"I've hacked into the most thorough security system in the world during a lunch break. A constantly evolving, goal-driven, malicious AI shouldn't be too much of an issue." -Rick Moore (Former Security Programmer for World Virtual Visions)
Chapter 4: Entry
The Virtual World
Pirugan Continent, Vesta Cave
May 25, 2020
11:45 AM
15 minutes before launch of PADW
Pandora woke to the gentle stream of running water. A cool breeze brushed the hair from her heavy eyes as she attempted to focus on her surroundings. As her eyes adapted to the light, she saw a mixture of colors: green, yellow, red, brown, it was just a muddle of different hues and blurry shapes. Her head lolled back and forth against her meager will. Her body bumped up and down weakly, her drained arms dangling useless.
Her vision sharpened to reveal a canopy of leaves and branches above her.
A forest. She was in a forest.
Just lifting her head brought forth a dizzy spell and she allowed it to fall once again. Her cheek rested against a cool metal surface as her bearer continued up the winding dirt path.
After a few more minutes they came to a halt, and Pandora heard familiar voices.
"This is the place Verche," the soft female voice said.
Pandora felt herself slide off the shoulder of the knight who carried her and she was rested gently on the ground. She looked up to a concealed face completely masked by a white and gold helm. A wing jutted out each side of the helm and a thin V-shaped area was left where the eyes should have been. All she saw through the visor was darkness.
The knight wore a full set of elaborate white and gold body armor. A small shield was attached to one arm and a massive broadsword was slung along his back. His angelic wings were currently retracted.
The knight, Verche, motioned for the unknown individual's attention and Pandora saw Metatron's face come into focus. The concern on her features was apparent. She reached into a satchel and produced a small bottle of some strange liquid.
Another man stood behind her wearing crimson armor and a long matching cape with gold trimming. He let down his hood and revealed a stern middle-aged face with spiked brown hair. He ran a hand over his stubble of a beard as if he were contemplating something.
Metatron settled the bottle over Pandora's lips and she could feel a cool sensation begin to crawl through her veins. A strange lukewarm feeling took over, and the dullness that had overcome her senses washed away. She was far from recovered, but the potion had provided enough strength for her to rise. Pandora took a hesitant, strained step forward with knees threatening to buckle. One leg gave out, but Verche remained at her side and rested a hand under an arm to right her. She nodded to the knight gratefully and examined her surroundings.
Her suspicions were confirmed. They were in a forest, and off to the side she observed a tall cliff face that she assumed was a part of the Sacred Mt. Bakkes. A wide gaping cave greeted the group.
The older warrior in red stepped towards the cave and set the chest he was carrying on the ground. Pandora recognized it as her box.
"Wait here," the man said. "I will scout ahead."
"Thank you, Cao Cao." Metatron nodded her appreciation.
Cao Cao descended into the tunnel and disappeared.
Metatron turned back to Pandora. "How are you?"
Pandora shook her head to clear the rest of the fuzziness from her vision. "Well enough. I think I can walk at least."
Metatron nodded with relief. "Great to hear. We haven't much time."
The two females noticed Verche curiously approach the mouth of the cave. He extended his wings and flew up to a ledge so he could get a better view of the surrounding area. As he scanned the vastness of the forest, his gaze fell upon a shaking of the canopy somewhere in the distance. He judged that the span couldn't be more than a few klicks. His trained eyes focused deeper into the area of interest. They narrowed as he confirmed his suspicions.
He dropped back down to Metatron and Pandora to report his findings. Cao Cao had just exited the cave as he landed.
"We have been discovered," Verche reported.
Metatron's eyes widened in disbelief. "How? That's impossible. Sun Quan and Athena are leading a group to hold their attention."
Cao Cao cursed under his breath, "Apparently our ruse was unsuccessful." He drew his short sword.
Verche stepped in front of the rest of his comrades and readied his broadsword, with the addition of a few adjustments to his shield to ready himself for combat.
"You'd best get moving," he suggested. "I will buy you the time needed."
