by Jakob Tanner
Challenge Four: Defeat Another Team
Here we go, thought Max, peering around the barren field.
“Look,” shouted Wendall. “Someone is coming.”
Two climbers rushed at them full speed.
They each had badges on to indicate their rank.
They were both B-rankers.
“Aw crap,” said Wendall. “There’s no way we’re going to take out two B-rankers.”
Max grimaced.
Him and his dodgy accomplice were both D-rank.
They were about to face an uphill battle.
Ken and his partner Louis rushed towards the two D-rankers.
The two lower-ranked climbers did not look prepared for such a full frontal hostile assault so quickly after the challenge prompt had appeared.
“This should be a piece of cake,” Louis snickered.
Ken had to concur with his partner. It was one of the things he loved about being a climber. On the majority of occasions, the numbers and rankings didn’t lie. The higher rank always beats out the lower rank.
As their victims came into view, a shocked feeling pulsed through Ken’s body.
He came to a halt and gestured for his partner to do the same.
He took in the red-haired climber.
Max Rainhart was his name.
He had been a major player in stopping the coup in Zestiris and defeating two powerful agents of The Fallen Angels in Elestria.
Ken sighed.
This fight was not going to be the majority of occasions.
This kid was powerful and even though they were two ranks above him, they should approach with caution.
“I’m sick of that kid getting all the praise and accolades all the time,” said Louis.
“Agreed,” said Ken.
He then shared with Louis a new plan of attack, and then they quickly set forth on executing it.
Max readied himself for the incoming attack.
Wendall leaped forward and triggered his flamebringer trait.
Emerging between his hands was a huge longbow composed entirely of flame. He pulled it back and launched two flaming arrows aimed right at their enemies’ throats.
Incredible, thought Max.
The uncommon elemental trait, which made up climbers of the airbringer, waterbringer, firebringer, and shocker traits, had a very cool evolution at D-rank. They were able to manipulate their element of choice to conjure a powerful weapon composed of that element.
Casey was able to create her wind katana and it looks like Wendall was able to create a fiery long bow and arrow.
Max didn’t like his partner, but it didn’t make his ability any less awesome.
The flaming arrows swooshed across the battlefield towards the two attackers.
One of the B-rankers made a quick slide to the ground, dodging the arrow, before getting back into a running position and continuing his charge.
The other, attacking them ranged from behind his partner, triggered his own trait.
In his hands appeared a massive two-handed battle axe formed of swirling deadly water.
He swung the axe and obliterated the fiery arrow that had been coming at him.
Crap, Max thought.
The elemental traits when fighting against each other had a bit of a rock, paper, scissors quality. Some elements just trumped others.
In this case, Wendall’s ability was paper.
Unfortunately for them, their opponent’s was scissors.
He could cut through Wendall’s ability with ease.
Ken smirked and ran to catch up with his partner.
He couldn’t believe their luck.
Not only were they two ranks above these opponents, but one of them was a flamebringer too.
Fate was on their side today.
We’re going to win this challenge and be assigned the amazing coveted mission, he thought.
Louis was getting into range of the flamebringer.
Finally, the red-haired boy was getting into action.
He disappeared and reappeared behind Louis.
How the heck did the kid do that? How high was his agility stat?
Next the red-haired kid stretched out his hands and a thread of blue lightning shot out of his palm towards Ken’s partner.
Is this kid a shocker then!? thought Ken.
These poor guys, Ken snickered. Luck has not been on their side today.
Louis was able to turn around in time to face the lightning attack coming at him.
Louis lifted up his hands and caught the lightning attack like a baseball player.
He smirked as the attack did no damage to him whatsoever.
He threw the lightning right back at the red-haired boy.
Louis could do this because he too was a shocker.
There really was no hope for these two guys. Ken and Louis had two ranks above them. On top of that, Ken had the exact elemental affinity one of them was weakest too and then the other’s trait was neutralized by Louis having the same trait. This battle would all come down to stats and fighting ability, and even there, Ken and Louis had the advantage.
Their two opponents didn’t stand a chance.
The red-haired boy’s eyes widened in shock as the lightning was thrown back at him.
He wasn’t reacting fast enough to dodge the attack.
This is it then, thought Ken.
Suddenly, the kid’s skin went transparent and the lightning attack went straight through him and fizzled out on the ground behind him.
What the heck is that!?
Shockers don’t have a phase-out ability.
It’s not possible, Ken thought.
But he couldn’t figure out any other explanation.
The kid has more than one ability!
All the more reason why we have to stick to our revised plan.
Max moved away and kept his eyes on the shocker.
He hadn’t wanted to reveal his phase-out ability this soon in the battle, but he had been left with no choice.
