Ghastly Howl level increased: +1. Current level: 18.
The quit countdown was coming to an end. There were a few seconds left, in which I tried to test out Clarity. Now I had enough spirit to not only activate the skill, but also to channel it for a second.
Entering Clarity, it was as if time itself slowed down. Outside sound stopped coming in and I heard only myself, surrendering to the rush in my ears. My heart thundered, blood rushed through swelling veins, my vision suddenly caught incredible detail. The smoke rising from a red-hot crack in the ground froze.
My basic Hammerfist cost no spirit and cooled down instantly. I dealt nine strikes before Clarity faded. Shame I had nobody to hit. I wanted to see what it was like to be able to foresee the enemy’s movements.
The strategy I’d thought up the previous night was built on assumptions; I hadn’t yet tested the skills from Oyama, but now I was starting to get some… yep, some clarity. The Hammerfist with Rindzin’s Ghostly Talon took 2% of Alpha Ryukitsu’s health — and it was a good thing the Talon didn’t count as a weapon, but as a part of me, which meant it fit into the mechanics of Unarmed Combat. So I needed an amount of spirit that would let me kill a boss before Clarity ran out. Fifty Hammerfists would take around five to six seconds. I’d have to level up Meditation…
The first day of the Demonic Games is over!
…a little longer. I finished the thought after I was back in reality. It took a few seconds for my brain to adapt and recognize that I was back. The intragel slid off me and I saw Kerry’s blurry figure through the darkened doors of the pod.
She gave me my clothes and turned around. While I got dressed, my assistant started jabbering at the wall:
“I watched you every second! That start made the whole internet go crazy! Even the ones who were against you at first started carefully saying that it was unfair of the others to gang up on you and not give you a chance to prove yourself in the games. As one viewer put it, he was discouraged both by the behavior of the other contestants and your own. He feels like he was deprived of a good show!”
“Bread and circuses,” I chuckled, remembering Ian’s words. “So I let them down, is that it?”
“By spending almost the entire day at the bottom of the Pitfall? Oh, yeah! What were you doing down there anyway? At first I thought you were just recovering your health, but then…”
“What, don’t the viewers see the players’ logs?”
“Nobody does! All the contestants’ stats and profiles are blocked. There were issues with streaming them. The data always ends up online, then contestants study their opponents’ stats… Basically, no, nobody knows what you were doing down there except Octius and a few of his administrators. Not even I know.”
“Well, then I won’t tell you either.”
“Exactly right!” Kerry said encouragingly for some reason, then cocked her head to one side and gave me a barely noticeable nod.
“Are we live even in here?” I asked.
“Yep. And in your room too. Alliances and conspiracies begin in private rooms. So…”
“Got it. I’ll get changed in the bathroom.”
Kerry waited while I took a shower, then took me to dinner. I ran a thoughtful eye across the snacks on the table as we passed them. I was starving, but decided not to spoil my appetite.
While we walked, my assistant told me about the viewers’ reactions:
“On average, the public thinks you were boring. Defeating the tenth boss would have won you more fans. 79% of the audience watched the battle…” Kerry sighed. “Shame you didn’t manage it. There were tons of questions about your weapon. Some kind of claw? Is it a skill, or gear?”
“Kerry?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, right, sorry. Anyway, there were more questions about why you did nothing after that memorable performance at first! The minutes after you revived at the graveyard up to your fight with Alpha Ryukitsu were incredible! And that imba Flight you have…” Kerry laughed unnaturally and the many chains hanging from her clothes rattled. “Um… For me, I’m glad you kept it, but some viewers are upset. They think you should have had all your perks and abilities from achievements taken away, at least the ones you got using your broken Threat abilities.”
“Why not just go ahead and give me a totally blank character?” I grumbled. As if Cursed Cripple and the conspiracy against me weren’t enough, they wanted my skills gone too. “I got my Threat status practically at level one in the sandbox…”
In the press center hall, we ran into Destiny Windsor. She was attractive in real life too, but not as beautiful as her character. Around thirty, aristocratic like all the Children of Kratos, aloof, her breathtaking eyes a deep icy blue. Long steel-colored hair framed her face, but didn’t hide her thick eyebrows. Noticing me, she clicked her heels across the hall toward me, jabbed me in the chest with a finger and said the obvious:
“You!”
“That’s right, ma’am. Me.”
“You disgusting low-life!” She fastidiously cleaned her finger with a napkin brought by her assistant. “Know that you have one more deadly enemy. Watch your back! And you…” Destiny turned to Kerry. “I’m going to make sure you lose your job!”
“For what?” my assistant gasped.
“We could see your bitchy smirk a mile away. You were encouraging this loser. Assistants aren’t supposed to pass comment on what their wards do!”
Kerry looked around, lost. Everyone around us was watching the embarrassing scene, as were billions of viewers, no doubt. Destiny must not have cared what the masses thought of her.