Metatron was about to protest, but she stopped herself as she glanced over at Pandora, who still remained unsteady on her feet. There was no way they could ensure Pandora's safety in an all-out engagement. There was also the box to consider. If any of their enemies managed to get a hold of it...the risk was far too great. She hated leaving her comrade behind, but there was really no choice in the matter. Verche knew what had to be done, and sitting here arguing just ate away at the time Verche would be giving them. Even though the Reversion had drained them of nearly all their power Metatron did not doubt Verche's fighting ability. He was still a magnificent warrior. Maybe there was still a chance he could make an escape once they had distanced themselves enough. Metatron struggled to convince herself but...
Metatron nodded reluctantly. "Very well Verche. Thank you."
She grabbed Pandora's box and led the way to the cave.
Pandora stumbled to Verche and hugged him around the waste. "Be safe Verche."
Verche sensed the guilt in her voice and he turned to crouch in front of her. He rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"We do what we must," he said. "Stay hidden and wait for the others."
Pandora nodded sadly and stumbled back to Metatron. The two females spared one last look behind them before disappearing into the cave.
Verche halted Cao Cao with his extended blade as he moved to stand beside him. Cao Cao gave him a hard stare as he understood the meaning behind the motion.
"You need to go to Valhalla."
Cao Cao grunted. "If you think I'm leaving you to get slaughtered-"
"The Valkyries need Metatron's message. That is the task you were given," Verche interrupted with his even tone.
Cao Cao clenched his fists, not just because of the situation, but because he knew that Verche was right. Everyone had their own duties to fulfill. Verche had accepted his, so the least Cao Cao could do was uphold his end.
"I should technically be your superior," Cao Cao growled, attempting to mask his concern. "Where do you get off talking to me like that?"
With that last remark, he extended his hand and his expression softened. Verche stared at it as if the gesture was foreign to him. After an uncertain moment, he drove his sword into the ground and took Cao Cao's hand in a firm handshake.
Cao Cao nodded and made his way through the forest in the opposite direction.
A terrifying, guttural scream erupted from behind Verche in the forest. An ominous silence followed. The monsters that were approaching were out for blood. The animals all fled and even the wind had retreated. The only sound that reached Verche's ears was the running water of the stream that had no option for changing course, and his own even breath.
Verche drew his sword from the dirt and twirled it in his hand a few times to stretch and loosen his fingers.
Seattle, Washington
United States
May 25, 2020
11:45 AM
15 minutes before launch of PADW
Ray laid back in the padded reclining chair and stared at the ceiling with a mixture of hopeful anticipation and apprehension. He was elated to be entering a world that he had so long dreamed of; on the other hand, the wires and flashing lights from the many consoles that surrounded him were foreign to him, and who knows where those wires would be inserted or how it would feel to actually enter the world. He hadn't really put much thought into it until now.
The room had a pleasant setup at least. A couple of love seats, a wood table, and some other furnishings dotted the room. There was even a mini refrigerator in the far corner. Ray didn't really see the point since he was going to be in the virtual world most of the time, but perhaps it was to put him at ease and to give the room a more homely feel. If the room had been painted a plain white all over with just the wires and gadgets, it would have probably felt like a patient room in some asylum.
As he mulled over his thoughts, the metal door on the other side of the room opened and a woman entered carrying a small briefcase. She adjusted her spectacles as she approached Ray. It was Emily, the supervisor he had spoken to when he finished his physical and intrinsic tests.
She walked over to the table, grabbed one of the chairs, and pulled it over next to Ray. Before taking a seat, she looked over Ray as if he were some rare specimen in a science experiment. Well, that assessment wasn't too far off. The Players were practically beta testers for the game. Guinea pigs.
Emily finally sat down, opened the briefcase, and rifled through its contents. Through the whole exchange, neither of them spoke a word. One was waiting for the other to speak: Emily expecting anticipated questions, and Ray hoping for explanations without the need for inquiries.
Emily found what she was looking for and decided to break the silence. She gave him an encouraging smile that was unexpected. "So, the time has come. Excited?"
