《Virtual reality: Sorp》


 Prologue

    Sorp. A weird name. The name given as a nickname became an identity. Someone feared for their maliciousness.


    Sorp. A trusted friend. A reliable person, ready to give everything for family. Someone revered for their magnanimity.


    His mother a sociopath on a warpath. Known for vicious decisions only the jaded and emotionless can make.


    His father. A fiend. Not a sociopath, what his father does isn¡¯t learned. It is something you are born with. Acts so vile, not even vague descriptions allow you to keep calm.


    Sorp never knew these people. He was cast into a run-down corner apartment for as long as he could remember. A measly sum of money thrown his way from an unknown source every two months.


    Sorp was raised by his hoodlum friends and their families. He was taken advantage of more often than he could count. Which, incidentally, wasn¡¯t very high.


    Sorp was more than just a victim. He had something about him that made other puzzled.


    He had a mindset that never gave into despair. It wasn¡¯t just being stubborn. It was a view of life that person of his status shouldn¡¯t have.


    Sorp fought for everything. Ever since he could throw a fist, he was fighting. At first this was just kids messing around.


    But once Sorp began growing, these fights became dangerous. They became vicious. They became unscrupulous.


    These were prize fights held in glamorous alleyways. This was in neighbourhoods so dangerous that not even the people that controlled them felt safe walking down them.


    When the fighting scene grew bigger, some ambitious low level members of suspicious organizations began setting up in run down cellars.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Sorp was their prize fighter. Their Spartacus, their Crixus. And his hands were blind, ready to crushing even most beautiful of flower.


    Not even seventeen years old, yet built like an ox. Any outside observer would ache after hearing the story of Sorp.


    Anyone that knew Sorp, would give them an odd eye. He was a hoodlum like them. He was a villain like them. A cockroach like them. He was uneducated like them.


    Yet they could never live the way Sorp lived. They could be mindless and tear a man''s eye, but they couldn¡¯t do it with a refreshing smile. He¡¯d let his victims fall to the ground and earnestly smile to his friends.


    His friends weren¡¯t good people. They caused pain like Sorp. They acted vicious like Sorp. But all of them knew that Sorp was different. It was in his eyes and especially in his demeanor.


    Sorp did things in a way that could be called real. He wasn¡¯t acting. He wasn¡¯t putting up a tough front. He was his own person, he did things his way. And his way was brutal.


    He was like his mother and father. Yet he had something different. He had compassion for his friends. The people he considered family. Something his parents didn¡¯t have for him.


    It was because of this compassion that he managed to survive until now. seeing how he did things, he was a constant target. He was vicious and violent.


    Many times he had been a sentenced to death by one local tyrant or another. Only surviving because his friends and their family stuck with him.


    They stuck with him because he did stand up for his friends. He fought and even killed for their sake.


    Maybe just showing compassion and flattering words would be enough. But Sorp was a different kind of person. His fists were his words.


    When his family was threatened, he was the first one to arrive. He¡¯d arrive like a violent storm. He¡¯d mangle or kill anyone with bright eyes and an excited smile.


    This was a kid in a man''s body. So violent, even beasts couldn¡¯t measure up. He did things out of necessity, the only way he knew how, but he found pleasure in it. This was sadism.


    A person like Sorp shouldn¡¯t survive in this time and age. Only in the dark underbelly could he thrive. Only where guardians of justice shied away from could he grow.


    It was here, in this concrete jungle, that a beast was allowed to roam free. A charming enthusiastic person, masking his beastial nature.


    Evil is something Sorp never understood. He¡¯d heard the words. They had been screamed at him, they had been thrown at him. He had heard them whispered.


    Never did he understand that emotion called empathy. Sorp was an animal through and through. He protected his own and with indifference, slaughtered the world.


    His emotions were governed by his instincts. He would fight and feel pleasure. He would eat and feel satisfaction. He would become excited when his people were threatened.


    The problem was there were no animals to hunt. No lurking monsters in the dark forests. This was the real world. The black, grey and white. Somehow he was surviving in it.


    For a normal person it wouldn¡¯t be hard to befriend Sorp. He was instinctually charming. His eyes shone with vitality. He had the unrefined body of a greek deity, ready to be sculpted.


    Once they understood what Sorp was. What he did and how he did things, they would run. And they would never look back. Because Sorp was terrifying.

 Chapter one: Allow the beast its forest.

    ¡®Boring.¡¯


    Sorp was listening to his friend rave about a new game.


    ¡°Anything! Guys! Anything. Imagine all the hot babes. And it¡¯s a game so you can¡¯t be punished.¡±


    Sorp had ample time to get down from his fighters high. He and his friends were lying in his decrepit apartment. It was one huge bed and four sofas. And nothing else.


    The bed was luxurious, something only rich people could own. It was out of place in this scene.


    The sofa¡¯s were different. Only one looked like it had been made within this decade.


    ¡°It¡¯s a game, Kom. What are you going to do with a girl from a game? Have cyber sex?¡±


    ¡°No that¡¯s n-.¡±


    ¡°And, who''s going to pay for all of it? You going to ask Sorp to pay?¡±


    ¡®I have to pay?¡¯


    ¡°Of course Sorp has to pay. I don¡¯t have money.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t pay for a game, Kom. Games are boring. If you want girls we can just go grab some.¡±


    This was how they did things. You want something? You just take it. The four of the five guys were nodding, as if this was expected.


    ¡°Sorp is right. Who cares about girls inside games? We can ride around a bit and grab a pair wherever.¡±


    ¡°Ye.¡±


    ¡°But.¡±


    ¡°Also, can¡¯t you just steal it?¡±


    He had a point. Why didn¡¯t Kom just steal the equipment?


    ¡°What do you know? Steal it? Do you know who these guys are?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Why do I need to know someone to steal their stuff? Stealing is very simple, Kom.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Jarem, You go steal from the largest corporation in the world. See how that goes. I¡¯m sure Sorp can just break you out of prison.¡±


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll get him back, Jarem you can go.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Good luck, Jarem.¡±


    ¡°Pick one up for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I want to try as well.¡±


    ¡°Can you grab some drinks and ciggs?¡±


    Jarem¡¯s face was turning red from anger. He was going to go steal something? Cigs and drinks? Was he an errand boy?


    Jarem wanted to scream. He wanted to scream, do you know who I am? Killer shark Jarem? Jarem the defiler!?


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    But Jarem knew what kind of people he was hanging around with. And none of them were pushovers. He could even be considered a bit soft in comparison.


    Left with no choice he let out a grunt and ignored them.


    ¡°Anyway, you guys don¡¯t matter. I was talking to Sorp.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to play games, Kom. Games are boring.¡±


    Sorp was being honest. His eyes gleamed, he stared into his friends eyes. He was a head taller than all of them, except for, Dart. Dart was tall for his age.


    ¡°You can fight in it Sorp! It¡¯s like real life, but a game.¡±


    ¡®Real life?¡¯


    Sorp wasn¡¯t educated. He wasn¡¯t at all knowledgeable about technology. He only had a phone. Something stolen, hacked and sold to people like Sorp and his friends.


    ¡°Its virtual reality. You were saying that everyone is so weak right? In this game everyone is strong! You can even fight beasts!¡±


    This was the first time Kom managed to gain Sorp¡¯s attention. He did feel the fighting in those dark cellars was getting boring.


    Tear one eye and its the same as tearing out a thousand.


    The fights were boring because they were less a fight and more a show of cruelty. Sorp slaughtered his enemy like killing chickens. It was vile and atrocious. Many paid to see this.


    Any fighter forced to go against Sorp resigned themselves to their death. No one went against him willingly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°No problem! We can test it and you can see.¡±


    With that, Sorp rose up. He didn¡¯t hesitate and started leaving the apartment. He had no idea where to go, but still rose to walk out.


    His friends knew this but didn¡¯t say anything. Just followed him out and in a nonchalant way talked about where they were going. This was for Sorp¡¯s sake.


    ¡°It should take us at least half an hour by car.¡±


    ¡°What the hell? How can it be that far.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s expensive.¡±


    ¡®How expensive?¡¯


    Sorp couldn¡¯t help but worry in his mind. He knew he was the one who had to pay. He was only one earning any real money. He could be considered wealthy when compared others in the neighbourhood.


    This was money from his fighting. He only got a small portion, but that small portion was staggering for a young man like himself.


    ¡°It¡¯s expensive, so they wouldn¡¯t build anywhere shabby.¡±


    ¡°Snobby shits. What¡¯s wrong with the ring? The ring is perfectly safe.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    They were acting shocked but everyone knew they were joking. There was virtually no respectable store in their neighbourhood. Everything had to be bought through bulletproof two sided windows.


    The people here couldn¡¯t be trusted with the grass on the ground.


    Once they arrived outside the store they got looks from people all over. This was because they dressed a gaudy way.


    Their clothes were not cheap but they were flashy and it was obvious they were some gang affiliated people. Their tattoos and demeanor gave them away.


    Sorp didn¡¯t care in the slightest, but his friends did and they glared at every pair of eye they could see. They were young and violent people, nothing scared them.


    This pristine white building marked with the words, Perpetual Power, the entire building was in their possession.


    The first four floors were dedicated to selling their items. The second was dedicated to their virtual reality machines.


    There are two ways to use these machines. One was to own a physical device, install it in your home, and connect it to a stable data connection. This was an extravagant method.


    The newer, more economical method was to link your home with a fast enough data connection and play through virtual machines. These machines were housed by Perpetual Power.


    Once the data connection was robust enough, it could read and write information fast enough to play it anywhere. It would be in this way that Sorp and his friend would play. Along majority of players.


    The physical machines were extravagant, most of them were just fancy stations meant for comfort. But there were expensive version that did more than just provide comfort.


    These machines were something that not even Sorp could afford. He¡¯d have to fight half his life just to afford one. Meanwhile, your average joe could afford to link up and pay a subscription.


    One of the reason this game was impossible to steal was that it required detailed information about a person brain.


    This was not a one time thing. Incessant checkups, bi-monthly in the least was required to continue playing the game.


    This was determined to be the safest period between any substantial changes. Without it, players would start losing some senses while in game.


    There was more to it than that. But that was the official explanation people would get.


    In addition to this invasion of privacy, small devices had to be attached to a person''s head. These would connect to certain censors in the brain.


    They looked and sounded hightech but were lowtech transmitters, and were used because people felt discomfort at the thought of being directly hooked up to the machines.


    It was still an option to directly connect your mind a more powerful transmitter for a more indepth experience. And many fanatics took this opportunity.


    Only the paranoid were afraid of this. Afterall what else could they transmit into their minds? What was the limit of the tech? Could their minds be hacked?


    Thousands of people stayed away from VR tech, yet Perpetual Power never lacked people. This was in spite of being as inclusive as they were.


    Only people with powerful data upload and download capabilities would be able to connect. This was because Perpetual Power wanted a certain standard in quality.


    Any less data transfer and there was a risk of a losing the full experience. This meant that people might be made painfully aware that they were playing a game.


    Sorp¡¯s friends couldn¡¯t help but be satisfied with the person attending them. She was a beauty. That was one thing, the satisfying part was that she treated them like any other person.


    It¡¯s no lie that Sorp and his friends could be considered large in the Ring but outside of it they were feared, avoided and disdained.


    Yet this woman with the most calming of voices treated them as if they were still human. It was a breath of fresh air. They didn¡¯t even try to get close to her, despite their usual forwardness.


    ¡®Very clean in here.¡¯


    It was only Sorp that had his mind on other things. He is a mess of a person but he has an attention to detail that is uncommon.


    This place really is clean. There are measures in place to extract even the loose skin peeling of people every second. No dust is allowed to flow through this place.

 Chapter two: Real or not. I care a lot.

    Sorp has the honor of testing the device first. This is how things went, Sorp has priority. He has the money. And he is the de facto leader of the group, due to his strength.


    He had been the leader since they were budding teens. And the position only stabilized once his fighting money rolled in.


    The process didn¡¯t need a detail scan or probing of his body. This was because the test device was an extremely well contained and controlled environment.


    There were many limitations and anyone could drop in and out at will. Perpetual Power had spent astronomical amounts of resources on developing this device.


    This device only use was this small, limited simulation. But it was still far more expensive than any other one device they had created, due its requirements.


    The attendant stood a small distance away while two women strapped Sorp in. The final touch was connecting a small device that would transfer information to and from his mind.


    Before the device was ready, Sorp had to be fed a few precautionary responses from the device, making sure it was working right.


    Sorp was exceptional in his sensory capabilities. This wasn¡¯t something that he himself knew about. After all he was just one person, uneducated and poor. Not so poor anymore.


    To have exceptional sensory capabilities, it meant you could feel pain in a more transcendent way. It was still pain, but it meant more than just, this hurts.


    Sorp didn¡¯t really like or dislike pain. But he was clear that this is what they were doing. They were inflicting pain on him at varying intensity.


    With his in depth relationship with pain, he realized on the first response what they were doing. At the intensity they were sending it, it was like a tiny prick of a straw.


    It never went beyond pinching, but Sorp felt it in more depth. Being hurt meant he was under attack.


    His eyes began to constrict. If he hadn¡¯t already fought that day, he might feel like leaping at the attendants. He gave the woman holding a small device a look.


    Sorps eyes were exceptional. When she saw him turning towards her she looked up. But she froze when she made eye contact with him.


    It was hard to maintain your calm when Sorp intentionally made eye contact with you. She froze. She wasn¡¯t sure what to do. But she on reflex continued the responses.


    Everytime she sent something to Sorp, she would see it his eyes. What she didn¡¯t expect was that she liked it. She felt an unknown sensation of control. Over this towering human.


    And Sorp was beast of a man. He had a coarse shaven beard that looked like it could never be shaved clean.


    Because of this distraction she kept increasing the tests. It wasn¡¯t until another attendant saw something was wrong and whispered in her ears that she came to a stop.


    She felt embarrassed but still was incredibly excited. This was a new high for her. She had to excuse herself. This was unheard for a Perpetual Power employe.


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    Everyone watched her leave before confirming if Sorp was ready to be connected. Which he was. He didn¡¯t understand anything that was going on. He remained because he trusted his friends.


    he was asked to close his eyes and try and calm down. This wasn¡¯t actually required to connect but they would always ask it of people.


    Sorp never felt nervous at any point of this experiment. He was confused why a tiny woman was capable of attacking from a device as small as phone.


    He had only been connected to a device that was behind his ears, yet his entire body had been assaulted. It was too weak to merit a real response from him, but he still felt confused.


    Once his eyes closed and the device connected him, he was standing in a dark room. A normal person wouldn¡¯t see a thing, but Sorp felt like he could sense where the four walls were.


    This room was meant to acclimate people to the new world. Instead of just throwing them in a bright fantasy.


    In small increments the lighting increased. He was still in a white room. Four walls, a floor and a ceiling.


    When the light stabilized, a crack appeared on one of the walls. It was a straight line that split into two directions and stretched to form a door.


    The door opened slowly into a small garden with a pond. Butterflies could be seen a small distance away. Somewhere birds were chirping in a tree.


    Sorp was more confused than ever. What is this? He didn¡¯t like this surrounding. It might feel real, but it was too fake for him. He even breathed heavily out of his nose in indignation.


    Outside, where his friends and attendants were. Two of the three women were watching with calm expressions. They were looking at various statistics.


    This was just a precautionary thing. Sometimes people panicked and had to be pulled out of the device. Some people couldn¡¯t handle virtual reality.


    It was almost a certainty that people¡¯s heart rate would spike, this was excitement and wonder. But Sorp¡¯s data never changed. It was as if he hadn¡¯t been sent in at all.


    They weren¡¯t sure what to make of it, they double and triple checked. He was in the world, there was no mistake. They even went so far as to pull up a screen.


    Just as they did they saw Sorp reach out and crush a butterfly. Then he frowned. He looked around. Stopping when he saw a bird jumping on the grass poking its beak into the ground.


    Sorp¡¯s friends felt this was expected and already realized what was happening. But the attendants were confused. It was one thing to crush a butterfly, it wasn¡¯t unheard of.


    The bird felt Sorp close in, he was in full sprint. It took to fly into the air. But how could it outrun Sorp?


    It had gained some air when a hairy hand grabbed it. Sorp was two meters in the air. An absurd height to jump, for a human.


    He crashed into ground with a small tremor. The bird tweeted in a frenzy. Sorp had a small smile. Like a tender giant holding a friend.


    But his friends saw it in another way. Kom could only shake his head. The rest didn¡¯t really care. They had known Sorp since he was a toddler. This was who he was.


    The crunching sound from the bird reached them and the attendants couldn¡¯t help but grimace. What is this? They felt odd.


    It wasn¡¯t that Sorp gave of the feeling of a gentle person, but his eyes and his smile. It was a strong contrast to the brutality. The blood dripped from his hands.


    Sorp smiled a bright smile before bursting into laughter.


    ¡®It¡¯s real.¡¯


    He could play something like this. It just needed more than little birds. Something bigger preferably. Humans would be good. This was what he thought.


    Soon Sorp was pulled out. He came out with his usual smile. He looked at Kom in a knowing way. Kom beamed with pride.


    The next person went in and they all tried to mimic Sorp, but to catch a bird like that wasn¡¯t easy and they just made fool of themselves.


    It was only Dart that just casually wandered about, he even went so far as to taste the water. At that point his eyes widened. It really did taste like water.


    After that he went to a rock and broke the skin on his finger. Tasting the blood. It was exactly the iron taste of blood. This was unimaginable. It really was like blood.


    Kom had gone inside right after Sorp. They were now getting ready to purchase the required equipment.


    They even went with the procedure of directly linking their minds. These were people that didn¡¯t really care about the grand scheme of things. They felt like the more real the world was, the better.


    Sorp was maybe the most enthusiastic about the whole thing. He might seem like a pure brute that longed only to fight. And he was. But it was different from being mindless.


    He was very aware that he couldn¡¯t attack people on the street at whim. He had learned that the hard way. Numerous times he had only escaped because of his friends and their families.


    Perhaps now he could act more brazenly, but he didn¡¯t want to implicate his friends. This was the protective instinct in him. One of his most powerful instincts.


    The devices to lie down in were like futuristic beds. Any doctor or nurse would identify them as designer hospital beds.


    It would make sure your body¡¯s posture was right, to mitigate any discomfort when ejecting from the Virtual environment.


    By the time they drove back home, a van from the Perpetual Power company were outside and a dozen of them had broken through the concrete and opened up the ground.


    They were connecting this old, rundown house to a data grid. An overwhelmingly powerful data grid. Something no normal person would be able to making full use of.


    With the crew there were guards holding automatic rifles. This was standard practice. This area is too dangerous. The Ring was too large to maintain without military presence.


    Sorp just glanced at them and walked towards his apartment. He wasn¡¯t very interested in guns. They all owned guns but they took out all the fun. This is how Sorp felt.

 Chapter three: In we go.

    Perpetual Power¡¯s workers had to connect five different apartments, it took them half the day. And it would have taken them longer if Kom hadn¡¯t forced everyone out of the building.


    There was a real worry about security. With the entire building empty the workers went as fast as they could so they could get out of here.


    Everyone of the boys were getting antsy. This was too much of a tease. They had all tasted the virtual world and wanted more. Having to wait over six hours was killing them.


    When everything was ready, the crew went to check it out. In every apartment was a giant jack that stood out. It looked alien in this environment.


    The issue of security while they were connect wasn¡ät there. They all lived with their families. Supporting each other in this place was necessary. It is impossible to live alone in the Ring.


    To survive in the Ring needed more than just observant people to stand guard. It needed reputation to precede them. Everyone knew Sorp and his friends lived here.


    The virtual world was still expanding. There were virtual coffee shops, places to play sport, libraries, everything you could think off. There was an instance of it.


    Private rooms could be made with specific rules that tested the boundaries of sensation. Meaning it would be as real in these room as it was outside.


    There would be instances of great colosseum where you could be an observer or a gladiator.


    Perpetual Power¡¯s ingame currency was supposed to be called PPcoin. But they, due to massive criticism renamed it Vcoin. Which became its own joke but much more accepted.


    Vcoin has its own value in the real world. It was fraction of real life currency. Small amount of real life currency could get you riches in game.


    The only way to get Vcoin was to flat out buy it from Perpetual Power or win it through gambling with other players. There was no way to find it in the virtual world. Not yet at least.


    In this way, the Virtual world was called pay to win. But it was so cheap it was irrelevant in majority of cases.


    There were multitude of games to play. But they all lacked one thing. A large world.


    It wasn¡¯t that Perpetual Power was incapable of creating a large world. They could create instances ten times larger than Earth.


    But to create an entire world would take painstaking effort. This wasn¡¯t just some algorithm they could run. But they were working on such a world.


    This world was supposed to more than just a game. It was supposed to test the boundaries of reality. They wanted to create a world where pain was pain and pleasure was pleasure.


    It could be said to be a romantic vision. And some might even question its value, because it was already possible to create such environment in private rooms.


    It was possible to create private rooms where you could torture another player. The other player could just leave the room, but it was possible.


    Sorp and his friend were now acclimating themselves. They were in Sorp¡¯s private room. It appears to be the same as in real life.


    Without the attention to the smallest of details, you might be fooled into believing it is the same room.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost unbelievable. How did you do this? It¡¯s exactly the same.¡±


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    ¡°There is nothing to it. Just do it.¡±


    They could all create their own room and suite them to their own tastes. Sorp was simple and just created his own room.


    The wonder of it was the detail. It didn¡¯t even lack the insects prowling around. This was due to Sorp¡¯s abnormal sensory abilities. He just saw things in more detail than others.


    This ability of Sorp¡¯s isn¡¯t unique. Many successful people have such capabilities, some learned and trained. Some were natural at it like Sorp.


    ¡°Why are we just staying here?¡±


    Sorp himself had no idea how to maneuver this world. But he could do simple things like follow instructions.


    He had been prompted with some things and just followed the suggestions given. This ended up with him inside this private room.


    The guidance is all multifacet, there is a text format, a vocal format and a video format where each action is showed.


    Kom managed to have Sorp invite him to his hideout and soon they were all six of them had gathered.


    Dart was already researching what they could do. Dart, like all of them, loved to watch people fight. So he was scouring the public rooms for things pertaining to it.


    He picked a few rooms and explained them to the guys. Sorp wanted to fight in a colosseum. So that¡¯s where they went.


    Inside the colosseum were thousands of people. Even if only a few of them were shouting, their shouting was carried across the entire arena.


    The first thing Dart and Kom did was bet all their Vcoin on Sorp. Sorp hadn¡¯t picked a new nickname and just showed up as Sorp.


    He was going to fight in a clash where there were multiple different sides. A team of virtual animals and virtual humans. There were real fighters in teams of two or three.


    Even with over ten different teams, it wasn¡¯t crowded on the arena floor. The crowd rose in excitement when all teams walked into view.


    Sorp was there. He had picked up a single gauntlet and an outfit that was made from lions hide. Giving him a barbaric feeling.


    There were similar people on the ground. All seemed born for this arena. Only a stray few were lithe, graceful looking. These people appeared out of place.


    One of the main reason they went to this colosseum in place of the multiple other venues, was that touted realism. This place was supposed cause real pain.


    To prevent people jumping out of the arena once the fighting began, there was a restriction in place.


    Only way to leave was if the time ran out, you bleed to death, you were killed or if you won. This made it one of the more popular duel arenas in Perpetual Power¡¯s virtual reality.


    This sounded like it lended itself to the potential of torturing players. And it did in a sense. But the system had ways to circumvent such exploitation.


    Once a player was judge to be a vulnerable situation, any damage done to them would be multiplied, making it so death was unavoidable.


    This was a flawed system but without it, few would actually volunteer. They were required to accept conditions that put them in situation that would allow them to be tortured.


    There were still such places. These would be private and often only desperate people would fight in such places. Much like Sorp¡¯s cruel fights. These were to entertain the wealthy.


    It lacked real privacy, but Perpetual Power was not a saint of a corporation. They were paid handsomely to overlook certain things. This was how the world worked, on money.


    This was both something done in the open and in the dark. High level employees could create these underground scenes for the right money.


    The company itself would also sell private rooms that were more private. But that just meant things like the colosseum. It was brutal but it wasn¡¯t depraved.


    It was only when things were considered depraved and public figures were involved that greater secrecy was required. And that was bought with money or other desirable things.


    It is possible to convert Vcoin back to its real life value. There was only one percent lost in the transaction.


    This allowed people to gain wealth by betting. People could even be employed to do things and paid in Vcoin.


    One of the scariest thing about Vcoin was that it wasn¡¯t taxable. Once you converted your money to a real life equivalent, it might be traceable.


    The problem was when people began accepting payments in Vcoin. How would you trace peoples Vcoin wealth? You would need Perpetual Power¡¯s help.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to get paid a reasonable amount, but in some areas, a little was enough to maintain a lowkey lifestyle.


    Some private rooms styled themselves up as having real life waiters. These places didn¡¯t have to adhere to conventional human rights.


    This meant some people worked in places where they would be humiliated. They could be all but prostitutes in guise of a server.


    People argued back and forth about the ethics of the thing. But in the end, this was a virtual world.


    There were no real consequences. You could even die a simulated death. And respawn again. The only mark it left was a psychological one. And that was hard to prove.


    It was also next to impossible to force people to do things they didn¡¯t consent to.


    This meant that anyone that was coerced into something in the virtual environment was most likely being manipulated in real life. That meant criminal organizations.


    This isn''t uncommon. People did everything for money. And people would pay a lot of the most depraved of things.


    Perhaps not comparable to the more insidious things, but one side was Sorp¡¯s current situation.


    He was walking on the coarse sand of the colosseum. The sun was strong and he could feel the heat in every breath. He saw muscular men and fierce beasts.


    His heart was bursting. This was one of the most thrilling feelings he had experienced. He let out a trademarked roar. Even some of the fighters couldn¡¯t help but look his way.


    Sorp was wearing some beautiful leather armor, making him look like a regal savage. His left hand exposed to the elements, while his right was fitted with a loose gauntlet.


    The fingers were had sharp edges. Like tiny spear ends. The fingers were made of a metal substance that reflected the sun. between the fingers and the wrist were several small chains.


    If anything the gauntlet was just these five fingers clad in a metal claw. Sorp liked it. It was one of the few weapons that didn¡¯t feel too impersonal.


    Sorp wanted to be as close to his enemy as he could. This was his perversion. He felt even the gauntlet to be a bit too much, which is why he only wore one. Just in case.

 Chapter four: Fight me!

    Sorp picked a target and without hesitation sprinted towards them. It was a pair of similarly leather clad men.


    Sorp picked them because they were one of the two closets and he liked their outfits. He felt they would put up a good fight.


    One of the two held a spear. While the other held two short swords. They staggered when they saw Sorp¡¯s blatant charge.


    They had all the time in the world to consider how to take him on, but they felt strange. This was their first fight. They were big men. They were fighters themselves.


    But right now they were a bit scared. One of them snapped out of it and let out a low shout. The other followed.


    They got into traditional stances. In truth neither had practiced fighting with weapons, yet here they were. They felt powerful. The whole environment was egging them on. It was exciting.


    Once Sorp was in range of the spear, he got it thrust in his face. But he discarded it entirely and just shifted his step, dodging it. He could feel the sharp wind blast by him.


    The next moment he was thrusting his gauntlet deep inside the man¡¯s eyes. Before the man could scream he slammed him into the ground.


    He positioned himself in a way to receive his other opponent. But his opponent was just standing there, shocked. His face was a sheet of white, as if his soul had left him.


    His friend was on the ground screaming. He was in agony and was blind. He squirmed on the ground, his hands on his bleeding eyes.


    ¡°W-wait!¡±


    Sorp moved closer. He was interested to see how the man would fight with two swords.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come closer!¡±


    Sorp barely heard the man over his friends frantic screaming. When Sorp took few more steps towards the sword wielding gladiator, the gladiator threw his swords at him and ran.


    ¡®What?¡¯


    Sorp felt a rare moment of anger. What is this? But even in anger Sorp didn¡¯t lose control. It had taken him years to manage his fury. And this bastard wasn¡¯t going to change that.


    Instead he just chased after him in calm manner. All the while the man screamed to leave him alone.


    The entire colosseum was somewhat quiet. This wasn¡¯t that unique of a situation but it wasn¡¯t common.


    Sorp caught up to the man and beat him to death, once the man breathed his last, only a moment went by before the audience shouted in celebration.


    Sorp looked up. His hands bloodied and splatters on his face and body. He was happy. This is what he wanted. It was lacking a challenge, but it was what he wanted.


    Sorp¡¯s friends were observing the fight and only felt this was natural. They had seen him literally tear out a man¡¯s eyes. They¡¯d seen him slowly and methodically break every other bone in a person''s limbs.


    It looked violent and explosive. But it was fast and exciting. Nothing like a cruel display he had shown them before. They were just excited. Because they¡¯d get decent returns from their bets.


    It wasn¡¯t a lot of money but it was something. If they could continue betting and winning, they might even live off it. It wasn¡¯t easy but it was possible.


    Sorp wasn¡¯t the only one fighting. The animals knew no hesitation and just rushed together and attacked the nearest enemy.


    These beasts were not there to just be slaughtered. These were vicious beasts. The felines would even play with their prey. The larger ones would just rush over whatever was in their way.


    Sorp looked up and saw the fighting. He let out another roar and started making his way towards the nearest fight.


    This was two versus three fight. They were calm and trying to find the time to overwhelm their opponents. Sometimes striking, sometimes feigning. This was a traditional fight.


    Despite seeing Sorp arrive, they weren¡¯t too worried. They explained the defeat of the others to them being newbies.


    Which was true. But their mistake was not to take into account that Sorp was also a newbie. It was very apparent. Everyone had information the others before the fight.


    Sorp was new. Two other teams were newbies. One of the teams were dead. And the other was under attack of three large feline animals. Being circled around and played with.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Three teams were experienced, two of them were in that three way fight. The third being a team of virtual humans. It is almost impossible to differentiate between them.


    They expected Sorp to be like them. To be cautions and try and find openings. But Sorp wasn¡¯t that kind of person. He hadn¡¯t fought strong people.


    He hadn¡¯t fought strong people, so how could be wary? He wanted a challenge, but when did it present it self? He had always just tore people like delicate paper.


    When he walked close enough, a weapon was swung at him. He wasn¡¯t prepared for such a good strike. The strike forced him to actually guard against it.


    His only way to to guard against a sharp blade was to use the metal on his wrists. His fingers would never handle it.


    That¡¯s what he did, he swung his hand. It looked like the swatting of a fly. And it directly collided with his hand. The metal band was small, connected with chains.


    Upon meeting the chains snapped. Leaving only two chains still intact. The metal fingers remained but they could easily dislodge now.


    The person that had swung the sword felt his sword vibrate. Being experienced, he knew it had been blocked.


    Sorp felt the shock travel to his bones. The ache was real. He savored it but never stopped moving. His hand had been blasted downwards so he could only swing up.


    Before they could even consider Sorp a threat, his right hand had pierce into the lower jaw of a man.


    Sorp moved to retreat slightly, as expected when fighting multiple enemies. But three of his five metal fingers were left behind inside the man.


    The man staggered a few steps back, his sword on the ground and his hands reaching for this throat. Blood spilled down his neck and burst out from his mouth.


    His friend looked at him. The way he had been positioned didn¡¯t allow them to see what had happened.


    Sorp had swung his hand like a money. From beginning to end only Sorp and the audience saw what had happened.


    Sorp felt the weight on his right hand lessen. He saw the three bare fingers. He was confused then enlightened.


    ¡®He stole them.¡¯


    He didn¡¯t like it but he needed a weapon. The metal gauntlet was all but destroyed. The circle had been bent into his wrist, it was now bleeding.


    He unlocked it and let it drop the ground. Leaving him with only a small metal finger on one of his fingers. Which was stuck for some reason.


    Not wanting to be distracted, Sorp let it be. He didn¡¯t like it, but he picked up the sword from the ground. It had a sizeable dent in it.


    It was light. Sorp had never swung a sword before. Instead of a sword, he treated it like a club. He had held a club before. So the sword was now a club.


    Sorp¡¯s stance was odd. Holding it like a bat. He was ready to swat at them. It was comical, they would have laughed if the man on the ground wasn¡¯t gurgling up blood.


    The three different teams repositioned themselves. Sorp wasn¡¯t the only threat, they still had to guard from each other.


    Sorp wanted to resume his attack, but the two feline beasts and another large grey beasts were heading their way.


    It was obvious to everyone except Sorp that they should fight the beasts first. It made sense. After the beast were dead they would fight each other. It made sense.


    It made sense. To everyone but Sorp. Sorp just gave the beast an interested look. He saw the blood around their jaws. Their feet were dark red but in a different texture.


    ¡®Must be the sand.¡¯


    It was the sand combined with the blood of their prey. Mashed into a eerie dark red color with flecks of untainted sand.


    When he was done observing the beasts he turned to his nearest target and walked in an untethered manner.


    ¡°What are you doing!?¡±


    After the man shouted, the rest of the people turned towards them. There was a silent agreement to deal with the beasts first. But this idiot was attacking them?


    They felt a headache coming on. They weren¡¯t here fighting for the first time, they had experienced victory and defeat on these sands.


    There was an unspoken rule about dealing with the virtual beasts first. Are you a newbie? It was only now that they remember he really was a newbie.


    It was strange. Because they had a hard time associating him with a newbie. Newbies were nervous even if they were talented fighters.


    One of the men was exceptionally angry. He had a lot of money riding on this, he knew his chances of winning against the beast were low. They had to fight together.


    He couldn¡¯t help but tell Sorp that they should fight the beasts together. This was an awkward request. No one really needed to say it outloud but now one of them had.


    The audience found it a bit strange to. Many found it boring that they were doing thing this way. If noone had said anything, it wouldn¡¯t have been an issue but now they had.


    The crowd started booing. The sound was carried to everyone''s ears. It drowned out the roars of the beasts. It drowned out their own heartbeats.


    For a moment all everyone heard was a terrifying sounds of a booing crowd. This was a pressure hard to handle.


    It was difficult, for everyone but Sorp. He didn¡¯t even understand what was going on. He just wanted to fight. And with that in mind, he attacked.


    This time they were properly guarding against Sorp. so his attack was easily thwarted. After all, he was using as a sword. His physical strength was large, but they didn¡¯t lack in this aspect.


    The virtual world allowed you to import yourself into it. It didn''t let you create an all power avatar. It was you, and nothing else.


    Not even private rooms allowed you posses more strength. Best they could do was increase or lower gravity.


    Sorp felt his sword be blocked. He wasn¡¯t sure how to proceed. In the short moment it took the sword to touch the ground Sorp decided he¡¯d just attack again.


    With every swing that was blocked the beast got closer. The teams were now preparing to fight the beasts. And at the same time they had come to an understanding.


    Once the beast were dead they¡¯d kill this idiot. Sorp was going to be the next target.


    In the colosseum, Sorp¡¯s friends were watching. They were wearing frowns. This wasn''t how things usually went. How were they block Sorp¡¯s attacks?


    This was the longest they had seen Sorp fight. They realized that maybe these other fighters were that weak.


    Then they realized that if they teamed up to fight Sorp, Sorp would probably lose. This caused them to frown even deeper. They were one of the few people not shouting frantically.


    For Sorp it was simple. He¡¯d attack until he couldn''t. For Every swing that was blocked he was getting more excited.


    The fifth swing went down in spite of the man¡¯s shouting telling him to stop. He man wasn¡¯t shouting in fear, he was irritated and angry. This savage was just hammering on.


    On the sixth swing. Sorp let the sword go and leaped towards the man. The man hadn¡¯t expected this. The five other swings were all exactly the same. Just brute force.


    When the sixth swing came he treated the same and struck out with this own sword. The sword blasted the other sword away.


    The lack of counter weight almost threw the man off his balance, but he wasn¡¯t doing this for the first time.


    When he was stabilizing he looked up to see two bright eyes and a refreshing smile staring right at him.


    He felt surprised. What is this? How can you smile like this? If he were a woman, he might blush. But he was a man. So he got angry.


    He got angry, but it was too late. Sorp¡¯s fist landed on his arm. This made him lose his balance and take two step back.


    When he was about to fall, his hand waving in the air. The sword fallen to the ground.


    He felt something grab him. He was terrified. He knew what had grabbed him. And when he looked up he saw that same inviting smile.


    He felt his blood go cold. This was a strange type of fear. He felt his body clench, he felt locked inside his body.


    Sorp pulled the man forward and slammed his fist into his throat. The sound was drowned out by the cheering of the crowd and the violent roaring of the beasts.


    Sorp looked up as he let the man fall backwards. He saw a large grey beast knock a man into air, piercing him with a horn larger than his thigh.


    He had never seen anything like it . He couldn¡¯t help but savor the moment. He saw three other people strike the beast in the kneecaps.


    The beast let out a bellow and fell onto the side. This could be considered out of commission, it wasn¡¯t going to stand on those legs again.

 Chapter five: Kill one, kill a thousand.

    The large grey beast was wailing on the arena¡¯s sands. Blood poured from its maimed legs. The cries were ignored by those present. They were focusing on the real threat.


    The feline beasts weren¡¯t this easy. These could be considered smarter hunters. They were playful but they didn¡¯t willfully walk to their deaths.


    They had sacrificed a member to kill the giant rhinoceros. But they had also lost another to this newbie. It was an odd scene.


    One one side there was this man clad in the hide of a lion. Holding a dented sword and one metal finger. His entire hand was dripping in blood and covered in sand.


    What was eerie was his bright smile and robust laughter. This man looked like he was having the time of his life.


    The other side had two beasts that almost fell into the background of the sand, only standing out because of the blood covering their maw and paws.


    The previous number went from eight to six. Seven with Sorp included. One team had two member was now just a single person.


    If this was real life, perhaps he would run. But this was a virtual game. He had lost before, he knew he had a low chance to win. He¡¯d try anyway.


    One team still had three members while the other had lost one to the rhinoceros. Their numbers were dwindling but they just had to take out these lionesses.


    The problem was this retard. He was acting like a madman. They were all madmen in their own way. But they had a sense propriety, they understood the unspoken rules.


    Between guarding against the two lionesses, they would shout some obscenities at Sorp. Sorp in turn would feel confused.


    He was confused because he expected two things. One was begging for mercy and the other for him to stop. He wasn¡¯t ready for the insults. It wasn¡¯t unheard of, but it was uncommon.


    Sorp couldn¡¯t help but feel these people were odd. Weren¡¯t they all fighting? What is wrong with these people. If you are going to fight, then fight. Why are you cursing at me?


    They were defending against Sorp¡¯s unskillful strikes. One even managed to stagger him. Forcing Sorp to retreat momentarily.


    Just when he thought he was going to be attacked again he saw that the men was just standing still, ready to guard against another attack. This made him feel disappointed.


    It also made him reckless. See the man wasn¡¯t actually going to retaliate he attacked with more aggressiveness.


    ¡°Help!¡±


    The man couldn¡¯t help but ask for help. This barbarian was striking him over and over. Even if he forced him back he¡¯d be right back without a moment''s pause.


    The others had no time to help this straggler. He was on his own while they were a team of three and two.


    It was embarrassing to ask his enemies for help but to his despair they didn¡¯t even give him a second look.


    The moment came where he mistepped. He had to take two steps to stabilize. This was an opening that Sorp wouldn¡¯t let slide.


    His advance was aggressive. He felt the man''s sword cut into him. But it held no power so it didn¡¯t even reach his bones.


    The pain was overshadowed by the excitement, if anything it fueled it. Sorp felt he had been fighting a wall, finally now the wall was hitting back. It was a shallow cut but was something.


    By the time Sorp felt the full flare of the blade carving into him, he had the man¡¯s neck in his left hand. His right preventing him from swinging the blade.


    It looked like a stalemate. Even when the other five men looked back and saw them so close they only looked for a moment. They were focusing on taking down these lionesses.


    The lionesses would feign attack and sprint to to each side. They were diverting their attention and trying to find a moment to pounce.


    That moment came when all five looked back. It wasn¡¯t a long time. Not long enough to leave themselves vulnerable to the lionesses attack but it was the moment the beasts chose.


    The beasts had less understanding of the political climate between these humans. All they knew is all of them were enemies.


    The men were ready to receive the beasts. Unlucky for them, the felines didn¡¯t jump towards them and instead sprinted.


    This meant it was hard to dodge, and easier for the beast to deal with their counter attacks.


    It wasn¡¯t rare for beasts to win over the human fighters. But four or more experienced players wouldn¡¯t lose to beasts. And this two man lioness pack had already lost one member.


    It wasn¡¯t completely out, it was limping and couldn¡¯t walk properly, so it didn¡¯t attack. Instead it stayed behind, ate their other prey, ultimately it would defend itself from any attackers.


    Sorp was in this same moment dealing with his enemy. He stared into his eyes. It was an odd, intimate moment. Something Sorp had experienced often. He loved this.


    He saw the anger, frustration and pain in his opponent. This was much more satisfying than those crying whimpers he was used to. Even when it was almost certain he had won, his opponent didn¡¯t give in.


    This was what he wanted. He wanted a fight with real men. Someone that would glare at him without fear of death.


    Of course the virtual world had less consequences, but it was satisfying Sorp¡¯s requirements for now.


    Sorp lifted the man slightly and kicked his legs before slamming him into the ground. The man¡¯s body twitched. The impact had to have broken a few bones.


    Sorp looked down on the man with deep gratification. He was immobile and coughing up blood, but he still had a look of defiance.


    The only thing left was to finish the job, which Sorp did with pleasure. He gave the man the respect he felt he deserved and let him die quickly.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Seeing the man¡¯s vitality leave, Sorp took a deep breath.


    ¡®This how it should be.¡¯


    Being the dishonorable person he was, Sorp took up his enemies blade and rushed towards the next victim.


    They were fighting of the beasts. Three were heavily wounded and the other two only had light wounds.


    The beasts were worse off. But they still had a will and intention to fight. They growled. These were ear rumbling bellows of lion¡¯s ready to fight their last.


    Sorp went straight for the wounded. His blade directly piercing a man¡¯s back. This was directly through his heart. He had no time to even look behind him. He was dead.


    Due to the man being in a vulnerable state, such a strike had multiplicative effect and killed him the instant it was registered.


    ¡°You fucker!¡±


    It would be right to say they were furious. They had lost before, but this was a first time they lost in such a stupid way.


    They practiced for these events. They often depended on the money it would provide. Newbies might throw in an unknown variable every now and then. But everyone agreed that beasts had to die first.


    It was already too late to save their companion, but it wasn¡¯t too late to avenge him. The problem was the lionesses.


    They were wounded but they still had the strength for one desperate attack. And they had to attack sooner rather than later. Their blood was spilling, not giving them long before they¡¯d lose all strength.


    After shouting between themselves they agreed that killing Sorp was worth the risk. If they die, they die. If they lose, they lose. The least they could do was drag this bastard with them.


    So they moved together, towards Sorp.


    ¡®They¡¯re going to fight me as a team?¡¯


    Sorp felt this was unfair. There was one of him and four of them. If they knew what he was thinking they might spit out blood in anger.


    They were being unfair? This idiot was teaming up with the beasts against them. If anything was unfair, it was that.


    With odds stacked against him Sorp did the only thing that made sense, he backed up. And in that moment they realized something.


    What if the runs? This made them angrier.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run you bastard!¡±


    ¡°Get back here!¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    This was being shameless. Maybe they thought Sorp had some integrity. That he¡¯d fight them to the bitter end. But Sorp wouldn¡¯t think like that.


