Holy crap, Gun X Glory quest!

...Anand I'm the only poster this time. Weird.

That said:
>Check your inventory – 0phelia had apparently left you something, and you want to make sure it won’t blow up in your face before you do anything.
And maybe a bit of some drinking while we're at it; probably gonna need it for whatever crap Opehilia's pulling. Psychosomatic crap and what not.

>>3869717
It's been four months, so I'm sure I've faded into the annals of history - but that's OKAY it's my own fault for disappearing. Anywho, writing now!

>>3869717
(Not gonna be going for too long since it’s 2 AM but I wanted to get started because it’s been long enough.)

You shake your head as you walk towards the bar, figuring that a good ol’ virtual drink should clear you of those pre-game jitters. When you were younger, you’d distract yourself by playing a few games with Buster and Fletcher, but now that you had no one with you…well, resorting to virtual alcohol would just have to do, right?

Your mom would be so proud if she hadn’t brutally kicked you out of house and home. Ah well, no need to reminisce too hard on that one!

You walk behind the bar and begin idly pouring yourself a glass of whatever is in the first bottle you grabbed, leaning against the counter as you swipe open your inventory with your free hand. As promised, you are greeted with a few glowing menus – one signifies that a trade has been offered, one is a messages tab with a very menacing (999+) on the corner, and the other shows that there are unchecked items within your inventory.

…had you seriously not looked at the items after picking them up with Cinder two days ago? Jeez, you used to be so thorough. What happened to you, Wolfgang? You silly man with your fading wits – you are certainly and most definitely a certified scamp.

As you bring your drink to your lips, wincing at the highly bitter taste (at least the warmness that followed made up for it), you eye these menus warily. Which of these demons will you take on first?

>Check the trades, prepare yourself for the psychological blows that 0phelia has obviously prepared for you.
>Investigate your messages tab with absolute horror – the fact that they still allow people to send anonymous messages was ridiculous.
>Reacquaint yourself with the weapons you chose for this particular fight.
>How about no to all of this, you’re filled with false liquid courage and you’re ready to go out that door!

>>3869735
So it's pretty late, which means I'm gonna head off to bed! Voting is open until I wake up - sorry for disappearing for four months, shit happened but that shit's over, so I'm back. Also I'm gonna try to pace myself better so I don't get burnt out again.

Have a good night, everyone. See you in the morning!

>>3869735
Damn, can't believe this is back. Nice to see you again, Cirno!

>Look at the messages.

Might as well see what people are saying.

>>3869735
Oh, boy it's back!

Suppin'>>3869792

>>3869792
Supporting

Holy fuck you’re back. I thought the porcupine killed you! Nice to see you again!

>>3869735
That was quite a long week, heh?

>Check the trades, prepare yourself for the psychological blows that 0phelia has obviously prepared for you.

>>3869735
Oh shit, we're back.
>Check the trades, prepare yourself for the psychological blows that 0phelia has obviously prepared for you.

File: when 0phelia shows up.gif (966 KB, 500x281)

966 KB GIF

Hey, hey; I'd actually forgotten about this for a moment.

>>3869735
>Check the trades

>>3869735

>Check the trades, prepare yourself for the psychological blows that 0phelia has obviously prepared for you.

>>3869735
>Check the trades, prepare yourself for the psychological blows that 0phelia has obviously prepared for you.

>>3869735
>Check the trades, prepare yourself for the psychological blows that 0phelia has obviously prepared for you.

>>3869735
>Check the trades, prepare yourself for the psychological blows that 0phelia has obviously prepared for you.
Hype is back on the menu boys!

>>3869931
>>3869938
>>3869944
>>3869945
>>3869960
>>3869961
>>3870013

Good morning, everyone! Time to check the trades and see what she's offered you. Writing now!

Also thanks for the warm welcome back. Means a lot.

>>3870036

After a few moments of considering, you decide that checking the trade menu first is the lesser of the three evils, and as such you begin to properly drink your alcohol as you open it up, needing the courage that false virtual liquor would give you – knowing her, it was probably a gag item, or some other shit to weird you out. You haven’t even known about this girl’s existence for a week, and she has caused literally most of the problems in your life since then – jury’s still out on if she was the one who sent Rock to fuck your shit up.

Man, fuck 0phelia. What a dick.

Regardless of the deep-seated rage and aggression you hold for that girl, you focus your attention on the menu in front of you – true to form, it’s empty other than a single tab.

>Trade Request – from 0phelia.

You let out a very long sigh – man, you’ve been sighing a lot recently, you should probably get that checked – and tap the menu to see what it holds within. You’re half expecting like…a dildo or something similarly fucked up to send someone in a video game based around killing people. With how much the game has changed, you’re a bit disappointed to say that it wouldn’t surprise you. When the menu pops into existence, you feel one of your eyebrows raise as you lean further against the counter.

In front of you…lies a pretty innocuous item. You recall them being used against you during your initial skirmish against 0phelia. A set of those weird looking spider mines! Huh. This defied your expectations in a lot of ways, actually. They seem to look how you remember them looking from the brief glances you got – they’re made of a dark grey metal, and you can see the holes where the sensors come out from. A detail you hadn’t noticed, however, was that there seemed to be a blue lipstick stain on the backs of all of them…neat, you guess.

>Widow’s Kiss mines x4
>Note: Good luck in your game, Wolfgang. Something tells me you might need it~! I’ll be cheering for you ;P – 0phelia
>Requester 0phelia has indicated that this is a gift, so no reciprocation is necessary.

…the amount of disgusting saccharine intent held within that note makes you want to headbutt a belt sander.

>Accept the mines – you have virtually no equipment other than the standard stuff and a slightly less shit rope.
>Decline – you will not take anything that this woman offers you, you can get by just fine by your own damn self.

>>3870039
>Decline – you will not take anything that this woman offers you, you can get by just fine by your own damn self.

>>3870039
>>Decline – you will not take anything that this woman offers you, you can get by just fine by your own damn self.
glad to see this quest back!

>>3870043
glad to be back! This time I'm going to pace myself better, so hopefully that means no burnout this time around lmao.

>>3870040
>>3870043

You chuckle heartily to yourself as you delete the offer, the spider mines disappearing off the screen. You have gotten by all of your whole three battles (if you count the one against the girl in the square, anyways) without any special shit, and you won’t be changing that up now. All you need are your guns, your knife, and your ingenuity – hey, maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to lure Rock into some of your high tier traps! Although that’s assuming you find any decent materials…you know what, you’ll workshop that idea.

Regardless, you flick back to the main menu and eye the two glowing tabs – you’re not sure how much time you have in here, but surely you have enough to check a few menus, right?

“You have twenty-five minutes until your game begins, N0v4_C43s4r.” You feel a hot breath wash over your ear, and you practically throw yourself over the bar counter in surprise with bewildered eyes – who the fuck else was in here with you!?

A face you were slowly becoming familiar with stares down at you with cold and empty eyes, arms crossed, and mouth etched into a permanent frown. Those golden eyes still unnerve you, and her body was as still as could be…you suppose that made a little sense, considering that she’s a robot.

“So…you’re following me here too, huh?” You pull yourself off of the ground and try to still your hammering heart, shooting a glare at the blue-clad woman.

“I am your handler. You have not entered the game yet.” Her eyes flick down to your wrist, and hey, your anti-cheat band isn’t on. You suppose that would make sense, considering she literally is the anti-cheat band.

You scratch the back of your head – whatever, you have better things to do anyways. Such as ending this apparent blood feud with Rock, or spiting 0phelia by thrashing his ass as hard as you can…thankfully, everything you had to do could be killed with one stone.

How do you proceed?

>Exit the room – better not keep the big man waiting!
>Check your messages – the public’s opinion matters, probably.
>Observe your inventory – gotta remind yourself what you’re working with!
>Other.

>>3870052
>>Observe your inventory – gotta remind yourself what you’re working with!

>>3870052

>Observe your inventory.

I think I remember Cinder giving us some clothes too? Might want to put those on for best girl.

>>3870052
>>Observe your inventory – gotta remind yourself what you’re working with!

>>3870052
>Observe your inventory – gotta remind yourself what you’re working with!

>>3870053
>>3870062
>>3870070
>>3870071
Looks like this wins! Time to check your gear. Writing now, might be a little late because I'm studying for a biology test.

>>3870084
(Aced my biology quiz, feels good.)

You find yourself leaning against the counter again, careful to stay far, far away from the cold and angry robot. Instead, you decide to open up your inventory to acquaint yourself with your loadout – it’s been two days since you’ve even spared it a glance, after all. You’re a far cry from some of the people you used to play Warscape with – they would practically obsess over their guns, making sure that they were in tip-top shape and appearance. And that was before the game acquired hyper-realism…you shudder to think what would happen if your gun jammed in the middle of a fight. Probably could cost someone the match, even!

You choose not to think about that too hard, and you hope to god you didn’t jinx yourself in the process. Let’s look at the sweet loot that Cinder paid for because you’re sort of broke.