Ray shrugged. "Yeah but," he paused for a moment, searching for the right words. "Not sure how I feel about all of, well..." He gestured to the wires and flashing buttons. "This. That's all."
Emily nodded. "Don't worry. I am here to ensure that you have a safe entry."
Ray went back to looking at the ceiling unsure of how to respond. He noticed that he'd been holding his breath. He let it out in a silent stream and felt better just from the simple realization. It meant he was thinking clearly again.
"These implants will just be giving the guys upstairs some neural readings to gauge the game's stability. It has already been tested through every conceivable scenario. With all the fail-safes and protocols we have in place, we have a one hundred percent safety guarantee."
Ray let out a soft chuckle. "Well, that's reassuring."
"By the way," Emily added. "I looked at some other bits of information about you. Did you start the original game late or did you just not have time for it? Your rank was pretty low. Not that it really means anything mind you."
The humor left Ray's voice with the reminder. "Yeah, I started the game pretty late. Didn't own a phone that could run it at the time." He went back to staring at the ceiling. "The only thing that worries me a bit is not being taken seriously because of it."
Emily shrugged. "Think of it this way. It might actually make it easier to travel under the radar. You may surprise people."
Ray pondered her words for a moment. She didn't know him at all. The only things she did know were typed out on pieces of paper in someone else's own words. Maybe there was something in those reports. The possibility gave him some much needed confidence.
"A word of advice," Emily said after a short silence. Her tone had taken an immediate turn and was now dead serious. "The monsters in this world are far wiser than you think. Listen to them. They have valuable information and wisdom."
Ray eyed her curiously. He had already known that the interactions with the NPCs (non-playable characters) and monsters were supposed to be something nothing short of revolutionary, but the way she had offered her suggestion remained most prominent. It was as if she had interacted with the monsters herself at one point. But that would have been impossible. Nobody entered the virtual world before today. So what was it?
"Why are you telling me this?" Ray asked.
Emily gave him a friendly, reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I'm the type of person who likes to root for the underdog. I've had the opportunity to see how this world works from a screen. Oh, and speaking of screens, don't forget that people all over the world are going to be watching you guys in there. They will be expecting great things."
Ray groaned. "Don't remind me. Was never really good in front of an audience."
Emily laughed genuinely. "Well, if you ever want some privacy, here is another little tidbit. Dwellings that you live in, Arbor fountains, and some other areas will not have viewers watching you. So there's that."
With all this information, Ray began to suspect even more that it wasn't just because he was an underdog. No, definitely not.
Before he had the opportunity to question further, she tossed him the virtual headgear. He caught it easily, but was still surprised that she decided to throw what was most likely a delicate and expensive piece of equipment.
Ray examined the surface of the headgear and ran his fingers over the shallow grooves. It looked like a motorcycle helmet that covered the top half of his head with a visor that laid over his eyes.
Emily attached a metal band to his wrist that would be his personal database and inserted a few wires into the ports. "Nice reflexes," she commented.
After she finished the remaining preparations with the hardware, she approached a console and ran her hand over the holographic screen. She typed in her username and password, entered his intrinsic scan settings, and then another few bits of data.
"Alright, put the headgear on," Emily said.
Ray nodded, took a deep breath, and placed the helmet on his head. The padding on the inside actually made it extremely comfortable. A Player always wants to be comfortable when gaming for hours on end, but if he was going to be focused in this virtual world, did it really matter?
Ray turned his head to Emily whose skin was now a faded cerulean due to the glass of the visor. She was looking straight at him and had her finger held over an unseen button. By the uncertain expression on her face, she seemed to be considering something that Ray couldn't be sure of.
"Is it all good?" Ray asked.
The brisk nod from Emily wasn't convincing. "Yup. I'm going to set the timer for entry. You will be entered automatically when it hits twelve o'clock."
She pressed the button, closed her briefcase, and strode to the door with an extra spring in her step. She spared one last glance back at Ray and exited the room without another word.
