. Some people have tried to discover his identity by tracking him when he first begins playing, but no one has succeeded.”

  Adam nodded as he turned to his fairy companion. “Titania?”

  Because she knew exactly what he wanted, Titania did not hesitate to cast [scan], but this time she only cast scan on the Spear God.

  Name: Spear_God

  Class: Spear Dancer

  Lvl: 17

  SP: 0

  AP: 5,000

  Experience: 100,050/9,830,400

  Strength: +150

  Constitution: +100

  Dexterity: +5

  Intelligence: +5

  Speed: +5

  Physical Attack: +2,350

  Hit-Rate: ???

  MP: 440/440

  Movement: +15

  Physical Defense: +860

  Magical Defense: +400

  Dodge-Rate: 50%

  Magic Attack: +5

  Skills:

  Skill Name: Slash

  Description: A basic skill where the player swings his or her sword and attacks the enemy!

  Current lvl: 5 MAXED

  Ability: Causes 150% damage to enemy if it hits

  MP Cost: 1

  Cooldown Time: 0 seconds

  Skill Name: Thrust

  Description: A basic skill where the player thrusts his or her sword at the enemy!

  Current Lvl: 5 MAXED

  Ability: Causes 160% damage with a 5% chance at getting a critical hit

  MP Cost: 5

  Cooldown Time: 0 seconds

  Skill Name: First Form

  Description: Much like a spider weaves its webs, the user of this skill will create numerous flashes of light with their spear intent to weave an impenetrable offense that entraps opponents, making it impossible for them to escape.

  Current lvl: 4

  AP needed to reach lvl 5: 60,000

  Ability: Enemies who fall into this barrier receive 300% damage for every spear light they hit

  MP Cost: 100

  Cooldown Time: 30

  Skill Name: Second Form

  Description: This dance is one that requires the spearman to lunge forward with quick and powerful movements just like a striking serpent. The attack happens so fast that most people cannot even see the spearman move.

  Current lvl: 4

  AP needed to reach lvl 5: 80,000

  Ability: Lunges forward six times to do x6 damage

  MP Cost: 100

  Cooldown Time: 30 seconds

  Skill Name: Martyr

  Description: A kamikaze skill that sacrifices oneself to damage their enemy.

  Current lvl: 4

  AP needed to reach lvl 5: 100,000

  Ability: Sacrifices 80% HP to do 80% damage to selected enemy

  MP Cost: 400

  Cooldown Time: 120 seconds

  Skill Name: Cherry Blossom Dance

  Description: A dance that allows the user five consecutive attacks as they dance around their opponent. When all the attacks are completed, an outline will form on the ground in the shape of a cherry blossom.

  Current lvl: 10 MAXED

  Ability: Release a constant stream of attacks, does x3 damage increase for every hit, and resets when attack misses

  Hit-Rate: 100%

  MP Cost: 50

  Cooldown Time: 30 seconds

  While the Spear God’s stats were more impressive than anyone else’s he had seen outside of his own party’s, it was not his stats that caused Adam to feel like his brain had shut down; it was the three skills this person had.

  [First Form].

  [Second Form].

  [Cherry Blossom Dance].

  Anyone not familiar with the Pleonexia Family’s school of spearmanship would never be able to recognize the first two skills, but it was impossible for Adam to not know of them. The first two skills bore similar names as the first two stances within the Pleonexia Family’s combat style. Known as the Seven Spear Dances, the Pleonexia Family’s school of spearmanship had seven powerful stances that were used in conjunction with the spear. Each stance relied on a different pattern of attack and rhythm to throw their enemies off balance. While it was not the best of spear techniques, it was most comprehensive and intricate.

  Each stance was called a form, and there were seven forms titled Form I through VII. The difference between the naming scheme was quite subtle. Adam was honestly a little surprised Levon didn’t seem to have recognized the skills, or perhaps he had and chose not to say anything? There were a lot of combat schools, after all. Maybe he just thought the similarity between the two naming schemes was a mere coincidence?

  Of course, it was [Cherry Blossom Dance] that made Adam’s heart stop beating. While the name was slightly different from his [Dance of the Sakura Blossoms], how could he not realize that those differences were minuscule? Cherry blossoms and sakura blossoms were the same things. The difference was that one was a Japanese word and the other was English.

  Seeing those three skills in this person’s skill set made Adam’s entire body shake and his pupils contract.

  Clash

  “Lexi?” Adam whispered, his voice so soft only Aris could hear it. She was right next to him, hugging his arm as she helped block Susan from Connor Sword’s view.

  “Adam, is everything okay?” she asked in a worried voice.

  Adam shuddered as he tore his gaze away from the cloaked figure. This person couldn't be Lexi. It simply couldn’t be possible. That was what he told himself, repeating it over and over again in his mind until he was forced to believe his own words.

  “Everything is fine,” Adam said as he directed a smile toward Aris. “I was just a little startled by something.”

  “Hmm… that’s fine then.” Aris smiled at him, but there was something about her smile that made Adam understand he wasn’t fooling her. The words she spoke next confirmed this feeling. “But if you ever feel troubled, please come to me. I want you to share your burdens with me.”