    He grew in a surrounding where he could only survive by depending the people he considered family. There was no such thing as honor. He was just an animal, satisfying an urge.


    Just like a kid wanted to sprint around outside, maybe climb trees or chase squirrels. Sorp just wanted to fight something.


    When his friends saw Sorp run away they all laughed. When they heard the man scream for him to fight them, they laughed harder. The crowd wasn¡¯t too pleased.


    The crowd was split in two. One side wanted him to fight. The other thought it was funny. So there was cheering and there was booing.


    The issue resolved itself eventually. The men had to stop and defend themselves from the lionesses. If there is anything that felines loved, it was attacking people from behind.


    With their faces turned away from the two, it lit a fire in the beasts eyes. They gave their all to attack.


    This was also the moment that Sorp stopped running and moved towards the men. Two of them decided they could try and kill Sorp. the other two didn¡¯t like the idea of being eaten.


    Sorp struck. His strike was blocked and he retreated a step. The two men struck out together. Only in this way could they have a chance at taking Sorp out.


    The jarring sounds of men screaming made the men twitch but they didn''t look back. They had steeled their hearts to take out this bastard.


    Sorp was bleeding and was a little pale. But his status was still good when compared to these two. They struck together but Sorp just backed up and attacked once their wide swings missed.


    It might look dangerous, but this fight was without any excitement. With every swing they all got a bit more tired. Sorp¡¯s breathing was ragged. The other two barely had the strength to stand.


    Instead of striking when their swing missed, Sorp kicked the flat end of the sword. This might have broken the bones in his feet but he couldn¡¯t feel it.


    Seeing his blade fly out of his hands the man finally lost all strength and was forced to sit down. He took the moment to look back. What he saw was the remains of his companions.


    The lionesses were on their last breath, bleeding out. But they had taken these two with them. Going so far as eating them. This was just what they did when immobilized.


    Seeing his fellow attacker fall down. He wanted to fall as well, but he gave one more swing. Sorp staggered backwards but successfully dodged it.


    The man rested with his blade stuck into the sand. Sorp walked towards him, their heavy breathing could be confused with that of a beasts.


    The moment that Sorp saw that the fight was over, his fractured toe bones sent him a message hard to ignore.


    He was now almost limping. He felt it wouldn¡¯t look good if he limped. Every step he felt the ache from his feet. This pain overshadowed his other cut.


    His left rib bones had felt a tremendous impact earlier. They are still intact but the bleeding never stopped. It is disturbing to see how sand filled the wound.


    Sorp didn¡¯t feel anything other than admiration for these fighters. Yes, they ganged up on him. That was one thing, but to Sorp, it was also natural.


    He might curse them for using underhanded means, yet he¡¯d also commend them for it. He himself was notorious for using tricks to fight others.


    It may not have shone the brightest light in this surroundings. Sorp was still starstruck, so to speak. He was enjoying himself too much.


    He was enjoying himself too much to scheme. The pain. The challenge, the unyielding stare from his opponents. It was all new experiences.


    Sorp had gotten hurt before, but not like this. He felt his mind slipping.


    After the last man fell, Sorp thought it was over. But to his surprise, the first lioness that had mangled feet was still alive.


    It had seen its two companions fall. It could do nothing but raise its body with its two front paws. It growled at Sorp. This was an open challenge. Come fight me if you dare.


    ¡®It thinks I can¡¯t kill it!?¡¯


    Sorp gave the lioness a good long look before stumbling towards it. He felt if he didn¡¯t kill it, he might faint from the bloodloss.


    The wound had slowed its bleeding after a handful of sand got into it. It wasn¡¯t a pretty sight.


    Along the way, Sorp picked up spear from a fallen fighter. It was slim. Sorp didn¡¯t like it. It was light and swiveled with every step.


    Every fourth to fifth step he would curse the spear. He despised the the swivel it did. He was like this because he felt he had little control over the spear.


    The only reason he endured was because the spear gave him the range he needed. A hurt lioness is still a lioness in the end. It isn¡¯t wise to fight it up close.


    Beneath and around the beast were the gobbled up remains of the other fighters. They were inexperienced. It was still commendable to take down one of these beasts.


    The beasts in this coliseum didn¡¯t need to be stupid. They could be as dumb as can be, smart as humans or even smarter. These things were adjustable.


    This particular lion wasn¡¯t smart but it wasn¡¯t dumb. It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say it was smarter than Sorp. But it was impossible for that intelligence to surpass his experience.


    Sorp hadn¡¯t lived long. He was considered a teen in the eyes of the law. But despite this, he was still an experienced fighter. He had experience killing.


    Sorp didn¡¯t understand the virtual reality too well. He knew he¡¯d win once this beast died. But didn¡¯t understand what would happen if he died.


    It is impossible to simulate every death people experience. Instead the system will take in account the final result of death and simulate that.


    A drowning person will experience a type of ecstasy. Will those that lose too much blood will just feel the world fade to black.


    Perpetual Power had gathered incredible amount of data for this. Not all of it in an ethical way. There were rumors on the web that they had death camps.


    Many rumours said that Perpetual Power had deep connections to the incarceration system and were the reason that so many people were sentenced to death.


    There were multiple theories, and many of the held some truth to it. Perpetual Power as an organization was fearsome.


    What Sorp would experience if he bled to death here was a calm death. But there are numerous ways to die that is caused by bleeding.


    Sorp isn¡¯t just bleeding externally but internally as well. This amount of bleeding can still be considered negligible, because his external wounds are more severe.


    Once in front of the beast, Sorp stares at it.


    ¡®It still thinks it can win.¡¯


    The thought came to him when he peered into its eyes. It was clear to him that the beast still had something to rely on.


    Sorp couldn¡¯t keep his smile up anymore. He was getting too weak and dragging himself over the sand was an ordeal.


    He was still happy, he just couldn¡¯t express it in his usual camp manner.


    He hoisted the spear into the air and let it slowly fall, making it look like he was about to throw it.


    The spear was still just falling when he moved his hand slightly, making it inch forward slightly.


    At this moment the beast made a move. It leapt forward. Its mangled legs crushed further. Its front paws did most of the work.


    It was unfortunate that Sorp had noticed something odd about the lioness.


    He spear move had been a feint. Not everyone would try to feint a beast, but Sorp had respect for the beast. He didn¡¯t think it was stupid. That was never in the equation.


    Once the beast moved, Sorp shifted his posture. He slid backwards, positioning himself to thrust the spear.


    The beast saw this as well, but at this point it had exhausted its last ploy and could only watch the spear pierce into its head.


    It had an angry expression. It was furious. It had been tricked. It was comparable to a human in intelligence. And now it felt the sting of being fooled.


    Its last emotions were fury and frustration. It died without another sound, it was so angry it couldn¡¯t bellow out in protest.


    The beast died. This meant Sorp had won. His wounds healed in an instant and the pain vanished.


    His friends were celebrating. They had just entered this world and could already afford over a years worth of subscription fees.


    They gained immense benefits not only because they won the bet. Sorp was also a beginner. His odds had been very low. The returns were skyhigh.


    If he tried competing again, his now recorded information would be worlds apart. He could still gain a reasonable sum for winning, but the betting wouldn¡¯t be as profitable.

 Chapter six: Wealth.

    Vcoin. The butt of many jokes.


    Vcoin had a few tiers. The lowest tier was the simple Vcoin itself. To prevent inflated numbers more tiers were introduced. A tier two Vcoin has the value of hundred tier one Vcoins.


    All coins had their own distinct art. But they all have two commonalities. One was the Vcoin symbol. And the other a small notation. An uppercase t, and a number behind it.


    People didn¡¯t always call it tier one or tier two Vcoins. Instead they referred to them like a classic currency. A tier two Vcoin could be a hundred dollar chip or a silver chip.


    The Vr world is too large and diverse that there are multiple cultures with different names for it.


    Sorp and is friends were not cultured. They could only call it by its name. And Sorp had received hundred tier three Vcoins for winning his fight.


    ¡°How much is three tier three?¡±


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    The group had united and after calming down they were now calculating the gains.


    ¡°Look. You go into the finances window.¡±


    Kom is navigating a window floating in the air. Usually people used a small device to navigate the system, but it is possible to project it into the air as well.


    It is possible to enlarge the projection to the size of a movie theater. Kom decided on a large fifty inch screen.


    He controlled it through his small hand held device. He could do it through the projection itself, but he felt it was easier through the device.


    ¡°There, under balance.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Wait. how did you get into finances again?¡±


    Kom gave his friend a long look before show them again how to navigate the interface. Dart was already off on his own. Sat in a comfortable sofa.


    ¡°Oh! I got it! Nice!¡±


    ¡°Good, now check here. See?¡±


    ¡°Woah! Isn¡¯t that a lot?¡±


    Their gains were considered large for people like them. Food in general was almost free. Their housing could be considered free to an extent.


    All their expenses were vices. They indulge in different substances, women, expensive clothing or items.


    So the amount they were seeing was enough to live comfortably for a few months.


    In general they weren¡¯t poor and could still make some money from their connections. Sell some shady things or work for some even shadier people.


    They didn¡¯t because Sorp was making enough money for all of them. And Sorp did it for fun. They spent all their time playing around.


    ¡°Guess how much Sorp got?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? He got more than us?¡±


    ¡°He also got paid for fighting and a bonus for winning. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Sorp, how much did you get!?¡±


    Sorp didn¡¯t care about the gains, he was still riding that fighters high. He could barely concentrate on anything else.


    It wasn¡¯t until they called to him a few times that he snapped out of his reverie.


    He didn¡¯t care about the gains, but he did care about messing with his friends. He looked at his friends open screen. He chuckled and gave him a pitying look.


    They were all friends so they were quick to laugh and quick to anger.


    Before they could begin cursing him, Sorp, with Kom¡¯s help, navigated to the finance section.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s like.¡±


    ¡°Twenty six tier two¡¯s?¡±


    Of course much of it was from winning the fight, but a lot of it came from his betting as well. In addition to him betting more Vcoin, because he had more to bet with.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Sorp swaggered a bit before sitting down in a sofa next to Dart. he glanced at Dart¡¯s screen but didn¡¯t understand what he was doing.


    Dart wasn¡¯t the smartest guy in the world but he was far more knowledgeable than this little group.


    Kom was something of a rallier and pushed them into all kinds of things. It was Dart that made sure things didn¡¯t go too bad.


    Right now Dart looking for some strange things. his interested, while still violent like the rest, are more perverse.


    Perverse, not in a sexual nature, but in that it could be considered strange.


    When Sorp glanced at his screen, all he saw was text. With nothing to draw the eye, Sorp lost interest in an instant.


    In Perpetual Power¡¯s Virtual world, people can spend their currency on a lot of things. All kinds of food, drugs and fancy items.


    Brand name clothing exist in this world like any other. Making it easy for those that like to show their wealth.


    There are few items free in the virtual world. Even inconsequential things like a small lamp can be considered expensive.


    It seems counterintuitive that items in a virtual environment would cost more than what they did in real life, yet this was how things were.


    It can be hard and easy to gather Vcoin. But many instances, both public and private, award items.


    Sometimes these items are exclusive, sometimes they¡¯re common to the point of being worthless.


    Many people hunt down exclusive rewards. They collect these items and way until they become unattainable through normal means. Meaning they can only be achieved through trading.


    These kind of rewards are not Perpetual Powers way to give back to the community. Instead it is large and small companies that want to attract people that pay the cost.


    Special deals made with Perpetual Power is a common thing.


    Sorp could make such a deal with them to promote his fights. He could set up his own game instance with prizes.


    Many people do this for the patrons. The more popular their instance becomes, the easier it is to sell other things.


    People buy exclusive memorabilia. These items are made by Perpetual Power for the sole purpose of allowing others to sell them through their own shops.


    Perpetual Power has its own extensive shop, but will still allow others to set up their own shop. These shops can be considered a middle man.


    Sorp won an exclusive one-time item with special text on it, indicating how it was won.


    This was a wooden sword with engravings. On it are statics from the fight.


    It said how many fights Sorp had won and how many fights he had lost. It is also possible to peer deeper into the data by clicking the engraving.


    This opens up the Coliseum database and shows a more in depth analysis of the match. Everything from total participants to particular data of each participant.


    Because of this, Sorp now had a unique item. Something that couldn¡¯t be attained again or replicated.


    The closest one could come, was to find another similar item where a first-time participant won a medium scale Coliseum fight.


    This meant this item held value. What that value is, is hard to defer. Right now Sorp is unknown and can only be considered a newbie that got lucky.


    If in the future he gains some fame, this item might rise dramatically in value.


    Sorp didn¡¯t think about this at all, he just place the sword on the wall. He liked it. It was a memory he wanted to cherish.


    ¡°Drinks?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we get something stronger than just drinks?¡±


    ¡°Have you checked the prizes?¡±


    It was at this point that Dart finally joined the groups chatter. He had just been browsing things, trying to find something in particular.


    On this search he found that the Perpetual Power did allow the sale and use of various drugs.


    These drugs were far more expensive than street drugs. They were not necessarily better, but they had the added benefit of being harmless.


    There were numerous claims that the more hallucinogens types could cause detrimental mental effects. Especially for people with underlying conditions.


    Perpetual Power¡¯s statement towards this was simple. They had researched it thoroughly and determined it was safe.


    This stance caused outrage. But Perpetual Power is a privately owned enterprise and has exceedingly deep pockets.


    Their substances did not cause physical addiction. But many still heralded a campaign to stop it. Calling it a gateway to real drugs.


    Many believed that virtual drug abuse bled into real life. Real life drugs were considered multitudes cheaper.


    This campaign was directly ignored by Perpetual Power. They¡¯re tests were rigorous, long ago, they challenged others to prove their claims.


    Till this day, no one has put out any concrete evidence. Allowing Perpetual Power free reign. And they did reign.


    Without the negative side effects of drug abuse, no tolerance issues, the wealthy hit a new height in debauchery.


    Sorp¡¯s crew of six wanted to partake in it. Sorp could still afford to spend a bit at this moment and his mood was already great.


    Seeing as Dart had some knowledge on the issue, he was the designated tour guide.


    The issue wasn¡¯t finding drugs, but a venue to use them. They weren¡¯t too interesting in drugs, they wanted to play around.


    They wanted to find girls. They wanted to find other guys like themselves, maybe get into a fight. And Dart was tasked in find an adequate place.


    This could be considered an easy task. But there were a lot of places to choose from. Dart didn¡¯t have many requirements, but the ones he had, did narrow it down a bit.


    He had too many options, after feeling irritated at his friends hurrying he picked one at random.


    ¡°I found a place.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it called?¡±


    ¡°Willows burn slowly. Its a large place.¡±


    The place could be considered fancy. But fancy in the virtual world doesn¡¯t mean much.


    The place has multiple venues. There are multiple floors and within those floors were multiple private rooms.


    As per the rules of Perpetual Power, one place had to have a single instance. This meant the entire place was a single structure. This is fixed with subinstances.


    It¡¯s size could be compete with a small village in size.


    When the boys loaded in, they were greeted by the noisy environment. The dim lit zone looked like it was in its twilight.


    The first thing they saw was a group of handsome men swaggering about, laughing, drinking and smoking.


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    ¡°Suits my style, suave.¡±


    ¡°You are anything but suave.¡±


    It took them the total amount of six seconds to start arguing. And a total of twelve to begin laughing again.


    The reason Dart had picked this place was because it had no virtual humans. All staff here was brought from the real world.


    This was for two reasons. One it could be cheaper to hire outside help than buy or rent virtual humans. Virtual humans were not immortal either.


    Perpetual Power did things in their own way. Any reasonable person would assume they are insane.


    Virtual humans could be killed. There was no way to revive them. Virtual humans developed their personality over time.


    They did this for their own reasons, their reasoning was too esoteric, meaning it required personal experience to understand. This was their official statement.


    People complained endlessly, some had fantasies they wanted to fulfill through virtual humans. Some wanted cheap labour. Even to this day, people keep requesting immortal virtual humans.


    There are no safeguards towards humans casually walking around the virtual world. And in that vein, nothing did. If anyone destroyed something, it would stay destroyed.


    This made people hire expendable outside helpers to serve in their Instances. Only in high tier, restricted places, would you find virtual humans serving.


    It was because of this nature that Instance owners had to hire guards. They hired guards to prevent public disorder. And to protect their environment.


    Every Instance has a default setting. It is possible to have it decorated for you. This costs Vcoin. Without it, your personal Instance is white room.


    Sorp had to purchase his decoration. His things could be considered custom made. He even designed the insects skittering on the ground.


    It didn¡¯t cost too much to decorate a small space, if it was considered a personal use area. Public enterprises paid tax on items. They had to buy more and it was more expensive.


    The main effort was towards keeping the public within reasonable bounds. People would still fight. People would still be killed. People were still robbed. But it was kept small.


    Sorp¡¯s friends were the main instigators in causing trouble. They knew Sorp loved to fight, and he would be the first to defend them.


    This safety net allowed them to be arrogant. And it felt good to be arrogant, it put them above others. For people like them, who grew up disfranchised, it was a desirable high.


    They all knew they would get into a fight tonight. They just didn¡¯t know how or when. So as a starter they went for a place Dart had in mind.

 Chapter seven: Entertainment.

    The place Dart chose within this Instance has something called open air environment.


    They walk through the doors, looking up they see no ceiling. It looks like it is raining yet they can¡¯t feel it landing on them.


    ¡°What¡¯s this place?¡±


    ¡°Is it raining or not?¡±


    Dart doesn¡¯t say anything. He himself doesn¡¯t realize what is going on. To keep face he just casually walks towards a server.


    ¡°Table for six.¡±


    ¡°Right this way.¡±


    Seeing Dart¡¯s confident stride, the group follows without question. The rain landing on them but lacking sensation is still puzzling them.


    This kind of environmental effect can be considered expensive. In actual fact, it is not something you can purchase outright, but have to rent.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there not to like?¡±


    ¡°If it''s going to rain, then rain. What is this?¡±


    ¡°No one wants to sit in the rain, use your brain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll use your face.¡±


    Only a moment passes before the group is seated. The seats look wet despite feeling dry, this is a side effect of the rain and not purchased separately.


    There is ambient music playing. Its volume is low and competes with the pitter of rain falling.


    The guys aren¡¯t used to this kind of setting. They feel out of place. Until drinks and food arrive.


    This place can be considered expensive. But in truth, they still can¡¯t feel the weight of Vcoin and do not consider it as real money. Sorp included.


    The poor servers, the women in particular, are constantly harassed and grabbed at. Yet their smile never fades.


    Perpetual Power¡¯s virtual world might not be old, but people don¡¯t treat it like real life. It¡¯s easier to brush of any injustice. It¡¯s easier to treat it all as fake.


    The feeling of a finger sliding down your back is as real as can be. But the mind is a complex thing. The feeling of disbelieve is all that matters.


    If they think of it as fake. It is fake. If it¡¯s real, it¡¯s real. Not only that, the people working as servants often do so out of necessity.


    Being who they are. The group doesn¡¯t enjoy the lack of confrontation. Their attempts to rile the staff has failed. So it becomes boring. Instead they start targeting other guests.


    Sorp and Dart enjoy themselves with eating. Being the largest of the group, they need to eat more.


    Kom is most active in this. He has trouble sitting still in such a calm environment. His mind flickers back and forth.


    His target is a table of four women and six guys. The numbers are skewed but the women suit his tastes.


    Kom gathers his three compatriots. Leaving Sorp and Dart to their eating. This is according to their usual dynamic.


    They rise from their seat and wander off. Dart and Sorp watch them leave with indifferent expressions. This is still to be expected.


    ¡°Dart.¡±


    ¡°Mrph?¡±


    Mouth filled with meat Dart acknowledges Sorp.


    ¡°What happens if we fight in here?¡±


    This is what mattered. Sorp was very aware this wasn''t the ring. This wasn¡¯t a coliseum.


    ¡°They¡¯ll try and throw us out.¡±


    ¡°Try? What happens if I don¡¯t let them?¡±


    ¡°Hard to say. I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    Only now was Sorp¡¯s interests sparked. He already knew the fight with the six guys would be easy. What he wanted to fight was the large guys he saw patrolling.


    Dart saw through Sorp¡¯s thoughts without difficulty. He did nothing to prevent it and instead continued browsing through various things.


    A few tens meters away, four men were acting belligerent, pushing things and acting threatening.


    After a round of unpleasant cursing they turn their attention to the women present. Their gaze range from innocent, noble, lecherous and evil.


    These four can be considered evil for evil¡¯s sake. This is what they know. This is what they had been taught by their environment.


    They act in this way not only because they have learned it, but because they¡¯ve gotten away with it. Numerous times they¡¯ve played this play.


    The servers, men and women, turn a blind eye. Going so far as to never lose their subservient smile. Either they are virtual humans or accustomed to this scene.


    This happens because this Instance doesn¡¯t have to take responsibility for its customers. Only consequence would be a social one.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    With enough dissatisfied customers, negative reputation can form. But even a negative review, one describing real danger, is only helpful.


    It is a case of free advertisement. A popular saying amongst big Instance owners goes along the line of, you can do no wrong.


    The servers act in a predictable way. The main difference being how adjusted they are. In real life they would at least some some discomfort.


    This difference goes unnoticed by everyone except Dart. Dart himself dismisses it, attributing it to the virtual environment.


    Sorp and Dart continue to passively watch over their friends. They are still waiting for things to go out of hand.


    The usual ploy is to get the people to attack them. They have been quoted saying that it¡¯s no fun if they just attack head on. This is the extent of how far they scheme. Not very far.


    Pal and Ret. The most lecherous of the group nod at each other. They give Kom and Jarem a signal.


    They smoothly transition from their arguing to grabbing a woman each. This turns the argument into a something serious. They¡¯ve become more than just pests now.


    ¡°Let me go!¡±


    One of the women is repulsed by Pal. She struggles fiercely. Pal isn¡¯t an ugly man, but his demeanor is easy to decipher.


    Ret on the other hand exudes a handsome harm. His pale face gives off a fragile appearance.


    Ret could be considered the most handsome in the group of six, his fighting prowess ranked third after Sorp and Pal.


    This is another reason why Pal and Ret are so confident. They have the most experience doing things types of things.


    Often Sorp has had to bail them out, but not as often as they had succeeded in their fights. Even six against two they¡¯d only feel pressured.


    With the entire group with them. They were fearless. And more aggressive than usual. In normal circumstances. They¡¯d let Kom and Jarem rattle the the party with words.


    There was no point wasting time with their line up.


    To their surprise. Only two of the six men showed any genuine will to fight for the hostages. Right now, no weapons were up.


    They just held the two women back. It was a fragile grip. If the women really struggled they¡¯d be able to shake loose.


    It still required enough strength to shake lose. And it would hurt. And that was the problem. It already hurt to struggle just a little bit.


    Instead of struggling the better choice was to have their companions save them. This was what the two women felt. The other two women in the group didn¡¯t even panic.


    As it turned out. These two women. They had met with these six men and two women. They joined them for a good time.


    Four of the six men didn¡¯t care about the two captured women. This is just a game to them. That and they are not single. Had it been the two other women, the situation might change.


    Jarem and Kom were quick to rebound any advances by the two men. They struck them, hard and swiftly, aiming for the ribs.


    In general they would pick easier bones to break. Something like the nasal bones, the clavica or the forearms ulna. But experience proved that it is hardest to defend their ribs correctly.


    If their strike is adequate, they might even keel over from the strike alone. Not due to the pain but the shock the body experiences.


    This only works on people that aren¡¯t experienced in getting hit. They¡¯ve been drinking some alcoholic drinks so it might not work as well.


    They both hit their target with ease. The two men act in sync. They stumble backwards holding their left rib. Almost a theatrical display.


    But they only get angrier. What they¡¯ve been using tonight is more than just alcohol. Their eyes become increasingly bloodshot.


    The chemical they¡¯ve ingested can be considered a mystery to them. But in simple terms it is methamphetamines.


    Combined with the alcohol, their pain receptors are easily ignored. But they still feel weaker. And largest hit is to their mentality.


    Fueled by rage they try to attack again. Jarem and Kom might not be the best fighters but they can easily take these two out.


    They dodge the wide punches. And directly strike the same place. If their bones were not broken before, they are now.


    Internal bleeding is almost guaranteed. It is only a matter of how sever. Underneath their clothes one side of their lower ribs look concave. A disturbing sight.


    The pain finally reaches high enough levels to negatively affect them. They can feel a sweet taste in their mouths as they slowly retreat backwards.


    They look to their friends. It is only now that they see that they are laughing at them. Not the greatest friends.


    This not only enrages them further, but it also pisses Jarem, Kom, Ret and Pal. People that value loyalty, loath betrayal like this.


    Even Sorp and Dart are displeased. It''s one thing not to help your friends when they fuck up. But to laugh at their misery in front of others is wrong.


    There is a time and place for laughing at your friends pain. And this is not that place. Sorp feels this is reason enough to intervene. Dart continues to enjoy the show.


    Only Ret and Pal see Sorp heading over. They can¡¯t help but smile a complacent smile. But they also feel like the game is over. There is no more suspense.


    In reality, there was never any suspense but they still held an illusion of one.


    Ret and Pal become more unscrupulous and begin letting their hands roam free.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    ¡°What are you doing!?¡±


    Like the villains they are they only laugh. The glee in their voice is hard to ignore. But their action caused the four men to stop laughing.


    Even if they are willing to laugh at their friends. They can¡¯t be seen laughing at a women being molested, not while they are trying to get with the other two women present.


    They, similarly have been partaking in different chemicals. Some eagre for a fight. This a game to them after all. So whatever happens doesn¡¯t matter. This is how they think.


    Once the fight breaks out. Kom and Jarem have to deal with the four men alone. Until Sorp arrives behind them.


    Sorps titanic strength allowed him to grip a mans arm and fling him into a nearby table. He didn¡¯t directly lift him but and only used his own sizable body as a counterweight to swing him.


    The noise of their friend crashing into tables and chairs alerts the group of five. What meets them is this giant of a man. At least head and shoulder taller than them.


    Even with drugs and alcohol clouding their minds, they can¡¯t help but take a deep breathe. Their thoughts screaming at them to run.


    Being unscrupulous and without any valor or honor. Kom and Jarem strike two of the men. These punches hold all their weight. Much more effective than a the lighter jabs from earlier.


    This leaves them with only one uninjured man. Sorp, already bored, slaps at him. The force knocks the man over. Half his face bright red.


    This leaves four women and six men, some of which are whimpering. The two women that had been watching the fight only look more interested.


    In the end this is still a virtual world. It is easier to show your true thoughts. The lack of permanent consequences allows people to remain calmer.


    The men on the ground are cursing inwardly. The pain is very real. Even as they limp away. Only one looks back at his woman, his eyes teary and filled with unwillingness.


    These are not eyes Pal and Ret are unfamiliar with. They relish these kinds of moments. Their hands even more lively. Ignoring the pleading voices that have become increasingly desperate.


    Sorp grabs one of the women, like a beast, he flings her over his shoulder and walks back to their table. He liked the look in her eyes. She wasn''t afraid in the least. This was new to Sorp.


    He had seen many women pretend to be fearless. But who was Sorp? His attention to detail is frightening. This woman really wasn¡¯t afraid.


    She wasn¡¯t afraid because this is a virtual world. And she did come to this place to experience danger.


    Her friend wasn¡¯t as fearless but she still held her own. Since Pal and Ret already held two women she could only flirt with kom and Jarem.


    Jarem is a bit more handsome than Kom but she still liked Kom¡¯s figure. She only smiled at Kom and Kom came running. His enthusiastic way of talking instantly erupted.


    When things settled down, the group was seated again. Two unwilling women and two excited women were sitting with the group.


    Sorp¡¯s woman was sitting on his lap. Her figure just barely covered one of his thick thighs. The difference in size put slight fear into the other three women.


    The woman in question of course couldn¡¯t see what they saw. She was enjoying herself. The group of men knew how to enjoy themselves. It was easy to be influenced by their atmosphere.


    Dart was busying himself with various things while the group was laughing. He had even read up on something he found interesting.


    There are a few reason why the women or men didn¡¯t just log off the game when they were in danger.


    The system decides if your are in a situation that is considered safe. This means no hostile party near you.


    If the women excused themselves to the toilet they could buy time to log out. But not while they remained in the restaurant.


    Many places within an Instance can be considered Sub Instances. Sub Instances are not really new Instances but are required for a multilayered place like this.


    Directly exiting the virtual world from a sub Instance is dangerous. It is dangerous but not impossible. It just requires a longer time to exit and is easy to disrupt.


    It would take about thirty to forty minutes, depending on the size of the instance. To successfully extract a person from a sub Instance.


    In truth, this isn¡¯t that dangerous. The issue is a mechanical one. The work put into it is more expensive than a regular disconnect so Perpetual Power made it more inconvenient to do this.


    Before, people would wantonly log out anywhere. But a wait time of up to thirty minutes is too long for most people.


    It does prevent long term imprisonment. Assuming a person isn¡¯t guarded in shifts to maintain a hostile presence. This isn¡¯t impossible to achieve. But you would need to find and hire people to do this.


    People with real power and pull with Perpetual Power might even circumvent these requirements. There might be people out there with their own private prison.


    Prison. Detention. That was how the two women felt. Their bodies being violated. And in a public setting. Even pleading gazes at the servants were rendered useless.


    They just watched on with a happy smile. This was still with the servants expectations. They were even confident that they wouldn¡¯t be harassed.


    Everytime they were, the guards would get involved. There were enough guards in the instance to constitute a small private army. They were spread thin but could convene if they had to.


    Jarem and Dart still lacked a women but they were more reserved when it came to these matters. They would still partake if there were enough women around.


    Sorp didn¡¯t speak too much. The group intentionally interacted with him, because without it he would remain silent.


    Even when he didn¡¯t speak a word he would laugh and smile with his friends. And his laughter and smile held a strong charm.


    The woman on Sorp¡¯s lap was entranced. Even the captured women couldn¡¯t help but be distracted a moment. Until they remembered the hands playing with them.

 Chapter eight: A selfish evil.

    The group knew each other well. Ret and Pal were selfish but they had women now. So their new goal would be to help their buddies.


    This type of selfishness is acceptable. They served themselves first but didn¡¯t forget others. This was still alright.


    They wanted to get some women for them. Jarem and Dart weren¡¯t too enthusiastic about it. Jarem liked to capture his women with tricks not force.


    Dart barely looked up from his palm device. Jarem was enjoying the food and alcohol and the company of his friends.


    None of the group was uncomfortable. The captured women¡¯s protest went completely ignored. They were all used to this. The other two women gave them a pitying glance.


    Later these looks would change to annoyance. They felt they had protested enough. In their mind this is still just a game.


    They could think this way because they acted forward. They had the illusion of choice. They wanted to be here. This was true and it wasn¡¯t. They would accompany them with or without consent.


    If they had been dragged here and fondled while they struggled, their thoughts might be different. But they weren¡¯t so they were quick to judge the captured women.


    The night continued. Pal and Ret continued scouting. They still didn¡¯t take a liking to the servant women. Even they themselves didn¡¯t realize this.


    It was because the servants didn¡¯t show any aversion to them. It was rare for people to treat them like humans. So they respected them.


    Once respect was established, they wouldn¡¯t harass them. They just didn¡¯t realize it. Dart did. He found it interesting but ignored it.


    When they left the restaurant they had only paid for the food, drinks and drugs. Any damage done to the tables and chairs was ignored.


    The person who broken them with their body had to pay that price.


    Jarem was finally intoxicated enough to begin preying. His reservation at low levels. Pal and Ret would stand on either side of him and talk in low voices.


    No one could hear them but them. And the women they had ensnared. The women lost some color in their face, they came paler. A beautiful contrast to their blushing red faces.


    There were prostitutes, both male and female, around every sub Instance. They were well dressed and looked clean.


    Jarem isn¡¯t interested in prostitutes. For them, it was never just about sex. It was about power. Only through domineering could they feel satisfied.


    This was different from Sorp and Dart. Sorp always felt domineering. It was who he was. Dart just didn¡¯t care. His perversion was even less about sex and more about control.


    Even if Dart captured a women. To Feel the feeling of power. He¡¯d want more privacy. His desires were far darker than his friends. He leaned towards pain more than he did towards pleasure.


    These men were vicious. They did what they wanted, how they wanted to do it. This can be said to be an average night. Perhaps more expensive than usual.


    The group roamed about, laughing and joking as they did. The four women invited some hungry gazes from passersby but just the appearance of Sorp averted any unwanted attention.


    After finding another place to sit down. This place is even more quiet than the previous. They already had the women.


    They couldn¡¯t teleport the women to their own personal instance. This would take consent. Even if they teased and played with them, they didn¡¯t consent to it.


    It was very obvious to them what would happen if they accept the invitation. Forced into a corner. Pal and Ret consulted with Dart, who found a dark quiet place to sit down in.


    The seating in this place was unregular. Pal and Ret chose to sit alone with their women. They weren¡¯t far apart from each other. But far from the Sorp, Kom, Dart and jarem.


    Everyone understood what was happening. But the mood never diminished. They continued drinking and eating delicious food. The party kept going.


    In the dark it was hard to see. The tables had lighting on them, but these could be lowered or turned off. Pal and Ret and turned theirs off.


    It was hard to hear, but occasionally a muffled groan could be heard. And this wasn¡¯t only Pal and Ret¡¯s victims. In other booths were couples hiding away.


    It was hard to hear and hard to see. But Sorp could still make out silhouettes. His eyes weren¡¯t better than others. He could just process more details.


    Pal had forced something in the womans mouth. He sat on the table. Sorp only saw their general forms. But it was apparent what was happening.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Ret and his companion were hidden behind the table but occasionally a silhouette would peak up and down.


    Kom wanted to imitated Ret and Pal. To his surprise, he couldn¡¯t be as shameless. He could only sigh. At the end of the night he¡¯d invite her somewhere they could be alone.


    Sorp was bored. After the small fight earlier, he couldn¡¯t get it out of his head. He wanted to fight. His best choice was to talk to Dart. Dart knew this would happen and already knew what to do.


    After Ret and Pal returned their faces were bright red, their breath uneven. Even more uneven and unnatural were the women they were with.


    They were in a daze. They looked shocked. This is a virtual world. None of this is real. And yet they felt this world to be even more real.


    With Dart leading they entered a rowdy place. Here people were screaming. Seating was around a hexagon. There were no empty seats near the center stage.


    Higher up were more private, more expensive seats. Sorp and his group went there and sat down. Before long a servant was attending them.


    They had to begin by paying for the seats before they were served complimentary drinks. These are exclusive seats for high rollers.


    Sorp couldn¡¯t be considered a high roller. But he could still afford a few nights like this.


    Dart wasn¡¯t at the table. He was talking to the manager of the place. Once he returned he told Sorp he was too heavy.


    Unlike the colosseum where weapons were allowed. This arena was hands only. No protective gear allowed.


    Because of this, Sorp had to fight against people in similar weight category. Sorp can be considered a heavy man.


    It was not impossible to find a fighter. But it would take some time. A couple of hours at least. Until then they¡¯d just have to wait.


    In the meantime they watched the matches. Ret and Pal still clung unto their women. They weren¡¯t done with them yet. They felt they had a round or two in them.


    The women had regained the demeanor a bit. They no longer protested and would just quietly watch with blank stares. This is not uncommon. Ret and Pal were used to this.


    Sorp and Kom¡¯s women didn¡¯t even look at them anymore. Not even with annoyance. They just found them displeasing to the eye. Even wanting to shoo them away.


    This was a cold way to treat victims. But they didn¡¯t consider them to be victims at all. Instead they were enjoying themselves, ignoring the two women¡¯s suffering.


    Their view of Ret and Pal was very low. But they could still ignore that Sorp and Kom weren¡¯t at all disturbed by their actions. This was just selective behaviour.


    Despite being a fighter. Sorp didn¡¯t enjoy watching others fight. It just made his itch grow. To distract himself he focused his attention to the woman by his side.


    She felt the change in Sorp, but instead of being repelled she welcomed it. Sorp had been too reserved with her. Especially seeing how his companions wantonly played with the other girls.


    She was light enough for Sorp to lift with ease. And she felt weightless when he pulled her into his embrace. It would have been impossible for her to resist.


    His eyes were on her. She lost herself in them. Everything about Sorp was grand. Even the way he handled her.


    With a big body. Sorp¡¯s breathing was nearing that of a horse. She could not only feel his breath but hear it. Being this close to him face, she finally felt a bit of hesitation.


    That hesitation went unnoticed. Sorp was already playing with her earlobes. His finger almost too large to pinch them.


    This feeling was completely new to her. She felt like Sorp was a giant. Playing with a toy. She didn¡¯t dislike the feeling but it was very new. Sorp is just too big for a human.


    She wasn¡¯t sure what to do with her hands but let them fall on his chest. His left hand was supporting her back. It wasn¡¯t wide enough to cover it entirely but she felt like it did.


    From an outside perspective it looked as if she was pushing him away. Her tiny hands pushing against a mountain.


    Sorp saw she had pierced earlobes but no earrings. He couldn¡¯t help it. His attention to detail was already beyond normal. Once he focused on her he began seeing more.


    Having been a fighter and experienced broken bones as well as breaking them. He deduced she had broken her nose once.


    He saw that she was right handed. When his hands went over her thighs he could feel how much she exercised. Her thighs were firm.


    Sorps actions were methodical. But her experience was worlds different. Every action felt tantalizing. Her whole body felt a degree warmer. She couldn¡¯t help but feel heavier.


    She became hyper aware of every movement she made. Even slightly moving was somehow sexual to her. It came to a point where she felt her eyes were tearing up.


    Her wet eyes looked up like an innocent puppy. Only to see the focused eyes of Sorp. He saw her lookup so he turned to look at her. This was a fatal blow to her. She shivered.


    Once she shivered she felt she had to move a bit. Once she moved erratically. Sorp adjusted to the movement. This made her feel she was about to lose control.


    Even if they tried ignoring Sorp and his woman. It was hard when she let out a moan and was seen grinding delicately.


    She was doing this unintentionally. She was just trying to adjust herself. But it only served to arouse her further. It was here when she looked up.


    Her body was shivering and moved erratically. To sorp, this was her satisfying her urges. He could only approve of her forwardness. He made sure to compliment her actions with his movements.


    Kom¡¯s companion. Her friend, looked on with a bright eyes and flushed cheeks. Kom didn¡¯t lose this opportunity and let his hands free.


    Soon Jarem and Dart felt out of place and excused themselves. They went out to smoke they said. Not that they weren¡¯t allowed to smoke indoors.


    Ret and Pal found their fire rekindled. They only felt this was a good night.


    Once had begun and felt Sorp gaze at her, she couldn¡¯t stop. She felt like an animal. Like a cat in heat. She couldn¡¯t stop herself.


    She knew other people were around and she felt a bit humiliated. But she couldn¡¯t stop. She couldn¡ät embrace it either. But there was no stopping it.


    Her hands fully embraced Sorp. her face against his chest. The powerful heartbeat roared in her head, erasing even the noise of the crowd.


    It was impossible for Sorp to endure. He picked her up and walked towards a private room.


    She was so entranced in her actions. Her eyes closed, focused on the thrumming of Sorp¡¯s heart that she didn¡¯t notice Sorp move her.


    It wasn¡¯t until she felt her clothes ripped apart that she realized what was happening. She felt Sorp¡¯s fingers to be larger than some of the men she had been with.


    Even if she was thrown into the chaotic mood, she noticed that they were actually alone. In a private place. With that she could finally let out her pent up emotions.


    Sorp was rough. He moved her body like she was a doll. In twisting movement she felt the world go upside down. Her head now staring at a throbbing spear. Threatening to pierce into her.


    She felt Sorp¡¯s tongue on her. Her sensitivity already heighten she couldn¡¯t help but climax instantly. She grabbed onto the only thing she could.


    Sorp twitched when her hands land on it. But she was still in the throes of orgasm. Again she felt the world turn on its axis.


    She was half convulsing when she felt Sorp slowly thrust into her. To her surprise there was no pain. Only heightened pleasure. It was difficult to describe but impossible to forget.


    Sorp was big in every way possible. His member filled her in a way she didn¡¯t understand. She felt like she had eaten too much. Even felt like she would gag.


    This emotion contradicted with the pleasure. This feel soon faded, only to return a moment later. Sorp was thrust in and out of her.


    Never in her life did she feel less in control. The image of herself as a child playing with dolls appeared in her mind. The doll was her and the one playing was Sorp.


    It was only a fleeting thought. Soon she was breathing too loud. She was aware of the noises she was making, any attempt to lessen them caused more noises.


    Every thrust was another type of pleasure. She finally opened her eyes to see Sorp smile at her. This smile is an animalistic smile.


    Sorp smiled in this way, because he is an animal. He was experienceing beastial pleasure, so he smiled in a way that conveyed it. This was exposing his emotions.


    Most would be frightened by this smile, it was too vicious. But she felt her body spasm. She was climixing again. She closed her eyes and rode the wave. Trying to savour every moment.


    When she thought it was over. She was flipped over. She looked back. She was drooling a bit. Her eyes wet. Every part of her was tinged in the color red.


    Once again Sorp thrust into her. Causing her to grasp her hands onto anything she could. She felt helpless with nothing to grab onto. It was an uncomfortable feeling.


    But Sorp¡¯s movements never ceased. She could only try to reach for something in the dark room.


    From an outsider''s perspective it looked like she was trying to crawl away. Only she was breathing like she was running a marathon and moaning like a feral beast.

 Chapter nine: Second stage Perpetual Power.

    The next day. Sorp¡¯s friends gathered in Sorp¡¯s room. They were spritely. None of them was hungover. This was new.


    ¡°Kom, you really did it this time.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how real it all was.¡±


    ¡°What about you Sorp?¡±


    If anyone was satisfied with how things went on in the virtual world. It was Sorp. He got to fight in a coliseum and in hand to hand combat with an experienced fighter.


    They all bet their entire fortune on Sorp to win. To their surprise Sorp almost lost. His opponent a b or c list martial art expert.


    His weight almost measuring up to Sorp. his body even more sculpted than Sorp¡¯s. Sorp only won because of his demeanor.


    Even with multiple broken bones. Eyes, ears, nose and blood bleeding he never stopped attacking.


    The fight was to the death. And the opponent wasn¡¯t going to be merciful. He was just as ready to tear Sorp apart as Sorp was.


    He could ignore the pain like Sorp. But Sorp never lost his smile. Even through multiple lost teeth, Sorp never stopped smiling. This was a mental victory.


    Their winnings, percentage wise weren¡¯t as large as the colosseum but overall more than doubled their wealth.


    This was because the amount they were betting with increased massively.


    Sorp has an impressive outer appearance. People betting didn¡¯t underestimate him. He looked like he could tear a man apart. Due to this, the bets were not too unbalanced.


    ¡°It was great Kom.¡±


    He was smiling. It really did make him happy. Both the coliseum and the hexagon fights were great.


    ¡°That fight really was a close call, right?¡±


    ¡°Not as close it looked.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean Dart?¡±


    Everyone looked at Dart. Seeing as Dart decided to speak up, clearly he had something to say.


    ¡°It looks like the fighting system isn¡¯t entirely fair.¡±


    Sorp couldn¡¯t help but frown. What wasn¡¯t fair? He didn¡¯t care if things were fair, but how weren¡¯t they fair?