The Virtual World
Pirugan Continent, Vesta Cave
May 25, 2020
11:50 AM
10 minutes before launch of PADW
Verche slashed at the nearest of the taur demons, the creature's dog-like head sliced clean off and its body disappeared in a glittering shower of data particles. The other taur demons were unfazed by the death of their comrade and pushed forward in ever-growing numbers to overwhelm Verche. Their hooved feet dug into the ground and kicked up waves of dirt. Verche found himself pushed back to the cave's entrance. The taur demons halted just outside the reach of his broadsword. They mocked him with their permanent grins splayed over their faces. The monsters tested Verche with a few quick thrusts of their pikes and tridents.
Normally in this situation, Verche would have taken to the air where he had more freedom of movement. The black devil wings on the taur demons gave them flight, but their maneuvering skills in the air were sub par at best. They were approximately a head shorter than Verche, and their wings were not developed suitably to support their size. But if Verche did choose to take advantage of the skies, the demons would have no resistance on the ground, which meant they could easily enter the cave and pursue the true prey: Metatron and Pandora. So Verche was now stuck between a literal rock and a hard place.
Verche spared a glance over his shoulder to stare at the sun above, which had turned into a bright purple with the familiar swirling tendrils akin to the glowing moon during The Reversion. The only difference was that this was the sun instead of the moon, and the light was purple rather than a fluorescent yellow. Even though the time for the Players' arrival was at hand, he knew that he was out of time.
"So close," Verche muttered.
The taur demons noticed the transformation of the sun as well, and realized they had little time to finish off their foe. They all charged in unison, some of them attempting to slip by Verche as others attacked him head on.
The Reversion may have significantly reduced Verche's power, but he was not without his eternal arsenal of weaponry. He drove his broadsword into the ground and its insertion bid forth an invisible outward force that pushed the taur demons back, sending some of them flying into their comrades at the rear and into the surrounding foliage. They recovered themselves whilst maintaining their evil grins.
Verche whispered, "I am Godly Knight of the Sky, Verche. Weapons of the light, of the sun, hear my call."
As he spoke these words, a board full of glowing orbs appeared in front of him, shining brilliant before his eyes standing nearly at Verche's height of six feet. The taur demons backed up instinctively. Even they couldn't mask their surprise upon seeing the board of orbs. It was something that only Players should have possessed, but Verche's was different.
The board consisted of five rows and six columns like a typical Player board. Players matched same color orbs in groups of three or more to give power to their monsters, depending upon the orb attributes they matched; however, Verche's orbs differed. Instead of having the typical attributes of light, dark, wood, fire, and water, Verche's orbs held symbols of weapons. For Verche, a master of light weapons, his board held infinite possibilities that only his trained eyes could discern.
He eyed the board for only a brief moment before placing an armored finger on an orb with the symbol of a scimitar etched into it. He moved it around the board. As this orb moved, the overlapped orbs took the place of the moving orb's previous position. When he was finished, he had formed five combinations of three matched orbs for five different types of weapons.
Upon completion, the groups of orbs vanished and five beams of pale yellow light descended from some unseen points in the sky. Five weapons, one in each pillar of light, descended and embedded themselves in the ground around Verche, showering all combatants in geysers of rock and dirt. The weapons smoked from the searing heat of descent, but Verche embraced the pain as he drew his first weapon from the ground. He approached a second weapon and readied this one as well.
In his hands he held a short halberd and a broadsword even more massive than his previous one. Circles with strange runes spawned and spun slowly around the blades.
The taur demons charged, undeterred by this magnificent display. Their minds and hearts were strangers to fear. The lead taur demon leaped high over Verche and stabbed out with its pitchfork, but was met by the blade of Verche's halberd. The taur demon impaled itself on the blade and struggled to free itself despite certain death. It felt no pain, and so it was unaware of death's embrace until the time actually arrived. It disappeared in a burst of data.
A trio of demons focused on Verche's feet, but he had already extended his wings mid-thrust to push himself back a few feet to give himself room to swing the halberd horizontally. The axe blade of the halberd cut through all three demons and they vanished.