  “Thank you,” he whispered.

  A strong feeling of warmth surged through his heart as he looked at the eyes hidden behind that veil. He didn’t need anyone but this girl. Adam had already promised himself to her, so there was no need to think about whether the Spear God was Lexi or not. This person was obviously different anyway. They didn’t walk with the refined grace and elegance he remembered Lexi possessing. Their bearing and demeanor was rough and inelegant, sharp like a sword drawn from its sheath.

  The tension in the room had grown stifling ever since the arrival of Daggerfall Dynasty’s four leaders and their famous bodyguard. Levon, who had originally been traveling toward Fayte, was now forced to stop and turn to Daren Daggerfall. He wore a polite and refined smile. If Adam had not seen the blatant anger and darkness brimming within Levon’s eyes seconds before, he would have believed the man wasn’t capable of feeling such vile emotions.

  “Daren, I knew you and I would meet again once the tournament was announced,” Levon said. “It seems we will once again be battling for a [Guild Creation Token].”

  “Bwa ha ha ha! It certainly seems that way, doesn’t it?” Daggerfall grinned as he squared his shoulders. His body produced an intimidating aura that caused the weaker people in the room to feel faint. “The last time the first [Guild Creation Token] appeared, it was auctioned off. You won because you had more money available than us, but this time, it will be a contest of skill.” The man glanced at his cloaked bodyguard and his smile widened. “I do not believe you will be able to beat us this time.”

  The words were blunt, a clear challenge directed at Levon and the Pleonexia Alliance. While Gaia bristled
and glared at Daggerfall like she wanted to stab his eyes out with icicles, Levon retained his calm and polite demeanor. He nodded at the Spear God, but most of his attention was still on Daren, his own refined elegance allowing him to stand on par with the larger man’s imposing pressure and overbearing confidence.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Levon said faintly. “It is true that the Spear God is indeed ranked second on the International Power Rankings, beating out my friend here, but Connor has been practicing diligently every day in the hopes of winning back his honor in a rematch. I do not believe he will lose this time.”

  As he spoke, Connor Sword stepped forward and stood in front of the Spear God. A faint aura seemed to rise from the man. Even Adam, who was standing several yards away and hidden behind numerous people, could feel the sharp aura emanating from him.

  “Sword intent, huh?” Adam muttered.

  “Excuse me, but what is ‘sword intent’?” asked Aris.

  As someone who didn’t have much contact with these kinds of people, Aris was woefully unknowledgeable about the subject, and Adam had never enlightened her because he didn’t want to taint her innocence. This had become even more true after she contracted Mortems Disease. But now that she had seen someone with sword intent, there was no need to hide it.

  Adam would have answered, but Fayte beat him to it. “Sword intent is the physical manifestation of a swordsman’s sharp intentions. You could call it their fighting spirit if you wanted. Powerful swordsmen with esper abilities can manifest sword intent to create an aura like the one coming from Connor Sword. There are even some powerful swordsmen who are so skilled, they can launch their sword intent at opponents, attacking them from a distance.”

  “Connor Sword also practices a powerful form of swordsmanship called Eight-Headed Serpent Style,” Susan said in a voice so soft everyone else almost missed it. When they glanced at the girl hiding behind Adam, she flushed bright red but continued talking. “The Eight-Headed Serpent Style is a Japanese sword style said to invoke the powers of the famous Yamata no Orochi. It has eight stances and each stance maximizes a different physical attribute. There’s the Speed Stance, Strength Stance, Dexterity Stance, Reflex Stance, Endurance Stance, Formless Stance, Counter Stance, and Serpent Stance.”

  Adam was shocked that Susan knew so much about the Eight-Headed Serpent Style of swordsmanship, but it also solidified his belief that she had some kind of history with Connor Sword. Why else would she know so much about his sword style?

  While they were receiving a slight lesson regarding the sword style Connor Sword used, the conversation between Daren Daggerfall and Levon Pleonexia continued unabated.

  “Bwa ha ha! Well, I suppose you can believe whatever you want, just like I choose to believe there is no way your vice commander or anyone else here can win against my bodyguard.”

  Levon wore a faint smile as his gaze flickered from the Spear God and back to Daren too rapidly for most people to catch. “I guess we shall see in the tournament.”

  It looked like the conversation was winding down, so Adam suggested to Fayte they all change locations. Levon had seen them already. Adam was sure Fayte wished to avoid this man, and he also didn’t want to be in this man’s presence. He did not believe he would be able to withstand his desire to kill Levon if the man got too close. Adam was already suppressing his killing intent to the greatest extent possible.

  Several minutes after the confrontation ended, a large screen suddenly appeared in the air above their heads. Adam looked up with everyone else. The screen showed a large stage made of white tiles with four pillars at each corner. In the center of this stage was a beautiful girl with blonde hair and a bright smile, wearing a skimpy outfit that was obviously meant to draw attention from the crowd.

  “Is that a television?!” Fayte asked in shock.

  “I do not know what a te-lee-vishion is, but this is just a magic screen,” Titania told her. “Like those magic screens that appear when those announcements are made. If you look at the ceiling, you will see a small crystal embedded in the center. That is a magic crystal, which has all kinds of uses. One of its many uses is being able to project images into thin air. There should be a corresponding crystal outside that is connected to this one.”