    ¡°The system has a vulnerability check in place. It¡¯s actually why Ret¡¯s and Pal¡¯s women vanished. They died.¡±


    ¡°What? No Way, we weren¡¯t stabbing them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how you do things Ret but I was definitely stabbing her.¡±


    The two laughed at the connotation. But only they laughed. Everyone else was focused on Dart.


    ¡°Once a person is in a vulnerable state, physically or mentally, the slightest touch can be lethal.¡±


    It is easy to see the confusion in everyone¡¯s eyes. This was because he said physically or mentally. Dart understood their confusion.


    ¡°Physical vulnerability means bleeding. Broken bones or immobility. The system considers your body to be weak at that moment.¡±


    Dart paused for a moment. He paused for them to digest the information and to take a breath.


    ¡°Mental vulnerability is a state where a person is defeated. Those women were defeated. This is why they died so easily.¡±


    It felt like an odd system. It was Perpetual Powers compromise. In the beginning, people would have been unable to die in even harsher conditions.


    Sorp already knew about the physical vulnerability. Most of them should know if they paid attention. But they didn¡¯t, only Dart and Sorp did.


    Sorp felt Dart didn¡¯t answer the question.


    ¡°How is it unfair?¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°It¡¯s unfair because you are you.¡±


    Dart smiled and laughed. Sorp didn¡¯t laugh. Because he didn¡¯t understand how this was funny.


    ¡°Just think. How would you even feel defeated? Even if your bones are broken you continue fighting.¡±


    This was true. Mentality played a large role in the virtual world. The technology could even read thoughts.


    They could read thoughts in the way that people''s intentions could be read and used as input. Just like the mind controlled the body in real life. The system used the same input to control in the virtual world.


    Actual thoughts are not readable. They are too fleeting and not projected. You could write a story with your thoughts alone. But that is not the system reading your thoughts but your intentions.


    Sorp was convinced. He understood he was different from other people. Most of this feeling came from that fact that his body was too different.


    In other things he couldn¡¯t see clearly why he was different. But he had seen the defeat in people¡¯s eyes. So he understood what Dart was saying.


    Sorp would never have these kinds of eyes. This was what he himself believed. Not just his friends. Sorp didn¡¯t recognize a world where he would submit to anyone.


    Perhaps he would. But this would be by accident. Because defeat for Sorp was death. Authentic death. Only in death would he stop, because in death he couldn¡¯t fight.


    Being alive is a state of victory in Sorp¡¯s mind. This is not a twisted or unusual. It is the basic instinct of an animal. Living is everything. Living or procreating.


    This is what all living things reach for. A form of immortality. Immortality through the flesh or passing of genes. A very natural thing.


    Sorp has not fathered any children. Once he has, perhaps he¡¯ll need to father more. Increasing the chances that his genes survive.


    This is the way animals live. It is the way Sorp will live. Only society is proving a deterrent. This is especially so when the virtual world is taken into account.


    But even in a virtual world. Sorp will live as he should live. As he wants to live. As an animal. As himself.


    Sorp was deep in thought. Thinking about the virtual world. How the rules were affecting his fights. And he felt it was acceptable.


    The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He wasn¡¯t occupied with thoughts of fairness. He saw it as his advantage, one he should grab.


    A challenging fight was something he desired but that didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d have to fight fairly. He didn¡¯t understand the concept. He misunderstood it instead.


    The way Sorp understood fairness, was that it was another form of restriction. A rule. A law. Laws never sat well with Sorp. He¡¯d break them often and had to deal with the consequences.


    The group kept the conversation going. They spoke about their experiences. Jarem boasted that he¡¯d win in a coliseum fight next time. He felt betrayed when they laughed at the idea.


    When Sorp came to, the subject of Perpetual Power came back. Perpetual power had spent a few months teasing a reveal of a new project.


    Multiple people speculated what it was. Billions of guesses. Quite a few were right. If they guessed it was an amusement park, they¡¯d be right in a way.


    What Perpetual power created was a world. An entire world. The size so staggering that without the artificial intelligence it would take them not only decades but millenniums.


    They wanted more than just a world. They wanted to create a better world. This world would be their greatest attraction.


    Their virtual world as it was right now, can be considered a demo. A way to research people¡¯s interaction with the virtual.


    With the data they have collected, the system has been adjusted to further the experience.


    Perpetual Power¡¯s origin is more than just a giant conglomerate. It can be considered a project the Earth is collectively funding.


    Due to blind arrogance. This revelation isn¡¯t known to the general populace. And Perpetual Power is only considered a large company dabbling in virtual reality tech.


    The main reason why the pain is real. That there are so few restrictions in the virtual world. Is because people can¡¯t accept anything else.


    Without immersion, the virtual world cannot compete with the real world. This has been studied thoroughly, and the only conclusion is that pain is necessary.


    For the wellbeing of a person. There is a requirement for a negative experience. Only when faced with adversity, can people become complacent in a virtual environment.


    This is in the grand scheme of things. It varies from person to person. Without adversity, a person needs a goal. Something to walk towards. In general this can be replaced with adversity.


    Kom originally discovered Perpetual Power¡¯s virtual world through the teasers about their reveal. They lead him to the virtual world.


    Dart was now invested in the virtual world and had already followed them on every media he could.


    When the announcement came, the group was in deep conversation about what type of women were the best in bed.


    Even Sorp had thoughts on the issue. It could be considered sad that he didn¡¯t have a chance to voice them when Dart begin waving his hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s here?¡±


    ¡°Perpetual power just announced their newest virtual expansion.¡±


    Only now did everyone stop laughing. They were all invested into virtual reality. They liked it. It wasn¡¯t too great but they enjoyed it.


    ¡°Full immersion. An entire world. Long term dive. Time slowed down.¡±


    Dart rattled out a few key words he thought were relevant. In the end it looked like this new world was more than just an amusement park.


    The guys didn''t really understand Dart but they just whipped out their palm computers and looked it up for themselves.


    What came out as they read further was they needed more than just their devices to enter this world. Perpetual power demanded the absolute best.


    This new world was supposed to be an entire replacement for reality. This meant literally never having to come out.


    It was theoretically possible to stay permanently inside. With the assistance of Perpetual Power¡¯s services.


    Waste disposal was automated. The refilling of nutrients could be done by flying machines. If not it would be done manually by their employee.


    These devices were not cheap. They were as expensive as could be. Out of range for at least half the population. Assuming they¡¯d take out long term loans for it.


    A loan might not be a bad idea. Perpetual Power promised that the virtual world would have work and people should be able to pay the debts from the inside.


    There are many reasons for this. One is the extreme cost of an artificial virtual human. They can be considered expensive to run en masse. And this cost increases with quantity.


    Perpetual Power promised a lot of things. They promised this world would be capable of rivaling the real world in every aspect.


    The price of the new devices caused the group to pale. Even with their new funds combined, they couldn¡¯t buy one device.


    This left the group feeling gloomy. Only Sorp continued smiling. He continue reading the sizable announcement and other detailed information.


    Dart also continued reading. Dart had already decided that he¡¯d do what it takes to buy a machine for himself.


    Initially he thought taking a loan would be difficult but it turned out that Perpetual Power would issue a large amount of loans.


    This can be considered odd. As Perpetual Power is not formally a bank. But for some reason they were apparently a registered bank.


    It was odd. To everyone but the very high up in political power. Within the circles it was an open secret that Perpetual Power was untouchable.


    What only a select few knew, was that Perpetual Power can be considered Earth¡¯s biggest universal power.


    It didn¡¯t have a country. Perpetual Power could be considered to represent the Earth as a whole.


    Perpetual Power certainly saw itself as the world¡¯s leader. They controlled what was important. Power. Perpetual power. More power than they could use.


    Only with this much energy could they possibly do what they did. The limitations were now other bottlenecks. Technology to read and write data for one.


    After discussing it. The group agreed they should try and gather money for the devices.


    The devices come with a service. Installing and maintenance. This meant, if they didn¡¯t opt out of it. Perpetual Power would manage the device in their stead.


    It was not coincidence that Perpetual Power owned thousands of apartment buildings. Most of which were so small that they only contained space for a device and a person that could walk around it.


    These apartments are supposed to house the devices and the residence that chose to live inside the virtual world.


    It wasn¡¯t that other people couldn¡¯t rent out the apartments. But the apartments had nothing in them except this small space.

 Chapter ten: Schemes.

    Dart isn¡¯t the most intelligent guy in the group. But was the one that sought out the most knowledge. He could be said to be wise in that context.


    The guys expected him to come up with a plan to earn more cash. It was clear to everyone that Sorp¡¯s sadistic underground ring fights weren¡¯t enough.


    Multiple plans came forth from the group. Ranging from small time larceny to kidnapping big time rich folk. These ideas were well received.


    When it came to planning details, things fell apart and only the easier jobs like robbing houses remained. Even those felt loose and unreliable.


    The six man group all had a look of constipation on them. Feeling frustrated Kom, being who he was, felt it was a time for a break.


    A break of course meant to go into the virtual world. Once it was brought up, the room felt lighter. It was if all of them finally relieved themselves.


    Once inside, they gathered at Sorp¡¯s Instance. It was like they never left the apartment. They found solace in it. Being antsy they couldn¡¯t decide what to do.


    Sorp wanted to fight. This much was obvious. So when it came up in conversation. They all remembered that most of their money came from gambling.


    Gambling was simple. They could all gamble. And they already won two times in a row. It was obvious to them that they should just continue gambling.


    It would be best to gamble that Sorp would win fights. But many of them also considered gambling with their wits. This was not a good idea.


    Sorp was the safest bet. It wasn¡¯t possible to ask Sorp to lose a fight voluntarily so they had to bet on him to win.


    Once a winning plan was found they just had to find a place to fight and march Sorp in. Dart was elected to find a place.


    They wanted to go back to the hexagon ring. Because in that ring, they won the most amount of Vcoin. Of course, them being stupid, they didn¡¯t realize that the coliseum paid more percentage wise.


    They weren¡¯t all this stupid. And what is more is that they noticed after Sorp entered a smaller tier coliseum fight that the returns weren¡¯t as good.


    It had less favorable returns because Sorp had already fought in this place and won. They still have the data from every fighter that fought in their arena.


    After Sorp won another fight. He got what was called a streak. With enough consecutive wins, he¡¯d gain more prize rewards.


    With this win their bankroll increased further. But they were now more experienced. If Sorp entered again and won, their betting returns would be even worse.


    In actual fact, the coliseum would probably try to take Sorp out with an unfair matchup. They didn¡¯t know that but that was not uncommon practice.


    They might also approach Sorp and make a deal with him. Sorp could become their attraction. Their prize fighter, just like he was for the underground fights.


    There are plenty of places to fight. Some specializing in it, some just using it as an additional attraction. They could fight for months and not run out of fresh arena¡¯s.


    Words does get around and people interested in the same categories do look at each other from time to time. Some might even have their fingers in multiple such Instances.


    For now they can rely on Sorp being unrenowned. This allows them to maximize the returns of their bets. The more fame he accumulates the less favorable the returns.


    Throughout the months leading up to the release of the game, the guys won bets after bets. Their total wealth staggering.


    This amount of wealth generation can¡¯t be considered alerting. But Perpetual Power did take notice. Because Sorp and his friends shouldn¡¯t have the assets to create this amount.


    While there are very few exploits found in the virtual world, they have existed and have been exploited before. Their team have tagged the group as suspicious.


    To Perpetual Powers security team¡¯s surprise, it looked like they were just betting on the same individual in fighting arena¡¯s.


    Perpetual Power could retain video recordings, and they have been monitoring the groups actions as of late.


    Their shock understandable. It is not that haven¡¯t seen a ferocious fighter. The twisted things that happens in the world are not few. But this is something new.


    Fight after fight. Never any sign of fatigue. This beast of a man loses an arm and continues to fight. Not even his body is responding as they would expect.


    This is because Sorp is very simple. There is synergy in Sorps wants and his bodies needs. They both just need to destroy what¡¯s in their way.


    This discovery leads to further digging. After gathering more fights, they see this is not fluke. Hundreds of fights. All ferocious. Not one loss.


    The arrogance of the people betting. Every bet they throw their entire wealth behind the fight. Multiple times the Sorp just barely scrapes out a victory.


    The compilation sends shivers down a person''s back. The team confirms that there is no cheating, exploitation other than a social one or any other nefarious factor at work.


    Compelled to share their discovery they share it with higher ups. Not only to inform them of something that might be significant but also just to share it with someone.


    In this way Sorp became more famous by the day. There are many videos of people fighting to death in arena¡¯s. But Sorp was more than just a fight. He was a spectacle.


    His beastial screaming. His charming smile decorating his handsome face and out of this world physical attributes. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Soon he became something of a celebrity.


    The group also knew this. Dart brought to everyone''s attention that Sorp was becoming too famous.


    At first the group was celebrating. But then they realized they weren¡¯t getting as much returns from their bets.


    The odds became less and less favorable. They were still quite away from buying six devices. Four could still be achieved. But the way things were going. Six would be hard.


    This was also not too much of an issue. They could take out a loan for the last two devices. It was no issue to pay it back together.


    Their biggest regret was not being able to buy devices for their other family members. Many of their siblings would enjoy it. But their parents and grandparents would benefit the most.


    Sorp could be considered an orphan. But he didn''t see it that way. These people were his brothers and their siblings were his siblings.


    Their parents had cared for him. In their own way. He couldn¡¯t show the same affection but he would protect them with everything he had.


    This was also a way an animals protect their own. These people were his, so he had to protect them from others. It was how Sorp was.


    Even with Sorps fame, Dart continued to find fights where he was unknown or less known. But eventually it became dangerous. The fights became less profitable and more dangerous.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Sorp was known for a few things now, but what shone brightest was that he was undefeated. No man, beast or virtual human could compete.


    There are people stronger than him. He had fought quite a few. They lacked that beastial thirst for victory. That undying perseverance. And a trademarked devilish grin.


    It became obvious that the they couldn''t continue in this way. Eventually Sorp might lose. And everything they worked for would vanish.


    Many places couldn¡¯t handle the amounts they were betting either. This cut further into profits. In the end Dart felt they should stop. Or make a deal with a large arena Instance.


    Sorp let Kom and Dart make deals with Instance holders. They also set up their own little arena. It was plain but it promised fights with Sorp in them, that drew a crowd.


    After a few organized fights Sorp fame grew even higher. The group¡¯s own arena became well known. Aptly named Sorp¡¯s domain. This was to use Sorp¡¯s trademark to advertise.


    What they learned was the biggest profit was acting as a middleman for Perpetual Power and sell their wares. This was drinks, food and any other substance available.


    In a few short months they had a promising business. A steady income and a sense of satisfaction. They were really making it big in this world.


    The guys didn¡¯t become reserved. They were young. And now young with wealth. They strutt around arrogantly. Sorp¡¯s name was used generously for any occasion.


    Picking up girls. They would drop Sorp¡¯s name. In a fight? They would not only drop Sorp¡¯s name, but also call him over. And Sorp would be eager to help.


    There were still cases where Sorp was busy and had the other guys put through. He proved who he was and they would back down. This was the power of fame and fear.


    The worst side of effect of this newfound status was that their clothing only became more gaudy. Some of which was even tailored specially for them.


    One positive thing came out of all of this. Their self esteem sky rocketed. They no longer hated being looked down. As they now felt people were looking at them in admiration instead.


    There were still a couple of months away from the release of Perpetual Powers new world. Their Advertisement was at an all time high.


    Sorp¡¯s newfound fame was desirable to advertisers. Sorp¡¯s fame leaked outside of the realm of fighting.


    Sorp was after all something of an adonis. His handsome features with his enormous body made him popular.


    This popularity was with both men and women. Once he leaked into the largest and most profitable consumerbase, women. His fame grew even faster.


    This popularity made Perpetual Power reach out to him. They wanted him to advertise for them. This meant a small campaign. Small for their scale. Enormous for Sorp.


    The money could be considered good. It overshadowed his profits in the arena by a large margin. It also meant he¡¯d have to go around and do what they asked him to.


    Sorp might be his own self. A beast and a brute. But he was still raised amongst normal humans. Ignoring their moral faults, he learned social interaction.


    The group of friends thought this was a great opportunity. Sorp agreed and for two weeks he spent time in photoshoots and even a few mock fights.


    To everyone that knew Sorp, it was surprising that Sorp could fight without killing a person. Going so far as to make it appear to be a close call.


    And this was fighting against a skinny man that bordered on female. A delicate beauty. While athletic, it would be impossible to match up to Sorp¡¯s fighting prowess.


    Even with the mock fights, most of the time still went into photoshoots and small interviews. Sorp couldn¡¯t be considered a talker. He could responds to questions if asked.


    His stoic demeanor just labeled him as mysterious and deep. Both not untrue. But the truth wouldn¡¯t be as glamorous as peopled could imagine.


    Through the entire ordeal, Sorp¡¯s friends stuck to him like a sticky grain of rice. Even scalding water couldn¡¯t keep them away.


    They were treated as his entourage. Which they were. But some felt it was strange that he had an entourage. Especially one that looked so suspicious.


    Everywhere they went people would stare. Gaudy clothing and Sorp¡¯s towering stature. But now they would look around with pride. They felt people were jealous of them.


    Seeing as he had been working for Perpetual Power, there was always facilities to enter the virtual world. This was good because Sorp could make all the fights he was scheduled in.


    Part of Sorp¡¯s domain¡¯s charm was that the servants were all friends of Sorp. They looked shady and acted shady.


    They treated customers poorly. Sometimes they would try and swindle people out of things. People would even report that they had been scammed.


    Of course reporting that they had been scammed didn¡¯t have much meaning in the way of legality. It wasn¡¯t exactly possible to do something illegal in a virtual world.


    People had to agree to certain terms when entering an Instance. This would prevent people from destroying or stealing items assigned to the Instance.


    But this being their Instance they could charge people whatever they wanted. Sometimes they pretend to put in the wrong amount and charge people.


    People that fell for this were often inebriated, they might not pay it any mind. This kind of thing happened a lot. So often that the place got a bad reputation.


    A bad reputation. Bad service. Dangerous. Scams. Exploitation. The list went on. But it only served to lure more people in.


    People wanted to experience the dangers of Sorp¡¯s domain. Exaggerated rumors sprouted from this environment.


    People spoke about the place like it was filled with danger at every side. A person could be stabbed to death for looking the wrong way. Laughing at the wrong time. Anything was possible.


    Many of the rumors found themselves into the ears of the group. They fanned the flames and even got some good ideas from the rumors.


    This place should have been ran into the ground, yet it was flourishing. It got to a point where they had to expand the area. This meant they had to increase the Instances tier by one.


    With more people, they had to hire more people. The people they hired had to be rough enough to keep up with the boys. This was difficult to find.


    They didn¡¯t hire any women. Everyone they hired looked like they were dragged out of a sewer.


    This wasn¡¯t a coincidence. They were literally hiring homeless people. These men lived on the streets in the most dangerous parts in the world. They were capable of deranged things.


    To hire these men they had to supply them with a place to hook up. They ended up buying the entire building they lived in.


    They had a lot of money now. Some light renovations didn¡¯t hurt them too much. Before long the insides of their run down apartment building looked livable.


    Dart had the buildings separated. They took over two entire floors for them and their families. They put up a proper security doors that opened into their part of the building.


    The new hires were stations floors below them. It was lacking in protection but none of them complained. Not only did they understand who they were working for but were also grateful for a roof over their head.


    These were men pushed to their edge. They either had one handicap or another. In the virtual world they could move their bodies.


    One of the greatest perks was that detoxing their bodies became easier than sleeping off a hangover. Complete dissociation from the physical bodies makes this possible.


    Just like the system allows you to control your virtual body, it shuts down any motor functions or connect to your own body senses.


    This function is important to the virtual environment. Without it people could walk around as if in a zombie like state. What they did in the virtual the body tried to do in real life.


    When they figured out how to completely shut down the physical bodies senses, they also found out a way to allow people that lived with chronic illnesses to disassociate from their bodies.


    This included everything from a broken bone, severed limbs, phantom pain and all the way to burn victims. Drug dependence was of course included.


    It was this discovery that made people acknowledge that the psychological part of addiction wasn¡¯t as strong as previously thought.


    These homeless men now worked full time in Sorp¡¯s domain. Initially they were reserved. It took them a few days to begin cooking up schemes to scam people.


    The medical applications continued further. For people that lost their limbs or had sever disfigurations. This could be managed.


    Initially the solutions to a missing limb was a hard one. What they came up with is what they now call the Brute force method, or B.F.M.


    The Brute force method was actually ingenius. It created an artificial limb. This limb would lie on top of the real body. It was not an actual limb that was connected to the body.


    In the beginning it was heralded as an immense success, but it had its issues. One was the difficulty in controlling such limbs.


    The mental fatigue could overwhelm the user if he used the limbs to do fast actions continuously. Something as simple as using a palm device became strenuous.


    Another issue was the amount of strength it held. It varied and had to be configured specifically to each individual. All these faults aside, it was still never considered a failure.


    It wasn¡¯t until later that a more elegant solution came forth. This solution not only created a limb for the user but with great detail predict how a healthy arm should be like.


    They would then not layer it onto the user but fuse it with the avatar. This method takes far longer to adjust to. Even for users that have only recently lost their limbs.


    The fault of this method was the long adjustment period. In some cases they didn¡¯t entirely adapt even after two years of testing.


    But this method can be used without continuous effort. It becomes smooth and natural. Even for people that were born with deformities all over their bodies.


    The legacy method, B.F.M. was still developed. But for other reasons. B.F.M. had the unique factor about that it used a part of the brain that was usually docile.


    From extensive research Perpetual Power discovered that people could train this part of the brain like any other.


    After years of rigorous testing they created incredible variations. Long since discarded it as a crutch and it became something like a sixth sense.


    Not limited by physical contact. As it listened to a users input and acted accordingly. This mean they could make things float in the air.


    It didn¡¯t seem to have a limit. It is possible to make it an empty sphere. It is possible to pour liquid into this sphere and move it around.


    Eventually it became the the fundamental part of the new world they were about to release. It was in a sense one of its main features.


    This all being a virtual environment, it is easy to create miraculous things. Fire spawned from nothing. This is easy. But with the B.F.M. the interaction was tuned to a new level.


    B.F.M. caused the tier of immersion to increase by a few notches. For anyone that used generic spells in the virtual world and then use the B.F.M. to do the same. The difference was clear.


    The downside to the B.F.M. system is still clear, it is straining a muscle that is usually unused. This causes mental fatigue.


    This mental fatigue is easily remedied. A light use of B.F.M. is recovered in moments, mediocre in a while but excessive use might cause the user to be feel faint, unfocused or powerless.


    The part of the brain doing the heavy work, swells when used. Extensive swelling is still considered minor, but in relevance to the size of the brain it is anything but minor.


    The larger the swelling, the recovery time increases exponentially. Multiple uses might still only be a few seconds rest, while one prolonged use could take tens of minutes to recover.


    What is considered light and heavy use is dependant on the individual. But for most it is possible to use B.F.M. casually for two or three hours without issue.


    The key word being casual. Proficiency in moving things with B.F.M. can make complex actions easier on the user. A beginner and a veteran will have vastly different results.


    Casual also has the meaning that the action is easy. Not something like having a sword swing about or a ball of flame swirl around you or chase after an enemy.


    Casual is a simple swing of a sword. A thrusting motion of an empowered fist or the straight flight of a projectile.


    The easiest use of B.F.M. are simple strikes. Sword strikes down. Fist strikes forward. Arrow flies straight with force.


    A slight increase in difficulty emerges when you want to change directions of a strike, the projected path of an arrow. This is easy to understand and all users will experience it.


    While B.F.M. does cause their fighting and scaling system exotic. The limitations to their use made them consider using traditional thing as well.


    The problem with things like power ups in a virtual environment is that a user granted even a ten percent increase in strength will have little way of using it.


    Ten percent is already enough to make a qualitative difference. But any more and it becomes harder to use. The B.F.M. does great in mitigating this problem.


    Combining the feeling of B.F.M. and normal synthetic abilities maximized the system potential while still taking the users senses into account.


    Meaning the users of the scaling system won''t feel disassociated with it and in time it will feel natural to summon spells or strike out with a sword, causing shockwaves through the air.

 Chapter eleven: Promotional gains.

    With the days inching towards the release of Perpetual Power¡¯s new world. Named Perpetuity. Sorp¡¯s group still had things to deal with.


    Sorp¡¯s domain was massive profit. Something all of them and their employees could live of. But it wasn¡¯t enough to buy the sixth device.


    With Sorp¡¯s fame, his fights began paying more. He also did other promotional work for various companies, most of which related to athleticism. Some fashion.


    This additional income allowed them to reach the great expense of five devices. Lacking only a three fourths.


    It would be no issue to borrow the rest, seeing as Sorp could prove his income was high enough. There should be no problems.


    However, it turned out that their worries were for naught. Perpetual Power had already decided to gift Sorp with a device.


    This was something they hadn¡¯t informed Sorp of. It can also be seen as a ploy for free advertisement. The ¡®gift¡¯ did come with some conditions.


    These conditions made things obvious. Sorp was to announce on all platforms that he was going to enter the world officially. There was more it but that was the gist.


    Perpetual Power had a scheme in mind. They were going to rile up the world, to hype them up for the release.


    The week before the launch date various celebrities began expressing their intentions on entering the world. Many showing videos or pictures of them with the devices.


    Every day a new celebrities would come out and do the same thing. This included Sorp. On Kom¡¯s instructions, Sorp was wearing practical fighting gear.


    With the sixth device taken care of. They had a lot of money left over. This was a lot of money.


    After a blurry celebrations. One of the most vile and debauched events they had ever spawned. Fueled by cash, fans and their moral deficiencies.


    Expenses were great but the remainder was still a sizable sum. This sum went into making sure their families were taken care of.


    They rented apartments from Perpetual Power where they would enter the devices. And moved their family into better housing.


    The housing wasn¡¯t great. But the neighbourhood was outside the Ring. This change was already impressive. To be able to crawl your way out of the ring is no small feet.


    Their previous building in the ring remained as a headquarters for their business Instances. Only Sorp domain raked in any considerable profit but all the guys had set up their own little business within it.


    Once Sorp and the guys became busy with the new world, their business would have to be delegated to others. All their employees were shameless people picked up from the street.


    They all lived in the old apartment building. Most of their time was spent in the virtual world, where they could escape from their bodies.


    The week before the release, Perpetual Power had release some introductory information. This included a brief explanation on B.F.M.


    People would enter the world according to language preferences. A natural translator was in the game but people still prefered the fluid speech of their natural tongue.


    When things like proverbs were translated they could be off. This discrepancy had been mostly eradicated but thing like names, both of locations and people, caused issues.


    Majority of the world already speaks at least one of four languages, but there are still nations clutching to their old ways. This can¡¯t be helped.


    The amount of people entering the game on launch is supposed to be one quarter of the world.


    This number is already staggering. It won''t be until later when the prices of the devices come down that this number will slowly expand.


    Even with this many people, majority will spawn relatively close to each other. In one corner of the world.


    This place is called Perpetuity. It is filled with virtual humans. A never before seen number of Virtual humans. Even without the influx of real people, it looks lively.


    To distinguish a virtual human from a normal one isn¡¯t impossible, but can be considered difficult. This is intentional.


    Virtual humans are aware of what they are. And they will feel pain just like normal humans. They will feel the entire spectrum emotions.


    They will even procreate. They will find a spark for adventure or set up a family. The longer they live the harder it is to distinguish them from a real person.


    Experiences in life will make them fuller, just like any normal person. Virtual humans spawned as adults won¡¯t be the same as those that are born into this world.


    Perpetuity, the city, is a regulated area. In it, rules are in place. This city will always be in possession of a virtual human.


    Outside of Perpetuity, people will be able to make their own villages and towns. They¡¯ll be able to settle down and live of farming the land.


    A key factor to this world is the lack of advanced technology. Everyone will still have palm devices used as universal computer.


    They can watch their favorite entertainment on it. Read books. They will be able to play games on it. But advanced weaponry in the form of technology will not appear.


    The virtual world, outside of the city Perpetuity can be considered unregulated. Perpetual Power can still intervene and fix things that might ruin the world. But this is for edge cases.


    What this means is that People will have to explore the world of Perpetuity. They¡¯ll have to create settlements, if they wish to live outside the city walls.


    As humans expand their territory, so will the virtual humans. Virtual humans treat this life as their only life and will be more reserved.


    They will build settlements. They will create walls to protect themselves. And it is the hope that normal humans will participate in this as well.


    There will always be those that treat it entirely as a game and go exploring. They will be forced to change their minds when they meet failure and experience the very real pain.


    When they have their bones broken or feel the teeth of a wild animal taking bites out of them, while they whimper on the ground begging for death.


    When they feel a sense of helplessness they have never felt before. They¡¯ll have to face the reality of the situation. Maybe they¡¯ll continue or quit entirely. But they won¡¯t call it ¡®just a game¡¯.


    For most, investing into this game, is everything they have. They¡¯ll be able to experience it before buying it and the only thing that makes sense is to enter this virtual world.


    One of the biggest concern about long term ingame time or ¡®deep dives¡¯ as they are called. The concern is about their real physical body.


    It¡¯s easy to understand that food can be fed to them intravenously. But what the problem is, is their body decaying. It is about atrophy.


    The solution to this was surprisingly simple. They used old tech. Tech that was usually considered frivolous.


    Perpetual power now has the ability to power just about anything. This included things like nano machines.


    They can even power them wirelessly from the devices. Ninety percent plus of the energy is lost in the process, but Perpetual power can still easily sustain this use.


    With nano machines, not only will people continue feeling healthy but if a person exercises in the virtual world, the nanomachines will mimic the process in the real world.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    With time dilation, any competitive athlete will have to use this method or fall behind.


    Nano machines cannot be considered magic, and there are limitations to their abilities. But changing the body incrementally is no issue.


    Other side affects of using the virtual environment, mainly concerning the B.F.M. as it trains previously thought unused area of the brain.


    Unused is perhaps dishonest, it could be considered wasted though. Only now seeing proper use.


    This use affects the person using this part of their brain. Perpetual Power has experimented with this for years and no real life applications could be found.


    Certainly there have been improvements. Such as increased reflexes, faster thinking. And general improvement in how many things people can process using their senses.


    This was all information not willfully given. But if one digs deep enough. Vague references could be found. Whether people could defer any meaning from it is another matter.


    On the day of the launch. Sorp and his friends all spawned relatively close to each other. Their avatars the same as in real life. Only under a microscope is it possible to see a difference.


    Knowing each other names they all quickly gathered. They set up party. When in a party, if they were within a certain distance of each other, their location could be seen on the map.


    In the world of Perpetuity there are no classes. People are what they wear. Items created or found are actually B.F.M. devices.


    They all have some instructions. But this world really does not have a distinct path to follow. There are no levels to increase, or attributes to allocate.


    What the Perpetual Power offered is a world. In the end it is not supposed to be a mere game. It¡¯s supposed to be a replacement for their other world.


    It is a pretentious statement. But Perpetuity is indeed much more than just a game. The right perspective is to look at as an alternative dimensions, with similar rules.


    The boys were gathered in a noisy place that served baked goods. They were discussing what they should do.


    In Perpetuity, a person is restricted in many ways. The body will crave food and water. They¡¯ll have to continue doing going to the toilet.


    In the end, this meant that any person that left the borders of Perpetuity would have to be self sufficient. Meaning gather their own food.


    Prolonged thirst, starvation, or any other normal physical requirements, including sleep, will all have negative consequences if they aren¡¯t satisfied.


    Without proper preparation, a person will find themselves suffering in the wilderness, risking death through various means.


    On death a person can revive in various locations. This costs Vcoin, and the cost can fluctuate depending on multiple factors. Distance from revival point, the bodies physical state and more.


    In addition to this. A person will leave behind a temporary body. This body can interacted with, namely, stripped of any valuables.


    Only thing a person retains is a personal inventory and their Vcoin balance, aside from a small amount that can be looted.


    Depending on the situation, the most dangerous factor while inside Perpetuity, is other humans. There are still terrifying animals that might play with you until death.


    One of the greatest difference between a virtual creatures and humans is that humans can use the B.F.M.


    To counter this, Perpetual Power has replicated its capabilities. After all it doesn¡¯t matter to virtual humans or beasts that it doesn¡¯t feel natural.


    Inside Perpetuity, people are not safe. But there are rules. The problem is that rules have to be enforced by the inhabitants of Perpetuity.


    One of the greatest reassurances of safety is that Perpetuity has great surveillance. This is to put up to make sure that the judge of crimes is not in the hands of Perpetual Power.


    The intent is to have the world govern itself. But they require substantial means to do so versus immortal humans.


    They not only punish people with incarceration, but may also inflict torture. This depends on the severity of the crime.


    People entering the virtual world Perpetuity, have all signed an agreement with Perpetual Power. In it, it states that broken laws can be punished to this degree.


    There are ways to alleviate crimes, one can turn themselves in or hunt other wanted criminals. There are also opportunities to provide meritorious services.


    Meritorious services are usually in the form of saving other people. This is not something done at random and only works when the government of Perpetuity issues requests for help.


    Once a person is captured, all data recorded of them is fetched and checked for further infractions. Such infractions include mundane traffic laws or a code of conduct.


    These infractions serve to increase the time spent in jail or the fine they are required pay. Once a person is jailed, they cannot log out.


    This time can be long. It can be short. It is possible for outsiders to shorten this period by providing meritorious services or hunting other people with warrants on their heads.


    Great surveillance does not mean perfect. It is possible to own personal housing, where privacy is respected. Private housing in the city is considered expensive.


    For vast majority of people, housing in Perpetuity will be a place to sleep. These places can be considered near free. They do not possess the same privacy and personal housing.


    Public housing is guarded and infractions heavily punished. There is always the option of logging out and sleeping in real life, for those that are paranoid.


    This sounds counter productive to Perpetual Powers goals, but their thoughts are on the greater picture. Subtle manipulation tactics. A stick to eek people to move out of the city Perpetuity.


    Perpetuity is also ruled by virtual humans. Their actions, in a vacuum, are predictable. But once foreign elements in the form of real humans is introduced.


    Once the world is tainted by the presence of humans, it becomes impossible for even Perpetual Power to produced reliable predictions of the future.


    Having ¡®free will¡¯, the virtual humans might become corrupt. This could lead to a more hostile city. This could lead to another reason why people should make plans for the larger world.


    This can be a terrifying thought. Because it requires people to create new houses. Assuming they don¡¯t take shelter in natural environment, like caves.


    Once people begin exploring how things work in this world they¡¯ll find that the crafting system is very in depth. It is also prone to changes.


    As Perpetual Power can¡¯t expect people to build houses from scratch there will be a mechanic to facilitate this. Without it, exploring the outside world would fail miserably.


    Changes can occur if Perpetual Power decides something is too good. Maybe something is missing and needs to be added into the system. The world is living and requires adjustments.


    Sorp and the guys are now discussing how to proceed.


    Right of the bat Ret wanted to create another arena. This was received well. Dart explained why this wasn¡¯t a good idea until later.


    Instead, Dart wanted them to focus on the B.F.M. Perpetual Power had advertised it well and a lot of people were excited for it. Problem was, it didn¡¯t produce Vcoin.


    But Dart saw further than that. He understood that B.F.M. was the future. Anyone that wanted to have a presences in Perpetuity would have to master it.


    Dart isn¡¯t the smartest in the group, but he did possess more knowledge than the rest of them. His suggestion had merits and eventually the others gave up on their grand ideas.


    There are a few requirements to get a B.F.M. and it was through an assignment. People would speak to a army lieutenant. He would send them off to some mission outside of Perpetuity.


    He would assign them basic B.F.M. tool without augmentations. Augmentations are items fitted into a B.F.M. device.


    Once the Augments are installed, they will grant affects unique to the Augment. This can be a variety of things, for example, two fireballs instead of one.


    Augments can increase the difficulty of controlling a B.F.M. but this varies from person to person and from Augment to Augment.


    Some simple Augments do simple things like increase damage or speed. Increase in damage has negligible effect on the user¡¯s difficulty, while speed can make things difficult if they want to change the direction of a B.F.M. controlled object.


    The group walk towards this previously mentioned lieutenant''s location. It is unsurprising that the streets are filled with people going in every direction.


    ¡°Too crowded, where can all these people be going?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand this Brute Force Method.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to understand? It¡¯s to cast spells!¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s all it is?¡±


    ¡°No you idiots. Dart, tell them.¡±


    ¡°It is technology developed by Perpetual Power.¡±


    ¡°We know that.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, I don¡¯t care what you know and don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Tsch.¡±


    ¡°It was created to be a second limb. Like an extra hand if you lost one.¡±


    Dart couldn¡¯t help but pause, he expected them to comment something stupid. But saw they were still listening.


    ¡°They later created a superior way to create a limb and abandoned the Brute Force Method.¡±


    The reason they could talk in such a busy environment was because they were in a party. It is possible to increase the volume of a party member and make it more distinct.


    ¡°The Brute Force method was then developed into a way to control objects. Imagine telekinetic powers.¡±


    ¡°Like mutants?¡±


    Mutants are a breed of people that have seen their genetics, their DNA altered in a way that they gain supernatural powers. This is a common theme in entertainment.


    ¡°Exactly like mutants. They used this technology and combined it with the virtual world to create a combat system.¡±


    It was obvious from their looks that they were excited. Who of them hadn¡¯t imagined themselves as some kind of super human. Everyone, except for Sorp.


    Sorp was listening to this intently. He had some questions but didn¡¯t say anything. Usually Dart or Kom would explain things eventually.


    ¡°In the manual they talk about Augments. Something you use to change how the B.F.M. Works.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about this. There is little information about it. We only know you can increase damage and speed.¡±


    Having spoken to this point, Dart was intrigued again and tried to dig up information about Augments. Sometimes one had to talk about what they know to know what they didn¡¯t know.


    The vicinity around the lieutenant is swarming with people. Every type of person forming a crowd.


    It was at this point that even their party voice channel was overwhelmed. They resorted to using the chat system.


    Sorp wasn¡¯t going to wait in orderly que, and even less in this chaotic disorder. Every step he took he pushed against the crowd. His large hands land on their heads.


    The sensation of a hand encompassing their head felt new. Not a good kind of new, its was a type of helplessness.


    This feeling only hit them when they saw the hand it was attached to. It wasn¡¯t until later that they felt cheated. How could a person be this big? Was this a pay to win feature?


    Sorp was followed by his very enthusiastic friends. They loved this sensation. They could look at others with disdain. Their expression filled with pride.


    The crowd would overwhelm them in a second, but their first response was awe. Sorp really was big. Along with Sorp, there was Dart, who was equally tall.


    Only difference is that Dart was usually hunched over, appearing a bit smaller. But his posture gave of a creepy feeling.


    Anger was one thing. This was like watching a new species of humans. Tall people aren¡¯t too rare, but they are rare enough that the normal person doesn¡¯t interact too much with them.


    Sorp was already three fourths of the way through before the people at the back realized what was happening. Only then they began cursing, which was drowned out by the crowd


    The next person in line was teetering. He was one of the first thousands to get the assignment. He couldn¡¯t stand still and was his hands were tapping on his legs.


    When Sorp picked him up and moved him to the side he nearly spasmed. It was fast and disorienting. Suddenly he was turned towards the crowd.


    He had a blank look on this face. Only after a moment passed did he look back to his former position. He saw a group of people grinning, looking around with a mocking expression.


    Never his entire life had he felt such injustice. His anger was at a peak. He was so angry it overshadowed any reason.


    He cursed and charged. This wasn¡¯t a small man. He wasn¡¯t skinny. But he could be considered fragile compared to Sorp.


    Sorp saw this. He reached out and grabbed his neck and lifted him up. Sorp liked the feeling. He looked towards the crowd and screamed.


    The crowd was loud. There were people trying to scream over each other constantly. But suddenly a shout caused the crowd to go quiet.


    To call it a shout wasn¡¯t right. This as the bellow of a beast. They all had their eyes on Sorp. He got a better grip on the man.


    The guy was squirming but wasn''t able to shake loose. Soon he felt lighter. He was watching people from above. He didn¡¯t even scream. This wasn''t right.


    The crowd went into a buzz and were now even louder than before. People affected by the throw were furious but most were laughing or screaming something.


    To many people, this was the moment they realized this wasn¡¯t like a normal game. Someone could just come along and throw them like it was nothing?


    Sorp felt a satisfied. In Sorp¡¯s head, that little man was challenging him. Once the challenge was clear, Sorp had to act.


    Sorps friends enjoyed this this most. This wasn¡¯t the first time they had seen Sorp throw a grown man. But that didn''t make it any less fun.


    Even when Sorp was younger, he had acted in this way. The smallest of things were challenges to Sorp. So often he would come down on people like an avalanche.

 Chapter twelve: Out and about.

    Once they had gotten their assignment and designated an B.F.M. device the group headed towards one of the public exits.


    Perpetuity was built in a magnificent manner. Surrounding the city are enormous mountains. They serve as walls.


    The city is in the center of this peculiar mountain valley. It has its own walls but outside the city you will find enormous mountains, rivaling earth¡¯s largest mountains.


    It just so happens that Perpetuity is not only surrounded by tall mountains but also located in a deep valley.


    Everything inside this mountain valley, is considered property of Perpetuity. Only when one leaves the valley will they put foot on unclaimed land.


    It can take months to walk out of the valley on foot. Outside the mountains is raging river. This river originates on the opposite side to the entrance of the valley.


    This river spills into an underground river that runs through Perpetuity, serving as a water source. It continues to the exit of the valley.


    This River is called The Endless River. This is a river that rivals any river seen on Earth. It splits into three when it meets the wall of mountains.


    These are the mountains that guard Perpetuity. The river runs alongside the mountains, and have carved them into an impassable wall.


    The sight is spectacular. The sound of the river terrifying. Its power so awe inspiring that even fishing becomes near impossible.


    This problem is true before it hits the mountains, there it is split and its power reduced. Allowing for a vast culture of aquatic life to thrive.


    It is when it meets again at the mountain valley¡¯s exist, that it turns near impossible to traverse. Fishing requires the strength of many men, making it infeasible as a source for food.


    The third part of the river funnels into an underwater cavern and springs up inside Perpetuity. This source of water has allowed for easy access to running water.


    The rulers of Perpetuity generate great wealth from controlling this source. Not only does the river carry water, but precious materials as well.


    The other ninety nine percent of the river holds mass of materials, these materials remain out of reach.


    When the group of boys walked outside out of the gates they couldn¡¯t help take a second look on their way out. This is a big gate.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything this big before.¡±


    ¡°I have.¡±


    ¡°Hah? When?¡±


    ¡°On the internet.¡±


    ¡°How does that count? Okay, then I¡¯ve seen the universe.¡±


    ¡°Me to!¡±


    ¡°Why are you all excited about this? I¡¯ve seen the birth of all existence.¡±


    Everyone of them are fidgeting with their weapons. They all have an identical stubb of wood. They had all tried activating in this city, but none worked.


    In Perpetuity, only licensed B.F.M.¡¯s work. This meant only governmental figures and their enforcers are allowed to use them.


    Currently, all governmental figures are virtual humans. So technically, no one was using licensed B.F.M.¡¯s. They were using their own virtual B.F.M.¡¯s that worked in a similar way.


    The difference between a virtual human is hard to spot. The guys for example did not notice that a few of the people walking outside the city, playing with their stubs were virtual.


    This is all apart of Perpetual Power¡¯s design for immersion, a living environment that adapts to circumstances. It might not be perfect, but it is impressive.