He was in a tight spot.
Chain lightning was his best bet at an offensive ability that would be harmful to these higher-ranked climbers.
His mana claws wouldn’t be strong enough to break through their endurance.
He needed to get hit with either Wendall’s flamebringer trait or, better yet, their opponent’s waterbringer ability.
“Don’t forget the plan, Louis!” shouted the waterbringer from further away.
The shocker turned his attention from Max and back onto Wendall.
Wendall shot another flame arrow at Louis.
The shocker dodged it with ease.
He then leaped in the air above Wendall and what happened next blew Max away.
The waterbringer swung his conjured battle axe through the air and Louis caught it with his hands brimming with electricity.
The axe began to swirl with both water and lightning.
Louis was augmenting his partner’s ability.
Incredible!
“Hydroelectric battle axe swing!” yelled Louis as he threw the powerful axe down towards Wendall.
Wendall didn’t stand a chance.
The powerful augmented B-rank ability sliced Wendall in half.
The split body faded away from the simulation.
Max took in the two B-rankers now walking towards him.
It was now two on one.
7
The two B-rankers snickered as they closed in on Max.
“Just give up, kid,” said the waterbringer.
Max figured their plan had always been to take Wendall out first. Now they were going to rip him apart.
Max shook his head.
It wasn’t over until it was actually over.
He also had plenty of moves still up his sleeve.
The two B-rankers rushed towards him.
Max triggered shadow blink and reappeared behind them.
His two opponents spun around with aggravation.
“Co
ol it with the tricks,” said the shocker. “You’re only delaying the inevitable.”
Max ignored the man. The shocker was right in some ways. He had used shadow blink just then as a delaying tactic. He was trying to regain control of the battle and buy himself some time.
His short-term goal had succeeded.
He had figured out what he had to do to win.
“Bring on the inevitable then,” Max smiled as the two B-rankers rushed him once more.
Ken and Louis charged at Max.
Ken triggered his waterbringer trait first, conjuring his tidal wave battle axe.
“Sayonara, fool,” he shouted, as he swung his battle axe in the air for Louis to catch and augment before the killing blow.
Did this kid really think he stood a chance against two B-rankers? Maybe the red-haired climber thought they would go easy on him. Use the earlier evolutions of their traits—but no, they were going for one of their deadliest combo moves and it was going to crush the kid.
The tidal wave battle axe swung across the field, spraying the grass plains as it spun.
Louis imbued mana in his feet before launching himself in the air with a powerful leap.
Thunder crackled throughout his fingers as he rendezvoused in the middle of the air with the spinning battle axe.
“It’s game over now!” shouted Louis, as he added powerful electrical currents to the already deadly tidal wave battle axe.
The hydroelectric battle axe swing was a powerful combo ability that Ken and Louis had developed together while climbing through the tower.
Despite being uncommon traits, a shocker and a waterbringer were pedestrian compared to some of the monstrous and strange powers that other climbers wielded within the tower.
This combo, however, was completely unique to them.
As Louis sent swirling threads of lightning throughout the fearsome tidal wave battle axe, the red-haired climber stood still beneath the incoming attack.
“Paralyzed with fear, huh?” snickered Ken. “C’mon Louis, finish him!”
Louis swung the elemental battle axe towards the ground. It would land right between the red-haired climber’s forehead, splitting him in two.
SMASH!
The attack caused a huge blast in the ground, creating a small explosion of mud and dirt.
Ken watched as the smoke cleared to see the results of their triumphant attack.
This was it, Ken thought. No way a measly D-ranker could survive that attack head-on.
The smoke began to clear.
A figure emerged.
Louis.
But then—
No way, thought Ken.
Beyond Louis, deeper in the smoke was a figure standing there.
The D-rank kid was perfectly intact.
Alive after what should have been a fatal blow.
Impossible!
Max sighed with relief.
He looked down to his uninjured arms and hands. The transparency faded away and full color returned to his body as the phase-out ability cooled down.
He took in his two opponents who were now staring at him with awe and disbelief.
Max had to admit he had impressed himself a little bit as well. Standing beneath that fearsome attack hadn’t been easy. Even if you knew you would survive your own death, it was still difficult to stare it in the face and watch it happen.
But, thanks to the help of the clear slime’s phase-out ability, he was able to not only watch his own death, but survive it too.
But he wasn’t being a masochist for no reason.
There had been a reason he wanted to be hit by their attack.
An experiment.
A test one might say.
He stretched out his arms and triggered his mimic trait.
A huge thick powerful force of water filled his arms as it took the shape of a magnificent battle axe. Lightning swirled around it as well.
Max smirked.
It looked like his plan had worked.
He gripped the elemental battle axe and looked at his two opponents, now watching on with trepidation and awe.