To Quetzal, on the other hand, or Renato Loyola, as it turned out, such things were not unimportant. After so fiercely harassing me during registration, now he waited for Destiny to leave, then approached:
“Sorry about yesterday, Alex. I didn’t know you as well as I thought, as it turned out.”
“Had to throw me into the Pitfall to get to know me better, huh?”
“Something like that.”
“Don’t respond to him!” Kerry hissed in my ear. “Ignore him!”
Renato glanced at her and laughed.
“Your helper is right. Lots of people are going to try to provoke you. You’re the center of attention, and that means any conversation with you will have an audience. And conflict always gets on the front page. Destiny Windsor knew what she was doing. Believe me, she and her assistants went over every word.”
“Assistants? She has more than one?”
“Of course. Anyone can declare up to five people: stylists, cooks, personal trainers and so on. I brought my sparring partner, a couple of friends, my strategist and PR expert. I left my girlfriend at home…” He winked. “There’s a great selection here, if you ask…”
“Mr. Loyola!” Kerry gasped. “Alex is only sixteen!”
Quetzal raised his arms in an apologetic gesture. I bit my lips — damn, I could have brought Roj and Maria here with me! And Hairo! And my parents, they would have been safe here.
“Something wrong?” Renato asked.
“If I’d have known I could bring someone with me, Mr. Loyola, I would have brought along my catdog AT,” I said. “He’s great at high-fives and fetching shoes.”
Renato turned toward the camera drones filming us:
“You all heard that? I’ve discovered a new character in the tale of the top Threat! AT the catdog!”
“Let’s go, Alex!” Kerry said, pulling at my arm.
“What was it you wanted, Mr. Loyola? A fight with me to get you on the front page? Or to learn my pet’s name?”
“Sorry, I only fight in my own weight class,” Renato smiled and shrugged. “And you’re a hundredweight beneath me. As for pets, I have a real dog, and his name’s Bruno. We even?”
I nodded and turned to leave.
“One more thing…” Renato continued. “You did well out there in the Cursed Chasm, Alex. Sure, you kicked up a fuss, but you didn’t get hysterical, didn’t start screaming that you�
��d wipe us all out when you get out of here. You didn’t even insult anyone, and that means a lot. Your parents should be proud of you!” He reached out a hand. “I don’t care what the others say. Let’s shake hands.”
“Don’t do it!” Kerry stopped me. “That creep is planning something! He’s laying it on too thick…”
“Creep, huh…” Renato chuckled, lowering his hand. “Here’s how it is, Alex. You watch your back in the Chasm, but you’re safe from me here. Good night.”
Renato left. I watched him go, frowning:
“Same to you…” I said.
Why was he being so nice? Was it just for the public? Or maybe my threat to pay him a visit worked, and he was afraid to risk his clan castle? Or Colonel, the leader of his clan, got scared and made Quetzal apologize…
Kerry fanned the flames by saying that Loyola must be lying.
“They’re playing with you! You think he would have said all that if he’d managed to throw you out of the Games? Bullshit! They failed and you’re still in the game, so now they’re just looking for other approaches. Be careful! They’re all like spiders in a jar here! They’ll eat you!”
Kerry kept ranting on, reminding me that my friends already stabbed me in the back, and that was nothing compared with what the people who were already my enemies would do. In the end, when Malik shouted my name at the exit from the hall, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.
“Don’t turn around,” Kerry advised. “We have a tight schedule: dinner, interview, then to your room!”
“Hey, Sheppard!” Malik shouted again.
I never liked his whiny voice, but I could always accept it when I thought I was talking to a friend. Now it grated on my nerves. I stopped sharply, turned, clenched my fists and stared at the smirking traitor:
“What?” I said, moving toward him.
“Alex!” Kerry hurried after me. “Mr. Sheppard!”
She tried unsuccessfully to stop me. I grabbed my former friend by the collar of his stylish shirt and pulled his face close to mine. That wiped the smile off it. Raising a fist, I said again:
“What were you going to say?!”
“Let go!” Malik said, struggling to free himself. When he failed, he grabbed my own shirt and scowled. “Are you crazy? I was just talking! I just wanted to ask how your first day went!”
“Malik!” Tissa shouted, breaking off from talking to someone off to one side. “Get a hold of yourself!”
“No fighting, Alex!” Kerry squawked, trying to pull us apart. “They’ll disqualify you! Stop it right now!”
But I saw nothing, heard nobody. The hateful face of the jealous crybaby traitor blotted out everything else.
“How was my first day?” My blood boiled and all the pain, anger and insult concentrated into my fist. “Here’s how it was!”
Crunch! My former friend had no time to dodge. My fist made an imprint in his thin, crooked nose. As if in slow motion, I saw Malik’s head fly back, hitting the wall. My second hit with my left slid across his teeth and pain flared up in my hand.