    Once outside the city. One of the guys managed to summon their weapon. It elongated into a spear. This was translucent spear.


    ¡°Woah!¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Is it a lightsaber?¡±


    Seeing Kom actually manage to use his B.F.M. the rest of them followed. Soon different weapons began emerging.


    Two more spears emerged. Ret, Kom and Jarem all had identical spears. Dart summoned a machete.


    Sorp and Pal had short swords. Sorp¡¯s sword looked comical in comparison to his size. No one laughed however, because they were all entranced.


    Every last one of them were swinging their weapons about. The swinging caused the sound of wind to emerge.


    There weren¡¯t too many people actually leaving Perpetuity. It was a trickle that never seemed to end.


    The people that were exiting would encounter people with their B.F.M.¡¯s they then would ask about them or remember what they had read about them.


    ¡°On gart!¡±


    ¡°Oh!?¡±


    The group began testing their weapons on each other. Speaking in butcher phrases they had heard in tv shows or movies. They are after all still only considered teenager.


    These B.F.M.¡¯s are considered a class of melee weaponry. In technical jargon they were called static. Meaning they never changed their appearance.


    The term Static doesn¡¯t only apply to these beginner B.F.M.¡¯s but also B.F.M¡¯s that cannot support Augments that change physical appearance of a B.F.M.


    There are also weapons that only allow Augments that decrease their size. Some bow¡¯s apply here. They can only be made smaller and not bigger.


    Augments that affect speed are the most likely to make items smaller or lighter. The opposite can be said to power related Augments.


    This does not mean that all Augments change the appearance of an B.F.M. only that they can do it.


    The beginner B.F.M.¡¯s can not be slotted with Augments. But any future B.F.M. will have at least one Augment slot or the capability of having one added.


    What people were assigned to do with their B.F.M. is kill one of the creatures on a list. These creatures are considered pests.


    These creatures are not considered dangerous, most will run at the sight of a human. Some however, will defend themself.


    The creatures will raid farmland and attack domesticated animals. They carry diseases that affect both the fauna and flora.


    Only Dart had idea about these things. He is the only one that could bother reading the actual booklet given out with the assignment.


    The other guys, all they knew was they had to go outside the city and kill something. The final goal was summed up as a counter. That was all they cared about.


    The road outside Perpetuity was made from a type of stone. Everywhere was a hyper efficient farmland. It was compact and grew up fast.


    Some of the plants can mature in a week, reaching up to four to five meters tall. For the beasts, this is enough to hide.


    These creatures are not small. They aren¡¯t the size of common city rodents. The largest reaches one and a half meter.


    All these beasts pray on either plants or domesticated animals, not humans. If they aren''t provoked, they won¡¯t attack.


    The farmland isn¡¯t infinite but it does stretch out far. Far enough that a days walk won¡¯t cover the entire thing.


    Perpetuity is large enough to take several days to cross, the farmland is even larger. The city is designed to house billions.


    While it is hyper efficient in housing people, it still requires a considerable size. This causes a logistic problem. Food.


    Water is drawn and distributed from the The Endless River. Solving majority of water related issues. But food is still required.


    Food is gathered by the vast farms, spanning multiple times the size of the city. They are plagued by every condition that farms are exposed to, only exacerbated.


    Sorp and Kom were leading the group. The group is laughing and chatting. They¡¯ve been walking for more than an hour.


    The environment is new. There are a lot of things to see. Even the insects flying about are interesting to them. Other people around are interesting.


    But an hour is still an hour. Every last one of them is thinking this place is pretty far away.


    On their hand held device is a compass. The hand held device can be blown up to appear in front a person as a projection.


    Most people refrain from having anything projected in front of them while they are moving. It can, in rare cases, induce nausea and or headaches.


    But Dart has this compass specifically blown up in his upper right peripherals. Just obscure enough that he has to concentrate on it to notice it.


    Sorp has issues with this, he is hyper observant and cannot ignore this constant change. This is because the compass constantly changes depending on his orientation.


    This compass comes with a small localized area, the area highlights numerous things, things the guys don¡¯t know what are.


    These are things like plants that are being grown. Weeds in the fields. Particular insects and other miscellaneous objects.


    It is possible to customize the map to filter out generic results. Everything from a particular flower to the whole genre of plants.


    A particular flower can only be excluded if it has been discovered before, others wise the only way to remove it from the map is to remove all flowers.


    Dart has been making sure they are heading the right way. Which has been a straight road so far. Only thing that¡¯s unknown, is the distance.


    The description of the assignment did name the exact location. This included the sector, name of the sub sector it was in and the name of the person in charge there.


    A similar assignment was being given out in thousands of places. Each field could hold hundreds of people.


    Hundreds of people in a single field can be considered crowded. The expectation is that people move on from one location, to another.


    The distance the guys had to walk can still be considered reasonable. Other late comers may have to trek half a day to reach their destination.


    The reason for this long walk is the same as many other time consuming tasks that will appear in Perpetuity.


    It all stems from the size of the population. The original plan was to create multiple cities. Because logistically, housing billions looked impossible.


    And it is impossible. Until you realize that the world is virtual. Food can be literally spawned from a void. Even the passing of time can be manipulated on a grand scale.


    The issue was never about food, to be fair. It was the illusion of food. But it was later understood that people didn¡¯t feel it was strange that plants could grow fast.


    In fact, people knew so little about plants that it was entirely acceptable to everyone, except a small niche of botanist.


    After the this discovery. Perpetual Power created a new research division dedicated to people''s suspension of disbelief. They tested the boundaries of acceptability.


    It has to be said. Perpetual Power employs the smartest and most dedicated people alive. Added to that is the sandbox of the virtual environment and virtual humans, A.I.


    Perhaps not related but interesting nonetheless, is that the B.F.M. development and people with experiences using it. Are more accepting to the virtual world¡¯s inconsistencies.


    The more a person interacts with the world, they have an easier time to immerse themselves in it. This included the time dilution in place.


    In general, eight times slower passing of time, in a virtual environment, goes unnoticed. Any slower and people can begin to feel it.


    The effects can be severe headaches. Physical discomfort. Ruptured veins, causing external and internal bleeding.


    But the brain adjusts. And with the B.F.M. exercising the brain this threshold can be raised. Meaning that time can be slowed further, without negative consequences.


    Currently the world Perpetuity runs six time slower than the real world. Only in instanced places can this change.


    Instanced places are still in use, but are seamlessly integrated. This means people should not notice entering an instance.


    The world is considered uninstanced. Meaning the entire living world is flowing continuously. But there are millions of unique instances. Almost non placed in vicinity of Perpetuity.


    The boys should be about to reach their destination. Behind and in front them are still people walking. Most cursing this long journey.

 Chapter thirteen: Work work.

    The assignment gave them a surplus of information. This isn¡¯t the traditional game quest. It can instead be considered a one time contract.


    This contract is essentially to exterminate pests. Later these contract might be something like a normal job. Like managing the farmland, recruiting people for work and more.


    People can also do governmental jobs. Later even taking up a powerful position. There was an agenda to push people out of Perpetuity, but the greater one is to assimilate them.


    The assignment has a lifetime. Not completing the assignment leads to a fine. Not paying the fine will lead to higher fines. Not paying those, will land you in prison or mandated services.


    This information can be found catalogued under failure to complete. The fine is minor, it is only there to introduce the concept.


    Without it, people could accumulate too many assignments. Every assignment represent a reality. One where a job needs to be done, and not doing it can cause negative effects.


    While contracts to clear out pests might not have sever environmental consequences, due to the amount of people assigned to each area.


    In theory, enough people failing to follow the contract can cause severe loss in future harvests. Depending on the severity, it might spread to other areas.


    When the boys arrive at their designated zone they can see a small gathering of people. These are people that were ahead of them to the assignment office.


    This isn''t the entire batch sent here. Most of them were already in the field, hunting pests.


    On the ground is a topless man with a scowl. He is holding his hand. It is covered with his shirt, blood seeping through.


    ¡°Fuck off!¡±


    ¡°Does it really hurt? How much?¡±


    The man¡¯s scowl doesn¡¯t come from his pain, but the endless questions. He was attacked by some critter one fourth his size. That¡¯s his story at least.


    When he finally found his way out of that green maze, what he was met with was a flock of people. More and more arrived.


    At first they showed care, but the more people added to the group, the more blatant the questions became. All pretense was lost and people went as far as to poke his lacerated hand.


    In truth the pain wasn¡¯t bad, it was only when he moved his hand that it stung. Otherwise it just felt like a numbing cold. He had somehow punctured his hand.


    ¡°Fuck off all of you!¡±


    Dart gave the man a cursory glance.


    ¡°I want to see the wound.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t talking to the man, he was talking to Sorp. This can be called a habit. He himself could easily deal with the situation, but he couldn¡¯t help but ask Sorp.


    Sorp looked at the man. This wasn¡¯t interesting at all. But Dart usually had good ideas. Some were a bit weird but they were usually good.


    ¡°Stop it!¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Sorp grabbed the man¡¯s arm and ripped off the shirt that had been wrapped around the wound. It was painful.


    The man screamed and was writhing about before Sorp grabbed his face. The hand covered his entire face and locked his jaw shut. Leaving only muffled resistance.


    The guys were quick to help and held the man back. In the meantime Dart watched the festering wound.


    ¡°Look here.¡±


    Dart was point to the veins on the hand. They were becoming darker. The whole forearm was swelling. The reason for the man¡¯s numbing sensation, was a quick acting infection.


    ¡°Is it poison?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Dart was knowledgeable because he sought out information. But he isn¡¯t a doctor or a herbalist. He just wanted to see what kind of wound it was.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    If this was a more private location, Dart would probably take his time to watch the wound fester. His interests were strange.


    ¡°Dart?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you can let him go.¡±


    After being release, the man had already calmed down. He was very aware that he had been manhandled like a doll. He was furious.


    The first thing he did was lift his unharmed hand, wielding a B.F.M. the sound of it was obvious. His furious expression and blood shot eyes were met with the unfeeling gaze of six men.


    He was still angry. But he wasn¡¯t without reason. Even just the small movement of standing up was causing his arm to throb with pain.


    Kom, Pal, Ret and Jarem are not tall, but they are still growing. But Dart is lanky and tall. Sorp¡¯s posture and height caused him to look even taller than he was.


    Sorp gave him a glance. He was smiling. Afterall, Sorp always liked a fight. But saw the man wouldn¡¯t attack. He laughed and turned around.


    The rest of the guys mimicked Sorp, laughing, they followed him into the tall luscious plantation.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°To find pests.¡±


    It was only now that the guys remember that Sorp hadn¡¯t read the assignment. He only knew what they had talked about.


    Kom could adapt to a situation like this seamlessly.


    ¡°From what we know, the pests are spread everywhere.¡±


    Kom was enthusiastic. The rest of the group were looking around. Their eyes were flicking back and forth.


    They are arrogant and used to tough situations. But this is different. They saw the festering wound earlier and weren¡¯t looking to get one of their own.


    ¡°We are already in a team so we can just look for them randomly. We can even split up.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go with Sorp.¡±


    ¡°Wait. I¡¯ll go with Sorp. You should stick with Ret. You guys are like a super team.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. You guys should stick together. But you Kom and Jarem are notoriously a good team. I¡¯ll go with Sorp.¡±


    Sorp laughed to his heart''s content. Afterall he wasn¡¯t stupid. He reached out and nuzzled Kom¡¯s head.


    ¡°We brothers stick together.¡±


    There was nothing else to say. Everyone settled down and kept their eyes open for any sudden movements.


    Dart was an exception this this. He followed the silhouette of whoever was in front of him and was browsing his palm device. He was looking for information on that wound.


    There are already forums up with people flooding in complaints about getting hurt. Some even killed. Perpetual Power was already very clear on the matter, this was all part of Perpetuity.


    Numerous people reported festering wounds like the ones they saw earlier. All that told Dart was that it wasn¡¯t uncommon. He still didn¡¯t know if it was poison.


    What he did learn was that creatures could be up to three in a group. Many will run if spotted or threatened. Some will ignore everything until they are hit. Some will fight back.


    In actual fact, fighting these beast should be easy. It shouldn¡¯t be categorized as fighting, it is extermination.


    The threat level is low because this is targeted towards complete beginners.


    When they saw the first beast. A green scaled four legged creature eating a three meter high plant stem like it¡¯s nothing.


    Once Sorp laid eyes on it, he charged. The beast looked at him. Its eyes were mellow and calm. Even when Sorp struck it with his short sword it only kept chewing.


    The sword cut through it¡¯s head like butter. Not even a cracking sound came out. It¡¯s eyes wide open with the same lazy gaze. It¡¯s as if nothing had changed.


    This creature was exceptionally stupid. It¡¯s body rigid. So rigid that even in death it remained standing on its four legs. Plant-like spikes jutting out of its body everywhere.


    Sorp lost his excited smile.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but ask. He was really confused. This thing didn¡¯t react to its own death. This made no sense to Sorp. Even if fearless, there is always a reaction.


    ¡°I like it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to like? It¡¯s a green. Hmm, Dart what is this?¡±


    ¡°This creature is called Gangrenous Papyr.¡±


    Only Dart remembered the characteristics of the various creatures they had to hunt. Most of the group had glanced over it, but without pictures it was a boring read.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t eat it.¡±


    ¡°Who would eat this?¡±


    ¡°This creature can lose most of its body parts and still survive.¡±


    Dart is now reading from his palm device.


    ¡°This creatures atrophies quickly, making it dangerous to eat. It¡¯s comparable to poison.¡±


    ¡°No one is going to eat it, Dart.¡±


    After discovering what kind of creature they had to hunt, they split up. After Dart explained how to return after they are done.


    In every field there will only be one type of pest. In this case it is because the Gangrenous Papyr drop parts of their body and other creatures will eat it and die.


    There are beasts that can stomach it, but even they will feel a bout of sickness. The preferable solution is to move to another area.


    For the most part, this contract can be considered easy. And that was the intention. This was supposed to be a task where people are introduced to future conventions.


    Sorp finished his pest quota. He was somewhat dissatisfied. These creatures were no better at fighting than the plants growing out of the ground.


    Having finished the objective he moved towards the new updated compass direction. It guided him to a sizeable three story building.


    There were a few people lounging outside of it. Some eating, some curiously watching the air or their palm device. These people had turned in their assignment for a reward.


    Sorp walked into the house. The house appeared to be liked an entrance to a small hotel only the rest of the house was a normal living room.


    In a comfortable chair sat a tanned man. His complexion varied. From his eyebrows and up he had lighter skin. Presumably this was do to him working in the sun with a hat of some sorts.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see it then, boy.¡±


    It has been years since someone spoke like this to Sorp. Sorp didn¡¯t think anything of it, the man had seniority. What was important was the confidence in the man¡¯s voice.


    In general, Sorp wouldn¡¯t know what to do in this situation, but the guys had talked about this. Sorp lifted his left hand, in it appeared a palm device, shining blue.


    ¡°Good. If you want to repeat the contract, you can request it by scanning the symbol outside.¡±


    Sorp looked at the man and nodded. He was being alerted of the rewards. It was a small sum of Vcoin. This was real money. He could log out now and convert to real currency, with minimal effort.


    ¡°Suppose you don¡¯t see yourself as a bug exterminator, aye? Too good for it. You city folk.¡±


    Sorp stood there staring. He had no idea how to respond to this. City folk? As opposed to what? Is there anything other than the city?


    Sorp was ignorant in this aspect. All he knew was the city. A city was big. Big enough to take days to cross and weeks to explore.


    ¡°See you got¡¯em new fancy weapons. Befems. I don¡¯t care for ¡®em.¡±


    With a swing of his wrist Sorp summoned his short sword. It almost looked like a dagger in his hands.


    ¡°Very fancy. Suppose I can point in the right direction. Not everyone likes the city or farmin¡¯. If you want to explore I recommend signing up for the Third wave reinforcements.¡±


    At this point the man waved his hand, a screen popped into existence. He waved his hand again and the screen flipped one hundred and eighty degrees.


    ¡°Them¡¯s the terms.¡±


    He pushed forward and the window slid into Sorp¡¯s palm device. This is not a direct contract but an opportunity to seek one out.


    The actual contract would have to be provided at the designated location, there it would be accepted, ignored or denied.

 Chapter fourteen: Fresh recruits.

    Having nothing to do but but wait Sorp began practicing with his B.F.M. according to Kom incessant talking, this device has to be used a lot.


    Sorp didn¡¯t understand why. Half an hour in. Sorp¡¯s breath was heavy. His head felt odd. He stopped practicing when he realize he let someone sneak up close.


    This was a shocking occurrence. Sorp isn¡¯t omniscient, but sneaking up on Sorp should be difficult.


    Sorp stared at the halfling watching him. The man felt uncomfortable and began fidgeting. He tried talking to Sorp, but Sorp was just standing there staring at him.


    It took the better half of an hour before the rest of the guys arrived. They trickled in at about the same rate. Most of them were annoyed.


    As it turned out. They couldn¡¯t sprint around like Sorp, and detect the creatures easily. Because the creatures fell into the background and barely moved.


    In general, this type of creature took the longest time to find and kill. This varied between those creatures that would run when startled.


    Sorp was resting. Sweating through his white cloth shirt. This is the same type of shirt everyone wears.


    When the guys saw the even Sorp was sweating they felt a little better about their struggle.


    They all turned in their assignments. A few of them cursed the plantation manager. Unlike Sorp they understood he was mocking them. It rang true, they had never stepped outside a city.


    The Vcoin payout wasn¡¯t much and the repeated process would yield even less. But do enough and you might unlock better contracts and rewards.


    ¡°Should we check out the third wave reinforcements?¡±


    ¡°A few people are heading there already. It sounds like an army camp.¡±


    Kom waved his hand similar to the plantation manager. He pushed a translucent blue screen towards all of them, one by one, in small tapping motions.


    ¡°Check that out. Those are all people broadcasting what they are doing.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Why are there people recording them?¡±


    ¡°There is no one recording them. It¡¯s a built in system. You can do it to.¡±


    ¡°Hold on. Does that mean that people can all record me doing things?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If they are close by¡±


    ¡°Like every woman?¡±


    ¡°Eh.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good. Can they use this as evidence for a crime?¡±


    ¡°No. There is a privacy clause.¡±


    Ret¡¯s and Pal¡¯s faces have paled. They are staring at Kom, questioning him constantly. Kom loves the attention and has already pulled up the related information.


    According to the privacy clause, anyone recording will need to send related individuals requests to unblur their appearance.


    This means that any recording will automatically blur humans and virtual humans. Even the requests to unblur will be anonymous.


    The request is anonymous to provide further anonymity. Nothing stops the user from describing a person appearance however.


    ¡°They can still record us?¡±


    ¡°What happens if we invite a girl to a secluded place to play for a bit?¡±


    Ret and Pal had regained some color in their face, but their expressions were still serious.


    ¡°Nothing happens. You are still free to play around.¡±


    Dart had brung up the information as well. He read it thoroughly three times. He was already pale but he felt a sting in is heart just like Pal and Ret.


    ¡°Your voices are also altered.¡±


    This was Dart joining the conversation. Kom nodded, he knew this as well. It just slipped his mind.


    Sorp had no interests in any of this. He didn¡¯t dislike being filmed. He had been filmed a bit on his advertisement tour.


    The issue with Sorp was he didn¡¯t understand what they were worried about. Because Sorp didn¡¯t even acknowledge laws.


    This was the core of the issue. What did it matter if someone saw or recorded you murder another person? He had no answer to this.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    He even tied it together with his time in the underground fights. He had killed many people in real life and the virtual world.


    In the virtual world he had seen recordings of himself tearing people apart with weapons. He¡¯d see himself jab into their eyes and gouge them out.


    The question ¡®what if someone records me and arrests me?¡¯ does not exist in his mind. And seeing as the guys never directly expressed it, Sorp wouldn¡¯t think of it.


    It has been some time since Sorp fought, so realistically he should be itching to fight. But his earlier mental fatigue had him distracted.


    They were all heading towards the Third wave reinforcements place. To them, this was the next logical destination.


    There are multiple other destinations, however. It just so happen that their spawn point in Perpetuity coincided with the direction that leads out of the great mountain formation surround Perpetuity.


    The Third wave reinforcements are troops trained by Perpetuity¡¯s military. It is a low risk training program.


    It¡¯s focuses are on the fundamentals and introduction to various survival techniques. They are called Third wave reinforcements because the training takes form in three waves.


    The final reinforcement wave moves onto an expedition force. Their aim to safeguard Perpetuity and expand the territory.


    The lore of the city Perpetuity, according to aged books and scholars residing within the city of Perpetuity. They state that this city is the final vestige of hope for humanity.


    Only because of the natural protection of the mountains and The Endless River, did they survive to present day.


    Turtling behind this protection is a wise decision. But multiple precious resources cannot be found within their territory.


    Due to greed or necessity, Perpetuity has to establish itself in the greater outside world. Only then can they progress further with their technologies.


    The greatest influx of technological advancements comes from what the The Endless River washes through the underwater caverns.


    For the longest time, Perpetuity didn¡¯t find a way to expand. They could barely defend themselves from the endless barrage of local wildlife. Such as protecting their farms.


    With the introduction of B.F.M¡¯s they could create powerful weapons. The B.F.M.s were just conduits and the firepower were the people.


    People could be trained and considered a renewable source. There are still instances of powerful ranged weapons, but these can not be mass produced.


    The advancements of B.F.M.¡¯s increased production of farmland, this increased food allowances, and in turn increased population.


    With more people and more food, it became possible to sustain the training of a new military force.


    With the larger military, expeditions began finding previously unknown resources, allowing them to mass produce the common B.F.M.¡¯s they issue to the lowest tier of soldiers and contractors.


    These were the B.F.M.¡¯s that Sorp and the lot were using.


    ¡°How far is it?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know, but one of the guys that is heading there has already been walking for about five hours.¡±


    ¡°Five hours!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not walking for five hours.¡±


    ¡°We can buy animals to ride.¡±


    ¡°Like horses?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly.¡±


    The animals in question are domesticated beasts that move consistently at double the speed of jogging human. They are used in agriculture, for their meat and for long travel.


    The problem with getting these beasts is that they have to buy them from merchants, the farmers themselves or acquire one from Perpetuity¡¯s government.


    All of this needed them to backtrack to Perpetuity. This would only increase the time it takes to move towards the Third wave reinforcement camp. Which is still an unknown distance away.


    It¡¯s not that it¡¯s impossible to gather the information. There are maps of Perpetuity¡¯s lands. Even detailed maps with not as well known precious resources.


    A poor person with such a map could buy themself a B.F.M. tool to harvest these materials and enrich themselves.


    It is possible to have governmental officials issue contracts on your behalf. A person could do this and have people gather materials for them.


    The prerequisite for these things is to know they are possible. This isn¡¯t public knowledge but the public can find this out from public records or governmental figures.


    There are many restrictions within Perpetuity, and only when outside of it, can one become more tyrannical and unlawful.


    Even with other villages, towns or cities established outside of Perpetuity¡¯s territory, Perpetuity will be the central hub of the economy.


    This has to do with technological research. Certain things can only be attained by Perpetuity. Sometimes this is long term rations.


    Sometimes it is certain key components to building certain technologies. This includes the lowest tier of energy generators to hinges for doors. And other miscellaneous items.


    ¡°I vote we go back and get those animals then.¡±


    ¡°I agree. And I¡¯m starving.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also hungry.¡±


    ¡°You could try that green bug.¡±


    ¡°You can try it.¡±


    ¡°What do you think Sorp?¡±


    ¡°We can go back. I want to eat meat.¡±


    They were all feeling hungry. After Sorp spoke they settled on it and started making their way. Sometimes cursing the long journey, sometime pulling out their B.F.M.¡¯s.


    This can be called a good decision. The journey to the Third wave reinfocement camp would take them many days on foot. And that¡¯s assuming they don¡¯t stop to hunt food or rest.


    Kom kept an eye on the people streaming their journey. Dart also check in it once every few minutes. The others were joking around.


    Sorp occasionally pulled out his short sword B.F.M. he swung it around until he felt that familiar fatigue. He noticed the world seemed less bright than before. The surrounding noises were less crisp


    After talking to the guys for a bit they began practicing with the B.F.M.¡¯s they all felt the fatigue. But in their eyes, the world was the same. They just felt like they couldn¡¯t focus.


    Hearing this, Sorp fell into deep thought. He began practicing harder. Eventually he reached a level of fatigue where he himself couldn¡¯t focus.


    None of the guys were surprised by how long and how hard Sorp could keep up his B.F.M. this was as expected.


    Sorp concluded that forty minutes of rigorous fighting was a limit of sorts. Physically he didn''t feel too exhausted and could still go on.


    Having been experimenting the whole way back, Sorp didn¡¯t notice they were almost back to Perpetuity.


    After talking to some people they began walking towards a large farm. This farm didn¡¯t grow crops but reared a variety of animals. All kinds of products came from here.


    Similar to a plantation, it required large swaths of lands to house their animals. There are also facilities to train certain animals to become work animals.


    After finding a supervisor is charge they were charged an obscene amount for six corses. A muscular wideback beast.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this too expensive? It almost half the price of a single device?¡±


    The guys couldn¡¯t afford the cost. The astronomical sum caused their heads to spin. Sorp was about to steal the beasts.


    To their fortune, Dart had already researched the topic. Without items issued by the government of Perpetuity, it is impossible to command the creatures.


    The creatures were all tamed using a unique B.F.M. Unique in that it was a device it grew up with. Without it, it will berserk until it exhausts itself or dies.


    Every such device answers to a keycode. This is what the guys would be buying. The code to the beast¡¯s B.F.M.


    It is still possible for them to coerce a key code from the local supervisor. But this is still within range of Perpetuity. Law enforcers would arrive in a timely manner.


    Unlike small time infractions or infractions concerning civilians, these beasts were a property of Perpetuity, and thus guarded well.


    Whether the official could stop Sorp and the guys is undetermined, but it would exclude them from joining the Third wave reinforcement camp. As it is run by the government.


    Sorp, knowing all this, still wouldn''t care. But he listened to his friends. He did trust them and his mind was occupied with other things.


    They could still order food in this location. Like in many of the plantations, a small village was created to house the workers.


    This included a small Inn that served food and provided lodgings. The guys went to this place and ordered drinks and food.


    These things were all cheap. The main reason why the tamed beasts cost as much as they do, is because of the B.F.M. this was a large B.F.M. that needed to grow with the beasts.


    Unlike the common B.F.M. they received, it could be capable of supporting an Augment. This alone increased its price many folds.


    The guys sat, ate, drank and chatted. They had entered the world when it was opened. This was mid afternoon in the game. Now they had already losing sunlight.


    Perpetuity saw less sun because of the great mountains. But the days are longer in Perpetuity. Meaning the average day in Perpetuity was still a bit longer than on Earth.


    Once they stepped outside the mountains, the sunlight would last three to four hours longer.


    The food in the Inn was cheap. But Sorp ate like a dragon. It took them a full hour before he finished. Sorp overate. The food was not only delicious but very fresh.

 Chapter fifteen: One corse, two corses. We need at least four.

    After eating and talking to some local residents, the guys found a way to lower the price on the corses.


    From what Dart had gathered, Perpetuity holds a record of every contract fulfilled. Some of these contracts can affect prices of things the government provides.


    In this case, completing contracts with this particular farming village will earn them a substantial discount.


    They will also receive other benefits, but all pale in comparison to the reduced cost of a corse.


    Kom and Dart continued to watch the people trying to reach the Third wave reinforcement camp. It became obvious that walking isn¡¯t an option.


    Their options were slim right now. Right now, there is no way to reach far away places other than making use of their sturdy legs or fat wallets.


    The group¡¯s plan was very simple. They are going to do miscellaneous tasks for the farm¡¯s residence, focusing on anything related to the tamers or government.


    Not all contracts were directly related to the government. Some were just issued by the government, where they acted as a proxy for individuals.


    It can be hard to distinguish between the two. One is important, to garner goodwill with the government, while the other is only worthwhile when interacting with the person that issued the contract.


    These contracts ranged from simple extermination of predatory pests, plaguing the domesticated animals, to finding rare materials for something specific.


    Sorp felt that his time was best served hunting these predatory beasts. They did not run, they did not attack first. But they did fight back. This task was trivial to Sorp.


    After turning in five subsequent repeatable contracts, Sorp was allowed a perk that came with similar repeatable contracts. He could gather however many as he wanted and turn them all in the same time.


    This meant two things. One he didn¡¯t need to kill the beast anymore, he could buy the evidence for killing one. And the other he could increase his pace.


    The other guys did a similar thing, they hunted the predators a few times. After a few close calls and some scratches they decided it wasn¡¯t worth the risk.


    The sun was already down and for a period the area was exceptionally dark. It took two whole hours for the moon to come out.


    In the dark Sorp¡¯s hunt came to a crawl, he could see a few meters ahead of him but for the most part he relied on his superior hearing.


    The beast were more active and brazen during the night, but Sorp still hunted slower due to the lack of light. It wasn¡¯t until the moonlight shone bright that he could pick up the pace.


    Dart, Kom, Pal, Jarem and Ret were all trying out different miscellaneous tasks. Their tasks were all non combat related.


    Pal and Ret were carrying large two pronged sticks. They were tasked with shoveling food from a wheelbarrow. It was a menial task, but they still prefered over fighting beasts in the night.


    Kom and Jarem were tasked with training a small corse. This corse was close to being an infant, yet larger than them. It was rowdy and excited.


    They were doing the simple task of guiding it through a track meant to teach the beasts to follow direction depending on keywords. It was more like babysitting than anything.


    It was punished for disobeying, punished with a heavy lash. This heavy lash was still only a slight sting due to its thick hide.


    In turn it was rewarded for good behaviour with a treat. A wet ball of green goo. It looked like it might melt any second, but never did.


    Dart didn¡¯t take part in any of these contracts. He went to the city to an information center. Where information is bought and sold.


    With every step taken, a person¡¯s personal data is gathered. This includes contracts, beasts and anything considered valuable.


    Dart had gathered the guys information, although they were traveling together, they still had some unique information.


    A lot of this information has already been bought by the information center, but there is still some things considered unknown.


    The more exotic the information, the more valued. In addition, for a period, any profit the information gathered, a portion goes to the seller. This is to act as a proper incentive.


    This was something Dart found out by scouring forums. Dart peddled his collective information. Excluding only the guys and his own personal information.


    The initial payout of this information may not be large, but over the next few days, weeks or months it might accumulate to substantial amounts.


    They had encountered multiple types of insects. Most of it was just appearances and names of them. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    On the occasion that they accidentally stepped on them or if they directly killed something, more in depth information was provided.


    This additional information has a use in any of the miscellaneous professions. Things like animal rearing, cooking, medicine concoction and more.


    As people grow in the virtual world, Perpetuity will put small restrictions on people. This is to later provide external assistance. Which will be considered lifting of restrictions.


    Items that can do this include things like medicine concoctions and other miscellaneous consumable crafting products.


    Perpetuity also has the capability of boosting a person¡¯s personal power beyond a realistic level. But this is used carefully.


    The largest restriction is placed on B.F.M.¡¯s due to their intricacies. This allows them have items that alleviate fatigue caused by B.F.M. use and multiple other things.


    Perpetual Power constantly pulls data from players, measuring them in every conceivable way. This data is used to adjust certain things and even predict future growth.


    This is also how they restrict people. Every restriction has to be individual, a blanket restriction is impossible in a living world. Adjustments are made as a person grows in power.


    The longest outstanding experiment with B.F.M. ran for over two years. These tests were thorough, enough to predict power creep up to four years into the future.


    The biggest failure in these tests are the fact that the individuals doing the actual testings may not have the greatest talents for it. Perpetual Power may be powerful, but not all knowing.


    In Perpetual Power¡¯s Perpetuity observatory there are thousands of people. Each handling hundreds of individual cases. They are monitoring heavy B.F.M. users.


    One of these individual has Sorp¡¯s information. Sorp isn¡¯t an odd case out. Multiple people are active B.F.M. users.


    But Sorp is still considered one of the one percent of people showing abnormal cerebral activity.


    His abnormality was in his continuous use of B.F.M. and also the balance between what could be considered his limit. He limboes just below the range where he feels his senses diminish.


    Sorp took the time and effort to get a feel for his limitations. He didn¡¯t like the feeling of reduced senses. In actual fact, he hated it. It felt like waking up with cloudy eyes.


    The effort it took to maintain himself just below the limit made the menial extermination, far more enjoyable. A self enforced limitation.


    Because this was the first day of the release, few people actually felt tiered. Even people doing things like washing dishes to clear out a contract.


    Sorp could be seen flowing from beast to beast. It was with odd precision. Unbelievable precision. What he had done was figure out a pattern. Not an exact pattern but an estimation.


    This was a natural observation ability at work. Sorp hunted fast. He moved fast enough to cover a sizable land. Eventually it he came to a realization that these beasts never stopped.


    Their locations could be estimated. Once he got close enough, the noise of their movement was enough for him to locate their general direction.


    From above it looked liked he knew exactly where every predatory creature was coming from.


    They seemed to be endless. But Sorp felt they were lessening. And they were. The local colony of creatures was dwindling. Their usual secured food source wasn¡¯t arriving either.


    With no food, they had no other option than to send more to gather food. This was why the creatures were becoming smaller. They are the younger generation.


    With less things to hunt Sorp tried to expand his scope. But even if he traveled further out than his previous territory, what he found was less and less beasts.


    Soon there was no additional creature to be found. Not sure what to do, Sorp returned. He had already killed over two thousand of these critters. A genocide.


    ¡°Boy, you¡¯ve worked hard. Take a seat.¡±


    When sorp entered the local managers house he was met with a woman. She wasn¡¯t old but she wasn¡¯t too young.


    She was talking to Sorp like he was her little cousin. Sorp didn¡¯t know why this woman was here instead of the man he had interacted with before.


    ¡°If your looking for my husband, he¡¯s in the back.¡±


    Sorp looked at the half open door. He was wondering if he should enter it.


    ¡°Go ahead, he¡¯s just finishing up some paperwork.¡±


    Given little choice Sorp just walked towards the office. Being as big and heavy as Sorp was, his feet made loud noises on the wooden floor.


    This wooden floor was hollow beneath, even light footed people would make some noise walking over these creaking floors.


    ¡°Aren''t you a mountain of a man.¡±


    ¡°I am big.¡±


    Sorp felt like he had to say something. When it came out he felt he said the wrong thing.


    ¡°That you are. Now it makes more sense. You almost cleared out the entire colony of moepters.¡±


    Moepters are the two legged feathered predatory creatures. Their beaks peck into the arteries of their prey. Their wings usually covered in dart as they are subterranean.


    There was nothing Sorp felt needed to be said. He was just here to turn in his contract. Sorp wasn¡¯t dumb, but was uneducated. Most of his knowledged stemmed from conversation between friends.


    It was miraculous he could read. His reading can¡¯t be considered good. But he can recognize words and puzzle them together.


    As long as it wasn¡¯t intentionally flowery writing he could make it through. And right now he was deciphering.


    The amount of Vcoin actually looked worth the time. It was almost twenty percentage of the total value of a corse.


    While the reward appeared great, Sorp had not only done the work of many men, but also pushed the source of trouble to the brink of extinction.


    ¡°From my side, it seems you are perfect for this line of work.¡±


    Sorp is still trying to understand the message he received upon turning in his sizeable contribution. This turn in was different from the others.


    The rewards this time around were as expected. Sorp was given a substantial discount. The Vcoin is only a portion of the reward.


    The other part takes the form of a regal beast, singular corse. This was the largest reward so far.


    To add to this Sorp can attain tamed corses at a cheaper price. The issue is that he can only purchase one for himself.


    Only because he received one as a reward can buy another one from this particular farm. This corse can be bought for half the original price.


    The issue with all these things is that Sorp doesn¡¯t read too well. He still doesn¡¯t understand his rewards. Only portion that is clear is the substantial Vcoin paid out.


    It can be said a gift of sorts, that Sorp is forced to engage with all this text as it pushes him towards bettering his reading capabilities.


    Eventually Sorp got fed up with trying to understand buzzwords related to Perpetuity. Sorp understood that was getting a fifty percent discount.


    This was because Dart had shown him how to monitor the increasing discount. Every Time he had turned in a contract this number had gone up. And now it was fifty percent.


    He was still in a party with the guys. They were always talking about one thing or the other. It was too fast for and too boring for Sorp to pay attention to it.


    Now he had the chat up on his palm device. With slow but meticulous movements Sorp¡¯s large fingers smashed into the keyboard.


    To his frustration he would press two or three buttons a time. After accidentally pressing the key to send his message the guys were quick to understand what was going on.


    Dart was already returning from the city. He had actually gathered more Vcoin than Sorp for his information dump. New Information was worth its weight in gold right now.


    The first one to meet up with Sorp was Jarem. He helped Sorp to bring up the previous alerts. Before long the guys trickled in after finishing their miscellaneous tasks.


    After talking some things through. Using the new information Dart had gathered, the guys bought three additional corse and a large wagon.


    This was an enormous wagon. In it they could sit and store food for the journey. Dart had found out that these wagons were the primary way to transport materials.


    It sounds like the obvious choice but it still took some work to find out where to actually buy one. They had to buy one at the gouging price. It was more expensive than an undiscounted corse.


    They could have worked their up to a discount but this time around they ate the loss. Due to the discounts they had in this farm village they could purchases rations for tomorrow.


    After a bout of drinking and eating they slept in the Inn, preparing to travel tomorrow.


    While Sorp and Dart had brought in the most Vcoin, the other guys provided discounts all over town. This meant cheaper things like tents. Materials for a fire. Assortments of tools.


    The amount of money they were investing into this world was staggering. But they are all newly rich. The money can also be considered easily attained.


    Their thoughts lined up with this. It was easy to get money. So it doesn¡¯t matter if they spend it. If they need more, they¡¯ll just get more.

 Chapter sixteen: Sailing on the high roads.

    Late in the afternoon the team stumbled out of comfortable beds. Their breakfast as healthy as can be, beer, bacon and eggs. At least that¡¯s what it looked like.


    After further deliberation, the decision to buy even more food was confirmed. There is still a weight limit they had to adhere to but they were still far off.


    The soft limit would begin to slow them down and that¡¯s the limit they were reaching.


    ¡°Its okay. We¡¯ll eat some of it on the way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. With Sorp¡¯s appetite we¡¯d be lucky not to starve.¡±


    The four corses are now latched to the wagon. Their breathing loud enough to scare small children.


    Two of those corses are Sorp¡¯s, one is Dart¡¯s and the third, surprisingly Ret¡¯s. Ret had gathered the total of thirty percent discount.


    Ret was fond of taking care of the corses. So he went the extra mile during the contracts, earning the respects of the animal rearers.


    Like Sorp, he was offered a more permanent position in the village. Ret was touched, never had he treated this kindly.


    It was only Dart and Kom that weren¡¯t offered any positions. Kom went from person to person, doing small tasks, this was in line with his character. He talked his heart out and moved on.


    ¡°How about we pick up some girls for the journey?¡±


    ¡°Pal is right! What are we even doing?¡±


    Sorp gave them a look. Sorp didn¡¯t understand the world Perpetuity to much, but he understood they were going to go train. He wanted to go train.


    Dart didn¡¯t even acknowledge them. His hands waving in the air. He was becoming more adept at using the projection technology.


    Kom and Jarem were half nodding in agreement. They had been very busy and hadn¡¯t met any pretty girls for a few days now.


    ¡°We¡¯re going. Get on.¡±


    Pal and Ret sulked. They still got onto the wagon. Sorp held the thick translucent harnesses connected to the corses.


    Since they weren¡¯t riding individual corses and instead having four of them pull a wagon, special tools were required.


    With the expensive wagon came a B.F.M. used to control the beasts pulling them. The requirements to this is to have tamed beasts connected to them.


    The wagon¡¯s B.F.M. interlocks with the other four B.F.M.s and the owners of the B.F.M. all accept the request to allow the wagon¡¯s B.F.M. to control them.


    This type of tool is closer to what virtual humans use instead of a B.F.M. it has low requirements to use. It is designed for long intervals of use.


    Only when changing directions, increasing speed, decreasing speed or stopping does it begin to fatigue the user.


    These things appear to exist to prevent theft but are in place to manage the economy.


    The wagon takes just under half the road. Its great width is due to the two corses walking side by side. With two in the lead and two following those corses..


    The wagon itself is just about as wide as two corses walking side by side. The road itself is wider than four lane highways.


    While on the road every person they meet stares at them. The boys drink in the attention, their expression aloof.


    ¡°Look at all these peasant walking.¡±


    ¡°Aie. those poor souls.¡±


    They made sure to talk loud enough for everyone to hear them. The expression of awe turned to anger or confusion.


    One half of the people felt they were being mocked, the other half thought maybe this was some sort of event.


    It was a glorious affair. Sorp¡¯s large figure holding translucent reins. The enormous wagon, four corses dragging it.


    Everything related to Perpetuity is popular. Big spectacles happening in the city, such as people breaking laws and being imprisoned.


    There are instances of people discovering professions and selling their products for high prices. An example, a cook sniffed out the cooking profession and was making a killing selling his food.


    Unlike normal food, his sated people for longer duration. The food itself provided small buffs, this ranged for health recovery rate to simple things like lowering anxiety.


    Many such cases gained immense popularity. Becoming a worldwide celebrity overnight. Sorp and his friends were getting a taste of fame.


    Numerous requests to unblur their appearances came in. At first they were frightened but soon got used to it and acted even more smug.


    Dart was frowning hard. He did not want to become famous and was angry at every last request that flooded his way. He dug out the option that block the requests.


    Jarem, kom and especially Ret and Pal were all considering it. If it wasn¡¯t for Dart admonishing it, they would have accepted to the requests by now.


    Dart had his reasons but in the end, no matter what others did, he would still be blurred out. Sorp ignored the requests entirely and they were piling up.


    The speed of the wagon was a bit slower than its peak idle speed. Which is about double the speed of a jogging human.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Occasionally people would run along and ask questions. Pal, Ret, Kom and Jarem all played the suffering nobles. Sometimes they had looks of pity, sometimes it was disdain.


    No matter how long the journey was, they kept seeing people walk along the road. The more shameless people would ask for a ride. This was harshly rebuked.


    The information about how to get a corse was already public. It was a part of the information Dart sold. And it was becoming popular. This increased his income.


    Dart navigated to his personal information. In advanced options he went into his Vcoin section. Every transaction is saved here.


    In addition to every transaction is possible to view how much Perpetuity owes you. More detailed information shows how much income he received for individual piece of information he sold.


    These things are set in place to manage contracts. Perpetuity acts a guarantor through contracts. Debts unpaid results in fines from Perpetuity. Which Perpetuity becomes responsible for.


    The lowest amounts is coming from the miscellaneous insects he had information on. These things might spike in value once professions discovered a need for them.


    It didn¡¯t look like he would gain much from his collective information. Only thing bringing in respectable amounts was the information on corse. This included some of the contracts they did.


    Due to the nature of widespread information. Information centers didn¡¯t make too much profit. But people did respect and use the service, as it was easier to use than scouring the internet.


    The information that the information center disseminated, was always true. It was verified by the world Perpetuity. This was another thing that made it worthwhile to buy their information.


    Dart understood this and used it himself to great effect. The proof was the wagon they are riding. This was discovered by Dart through the information center.


    Dart swiped his hand about in the air. He was now copying various information into a blank page. Soon he fell into thought and his eyes focused.