Verche was now standing a short ways into the cave and realized that its mouth opened up to a steep descent with rocks and notable paths providing multiple entrances to the tunnels below. The area allowed no room to maneuver with all the debris, and the many paths would make it too easy for the taur demons to slip past. He beat his wings furiously and thrust forward, swatting a large group of demons aside with his wings and weapons in a controlled spiral. Verche now found himself just outside the entrance of the cave once more. He lashed out as four demons attempted to leap down upon him from above. His broadsword cut through them like twigs.
As he was occupied with the demons on the ledge, another eager group approached Verche from behind and stabbed up through a crease near the lower back of his armor. Verche groaned in pain as two pikes drove into the left side of his back and one through his wing. A circle of light energy swirled around his halberd upon his command and he launched a beam of energy amidst the remaining demons on the ledge. The ledge and demons exploded in a shower of light. Those that had managed to escape Verche's attack were crushed by boulders as they fell to the ground. This gave him the opportunity to focus on the demons still driving their weapons into his blind side. He whirled about and cut through his attackers, severing limbs and damaging morale. The halberd in his hand flickered and seemed to shift in and out of existence. Then it vanished.
Verche rushed to one of his other weapons and lifted a double-edged axe from the ground. He adjusted his weight to achieve a new dual wielding stance. The axe was slightly heavier than the halberd, and the weight was distributed more towards the center rather than the end.
More taur demons made a break for the cave and Verche batted them aside with his outstretched wings and twirling heavy weapons. His enemies soon realized that there was no way they would be rushing around him until he was subdued. All attempts at distraction were abandoned. Dozens of taur demons braced their weapons in both hands and attacked from the front and both sides. Verche managed to parry aside most of the weapons, but a few pierced through and he felt another sharp pain as tridents and pikes drove marginally through his side armor. A taur demon received a sword to the chest and the sword vanished just as the halberd did. Verche lashed out and his metaled fist broke the jaw of another demon, sending it careening through its allies' lined formation.
Verche took this opportunity to grab another weapon, this one a spear, and stabbed through the chest of a demon that had strayed too far from its squad. Its partner, who was unfortunate enough to be behind it, was also impaled through the stomach. As Verche prepared to withdraw his spear, two taur demons jumped up on either side of him. Only one weapon was now free; there was only an opportunity to slice one of the demons with his axe. The second demon landed and drove its pike into Verche's shoulder. Verche relaxed his body to better endure the pain of the expected blow, but he felt the arm holding his spear begin to weaken and sag. He dropped his spear, grabbed the demon on his shoulder roughly by the neck, flung it to the ground, and stomped a metal boot on its face.
Verche thrust his axe forward and crushed the pharynx of another charging demon. In the midst of his forward motion, another weapon entered his leg and he felt the leg collapse underneath him. He managed to bend his leg just enough to land heavily on one knee to maintain an uncomfortable crouched defense. He looked at his leg and saw a trident driven into the back of his knee. One of the demons had opted to throw its weapon rather than come into range of Verche's expertly wielded weapons. He jerked the weapon out with a grunt and ignored the blood that spewed forth.
The wounded warrior miraculously found the strength to will his wounded leg forward and approached the final weapon that a group of demons were struggling to pull out of the ground. It was impossible for the demons to draw the blade, it was already bound to Verche.
Verche cut down the demons that circled his weapon and his axe flickered out. He forced his final weapon from the dirt with his functioning arm and readied himself for what he assumed would be the last bout. One of his arms now hung useless at his side, blood dripping from his burned fingertips, and the limp in one of his legs was all too palpable. If it weren't for The Reversion draining most of his power, he may have been able to handle these lesser monsters despite their massive numbers. The knight, in his gravely weakened state, gave the demons all the confidence they needed, and they strode forward with no concern for their own lives.
Verche breathed a small bit of thanks, for the demons had completely forgotten about Metatron and Pandora. His mighty display provided all the distraction they needed.