>SKF-03 – Skyfire. Classification: sniper rifle.
>Creator: Dahlia.
>”A rifle that reeks of sulfur and burnt wood, the end is scarred with never-ceasing embers. Possesses burst fire module.”

>BPQ-19 – Silverdollar. Classification: shotgun.
>Creator: fl4showned.
>”A shotgun that looks well-used, if a bit rusty.”

>OCE-01 – Ocelot. Classification: revolver.
>Creator: Dahlia.
>”A revolver that burns with feelings of rage and treachery. Easy to handle and frighteningly accurate.”

Other than those weapons, you see the standard fare. Three health patches that restore +20 HP, binoculars, a flashlight, and your extra special rope. You idly recall Cinder expressing surprise at the fact that a weapon by Dahlia was in that low-end shop…is she someone to contact, perhaps?

N-Not that you’re considering getting better guns, of course. Why would you need them? Must be the nostalgia talking.

Also, there appears to be a little box within – ah, those were the clothes Cinder had commissioned for you to wear since she hated your dingy apparel...probably should put them on, you feel like she’d kill you otherwise.

You click them, equipping them instantly. You’re a bit surprised at how heavy they are, but they fit you like a glove! You pull up a view of your avatar, and you can’t help but snort. She apparently took in your old teenage preference of having long coats, considering the black article goes to the back of your knees. There appears to be gold embroidery placed haphazardly throughout, listing your various accomplishments from when you played – you turn it around, and can’t help but smile at what’s written on the back.

>GENESYS
>N0v4_C43s4r
>UNBEATABLE CHEAT

Shit, it’s a bit corny, but you’re into it. Might as well take the whole thing in stride, right?

>Close your inventory and exit the room, you’re sick of sitting idle.
>Check the wave of messages…you hear the tab pinging menacingly.
>Say rude things to the anti-cheat bot, because she’s the worst.
>Shoot Fletcher a message, you can see that he’s online.
>Other.

>>3870152
>>Check the wave of messages…you hear the tab pinging menacingly.
Nothing like hate mail to get you in the mood to be a HEEL. And, if there's time:
>>Say rude things to the anti-cheat bot, because she’s the worst.

>>3870152
>>Close your inventory and exit the room, you’re sick of sitting idle.

Gonna go to eat some lunch, voting will remain open until I get back!

>>3870160
Fill yourself with rage in order to use heel tactics.

>>3870152
>>Shoot Fletcher a message, you can see that he’s online.

>>3870152
>Close your inventory and exit the room, you’re sick of sitting idle.

>>3870160
Supporting.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

I'm back! Gonna flip between these two options, and whichever it lands on I'll write! Hope you're all doing well, and thanks for reading!

>>3870160
>>3870163

Cirno, the people must know. What happened to the porcupine? Is she still being an asshole?

>>3870288
Honestly I haven't seen her in a while, probably because it's getting colder - she's eaten a good portion of my porch over the summer though, the dickhead.

>>3870292

(Apologies if my writing is a bit weird, currently trying to get back into the groove of things. I haven’t written anything that wasn’t for class ever since I left lmao.)

You swallow that bitter pill known as fear and pull up your messages tab, ready to bear witness to everything it has to offer whilst also sending a dirty look at the robot. First she scares you, and then…well, honestly, that’s all she’s really done. It isn’t exactly her fault that she’s stuck with you, but you certainly wish Auxilia would just make normal anti-cheat programs and not robotic girls who look like they want to slash an artery or two!

“So, how long are you going to keep lingering? Aren’t you supposed to be monitoring my console? Go and do your job.” You sarcastically wiggle your wrist as you browse through the rapidly incoming messages. There’s a lot of explicit stuff in here, you notice – not only are there a lot of messages just filled with curses, some have gone really specific with their wording. A lot of angry cries for you to stop hogging the spotlight, that a cheater like you should have just gone and killed himself, and that they’re happy that Rock got to your arcade so they didn’t have to spare the effort.

You snort – so nothing’s really changed from the scandal, then. Somehow, all of this is tamer compared to all the shit you got when you were caught cheating. Even the vandalism remained the same – you recall the instance that propelled you to disappear off the face of the Earth, which was someone coming to your team house and busting out all the windows they could find and slashing tires.

You wonder if any other professional sport players had to deal with this shit, or if it’s just that the rise of gaming as the dominant sport enabled this sort of shitty behavior.

“As I said, you have not entered the game yet.” You look over at her in response to her icy tone, and you can picture the furrowed brow she would have had if she were human.

All you can do is scoff at her.

Regardless, you take in your good dose of gamer rage for the day, which is slightly tempered by the fact that there are a few good sentiments sprinkled throughout…and there are also messages that you would classify as ‘sexually menacing.’

People be crazy, man. You root around in the settings and find that there is an option to disable anonymous messaging, and you do so immediately. No need to poison your eyes any longer. You’re about to do away with the menu screen entirely, but you’re taken out of your thoughts by a heavy, rhythmic thumping on the door.

…that’s not foreboding or anything.

>Walk through the door, it could be someone signaling that it’s time to get out or…something.
>You literally don’t trust anything right now, time to investigate for your own virtual safety.
>Message Fletcher instead of facing the current situation.
>Other.

>>3870308
>>Walk through the door, it could be someone signaling that it’s time to get out or…something.

>Walk through the door, it could be someone signaling that it’s time to get out or…something.

Let’s get this over with.

Remember when our biggest problem was moms yelling at us? Good times

>>3870308
>Walk through the door, it could be someone signaling that it’s time to get out or…something.

>>3870308
Anti-cheat bot is best girl.
>>Walk through the door, it could be someone signaling that it’s time to get out or…something.

>>3870320
>>3870321
>>3870328
>>3870334

Time to cut the shit, let's go through the door and see what's outside! Please roll me a 1d20 - best of three makes it!

Rolled 3 (1d20)

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>3870341

>>3870334
>Anti-cheat bot is best girl.
Sounds like auxilia propaganda

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>3870341
rolling
>>3870349
Nothing like that; Auxilia is the best company because they produce the best products. Simple as.

>>3870346
>>3870347
>>3870351
Well, uh...those are definitely some rolls. Writing now!

>>3870360

You narrow your eyes at the knocks that are slowly increasing in volume, and then multiplying as if several people were wailing on the door at once. It’s incredibly frustrating, and it’s messing up your train of thought – so fuck it, you’ll just walk through the door to make the incessant knocking cease! It’s not like you really have much to do in here anyways, you think you’re pretty set to take on everything.

You send one last glare towards the girl as you begin walking towards the door, and to your chagrin, she follows without a single sound. Looks like she really is monitoring you thoroughly before matches…you don’t recall her following you around in your home base, so what could have brought on this change?

Admittedly, you can’t bring yourself to care all that much.

You reach the door and place your hand on the strangely ornate doorknob, and you think you can hear a low mumbling through it? Are there a lot of people on the other side? Well, there’s only one way to find out. Before you can psyche yourself out of doing this, you force yourself to turn the knob and swing the door wide open.

Almost immediately, bright flashes of light begin to encompass you, taking you highly off guard as you raise a hand to cover your eyes. A sea of voices begin to wash over you, a deluge of questions being thrown your way whilst a crowd of paparazzi eagerly snaps as many pictures as they can take. You’re certain that your younger self would have relished in this attention, eagerly answering them with confidence and striking cocky poses all the while.

You’re beginning to have even more hatred for your younger self than you already do, honestly.

You push one of the reporter’s microphones away from your face and attempt to move through them, which makes them even more excitable as you wade through the crowd. They’re like excited dogs, for Christ sake! Since when did they allow outside press into game lobbies!?

“Nova, Nova! What are your thoughts on your match? How does it feel going up against the man who vandalized your arcade?”

>Respond to the reporter, feed the paparazzi some scraps.
>Stay silent and move faster, your headache is only growing.
>Other.

>>3870387
>Stay silent and move faster, your headache is only growing.

>Respond to the reporter, feed the paparazzi some scraps.

“Feels great to be beat up and forced back into the limelight over a 5 year old mistake!”

>>3870387
>>Stay silent and move faster, your headache is only growing.

>>3870387
>Stay silent and move faster, your headache is only growing.
or
>"Fuck 0phelia."

>>3870398
>>3870410
>>3870416
Silence is golden, as they say! Writing now.

>>3870436
{Sorry for the wait on this one, sudden visitors happened. Also gotta love poor rolls.)

You take a good long look at the man practically shoving his microphone into your mouth – his avatar has black hair, red eyes, and a trench coat. Perhaps he thinks he looks cool like that, perhaps he is trying to make a statement about something. Regardless, you place your hand around the microphone, and you push it into his chest and keep walking, because you aren’t fucking obligated to answer the same media platforms that publicly dragged your name through the mud due to a decision you made out of anxiety when you were SIXTEEN.

You begin grumbling to yourself as you roughly shoulder past the thick crowd – there’s plenty of curses directed at 0phelia, at this fucking game, and life in general! You really wish Cinder were here just so you could vent, but just as you find yourself almost out of the wall of journalism, you feel a hand wrap tightly around your wrist and yank you out of the crowd hard.