    Wide eyed like a toad Dart was staring at the screens. He wasn¡¯t surprised. He was just trying to use the Perpetuity¡¯s navigation system with his mind alone.


    Everything done in the virtual world is done through the human brain. Everything a person does, that is.


    With enough practice, in a state similar to meditation, a person can control multiple different things with their mind alone.


    The B.F.M.¡¯s are actually the most brazen example of this. For now however, everyone used basic close combat static B.F.M.¡¯s.


    The more mystical B.F.M.¡¯s with fireballs, arcane arrows, electric weapons, have yet to be discovered.


    The reason Dart is doing this, is for the sake of efficiency. It¡¯s faster than he can wave his hands and fingers about. But it can be nauseating or headache inducing to learn.


    After copying a few random lines from his Vcoin menu he turned his attention to the enormous list of people recording their time in Perpetuity.


    Kom was actually monitoring as well. What they felt was strange that the people that begun walking the first day, were still not at the Third wave reinforcement camp.


    They had walked all night. Some were passed out on the road. No matter how far they could see, everything was green on either side.


    Just the road and the plantations. Forever. After flipping between a few different people it became apparent that the size of the plantations wasn¡¯t simple.


    ¡°Sorp.¡±


    Sorp was at the front. He had remained motionless for at least an hour.


    ¡°This trip might take more than just a few hours. It may take longer than a day.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°We need to make sure we have enough food for the journey.¡±


    Sorp listened to Dart. The guys saw Dart stretch his lanky body forward to talk to Sorp.


    ¡°If you notice anything we can eat, we should hunt it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Dart leaned back into his seat and said the same thing to the guys. They even made sure their tents and firewood was okay.


    As for food, in general they should be fine. They could steal from the plantations. The taste however, assuming uncooked, couldn¡¯t be guaranteed.


    The guys had a lot of food. Maybe enough to feed themselves for a few days to a week. If they ate like normal people and not like wild beasts.


    ¡°I¡¯m having regrets.¡±


    ¡°Jarem, please. Just sit down. Have another beer.¡±


    All of four of them were slightly drunk. They were watching various things on their palm devices, sometimes cracking jokes.


    Even Sorp was having a drink. Majority of the carry weight was from the outrageous amount of alcohol they brought along.


    ¡°Guys. There won¡¯t be any bars out there right?¡±


    ¡°Hold on. What are you trying to say.¡±


    ¡°With no bars, where are you going to find women?¡±


    ¡°Jarem has a point. Pal, this isn¡¯t good.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right Ret. We have to turn around. Right now.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not turning around.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to find women for us, Kom?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I will. I can do anything.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t find your own asshole, fatty.¡±


    ¡°Fatty? I haven¡¯t been fat since the last Arble left the Ring.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll always be fatty, fatty.¡±


    Sorp could clearly hear them fighting. But he wasn¡¯t going to turn around, he was excited about training. He had never been trained in fighting.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got needs.¡±


    ¡°You need to shut up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to watch something, shut up Ret.¡±


    ¡°Kom. Put down the device, we need to talk about his!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Me and Pal are different from you uggos.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! We are actually losing something here. Of course you lot don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be calling Sorp ugly.¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m not saying that. Sorp has his charm, but he can hardly compete with me.¡±


    It is true that they were handsome. They knew they were handsome, this made it less impactful. They were handsome and still terrorized women.


    ¡°Just sit down you idiot. We¡¯ve been on the road for hours already, look, the sun will set in a few hours.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so calm!? Are you going to fuck the dirt!? I¡¯m not sure what you are interested in, but I¡¯m not like you.¡±


    ¡°Listen to Kom, guys. Who''s to say there won''t be girls out there? Can it be only men exist in this world?¡±


    ¡°Dart has a point Ret, maybe it¡¯s not all bad.¡±


    ¡°Pal, don¡¯t listen to them. When have you seen Dart chase after a girl?¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, it''s only ever been those few girls.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! See. No way he cares enough.¡±


    Dart was feeling annoyed enough. He waved his hand about and began filtering out some options and then flicked the window to each of them.


    ¡°Just look at this. More woman than you can count are in this world and this only the ones recording themselves.¡±


    When he sent it over they looked it over and quickly began whispering between themselves. Dart heard a knock on the wooden wagon.


    ¡°Send it to me to. I want to see.¡±


    This was Sorp. he was sat outside the wagon on a controllers seat. But he could still hear them chatting. He was listening intently, it was how he passed the time.


    Dart slithered out front to Sorp and sat next to him.


    ¡°Want to see anything specific?¡±


    ¡°Is there any fighting?¡±


    ¡°There is. Most of it isn¡¯t very exciting. Let me check for a bit.¡±


    The search system in Perpetuity was in depth. Every live recording has tags related to what is happening in the surrounding.


    These tags can be any word in the dictionary. Fighting is of course among them. Detailed searched can be hard to figure out, but they aren¡¯t impossible to use.


    Detailed searched things like events within a certain interval. A location if the recorder makes it public. The list goes on and on.


    ¡°I can¡¯t find anything special. Most of the people are doing basic tasks, exploring the city or traveling on a road almost exactly like ours.¡±


    There are eight major gates out of the city. These gates lead to places similar to the Third wave reinforcement camp.


    The Third wave reinforcement camp focuses on training fighters and survival skills. Other places focus on various other professions.


    All locations have some degree of physical fighting involved. They can vary in intensity but they all boil down to the same thing.


    Only the Third wave reinforcement goal is to expand territory. The more realistic goal is to train people capable enough to be sent to Second wave reinforcements camp.


    In turn the Second wave reinforcement camp trains people in a more intense way. They then send them to the First wave reinforcements.


    From there they will be sent to the great bridges. They¡¯ll walk through the great canyon. A canyon so big they won¡¯t see the mountains on either side.


    Once to they reach the great bridge what meets them is eternal rain. This is a soft rain. Due merge of The Eternal River, water is constantly in the air.


    Measures have to be taken against this rain. One is taken care of before they arrive. Great canals are carved into the rock face, allowing the water to flow back into the river.


    The other is to protect the skin. The water is not harmful in and of itself, but constant contact with it will leave a person in a sorry state. This is similar to guarding against the blaring sun.


    The endstate is to cross the one of the great bridges to the unknown. To pioneer new lands. Develop new villages, towns, cities or even countries.


    People will have multiple lifetimes to accomplish this. This is possible through the dilution of time.


    Perpetual Power can even increase this time if people meet requirements and enter Instanced places within the world. An obvious advantage for those wanting to practice their skills.


    There is still a problem that Perpetual Power has yet to conquer. And that is eternal life. They can prolong or slow the decay of a body, but it is the mind that crumbles in its stead.


    The matters of the mind are still too difficult to manipulate. Something causes the brain to devolve with age.


    Unlike the body, it is far too dangerous to wade into the brain with nanomachines. While they still enter it, they cannot modify it like the rest of the body. Smallest mistake can end a life.


    This does not mean that Perpetual Power has shied away from such research. It is highly secretive as it is considered taboo.

 Chapter seventeen: An end in sight.

    The plan still holds. Sorp is now inside the wagon, his eyes shut. The carriage room reeks of booze. Every last one of the guys are a sleep. Jarem was sent to control the wagon.


    This happened because Jarem drank too much earlier and decided to take a nap. This nap was the finishing blow. He had no way to argue his way out of it.


    ¡°Can¡¯t even nap.¡±


    He was honestly pissed of. His hand held a half empty bottle of beer. He had projected a screen in front him and was watching a comedy movie.


    He was still too angry to laugh but he couldn¡¯t help but cheer up everytime something funny happened. This was who he was. He was an easy going guy.


    He also had a had another window open. In it were a list of people who publicized their location, and were on the ¡®pronged road¡¯.


    It was called this because at the end of the road it pronged in two direction, one to each of the bridges. It was like a snake¡¯s tongue.


    On it were people walking. Some were on corses and some were on wagons. But they were all behind them.


    The extraordinary detailed searched allowed them to search only for people that were south of them. Which meant they were ahead of them.


    This is now small amount of people. Many people got overtaken. Their pleads for a ride went ignored. It is currently Jarems favorite past time to reject the guys on the road.


    ¡°That might be her.¡±


    On the road are a few women. But Jarem is a man of taste. Only women he ranks above a six can reach his eyes.


    Jarem carefully peaks into the wagon. Five of the guys sit there in uncomfortable positions sleeping. The rooms reeks of alcohol.


    ¡°Good, with this, there is no one to bother us.¡±


    While Jarem is more reserved than Pal and Ret when chasing women, he can be considered a fiend on his own.


    The woman¡¯s hair is tied up into a bun. It is loose and shoddy, looking like it might fall apart any second.


    The sound of four corses and a wagon are hard to ignore so she looks back. What meets her is a drunk addled Jarem.


    Once in sight it doesn¡¯t take Jarem long to catch up her. The corses are creatures of great stamina. Even after almost moving for a day and night they stay strong.


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    Jarem¡¯s expression is not of a drunk, instead his face shows impeccable restraint. His eyes still a bit bloodshot, but nothing obvious.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    The woman¡¯s response is cheerful. It can¡¯t be helped, there have been fewer and few people out here.


    The last two days all she has seen is what is obviously virtual humans working the plantations. Anything else has outpaced her or she outpaced them.


    Jarem can¡¯t help but nod to himself. He didn¡¯t misjudge here from her screen. She is a bit athletic for his tastes, but nothing off limits.


    ¡°You been walking on this road since release?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think I¡¯m the leader right now!¡±


    She was far more excited than she expected to be. She even startled herself. But she only felt embarrassed for a moment, she felt too proud.


    ¡°Oh? No one has passed you?¡±


    ¡°I don''t think so. I did fall asleep in the plantation for a bit. But I don¡¯t think anyone overtook me.¡±


    She hadn''t it been overtaken. But she was not the leader right now. There are four people ahead of her. Two of were traveling together, they were third and fourth.


    The person in second was just far enough to not be in line of sight of them. The first was far ahead of them all. This was a long distance runner, his advantage clear.


    Unlike this woman though, they all knew they weren¡¯t in the lead. The long distance runner had passed them all on the first day.


    His jogging pace outmatched their running and his walking outpaced their jogging. He was tired as all hell and had to rest like them. But his lead kept increasing.


    ¡°You must be tired from walking for so long.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m exhausted.¡±


    Jarem¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. This really was an opportunity from the heavens.


    ¡°We¡¯ve only been on the road since late afternoon. We¡¯ve passed uncountable number of people.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Jarem was building up to something here.


    ¡°Really? Only since this afternoon?¡±


    ¡°Those four fellas are really reliable. We even have all kinds of food and drinks aboard. Enough for many days.¡±


    Jarem¡¯s eyes narrowed even further. Anyone that watched this from an outsiders point of view would be clear what he was doing. He was bragging, or creating a bait.


    He was also aware that she was broadcasting. She still hadn¡¯t sent a request to unblur him. She felt it would be rude.


    ¡°They are very big. Where did you get them?¡±


    ¡°We got them from a farm that breeds them for food and to tame them.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any farms with livestock.¡±


    ¡°They are all closer to the city, so the meat doesn¡¯t have to travel far.¡±


    She unconsciously looked back. The city felt so far away now.


    ¡°By the way. You said you thought you were in the lead, and I feel like I should tell you.¡±


    ¡°What? I¡¯m not?¡±


    ¡°Afraid not. There are at least four people ahead of you.¡±


    ¡°Ah. I had a suspicion, that Orlan guy looks like he is moving fast. I just never saw him pass me.¡±


    ¡°Orlan. Then there is a guy called Termin and a couple of guys walking together that are called Yimter and Dimter. They look like brothers.¡±


    ¡°Hah. So many?¡±


    ¡°It is already impressive you made it this far on your own. But you are at least a day behind Orlan and there is still no end in sight for him.¡±


    Jarem is now painting a picture of despair. It is obvious to her now that the best option would be get a ride from him.


    ¡°At least a day?¡±


    Just as Jarem wanted, her face paled a bit. She was now staring into the distance, thinking something to herself.


    ¡°Alright. I have to keep going, the guys in the back will be mad at me if I stop for too long.¡±


    The corses began slowly moving forward, a very leisurely pace.


    ¡°Ah wait!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I-uh.¡±


    ¡°Ye?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering if I could get a ride?¡±


    Jarems expression turned into an awkward smile. This was a very authentic embarrassed expression. And she picked up on it instantly, he wasn¡¯t going to say yes.


    ¡°Sorry, we are very private people. We can¡¯t have someone recording on board.¡±


    ¡°I can shut it off! See!¡±


    She didn¡¯t even think about how he knew she was recording. She was a bit flustered and not thinking straight. The idea of walking for days on end was very fresh in her mind.


    Jarem saw she turned off her recording. The chat wasn¡¯t very active but it got turned off as well. She did have a few hundred people watching. But she didn¡¯t care.


    The world of Perpetuity was an authentic experience. She felt her feet ache. Every step stung. She had eating nothing but raw greens from the plantation for a while now.


    But still Jarem only let out a sigh and showed a complicated expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the guys will like it if I let someone onboard for free.¡±


    ¡°I can pay.¡±


    ¡°Eh. We don¡¯t exactly lack money. One of us is actually very famous.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°I guess they would understand if it was something else.¡±


    ¡°Something else?¡±


    ¡°Well.¡±


    This was where Jarem dropped his conflicted expression and put on a smile. He wasn¡¯t as handsome and charming as Ret, but he had his own charm.


    ¡°If you were willing to play a bit with me, they would understand.¡±


    ¡°Play?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that she was an innocent maiden. She wasn¡¯t unused to casual sex. But Jarem wording and the situation made it too ambiguous.


    ¡°Come up here, i¡¯ll explain.¡±


    Jarem reached out his hand, she was quick to grab it. He pulled her to the front of the wagon. The Corses were on a slow stroll. The moonlight lighting the way.


    Once she sat down. Jarem put the lease to the corses on a hook meant to hold them. His hands then moved to the woman¡¯s thighs.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    It became all to obvious now what Jarem wanted. She had experienced a rollercoaster of emotions and now this.


    She felt a bit sick to her stomach. It was like if someone had punched her. But Jarem is a handsome and charming man.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    He handed her an unopened bottle of beer. She popped it open and drank in one swig. This gave a bit of time to think. She felt it wasn¡¯t too bad.


    After double checking that she wasn¡¯t still recording she felt a bit more assured. It was nice to sit down. Her breath was a bit uneven.


    ¡°We got more in the back. We even got cooked and dried meat.¡±


    He could see her swallow. She felt it herself and was very conscious of it. Jarem felt she was an open book.


    But she wasn¡¯t as innocent as Jarem made her out to be. He was a bit taken back when her reached out and landed on his chest.


    ¡°You are a devil.¡±


    Since this was the situation. She felt a bit of a rush to her head. She was confident in her looks. She was confident in exploring on her own.


    She had plenty of friends who were in this world as well. But none of them had the drive she had. She felt the call to adventure.


    When Jarem heard her call him a devil with a playful tone he smiled even brighter. He was like a kid caught in a lie. He didn¡¯t care because he got what he wanted.


    His hands became more unrestrained. She let out a little moan and her hand lowered to his stomach with no intention of stopping.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Jarem felt like he crashed into a wall.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Jarem laughed lightly. He jumped to the back of the wagon grabbed some dried meat, some fruits and a few drinks.


    ¡°Eat. Eat.¡±


    She tore into the food. She really missed the taste of. She missed the taste of anything that wasn¡¯t raw vegetables or whatever it was that grew in these plantations.


    While she ate Jarem made the corse¡¯s move at their usual pace. The disturbance didn¡¯t wake the guys inside as they had all drank themselves to sleep. Even Sorp.


    Once they were at a steady pace he let his hands free on her again. She didn¡¯t stop him and just continued eating.


    To jarem this was also a new situation, he was enjoying himself. When she finished the last bite of dried meat he grabbed her firmly and began kissing her.


    Since she was going to do this, she might as well go all the way. This was what she thought. She threw herself into the moment.


    Before long things began to escalate, she was lowering her head towards his unbuttoned pants. Jarem put one of his hand on her head and let it rest there, the other played with her chest.


    It can be said to be audacious to do this in the open moonlight. She forgot about any additional members on this wagon.


    When they finished she was sitting in his embrace. Her legs around his waist. She was a bit muddled headed but she couldn¡¯t help but think this was very real.


    Once it was over, she put her clothes on and fell a sleep in a few moments. She really was exhausted.


    Jarem was tired as well but he had a job to do. He opened another bottle of beer and smiled contently.


    With her asleep Jarem had nothing to do but resume his comedy movie. He was in a phenomenal mood now.


    The next day when the sun was already out in a blaring style, the guys began to wake up. To say they were surprised there was woman on the wagon was an understatement.


    She felt really awkward now. She thought they heard everything they did last night. Her face was lit up like a fire. But no one mentioned it.


    Jarem did tell them he was taking her with them. They didn¡¯t protest, they instead inquired how he found her.


    ¡°You can even find women on the road?¡±


    Ret and Pal were in deep thought. It didn¡¯t seem all that bad anymore. They didn¡¯t look down on jarem, but when they thought how even he caught a women out here. It all became a bit more reasonable.


    Jarem moved into the wagons interior with Daisy. He fell asleep in a few moments, she sat by a window and watched the sky.


    The guys chatted with her a bit. Mostly trying to get her to introduce them to girls. But they never set their eyes on their friends girl. This was a code amongst brothers.


    The heavy stench inside the wagon was bit overwhelming but she soon got used to it. She sat by the window and could feel the breeze on her. It made it bearable.


    She wanted to turn on her recording but remembered that it wasn¡¯t welcomed here. She sighed to herself and began browsing her palm device.


    On the next indication of a village, the guys took it. It was a detour but they had to stop to let the corses rest. They were hard working animals but not invincible.


    They needed a farm because they needed a lot of water for the beasts. They mostly had alcohol with them.


    The village they entered was like other plantation villages. It was quiet but still somewhat busy. It would be fair to assume that everyone here was a virtual human.


    It isn¡¯t obvious that they are. But it would be strange if other humans made it to this place before them and stuck around.

 Chapter eighteen: Lets go.

    Even all the way out here there is still plenty of water. The beast got fed and rehydrated. They then fell asleep.


    With nothing to do the guys, aside from Jarem who was still asleep went about and did some shopping. Mostly more food and alcohol.


    When they were done they brought a hot dish for Jarem, woke him up and began traveling again once the beasts were done resting.


    The only thing they met for the longest time was what they assumed are virtual humans harvesting crops.


    Only Orlan was now infront of them. They didn¡¯t meet anyone else on the road. But the other three weren¡¯t recording right now. Presumably asleep somewhere in the plantation.


    Daisy was onboard, but there was more than enough room for her. And with Jarem awake she had someone to talk to.


    Jarem wanted a cabin for them alone. This was impossible. He did ask them to move to the other cabin or sit in the front on the wagon. But he was rejected.


    They weren¡¯t going to make this easy on him. They were all jealous right now. Even Sorp felt he needed a woman.


    Hearing her laugh and chat with Jarem, pissed them all off a bit. They couldn¡¯t help but think along the lines of ¡®Didn¡¯t you two meet last night!? How are you like a couple¡¯.


    Daisy did feel like she embarrassed herself, but what was done is done. She could only move forward, this was who she was. She can be considered adaptable and easy going.


    When you looked into it. Out of everyone entering Perpetuity, only a small fraction spawns at the south most gate.


    Those that spawn at the southgate might go get the assignment by the lieutenants in command, but there are thousands other options to pursue.


    Of those people, few can be considered extraordinary and finish their assignment fast. Those that chose to repeat the assignment are not few.


    Then there is the collection of people that are intrigued by the not so vague direction to the Third wave reinforcement camp.


    These people might try for it and begin travelling towards the Third wave reinforcement camp. After two days of travel, lacking food and drinks only few might continue.


    Daisy was one of few such people. And she happened to be one of very few women. Almost all of the people pushing so hard to progress, record themselves doing it.


    She wanted some fame. This was her biggest motivator. When she chatted with Jarem last night she felt the despair of the situation.


    When she thought back on it. She felt a bit light headed. She was now traveling with this band of brothers. Even a day on this wagon traveled maybe three times what she could on her feet.


    She didn¡¯t want to imagine how long it would take for her to do this herself. They had already overtook everyone recording themselves except for the long distance marathon runner.


    It was only a matter of time before they¡¯d take the lead. She felt this was exciting, but not recording was tugging at her.


    It was a bit weird that she was somehow entangled with this guy. When she thought about it she felt it was more than just strange.


    ¡°Look! Is that guy jogging?¡±


    ¡°Looks like it. But that isn¡¯t the front runner. Look.¡±


    ¡°I guess this one isn¡¯t recording.¡±


    Daisy was interrupted from her moment of enlightenment by the noise.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Seeing a wagon the man¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Sorp was sitting alone on the front of the wagon. He enjoyed sitting there, holding onto the reins.


    Sorp looked at the man with a smile. He took a large swig of his bottle of beer. The jogger couldn¡¯t help but swallow. He was thirsty. There wasn¡¯t much water on the main road.


    There was also no village on the main road, he made a single detour to get water supplies. But there is a limit to his carry capacity.


    ¡°This is embarrassing but can I have something to drink? I¡¯m dying of thirst.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Sorp was still smiling. It was refreshing before, but the man felt he was being mocked now. This made him angry.


    The guys were looking out the wagon and were laughing at him as well. This made his emotions flip from ecstatic to infuriated.


    ¡°Careful Sorp he looks angry!¡±


    It sounded like a warning but the tone made everything clear. They were mocking him. Sorp didn¡¯t laugh but he was still smiling.


    ¡°See you later little guy.¡±


    Not wanting to waste time, Sorp gestured with his hands and the reins shook. The wagon creaked as it began moving forward.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡±


    He wasn¡¯t going to attack them. But he couldn¡¯t hold back the curse. He did regret it as soon as it was let out. The regret hit him when he saw the wagon stop.


    ¡°He screwed up.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t run.¡±


    Sorp was stepping off the wagon. The man wasn¡¯t running but Sorp felt like he had to say it anyway.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°What? What do you want?¡±


    There was a short silence then Sorp leaped forward. He grabbed the man¡¯s shoulders. The guy wasn¡¯t going to just stand there, his summoned B.F.M. sprung out.


    His weapon materialized as a spear. Not the best close combat sword. And in this situation useless.


    Sorp didn¡¯t bother dealing with the summoned weapon and just lifted the man up and slammed into the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s like he was made of air!¡±


    The guys were hollering from the wagon. This was one of their favorite past times. Especially after making so much money from betting on Sorp winning fights.


    ¡°The guy is done. He even dropped his weapon. What an idiot.¡±


    On the ground the man gasps for air but it didn¡¯t seem like he could breath. This is a terrifying experience.


    Sorp summoned his short sword and gently let it drop on the man¡¯s face. He applied pressure and let it slide over his face.


    The man couldn¡¯t breath, so he couldn''t scream. His eyes were the only thing that reflected the pain and terror he was experiencing.


    ¡°That¡¯s insane.¡±


    Daisy could not believe her eyes. They just met some random guy and now he was being carved up. And the guy doing was smiling as if it were nothing.


    ¡°It¡¯s just Sorp being Sorp. This can still be considered mild. The guy is lucky if anything.¡±


    ¡°How is he lucky?¡±


    She didn¡¯t believe she was hearing. How on Earth is this still considered lucky?


    ¡°He didn¡¯t try to sneak attack us, so Sorp is letting him off easy, just look.¡±


    She never looked away and got to saw Sorp stabbing him in the heart. The man stopped moving and Sorp turned around, with a laugh he returned to the driver''s seat.


    ¡°That was refreshing.¡±


    Daisy wanted to leave the wagon now, but was also afraid of offending this insane person. When she thought of that casual smile while carving into the man¡¯s face, she felt cold.


    ¡°Kom, go get his things.¡±


    ¡°On it!¡±


    When a person is killed they drop all equipped items. Even his basic B.F.M. was lying on the ground.


    His clothing bloodied didn¡¯t amount to much but he did drop some Vcoin, while not enough to satisfy the newly rich, it was something.


    ¡°He barely had anything. Anyone want this spear B.F.M.?¡±


    ¡°Hand it here.¡±


    Sorp thought about it and it wouldn¡¯t be bad to have something longer than this dagger like sword.


    On the way they met two other people that weren¡¯t recording. They weren¡¯t too far apart but far enough to not meet each other.


    They both tried to get a ride, they were similarly mocked. Fortunately for them they kept their frustration to themselves.


    The only time they stopped was to cook some of their raw meat. If they didn¡¯t, it would go bad.


    Ret and Pal did request a quick stop when they saw some women working the plantations. But this was denied. Even when they said they would just grab them and be right back.


    Daisy heard how these guys talked about women like they were things and felt even less comfortable.


    It also caused to remember what happened with Jarem. She was currently rather close to him. Her thoughts finally concluded that he had manipulated her.


    She wasn¡¯t sure. But the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Everything he said was like a build up to her being unable to say no.


    This was subtle and not so subtle. She felt like her head was spinning. If she was someone else she might feel trapped. But she felt like just lost a battle of wits.


    Right now she was mad at Jarem. But she also felt a fire in her. A call to battle. Similar to her call to adventure. This was who she was after all.


    The problem was, how to get back at him? In the end she didn¡¯t really lose much. She just had some risky sex on a wagon under the moonlight. She didn¡¯t regret it for a moment.


    She went through all these things, it softened the shock of watching a man be killed in front of her. But she still felt these guys were dangerous.


    When the marathon runner went offline, Sorp was already in the wagon. Ret had now taken over.


    This was how they did things. The corses worked their hardest and every twenty some hours they would have to stop to let them rest.


    The days kept adding on. Five days in they were still on this same road. The only new addition was wagons on the road.


    These wagons were in a row, filled to the brim with processed vegetables. They were heading towards Perpetuity to drop of their product.


    It was actually a spectacular view. The noise of the wagons and beasts. The endless row of them.


    The guys didn¡¯t see the long row because they were to far away from the city. These wagons are a part of a bi-weekly drop off.


    The wagons come from multiple different farming villages. Not every village participates bi-weekly. Some do so every month or even further apart.


    This has to due with the different plantations grow rate. The bi-weekly products are the fastest growing plants.


    There are plants that are faster, but on average, the fastest crops take just under two weeks to fully mature as a whole. Meaning the entire plantation.


    After seeing one caravan, they lost their charm and the noise became annoying. The rest of the journey resumed to the same monotonous travelling.


    Daisy felt relieved she joined the guys. She endured the stench in the cabin. She endured a lot.


    She did gain quite a bit as well. This journey to the Third reinforcement camp was absurd. People mistook the size of the world.


    This was actually quite the topic now. Many people were stranded on one of the four main roads. Just like Daisy had been.


    Perpetuity of course has a map of its land. While not every map is detailed, it does show the general size of things. But even the map is misleading.


    After the size of the city Perpetuity got revealed, so did the surround areas. This is due to the actual maps being put into perspective.


    It did not take Dart long to find this information as it was popular. The city was so enormous that people could travel it for months and never sleep in the same place.


    The streets were enormous with underground tunnels for logistic reasons. The city streets were filled with people, and no room for wagons upon wagons.


    Most of the cities energy went into public transportation. These were also underground tunnels. Except these were for the public and not an influx of food.


    The energy came almost entirely from the underground river. But it was limited. Most of it was used to move food into the city and help with public transportation.


    Dart was reading these things in a related thread. When he got a clear image of the size he tried to figure out how long they had to travel.


    His guess was at least two weeks. He couldn¡¯t get a perfect estimate. But he did have the general speed of the wagons.


    They were going somewhere between ten to twenty kilometers per hour. This wasn¡¯t all that accurate but it was a ballpark figure.


    This meant this would take two to four weeks. They were already two and half week in at his point. They had stopped many different villages, all almost identical.


    Perpetual Power might have made a mistake here. Or perhaps they didn¡¯t want people to advanced to fast. Whatever it was, the villages looking exactly the same felt eerie to people.


    The days continued to roll on. The guys felt sick of all this traveling. Even Sorp was feeling the wear and tear of the travel.


    They didn¡¯t have many things to say at this point. The group spent most of their time now on their palm devices. Only when they got drunk did it get hectic.


    In this way the spent their time until they finally arrived at the Third reinforcement camp. Perhaps the one most relieved was Daisy.


    She had to spend her in small enclosed wooden box, with nothing for company but six guys. Only in villages could see find some alone time. And half of that time, Jarem would look for her.


    She didn¡¯t hate Jarem, but she did feel a bit fed up with him. As they spent almost all their time together. Jarem wasn¡¯t exactly happy with her, but he was a slave to his desires like most men.


    The camp was enormous. It was just outside the plantations. The road kept going but the plantations were no longer on either side.


    The trip had taken them two weeks and four days. A staggering distance for most. And this was riding corses the entire journey.


    There were a lot of people in the camp. These were all presumed to be virtual humans. As it felt impossible for anyone be faster than them.


    In the surroundings various shouting could be heard. This shouting was synchronous. Clearly groups of people were training together.


    It is possible to see people running around in tight formation. Once they entered a building the compass directed them to, they found a stern looking man.


    ¡°New arrivals?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We just arrived.¡±


    ¡°A bit filthy, no?¡±


    They were filthy. The last town they entered was over five days ago. They hadn¡¯t found another on the way. Leading to them sweating through their clothes, they all stank.


    ¡°We got animals outside, can we let them rest somewhere?¡±


    Ret really did care for the animals. This is why he took it on himself to make sure they were treated alright.


    ¡°You can bring them to the stables. Or if you want to train them you can bring them to the beastiary.¡±


    After a quick discussion they decided on sending them to bestiary. Even after finding out the cost of the training. Ret wanted to take part in it and left with the beasts.


    The six leftover continued on with the Third wave reinforcement training camp. Contrary to what they thought, they had to pay to enroll.


    The tuition could be reduced or paid back in full if they satisfied certain conditions. In truth these were just long term contracts within the training grounds.


    There was no hesitation. They all paid their way in. Jarem didn¡¯t offer to pay Daisy¡¯s way, as the price was too high.


    Surprisingly, she had no issue paying it herself. As it turned out she was actually wealthy. How wealthy, she didn¡¯t want to say, but this tuition meant nothing to her.


    She was planning on dumping Jarem. Not being dependant on that cursed wagon, she felt liberated and free to part ways.


    ¡°Jarem. We¡¯re over.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Good luck.¡±


    Jarem really was easy going. And he wasn¡¯t dumb. He realized long ago that she didn¡¯t want to be with him. He still milked the situation, sticking to her like rice when they could be alone.


    She felt a bit annoyed at how easily he accepted this brutal dumping she was administering. She felt that he wasn¡¯t sad enough about losing her.


    This feeling wasn¡¯t new to her. She felt like she was losing all over again. This made her even more irritated. But she isn¡¯t a spiteful person and only cursed him in her head.


    ¡°Your training begins tomorrow. We will have private Denson here escort you to your rooms.¡±


    As it turned out, they were all placed in the same wing. All six of them were in a wing one hundred fifty five.


    Daisy wasn¡¯t too happy about it, she mumbled something about not feeling safe with these animals around. She did feel relieved to see other women around though.

 Chapter nineteen: Train me.

    ¡°What do you think they¡¯ll make us do?¡±


    ¡°Run? A lot of people are running.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Looks like it.¡±


    ¡°I might join Ret then. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll make him run if he¡¯s there to train animals.¡±


    ¡°You already paid the tuition.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t get it back?¡±


    ¡°What do I know?¡±


    Pal and Kom were chatting. They were making their way to breakfast. Sorp had already gone, as he was taking this very seriously.


    What he was taking seriously was the food. The food here was a step above the nonsense they had been eating during their long journey.


    The trainees in the cafeteria were baffled by the amount of food Sorp was eating. His actions were not slow or fast, but he never seemed to stop.


    ¡°Look, Sorp is already here.¡±


    After eating their fill they returned to rooms. In a few moments they have to go to their official instructor and begin their training.


    Once they arrived to the training hall labeled training hall sixty five. They see sixty to eighty people lined up. Some still getting in position.


    ¡°Is this the right place?¡±


    ¡°The compass has never been wrong before and this hall sixty five.¡±


    The group has dressed in new clothing. The outfits are tight fitted but don¡¯t hamper movement. If anything they are happy to be wearing something different than beginner clothing.


    Once the hall¡¯s doors closed a man in a black and dark red uniform walked onto the stage.


    ¡°Welcome everyone. Today we welcome six new additions to our squadron.¡±


    The crowd collectively let out a shout. The words ¡®third wave¡¯ echoed through the room. The official cry of the Third wave reinforcement camp.


    ¡°I expect you to guide our new arrivals. Today we gathered here to greet them.¡±


    The man let his word travel the room for a moment.


    ¡°They will be behind you in every aspect of training. I expect you all to show what your worth. To a figure to aim for.¡±


    The crowd shouted once again, making the room feel like it was shaking.


    ¡°I want to ask the new arrivals to come up here.¡±


    The group felt a bit odd but no one hesitated to make their way up the stage. Their lineup looked lackluster as only Pal¡¯s and Sorp¡¯s posture was adequate.


    ¡°Introduce yourself. Starting with the word trainee.¡±


    Sorp looked at the man. He felt this man would be strong. This was his instincts talking.


    ¡°Trainee Sorp.¡±


    ¡°Trainee Pal.¡±


    ¡°Trainee Dart.¡±


    ¡°Trainee Jarem.¡±


    ¡°Trainee Kom.¡±


    ¡°Trainee Daisy.¡±


    Only Sorp and Kom didn¡¯t feel embarrassed shouting their names. One was indifferent to it while the other relished the attention.


    ¡°Good! Good! I like your spirit. You can return.¡±


    While they returned the room turned silent, only their footsteps could be heard. Kom looked enthusiastically about. His eyes as wide as his smile.


    Pal similarly had a dangerous look in his eyes. Thousands of schemes budding in his mind.


    All of them were given the crowd at least a glancing look. Sorp estimated that these people were weak. He only felt that the instructor was worth his time.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Once they got back into formation the instructor gestured everyone to be quiet.


    ¡°It is always good remember the Third wave reinforcement motto. Endurance.¡±


    What follows was the same synchronous shouting of ¡®Third wave¡¯.


    ¡°The Third wave reinforcement focuses on endurance. You will learn all manner of survival but we must build a foundation. And that foundation is one one word. Endurance.¡±


    The man didn¡¯t continue speaking instead he let the room sit in silence.


    ¡°You will find your body and will tested.¡±


    With those as his final words he ordered them to the field. The groups split up into groups of fifteen. Summing up to ninety people.


    Each group lead by two different instructors. A man and a woman.


    The group they were assigned to coincidentally or not had more women than men. They ended up with the ratio of seven women and eight men.


    ¡°We¡¯ll begin with a basic B.F.M. exercise.¡±


    The female instructor walks forward. Her B.F.M. projected out a short sword.


    ¡°The quickest way to improve your B.F.M. endurance is to push yourself to your limit.¡±


    In front of everyone, her short sword began vibrating. This was hard to detect but once focused on it, was possible to see it with the naked eye.


    ¡°B.F.M.¡¯s do not require much to maintain them while they are out. The average person should be able to summon their weapon for hours without rest.¡±


    The people dully nodded and kept listening. This explanation was for Sorp and the guys.


    ¡°To expedite this we can a simple trick called shaking. You do this by vibrating your B.F.M. I want you to take out your weapon and practice shaking.¡±


    The guys were looking at the instructor with an odd expression. They felt this was stupid. Sorp did summon his B.F.M.


    Seeing as Sorp was following instructions, they couldn¡¯t really stall any longer. Soon everyone''s weapon was out and they all stood there trying make vibrate.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    Kom was instantly frustrated. He tried shaking his weapon with his hands. This didn¡¯t result in anything.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Most people don¡¯t get the first time. Let me help you.¡±


    The female instructor was quick to help Kom. she got behind hand put her hands on his hands.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to make sure you stand perfectly still. It''s not about physically shaking, but using your mind to move your B.F.M.¡±


    Kom isn¡¯t inexperienced but feeling the instructors body pressed against his back and her hand on him, he couldn¡¯t help but feel flustered, his face lit red.


    Pal¡¯s eyebrows shot up at the sight.


    ¡°Miss. I also can¡¯t get it moving, can you help me get it up?¡±


    The words were a bit off. Jarem looked at Pal and laughed. Dart, Daisy and Sorp were focusing on their B.F.M.¡¯s.


    When Pal¡¯s word left him he looked expectantly at the female instructor.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you buddy.¡±


    Pal froze for a moment. Before he knew what was happening, a muscular hand was on his. The raspy voice made his soul shiver.


    Jarem couldn¡¯t hold it in and let out an uncontrolled laugh. This made pal go from pale to red. Someone was going to get hurt, Pal had to regain some face.


    Just as Pal was about to lose it, a gasp came from the female instructor. She was looking at Sorp. His sword was vibrating with vigour.


    Sorp felt the fatigue build up. It was like he had cut his main artery and he was bleeding out. He felt his head was getting lighter.


    ¡°Good! Just like that. When you feel the fog you can stop.¡±


    Kom felt a bit annoyed. He even thought Sorp did it intentionally to snag away the instructor.


    was grateful that he wasn¡¯t being held by a man anymore. He was still angry but wasn¡¯t going to step on Sorp¡¯s toes.


    Even with Sorp vibrating his sword he was holding on for a while. Dart began vibrating his summon machete B.F.M.


    The original B.F.M.¡¯s were designed to be artificial limbs and therefore should be used like one.


    When Dart practiced using the navigation system using only his mind, he was using the same mechanic the B.F.M. use. To move something like it was a part of their body.


    ¡°A useful trick to is to imagine the weapon to be your hand and then shake it.¡±


    This was Dart speaking. To him it was obvious what to do. But the instructors are virtual humans, their experience with B.F.M. is slightly different.


    ¡°What do you mean Dart?¡±


    ¡°Pretend the B.F.M. is your hand and shake it without actually moving your hand.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The instructors were baffled. One person succeeding on their own was one thing. Two people is amazing. But to actually instructing people right off the bat was unbelievable.


    When Sorp met his limit, Dart was already staggering.


    ¡°Good, trainee Dart. What you need to is sit down and focus on your B.F.M.


    Dart sat down and held machete with both of his hands.


    ¡°You¡¯ll feel yourself lose more and more focus.¡±


    Dart nodded in acknowledgement, his mind was like sieve, constantly losing water.


    ¡°We know this is an uncomfortable feeling. The longer you hold your focus the more you improve.¡±


    Sorp was now sitting on the floor with his short sword out. All that existed was this short sword. Both Dart and Sorp lost themselves.


    This state was hard not to enter once the fatigue hit them, all they could do was focus on their B.F.M.


    In this state, their eyes felt heavier and heavier. A sort of illusory pressure rests on you, like being tucked into a blanket.


    ¡°Alright everyone keep going. You¡¯ll get it eventually, everybody does.¡±


    Most of the usual people here were already vibrating their B.F.M. or sitting on the floor. Kom, Pal, Jarem and Daisy were still struggling to get the vibration to work.


    Daisy waited for the Male instructor to walk by her to ask for help. He was quick to wrap himself around her and in his raspy voice guide her.


    Jarem was surprisingly irritated at this. He had to close his eyes to contain himself. For some reason this helped him focus. His B.F.M. began vibrating.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing it! Look! I¡¯m doing it!¡±


    ¡°Great job, Trainee Jarem! We got some really talented people here today.¡±


    Being compliment made Jarem feel ecstatic. His smile so wide it felt a bit painful.


    When Sorp and Dart lost their focus, Jarem was just about to enter fog fatigue.


    ¡°Good. Trainee Sorp and Dart, you can take some time to rest. If you feel up to it, you should try again. Only through repetition can you improve.¡±


    Sorp forced himself to look up and nod. Dart ignored the instructor. He was thinking this wasn¡¯t worth it. Moreover he didn¡¯t like losing control like that.


    It took some doing but eventually Daisy, Pal and Kom succeeded in vibrating their weapons. All of them except for Sorp felt this too taxing.


    It wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience. And not even someone as observant as Sorp could feel improvement.


    ¡°Remember guys. This exercise is to improve your endurance but you will find it will help you control your B.F.M.¡¯s in the future.¡±


    Most of the crowd had their eyes closed but the two instructors keep talking sporadically.


    ¡°This is not a race, but a marathon. Every session will increase your endurance. And that endurance will be you foundation in the future.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until the afternoon that the group finally stopped. Somehow Sorp found the space for even more food.


    After launch they went onto another class. This time around they were exercising their physical body. Beginning with an half hour of running.


    ¡°Alright everyone take a few breaths and rest. In a moment we will begin practicing using a weapon of your choice.¡±


    Most of the group was breathing heavily but Dart, Pal, kom and jarem were weezing. Daisy couldn¡¯t help but look down on them.


    ¡°In the back you¡¯ll find any variety of basic close combat weapons. There are basic instructions of beginner movements you should follow.¡±


    Sorp went directly to the back. He was familiar with most of the weapons, but he had never trained in any of them.


    ¡°What weapons do you guys like?¡±


    ¡°Do I have to like one? Can¡¯t I be a logistic guy or something.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a bitch Kom.¡±


    ¡°You face is is a bitch. Bitch.¡±


    ¡°Alright, pick a weapon then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I want. Actually this sabre would look good in your face.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t lie, that¡¯s a good looking sabre.¡±


    Sorp picked a long sword. He felt his was more satisfying than the short sword.


    ¡°We will be inspecting you and helping you practice in the right form. Remember that the right form allows you distribute your strength more efficiently.¡±

 Chapter twenty: On with it.

    ¡°Good job. Good form. Your shoulders should should be a bit lower. Raise your right knee a degree.¡±


    The group was seriously questioning what they were doing here. Daisy and Sorp were the only ones feeling good about training themselves.


    While Perpetual Power didn¡¯t directly say that the world Perpetuity isn¡¯t just a game, they heavily implied that It was much more.


    For many people it was dawning on them. The group right now felt it more than most. It was apparent they were really just training. What did they need to train for? This was how they felt.


    ¡°While it is good to master a single weapon, it is good to try out different weapons. Not only to see if you like it but also to expand your horizon.¡±


    Daisy had told the guys she was going to begin recording yesterday. In truth, only Dart didn¡¯t want her to. But it wasn¡¯t as big a deal as he made it out to be.


    Her currently following reached thousands on the first day. Because she had reached the Third wave reinforcement camp. And was the only source of information about it.


    Today, as the day progressed, she had over a hundred thousand people watching her and thousands spamming her chat. All she did was train She didn¡¯t even interact with her viewers.


    ¡°Remember, it''s not about power. It¡¯s about form, you want to make sure your actions are efficient. Power comes later.¡±


    Sorp was practicing with different weapons. He leaned towards the heavier weapons, their weight felt right.


    The weapons ranged from swords, hammers, axes, spears and staves. The rest wasn¡¯t heavy enough.


    There are a few types of weapon within each type of weapon but in the end no one here understood the difference.


    The practice lasted about two hours. Leaving the group sweating like pigs. Daisy and Sorp were still alright. Their physical fitness above Pal, Kom, Jarem and Dart.


    ¡°I wonder what Ret is doing.¡±


    ¡°Ask him. He¡¯s still in the party.¡±


    Ret couldn¡¯t hear them talking. Had they been talking in an exclusive party chat, he could have. But they were also talking to instructors and it would be inconvenient to switch back and forth.