Verche swung his newly acquired weapon, a scimitar, in an upper arc and cut through the chest of a taur demon that strayed too far from its companions in its eagerness. The demon lifted up onto its toes and Verche brought the blade back down to deepen the gash. The momentum of his swing made it impossible for him to cut the next taur demon to his side so he landed a devastating kick into the demon's face and sent its crumpled form into the nearest tree. To his other side, three more demons drove their tridents into his last strong leg. Three tri-blades tore through muscle and tendon, rendering it useless. Verche ignored the pain, swinging his scimitar wildly in desperation and destroyed the attacking taur demons with his undisciplined attacks. Finesse had been abandoned. Form had been discarded. All that was left was to kill as many of the bastards as possible for his own satisfaction.
He fought from his knees, both legs weakened with a useless arm hanging at his side.
After what seemed like an eternity, his last weapon flickered out. He stared at his empty hands. Typically in this situation, anyone else, seeing the absence of their weapon, would have deemed the battle over. But not Verche. Not him.
He spared one last look at the sky and saw that the light tendrils had disappeared from around the sun. So very close.
The demons let out a triumphant howl and threw themselves at Verche. He fought as best he could with the remaining strength in his one arm. He managed to grab the tattered cloth wrapped around a demon's neck. He pulled it down to ground level as he brought his head forward and crushed its face with his helmet. A few demons fell to the power of his fist: jaws broken, throats crushed, and bones shattered, but soon even that was extinguished. Tridents and pikes drove into his stomach area, shoulders, and lower back. They tore viciously at his once beautiful, grand wings until the nerves went numb. He lay their in a damaged heap, blood flowing from his grievous wounds, his golden armor splattered and tarnished by the blood of his enemies and his own.
On the ground he saw one of the ornamental wings that had been cut off his helmet. Hooves stomped over it and buried it into the dirt. With what little energy remained, he reached out for it earnestly, hooves and blades clouding his vision as they beat against his helmet. He grasped the token firmly in his metal fingers. Before his eyes surrendered to darkness, he drew the broken wing to his chest and held it like a cherished infant.
?
?
May 25, 2020
12:00 PM
Prepare for Launch
White. All around was this pure milky white. Rays of light sparkled with tiny particles all over and streams of numbers, letters, and symbols flowed within, shifting colors according to the light's refractions. It was impossible to tell where was up or down or if he was floating or falling.
Ray's eyes adjusted to the blinding beams and he realized that some of the data streams flowed through his body. They flowed through his hands, legs, feet. Everywhere. It was accompanied by a brief tingling sensation as if his limbs had fallen asleep.
The silence of the data world was interrupted by a mechanical female voice, "Welcome Player. Please stand-by as final configurations are implemented."
Ray felt his limbs tighten. The stiffness was not painful, but the lack of control instituted a brief panic. One of the rays of light began to bend and focused its attention on Ray. The stream of data passed silently into him.
"Downloading intrinsic settings. Adjusting settings according to updates. Applying intrinsic settings in 3,2,1...Brace for pulse."
Ray felt his body jerk upwards as if he had been applied a shock from an AED. His back arched and his fingers flexed against his will. It felt as if his muscles were being stretched taught and limbs extended. After only a few seconds, his body relaxed. There had been no pain throughout the entire process.
"Intrinsic settings applied. Initiating neural safety protocols 1-37. Connecting manual fail-safe links 1-7...success. No complications with connection."
The white area melted away and was replaced by glowing, lime green grids encompassing a pitch blackness. The rays of data streams faded to nothingness and Ray now found himself standing. He tapped his foot on the unseen surface a few times to be sure. Below the invisible surface he observed more grids that pulsated with lines of some unknown energy.
"Please stand on the white grid, Player."
One of the black grids with the green edges began to glow white and Ray did as he was told. The light rose above him and consumed his form. As he looked at his arms he saw black metal wrist guards appear and his hands became enveloped in dark leather gloves. His chest and back were now covered by a thin onyx cuirass with three layers of overlapping metal. Ebony shin guards and flexible waist armor appeared. His shoulders were armored with low-rounded pauldrons. To finish the outfit off, he slipped his arms into a long, and surprisingly light, black coat.