You feel your arm begin to sting and crackle with electricity due to the pressure put upon it – this world’s equivalent of pain without taxing the brain too much. Before you can look at the assailant, you find yourself swung around and pressed against a pillar that you hadn’t even seen. You can’t believe the crowd interrupted your normal panoramic observations, damnit!

Also, what is it with people wanting to physically harm you!? All you did was use an aim assist, for fuck’s sake!

“Good evening, Wolfgang.” A sickly-sweet voice speaks from beside you, wrist still secured in an iron clasp. “I didn’t expect to see you again after all this time.”

You hurriedly sort through who this could be as you turn to face them – voice is too smooth to be 0phelia (also she’s in the physical crowd), hands too small to be Rock, voice too high-pitched to be Fletcher’s…when you manage to get a glimpse of their face, however, you feel a vein pulse in your forehead.

Will the universe ever stop throwing curveballs at you, for fuck’s sake? It’s almost like there’s a metaphorical D20 somewhere, and you just keep rolling low repeatedly.

“…didn’t expect the star player of Auxilia to show up. Aren’t you supposed to be practicing?” Your voice is dripping with venom as you tear your wrist away from the man, who smiles mockingly from behind his curtain of blonde hair. “And aren’t you being a little too touchy?”

“I didn’t know how to catch your attention, considering you seem to think you’re hot shit at the moment. Also, you looked like you were about to punch a bystander.”

Looks like Golden from Auxilia decided to come out to your rink-a-dink match. How thrilling.

>Remain silent and stare indignantly at the twink-ish boy.
>”Upset that I’m getting more press than you like usual, Golden?”
>Punch him in the eye and walk away like you don’t know nobody.
>Other.

>>3870492
>>”Upset that I’m getting more press than you like usual, Golden?”
Time to heel.

>>3870492
>Walk away without a response.

We have a game to get to, let's let our skills speak for us!

>>3870520
Gonna go with this because no one supported the other! Time to heel. Also, sorry for the wait, distractions should be gone now. Life is pain. Writing now!

>>3870577

You reign in your anger and force it into a withering smirk as you move off the pillar, taking in the boy in front of you as you prepare your response.

You suspect that his hair is something that most girls would envy – it’s the same on his avatar as it is in real life, long enough that it goes to his waist and as straight as an arrow. His eyes match his username – bright golden, surrounded by immaculately kept bangs. The temptation to punch him in the head briefly comes up, but you manage to stifle it in lieu of a scathing remark.

“Upset that I’m getting more press than you like usual, Golden?” You can feel the nerve you just snapped, as his condescending expression is replaced with the kind of rage one can only display when they’ve been faced with a truth that they can’t swallow. When you were an active player, you eclipsed all of the headlines and left him in the fucking dust – seems it’s still a sore spot for him! Wonderful. You like playing the heel.

“Not at all, {i]cheater.” – you wonder if it’s bad that that word has started to make you chuckle – “I just wanted to see you get crushed underfoot, since I’m pretty sure your skill all came from that fucking che-“

“Did you not see his match against 0phelia then, Golden?” You see the boy stiffen as he looks to the side of you – and lo and behold, it seems a wayward Fletcher has joined the fray. He's wearing his ever familiar beige jacket, and seems to be chewing on a toothpick. That tracks, honestly. “The anti-cheat device that your company developed was in full effect…I believe you should walk away before you write a check that your mouth can't cash.”

Damn, is Fletcher glaring at him? You haven't seen that in a while.

The now very flushed Golden looks back and forth between the two of you with a frenzied expression, before murmuring something unintelligible under his breath and walking away, his hands jammed deep in his pockets.

“You’re going to lose today, Nova! Mark my words!”

“…he sounds like a jilted lover. You doing okay?” Fletcher tries to hide his chuckle with a fist, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. “Sorry for not greeting you at the venue, I was looking for you but didn’t see you, so I decided to jog over to an arcade.”

…you seem to recall that it was raining after you got inside, and you also know that the nearest arcade is about a mile away.

Fletcher was a very odd man.

>”Doing just peachy – I’ve been manhandled for the second time today, in fact!”
>”As well as I could be, really. Did…no one else show up?”
>Remain silent and stare at the ground. You haven’t fulfilled your brooding quota yet.
>Throw your binoculars at the back of Golden’s head. You hate him so much.
>Other.

>>3870614
>"Did...no one else show up?"

Fletcher best boy.

>>3870614
>”As well as I could be, really. Did…no one else show up?”

>>3870625
Support

Indeed, fletcher is a bro.

>>3870625
>>3870635
>>3870638
Writing now!

>>3870650

(Making pulled pork sandwiches for dinner. This is the greatest timeline.)

“As well as I could be, really. Did…no one else show up?” You don’t know what brought forth the note of hesitation in the latter half of that sentence, but you find a sense of nervousness entirely unrelated to the game coming up. You hadn’t expected anyone to show up in the first place, but with Fletcher here…well, maybe everyone else did, too?

“Unfortunately, no.” Apparently something in your face shifted, because Fletcher’s grip on your shoulder tightens a smidge. “I asked all of them, but…well, Buster and Drifter are still really peeved about it. And Orange, well…I think he went off to play some other MMO? I haven’t heard from him in a very long time. So, it looks like I’m the only one around. Sorry about that, Wolf.” He scratches his cheek, and you’re quick to assure him that it’s okay. Sure, maybe you’re a little disappointed, but not nearly enough that it’s a big issue!

Besides, you know for a fact that you’d get manhandled by Buster a third time, whether he was mad or not – dude was incredibly touchy and has never really had a gauge of his own strength. You recall when you won a pretty high-profile tournament, and he hugged you so hard that you needed to take a day off of practice because you could hardly get out of bed.

Ah, memories! So good, so bittersweet, and now you’re burying them to prevent further disappointment.

“Still remember the basics of what we went over?” Fletcher asks you, leading you away from the massive crowd of people and towards a sitting area. You glance around the room – it’s very ornate, with red tapestry hanging from the top floor in multiple places. You also spot quite a few players staring at you, some with pretty mean glares, too!

“Is Rock around?” You ask Fletcher under your breath, ignoring his question as your eyes roam the room in an attempt to spot the beefy man.

“Haven’t seen him. He’s been holed up in his starting room, it would seem…hell, I didn’t even expect you to come out.” He checks his wristwatch and clicks his tongue. “Looks like the match is soon. Now, let me ask again, do you remember what we went over regarding him?” His voice is a little harder, so you figure you better answer this time.

>Yeah, sure, totally! You need no reminder on what to do here, because your memory has never failed you even once.
>You absolutely need a reminder holy shit it’s been four months.
>Other.

>You absolutely need a reminder holy shit it’s been four months.

Eat the shit out of that pulled pork

>>3870676
>>You absolutely need a reminder holy shit it’s been four months.

>>3870676
>>You absolutely need a reminder holy shit it’s been four months.
Something about dominating the mid-range game?

I have ten pounds of pork butt I need to use by midweek. Thanks for the reminder.

>>3870676
>You absolutely need a reminder holy shit it’s been four months.

>>3870684
>>3870688
>>3870692
>>3870710
Rely on big bro Fletcher, he'll help you out. Writing now!

>>3870713

“I…look, I…okay, yeah, I need a reminder.” You say sheepishly, averting your eyes from your former captain and feeling very much like your sixteen-year-old self at the moment.

Unbeknownst to you, Fletcher levels a look that is both parts disappointed and endeared.

“Since we don’t have too much time, I’ll make it as quick as I can. From what we know, he uses light machine guns and a sword that’s as big as he is. Your options are to use your sniper rifle to get a bead on him whilst remaining hidden or using your shotgun to get close. That may sound stupid, but that sword requires effort to swing, and you have a speed advantage due to how small you are compared to him. Of course, this goes out the window if he has switched up his loadout, but we’re running on the assumption that he hasn’t.”

“Have you found out what his third weapon is?” You ask Fletcher, a bit impressed at how easy he still could slip into ‘teacher mode’, as Buster affectionately called it once upon a time.

“No one has ever seen him use one, so we don’t even know if he has one in the first place. Rock plays fairly straight forward, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t, but once again he could have switched things up against you. Keep in mind that if you let him have a bead on you, he will take advantage of that – he has the midgame over you as long as he has that gun.”

“Maybe I could…disarm him?”

“If you think you can get a gun out of his hands, you are more than welcome to try, Wolf.”

“…fair point. Anything about what special equipment he has?”

“None whatsoever as far as I’ve seen. He plays this game like we used to in the old days, so on that front, we might be safe. Let’s see, what else…do you have any special equipment yet?”

“Couldn’t find anything worth a damn other than special rope, no. I did get a trade from 0phelia, bu-“

“You got what?”

Oh, that’s an intense stare he’s giving you.

>Be honest, you didn’t take that bullshit.
>Be a prankster – she gave you a cool spider mine, yeah!
>Ask him for supplies, beggars can’t be choosers.
>Other.