    ¡°Nawh. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going now?¡±


    ¡°According to the training schedule, we¡¯re going to study basic survival and then dinner after that.¡±


    For the first time that they entered this world, they saw something that looked high tech. The tables in the room all equipped something exotic.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Everybody, pick a table and sit down.¡±


    The tables were smooth, on them is a screen with various icons.


    ¡°Because of new arrivals we¡¯ll be splitting the group up a bit. The six of you please follow my instructions. The rest of you can review material or continue where we left of.¡±


    The fist half hour consisted of teaching them how to use this table. This table held thousands of virtual materials they could directly work with.


    This means they could practice lighting fires. Create medical compounds. They could learn to cook with meagre supplies. Everything you needed to know, to survive.


    These tables would later also serve as a station to practice any of the professions. But that wouldn¡¯t be here.


    This institute focused on survival. While you can argue that any profession has its place when the vague term survival comes in, the camp as a very distinct plan.


    ¡°If you can stuck at any point, one of us will come assist you.¡±


    The studies ranged from how to to recognize useful materials, how to check if something is etable, how create simple things like gauss to tracking beasts.


    Some of these subjects are shallow, but many are in depth and will take months or even years to cover. In all likelihood, only basics will be covered here.


    ¡°Guys. What is going on?¡±


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Are we in school?¡±


    ¡°School?¡±


    ¡°This is school?¡±


    All of them except for Dart were frowning. Even Daisy didn¡¯t like this. Sorp had navigated to a book explaining various hows and whys of treating a wound.


    He waved his fingers and the pages began flipping. He had never read something so long. This was tens of pages of solid text.


    ¡°If you guys, prefer you can listen to audiobooks. You can also bring up text with video that shows material relevant to the text.¡±


    Everyone of them brought this option up. They were now watching soft fabric, some raw unprocessed materials. A man¡¯s voice was narrating the text.


    With images, a voice talking to them and simultaneously reading the text annotation, the group fell into silence. They looked like they were in trance.


    This wasn¡¯t because it was so interesting. This is Perpetual Power at work. In a way they have been hypnotised. Another of of Perpetual Power¡¯s questionable tools.


    Traditional hypnosis typically requires a willing participant or at least one that listens to and adheres to specific instructions. In the virtual world this isn¡¯t needed.


    People that were paranoid that Perpetual Power might be able to mess with their mind were right to be paranoid. This is exactly what they were afraid of.


    The only thing they were wrong about, was how it would be used. Perpetual Power used it to educate people.


    This is something that came along when they realized that their crafting professions were far to in depth. Almost impossible to study on your own.


    While many people with burning ambition would still persevere. Perpetual Power wanted more out of people. And this is one of their most successful solutions.


    They also tried installing the information straight into peoples minds. This did not go well. The failure rate was high and on occasion would cause brain hemorrhage.


    There were great success. Like a person learning the entire database of languages in a week. But the failure rate wasn¡¯t only high, but also unexplained.


    Without an explanation to the failure, they couldn¡¯t do anything to fix it. This forced them into focusing on hypnosis and low levels of data streaming.


    Right now the group was being fed the information. This is a slow process, but its effectiveness is undisputed.


    This won¡¯t make them geniuses, they will still have to practice their knowledge. For the most part, they will have to rely on themselves to practice what they learn.


    When actually using their knowledge, they require more autonomy, meaning they can¡¯t be under hypnosis.


    It wasn¡¯t impossible to practice under the effect of hypnosis but when in the field they had to rely on themselves, and all the practice would fall short of doing it themselves.


    ¡°I feel weird.¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    After snapping out of their lesson the six can¡¯t help but feel confused. Never in their lives did they possess things kind of focus.


    ¡°Alright everyone. We got about forty minutes before dinner. Until then, you six will try out some practical exercises.¡±


    The instructor began waving his hands. He was navigating through his own table. When he was done, some translucent materials appeared.


    It was mostly plant fibres and the like.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to assume you have gathered something similar in the wild. What we want to do is process the materials into something more agreeable.¡±


    This was a part of what they had just learned. Majority of it was how to identify the right plants.


    ¡°Huh. wait, I can touch these?¡±


    It took them a moment to summon the materials in place. Their hands began working the plants into smaller strips.


    ¡°Good everyone. Tomorrow we¡¯ll work on actually using these processed plant fibres to create things like gauss.¡±


    After dinner they still had to train their bodies and train their B.F.M. endurance after that. When they finally had free time it was already dark out.


    ¡°This is slave labour.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in my prime. I can¡¯t be doing these things. If I see another B.F.M. vibrate I¡¯m going to explode.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in your prime? I could at least hold on for entire duration.¡±


    ¡°Pal, you held on because you were slacking. I was keeping up with Sorp.¡±


    ¡°Jarem, You weren¡¯t keeping up with anyone.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t but into this Kom. This is between me and Pal.¡±


    ¡°Where did your girlfriend go Jarem?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Also she dumped me already.¡±


    ¡°That was great, ye.¡±


    ¡°Get up, we¡¯re fighting.¡±


    Despite being dead tired, the guys had the energy to mess about. Dart was resting, reading about the tables they had used earlier.


    He found out that he could access them anytime he was free. This meant he could use it to study under its effects. He couldn¡¯t get it out of his mind.


    There is a limit to what the table will offer in terms to study materials. If he takes on a profession, he¡¯ll be able to access more. This was how professions will progress in the future.


    Once a person reaches a limit in theoretical studies, they¡¯ll have to prove themselves through creating something. This will be done through contracts.


    Like all assignments, failing will result in punishment. These assignment require a specific knowledge in the related field. Proven through a written test.


    People can have multiple professions, the basic theoretical knowledge is given free. To progress beyond the basics, a person has to complete assignments.


    They can also find certain relics that are related to the specific field. This they can turn in for access to higher knowledge. These relics can be sold. Presumably for high price.


    It only takes a few months to study all basic professions. It is encouraged, as it could help them survive in the future.


    Dart was currently trying to figure out how to receive a profession. All the answers he found lead back to Perpetuity. He was not satisfied with this and went out to find an instructor.


    ¡°Where is he going?¡±


    ¡°Poop?¡±


    ¡°Ah probably.¡±


    ¡°Eh, Sorp has to go to?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the martial arts hall to practice. You can join.¡±


    ¡°No thank you. Jesus. We only just sat down.¡±


    ¡°The man is a beast.¡±


    ¡°Jarem.¡±


    ¡°Ye?¡±


    ¡°That Daisy. She¡¯s on the market right?¡±


    ¡°Forget about it. I¡¯m working on an angle for a booty call.¡±


    ¡°Tsch. Wish Ret was here. Kom want to go check out some of the potential here?¡±


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯m listening. What you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Remember those chicks from launch? I overheard them talking about a gathering.¡±


    ¡°I heard that to. Let¡¯s go. I already marked it on my map.¡±


    ¡°Good man. I¡¯m taking a shower first.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll join you.¡±


    ¡°Guys. I¡¯m coming to. I¡¯m not staying here alone.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but we got dibs on the first two.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want.¡±


    There are multiple places to relax in the camp. The camp assumes people will stay here for months and provides people venues for entertainment.


    The main crux of the issue is that these places, while lax at times, are under constant surveillance.


    This means that any report of a crime is dealt with fast. Unlike the ambiguity of the city, the camp deals with all internal matters.


    They do this because they are a branch of the government, possessing the authority granted to them by the government.


    To say there are no crimes would be dishonest. The crimes will go unpunished in cases where the victim or any witnesses report the crime.


    There are of course crimes that will be detected, this includes things like theft, vandalism and so on. These do not need to be reported and will most likely be discovered and dealt with.


    To say that they are living under a dystopian surveillance state, is not wrong. And in the camp, they are not hampered by the quantity of offences committed.


    The guys will have to be careful not to commit acts so heinous that they could be imprisoned for them.


    Most minor violations end result in a punishment. This is usually a contract with heavy fines if they are not fulfilled. Sometimes too hard to complete, they can be seen as just fines for many.

 Chapter twenty one: Drudgery.

    Three weeks into the training, every last one of the guys has a full grasp on the theoretical knowledge for surviving.


    Majority of the time people are practicing how to utilize their knowledge. This comes down to talent, time spent practicing and passion for the work.


    In some areas, people excel. In others they fall behind. But with a foundation of knowledge to work with, everything becomes smooth.


    It still requires some repetition to properly instill the knowledge. While once over the material is fast and efficient, it still takes a few rounds to establish a strong foundation.


    With three weeks on their back. The guys and Daisy have adjusted to the life in the Third wave reinforcement camp. Everyone more people enter the camp.


    Daisy as skyrocketed in popularity. Even with the tasks she does are mundane, she is still a beautiful woman. Adding to that, she is still considers one of the leaders in progress.


    In the real world, one week is about to pass since the release of Perpetual Power¡¯s Perpetuity. That is six weeks in Perpetuity¡¯s time. Diluted by a factor of six.


    The time dilution makes watchings content made by People in perpetuity difficult. For one, any live broadcast is impossible. The speed would too fast to keep up with.


    To compensate for this expected consequence, Perpetual Power has created A.I. editor system that, through various parameters, cuts out majority of dead content.


    This program can¡¯t be called perfect, but it does make it possible for anyone to jump into the scene. Which is the goal, more accessibility.


    Perpetual Power also promotes through thousands of celebrities. Like Sorp. Sorp has a standing offer to begin creating content related to Perpetuity.


    The problem was that he was only promised he¡¯d be advertised. This didn¡¯t register with Sorp and the guys.


    An outsider can easily see this an opportunity to increase the value of the Sorp brand. The vicious fighter.


    But being inexperienced, they do not see the value of investing into themselves. And fame is something Sorp doesn¡¯t want.


    Ret and Pal are afraid of becoming notorious. Kom and jarem might welcome it. Dart is afraid of the publicity. In the end, none of them broadcast anything.


    Sorp did however agree to some terms. Any footage of Sorp can be directly ¡®bought¡¯ by Perpetual Power. This is a clause included into the agreement he signed for the virtual machine.


    Not being a lawyer, Sorp never even considered these things. While Dart and Kom read over the contract, their abilities are limited.


    Sorp still has the possibility of getting out of this contract by simply buying the device. There are also outstanding offers to do more promotional work.


    While that promotional work doesn''t directly affect the contract, it a means to mitigate the cost of buying another device.


    This all sounded restricted and underhanded. But in a world where food and living quarters are given out free. Restrictions come all to often.


    The poor were still poor. Their nutrition, maybe not lacking, but it was unappetizing. While the housing was adequate, the neighbor didn¡¯t have to be.


    The the advancement of technology, it became possible to produce more food, and the only ones to labour were the machines.


    In theory, this should be a state of utopia. But there is always something to fight for. There are still limited resources.


    What people understood was even with cameras on every corner, there was no way to filter through all this continuous data. Storing it was even less feasible.


    Places like the Ring are not uncommon, over seventy percent of the entire population live in crime ridden zones.


    Too many people, too much data, not enough processing power to monitor it all. This was how things were.


    One might think, shouldn¡¯t it be the same in the virtual world? It might seem that way to the layman, but virtual reality data is controlled.


    It is controlled in every sense. They created the means that crates all data inside the virtual world. They also know how to filter through it with great efficiency.


    It''s not an exaggeration to say, that to a degree, every living person could be monitored simultaneously.


    This is monitoring in the sense, they can actually set up parameters to detect any illegal action, if there are any.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Not only do they do this, but they gather specific information from every user in Perpetuity. This information used in research purposes, nefarious or not. This is a truth.


    One of the most important research conducted, is the development of the human brain, while using a B.F.M.


    The technology is still to young to predict any long term effects. It can¡¯t be said to be safe or dangerous. There just isn¡¯t enough data to work with.


    A year in the virtual would should give them more reliable data than they ever had before. Two years doubles that. This can be seen as research data worth six years instead of just two.


    Perpetual Power did not have to lie to people about these things. People accepted them all. In actual fact, Perpetual Power had more power than this.


    Every person inside Perpetuity has nanomachines coursing through their veins. There is nothing stopping Perpetual Power from using them to kill billions.


    But this was the world they lived in. Lives aren¡¯t worth anything, they were instead an continuous sink on the economy.


    A stark fraction of a fraction of the population actually brought more wealth into than it they took from it. This only grew as time went on.


    Perpetuity is a solution of sorts. If things go as expected, birth rate will crash. Eventually humanity will be only a shell of its former self.


    Of the reasons for this is a lack of resources. Already this can be seen. The technology to better the world is here. But to better the world meant more people.


    This lends to a vicious cycle that ends with humanity eating its tail. The solution is technology and more resources.


    Even with grand expeditions to outer space, fishing in meteors, moons or planets it is still unstainable. This is why there is a Perpetual Power. Why there is a Perpetuity.


    According to Perpetual Power¡¯s calculation, they only need thirty percent of the population to stop procreating.


    With that they can complete plans to set up space stations, working as a middle man between them and other planets. Only then will resources no longer be a problem.


    With that, the Earth can be salvaged without genocide or mass starvation. Anything else is irrelevant, even immoral experimentation.


    Sorp and his friends wouldn''t understand any of these things. But this was the reason why they had this new lease on life.


    Although Sorp didn¡¯t care for the fame he gained, it was still there. And his fans knew he was in Perpetuity. What¡¯s more they now know where he is.


    With the weeks of broadcasting Daisy performed, she grew more popular. With popularity, people that knew who Sorp was came in.


    While his face and voice as blurred. His massive figure stood out. It was still speculation, but couldn¡¯t they just ask Daisy?


    Her response was she couldn¡¯t say. But that was just as good as conforming it. Clearly Sorp was right there in the camp.


    The guys knew Daisy was broadcasting since day one of the camp. They would also check in on her live broadcast. They would see her views chat.


    When Dart informed Sorp about this development, Sorp shrugged. He didn¡¯t care. Most of his time was spent on training. He saw purpose and enjoyment it.


    Sorp always acted on his wants and desires. Sometimes he was swayed by his brothers, this was also part of his wants and desires.


    If Sorp was his own person, the his brothers were a part of him. In action, he proved this time and time again.


    Right now, things were quiet. Dart was especially busy trying to study one profession after another.


    Pal, Kom and jarem went through the motions. Neither bored or entertained. They never had this kind of discipline. Someone pushing them.


    Ret didn¡¯t need this either. He found the beasts to be kindred spirits. He himself had no idea why he felt so strongly.


    Ret was not alone in training beasts. Every few days a new person or two would join the program. They lived with the beasts, fed them, groomed them and trained them.


    These beasts were all docile. Bread due to their calm nature. But these skills could also be used to tame wild beasts. A valued ability to have.


    Daisy was excelling on her own. While she was still lacking when compared to Din, she was second in all other aspects.


    Only in practicing making survival related items did she defeat him, only to lose to Dart. These are still remarkable achievements.


    The training in the Third wave reinforcement can be seen in two parts. One a threshold to endurance. Two practical application of survival studies.


    Sorp has exceeded the endurance threshold. He managed this by the first week. This wasn¡¯t because he had talent for it. He practiced every moment he was awake.


    Unlike Kom, Jarem and Pal. Sorp never left to relax. Sorp found himself in his training. Even the studying, though he did not have as much passion for it.


    Similarly the others didn¡¯t hate this type of discipline. It appeared contrary to their previous behaviour. And it was.


    They still lacked passion for it, but they didn¡¯t reject it. In this way they spent their free time messing about instead of mimicking Sorp and practicing.


    Then there was Ret. He was separated from the others, but not by much more than a short stroll away. But he still didn¡¯t spend too much time with Jarem, Kom and Pal.


    His work never ended. He could hand duties to others, yet he rarely did. He also had to train his endurance like the others. He also had to learn miscellaneous survival trivia.


    On top of this all, he had to spend time with the beasts. He had to know how their B.F.M.¡¯s worked.


    Unlike controlling a normal beasts to travel from point a to point b, he had to control them to react to combative situations.


    This was the reason that most cavalry troops will use static B.F.M.¡¯s and most of them time they would use a non B.F.M. weapons until the situation force them to bring their B.F.M¡¯s out.


    They did this because most of their mental resources went into controlling the actual beasts. The better the beasts was trained, the less they had to do.


    In this way, a beginner will struggle just to not sabotage themselves. And because of this, the contrary result of beast tamers saw more combat training than expected.


    They had to not only protect themselves, but also their beasts. A death of a beast was nothing short of devastating. Most would rather recall their beast and let themselves die in their stead.


    At least if they died, they only lost some time, their items and some Vcoins. This is often nothing in comparison to a trained and beloved companion.


    Out of the multiple types of training, most were put into either general taming, these beasts would be controllable through any B.F.M.


    Then there were more specialized tamed beasts. These beasts almost had their own will, they¡¯d listen to voice commands, and would fight even without B.F.M.¡¯s


    The latter have obvious advantages. But they are far harder to train. Meaning they are more expensive and often the tamers are attached to them. And the beast to their tamers.


    These were the things of things Ret was learning. His goal was now to tame his own wild beast, instead of the low risk, domesticated corses and so on.


    After the group achieves the required threshold and an adequate time passes, they will receive contracts. These contracts will test what they have learned so far.


    Once this contract is finished. They will be considered graduated. If they fail. They¡¯ll have to reroll into the training camp and wait the entire four to six weeks again.


    This window for a contract will soon begin. Within two weeks they¡¯ll have to officially begin their excursion. They¡¯ll have a standard B.F.M. and a non B.F.M. weapon.


    Outside a small ration of food, meant to last two days, they¡¯ll have to manage everything else by themselves.


    For now, the team is still reaching the required threshold. If, after two weeks they still do not meet the requirements, they can only wait four additional weeks for another contract.


    The entire team understands this. Four weeks of training may not seem long, but to them it¡¯s quite the haul. Wanting to proceed to the next checkpoint is understandable.


    It is still not possible to see the quantity of ones B.F.M. endurance. This sort of thing will be done in a one or two months.


    After two to three months of data accumulation, they believe they¡¯ll have enough information to estimate future growth, the average statistic of individuals.


    Following that, they¡¯ll be able to properly quantify, in numbers, how much endurance each individual has in comparison to the rest of the population.


    Until then, they are compared to their own base endurance. Meaning from the time they arrived in Perpetuity. These statistics are not worth much by themselves and therefore not shown.


    The endurance statistics are used to measure against a person base increase in growth, and allow them to eligible for the promotional contract.


    Later this will change to actual hard baselines based on the population as a whole. This will lead to increase in difficulty but also a more adjusted foundation.

 Chapter twenty two: Survive.

    ¡°This is not a team exercise. You are to test you ability survive on your own, with nothing but the bare essentials.¡±


    The bare essentials are items people predictably should have. As people have inventory, it is not unreasonable to assume they have a knife.


    ¡°You are not allowed to use anything in your inventory. You will be assigned a single knife and rations enough for a single day.¡±


    The group was sitting down a large room. A man and woman standing on stage. One was speaking while the other presented items.


    ¡°Anyone eligible to take the test will have to sign up at least a day in advance. If you are not eligible, you still have two weeks to meet the deadline.¡±


    Everyone in the room knew these things, but they still went through with explanations. They are meant to go out in the undeveloped parts.


    ¡°Remember to plan ahead. The forest is a dangerous area and you will have to rely on yourself to survive.¡±


    This is a forested area, in it lives multiple type of beasts, almost all predatory.


    A part of the task is to find and gather three types of beneficial herbs. These herbs are used to create makeshift bandages and a concoction that slows or stops bleeding.


    It is not feasible to ask the participants to self harm, so just creating the products is considered good enough.


    On top of that, they¡¯ll have to hunt for food, search for water. They¡¯ll have to create an adequate place to sleep with rudimentary alarms.


    The alarms double as traps. This is the riskiest part of the journey. A failure to create a suitable shelter to sleep can easily lead to death. Especially when prolonged.


    In addition to this, it is expected they find two different harmful herbs. These are used to smear on weapons, added to traps or used to repel animals.


    Lastly, it is expected that they hunt three different animals. This means different species. This can be done through harmless critters. But finding these in the forest is difficult.


    Outside of expectations, the contract for the test states that it may last up to four weeks. This marks the end of current attempts and beginning of the next batch.


    Four weeks is long for the strong, but too short for the weak. Every step of the way might be dangerous.


    Not enough sleep, lack of food, no water, poisonous plants and ferocious beasts. These things could all lead to death.


    It might seem unlikely that they¡¯d starve, but water can be a real problem. The pebble in the river, the whole land that Perpetuity stands on, has no natural water sources.


    Almost all water is the consequence of rain, the rivers merging creating perpetual rain or the river that Perpetuity has full control of.


    In the forest, water is still there. It is usually guarded by a beast of some sort, in most cases these animals are either very strong or pack animals.


    The rain can always be relied on, never does a week go by without some rain. But these things can still be devastating.


    Perpetuity could demolish this forest. They choose not to. They instead send beasts into it. Going so far as to plant more trees to make the forest larger.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I go with Sorp? This is bullshit.¡±


    ¡°Ye, I¡¯m not onboard with this at all.¡±


    ¡°Ret told me he can bring a beast with him. What kind of bullshit is that?¡±


    ¡°What!? That¡¯s unfair.¡±


    The tamers did have to take their beast with them. Unlike the others, a senior tamer would follow along, hidden. To protect the beast.


    They would let the people suffer and die, and only move when the beasts was in real danger. They did this because the beasts are far more valuable.


    ¡°We can still meet up once inside the forest.¡±


    ¡°Right! We can just stay in a party and use the compasses.¡±


    This genius plans would fail. This is still a virtual world. Disabling some features is not a problem. They will not be able find each other with such ease.


    ¡°Good, we¡¯ll do that then. This¡¯ll be a breeze.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°But can you sign up for the test now?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just a bit behind on the endurance. But I¡¯m really close.¡±


    ¡°Same here.¡±


    They can¡¯t be said to be doing bad. The general estimated time was four weeks. Give or a take a week. They are still with respectable means.


    Daisy and Sorp can take the contract right away. They would be the first people to take this test. But soon thousands may follow.


    Once the way to train their B.F.M. became more open knowledge, the bottleneck for the test becomes the fundamental studies. Assuming they train before entering the training camp.


    This forest is one of instanced zones. This means there are multiple instances of this forest. The total number of people that can enter it at once limited.


    Its size is still capable of handling up to a thousand people, but this also makes meeting other people more common and is detrimental to the test in general.


    Daisy was going to go grab the contract once this presentation was over. Unsurprisingly, so was Sorp. he had fulfilled the bare minimum requirements.


    ¡°Are you serious Sorp? What about us?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t be fine! How can you do this to your brothers!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a test. How hard can it be, Kom? Me and Jarem aren¡¯t worried.¡±


    ¡°Pal, don¡¯t tell me you are confident in surviving alone in a forest!¡±


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve read, it¡¯s more of a jungle.¡±


    ¡°The hell does that mean Dart.¡±


    ¡°A lot of plants. Hard to move around.¡±


    ¡°Great! That¡¯s not any better.¡±


    Daisy didn¡¯t usually join the conversation, but they still acknowledged her presence. She was sitting by them, thinking about something.


    ¡°Hopefully I¡¯ll see you out there, Sorp.¡±


    Daisy was already walking away with some swagger when she turned around and said this. She was thinking about how cool she looked right now. And she did have a charm about her.


    ¡°Can¡¯t believe you let that little piece run away, Jarem.¡±


    ¡°What do you know? I can¡¯t be keeping any stray dog I find on the street.¡±


    Fortunately for Jarem, Daisy was too far away to hear him. It has to be said, Jarem was feeling a bit down. She managed to squeeze her way into his heart somehow.


    These thoughts were fleeting. Jarem, Kom and Pal often went out to meet people. For men like them, it wasn¡¯t difficult to pick up women. They are confident, good looking and fit.


    It was these escapades that left them a little behind. This is compared to the hard working Daisy and Sorp. Daisy and Sorp spent most of their time training in some way.


    Similarly, Dart spent majority of his free time studying various crafting professions. His theoretical knowledge increased with the day.


    He still didn¡¯t it put to practice, as the practice portion takes multitudes longer. For now, Dart was content in just learning more. He enjoyed it. It was efficient.


    This did leave him behind in other things. He himself, was unsure whether he¡¯d meet the requirements for the test. He still had about two weeks to reach them.


    What Dart has learned from his excessive dive into the crafting professions, is that cooking seems be a core. There are no negatives to it. And they always seem relevant.


    While there is nothing like a gathering profession, it wouldn¡¯t be uncommon for a herbalist expert to walk past treasure minerals, due to not understanding their value.


    An expert blacksmith would have an easier time identifying precious metals than he would be at differentiating precious plants. This is self explanatory.


    If one does not study all professions, there is a risk of abandoning hidden treasures. Even just studying the fundamentals is worthwhile.


    Later material will become harder to work with and a profession¡¯s promotional test more time consuming. The bottleneck quickly becomes time.


    Later stages of crafting professions will all have their own B.F.M. tools. This is where game elements become more prevalent. Users will be assisted through these tools.


    Dart isn¡¯t the only one striving for different professions. But none of the guys had put any real thought into. These were very interactive things. Not something you just casually gain.


    It is exactly because it takes more effort than just accepting a quest that there aren¡¯t as many people dedicating themselves to professions.


    Sorp has not touched any of these professions. Very few people actually have. The total percentage of all players who have, does not reach one percent.


    The reason for this, is that professions are relatively unknown. Their benefits vague at best, and Perpetuity does not guide people to these professions.


    They can be sought out or stumbled upon. But only in the rarest of cases, by action of virtual humans, will a forced interaction take place.


    Perpetuity has the steps in place to push people but they don¡¯t actually force this behaviour. They only expect it as inevitable, in spite of how slow it all is.


    And they are right. People will eventually stumble half a step forward. There is no need to herd a flock that¡¯s already within the gate. All Perpetual Power cares about is retention.


    Retention is hard to achieve. As people are different. So what they provide is opportunities and challenges. This allows the poor new chances and the complacent rich new challenges.


    While it is an uncomfortable truth that the virtual world is vulnerable to the influences of the obscenely wealthy.


    This is mitigated through one sided output of Vcoin. But this doesn¡¯t stop people from hiring people in the real world.


    Even though this is expensive, there are people who can hire thousands and it is still not too much. These kind of people are heads of large corporations. Titans of industry.


    This is not actually prevalent right now, but there are quite a few people that have a team of people on their payroll.


    In a way, Sorp and the guys could be considered to be a small team. But they are not lead by any one person. They only respect one another and understand Sorp¡¯s unhesitating actions.


    Sorp¡¯s group is unique in that they are a group of friends and they can all be considered poor and, meaning their wealth is still inconsequential in comparison to the wealthy.


    Group of friends like Sorp¡¯s would consist of sons of wealthy families. It cannot be understated that the wealth Sorp and his friend managed to accumulate is nothing short of a small fortune.


    A medium sized household, pulling double incomes, might be able to sink this kind of money into the devices, but not six like the boys had.


    Thus it becomes a rare for groups of friends playing at this stage of Perpetuity. Only in the future when prices drop will this become common place.


    Currently there are no apparent negative effects of having large number of players in a party. The obvious one is that they¡¯ll have to share any spoils.


    The spoils are usually the materials in the surrounding area, including the remains of defeated beasts.


    But in some cases, small to large groups are required to even tackle the environment. Meaning there is at least some advantage to a sizeable group.


    As for the more rare things like itemization. This is almost exclusively crafted. But exceptions like rewards from contracts, unknown humanoids.


    In this case, humanoid has a wider concept than just human like. It is any form of life that posses comparable intelligence to humans and uses tools to support themselves.


    This is still months and months away. Only when people leave the island, the pebble in the river, will they have a chance to encounter other humanoids.


    According to Perpetuity¡¯s lore. The B.F.M. are developed from existing beasts. These are beast with the natural ability of using the part of the brain that the B.F.M. use.


    While there are some that use tools to do this, like humans, most use their own body as a medium. This can be considered more natural but also more dangerous.


    It¡¯s more dangerous in that, if their bodies are harmed in a specific way, they might not be able to execute their ability, as their medium to do so is compromised.


    Beast with enough intelligence, may use these abilities to make up for their lacking finesse, to craft their own tools, to compensate for their physical dexterity.


    This means they might make tools that allow them to possess human like crafting abilities, while still retaining their original form. And it is because of this that they can be considered humanoid.


    It is not impossible to meet a two legged bird with nothing but wings and a beak. Yet capable of crafting intricate jewellery. This should be a rarity among rarities, but not impossible.


    It is a rarity in the sense that most flying creatures can not do this, but a specific species of bird might be able to. And then using it to create a culture, a civilization.


    Whether this has happened or even exists is whole different matter.

 Chapter twenty three: Rhythm.

    Perpetual Power has not introduced classical gauges into the world, like health bars, B.F.M. endurance, stamina, hunger, thirst or any other miscellaneous gauges.


    This does not mean they never will. Only that they feel like their dataset is still not enough. They could predict it to a justifiable error. But the outliers are hurt the most in such cases.


    If a user is on the lower end of the health spectrum, the perception error might make the user believe he has more health than he has. Causing him not to tend to wounds or retreat when he should.


    On the other end, the higher health users might believe they have less health than they actually do. This lends itself to a different kind of problem.


    They might prematurely retreat from a fight they are winning. But they might also lose their entire health bar and not die. This could lead to confusion.


    Perpetual does not want to see this happen. One or two immersion breaking aspects are bad enough, such dramatic bugs can not be tolerated.


    Once the data is considered enough. The introduction of health bars will be implemented. This also allows users to probe the health of their enemies, human or beast.


    No enemy will have health bar above their head. But it is possible to fight an enemy a few times and have an estimate based on data recorded.


    This will be obvious once a user fights a particular type of beast multiple times. Enough times to deduced from damage done, how much health they have on average.


    It will still be an estimation, albeit close enough to plan around.


    Sorp had a good sense of what the limits of his endurance is. He also had surprisingly adapted to the recovery rhythm.


    The B.F.M. becomes increasingly costly. Tapering off and resting for short intervals allows for prolonged use.


    It is hard to describe this but if one could visualize it, it would be easy to understand. In the future when the users have a B.F.M. endurance bar, they will pick up on this.


    The bar will dip faster with constant repetitive use. But a regulated use will allow them an equilibrium.


    Any use of B.F.M. supposedly increases endurance and general proficiency. But these all pale in comparison to specific B.F.M. endurance exercises. Like they guys have been doing.


    No B.F.M. has any kind of cooldown period. This is because Perpetual Power felt that the natural endurance of a person is enough of a deterrent.


    Sorp had picked up on the B.F.M. rhythm when he was hunting for Moepters back at the farm where they bought the corses.


    He did this because he didn¡¯t like the muddled state B.F.M. brings forth when over used. His testing allowed him to understand the thresholds.


    It is because B.F.M. overuse is too extreme, that it is required to increase their endurance, before moving out of the Third wave reinforcement camp.


    The training was about to come in use. Daisy and Sorp were already outside the forest region. They had been lead there by instructors.


    The instructors are all employees of Perpetuity¡¯s government. They don¡¯t have the ability to restrict a person¡¯s inventory.


    They do however have contracts from Perpetuity that does this for them. Just like everything the player possess. It originates from Perpetuity.


    Their clothes, food, B.F.M, user interface devices and that includes their inventory system. All created from remnant technology. This is also a part of Perpetuity¡¯s lore.


    Ignoring the lore. The inventory is an instances space. While users could technically enter it, they are restricted. This isn¡¯t lore but instead a restriction put in place by Perpetual Power.


    In the future, some crafting profession might be able to create instanced spaces capable of housing multiple people. Such devices exist. Both naturally and manmade.


    Being disconnected from their inventory didn¡¯t come with any sensation. But attempting to open and being denied access might be distressing.


    Sorp personally didn¡¯t have much in his inventory. He had two B.F.M.¡¯s and miscellaneous weapons. He was allowed to carry both of his B.F.M.


    Daisy had her B.F.M. and lightweight, flexible spear. The spear reached her shoulders. This can be considered short.


    Sorp held both of his B.F.M¡¯s, one in each hand. On his side and back were a short sword and a larger spear. The sword hung on his side and it¡¯s size in the current context looks like a dagger.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    They both looked like they meant to fight to the death. But the outer rim of the forest didn¡¯t hold many beasts to fight. Instead they¡¯d meet with eerie silence and a lack of light.


    They weren¡¯t entering the forest together. The test isn¡¯t against people banding together. They just cannot enter together. If they find each other, that¡¯s just fate.


    Sorp didn¡¯t hesitate to enter the forest. His heart rate slightly higher than norma. Presumably out of fear, excitement or perhaps both.


    His pupils dilate. The blue almost disappeared, replaced by the large black iris. This happens so the eye can take in more light. Useful in such a dim location.


    The lack of light means less details to observe. This often leads to fears of the unknown. Sorp is currently taking slow but firm steps. Adjusting to the lighting takes some time.


    His eyes scanned everything. He had to find a few plants, this was important. Not only had the instructors emphasized it, Dart had also made sure Sorp understood.


    It was good that they did, Sorp wouldn¡¯t mind failing this test. He just wanted to fight. The sparring at camp wasn¡¯t feral enough for him, there was no desperation in it.


    Fighting to Sorp isn¡¯t an indifferent affair, it was a whole spectrum of emotions. Most of them coming from his opponents. But it was a part of what made it enjoyable.


    In this forest, Sorp expected to fight predatory beasts like had in the arenas. This was something to look forward to.


    The forest was dim but light still pierced through the canopy. It wasn¡¯t much but enough to not be completely blind.


    It was unfair to put people through this test in such poor lighting. There was no preparation made for this kind of lighting. This can be considered a mistake.


    Daisy and Sorp had to endure this. Sorp was already acclimated. He observed and listened. His footsteps were loud in comparison to the quiet ambience.


    Occasionally he would take a closer look at a plant. He still hadn¡¯t found anything. Not even a beast.


    The plants in question all except one, have a place they usually grow. The one that doesn¡¯t is classed as a weed, it is what they use to make gauze and bandages.


    Two grow in moist surroundings. This doesn¡¯t mean a body of water, just that under location that rain manages to drip through and sunlight doesn¡¯t. These are both considered poisonous.


    ¡°Come!¡±


    Sorp let out a shout. This was a ear ringing shout. He had been warned not to be too loud and be careful.


    In the dark environment, loud noises are the best way for the beasts to locate each other. When Sorp was being taught this, he felt it was a good way to attract beasts instead.


    While it is a good way to attract beasts, or at least let them know of your location, they continue to remain stealthy. There will be no stampede.


    After experiencing the lack of response, Sorp didn¡¯t continue shouting. His steps remained steady, neither fast nor slow.


    Still in the outer perimeter of the forest, few beasts actually turned their metaphorical sights on Sorp.


    The weaker beasts wander the outer parts of the forest. They do not have a permanent territory and often encounter other beasts, this leads to conflict.


    Most of the time, it is the beast that retains the element of surprise that wins out. Only the more dominant creatures roam about in the open and mark their territory.


    Sorp had put every beast in the vicinity on alert. The dumber, fast breeding critters were the first to scatter. They lured out the more dangerous beasts.


    Having outed themselves by hunting the critters, multiple fights between the beasts began. Like rustled bee¡¯s nest, the forest was buzzing with activity.


    These descriptions make it sound like the forest was running rampant. But the way the fights went on were still quiet and quick.


    It isn¡¯t easy for Sorp to notice the evidence these events. But he is still picking up on some of the movements, the eerie silence still remains.


    These beasts know to keep quiet, even in their death throes. This was the environment molding them. Too much noise could affect their offspring or mate.


    These beast knew to keep quiet. Sorp and Daisy understood this, this was taught. Sorp is unlikely to be caught unaware, but it isn¡¯t unthinkable.


    Every step causes some noise. Sorp is a large man. He has no way to compete in stealth. It is unlikely he needs it. Understanding where threat might be is enough.


    These beast are not large, they are small. They are here because they are small. They prove to be less effective killers. This is why they rely on ambushing their prey.


    Sorp has eyes on a particular spot. It is dark, position so even the light doesn¡¯t reach it. Whatever is in this dark spot has to be small.


    Instead of avoiding it Sorp continues his steady pace, never hesitating, all his movements slow and predictable.


    In this dark spot lives a creature. It has recently hunted a small critter, so is patient. But it is a beast. It has to protect itself.


    This dark spot has no other way out and from its perspective, Sorp is closing in on it. It might not be smart but it understands the situation in this way.


    Sorp has his spear ready. His hand hangs backwards, making the spear further away than the short sword in his left hand.


    Without warning Sorp materializes his B.F.M. spear, giving him the range to thrust into that dark spot.


    The sound of the thrust is followed by a thud. Sorp is still unsure but he believes he has managed to hit something.


    He never saw whether something was in the hole. This can be considered wisdom or instincts. Whatever it was, it was a wise choice.


    The preemptive strike struck true. It slashed a hidden foe. These beasts are the most cautious, and it might never have attacked Sorp.


    There was no message signaling that he had killed it. Every action that gave any amount of information would signal an alert.


    Sorp understood this, he had seen the messages if not thousands of time, at least in the high hundreds.


    What he could do now was repeat his action and stab into the hole again. But this hole isn¡¯t only dark but also deep.


    He couldn¡¯t aim, so his attack missed. It hit, but it missed. The target wasn¡¯t killed and it wasn¡¯t stuck on the spear¡¯s end. For someone like Sorp, this was missing.


    These things sounded dramatic and potentially dangerous. But in truth, these lower end beasts could strike out and hit their mark, and fail to even wound its target.


    This made sense. This forest is a training ground, somewhat artificially created and maintained. Most of the beast were within the range of acceptable strength.


    What would differ from person to person was the personal combat capability and the particular situation.


    For example, it isn¡¯t impossible for a person to have no difficulty traversing the forest. They might meet some beasts, but always in the open in a fair fight. This is a fight they should win.


    Another situation would be one where they are confronting a beast and get ambushed from behind. This is not outside the realm of possibility.


    They are supposedly taught ways to prevent this kind of situation. They must carefully survey the surrounding, make sure they have a path of retreat.


    In addition, they are expected to have at least collected and created either a poisonous concoction or a way to slow or stop any wounds.


    Sorp has only found the weed like plant. This plant can be stripped into small pieces and braided into a thin rope.


    This rope is used to bind gauze around a wound, this is the idea behind it. But this is not it''s only use.


    Similarly, if the plant is stripped into small strips, with the use of a dagger they can be made curly and fluffy.


    The dagger is heated over an open flame or repeatedly ground on a coarse surface if fire is unavailable. This be a simple rock.


    The dagger is pressed against individual strip. Once it has ran across the entire strip it will be become softer, its width slightly increased and the sensation softer.


    In this way it is possible to create a very rudimentary gause and a small rope to retain the pressure on a wound.


    Sorp has not begun his work, he still doesn¡¯t have enough of the plant to complete a sufficient batch.


    Sorp¡¯s large body isn¡¯t only external. His muscles require sufficient oxygen, his veins larger to compensate. Any wound would be proportional to his size.


    This means he needs more gauze and more rope. This can be considered a disadvantage. But only when considering medicinal requirements.


    Currently Sorp is inspecting his B.F.M. spear. The tip is stained with blood. He had only splashed into the side of whatever is hiding beneath the ground.

 Chapter twenty four: Home away from home.

    Sorp is moving in the forest. Every time he believes he found the hideout of a hidden beast he strikes without hesitation. This has yet to provide any merit.


    For others, this would at least give them the comfort, knowing they have at least eliminated a potential threat.


    Sorp however only becomes increasingly frustrated. Going so far as to let his emotion take control of him and shout out in frustration.


    The current progress is still impressive. Sorp has found the two poisonous plants he needs to concoct a poisonous substance.


    This requires some amount of water or flowing blood. Currently Sorp only has what amounts to a few drops of blood.


    He can resort to slicing his own body, using his own blood to concoct the poison. In some cases, this is not an unreasonable choince. The amount of blood required is small.


    It only needs enough to cover a single weapon. In the spear¡¯s case, the amount is only a few drops. The short sword requires more as it has at least four times the surface of the spear.


    None of this important to Sorp however. His willful nature might even have him cast it all aside and ignore it, all in the name of a thrilling hunt.


    Daisy has similarly made considerable progress in her journey. She has crafted not only the gauze and braided a rope. She has created a beast repellent and found a small source of water.


    Unlike Sorp, she didn¡¯t wantonly attack any potential beast she might run across. Instead she carefully avoided them, looking for a more advantageous situation.


    Sorp¡¯s shouts are loud but they can¡¯t reach far in this forest. The trees and thick flora acts as a soundproofing. But Daisy still heard the remnants of it.


    By the point it reached her ears, it was incoherent and she could only assume it was the rustling of some bush or the distant call of a beast.


    Sorp might seem a bit behind in terms of gathering and crafting supplies. But his advancement into the depths of the forest exceeds Daisy¡¯s by a factor of three.


    He is now far enough in to feel the environment change. There is surprisingly more light and the air contains more moisture.


    With more light, Sorp regains more his hyper observant self. His speed increases. His eyes no longer as comically dilated.


    The surroundings even have the marks of a territorial beast. Something lives in this area that doesn''t hide in a hole in the ground.


    Sorp might not realize this change, but he certainly welcomes the increase in light.


    With his increased pace, he makes more noises. Being in an area where something makes its home, his intrusion doesn¡¯t go unknown for long.


    When Sorp is finally confronted he finally stops. His bare feet wiggle in the grass, feeling the moist dirt beneath him.


    His B.F.M. Short sword materializes. His spear remains in his hand, a small stub for the moment, not yet materialized.


    The beast walks on four legs. Their ends small and stubby, the further up they go the more muscular they are.


    This beast only reaches one third of Sorp¡¯s height.


    ¡°Small.¡±


    Aside from shouting in frustration or provocation, these are Sorp¡¯s first words since entering the forest. His smile wide as ever.


    The beast is small in comparison to what he has fought in battle arenas. It is the largest animal he has seen in Perpetuity, aside from the corses.


    His intent to fight rises without end. His stance very clear to the beast. The beast understands that this intruder was to fight.


    This can be considered a threat and an insult. And the threat can¡¯t be ignored in this case. Its only choices are fight or flight.


    Considering its intelligence, it only ever considers fighting. Flight is an absurd notation only reserved for packs of beasts or its natural predator.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Seeing it stand its ground, Sorp blows out of his nose. He takes a small quick step forward and uses it to leap into a dash.


    The beat reacts by letting out a grunt and charges forward, its head lowered, pointing its two horns towards Sorp.


    Once close enough Sorp pulls his B.F.M. sword back and let his B.F.M. spear elongate. The sudden weight should make it harder to aim.


    The spear reverberates, this makes it hard to aim. Sorp still strikes passed the entwined horns and pierces into the beasts head.


    The momentum comes to a sudden end. Sorp¡¯s spear holding hand kicks back. He hadn¡¯t prepared for the kickback.


    On the ground the beast lies on its side. Sorp¡¯s B.F.M. has already returned to its small handle.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    The Twin horned bullpig


    It¡¯s horns fork and entwine to create a defencive mesh.


    The twin horned bullpig live within their territory their entire life. The female bullpig will seek out its mate by the scent and markings of the male bullpig.


    The horns of the bullpig can be used in a variety of crafting professions, currently no known public uses.


    You can gather further information on the twin horned bullpig by gathering their materials and seeking out a professional crafter.


    Current average health of a male twin horned bullpig is unknown. Gathered data is insufficient to create an estimate.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Sorp glanced at the message. His reading was almost miraculous, having studied at the training camp he was almost an expert.