  “Oh. So that’s how it works,” Fayte murmured with a nod.

  “Hello, everyone!” the girl shouted into something that vaguely resembled a microphone. “I would like to welcome everyone here to the Solum arena’s first-ever otherworld tournament! My name is Sandra Rowland! I will be your host during this tournament! I hope everyone here is as excited as I am for this!”

  The girl’s bubbly personality, attractive appearance, and skimpy clothes made the men in the stands go wild. Even Adam could hear the loud roar of approval coming from outside. The men inside the waiting room also seemed to like this girl. Adam heard several comments that he did not think were at all appropriate to say out loud. From the dark pressure emanating from Aris, Fayte, Titania, and even Lilith, they did not either.

  On that note, Adam believed the only reason Susan was not expressing displeasure like them was that she was too timid.

  “Before we begin, I have some regrettable news for everyone,” Sandra continued. “Don’t worry. Don’t worry. The tournament will continue as usual. However, because we received over three hundred applicants, it won’t be possible to host such a large-scale event. We need to whittle down the number of people participating before we can get to the main event. That is why we have decided that the first battle will be a large-scale all or nothing elimination round.”

  Her words caused the many players participating in the tournament to mutter. A large-scale elimination round was pretty unheard of in the real world, but Adam understood the reason she was doing this. Bromley Paxton probably hadn’t understood how enticing a [Guild Creation Token] was to players and didn’t realize so many would enter. If he didn’t do this, the tournament would last for at least a week if not longer as they slowly whittled away the number of players through a normal tournament.

  “Here is how the preliminary round is going to work,” Sandra began her explanation. “Everyone who is participating will come on this stage, and when I give the signal, you will all fight. Don’t worry. There is a magic barrier around this stage that will prevent people from dying. Once your health reaches +1, you will automatically be teleported off the platform. The fight will continue until just twenty people are left standing. Now! Will everyone participating please exit through the doors and climb onto the platform?”

  A large set of double doors opened on the opposite side of the entrance. The players who’d been anxiously waiting surged forward, streaming outside. Adam, Aris, Fayte, Susan, and Lilith were forced to follow the crowd. Titania and Kureha had no such issues, but Titania was forced to grab his shirt when she was almost knocked off his shoulder after someone bumped into him.

  “Watch where you’re going!” Titania snapped, though the man who hit them was already traveling away and paid no attention to her words. She huffed indignantly and muttered something harsh and threatening under her breath.

  The platform was a lot larger than Adam expected; it was so large that he couldn’t accurately judge how big it was. It was at least two times bigger than a football field, shaped like a square, and elevated about three feet above ground level. Even with over three hundred players participating, this platform was more than capable of accommodating them all and then some.

  Unlike the Roman Colosseum, which Adam had originally assumed this structure would be based on, the arena was enclosed with a large ceiling above their heads. The ribbed ceiling had several lights hanging from it. They looked a little high-tech to him, but after Titania’s explanation about the magic projection, he knew these modern conveniences would be explained away with magic.

  “Let’s move to one of the corners,” Adam suggested.

  “Why one of the corners?” asked Fayte. “Isn’t that a bad position to be in? W
e could be knocked out of the ring.”

  Adam gave the woman an amused smile that she couldn’t see behind his mask. However, he didn’t doubt she could hear the emotion in his voice as he asked, “Do you honestly believe there is anyone capable of knocking us out of the ring?”

  “Oh. I guess you have a point.”

  Under Adam’s advice, the group moved to one of the four corners, which meant they wouldn’t have to worry about attacks from behind. Several other people seemed to have the same idea. At each of the four corners was at least one group of people. Levon, Connor Sword, and his Four—Three—Elements had chosen the corner diametrically opposite of theirs. He felt this was a good thing since Adam wanted to defeat them in single combat.

  Adam did not recognize the other two groups. He had believed Daggerfall Dynasty would choose a corner as well, but he soon discovered they had decided to remain in the middle. The group of five was already standing back to back.

  “Kureha, Titania, you two will have to get off the stage since you can’t participate,” Adam said.

  The tournament was player-only, meaning Adam’s two NPC companions were not allowed to take part. While Titania crossed her arms and huffed, she still fluttered off his shoulder. Kureha didn’t mind as much. She yipped once as she jumped off his head, landed on the platform, and leaped off the stage. The two took up a position just a few yards from the platform. Adam was amused to note that Titania had decided to use Kureha’s head as a chair.

  Sandra was no longer on the platform but standing on a smaller platform hovering in midair. He wondered what sort of magic governed that object. However, he didn’t think there was anyone present who could explain it to him, and it looked like the tournament was about to start.

  “Since it looks like everyone is here, allow me to explain the rules!” Sandra continued. “The rules go like this. Losers are determined by ring out, surrender, or when their health reaches +1. You are not allowed to use potions, but you can use buffs and healing magic. You can choose to fight alone or in a group. However, you should be aware that once the tournament officially starts, all battles will be one on one. Do you all understand? In that case, let this battle begin!”