>>3870730
>Be honest, you didn’t take that bullshit.

>Be honest, you didn’t take that bullshit.

I-it’s not like I wanted it or anything...

>>3870730
>>Be honest, you didn’t take that bullshit.

>>3870730
>>Be honest, you didn’t take that bullshit.

>>3870739
>>3870751
>>3870757
>>3870766
I return! You an honest man, yes you are. Writing now!

>>3870780

“Of course not, Alex.” Due to the serious nature of his expression, you drop the screenname and give him as sincere of a look as you can muster. “After everything that’s happened, why would I take anything she offered me?”

A split-second passes where he’s staring deeply into your eyes, enough so that you start to become uncomfortable, but a moment later he sighs in relief and slumps back in his chair. He runs a hand down his face, peeking at you from between his fingers.

“Glad to hear it…knowing her, she might have given you a serious dud. With how those mines work, she could have modified them to target you, and you would have been none the wiser since you don’t know stuff like that.” He flicks open his inventory and reaches within, pulling out what appears to be a handful of grenades, and holds them out to you immediately after.

“Always trust the classics, right?”

>Accept the grenades - more equipment means a better chance of winning.
>Decline the grenades – you appreciate the gesture, but you think your current loadout is just fine.

>Accept the grenades - more equipment means a better chance of winning.

I remember people in the first thread saying we should use the basic items to confuse people. They expect high tech bullshit, we give them classic... something.

>>3870797
>>Accept the grenades - more equipment means a better chance of winning.

>>3870797
>Accept the grenades - more equipment means a better chance of winning.

>>3870814
>>3870816
>>3870817
Take the explosives! Writing now.

>>3870856

(With this, I'm off to dinner! Vote's open until I return - and thank you very much for reading! Leave any feedback, criticism, comments, or concerns - I am not the greatest writer in the world and feedback is crucial in making this story not shit. See you in a bit!)

You smile at him when he says this, and that only causes his own smile to grow as you take the grenades out of his hand.

“They’re all about the tech shit, but we know what’s up.” You say to him, slotting them into your loadout with a little bit of glee.

What, explosives were neat, and they could provide some good damage or cover if used correctly!

>Mk. I Grenades x4 acquired.

“With those, it widens up our options a little bit. If he gets too close and you need to get away, we use one of these to get you out, or we use them to get him off of your scent if he corners you. Also, like I saw in your match against the girl, you’re quite fond of using traps all of a sudden – use that ingenuity to your advantage, Wolf. You have a great mind, and I know it’s not just full of cotton.” He reaches out and taps your forehead, causing you to recoil a bit as you stare at him.

Admittedly, you haven’t had this much positive affirmation in literal years, so you’re feeling pretty good. If there’s one thing Fletcher has always been good at, it’s dragging your sorry ass out of the dumps when it feels like you’re about to carve out a hovel in them to live in.

Before you can open your mouth to respond, a voice comes over the loudspeaker within the room.

”LAAAAAAADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE TIME IS ALMOST HERE! ONE MINUTE UNTIL THE FATED MATCHUP BETWEEN ANCIENT RIVALS! PREPARE YOURSELF!”

Fletcher rolls his eyes and stands up, beckoning you to follow him. You do so yourself – damn, the chairs in this place are comfy – and he turns to face you.

“Feeling good, Wolf?”

“As well as I can, Alex.”

“Don’t overthink things – play how you used to, and everything will be fine. I’m cheering for you.” He holds out his arm, his hand in a closed fist. You find yourself overcome with nostalgia – this was something he always used to do for the group before big matchups.

Fucking Fletcher, being a sentimental asshole. You bump the back of your fist against his, and as soon as you do, a swarm of lights and the sounds of pictures being taken invade your eyes and ears.

That’s real fucking lame. You were just about to have a moment! You hate the media.

>”Thanks, Alex. For all of this.”
>”Don’t worry, Fletcher. I’ll take this victory in no time.”
>Salute him and turn around to walk away, even if you have nowhere to walk to.
>Say nothing because you’re dropping so many death flags you might as well be speaking in semaphore.
>Other.

>>3870895
>”Thanks, Alex. For all of this.”

so much for retirement

>>3870895
>>Say nothing because you’re dropping so many death flags you might as well be speaking in semaphore.
Time to equip best girl.

>>3870900
Support

We’re still on track for retirement. It’s not like we’ll be forced to re-enter the gaming landscape and determine the fate of Warscape!

Right?

>>3870895
>>”Don’t worry, Fletcher. I’ll take this victory in no time.”

>>3870900
Also seconding this.

>>3870895
>Say nothing because you’re dropping so many death flags you might as well be speaking in semaphore.

>>3870913
Warscape is fine. Auxilia is doing a great job. Nova even commented on the comfy chairs.

Everything is fine.

>>3870900
Supporting.

>>3870895
>Salute him and turn around to walk away, even if you have nowhere to walk to.

>>3870900
>>3870913
>>3870917
>>3871031
Hello, everyone, I'm back! This wins - being genuine with Fletcher is the way to go. Writing now!

>>3871130

“Hey, Alex. Thanks for all of this, seriously. You didn’t have to do this, especially because I cut and run on the team, so…it means a lot.” You avert your eyes from him out of embarrassment due to this admission, and to your irritation the cameras begin to flash all over again. You sincerely wonder what title they could use for a scene like this…perhaps a gossip magazine article about the former prodigy getting together with his old team captain?

Yeah, knowing how people like to spin things, that sounds like something they’d do. You sincerely hate it.

“It’s no problem, Wolf.” Fletcher sticks a hand in his pocket, using the other to perform a two fingered salute. “You’re practically family to me. I’m just happy to hear that you’re alright after all these years…although I figure you would be. You’ve always had a good head on your shoulders, even if it used to be full of hot air. See you after the match.” With those parting words, he flickers away into blue polygons, as do many of the others in the sitting room.

Well shit, ain’t that one of the sweetest things you’ve ever heard.

You look over your shoulder and find your robotic inquisitor staring with that blank look permanently etched into her face. This would be a hell of a lot less uncomfortable if she smiled a little more, but you highly doubt you’d be able to convince this hard ass robot to do anything of the sort.

“It is time.” She says simply, reaching out and clasping your right hand.

“Yeah. Make sure you do your job correctly – I’d like to erase all doubt of my ability after this match so they all leave me alone, thanks.”

You don’t think you imagined that irritated glare that crossed over her face as she begins to morph into that weird metal substance.

>Roll me a 1d20. Best of three makes it.

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>3871158

Rolled 7 (1d20)

>>3871158

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>3871158

>>3871167
Thank you for breaking the streak of cursed rolls. Writing now!

Just realized that the calypso twins would fit right in

>>3871170

As the robot hovers in the air, inching forward to take shape around your right wrist, a familiar blue electricity begins to crackle around her as she does so. You feel the tingles that you’ve begun to associate with this process running up and down your arm, and you let out a sigh…but something sticks out to you.

What was that brief flash of red as she secured herself around your wrist?

You stare at the bracelet with confusion, but before you can devote more of your mind to it, you feel the familiar displacement of your body being teleported. Rather than your consciousness going black this time around, it’s like the scene changes in an instant. In one moment, you’re within the comfortable sitting room of the baroque club, and the next…

From the looks of things, you’re sat atop the stratosphere of a planet.

You aren’t a very easy person to surprise when it comes to a lot of things, but the sheer view of an entire world below your feet…the green plains, snowcapped mountains, what appears to be a desert…you feel your breath being taken away by the beautiful sight.

“Over here, lad! Don’t linger!” An overly ostentatious voice breaks you from this momentary reverie, and you shake your head and begin to move forward. It would seem that there is a sort of invisible glass floor beneath you, considering that you’re not plummeting towards the planet. With that in mind, you avert your eyes from the planet and look in front of you at the person speaking.

You notice two things right away: there is a large crowd of people circling where the man who called you is standing, and Rock’s avatar is somehow bigger than he is in real life.

He is standing stock still, narrow eyes boring holes into yours whilst his arms remain crossed. His bicep is bigger than your head, for fuck’s sake! Regardless, you force yourself forward as a majority of the crowd begins murmuring.

“In the interest of not keeping these people waiting longer, let’s skip the pleasantries – I’m certain the two of you have none to exchange, considering recent events!” The bulbous man lets out a roaring laugh, obviously highly amused by his own poor joke. A few people in the crowd begin to laugh at this, but are silenced with a gasp that seems to run through all of them. Why is that, you wonder?

It’s because Rock has extended a hand to you.

How do you proceed?

>Accept his handshake – lots of people show respect when they don’t mean it!
>Swat away his hand – after everything he’s done, he can fucking shove it.
>”Can we get on with it already?” You pointedly say to the announcer after giving Rock’s hand a passing glance.
>Other.

>Accept his handshake – lots of people show respect when they don’t mean it!

>>3871201
>Accept his handshake – lots of people show respect when they don’t mean it!

>>3871201
>Accept his handshake – lots of people show respect when they don’t mean it!