When the light disappeared, Ray gave his body another look and grinned like an excited child introduced to its first ever toy store. He flicked his finger upon his armor and it responded with a ring that interrupted the stillness of the data space.
Oh my god this is so badass.
"Please make three gear selections."
As soon as the female voice finished, areas of the grids slid open to make way for rising dark green racks. They locked into place with a soft click and Ray could see hundreds upon hundreds of weapons and shields on display.
Okay, this is pretty cool too, Ray thought, unable to contain his excitement.
He lifted the closest weapon, a short sword, and felt its weight in his hands and the roughness of its leather grip. It was incredible. It felt so real, and he could even feel the coolness seep through his gloves and settle into his hands from running them over the blade. He tested some other weapons: axes, halberds, pikes, scimitars, spears, broadswords, shurikens, maces, katanas, shields, bows, hell, even nun-chucks. Each one had its own balance of weight, grip, and size for any range of individuals.
Ray stopped himself as he happened upon a rack of katanas. One of the swords caught his eye and he lifted it gingerly, one hand on the pommel, and the other settled on the flat of the blade with his fingertips. He estimated that the blade itself must have been a little over three feet in length, a pretty typical size for samurai swords. Ray extended his right arm and held the sword parallel to the ground to test its weight. He nodded with satisfaction as his arm began to strain but did not tremble. A fine weight. Nice balance.
The hilt of the sword danced through his fingertips and the blade made majestic, whirling arcs, cutting through the air smoothly from the sword's fine craftsmanship. It did not falter in its course and it obeyed Ray's will with no flaws to interrupt its cutting motions.
Satisfied, Ray retrieved the blade's scabbard. He slid the blade into its home and slung the weapon over his back.
The next few racks he ignored. He did not want another primary weapon. Instead, he searched for a shorter, lighter weapon for his secondary.
As he scoured the remaining racks, he happened upon a strange gadget comprised of black leather that attached to the wrist. He approached it curiously and also noticed upon closer inspection a web of leather straps with a small switch between two of them, along with a wire that extended to the bulk of the leather. A metal compartment was attached to the underside with another small lever along a clear divot behind it to be pulled back.
He decided to try on the leather gadget and he slid his hand through it easily. He noticed that the web of thin leather straps fit between his fingers and the switch was just within reach of his thumb. He pulled the buckle so it fit tight on his wrist. Flexing his fingers was actually rather easy and were not impeded in the least.
Ray drew his thumb back, flicked the switch and, to his surprise, a hidden blade appeared from the metal compartment on the underside of his wrist.
Ray let out a laugh as he realized what he had just discovered. "A hidden blade," he said out loud between chuckles. "This is some Assassins Creed stuff right here."
There was no question about it. He was definitely going to keep this. It would take quite a bit of practice to make it a viable weapon in an engagement, but it was a weapon that he figured would really pay off in the long run.
His final weapon was a quick choice, a short scimitar that he could attach to his waste for quick access. The hilt was about the width of his hand. It would be a rather simple one-handed weapon.
He returned to the glowing circle and the female voice resounded through the grid space once again.
"Please wait. Your Puzzle and Dragons Personal Database is being submitted."
As soon as her last word was spoken, Ray's free wrist began to glow. Lines of light shifted over various places and seemed to be etching the database like an artist would sketch a drawing. When the glow had taken a specific shape, it exploded in a puff of light dust.
Attached to Ray's wrist was a teal, banded device with three slots on its underside. A few flat, faded buttons ran along its surface. It reached halfway to his elbow and it almost seemed to be embedded into his skin.
"Your personal database has completed updates and transferred. Access your device to view inventory, analyze the world map, highlight specific locations, organize your monster box, manage your team, and more. Prepare for transfer to Departure Tower."
Ray felt his body begin to lighten and he vanished in a pillar that connected him to the data stream.