I looked with surprise at the bleeding wound Malik’s teeth had left. Then time sped up and the world crashed down on me: Tissa’s screams as she held the boy up, her hate-filled stare, Kerry’s cries… Under the buzz of camera drones flying in, a security droid shot me with a tranquilizer round.
I started to fall backwards, my legs giving out, and someone caught me and slowly lowered me to the floor.
“What have you done, Alex?” Kerry said, shaking me by the shoulders.
The world blurred as if I’d been wrapped in a semi-transparent cocoon. Colors bled into each other, lost their clarity, but I could make out, or at least surmise, that it was Tissa helping Malik to get up and shouting:
“Idiot..!”
The adrenaline faded. My shoulders dropped, my eyes closed and I switched off.
When I saw the world again, I realized that Kerry and I were walking through the hall.
“Alex!” Malik shouted at my back.
Kerry took my hand and interlocked our fingers like we were a couple.
“Ignore him,” she said quietly. “You’re going to have dinner, answer the journalists’ questions, then go rest in your room! Got it?”
I gently freed my hand and looked at my fingers. They were unharmed! Malik was fine too. Smirking, he nodded questioningly:
“How was your first day of the Games?”
Tissa continued her conversation, glancing sidelong at me, but I already had a grip on myself and just ignored my former friend. My hatred for him had flared up and burned out back in the Divine Revelation, or whatever that prophetic flash was. Obviously something was going wrong with my brain. Unlike in Dis, here the visions weren’t identical to what happened in real life, but the gist… Of course, I could predict the consequences of my actions without any revelations by using my head, but this wasn’t just that — I had lived seconds and minutes of a future that hadn’t happened yet!
Kerry brought me back to reality. Stopping, she lifted my chin and looked into my eyes, concerned:
“Is everything alright?”
“I don’t know. I have no idea! But one thing I know for sure — I’m starving! Any longer and I’ll eat your brains! Don’t forget, I have a lot of experience with that!”
I reached out my arms, groaned and started staggering toward my assistant. Kerry jumped back, making as if afraid, laughed and took me to dinner, which was in the same hall as the opening ceremony the night before. Of course, I could have ordered food in my room or withdrawn to one of the twelve restaurants, but Kerry told me it was better not to hide — the viewers wouldn’t like it.
The hall of ceremonies had undergone some changes. The amphitheater had been lowered, combining the two levels and expanding the space. All along the walls stood endless tables of trays, huge pots and casks. Above them span holograms of the delicacies themselves, with their names and helpful information: the dish’s history, ingredients and nutritional values.
My comm vibrated and offered to construct a balanced meal for me based on my body’s requirements. Dozens of different dishes beckoned tenderly to my eyes and nose, making my mouth water. I wanted to try it all, but I accepted my comm’s suggestion, not wanting to decide for myself. I was starving and didn’t care; I’d be shoveling it down either way, so why not make it a balanced diet?
A tray-carrying droid whirred its way over to me, beeped for me to follow it, then rolled along the walls, filling its tray with food.
People noticed me. The hubbub subsided and I heard a whistle, then the whole hall erupted:
“Boooooo!”
Dozens of spoons clattered against on tables, some contestants started stamping their feet, and soon the noise was so loud that I wanted to cover my ears. I leaned down to Kerry:
“Maybe I’d better eat in my room?” I asked.
“Ignore them!” she shouted. “They can’t aggro on you, this is a peaceful zone!”
“They said the same about the Cursed Chasm…”
The people who came in after me joined in with the racket. I walked behind the droid, focusing on what it was putting on my tray. The noise behind me grew into a roaring thunder, as if the assistants, waiters and cooks had joined in. The tray-bearing droids started rattling with the noise.
“Done,” the robot informed me. “Please take a seat. I will follow you.”
Kerry and I headed for the only unoccupied table,
but we weren’t fast enough. A thin man with the game nickname Evilfort, standing by the entrance, rushed to the table first and sat at a seat. There were four free seats left.
The noise in the hall subsided. Everyone looked at me and waited to see what I would do.
“This table’s taken!” Evilfort said, his smile wide.
“You don’t even have any food,” I said, moving my plates from the tray onto the table.
“I said it’s taken!” he shouted, pointing behind me. A group of contestants advanced from the
entrance. “The five of us are in the same clan! We’re the Readers! Champions of the team tournament for speed spellreading! Takes place in the Pirate Bay!”
“Yeah, this is our table,” JustGoofy the mage said. “Gingrin, Levius and Coover are over there. Move!”
“Leave it, let him sit,” Coover said as he approached. “Maybe he’ll tell us how to bring him down tomorrow.”
“The hell with that!” Levius argued. “Get gone, Sheppard!”
“Screw you guys!” Kerry flared up. “Let’s go, Alex!”
My helper exchanged whispers with some waiters and my food was taken to another table. A table with only one chair.
The Demonic Games (Disgardium Book #7): LitRPG Series Page 13