>>3871201
>>Accept his handshake – lots of people show respect when they don’t mean it!

>>3871203
>>3871217
>>3871221
>>3871225
Show your sportsmanship! Writing now.

>>3871252

You briefly consider reciprocating the incredible rudeness this man has shown you over the past few days – you know, with the whole vandalizing your arcade and stomping on your closest friend’s stomach thing – but you realize that being a dick at the moment won’t earn you any favors with a crowd that already detests you. With that in mind, you reach out your hand and clasp his firmly, giving it a shake and immediately retracting it. No need to lay it on too thick.

You spot Fletcher at the front of the crowd out of the corner of your eye, and you see him give a brief nod. Apparently, that was the right thing to do, you guess. You aren’t too concerned about this whole etiquette thing; you just want to put this particular grudge to rest so you can go back to the sweet sanctity of your arcade.

"CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS, FOLKS? THESE BITTER RIVALS EMBROILED IN A FEUD THAT WILL SHAKE THE FOUNDATION OF WARSCAPE…HAVE SHOOK HANDS!? COULD THIS BE A STEP TOWARDS A MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING!?”

You stare at this man with all of the bewilderment you can muster within your body. Was that a sentence he just said? You look back over at Rock, and it seems he had given the man a look of equal confusion.

“Ahem. Regardless, let’s get this show on the road! On my right side, we have one of the heaviest hitters in the solo scene today, ROCK!” The crowd cheers for the man who just two days ago was arrested for vandalism and assaulting a police officer. “And on my left! Potentially the hottest star that has ever graced Warscape, who was disgraced due to his own unfortunate misdeeds…N0V4_C43S4R!” And a vast majority boo you, the man who is a victim in this whole scenario. This whole thing is bullshit.

“ARE YOU READY TO WITNESS THEM WAGE WAR, AUDIENCE!?”

A resounding yes nearly blows your ears out.

“THEN LET’S NOT TARRY, FOLKS! MAY THE BEST PLAYER WIN! LET THE MATCH…COMMENCE!”

You find yourself being locked into an intense stare down with Rock, his dark eyes locked unwaveringly with yours. It’s almost as if the din of the crowd is fading away in face of this conflict – everything pales in comparison to the anger you feel towards this man. If there’s one thing you could be thankful for, it’s that this match will be incredibly cathartic when you snuff him out.

“You will lose, Nova. You have no programs to help you this time.” Rock states, his deep baritone voice echoing through you as the edges of your vision begin to darken. As you feel your body begin to fade away, your mind being transported to the battlefield…you manage to get out one last remark.

“Bite me.”

You sincerely hope you’ll be able to back that up.

>Begin the match.

(Now comes the part where I get to plan out the entire map - it's about time we have some action, yeah? See you soon! Hope you've enjoyed so far.)

>>3871300
>Begin the match.
We in this bitch. Doing good as always, OP!

Welp. The match has officially begun. Anyone got any good plans?

>>3871310
I say we hide and try to pick him off with our sniper, I don't think we want Rock swinging a sword at us under any circumstances.

>>3871310
That really depends on the map, bit considering the lmg it would be in our best interest to stay out of his sightlines as much as possible until we can force a reload.

>>3871300
Glad to see you back cirno

>>3871300

Alright, so I have the entire map written out - there's plenty of goodies stashed away within, along with a few interesting tidbits! However, I'm really tired, so I'm going to go to sleep for the night - I don't want to begin this when I'm almost falling asleep at the desk lmao.

Thank you to everyone who's read this and participated - also thanks for the warm welcome back!

As per usual, leave feedback, questions, comments, concerns, and all other things here - I want to keep making this better, after all!

So, have a good evening everyone, and I'll see you in the morning!

>>3871368
have a good sleep, cirno! can't wait for rock to destroy us

>>3871325
>>3871328
>>3871310
Wide open spaces, sniper rifle is the way to go. But if it's a prison-like map, getting in close would be better, possibly softening him up with traps first. Of course, we don't know if the blunderbuss is going to fail on us either.

Hey hey what the fuck. What the fuck happened man. Why’d you ghost like that?

>>3870039
>Good luck in your game, Wolfgang. Something tells me you might need it~! I’ll be cheering for you ;P – 0phelia
Top fucking kek, confirms 0phelia is a autist.

Glad to see this back!

Good morning, everyone! I have some class work to do this morning, and after that we'll get this ball going.

>>3871679
For the first two months I was gone it was pure burnout - apparently trying to write as often as I could just made me not want to write at all. I thought I'd be able to make the deadline I stated, but then that just didn't work out for me. The latter two months were due to my second college semester starting, and I wanted to make sure I was in a good place grade-wise before I started devoting time to this again.

>>3871697
0phelia's main talent as a Warscape player is being the worst.

>>3871709
Glad to see YOU back, anon.

>>3871710
>0phelia's main talent as a Warscape player is being the worst.
I'd smash, 0phelia redemption ark when?
Anyways, I understand why you left. Next time tell us when you feel burn out, please tell us.

>>3871719
Just watch the match, 0phelia.

>>3871737
0phelia best girl.

Alright, I'm back and writing! Aced the assignment and feeling good.

>>3871719
Will do - if it gets bad again, I might just come up with a new quest to focus on until I feel like writing this one.

>>3871743
Also this is the hottest take. You are a brave one, anon.

>>3871745
It's fun to go against the flow of the current.

Sweltering heat washes over your body as your vision begins to return, immediately making you wish that the jacket Cinder had commissioned you wasn’t so heavy.

When the blurriness in your eyes starts to fade away, the first thing you notice is that the sky is blue without a single cloud in sight. This would qualify as an innocuous sight, however every map you’ve played on since picking the game up has been cloudy. The skyscrapers against 0phelia had a storm, the prison against Cinder was dull and lifeless, and training with Fletcher was in a vast grey abyss…you’re reminded again about just how remarkable the realism in this game is.

However, staring at the sky isn’t the priority, so you tear your eyes from it and start to look around you.

It would seem that you are in a desert map, judging by the vast amount of sand surrounding the area. The part that you’re standing on seems to be relatively solid with only a fine dusting, but turning your head shows a menagerie of vast dunes. In front of you lies a curious sight – a hole that is incredibly large around, surrounded by a battered metal railing that looks like it would snap with a single push. Your eyes follow the railing to the right, and you see a large building with a few satellite dishes and a radio tower about half a mile away. To the left, a cluster of buildings that are the same distance away.

Part of you is thankful that you haven’t been thrusted into another game of cat and mouse – things seem straightforward, this time around!

Unfortunately, your glee ends when you follow the railing all the way around and see Rock standing directly across the hole from you.

In the moment that you see him, you take note of a few things. For one, there seems to be a heavy vest strapped to his chest, a piece of armor that you hadn’t seen moments ago during your little standoff. For two, he has a sword strapped to his back that’s as tall as him and as big as you. For three, he’s slowly raising a large and menacing gun towards you. And fourth and finally, you feel a familiar weight on your waist – the bag is already on you, which means you don’t have start of round invincibility.

Yeah, this is a change of pace alright. Time to think fast.

>Run towards the small town, if you lure him in, you could use your shotgun and knife to take him on close quarters.
>Run towards the large building, you need a vantage point in order to pick him off with your sniper rifle.
>Hit the deck and snipe the fucker – you’ll attempt to end this quickly, because why not? [This will require a HIGH roll.]
>Flip him off and dodge all the bullets as a show of superiority. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll.]
>Other.

>>3871758
>Run towards the large building.
I don't want anything to do with that sword, and I don't think we want to engage without cover.

>>3871758
>>Hit the deck and snipe the fucker – you’ll attempt to end this quickly, because why not? [This will require a HIGH roll.]

>>3871758
>Run towards the large building, you need a vantage point in order to pick him off with your sniper rifle.

>>3871758
>Run towards the large building, you need a vantage point in order to pick him off with your sniper rifle.
Much as I think we have an advantage in the town, I trust the rifle more than the shotgun

>>3871758
>>Hit the deck and snipe the fucker – you’ll attempt to end this quickly, because why not? [This will require a HIGH roll.]
Force him to move to cover first. Then rotate to keep him at max range.

>>3871758
>Run towards the large building, you need a vantage point in order to pick him off with your sniper rifle.

>>3871758
>>3871791
Agreed, a quick drop shot, then we can react to his movement.

>>3871758
>>Hit the deck and snipe the fucker – you’ll attempt to end this quickly, because why not? [This will require a HIGH roll.]

Rolled 2 (1d2)

I return from the dark voooooid. Made lunch, used the rest of the pulled pork from yesterday. Some good shit right there, let me tell you.

Since we seemingly have a tie, I'm gonna flip between them! If it lands on the second, I need a 1d20 - best of three wins!

>>3871773
>>3871775

>>3871758
>Toss a grenade at him to force him back and make a break for the large building.

>>3871833

>>3871833
GRASSY KNOLL!

Rolled 15 (1d20)

>>3871833

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>3871837
>>3871833
Whoops, lets try that again

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>3871833
Rolling to keep things rolling.