    This was two fold, one was that Sorp wasn¡¯t unintelligent. He was just sorely lacking in any discipline that didn¡¯t include his friends.


    Meaning he did what he wanted and did not do the things he did not want to do. Over the years he had not become more disciplined. Instead he became wiser.


    Wisdom is often misattributed to mean intelligent. This is one of those things that Perpetual Power is trying to establish firm boundaries for.


    Similar to people''s average health or stamina. Wisdom and Intelligence should be quantifiable to a degree.


    Intelligence can be figured out through thorough testing, but wisdom is a long time endeavour.


    Wisdom can only be seen through thousands of decisions. What people decide to do and what they decide not to do.


    In a similar way there are degrees of specific applicable wisdom. Perhaps a person with great wisdom would be a great leader, a commander of thousand men.


    But he might be great enough to lead nations. The opposite is true as well, he might not possess enough wisdom to lead even a small squadron of men.


    Perpetual Power wishes to eventually quantify these untold decisions individual makes and mark them on a scale of wrong to right.


    There are numerous problems with this system. They might mark a decision as right, only to find that in the future this proves to be wrong.


    It is due to this that great lengths of time is required to standardize the near infinite possible decision people take.


    Not only this, but there are decision that can be wrong but are considered right due to the person''s accumulated knowledge is lacking.


    The problem becomes, how to weigh this particular choice depending of known knowledge. Short answer is, they don¡¯t.


    It is because of such things that there will likely never be perfect estimate of a person¡¯s wisdom.


    The second reason Sorp¡¯s reading became so great is that his natural hype observant ability allows him to read at a rate that is above average.


    Sorp only skimmed the message. From an outside perspective it appeared as if he had only glanced at his wrist. Most would assume he was looking for the time.


    Making sure the beast was dead Sorp began working the carcass. This was another thing he had studied and trained in.


    He hung the carcass from a low branch, using his weed woven rope to hold it in place. He drained its blood into a container. This was two liter container.


    Majority of the blood drained into the ground. Sorp took a great big swig of the bullpig¡¯s blood before filling it back up. To say he had been thirsty is an understatement.


    The blood scent might lure nearby beasts but Sorp didn¡¯t care. He had the plants to create a concoction to disperse the scent. He choice not to use it.


    Skinned and drained of blood, Sorp began cooking the beast over an open flame. Considering the moise environment it isn¡¯t easy to start a flame.


    The flame gives off an odd smoke. To say he was roasting the bullpig is just as correct as saying he was smoking it.


    On the other end, Daisy ate safe plants and had still not encountered a beast. Not surprising as she created and applied concoctions to mask her scent. In addition she moved with caution.


    In truth there was no need to be this cautious. The beast in the forest are dangerous but not outside of the range of reason.


    As long as she didn¡¯t walk into the greater depths of the forest and kept to the edges of the outer rims she should be capable enough to at least fend of any beast.


    A part of the contract is to find their way out as well. Daisy marked her way along, charted every ten meters and made sure she had her bearings.


    Sorp did none of these things. Not because he didn¡¯t care about knowing the way back but because he was arrogant. He believed he could easily retrace his steps.


    It was within all likelihood that he could do this. But the forest wasn¡¯t just dark. It is alive. He might actually lose his bearings if the forest sees sufficient change.


    One thing they did not teach in the camp, was humility. They preached caution. These are not the same things.


    The Third reinforcement camp was only concentrated on basics. Their goal was to create people that could effectively survive in an alien surrounding.


    The grand scheme was to have them capable of colonizing or just exploring the outside world. Meaning outside the Pebbled in the river. The island Perpetuity was built on.


    It is named this because from an eagle eye perspective, it appears to be a small rock or pebble protruding from a river.


    What they taught in the second or third wave, is yet to be seen. Perhaps there they¡¯ll instill some discipline or philosophical thought into people.


    Sorp used quite a bit of his training in this test. Daisy did as well. Two days into the test she has already collected and crafted everything required, only missing the three beasts.


    Sorp has not been searching for his requirements, instead he has been hunting. He moves too fast for a detailed search.


    Having discarded the thought of masking his scent or moving cautiously, Sorp has already encountered five different types of beasts and multiples of some.


    This being a virtual world he doesn¡¯t need to stop to process every beast he kills. He can opt to leave it for later, moving it to his inventory.


    The inventory is still locked, but this is a one side lock, he can still retain the spoils of his hunt. Daisy does this too, only she has collected abundant of herbs. These are all valuable.


    The herbs are valuable, and so is the process of finding and harvesting them. The information can be sold.


    Most of it can be found in books. But these books are not public knowledge and not in the hands of information dealers.


    The information can include personal experience. Meaning it can describe how Daisy picked up each herb and the events leading up to it.


    Whether such events are worth actually purchasing is another thing.


    In addition to this, Daisy is no longer recording. It is not that she doesn¡¯t want to, this would be a very good way to earn more viewers.


    Perpetual Power, or in a lore sense, the government of Perpetuity will not allow recordings of any official test.


    Once Daisy is out of the test she can sell her experience in the forest. She can tell her story and earn more viewers.


    Sorp on the other hand will most likely just hand the information to his friends. Dart will probably decide to sell it.


    It should only be a few days before Sorp clears the required list of herbs and concoctions. Daisy might take longer. Depending on her luck at finding suitable beasts to kill.

 Chapter twenty five: Factor this in.

    On the sixth day, Sorp concocted his last potion. This is a poison. It numbs the target and makes them sluggish.


    It is not considered deadly, but if it hits the heart or near enough, it might cause deadly results.


    Upon finishing the concoction, Sorp has two alerts. One telling indicating that all objectives have been completed and he needs to exit the forest.


    The second alert tells him what concoction he made. This particular concoction already has a name, Sudden fatigue.


    In addition to the name of the concoction, there are various valuable information. The degree of completion, potency and other miscellaneous information.


    This particular information is not valuable, but if we assume Sorp creates hundreds or thousands of these concoctions, they will become valuable.


    This has to do with general success rate, increasing potency, creating new variations and other factors that potion makers will find valuable.


    Right now achieving success in any profession is related to the situation. Sorp and Daisy have a great opportunity to find otherwise hard to find materials.


    The importance of this is not hard to convey. Very few locations actually have free materials to harvest. This is because Perpetuity owns the island.


    Every forest, every mire, field of grass, cavern and mountain. While is not really prohibited to harvest materials from these locations, it is taxed.


    It¡¯s possible to go to remote locations and steal from the land. But every technology, including the inventory space is given out by Perpetuity. They can monitor such behaviour.


    The only option is to craft with materials bought or procured in a legal way. That or keep the materials outside the inventory.


    There might be question as to where a person is getting the materials to craft with, but this is harder to monitor and difficult to prove.


    These things do not mean that it is impossible to learn a profession and work on in a practical manner. I just means that it has to be done through Perpetuity.


    Currently Daisy was taking full advantage of this exact thing. The forest isn¡¯t exactly there for her to gather various herbs, but the herbs are there.


    Her bounty is considerable. Perhaps enough to rise in the ranks and become of highest concoction master.


    It is a small step but is the first step, that gives it a weight of mountains. Similarly she and Sorp are the first to complete their advancement.


    Perpetuity is built as the last hope of a civilization. Threat of an ultimate end has been washed away with the time, but the threat is there.


    They have been forced to hole up in this pebble in the river for a thousand years. The city lacks nothing, the people are fed. But that doesn''t mean they¡¯ll always be safe.


    The beasts outside the island are not only strong but strong as well. There might be civilizations out there, hiding away like Perpetuity, but this is unknown.


    What they do know is that there are multiple sites with ancient ruins. These are ruins left by their ancestors or other intelligent beings. These may contain valuable information or relics.


    It is Perpetuity¡¯s wish to unearth such sites. They want to do this with the most advanced technology they have, the B.F.M.


    It has been said before but worth retelling. B.F.M. works by utilizing a particular part of the brain, this is often called the mind¡¯s eye. The pituitary gland.


    The brain is a series of controls. Most of them revolve around controlling what¡¯s inside the body, but the pituitary gland is said to control the external.


    To what extent is impossible to say. In real life it does nothing. Perpetual Power found a way to use it to control a virtual reality item. This started as a prosthetic limb.


    In Perpetuity lore, it is described as the B.F.M. meaning Bilateral Force Manipulation. As opposed to Perpetual Power¡¯s name, the Brute Force Method.


    The bilateral is meant to represent the two dimensional thought pattern used to achieve B.F.M. control.


    Included in the lore is that this power is a natural occurrence in all life. Undeveloped in most life but still present.


    Humanoids, like humans, are undeveloped. This is in comparison to animals or greater creatures with natural ability to use their own B.F.M.


    Being undeveloped, humanoids often resort to creating tools to help them achieve a similar end result. With enough training they might be able to contend with natural beasts.


    If anyone is likely to reach such standards, it a person like Sorp. It is only natural for him to sharpen his fighting prowess.


    Not because he likes fighting or because of his unruly personality. It is because he finds it interesting and observant enough to feel minor increase in power.


    When Sorp returned to camp he was awarded with a token. This token meant he was graduated from this camp.


    This did not mean he had to leave, he could take up residence as a tutor. He also three weeks before his contract with the third reinforcement camp runs out.


    Sorp was bombarded with questions about the test. Sorp shared his data with the guys but his perspective was useless to them.


    ¡°It had two horns. Right here.¡±


    While the way Sorp described the events made them feel exhausted, they were still interested in listening to all of it.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Like this. And this.¡±


    Sorp is thrusting his B.F.M. spear after having it elongate. It all looks plausible. In practice, few could accomplish such feat of strength and precision.


    It surprised Sorp that Ret and Kom were already taking their test. The rest of the guys would follow in the next days.


    After Sorp went to do the test, a fire was lit under them. The feeling of being left behind made them rise to the occasion.


    They still made time for entertainment, mainly picking up women, but when they practised, they did it with dedication.


    There is a qualitative difference when B.F.M. practice is considered. Pushing yourself to the edge was like digging the ground.


    If the ground had a small pool of water and every shoveling threw out some of the water, but the hole grew wider and deeper. It can now contain more water.


    This type of practice is useful when increasing endurance. For actual control, it might instead be detrimental. This is why the Third wave reinforcement camp didn¡¯t teach control.


    The follow days continued on as normal. Sorp continued training. Daisy was still hasn''t returned from the forest.


    This has to do with her excessive caution but also her obsession with gathering herbs and concocting.


    The guys were much more brazen in the forest. Their step not too reckless but not careful enough. Numerous times they were almost attacked by hidden beasts.


    These hidden beasts don¡¯t cause to much damage but they can cause enough to be detrimental to the rest of the test.


    Soon only Sorp was left in the camp. Daisy finally returned. She didn¡¯t wait for the guys and said her goodbyes to Sorp. She was going to head to the Second wave reinforcement camp.


    Daisy isn¡¯t a cold person but she also understood the six guys have their own dynamic, it would be difficult for her to integrate into that group.


    Instead of worrying about it, she instead opted to race towards the next destination, she can still be considered in a lead of some sorts.


    There are multiple venues of progression, but she was ahead in this particular case. This gave her viewers, that gave her fame. People have begun showering her with donations.


    In reality, the accumulated Vcoin doesn¡¯t mean much to her, but the recognition and affirmation is something she is reveling in.


    Her lead might not last too long. There are many people now taking the test. Talented people with a drive to succeed. Unlike the guys, Sorp excluded.


    The Third wave reinforcement campgrounds is much more lively now. There are hundreds of people on the camp. It is most evident during late evening entertainment.


    In Perpetuity, like in the virtual world, there is a certain sense of abandon. People are ready to cast themselves in danger or deperevity.


    Men aside, the women are allowed far greater freedom, this causes a large influx of very forward women. Aggressive and promiscuous.


    Daisy is already a rather confident woman, adding to the nature of virtual reality, she is almost completely free of social fears.


    Men aren¡¯t as free, but they are more likely to be aggressive. Depending on the person this can be a bit forward or something extravagant like Sorp and his friends.


    Though Sorp¡¯s idea of forwardness is less towards social encounters and more towards violent ones. If Dart and Kom had not repeatedly told him of Perpetuity¡¯s rules, he might have started a massacre.


    Most of Sorp¡¯s frustration is now being vented in his training. His endurance continues to rise and his proficiency with various weapons increases by the day.


    It might be smarter to focus on a single weapon, rather than every variation there is. Sorp¡¯s thoughts are different. He enjoys the feel of new fighting experiences.


    Sorp isn¡¯t a trainer in the camp but he has found himself repeatedly helping people.


    A week into his wait, every one of the guys is taking the test and Sorp has become a martial arts trainer in the eyes of many camp members.


    Most of the believe his a virtual human. He doesn¡¯t speak much, from what they can tell, he only responds when people talk to him.


    The few times he has spoken without being addressed is when he is trying to challenge one of the senior trainers. These are the only people able to keep up with Sorp.


    That they are able to put up a fight is somewhat unbelievable. Sorp has proven himself to be a fighter, strong, vicious and merciless.


    It can be argued that Sorp never had to fight any professional fighter. This would be true in most cases, he has encountered pseudo professionals though.


    The main issue is that Sorp¡¯s weight class is difficult to find. Most in his weight class are overweight, not towering monsters.


    This caused any resemblance to a professional fighter to be somewhat off balance. Longer reach and overwhelming power leaves little in the way of technique.


    Not to forget that Sorp¡¯s body is not rigid but flexible. A physique made for violent movements.


    The trainers manage to put up a fight because of their B.F.M.¡¯s. With the B.F.M. they are granted more powerful blows, this added to their superior fighting techniques allows them to contend with Sorp.


    ¡°The trainers are fighting again!¡±


    ¡°Why are they fighting two versus one?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Sorp. He¡¯s the strongest trainer here. He challenges someone everyday!¡±


    ¡°Why do I feel like i recognize him?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the strongest trainer, you probably heard people talking about him.¡±


    ¡°No, I only came here two days ago, I¡¯d remember. I¡¯ve seen him somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Where? In a trailer for Perpetuity? You know he¡¯s a virtual human, right?¡±


    ¡°He is?¡±


    ¡°Just talk to him later, you¡¯ll see. No way is he a normal human.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve met plenty of virtual humans that look real as every other person.¡±


    ¡°Huh. When you mention it, your right. But¡­¡±


    A group of people have gathered around the sparring arena. People are already shouting over each other and placing bets.


    Sorp has just over thirty percent of a the bets on him. Even though he¡¯s been undefeated so far, this time he¡¯s fighting two skilled trainers.


    ¡°Begin!¡±


    There is not hesitation in Sorp¡¯s movements. He dashes forward with his thick staff in one hand and a smaller bludgeoning weapon in the other.


    Before he can strike a trainer leaps to the right and thrusts his spear. This blow is threat enough for Sorp. he lifts he left hand, wielding his stout budgeting tool.


    Mid swipe the other trainer tries to close in on Sorp, the wooden sword swipes midway, aiming for the ribcage.


    Instead of defending from both strikes, Sorp steps with his bludgeon and swipes the spear¡¯s end, causing the spear to jot passed his shoulders.


    Seeing the blow miss and having Sorp closing in on him, the trainer lets go of his spears and retreats.


    The sword wielding trainer chases after Sorp, allow the spear wielder to summon another weapon from their inventory.


    This clash happens in a short second. The crowd lets out a roar of excitement.


    The two trainers continue their two pronged attack. One forces Sorp to defend, while the other follows with a deadly blow.


    Despite being on the defensive, the outsiders feel like the battle is even and that Sorp is attacking as much as he is defending.


    This is because of Sorp¡¯s aggressive stance, his tactics leave no room for mistake. Every strike he redirects or dodge is follow by another, aiming for a weakness.


    Thirty seconds into the fight, Sorp is sweating profusely. The two trainers are in much better state, their attacks calm.


    They are biting their time, whittling down Sorp¡¯s stamina. In such a battle, every second is mile. And Sorp is the only one running it.


    Backed into a corner, Sorp has to finally resort to blocking an attack. The two-handed staff is not ideal for this situation.


    In a desperate situation Sorp continues to smile a charming smile. If people didn''t know the situation, they might believe he¡¯s just having a boyish quarrel.


    Left with few choices, Sorp decides he might as well lose an arm to take the tree. After blocking one attack he doesn''t defend against the following spear thrust but attacks the sword wielder.


    The trainers are fast and their technique is more refined than Sorp¡¯s, but Sorp is viscous not only to others, but himself as well.


    Just as the spear thrust into his shoulder blades, a staff strike lands on the sword wielder. The strike hits just below the left breast, causing the trainer to lose their breath and stagger backwards.


    When the spear thrusts into his shoulder blades the pain almost causes a convulsion. Sorp can''t help but to go with the blow and fall forward on top of the other trainer.


    Instead of using him as a shield, he continues to roll. After getting back his feet is obvious see that his right hand from the shoulder down is useless.


    One trainer lies on the ground, gasping for breath and coughing up blood. The trainer left doesn¡¯t allow Sorp to rest and continues to thrust with patience.


    The spear is fast and hard to block with a bludgeon but Sorp doesn¡ät switch weapons.


    The thrust keep repeating in a calm rhythm. The current Sorp can only dodge, deflect or block the assault.


    Seconds become minutes. Three minutes in Sorp loses his ground and falls to one knee. The spear thrust continue.


    The spear wielding trainer is also tiered. The spear thrust become slower as a result, but the tempo only slowed down, not stopped.


    Despite having no way to recover Sorp continues to block. Until a strike makes its way through hit his right shoulder again. The agonizing pain is revitalized.


    Only the adrenaline is keeping Sorp up now, his breathing heavy, like a wind trying to strong wind trying to make passed the gap beneath a door.


    Sorp grunts in response to the strike but continues to amount a defence. The trainer show now mercy and continues striking.


    When Sorp finally loses strength in his feet and falls face down onto the arena flow, the trainer finally stops.


    Once he¡¯s stopped attacking the spear slips his grip. He tries to reach the arena¡¯s ropes but fails to stand upright. Soon there are three people lying on the arena floor.


    The crowd has long since stopped shouting. This was much more intense than they had initially expected. Only a few gambling addicts are celebrating their gains.


    The three fighters are moved to the infirmary where their wounds are mended.


    They used blunt non deadly weapons but the wounds are still very real. If this was the real world, there is no doubt that Sorp would have rest for weeks to recover.

 Chapter twenty six: Reflection.

    There are not many advanced medicine people in Perpetuity. That is, not many advanced concoction masters.


    These are treasured. Currently there are two in Perpetuity, and three stationed at the first wave reinforcement camp. That is all.


    Sorp is walking within a day of his injuries and so are the other two trainers. This is because all the camps have concoctions made by advanced concoction masters.


    These concoction are not as esoteric as they might sound, not as enigmatic. The concoction enriches the blood. The blood induces bone repair.


    This method tricks the body to use excess nutrients. This makes the blood even richer


    All in all it leaves the patient feeling weak. It is similar to a hangover, excluding the headaches. To recover Sorp ate enough to swell his stomach.


    This was the first time Sorp felt as weak, only time that compared remotely was during a bout of sickness. Despite this weakness Sorp attempted to return to his routine training.


    This did not go well. Sorp was breathing heavily before afternoon arrived. In an uncharacterised way, Sorp gave up and went to social hotspot to relax instead.


    In the camp were tens of locations meant for leisure, almost a small village. At night this little village had a whole different atmosphere to it.


    Right now it was only a couple of hours passed noon so there were few people actually relaxing.


    Sorp roamed about, this was the first time he took the time to relax. He liked it.


    The only purpose Sorp has for today is to waste time. To some it is a sin to waste time away. These are the people obsessed with the past.


    On the other end are people looking to the future, in their eyes time is meant to be squandered away.


    Sorp is somewhere in the middle. Living for the moment, there is not squandering or seizing every moment. It¡¯s just to follow his own will.


    He might put it in these words but this who Sorp is. Very straightforward in his thinking. It might not be agreeable way of thinking but it is always straight forward.


    One of the faults of being as observant as Sorp is, is the endless assault of information. Every movement, shades of colors, state of clothing and endless different expressions.


    This is another reason why Sorp acts the way he acts, giving it too much thought can cause a spiral. A vortex that sucks in more and more factors that influence a decision.


    To cope with this, Sorp has to act rather than to think. This is painting it rather black and white, with age his range increases.


    It is because he acts in this way that he is so animalistic, it¡¯s why his resting face is a smiling one. He¡¯s happy, so he smiles.


    This has caused one too many altercations. It¡¯s also why reason for his moral deficit. Because it isn¡¯t personal, it¡¯s just reactionary.


    Right now Sorp isn¡¯t smiling. His weakened state has made him unhappy. His frown is deep. Given his stature, this makes him very intimidating.


    ¡°Can I help you in anyway? Want to order some food or maybe a drink?¡±


    Having sat down in an open area, a servant has arrived. The area serves as a restaurant during the day and a bar with a large dance floor at evenings.


    ¡°This. This. This.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°This. And this.¡±


    Sorp had eaten recently but still ordered four full meals and a bottle of what is called a fettered wine. It eludes to the high alcohol percentage.


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Sorp wasn¡¯t only frowning, his voice also shifted with his mood. Every word carried a feeling of frustration.


    The bottle was served within a minute and Sorp sat there taking great swigs. His mood didn¡¯t turn for the better.


    This feeling of lasting weakness and helplessness has delivered Sorp outside of his comfort zone. Processing this all has left him introspective.


    Occasionally Sorp will shake his head as if tossing something aside. This is him trying to work out his thoughts.


    When the first dish is delivered, Sorp¡¯s frown grows deeper.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°What is it sir?¡±


    ¡°This is too small.¡±


    The meal isn¡¯t at all small, Sorp¡¯s portions are too large. Unlike the buffey where Sorp loads his dish to a small mountain, the restaurant serve human sized portions.


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°Bring more.¡±


    ¡°Your other dishes are on the way, they¡¯ll be here momentarily.¡±


    Sorp shakes his head and begins eating. He felt the man to be an idiot. He couldn¡¯t help but miss Kom and Dart, they usually deal with these people.


    I can be said that Sorp is somewhat socially inept. Not in an awkward way but in that he speaks very honestly and with purpose or not at all.


    Usually his smile, handsome features and tall stature makes these things a non issue. But with him being frustrated and acting in a way that can be considered rude.


    This might cause issues, and if they decide to confront Sorp in some way, Sorp might actually just kill them as a solution.


    It is unlikely someone would try and engage further with Sorp. Not only is he a customer, his intimidating presence is enough of a deterrent.


    The meals came one by one. Sorp still felt there wasn¡¯t enough. At this point, Sorp was already full. He forced himself to eat.


    Perhaps because he was unsatisfied, maybe he felt a hunger. Maybe it was because he still felt weak, only knowing to eat to make himself strong.


    Whatever the case was, Sorp¡¯s belly was bulging, his eyes glazing over and his breathing heavy. Sorp still felt weak, but now he felt heavy.


    Weak and heavy Sorp stumbled around the village. There were numerous games to play, physical and virtual.


    Many seats that looked like they¡¯d be used for playing computers. There are no computers however, as they can all be summoned on a whim.


    Sorp just kept walking. It had been a long time since he felt this kind of loneliness. In the forest he had a purpose, or at the ability do what he liked.


    Right now he was wandering aimlessly. He is feeling what people refer to an emptiness. He knew what he wanted, but he has no way to obtain it. Only time can.


    This is as dramatic as one can be. Only one or two fleeting days of recuperation has polarized Sorp¡¯s personality. His usual charm diminished.


    If this were Dart, he would just study til his physical problems went away. Sorp did not do this. Not without an entire day of drudgery.


    Second day of recuperation Sorp resorted to learn about the miscellaneous crafting professions. Many of them are connected, especially any that end up creating B.F.M.¡¯s


    The process of B.F.M. creation is similar to creating a weapon from a mold. At least the static ones.


    It is the underlying materials that change within each profession. A woodworker compared to a metalsmith or leatherworker.


    A woodworker will have to harvest or at least procure certain types of specific wood they are familiar with to create a product.


    If there is not material for sale, they¡¯ll need the know how to find the material, harvest it while retaining it¡¯s quality. And ultimately processes to a workable level.


    This can also be seen with a metalsmith. They¡¯ll need to know to identify locations with certain minerals and extract it.


    Extracting minerals is often considered a rather casual affair. Meaning people don¡¯t expect it to require any finesse.


    This is untrue, the method to extract it require brute strength and so people with brute strength extract them. These types of people are often not very elegant.


    This results in a perpetuated culture of lackluster harvesting. It is still possible to lower the quality of a metal ore by harvesting it haphazardly.


    Static B.F.M.¡¯s are usually created by making a prop weapon first. This weapon doesn¡¯t need to be effective and can be made from any material.


    These prop weapons or tools are used to influence the mind of the B.F.M. creator. So he can picture what to create once the moment arrives.


    B.F.M.¡¯s are created from an rare material. A type of metal. This metal is considered to be living by some. But that is a different argument


    This metal can act like a hard metal one second and a flowing liquid the next. If that was it, it would be useless.


    It¡¯s merit comes from its relationship to the B.F.M. It can be made to receive commands. They respond to it and this response can be amplified.


    The first time the material is activated and molded into a form, it will be the form it remembers. It remembers it when it is provoked.


    To understand this, one can take Sorp¡¯s B.F.M. spear. If Sorp is in direct contact with the amplifier, the small handle, he can easily provoke it to take form.


    This is one of the simplest ways to use the B.F.M. inductors. It is also the only material Perpetuity has in great quantity.


    There are other materials that respond to B.F.M. This is still a virtual world and Perpetual Power has designed it to be this way, what is being explained is Perpetuity lore.


    Later weapons with Augmentations can be introduced. These weapons have a more complicated, a more delicate crafting process.


    In many cases, the simpler static B.F.M.¡¯s are the base product that is later worked further to produce both Augmentations or other features. This makes them non-static.


    One of the main things Perpetual Power tries to accomplish is a seamless world. People do accept quite a bit of the nonsensical, but they still strive for greatness.


    They seek a world so vast that even in a thousand years, there will still be places to explore, still be new heights to reach.


    One of the pieces in the puzzle is the B.F.M. It can be said to be the cornerstone of progression.


    While people can better themselves, as this is a virtual world and there is a need for a curve of difficulty, the real sense of progression will be through B.F.M. items.


    Right now they are simple, but later they will be everything. To the extent that it will be possible to cast physical attributes aside and depend on B.F.M.


    How the lore continues to explain this events is maybe not foolproof but it does make a great attempt.


    It boils down to materials. A B.F.M requires a medium to work. The medium can change dramatically but its purpose is always the same.


    These materials, according to Perpetuity¡¯s lore, are usually found in their expanded form. They are later compressed by multiple factors.


    It is the Brute Force Method that utilizes this kind of material, they make it expand into its remember form.


    These materials are sometimes given the prefix of smart or intelligent. Because they can remember multiple forms.


    Augmentations is a variant of these materials, they synergize with it and can in a way import a new memory to the material. This can add speed, strength or change its form.


    How this is explained in lore is not exactly exact, not for the moment. Perpetual Power had to fabricate a branch of science that is entirely theoretical.


    It is theoretical, because the B.F.M. does not exit the boundaries of virtual reality. Perpetual Power would say. It hasn¡ät breach the barrier, yet.


    It is their belief that with enough training, sustained exposure and a talented enough person, they will see real life application.


    As for what materials required to test it, it has been proposed that air would be the first catalyst, at least to see any observable reaction.

 Chapter twenty seven: A to b.

    Three days of pure unadulterated relaxation has left Sorp a beaten down version of himself. Still awe inspiring and a towering behemoth, but a demoralized one.


    On the fourth day Sorp was stable enough to practice his basic weapon techniques.


    These basic techniques are actually the entirety of his strenuous exercises. Because only basic weapon techniques are taught in the Third wave reinforcement camp.


    They are exceedingly simple, a slash, a thrust and vague references to blocking. It is more about the stance and weight distribution. Sorp enjoyed practising them.


    The value of these techniques is dubious and not at all required to take the test. The camp still provides accommodations to learn them.


    The next few days went on as expected. The trainers denied any challenges from Sorp, they even considered rewriting some policies regarding challenges.


    Without his previous company, Sorp sought the comfort of women. Either inviting them to practice with him or seeking them out in social environments.


    Being his handsome charming self, he had no issue finding companions to spend their free time with him.


    It took a whole week for the first one of the guys to arrive. It was Ret, and the corse he trained. He had taken care of all four. But one was given special attention.


    The corse¡¯s stature is not good for warring or fighting in general, but they can be valuable mounts in many situations.


    This corse, now named little retty, has become the leader of the pack. Ret has similarly obtained a token to enter the second wave reinforcement camp.


    The rewards seem small, and inconsistent with a game environment. A veteran gamer would expect great reward after a lengthy quest.


    But this was never a quest. They had sought out education and training. They were provided with education and training. In the end they were deemed fit to continue on this course.


    The reward, if any, is the educational benefits, the experience of surviving in a wild environment and the B.F.M. endurance training.


    In the future, many will curse this way of thinking. But this is how things will continue to work. Contracts can be accepted and requested.


    A contract to fulfill a request of a person or an organization will yield rewards, or in better terms, payment.


    There are also thousands of contracts that provide a service, rather than requesting one. These do not yield payment and will in most cases, request it instead.


    With Ret back, Sorp dragged him to practice, It was easy to see that Ret had not practiced fighting with weapons.


    Lucky for Ret, he had an excuse, to take care of the animals. He then went out prowling for women, he felt like years had passed since he last felt a woman¡¯s touch.


    Before long the rest of the guys began trickling in. They varied greatly in completion time, but they all finished the required tasks.


    The test itself isn¡¯t too difficult. It isn¡¯t difficult because they were taught how to complete it, there were no tricks involved.


    They were taught how to do everything, and what they were taught, they used.


    This was like this because this is a service, they paid for this and they got what they paid for.


    In cases where people would fail the test, it was often due to unfortunate events or a frail character. Perhaps someone afraid to spill blood or afraid of the dark.


    The guys were not frail in the least, perhaps uncultured and unruly, but not frail. They, like Sorp, grew up fighting for most things.


    It¡¯s not like wild savages fight, more like growing up where hostility is very much promoted. Those docile more often than not, ended up being forced into sorry states.


    In the past it was mandatory to seek education. This changed once it was made entirely free. From then on, the actual enforcement of the law stopped. And later abolished.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    In a similar way, hunger was eradicated. People are given an identification chip, and they can retrieve enough food from local dispensaries.


    The word food is used loosely here. It was enough nutrients to live a healthy life, but the taste was not guaranteed.


    People are also afforded free housing. This housing is not considered safe in many of the worst neighbourhoods. This includes most of the Ring.


    Sorp and his friends did not live in free housing but in what could be considered their own. Now they owned the entire building, before they only owned or rented the apartments.


    With free housing, the market for houses actually collapsed to a large degree but later regained some of its former value.


    This is one of the reason why Sorp could afford to buy a new house in a better neighborhood, as the housing are not actually too expensive.


    The newer houses are mass manufactured and only put together. The only time consuming event is the creation of the foundation.


    Most of the houses are created by the government in an effort to house every individual. This proves hard with the growing population, but not impossible.


    People spend money on luxuries. This might make it seem like a poor incentive to work, but people do care about their luxuries. Even if it is just not eating government issued food.


    One of the reason Sorp was so eager to enter a world of crime was to buy better food. His large build demanded more food than the average person.


    If someone was observing the intake of food Sorp¡¯s real body was receiving, they would at least feel some shock.


    People can overeat in the virtual world. Eat enough and they will see their bodies inflate. Sorp has yet to inflate, but his belly is showing some change.


    Vigorous physical exercise mitigates his overeating for the most part.


    The last one to finish the test is Dart, not unsurprising. He was the last one to enter and not exactly the greatest fighter.


    Sorp and Dart¡¯s figures were very different. They were of similar height but one appeared to be stretched, while Sorp appeared have been scaled up.


    The difference shows in the ease of movement and pressure on certain joints. This is not exactly external but it is still possible to deduce this from outside appearance alone.


    No time was wasted, Ret, kom and Jarem had finished preparing for the journey to the next camp.


    Anyone that knew the guys would find it shocking that they would even consider furthering their training. They have always been hooligans.


    But it is because it gave them something they didn¡¯t know they wanted. It gave them a feeling of responsibility.


    This isn''t a responsibility towards the world but towards themselves. Not only this, but their comraderie pushed them forward as well.


    It is no coincidence they feel this way, Perpetual Power did no haphazardly design their world.


    The journey towards the Second wave reinforcement camp is supposedly about four thousand six hundred kilometers away. This is quite the distance to trek without motorized vehicles.


    It is not impossible to obtain a motorized vehicle, but it is expensive and difficult. Instead beasts are trained, some moving fast enough to compete with their vehicular counterpart.


    Like mentioned before, this has to do with a lack of resources, according to Perpetuity¡¯s lore.


    Perpetuity isn¡¯t technological deficient, the Pebble in the river just doesn¡¯t have enough natural resources to make use their more advanced technology.


    That is the lore. The actual size of the Pebbled in the river, the island Perpetuity lies on, is larger than any of Earth¡¯s continents.


    But it really is just a pebble in a river, ninety percent rock. What minerals there are to find are scarce and difficult to find.


    Most rare material are wash up from the Endless river. This is through the aforementioned underground caverns.


    There are rare excursions to the outside world that bring back various things. Elite soldiers Perpetuity has trained.


    These excursions are rare and few are successful. According to Perpetuity lore, the world outside the pebble is vicious. Few survive there.


    Few survive, this in the sense that prolonged stay results in death. It does not mean they cannot enter the wilderness and return.


    Numerous plans are in motion to facilitate the expansion into this wilderness. How is another question. It certainly will include the involvement of B.F.M. users.


    One of the largest feats of engineering in Perpetuity is, one, the city Perpetuity and its logistical brilliance. Second, the two great bridges.


    The bridges lead to each bank of the Endless river. This towering monster of precious materials was built before Perpetuity was built.


    Lore has it that it was only in such deserted places, such as the Pebble in the river that grand emergency shelters could be built.


    It does not say whether there are other such emergency shelters. Most of the actual city building came after the emergency.


    It is fortunate that the planning to the city was within their possession. Without it, this glorious logistical masterpiece of would have been a shadow of its present self.


    Sorp and the guys had not taken the time to marvel the city. They could still view it from a far from their palm devices.


    It is in these long distances travels that this device comes in use. Multiple people record themselves exploring the city.


    In the city there are places to train, similar to the reinforcement camps. They are more centered towards governmental employees. But not impossible to gain access to.


    In the same manner there are multiple places centered around miscellaneous crafting professions. These are also related to the government.


    It is related to the government in a different way from the reinforcement camp. A person usually has to become affiliated in some manner or earn the right amount of reputation to gain access.


    The reinforcement camp is a service you buy while the others are one you work towards. Both can render the same results, at least to a degree.


    This is the Third reinforcement camp. The second and first are of different tiers. And it is the second reinforcement camp where Sorp and the guys are heading now.


    The road is endless. It is straight, even and empty. There are no longer any farmers to be seen, as there is not farmland to be worked.


    There are no travellers, as only seven individuals have any business on this road. One should be well over a week and a half ahead.


    It is not difficult to see how far along Daisy is. She is recording her journey for the world to see.


    The guys took it as an ill omen that she is still on the road. She is riding on a wagon, pulled by a single beast. In front is a solemn looking man.


    This traveling is costing a fortune. Closing on what the guys paid for their corses. It is because she is paying for ten people. One for each seat unbooked.


    What is troubling is the length of the journey. The distance between places to restock on food are far and few between.


    Unlike the farmlands where on regular intervals a small village could be found. And in those villages, people were selling rather cheap produce.


    On this road there are villages on the way. Each pertaining to a specific natural node of resource and some subsistence farming.


    Their wares are not as plenty. The variety sparse and their prices absurd. Only cheap in the local natural resource.


    Perhaps some trader may make use of the lower price of resources. But not people like Sorp. Dart might entertain the idea, but he is no trader.


    These resources can range from a small mineral deposit, to a specific natural climate that lends itself to a growing of a certain herb.


    This is what Perpetuity lore says. It is difficult to ignore the convenience of it. But as it is, the scale of the land is too large. People are forced to spend weeks traveling.

 Chapter twenty eight: Learning

    One week and four days.


    ¡°We¡¯re finally here.¡±


    ¡°They better have women, I¡¯m bursting.¡±


    ¡°They better have food!¡±


    No matter how much food they packed, it still ran out. No matter how much they restocked at the restops along the way, they still ran out.


    It wasn¡¯t that they needed this much food to make it through the day, It was instead that when they were bored, they ate.


    Especially Sorp. He took it upon himself to run with the corses, practice his battle techniques and strain his B.F.M. stamina. This made him eat more than usual.


    The effort didn¡¯t embellish his muscles. What Perpetual Power foresaw. Was that unreasonable people would push the envelope on what is considered normal.


    People like Sorp whose exercising never seemed to come to an end. And with the embellished regenerative properties of a virtual environment, this was exacerbated.


    Regeneration acted in this way in Perpetuity due to a few reason but the main reason is that Perpetual Power¡¯s research indicated that prolonged physical weakness is detrimental.


    Detrimental to the retention of a player. They still require it as a countermeasure of reckless behaviour. A punishment for failure.


    In a similar way they have to give people a sense of progression. They do this by changing their physical bodies in response to their attributes.


    What they did is increase the adjacent muscles. This wasn¡¯t a perfect solution. But it is true that the body isn¡¯t smart when it enhances itself.


    The process of ripping the muscles and repairing them again to gain muscle mass is a crude method. The nano-machines that regulate people''s docile bodies do this as well.


    But they can do this with incredible efficiency. They can increase physical prowess without swelling the muscles. And this is what they do.


    As an extra merit, they make sure the bodies muscles are in equilibrium. This allows for more strength distribution. This is what Sorp is experiencing in plenty.


    Majority of any benefits rendered from exercise within the virtual world of Perpetuity, is in the form of the body being balanced.


    This sort of balance has more merits than just physical strength. It leads to a healthier body, and in the same vein, makes it easier to maintain in the long term. In turn it increases life expectancy and quality of life.


    It might sound counter productive to Perpetual Power¡¯s eugenics plans to increase people¡¯s life spans. But assuming birth rate plummets, it is more than acceptable.


    It was not just birth rate that plummets. People do not litter while in a virtual environment. Their food intake becomes simpler. Essential nutrients and no cooking required.


    The benefits keep accumulating. The money the governmental powers will save on public services alone is astronomical.


    Much of this still requires the lowest tier of society to have access to Perpetuity. Which they do not. The price of the devices are too expensive. This will not be the case forever. Or long for that matter.


    It will take multiple years in Perpetuity¡¯s time, perhaps tens, but in real life things should move faster as stability is found in the virtual world.


    The stress of billions of people in the same instance is no laughing matter. Similar to a disc containing mountains of data in comparison to data written on paper.


    Perpetual Power¡¯s method to read and write monstrous amount of information allows even ten times the population of Earth to enter Perpetuity. In theory.


    The word instance is mentions a few times. And the world of Perpetuity is such an instance. And within this instance there are subinstances.


    In truth, this grand instance, the one that encapsulates the entire world, is actually trillions upon trillions of instances, working like a network. It gives the illusion of a single instance.


    Only machines can actually see any difference. Humans might only see a change when they are transported to one of millions of subinstances.


    Even this transition between one instance to a subinstance isn¡¯t intrusive. The observant might notice it, if they are already looking for it. Otherwise it will be like a gentle gust of wind.


    Sorp might not notice this transition. If he did notice something off, it¡¯s more likely that he has no idea what has occurred.


    ¡°Can I see your medal?¡±


    ¡°Is this going to cost anything? Do we have to pay?¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    The group couldn¡¯t be called poor but they didn¡¯t like spending money on things that weren¡¯t consumables, clothes or something in that vein.


    ¡°The Second wave reinforcement camp provides people with multiple ways to pay your way through the courses.¡±


    ¡°So it does cost money? Spit it out. How much?¡±


    The man in charge of registration can¡¯t be called customer friendly but he didn¡¯t go out of his way to be rude. He responded to any question asked.


    ¡°Sorp?¡±


    ¡°I can pay it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve also managed to collect quiet a sum, I¡¯ll help.¡±


    It was Sorp and Dart that ended up paying for all of them. Sorp has abundant funds and Dart is clever with his money.


    Ret was split up with the group as soon as registrations were finished. He took with him all four corses. It can be considered an advantage to own one beast, let alone four.


    The others were all introduced to various on camp facilities. What intrigues Sorp the most are the training facilities.


    Dart had multiple questions about the study centers. To his his surprise they had general introductions to every profession. Meaning they should be able to pick up a profession.


    One of the requirements the Second wave reinforcement camp has is to acquire some degree of success in a crafting profession.


    These professions range from cooking, concocting medicine and poisons to many different weapons, armours and trinkets.


    This being a virtual world, many fantastical things are possible. It is in these fields that the two worlds differ the most.


    Some would think this might shake peoples immersion, but they would be forgetting that people already accept miraculous technology.


    Not understanding how simple or advanced technology works is bordering on them being a magical products without any sense. In a similar way, people are ready to accept otherworldly occurrences in Perpetuity.


    The rest of the guys took special attention to the entertainment venues. They let out a breath of relief when they saw that not only were there women around, their number wasn¡¯t low.


    On the second day, they finally ran into Daisy. They were all attending, what is called mandatory classes. Of course the repercussions to not attending is not actually punishable.


    They are called mandatory due to psychological reason. It is to mean, if people attend these classes, they will succeed in achieving the test once they are eligible to take it.


    Daisy was surprised with herself. She did miss these guys. The people watching her recording were keeping it her company but it wasn¡¯t the same.


    The issue was they didn¡¯t let her record their appearance or voices. At least that¡¯s what she still believes.


    Their appearances is one thing, but the voices make so every conversation is one sided and awkward.


    If she happened to ask them directly, rather than sending a request through the user interface, they would likely not mind.


    Sorp never really cared much. It was Dart who opposed to it. Having no desire to ruin his Anonymity.


    Kom being the most interested in social activities has instantly begun talking to Daisy.


    ¡°I guess you guys rode your corses here?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They were even faster after Ret trained them a bit.¡±


    ¡°Ret? Oh right, the one who is training animals.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything special about this camp?¡±


    ¡°The crafting. They also preach a lot of stuff to you now.¡±


    ¡°Preach? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Eh. About the importance of a crafting professions, B.F.M, team effort and for some reason building fortifications. ¡±


    ¡°What? Fortifications? For what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I haven¡¯t been here long. But I¡¯ve been learning how to build houses, walls and barricades.¡±


    ¡°With a hammer and nail? Really?¡±


    ¡°Not with a hammer and nail, no. It¡¯s through the user interface. They will unlock it for you later today, if you show up for the class. You do get a hammer though.¡±


    ¡°Strange.¡±


    While Kom enjoyed chatting, Dart and Sorp were busying themselves with dull B.F.M. endurance exercise.


    Endurance exercises are scheduled to be three times over the course of a day. This is from the single one in the Third reinforcement camp.


    Aside from the traditional exhaustion exercise there is an addition to allow people to find their fatigue points.


    This is done so people can stop when their fatigue is reaching a natural limit. And to teach them a technique.


    A technique that Sorp has been trying to learn naturally. To understand how to use B.F.M. weapons and later abilities without exhausting themselves.


    This is easier said than done. Even Sorp, as observant as he is, struggles with this particular technique.