Louis—the shocker—could only manage two words from his slack-jawed mouth.
“Oh shit.”
Ken stood there in disbelief.
His heart pounded against his chest as his throat burned.
“What the heck?”
The red-haired climber had not only survived their deadly combo attack, but was now wielding a replica of the elemental battle axe they had just used against him.
Their opponent rushed towards Louis and swung the battle axe down hard towards his partner.
Louis lifted his lightning-filled hands and met the blow straight on.
“Don’t worry, Ken,” Louis squirmed as his hands clashed with the powerful attack. “I got this.”
Ken understood what Louis was doing, but he still felt uneasy about it. The shocker had been able to absorb the kid’s previous lightning attack, but that was partially because the ability was weaker than his.
Could Louis really deflect an attack equal in strength to him? And what if it was more powerful?
Ken got his answer sooner than he expected.
SLASH!
Unlike their previous combo attack, the red-haired boy’s swing of the hydroelectric tidal wave battle axe ripped through Louis’ simulated flesh.
By the time the elemental attack smashed into the ground, Louis had already vanished from the simulation.
In one swing, the red-haired climber had just evened up the match.
Ken charged the boy, conjuring a tidal wave axe of his own.
The boy turned his head and took in the sight of the incoming attack with casual nonchalance.
The arrogant fool, Ken thought. Time to finish this.
Ken swung his elemental battle axe into the ground with all his might and fury.
SMASH!!
He held his battle axe into the ground and waited for a congratulatory prompt in the challenge screen.
He received neither.
Ken then froze.
He sensed someone behind him.
The bastard shadow blinked!
The kid had too many abilities to keep track of. It wasn’t fair. This world only gave everyone one ability and yet this kid seemingly had an endless amount of tricks up his sleeve.
Ken felt the wind’s current as the boy swung the hydroelectric tidal wave battle axe towards his simulated neck.
How was this climber so powerful?
Then, as the attack pierced his neck and lobbed his virtual head straight off, Ken pondered:
How is it possible that this kid is only D-rank?
8
The two members of the elder council were openly scowling at the screen now.
Max had just wasted two talented B-rankers in the simulation.
“This is outrageous,” said the old man. “The boy must have cheated. I don’t know what he did but this is absolutely inexcusable.”
Sakura crossed her arms and smirked.
These two old-timers would fight with me to the bitter end, huh?
“A deal is a deal council member,” said Sakura with a big smile on her face. “I’m sorry Max both lived up to my expectations and exceeded them. He deserves a spot on this mission more than anyone else. Surely you can see that now.”
The council woman’s face was pale.
The old man sighed with defeat.
They were coming around Sakura realized. She still couldn’t comprehend why they distrusted Max so much. Why they were so hard on him compared to every other climber in their ranks.
“He certainly is capable, Sakura,” said the old man. “And we won’t fight you on it, but heed our warning. The more Zestiris places its hope for prosperity in that young man, the more trouble we’ll be inviting our way.”
Max gasped in and out.
The fight against those two B-rankers had left him pretty tired.
He looked down to the ground where he had finished
off the waterbringer. It was now an empty patch, the man fading away from the simulation after being defeated.
He wiped sweat off his forehead and considered what the next challenge would be.
Five minutes passed by and nothing happened until a purple portal emerged in front of him.
Huh?
The portal looked the same as the one that had transported him to this simulated realm almost an hour ago.
Did that mean the challenges were over?
Had he won?
Or would this portal take him to the next set of challenges?
Through the magical swirl of the portal, he thought he could see the gymnasium where he came from.
He paused for a moment, waiting to see if there was another challenge prompt to appear. When nothing happened after a few more seconds, he stepped through the portal.
Max’s stomach lurched as he went through the portal and came out the other side.
He caught his bearings, blinking and staring at the lacquered floor of the gymnasium.
“Well, well, well,” said a familiar gravelly voice. “Twice in one day. It’s as if you’re stalking me.”
Max was still getting over the portal hop and all the fights that it took him a moment to place the voice.
It couldn’t be.
He turned to his right and saw Harold, the old man and owner of the antique shop leaning against a wall with his hands crossed.
Did that mean...?
Had Harold taken part in the challenges just now?
A while back Harold had mentioned he had once been a climber but had been retired for quite some time.
What exactly is this mission we’ve been competing for, thought Max, which would include bringing an old climber out of retirement?
“What are you doing here?” Max asked.
The man raised his eyebrows. “Beats me. Try asking them.”
The old man gestured with his head to the other side of the room.
Standing there was a man with bright spiky blonde hair, wearing a yellow sleeveless top, shorts, and flip flops.
A cigarette dangled from his mouth.