>>3871838
This makes the cut, it would seem! Writing now.

You immediately throw yourself to the ground just as Rock begins firing, tearing your sniper from its holster as you barely avoid a mouth full of sand and bullets. You look down the sights with a hiss and aim for the head, pulling the trigger and firing a quick shot off at him. Unfortunately, your aim is a bit off due to the sudden adrenaline making your hands quiver, and the shot hits him square in the chest – normally you’d count that as a win, but bulletproof vests are the actual worst in Warscape – that’s something of a universal concept in the game, whether it be now or five years ago.

All Rock does in response is adjust his aim lower, finger apparently glued to the trigger. Seems he plays exactly like he used to, then – 0 to 100 as soon as the possibility is presented to him. You were pretty well known for making short work of players like him in the olden days.

>Player: N0v4_C43s4r
>HP: 100/100

>Get up and sprint towards the large building, time to claim your vantage point. [This will require a LOW roll.]
>Get up and sprint towards the small town, if he comes after you, you’ll rely on your speed. [This will require a LOW roll.]
>Chuck a grenade his way and head for either place – it’ll distract him and deal some damage while you hide yourself. [This will require a roll.]
>Fire off another shot – you’re more situated now, and if you hit properly, you have no doubt it’ll make him let up on his suppressing fire while dealing massive damage. [This will require a VERY HIGH roll.]
>Other.

>>3871845
>Chuck a grenade his way and head for the large building.

>>3871852
+1

>>3871845
>>Get up and sprint towards the large building, time to claim your vantage point. [This will require a LOW roll.]

>>3871845
>>Chuck a grenade his way and head for the large building.

>>3871852
>>3871857
>>3871861
This wins! Please roll me a 1d20, best of three wins as per usual.

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>3871865

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>3871865

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>3871865

>>3871869
>>3871873
>>3871874
oof. Hope the 13 is enough.

>>3871869
...two 1s in one set, huh. This one goes through, writing now.

>>3871881

You throw yourself to the side just as the spray comes down on you, hand darting down to your belt as you pull out one of the frag grenades Fletcher had given you only minutes ago. You certainly didn’t think you’d be using any of them this early in the match, but hey, plans need to stay adaptable to win!

You bring yourself to your feet and pull the pin, tossing it at him with the precision of a baseball pitcher and hauling ass towards the large building. You glance out of the corner of your eye and see Rock maneuver the gun towards you, catching the grenade in its spray and causing it to detonate in mid-air. The sound is nearly deafening, and you feel a bit of shrapnel coast past your head – but the black smoke that lingers must be doing a pretty good job of obscuring you, as no bullets come through. Part of you didn't expect that to work! Hell yeah!

“That’s one obstacle down.” You murmur as you sprint towards the grey building, hurriedly looking for a door while praying that the smoke was still obscuring you. As you come within a few paces of it, you can make out a large set of double doors, along with a few sets of windows, and a ladder that goes up to the roof.

How do you proceed?

>Go straight into the building – you don’t have time to investigate when Rock could be coming this way.
>Take cover behind the wall and investigate the building – caution is damn well necessary, no matter the situation.
>Go up to the roof and get a bead on Rock – you might be able to catch him unaware.
>Other.

>>3871895
>Go up to the roof and get a bead on Rock – you might be able to catch him unaware.

>>3871895
>>Go up to the roof and get a bead on Rock – you might be able to catch him unaware.

>>3871895
>Take cover behind the wall and investigate the building – caution is damn well necessary, no matter the situation.

>>3871903
>>3871908
This one wins! Writing now.

>>3871917

You shove your sniper back in it’s holster and move over to the ladder, trying to pinpoint where Rock is through the windows – when that venture proves fruitless due to how dirty some of them are, you sigh and begin ascending the ladder as quick as you can. The fact that this map was fairly straight forward was both a blessing and a curse – this would quite literally come down to skill between the two of you, since this map doesn’t seem to have any obvious gimmicks.

You reach the top and throw yourself over the lip of the wall, keeping low to the ground as you scuttle over to the opposite side. Other than the satellites sticking out of the roof, there are a few air conditioning units that could be used as decent cover, as well as a hatch that most likely leads into the top floor.

Looks like you might be sitting pretty, if this works well!

You allow a few moments to pass before you peek over the wall, keeping your sniper rifle ready in case any surprises await you…and to your shock, you see him immediately.

He’s standing still, exactly where you had saw him before, gun still pointed towards where you had previously been standing. You feel an instinctual surge of excitement run through you, but your mind tempers it immediately. There’s something incredibly off about this to you…why isn’t he moving? Your brow furrows as you adjust your rifle.

>Brace yourself against the wall and sweep the area with your sights – you suspect something might be up.
>Take the shot – if there’s a trap involved here, you can’t imagine that it will be able to hit you from this distance. (This will require a LOW roll.)
>You don’t trust this at all – move over to the hatch and stay alert. (This will require a roll.)
>Scavenge the rooftop to see if there are any hidden goods – gotta recoup the cost of the grenade! (This will require a roll.)
>Other.

>>3871939
>>Brace yourself against the wall and sweep the area with your sights – you suspect something might be up.

>>3871939
>>Scavenge the rooftop to see if there are any hidden goods – gotta recoup the cost of the grenade! (This will require a roll.)

Obvious trap is obvious, I doubt Rock is smart enough to play reverse psychology where something looks like a trap but it isn't. So we might as well take this opportunity to look for supplies.

>>3871939
>You don’t trust this at all – move over to the hatch and stay alert. (This will require a roll.)

>>3871970
+1.

>>3871970
>>3871978
Looks like this wins! Roll a 1d20 to find goodies.

>>3871939
>>Scavenge the rooftop to see if there are any hidden goods – gotta recoup the cost of the grenade! (This will require a roll.)
Aww yeah, nice to see this quest back in business. Good to have you back, cirno.

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>3871981
for the loot!

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>3871981

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>3871981

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>3871981
Give us our loot, damnit!

>>3871986
Well shit, looks like you get some loot! Writing now.

>>3871984
I liiiiiiive.

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>kleptomania intensifies

>>3872013

You grumble to yourself as you move at a half crouch across the roof, eyes scavenging for anything that looked remotely useful. You don’t think Rock really has the smarts to pull any complicated shit, so you won’t take that bait – you’re pretty sure it’s a decoy, now that you think about it. Looks like Fletcher was right about Rock changing up his game plan against you – no special equipment your ass.

After half a minute of searching, you see something behind an air conditioning unit that catches your eyes – what appears to be a medium-sized black box that’s just…sitting there. You can make out a silver clasp on the front of it, and you smile victoriously.

Glorious, glorious loot. This is what dreams are made of right here.

You get down on your knees as you reach forward and flick open the clasp – thankfully, it doesn’t blow up in your face – and you grin at how neat the contents inside look. They’re all surrounded by black foam, reminding you distinctly of a gun case, and the smell of Styrofoam hits your nostrils. Inside you see five throwing knives piled neatly on top of each other, a dark grey cube that seems to have blue glowing data patterns across its surface, and three vials of unknown liquids that vary in color (one yellow, one red, one purple). You take all of them out, and as you do, a spark of realization clicks within your head – if you remember correctly, the yellow one should be what you used to clinch the win from 0phelia!

Fuckin’ haste potions man. That’s the good shit.

>Player: n0v4_c43s4r
>HP: 100/100

>Inventory:
>Mk. II rope
>Auxilia brand healing patch x 3 (+20 HP)
>Flashlight
>Binoculars
>Mk. I frag grenades x 3
>Throwing knives x 5
>Speed potion
>Unknown glowing cube
>Unknown red potion
>Unknown purple potion

“They’re really going out of their way to bring in all crowds, huh?” You chuckle, securing the items within your bag. Just as you’re about to move away from the box, the wind seems to pick up, and your brow furrows.

Now that you think of it…things have been awfully quiet since you got up here, haven’t they? Where could Rock have gone?

>Roll a 1d20 – best of three makes it.

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>3872034

Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>3872034

Rolled 12 (1d20)

>>3872034

>>3872036
A decent enough roll! Writing now.

>>3872067

You don’t know what propelled you to move, but you throw yourself to the ground just before the sound of glass breaking overcomes the wind, a spray of gunfire following as bullets sail right where your head used to be. Your eyes widen a bit as you curse to yourself, realizing what had happened immediately.

When the grenade detonated and you had moved to this building, Rock had left the decoy and mirrored your movements, moving over to the small town and taking cover whilst waiting for you to show yourself. You can’t help but chuckle as the hail of bullets cease – that was a pretty decent move on his part, you’d concede that to him. You’d pegged him as a total meathead!

“His ammunition isn’t infinite, though.” You murmur to yourself as you ready your own weapon, lapsing into the old habit of speaking your thoughts aloud. “Would explain why he stopped firing rather than keeping it up this…he must have burned through his first clip earlier.”

You weigh the options in your head as silence overtakes the valley – you have several avenues of approach here. For one, you could dig in up here and try to rely on your old wits to locate him before he takes your head off. For two, you could inch over to the hatch that would let you into the building, at risk of him potentially seeing. For three, you could go right back down the fucking ladder and make your way over to the town…with finite ammo, it’s not like he can keep up the suppressing fire forever. Hell, you could even toss another grenade his way as a distraction…it worked once, right?

You purse your lips. What’s your avenue of approach here?

>Move over to the hatch and try to get a bead on him from within the top floor of the building. [This will require a roll.]
>Go down the ladder and sprint over to the town – what’s the worst that could happen in the middle of a mile sprint? [This will require a roll.]
>Quick scope this fucker – you’re feeling confident! [This will require a HIGH roll.]
>Baseball pitch another grenade at him – either he shoots it again, it hits, or it misses. Two of those three outcomes are good, right? [This will require a HIGH roll.]
>Other.

>>3872093
>>Move over to the hatch and try to get a bead on him from within the top floor of the building. [This will require a roll.]

>>3872095
support

>>3872093
>>>Move over to the hatch and try to get a bead on him from within the top floor of the building. [This will require a roll.]

>>3872095
>>3872098
>>3872102
Move your ass, get a better position! Roll me a 1d20.

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>3872115
T A C T I C A L R O L L

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>3872115
Hail Auxilia

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>3872115

>>3872121
TACTICAL PROWESS ACHIEVED. Writing now!

A few moments pass as you make up your mind, maneuvering your body so you could dart over to the neighboring air conditioning unit with perfect ease. You count down from three, and combat roll across the gap – the instant you make it, the gunfire starts again in short bursts. You need to repeat this once more to get to the hatch – thankfully it was positioned behind one of the conditioners, so you don’t need to linger out of cover.

As you begin to work the handle, a thought occurs to you…there’s a chance that Rock hasn’t been on this map before, as slim as it may be. With the hatch positioned as it is…you concoct a plan in your head, a smirk rising to your face as you wrench it open. There’s no ladder leading down, interestingly enough, but you’re relatively certain that the drop to the top floor won’t damage you all that much. With that in mind, you swing your legs into the gap and raise your hand high in the air for Rock to see.

As soon as you hear his gun go off, you drop into the gap.

A puff of air is expelled from you as you land on your feet, immediately pivoting and rushing to the set of windows that face the town. There are a few desks littered throughout the floor, and you practically vault over the ones in your way as you sidle up to the window. You raise your gun to get a better view, and the grin practically splits your face as you locate exactly what you’re looking for.

You see Rock pointing his gun at the roof, none the wiser.

“Looks like I still have it.” You say aloud, not caring to muffle yourself as you curl your finger around the trigger.

>Take the shot – aim for the head. [This will require a roll.]
>Take the shot – aim for center mass. [This will require a LOW roll.]
>Take the shot – aim for his hands to make him drop the gun out of the building. You'll disarm him to prove a point to Fletcher. [This will require a HIGH roll.]
>Other.

>>3872168
>Take the shot – aim for the head. [This will require a roll.]

>>3872168
>Take the shot - aim for his hands to make him drop the gun out of the building. You'll disarm him to prove a point to Fletcher. (This will require a HIGH roll.)
Hey, if nothing else, his hands are close to center of mass. A good 'miss' could still end up plugging him in the gut.

>>3872168
>>Take the shot – aim for the head. [This will require a roll.]

>>3872168
>Shoot him in the head

>>3872183
>>3872189
>>3872191
Will you score the first hit? Roll me a 1d20...best out of four makes it, due to him not knowing where the fuck you went.

Rolled 7 (1d20)

>>3872214

>>3872168
>Take the shot – aim for the head.

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>3872214

Rolled 6 (1d20)

>>3872214
Only because it's best of four.

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>3872214
Look at this Nat 1

>>3872235
Why are the rolls in this thread cursed? Writing now.

Holy shit, Gun x Glory's back?!

Fletcher 4 best gril, 0phelia a shit.

>>3872246
Because that red glow was 0phelia sabotaging our rolls.

>>3872253
0phelia best gril, pleb.

>>3872246
The rolls are Auxilia balancing the playing field against known cheats, obvs.

>>3872266
0phelia literal worst entity in existence, scrub.

>>3872246

You center your sights perfectly on his head, and you brace yourself against a table, making sure that they would stay that way. You take a breath and go to fire…and a sudden spasm rocks through your body just as you pull the trigger, making your shot take out a piece of the windowsill next to Rock’s head rather than your intended target.

You see him actually jump in surprise and fumble the gun for a moment, before clutching it and maneuvering it towards your position – you curse and throw yourself to the ground as bullets decimate the window. You’re about to roll out of the way when a cough racks through your body, and you forcefully drive the heel of your hand into your mouth to stifle it. A few moments pass after the gunfire ceases, and you draw your hand away with a glare – what the fuck had happened just now? A spasm and then a cough? That doesn’t seem right at all.

A moment later, it occurs to you that your hand is now dyed red.

…excuse me?

>Player: n0v4_c43s4r
>HP: 95/100 (-5 HP)

You stare at your hand dumbfoundedly…they had added blood to this game? There hadn’t been any five years ago, not to mention the recent skirmishes you had with everyone…is this a competitive only feature? You shake your head, that wasn’t the point…what caused that sudden twitch?

Did Rock…do something to cause it? It didn’t happen when you shot at him earlier…you grit your teeth and find a buried surge of anger rising up within you.

>”I thought you wanted a fair fight, asshole!” You scream out the window.
>You bury your anger and slink away into the building, you need to find another avenue of approach.
>Pop up and try to shoot him again – you won’t let a twitch stop you from tagging this meaty fuck. [This will require a HIGH roll.]
>Other.

>>3872297
>>You bury your anger and slink away into the building, you need to find another avenue of approach.
i'm guessing all that is from cursed rolls

>>3872297
So we pissed off Golden, whose family company made the anti-cheat device we wear, and now after that device has acted strangely, we're unable to get a good shot it. What a coincidence.

It seems to be automatic for if we're going to hit a high-damage area, unless they've got something with seriously fast reflexes to decide whether to activate it or not.

Do we continue to fight, or do we call a halt and demand the tournament staff check our device for tampering?

>”I thought you wanted a fair fight, asshole!” You scream out the window.

In a.... somewhat more polite tone

>>3872297
>>Pop up and try to shoot him again – you won’t let a twitch stop you from tagging this meaty fuck. [This will require a HIGH roll.]

double down like a boss.

>>3872297
>>”I thought you wanted a fair fight, asshole!” You scream out the window.
Something's up. We never bled in our previous games. And if it is just a new game mechanic Rock might just confirm it somehow because he doesn't seem the decptive type.

>>3872318
ok yeah, this Golden faggot is sabotaging us.

And to think we were worried about 0phelia sabotaging us.

>>3872319
+1

>>3872326
That aside, hey QM is coughing fits something we should be worried about in VR? Like is this something that, when it happens in other occasions, we immediately should be scared? For all we know we could be receiving dangerous feed back irl from the helmet.

>>3872350
Yeah shit, maybe our physical game helmet has been tampered with?

>>3872285
0phelia best girl literal autist goddess, scum.

>>3872354
Gah, my conviction caused me to type without checking what I wrote! meant
>0phelia best girl and literal autist goddess, scum.

>>3872297
>You bury your anger and slink away into the building, you need to find another avenue of approach.

>letting him know our location ISHYGDDT

So hey, I gotta take a break because I forgot that I need dinner! Gonna make some burgers, me thinks. Fueled by the fires of confusion. Should be great - see you soon, and thank you for reading so far! Vote is open till I get back!

>>3872350
Coughing isn't something you should be worried about, no! Not that Wolfgang would know this, but things that make you cough are used in other VR games. No need to worry about fatalities here!

>>3872297
>Pop up and try to shoot him again – you won’t let a twitch stop you from tagging this meaty fuck. [This will require a HIGH roll.]
umpteenth time is the charm!

>>3872358
Wow, looks like you typoed twice! It's okay, friend, I'm here to help. What you meant to write was

>0phelia worst girl and literally autistic, godless scum.

You're welcome!

>>3872297
>>Pop up and try to shoot him again – you won’t let a twitch stop you from tagging this meaty fuck. [This will require a HIGH roll.]
So, it looks like Goldie's trying to mess with our mojo through that bracelet. And because there are all of a dozen people who will believe someone with a record of cheating, we are basically free game.

So I say fuck the haters and fuck the rolls.

>>3872392
Oh my god, that's so crazy, you had typoed when fixing my typo, how funny! here let me fix that for you
>0phelia best girl and literally an autistic, godly woman.

You're welcome!

>>3872297
>Pop up and try to shoot him again – you won’t let a twitch stop you from tagging this meaty fuck. [This will require a HIGH roll.]

>>3872297
>You bury your anger and slink away into the building, you need to find another avenue of approach.
Haha, time for traps.

>>3872414
Haha, wow, it sucks that your autocorrect keeps playing up so much! Don't worry, I got you covered with the correct spellings

>0phelia worst subhuman trash and literally an ass-spewed gushing of diarrhoea.

Hope that helps!

>>3872434
>>3872414
stop fighting your clogging the thread

>>3872434
Haha, gosh, are you phone posting or something? You keep mistyping things, don't worry fren, I got your back

>0phelia best demigoddess and literally an cutie gushing of cuteness.

You really have to pay attention while typing anon!

Still doing dinner - popping in for a vibe check. How's it going, anons?

>>3872440
Sorry, couldn't help myself kek.

>>3872450
>>3872434
Are being autsits of the highest calibur and shitting up the thread with their one sided waifu wars but other than that, we chill.

>>3872449
pretty good, glad that this session isn't just a pure tutorial battle and that there's some plot implications with Nova's sudden pneumonia fit. Also learning that 0phelia is schrodinger's waifu

>>3872440
Sorry, but someone was WRONG on the INTERNET. What else was I to do?!

>>3872449
Need to head out but it's been good so far! Loving to hate the 0phelia/Rock/Golden trinity of evil.

>>3872456
>Also learning that 0phelia is schrodinger's waifu
The gamble is the most exciting part. Jooiin me anoonnn.

>>3872297
>You bury your anger and slink away into the building, you need to find another avenue of approach

Rolled 1 (1d2)

ALRIGHT! I am back from dinner and my stomach feels like it's going to explode, but it was a damn good dinner though. So if my calculations are correct, we have a tie between these two!

>>3872315
>>3872320

If it lands on the second, please roll me a 1d20 - best of three gets it!

>>3872253
>>3872266
best girl is landlady you nerds

>>3872588

You stare up at your hand with a scowl, and then the window. You’re really tempted to scream at Rock for whatever bullshit he just pulled, but you force it down as best you can. Allowing yourself to get angry here will lead to a bout of irrationality, and you need to focus on the fight in front of you rather than speculating about whatever just happened to you. With that in mind, you grunt and begin crawling towards the railing of upper floor, hoping to god that Rock didn’t see you – you have no doubt he could tear you up with that gun right now – but thankfully luck seems to be on your side for once, as you are undisturbed.

You glance around the building as you contemplate your next move – there’s an untouched bottom floor, a room at the top of the stairs leading down, and you can spot the ladder that’s meant to lead up to the roof.

A plethora of options, it would seem! Which one do you choose?

>Move to the bottom floor – best to keep on the move so he can’t pin you down to one spot in the building.
>Raid the unopened room for supplies – you’ll take anything you can get at this point! [This will require a roll.]
>Go back to the roof and rain hell upon Rock – you’ll try and shift the pressure onto him and force him out of his perch. [This will require a HIGH roll.]
>Leave the building and rush over to the town – you’re sick of this sniper shit, you’ll engage him in close quarters. [This will require a HIGH roll.]
>Other.

>>3872616
>>Go back to the roof and rain hell upon Rock – you’ll try and shift the pressure onto him and force him out of his perch. [This will require a HIGH roll.]

>>3872616
>Raid the unopened room for supplies – you’ll take anything you can get at this point! [This will require a roll.]

>>3872616
>Go back to the roof and rain hell upon Rock – you’ll try and shift the pressure onto him and force him out of his perch. [This will require a HIGH roll.]

>>3872616
>Raid the unopened room for supplies – you’ll take anything you can get at this point! [This will require a roll.]


if we stay here we should booby trap the entrances and shit.

>>3872616
>Go back to the roof and rain hell upon Rock – you’ll try and shift the pressure onto him and force him out of his perch. [This will require a HIGH roll.]

Also

>Take the purple and yellow stims when you're almost in position to fire.

I'm betting purple is damage and red is regen, so if we can get headshots we could drop him pretty fast as long as this obvious aimscrambler cheat doesn't fuck us again.

>>3872624
>>3872626
>>3872655
Looks like this wins! Please roll me a 1d20 - best of three wins as per usual!

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>3872669

Rolled 10 (1d20)

Rolled 17 (1d120)

>>3872669

Rolled 12 (1d20)

>>3872669

>>3872689
You've done it, you mad lad. Writing now!

>>3872693

(Sorry for the wait, late night visitor!)

You glance back towards the window and crack your neck, hoping that you can make it over there relatively unscathed. You’re going to need to be quick about this, because as soon as you get up top, you’re going to be a sitting duck – you’re currently operating under the assumption that hitting him will send him on the back foot, but knowing Rock, he could enter a genocidal fervor! That’s the fun part of this fight – every expectation you've had since you’ve walked in has been subverted. You’re in a straightforward map, Rock has special equipment, and you’re coughing up virtual blood – a wonderful menagerie of revelations!

You steel your nerves and rush over to the ladder, pulling it up and jamming it against the hatch – the noise must have given you away, because you hear the ever joyous sound of gunfire – but you scramble up the ladder before the bullets can reach you. Halfway up, you’re climbing with one arm as you ready the sniper rifle, and you have it prepared when you surge out of the hatch.

“No time to hesitate.” You murmur, swinging it around in his direction and bracing it against your shoulder. You feel as if time slows down when you look down the sight, and you get his head right in the cross hairs – without pausing to steady your aim fully, you pull the trigger and the sound of your rifle shatters the momentary silence, sending a bullet directly at his head.

>Roll me a 1d20 – best of three as per usual.

Rolled 6 (1d20)

>>3872742
TAKE THE SHOT

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>3872742

>>3872742

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>3872742

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>3872742

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>>3872765
HOLY SHIT FINALLY

>>3872765
It looks like Rock is about to get a brand new air conditioner installed in his skull.

>>3872765
Time for some slick shit to occur, anon. Writing now!

>>3872765
In the industry we call this a “epic gamer moment”

So, a question to you anons.

>>3872655 suggested using the speed potion when getting up there.

As an quick impromptu vote, I'd like to ask everyone if you would like to use it in this scenario. Thank you!

>>3872796
nah

>>3872796
Not yet, we could use it a better moment, in case the dice gods frown upon us

>>3872796
Nah. We should save it for an emergency in case we need to escape.

>>3872802
>>3872808
>>3872821
Understood! Sorry for the wait, trying to find the right words for this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F577tB8JvOc

You feel it coming – a tremor beginning to shake your arm, altering your aim so that you won’t hit him yet again. You’re not sure what could be causing this issue, but you grit your teeth and force down the bubble of blood that you’ve quickly learned accompanies the tremor. Unfortunately, you are unable to stop your right arm from seizing, shaking the gun as you pull the trigger and sending the bullet far off to the right of Rock when the target should have been his head.

This time, however, you are having none of it.

“BULLSHIT!” You find yourself hollering at the top of your lungs, a spray of blood coating the air conditioner in front of you as your right hand is forced to clench by whatever is affecting you. You find yourself chuckling madly at this occurrence, finding yourself uncaring about the lances of electricity shooting up and down the limb. You’ve been able to judge that whatever it is seems to be affecting only your right arm.

You grit your teeth so hard that you’re certain they might have been damaged in real life, and your hand darts to your belt to pull out your revolver.

“Don’t overthink things – play how you used to, and everything will be fine.”

Those words from Fletcher echo through your head as you force your hand up, pointing the revolver at where you believe the bullet to be going, and you make a desperate attempt to make the impossible possible.

You pull the trigger with a yell of indignation, and the recoil nearly renders your left arm to the same state that your right is. It feels like time is slowing to a halt around you as the bullet flies towards its goal.

It’s a shot that shouldn’t work under any circumstance. You would need reflexes that someone shouldn’t possess, you would need to have a perfect aim, you would need to not be trying to grind your teeth into dust just to not yelp at the pain coursing through your arm.

Ironically, something that 0phelia said springs to mind. Something about your abilities bordering on the levels of precognition?

Well, as the bullet clashes against the tail end of the sniper round, you think you might see a little bit of truth in that statement.

It creates a bright flash in the canyon, and against all the odds, you see the very laws of motion get violated as the sniper round is redirected right towards Rock’s fucking head.

The only sound that follows is a loud crunch, blood spattering against the entire back wall of the house as Rock falls out of sight like a puppet with cut strings.

>Player: N0v4_c43s4r
>HP: 90/100 (-5 HP)

>Player: Rock
>HP: 1/100 (-99 HP)

“Gotcha, dickhead.” You smirk evilly, spitting a mouthful of blood on the ground.

>Collapse against the air conditioner and allow yourself a moment of happiness.
>Contact the GM about your arm – you smell foul play.
>Chuck a grenade at him – you’ll clean this up fast. [This will require a roll.]
>Other.

>>3872831
So I'm going to bed on that high note. I hope you've enjoyed reading, and thank you for checking this out! Please leave any feedback or questions for me, I want to make this anime bullshit story as good as it can be.

See you all in the morning!

>>3872831
>Chuck a grenade at him – you’ll clean this up fast. [This will require a roll.]

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>>3872832
night cirno these threads are always a treat.

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>>3872832
Thanks Cir. That was an absolute rollercaster. Looking forward to more.