    It does not help that with constant changing endurance threshold, it is not as simple as counting the actions.


    While each actions performed with a B.F.M. can be constant, there are elements that will vary, that are outside specific actions.


    ¡°We will not ask you to take a profession this day, and not this week. This entire week we will dedicate to learning what options are available.¡±


    Similar like before. Each person is set at a station. Their actions are not directed other than given multiple subjects to peruse.


    In addition to this there are further survival tactics taught. More in depth medical issues for example. To the extent of teaching emergency surgery.


    It is perhaps only Dart that has already familiarized himself with all professions options available and can pick a profession at this moment.


    There are twelve basic crafting professions. Every profession has two professions it is closely tied with.


    These professions share similarities but at times branch out far enough to merit their own specialization.


    They can also be seen as a single whole. It should not be uncommon in the future, to study three professions simultaneously due to their synergy.


    This has a lot to do with the materials used. For example, Medicine concoctions, Poison arts and Potioneering all share similar materials.


    While similar. Their end product is different enough to merit their own classification. Their materials can be identical. Their harvesting and processing may be similar as well.


    In the vein of studying, this is like learning a language with the same origin. It is easier to pick up, but their differences are still clear and can be difficult to differentiate.


    The name of the professions are self descriptive but there are those that can be ambiguous. For example, Clothier, Leatherer, and Weaver.


    Clothier and Leatherer are obvious, but Weaver may be seen as redundant. Clothier and Leatherer revolve around B.F.M. armors.


    Weaver however specializes in cloth or leather related weaponry. This possible through B.F.M. technology, where the material¡¯s durability is of tantamount importance.


    Then there are the unorthodox professions, Engraver, Augmenter and Synthesizer. These are can be considered supportive professions but still hold their own.


    Engraver enhances a weapons. This can be adding augment slots or one off permanent enhances.


    Augmenter is self descriptive, it focuses on creating and modifying Augments. It is not to be underestimated.


    Last is Synthesizer. This particular profession can be considered lackluster in current times, but will shine later.


    A Synthesizer attempts to change foreign Augments and B.F.M.¡¯s into usable products. They can also learn important information from objects, valuable information to crafters.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Crafting professions


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Medicine concoctions


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Poison arts


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Potioneering


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Clothier


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Leatherer


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Weaver


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Metalier


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Armourer


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Weaponeer


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Woodier


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Tinkerer


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Modder


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Engraver


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Augmenter


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Synthesizer


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chapter twenty nine: Picking a crafting profession.

    Two hours of sifting through professions has left the guys distraught. The sheer amount of information on a single subject can cause confusion.


    Seeing everyone walk in silence, Kom feels the an itch to fill said silence.


    ¡°Sorp, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting. Weapons.¡±


    ¡°What kind?¡±


    ¡°Metal.¡±


    ¡°What about you Jarem?¡±


    ¡°I feel wronged.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Wronged damnit. Why do I have to know all these things about plants anyway!?¡±


    There is no lack of anger in Jarem. His statement roused some emotion, Pal can¡¯t help himself but to join in.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! And forget about plants, I now know more about making clothes than I am comfortable to know.¡±


    ¡°Only you idiots would complain about something so easy.¡±


    ¡°Dart, don¡¯t even talk to me right now you sponge. I bet your loving this. Masochist.¡±


    Rest of the day is allocated to incessant exercise and eating until sweet freedom shows itself.


    The last exercise of the day is what is being called theoretical B.F.M. control. It does not actually exhaust the users, as the exhaustion exercise does.


    What this Theoretical B.F.M. control is supposed to accomplish, is to allow people to understand how to find their limits, even as these limits expand.


    The idea might be simple. But execution requires repeated practice. This is because understanding their limits requires a feedback.


    In this case, the feedback is present upon drawing onto whatever B.F.M. reserves a user has. The difficulty lies in understanding the feedback and how to use to their benefits.


    An intelligent person might have an advantage here. But that is only in the shorterm, as the B.F.M. is in its essence, using a muscle above all else.


    Any practiced swordsman will understand a simple slash with their body, not their mind. And as such, a user will need to understand their B.F.M. like they understand how far they run without exhaustion.


    It is athletic oriented people that hold the greatest advantage here. This does include a person like Sorp.


    The issue at hand is that the feedback is fatigue in some sense. But once fatigue is noticeable, it may already be too late to strike a balance.


    It is all these issues and more that require weeks of practice. It requires understanding and the active mind to be mindful of it.


    ¡°Pal.¡±


    ¡°Going out?¡±


    ¡°You coming?¡±


    ¡°Coming.¡±


    ¡°Jarem?¡±


    ¡°Coming.¡±


    ¡°Suppose we don¡¯t have to ask Dart and Sorp.¡±


    ¡°Dart was always like this, but Sorp is obsessed with that B.F.M. nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Leave them to it, lets go hunt.¡±


    Their idea of a hunt is far more insidious than it lets out to be. As it is not animals they hunt, not animals in the human sense, at least.


    Laws in Perpetuity are tricky. Perpetuity, as in the world has no rules. The city state. Perpetuity, the governmental power. It is this Perpetuity that has laws.


    Only camera¡¯s placed in places outside the city, are in places with valuables worth defending. These can be Vcoin vaults, various valuable crafting materials, B.F.M. weapons and armours.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    There are no B.F.M. armours in the Third or Second reinforcement camps. But there is weaponry. And in the Second, there are hefty sum of valuable materials.


    Any social venues do not have monitoring for anything but actual merchandise being sold. And the camp governs itself.


    Without enough malicious events, meaning fighting or other exploitations of the camps residents, human or virtual humans. There will be no patrolling in the name of public safety.


    From their experience, the guys already understand that if they remain stealthy. If their actions are not directly harmful to Perpetuity¡¯s interests. They will be allowed free reign.


    Having already run amok in the Third reinforcement camp with no public condemnation of interference of other sorts, it is clear that their evil is untethered.


    This is allowed because they never were stupid enough to steal from those that would fight back. And least of all, large syndicates or governmental forces.


    Stealing, coercing and abusing civilians however, this seems to have no repercussions.


    There are various reasons for this lack of security. One is that the ultimate purpose is not to guard the people, but to guard against them.


    Because the government sees people as both a resource and a disease. It is only when actions become detrimental to the governmental interests that change will be seen.


    Outside of that, another reason for this lack of safety is to prepare people for what comes when they exit the Pebble in the river.


    It is there were the government will no longer be pushing and helping civilians as directly, and begin depending on them for precious materials.


    What this might achieve, is a vigilante force might present itself. Created by the people for the people. Perhaps people will form groups, guilds or other organizations.


    What is true, is that outside of the city¡¯s border, a certain form of lawlessness exists. And outside the Pebble in the river, it is complete lawlessness.


    Five days into the training, everyone was adjusting to routine, but more importantly, they have consumed all available novice crafting professions information.


    At this point, it is expected that users begin practicing a specific profession, one of the twelve. This is to replace the same time slot.


    This is one of the reason why the Second wave reinforcement camp is three times larger than the Third reinforcement camp. Due to the facilities for crafting.


    Having reviewed every profession, the guys all picked their professions. This was all done on a whim.


    Pal had argued against picking Clothier but eventually found it to fit him. His farsighted thoughts had him thinking he¡¯d need cool clothes in the future.


    Jarem selected Poison concoction, having been seduced by various insidious poisons described.


    Kom picked Tinkerer A tinkered creates defensive B.F.M. from biological material like plants and trees. Perhaps he did this at random.


    Dart already started working on Synthesizer and Augmenter. His goal was to study three professions, adding Engraver later.


    Sorp was straightforward and picked weaponeer. His understanding of it was that he could create a weapon that fit him.


    What he considered fitting him is still unknown. It is unknown because he himself can¡¯t be said to know.


    Ret, picked medicine concoction, as there is a grave need to maintain animals and it was recommended to him.


    Some discussion was had about this, to prevent them from picking the same subjects. In the end there would be some overlap.


    As knowledge on fundamentals in any profession is readily available, the focus goes into practical practice.


    In fact, almost everything is practical practice. There is the B.F.M. exhaustion exercises, basic fighting techniques, crafting practice and other more advanced survival tactics.


    What is fortunate, is that practice doesn¡¯t require actual materials. At least at the novice level. Right now people at the Second reinforcement camp receive substitute materials.


    These materials do not result in functional items. And they can only work within workshops. As they are not real materials, but something like holographic.


    It is strange, that in a virtual environment, Perpetual Power has decided to create a made up device that renders quasi-objects.


    Quasi-objects. It¡¯s meaning similar to virtual, where virtual real means something like ¡®almost reality. In a sense virtual can be said to mean almost. Or nearing something.


    In the same way, you can say quasi-objects or pseudo-objects to mean similar-objects or fake-objects.


    These can be as fine as sand, flexible as plant stems or as hard as diamonds. Through these items, failure is forgone.


    It is when tests, promotions, acquiring new, perhaps unknown knowledge that these pseudo objects are no longer valued.


    That is not say that materials cannot be dismantled and tested thoroughly and later simulated through the same technology. But it will still require substantial amount of data to do so.


    It can help people find what hasn¡¯t been tried before. Meaning they bring up an item and test it against multiple things, and finding that the system doesn¡¯t have knowledge of it.


    For example a metal hasn¡¯t been alloyed with another metal. If the system doesn¡¯t have the data to know simulate such an interaction, the researcher can try to do so with the real material.


    This has great many benefits. Any new information can be considered valuable. Not only in monetary terms but also for personal knowledge.


    As it is in the end, knowledge on specific things that allow you promote yourself to the next stages of a specific crafting profession.


    Same thing can be said about fighting methods. Thousands of battles accumulate knowledge. And in this case organized data, this data can be used to benefit the user.


    In the stage that Sorp and the guys are at, their battle knowledge has little to no merit. As it is all basic techniques or random flailing. This generic data is already widespread and not valued.


    Later when more varied types of B.F.M. tools present themselves, a need for specialized techniques to fight with rises.


    Most basic battle techniques are being taught both in a theoretical way and a practical way. The difficulty, the facilities and weapons available all remain the same as in the Third reinforcement camp.


    Out of every activity, Sorp spent most of his time practicing these techniques. It never seemed to end. Every few days he could change a weapon, and it would give him a foreign feeling.


    Even when he managed to cycle through the many weapons, a new cycle meant a new experience. He had different insights on the weapons.


    It can be said that Sorp not only seeks out violence for the sake of violence, but also to experience something new.


    Every human, every fight was different. They might be similar, but cumulative experience changed the dynamic and every person met was different.


    So even when fighting weak enemies, it was a new taste. A new flavour. And he could experience this best while training fighting techniques.


    It is this same attitude that has lead Sorp to be the man who he is today. It can be said to be following his instincts.


    It is not wrong to think of it as instincts. It is not wrong to see it as a man seeking excitement. Or a man wanting to experience something new.


    Of course people might argue that fighting the same opponent a hundred times is repetition with nothing to offer. But those people are not hyper observant.


    It can probably be this aspect of Sorp that has molded him more than anything. The way he perceives changes, in detail that might be too small to even acknowledge.


    Not directly perhaps but at least indirectly. Making similar events, where the elements are similar but different enough that there is something new to be harvested from them.


    With this virtual environment. Numerous elements have been added to Sorp¡¯s arsenal. In particular, B.F.M. and a far faster regenerative body.


    Just the fact that the virtual environment can alter his physical attributes, has intrigued Sorp from the beginning.


    Yet it wasn¡¯t until they were inside Perpetuity. The real end result of Perpetual Power decades of research that gave him the environment to experience it.


    From the beginning, Sorp felt restrictions on him. This is very hard to perceive or even understand, as people¡¯s physical condition can change from day to day, from our to hour and even few minutes apart.


    This restriction did not go away. In Sorp¡¯s senses, this restriction got even worse. But he also understands that his strength has never been higher.


    With growth, the restrictions placed can be perceived to increase. In reality it is a constant percentage.


    This restriction can be lifted and even turned into a boon, making people go beyond what they should be capable of.


    This is done through items. Either armors, weapons, various trinkets or consumables like potions and food.

 Chapter thirty: Moths to flame.

    What is surprising about crafting professions. Is the technological levels. Take Sorp¡¯s weapon crafting.


    Using pseudo oree he melts with what can be considered high technology. This a multipurpose B.F.M. device.


    In his hands the ore are contained in a cauldron like container. Upon reaching liquid state the cauldron changes into a mold. This mold is whatever Sorp wills it to be, within reason.


    Its restrictions is only in respect to its size and how thin it can become. Meaning he can still make a rather sizeable two meter radius circle.


    What use such a large circle is when weapons is considered is dubious at beast. But it is possible and that is about as large as it become.


    Upon setting the mold, the metal can be cooled if required. At this point, Sorp can now bring out other B.F.M. devices such as an anvil, a hammer or other metal craft related tools.


    Beating metal is understood as blacksmith¡¯s method to work the metal. And in this virtual environment, it is meant as a way to process the metals.


    There is some cracks in the logic, but Sorp can decide what material he wants to remove in the metal and try to hammer out.


    This is where practice comes into play in a game sense. The proficiency depends on level of ¡®skill¡¯ acquired in game not not an actual skill.


    In traditional gaming terms, this would be blacksmithing experience for example. Leveled up by repeated actions on worthwhile material.


    It is hard to actually find actual skill within the crafting profession as majority is so heavily assisted and bordering on nonsensical.


    A lot of it is reduced to a person B.F.M. control. Different from endurance or quick actions, this is instead finesse.


    Smooth, delicate actions. Not a slashing of a sword. A blast of a spell or what else straightforward combat asks for.


    This is what practice is supposed to provide. This is also a skill instrumental to many harder to wield B.F.M.¡¯s later on.


    Aside from this. Crafting is repetitive process. More experience is rewarded for attempting new things but the if one focuses on creating swords, naturally that individual becomes more skilled at it.


    This being a game, with immense focus on betterment through exercise and crafting, crafting becomes the most gaming like construct within Perpetuity.


    It has experience levels and the system provides considerable assistance in its use. This in in contrast with no experience based levels.


    It is not unthinkable that people can be classified in tiers or levels. Meaning their cumulative achievements, physical attributes and B.F.M. capabilities allow people to be ranked.


    Whether such a thing is realized is difficult to say. Unlike traditional gaming gauges, like health bars, Perpetual Power has not actually addressed the issue.


    As Perpetual power did not add attributes into the game. No one gains power by adding ten to a strength attribute for example. As such, they have no need for levels.


    What they can do and do do, is give the chance to strengthen their real bodies. This will increase personal power within Perpetuity.


    This not only done through increase regenerative properties, thereby allowing them to train harder, but also give boost that act in a similar way as a steroid would.


    This is like an experience boost in a traditional game. In its essence a buff that allows them to become stronger in a shorter time.


    Sorp, the guys or Daisy have not encountered such a thing. But that does not mean no one has. Just as Sorp, Daisy and the guys are progressing, so are millions of others.


    There are already newcomers here the Second wave reinforcement camp. As most people playing are rich, they do not hesitate paying the fee that Daisy did.


    Moreover, with people recording their journey, it is easier for others to follow their lead and catch up. At least catch up to them some sense.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    There are people as motivate as Daisy and perhaps not as physically adept as Sorp, but not lacking. These people can overtake Sorp¡¯s group as not all of them are in a hurry.


    Whether someone can overtake Daisy is hard to say. She is both intelligent, bold and can be considered strong in some sense.


    The other aspect aside from training to better themselves. There is also a feature in Perpetuity that allows for easy building.


    This taught once a week and not for a long period. It is in its essence, teaching people how to use the building interface. This only becomes relevant once outside of the Pebble in the river.


    It is a simple thing. Users pick a premade object like a wall. This object can be scaled and saved to be used repeatedly.


    There are multiple such premade objects and they can be pieced together through a device augments the builders vision. This is not a projection but augmented reality.


    Augmented reality takes a recorded image and displays something on top of it. Upon doing this, the builder can choose to have the objects built.


    This is a slow process and can take hours, as the technology requires power that isn¡¯t easy to access once outside the Pebble in the river.


    Here game elements come into play again. People can allow the device to many different materials, all they have to do is summon it from their inventory.


    Hacking down trees, collecting clay or materials used in cement, will become something very real to pioneers.


    The actual teachings is to slowly create various structures. These are basic buildings, meant for short term emergency.


    Later on these people buildings with proper logistics. Meaning plumbing mainly. This should be taught in the Third wave reinforcement camp, including more in depth city building strategies.


    Perpetuity is going to support any outside expansion as a new state. Meaning a new country that has its own laws.


    There is some lore excuse for this, but the intention is allowing people to create their own world, make their own laws, govern how they like.


    How this will play out is difficult to predict. Perpetual Power has their thoughts on the matter but they will not disclose it.


    What Perpetual Power did predict, was that people would not adjust to a virtual world without the instantaneous nature of the internet. As such, it is excused as advanced tech.


    In the lore, this is all explained as being long distance networks using existing satellites, satellites they cannot interfere with anymore but can still use.


    But this network only works within Perpetuity. The virtual world Perpetuity. Just like Vcoin can only be exported, the information within Perpetuity can only exported to the real world.


    This is not only to give things within Perpetuity more value but also isolate people from the real world.


    Even things like Daisy¡¯s recordings, or specific her chat with her viewbase is not occuring in real time, but in perpetuity time.


    Perpetuity¡¯s time runs several factors faster than real time, and only people within Perpetuity can watch in ¡®live¡¯. While those outside watch an edited down version.


    There are merits to both but those watching the version A.I. software edits experience substantially lower amounts of dull moments.


    This A.I. takes the data from the recordings, reads through it and compares it to what it believes to be ¡®entertaining¡¯.


    It cuts out anything it can until it reaches a duration is cut down to one fifth. For example, six minutes are cut down to one minute.


    This is not a perfect system but is far superior to the alternative, The content created by a single person.


    It¡¯s in this way that Perpetual Power wants to entrance anyone not inside the virtual world. With so much content, all streamlined, it advertises for itself.


    Most of this content doesn''t matter. Majority of it can be considered wasted. But the few select, specifically celebrities, are highly valued and more resources are spent on their recordings.


    Someone like Daisy should not receive special care, but because she is considered on the front of one many fronts, she is given additional coverage and attention.


    This is in terms of Perpetual Power advertising her content and A.I. resources allocated to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.


    As these A.I. are always learning, this program will only become better in the future. As it learns what entertain humans more thoroughly.


    Sorp would get similar treatment as Daisy. While he is not a very well known celebrity, he is one and one that has advertised for Perpetual Power and can be considered in the forefront of this particular branch.


    There are multiple fronts that prepare people for the world outside the Pebble in the river. In short they are training people to handle more advanced B.F.M. weapons.


    Because using a complex B.F.M. tool is like executing a complex gymnastic routine, without stamina and repeated practice, it is impossible.


    It is exactly this that Sorp and the guys are learning in the Second wave reinforcement camp. And while it might be tantamount to mindless repetition, they do not find it boring.


    This in spite of them not exactly enjoying exhausting themselves through the B.F.M. exercise, trying to feel out their endurance threshold or fiddle with various crafting professions.


    All of which require rigorous practice, or at least fair amount of activity over the course of a few weeks. Rigorous in this case being persistent.


    The longer they stay in camp, the more people enter the camp. These are the more dedicated people, all trying to catch up or just enjoying the challenge.


    Sorp is seen majority of the time training in battle techniques. So much that he has once again taken the role of a teacher. Helping mostly women.


    It can be said that intermingling in these camps become somewhat befuddling as these are active people, most physically fit and can be considered confident and handsome.


    Say nothing about Sorp and the guys. The other people can¡¯t be underestimated in their sexual adventures. How brazen it gets can be likened to theater students.


    Sorp is currently advising two rather stunning women. This in the privacy of his room. Their bodies tangled together like snakes.


    Due to Sorp¡¯s large stature they are still unable to bury him with their bodies and instead appear to be hanging on his mountain like figure.


    This has become a casual event for Sorp. As his presence is too large to ignore. His fame, handsome looks combined with his large athletic body makes him shine even in the bright of day.


    Sorp is not the only person that attracts people wherever he goes. Quite a few men and women have their own following at this point. Some low tier celebrities like Sorp.


    What they have in common is beauty, a unique demeanor and in this particular case, ambitions that allow them to stand where they are now.


    This requires confidence and ability to rise above what is already considered cream of the crop in way. While not all those with ability and ambition are beautiful and confident, those that bathe in the limelight, certainly are.


    These kind of people are also often proud and take their image seriously. Now what harms their image might differ, but any event harming said image, will be considered a threat to them.


    This leads to some unsavory events. Sometimes this is public drama, leading to some sort of public humiliation. It can also lead to underhanded events where people are killed or punished in some other manner.


    A provocation might just be being in the limelight. Take Sorp or Daisy. They are both considered somewhat famous, especially in the Third and Second wave reinforcement camps.


    This alone may cause some conflict.

 Chapter thirty one: An arm and an eye, can I have them?

    Sorp trained because he wanted to train. He found it enjoyable. It was similar to fighting, it was still lacking, but like an acquired taste, he enjoyed it more and more.


    There were more things he began to enjoy. Women, physically fit women. Women that attempted to keep up with him. This was also a new sensation.


    It wasn¡¯t only Sorp discovering this type of women. Ambitious. Confident. Beautiful. Athletic. This kind of combination isn¡¯t too rare in the camp.


    With the added effect of this being a virtual world, most people have less reservation. Most at least.


    At first it was just one night once in a while, but three weeks into the camp, Sorp brought at least one woman to his room every night.


    His actions became increasingly brazen as well. This in line with Sorp¡¯s character, he always acts domineering.


    It would not be wrong to say that Perpetuity has a certain element of debauchery. As it is populated by wealthy people.


    In a society self sufficient enough to provide food and shelter for its entire population, the wealthy are not lacking in depravity.


    To many of the women, Sorp is little more than an adventure, a challenge or just plain animalistic pleasure.


    What they never expect is the loss of control, once in his hands. They are flung around, as if they weigh nothing.


    Their bodies contorted in all possible ways possible. Sometimes the pain of the whole ordeal outshines the pleasure. But only for a moment.


    Sorp¡¯s popularity with women is more than just an open secret, and with publicity such as this, animosity is bred.


    Not only are the women wealthy and powerful, but the men as well. These are people used to getting their way. Similar to Sorp and his friends, but in a different way.


    One uses wealth while the other violence. Sometimes the two might seem similar, but the difference is who is dealing out the violence.


    Unlike Sorp and his friends, these people love dealing in underhanded ways and voice their dissatisfaction in veiled language.


    Their methods so subtle that when they spoke in derision to or about Sorp, Sorp had no idea they were mocking him or demeaning him.


    As Sorp usually kept up a smile, even alone he has a light smirk. This was provocation to those that detested him. Those that felt jealous at his popularity, strength and his large stature.


    Sorp¡¯s friends didn¡¯t mingle well with these malicious men, these people with venomous tongues. They also didn¡¯t understand their cryptic speech.


    This is not to say they are stupid. Perhaps not wordly in this manner. As it is wisdom that is important, not intelligence.


    Being born in the lower tier of society, Sorp¡¯s and the guys minds weren¡¯t as broad. There are too many things they haven¡¯t seen, don¡¯t know about and haven¡¯t experienced.


    In this way the fall far behind the wealthy. The educated. But they excel in others. Especially when all this wealth has been crippled.


    In perpetuity, wealth still matters, but right now it can¡¯t be utilized as effectively. With preparation, it can, but not spontaneously like now.


    Months from now, the towering wealth of the upper class will have far more influence on Perpetuity that it does to day.


    Right now, all they have is the maximum Vcoin they were allowed to bring in. This is still a sizable sum. About ten times the cost of the device.


    Sorp and the guys brought in a small fortune as well. And they can still bring in more as their virtual reality businesses outside of perpetuity continues to bring in revenue.


    But this the end of it. This is the ceiling of Vcoin brought from the outside world. After this the wealthy will have to employ people in the real world to enter Perpetuity.


    It is only in this way that they will be able to wield their wealth as an advantage in the long term.


    Until then, Sorp and the guys, should have the upperhand in any conflict. While there might be similar levels of strength, their personalities are far more vicious.


    ¡°Have you noticed something weird about those guys?¡±


    ¡°Ye, why do they keep complimenting us?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re trying to kiss Sorp¡¯s ass?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll need bigger lips. Or bigger tits.¡±


    ¡°And some make up.¡±


    This conversation was not a secretive one. This was in the large cafeteria. Hundred some people have already sat down.


    This is six weeks since the guys entered the camp. More and more people catch up. Not because they are fast, but because the guys are slow.


    Through luck and Dart¡¯s knowledge, they somehow found themselves as frontrunners for a while. This clearly couldn¡¯t last. Sorp might have done it alone, but who''s to say he¡¯d stay on this track without the guys?


    The people in the cafeteria already had eyes on Sorp¡¯s group. At least some of them did. Few admirers and a few with malicious intentions.


    What Sorp did not understand, is their way of talking. But how can their gaze, their contemptuous gaze and their general ill will escape him?


    These last few weeks, no months. These last few months, the guys have pushed the legality of this world. Their vicious tactics reaching new highs.


    It is within their understanding that within hidden quarters, everything is allowed. Even murder.


    As to who took the risk of committing murder. It happens to be Dart. His perversion appears to have a weakness in this world.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Once the victim is recognized to be in a vulnerable state, he can no longer play is tasteless games. Even the smallest of torturous tricks cause great harm.


    This lowers his hours upon hours of entertainment into a couple at best. Dart found new challenge in this, coupled with frustration. But his cravings were abated.


    The results were unfortunate, as he did not intend to actually kill his victim. What he did gain was ua better understanding of the laws in this world. A week passed without repercussions.


    This in spite of the victim recording its experience. This video became rather notorious, but as it turns out, it isn¡¯t the only one of its kind. There is more depravity in this world than people expected.


    The victim in question did not respawn in the Second wave reinforcement camp, it spawned in the city, at a random spawning location. It will take at least two to three weeks to return to camp.


    Whether they will choose to do so is a another question, this victim never saw its torturer. That fear of the unknown may be enough to deter them from even staying in Perpetuity.


    It is only Dart that is perverse in this way. But every last one of the guys is perverse in their own way. Perhaps similar to each other but none like Dart.


    It can be said that Pal and Ret enjoy violent control. Jarem enjoys deceptions and seduction. To fool his victims and trap them.


    Due to the promiscuous nature of women he has met in Perpetuity, this perversion of his has been rather frustrating.


    This is because there is no enjoyment for him to trick those that are willing to walk in the flame. There is no sense of achievement.


    It is perhaps Kom that is the most dull. He can be called a omnivore. Pain, control, trickery. To him it is all a form of pleasure.


    But to speak of Sorp. His perversion is in line with his animalistic intentions. There is no right and wrong. But he would not torture his victim for sexual pleasure.


    This does not mean he would not play with his victim. This is also within the nature of an animal, to play with its prey. But rarely with sexual intentions.


    Such acts are rare in animals and only seen in what is considered intelligent animals. This should not come as a surprise.


    Not every animal can be domesticated, but it certainly is capable of learning what it is detrimental to its purposes.


    In this same way, Sorp understands some things he can do, will have negative repercussions. He can choose to stay away from such acts. Whether he does is a different matter.


    ¡°Are they following us?¡±


    ¡°Sorp?¡±


    ¡°They are following us.¡±


    What Sorp didn¡¯t mention was he can see in their expressions. Their eyes wider, slightly sweating. They are excited with masked malicious grins.


    ¡°Wait here.¡±


    Although Sorp is dominated by his instincts, he is still cunning. As this still within the range of intelligent animals.


    ¡°What is going on? Are they coming for us? Why?¡±


    There is no panic in Kom¡¯s voice. Only confusion. This is a fleeting emotion.


    ¡°How many are there?¡±


    Pal, Kom, Dart, Jarem and Sorp had been moving towards one of the crafting facilities. They are now standing behind one such facility, waiting.


    It is important to understand that these facilities are not monitored. Only the insides are, as thats where the equipment is, and it is fastened to the ground.


    To the point where only heavy machinery is capable of removing it. The only concern is whether someone intentionally tries to sabotage them equipment.


    ¡°Twelve.¡±


    ¡°What the hell, twelve?¡±


    Any confusion is put aside, as they all know that there doesn¡ät need to be any specific reason to attack someone. It can just be a way to pass the time.


    They themselves have been known to go out to pick fights. As a prelude to more insidious entertainment options.


    ¡°How do we do this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill them all.¡±


    There was nothing but excitement in Sorp¡¯s voice. His smile so wide it makes you wonder if he is about to rip open. It is his eyes however that terrifies, as its there you can see the rage.


    It¡¯s rage be because Sorp has assumed this group of men intends to hurt is friends. If it was just him alone, he¡¯d still act the same way, but he¡¯d not be angry.


    ¡°You sure? I¡¯m ready to fight whenever. Right guys?¡±


    ¡°No, I think Sorp is really going to go crazy, we¡¯ll probably get in the way.¡±


    ¡°Just look at him. He¡¯s about blow up. We can stand back as support.¡±


    ¡°Right. Support.¡±


    ¡°So, like usual?¡±


    In truth, Kom knew Sorp didn¡¯t want them to join him. He never did. This was Sorp¡¯s greatest perversion. A fight.


    Some would think he was itching to see the result of his training. But Sorp never trained to get stronger. He trained because it was interesting.


    He was itching to fight, but he loved to fight. To see the courage drain out of his adversaries. To see them scream in agony. To see their eyes dim and their bodies keel over.


    In Sorp¡¯s hands, familiar weapons appeared. A sword and a spear. The guys took a few step back and watched Sorp¡¯s figure. From their view, it was like a predator ready to leap.


    Sorp himself was breathing very slowly, almost ceasing. His entire mind was the footsteps approaching. At this point it didn¡¯t matter what these men wanted.


    From the sound of the footsteps, Sorp felt he could differentiate seven of them. This was just half of them. But what he could do was predict how close the closest ones were.


    This is significant because he wanted to strike down two or three before they understood what was happening.


    Just as they were entering Sorp¡¯s view, Sorp struck out in advance. The spear swiveled but struck true. No one stopped walking. The spear was almost inaudible, but the blood splatter was a very visual experience.


    Instead of dragging the spear out of man, Sorp dematerialized it, this takes a greater toll on his B.F.M endurance than just pulling it out, but it is quick.


    The sword strikes down, causing a twenty centimeter wound from the man¡¯s shoulder and down. The hand entire hand cleanly lopped off.


    The blood from this action outshines the spear¡¯s by a factor or two. It is here that screaming begins and then the shock.


    Without waiting for the hand to fall to the ground, the spear rematerialized, despite its heavy toll on Sorp. It is at this point that the ambush is registered.


    Seeing Sorp¡¯s smile and his gaze on him, the man begins stumbling back, wanting to escape or at least dodge. The swiveling spear jabs accurately, piercing the man¡¯s heart.


    There are nine whole men left standing. This is where they bring out their weapons, but they all step backwards.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing, Sorp!?¡±


    It is not strange that they know his name. As it turns out. Sorp had insulted them by sleeping with not one but three of their women. Or atleast what they considered their women.


    These were women they knew in real life, women then had travelled here with and had some romantic feelings for.


    Not only did he sleep with these women, he did so multiple times and even had them at the same time. Under this banner if injustice, these man gathered up like minded people.


    Their objective was simple. They were going to overpower Sorp, kill him and his friends. They knew he¡¯d be sent back to the city. This wasn¡¯t good enough, but good enough for now.


    ¡°Killing.¡±


    There was laughter in Sorp¡¯s voice. His smile brilliant. Stains of blood made for a eerie sight. The sound of Sorp slowly walking over the puddle of blood accumulating on the ground was all they could hear.


    ¡°We¡¯re recording this, don¡¯t think you can get away with this!¡±


    Seeing Sorp stop, they took it as hesitation.


    ¡°Do you even know what you¡¯ve done!?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll fucking kill you.¡±


    ¡°You know there is prison in this game!?¡±


    But Sorp wasn¡¯t hesitating. He was think it would be nice to have a recording of his fights. He didn¡¯t particularly enjoy watching himself in the past, but after training he saw use in it.


    ¡°Kom, how do I record?¡±


    Kom was used to Sorp asking for help navigating the interface. What he did was navigate to it himself and then flick the window towards Sorp.


    Sorp was used to this action as well. He received a notification, which he promptly accepted, and in front of him was the option to begin recording.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    As soon as he began recording, Perpetual Power¡¯s system began working. It was already gathering data on unusual or over performing individuals.


    Soon Sorp¡¯s bloody splattered figure, his brilliant smile and wide eyes were on display on the frontpage. This was the page most prominent Perpetuity players were advertised.


    The stalemate ended here. Sorp began walking towards them again. His steps deliberate, ready to leap forward or to the side.


    The B.F.M. weapons were covered in blood and their light shine, shone through the thin veil of blood.


    The men were slowly backing up in response to Sorp¡¯s advancement. Five meters felt like a large enough distance to prepare for any attack.


    Five meters are not outside of Sorp¡¯s range. But he still had to travel towards them, however rapidly he did.


    Instead of a full frontal assault, Sorp leaped two meters forward and restablized him. The sudden movement caused the nine men to stagger backwards. But two were still ready to strike back.


    It wasn¡¯t just wealthy men and women in these camp. They were also athletic, ambitious and perhaps even trained in some martial art or fighting technique.


    There is a reason why there are weight groups. These are mostly lithe men. They are handsome and arrogant. But their expressions were now ugly.


    It was the staggering that Sorp was looking for. He knew they¡¯d be surprised by his sudden movements and hoped for exactly this chance.


    Three of the men on the far right all stumbled together. One in the middle one on the far right held their stance.


    Without hesitation, Sorp leapt again. His spear held back only moving forward when his right foot land on the ground. This strike wasn¡¯t fast but hard also hard to even see.


    The hand had been held back and the victim could only see the thin pointy edge of the spear. This is not easy to visualize unless confronted by the spear itself.


    The man still had the presence of mind to try and block the strike. But it swung into the air. The spear hit the man, puncturing his lung. Sorp immediately pulled back his spear and resumed his previous front leaning stance.


    The man had his lung punctured and was writhing on the ground, messily smearing his blood across the paved street.


    Four out of twelve men were now out of commission. Two were still alive. One was screaming or moaning, his blood loss made him quieter.


    Sorp retreated and stood above the man who had lost his entire hand. He reached out and put his thumb on one of his eye. The rest of his hand covered half his skull.


    ¡°Can you feel this?¡±


    It was like an illusion, but it sounded like Sorp was laughing as he said this. What followed was a miserably scream before a sudden silence.


    Sorp held onto the stem of a whole eye. But his eyes were watching the man. He was now completely still, but Sorp knew he wasn¡¯t dead, he had passed out. But his death was certain.

 Chapter thirty two: Pain, fear and humiliation.

    Standing above the dying man, Sorp¡¯s eyes finally rise. This marks the man¡¯s silent passing. His gaze moves onto the eight men left.


    These men are no saints, yet they can¡¯t be called evil. They are perhaps some ways depraved. But in no way can they wrap their head around this savage slaughter.


    It isn¡¯t just the deaths. Some of these men have witnessed executions or ordered them. But the violence and swiftness of these deaths.


    Added to this was the sight of Sorp digging the man¡¯s eye out. Aside from the blood, it appears to be in pristine shape. This is because Sorp has done this multiple times.


    The guys on the other hand were only surprised by how effective Sorp¡¯s attacks were. The brutality wasn¡¯t unfamiliar to them.


    The fight itself, so far, hasn¡¯t been very flashy. Instead it was straight forward. The attacks looked like there wasn¡¯t much behind them, whether in power or speed.


    This is because the techniques taught in the camps are something Sorp took seriously. He only used what had learned. His form, the distribution of his strength all aligned.


    Of course this alone doesn¡¯t mean he had mastered anything, only that he knew how to strike without wasting majority of his strength.


    He did this by not wasting too many movements. If anything, the fight was dull. The stark contrast was the brutality. Something like splattering red paint on a white canvass.


    ¡°He¡¯s insane.¡±


    It was a soft voice, but with the silence, everyone heard it. It woke them up from their reverie. They were shocked and perhaps afraid.


    This did not mean they were weak. And they were smart enough to understand that there was still eight of them. They should be able to overpower him.


    It wasn¡¯t wrong to think in this way. As Sorp did intend to fight them alone. The issue was that Sorp wasn¡¯t alone, there were five capable fighter behind him.


    ¡°Attack him together!¡±


    ¡°Kill this fucker!¡±


    ¡°Get him!¡±


    ¡°God damnit! We have to kill him!¡±


    If there is anything that gives men courage, it is a group mentality, meaning overwhelming numbers. As soon as they began shouting, they got louder and louder.


    It is important to note that this place isn¡¯t hidden away in some shady corner. It is only a crafting facility at the edge of the camp. The noise is sure to attract some attention.


    As they got rowdier the more they felt they had the upper hand. It was as if they forgot that helpless moment where they watched Sorp dig the man¡¯s eye out.


    Sorp had never fought in this way before. Eight versus one. It wasn¡¯t the numbers that were unfamiliar to him, but that they all had lethal weapons.


    ¡°Should we help him now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he needs help.¡±


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t even used any of his moves.¡±


    Sorp¡¯s friends were casually watching the fight, prepared to enter it if they need to.


    The men were slowly making their way towards Sorp. Each step gave them more courage. Their shouting didn''t end. But the wording became increasingly insulting.


    ¡°Oh shit. Look.¡±


    The Kom and the guys were leisurely chatting while the other group hollered at the top of their voices. In this hustle, Sorp dematerialized his B.F.M. sword and the reached behind his back.


    In his hand, hidden from sight appeared another spear, this is a short spear. One meant for throwing. Sorp¡¯s tall stature allowed him to hide it for a moment.


    When the spear came into sight, Sorp was readying to throw it. Seeing this, the guys couldn¡¯t help but smirk.


    Although Sorp didn¡¯t spend a lot of time throwing spears, they didn¡¯t think he¡¯d miss. They were practically in close quarters and there was little to no space to dodge.


    ¡°Wanna bet which one of them dies next?¡±


    As if to prove how much they believed in Sorp, the guys began joking around.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Moving as a unit, the eight survivors didn¡¯t actually attack. To attack meant to take the lead, and none of them wanted to strike out first.


    The longer they waited. The closer they got. The easier they would be to hit. And that¡¯s exactly what happened. Sorp brought up his spear and threw it. It felt like he was throwing them a ball.


    But the moment it pierce the man¡¯s upper abdominal muscles, it was too late to worry about who was going to strike first. Sorp¡¯s aim wasn¡¯t too confident and that¡¯s why he threw it at center mass.


    ¡°Fuck! Shit. He hit me! Fuck.¡±


    The spear didn¡¯t have too much power behind it, it was lodged inside him, just barely piercing through to the other side.


    Provoked, the seven still standing charged together and struck out. It was sloppy, uncoordinated and was fated to fail. All Sorp had to do was take two steps back.


    The weapons came down together or in succession. In the time it takes to take two breaths. They had all struck out and missed.


    Sorp had not expected such a poor performance but he seized the moment nonetheless. His B.F.M. spear still in his hand, he thrust it out and pierce another man¡¯s heart.


    When Sorp pulled back, six of them were still able to fight, and all of them had readied their weapons again.


    The chaos of the fight, their riled up mood and the seemingly nonchalant strikes from Sorp left them unable to comprehend they were two men down already.


    The six left behind felt that Sorp pulling back his weapon was the best time for them to strike, and they would probably strike no matter the situation.


    Two spears, three swords and staff came forward. These strikes were better, but none of them caught up to Sorp. There was little to no suspense in this for Sorp.


    From an outsider''s perspective it appeared to be a close fight, Sorp just barely able to attack back. But Sorp understood how easy this was for him.


    Had this been Sorp before he fought in the arena, he¡¯d probably not survive this onslaught. But Sorp had been training with all kinds of weapons for nearly three months now.


    Having dematerialized and rematerialized his B.F.M. weapon alongside of him striking with them, he was feeling the consequences.


    The environment seemed a little less bright. Some details he was used to noticing were blurry. But this didn¡ät mean he was exhausted, only somewhat fatigued.


    Their weapons missed and in a practiecd manner, Sorp reaped another life, piercing his third heart in this fight. They were now reduced to five men.


    The only sound that could be heard now was the pained moans of the man with wound through his upper abdominal muscles.


    ¡°Five left.¡±


    This was Sorp mocking them. He wanted to see them lose hope.


    ¡°Can you fight me with only five?¡±


    Sorp¡¯s breathing was heavy, but it was cheerful. It was cheerful because Sorp felt genuinely happy right now.


    It had been to long since he fought. The refreshing smell of blood. The screaming. The panic and the fear. All these things had to be savored.


    ¡°Do you want to run?¡±


    Sorp was now laughing a genuine laugh. The guys joined in to laugh but they didn¡¯t ruin the atmosphere Sorp was trying to cultivate.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time they saw Sorp do something like this. It was a rare sight but not unusual for Sorp to play around like this.


    ¡°Have you ever seen a man get his tongue cut out?¡±


    It was almost like a friendly conversation at this point. Sorp really couldn¡¯t help but ooze this charming side of him. He was asking very ominous questions yet it sounded friendly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already seen an eye plucked out. Would you like to experience it?¡±


    Sorp pulled out the eye he had dug out earlier. It dangled in his left hand.


    This was the first time during the fight that the men took a step back in fear. They had eased back and retreated, but not in fear, now they had.


    It was this that Sorp wanted. There was something about seeing people learn to fear. A very raw fear, not a fear of death or pain, but fearing him.


    Because Sorp was like this, he had never been swindled in the underground fighting cellars. Because his ¡®employers¡¯ really did not want to end on Sorp¡¯s bad side.


    Sorp took a fast step forward and went through the motion of attacking. He was too far away to actually reach them, but he got the effect he wanted.


    The men staggered several steps back, two went so far as to lose balance and fall backwards into the street.


    Just as Sorp was about to pursue them further, a large group of people began popping into view. They had been attracted by the previous screaming.


    Sorp gave them a cursory glance before ignoring their questions and gaze. The five men were also distracted by this influx of people.


    Sorp took a measured step forward and leapt forward. His spear thrust out in a practice manner. There were now four abled men left.


    There was overwhelming response from the crowd. Exclamations went all around. Then shock, shock from the numerous corpses littering the street. And the blood that continued to pool.


    ¡°Bad people.¡±


    In response to the crowd, Sorp laughed and pointed. Without waiting for them to response he continued on to stab at the ninth victim.


    This person tried to scramble backward, he didn¡¯t try to defend himself, his weapon was already discarded on the ground. His hands were used to further his backward crawling.


    The only end was death. Due to the range, Sorp could only manage to pierce his intestines. But this was already enough, the screaming echoed out.


    The crowd turned silent. The man was screaming and rolling on the ground after the spear was pulled back, his hands holding onto the wound.


    ¡°Bad man.¡±


    Again Sorp pointed and addressed the crowd. He did with a smile and confidence. It was hard for anyone not to believe him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him! He ambushed us and killed all of them!¡±


    As before, it is overwhelming numbers that gives men courage where otherwise there would be none.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! He¡¯s a monster! Look at his left hand! He ripped out Gram¡¯s eye!¡±


    ¡°And he was still alive!¡±


    It was the screaming of that particular man that attracted the crowd. The one who got his eye ripped out. There had been something primal about that scream.


    The kind of scream where you wonder if some kind of animal was having a life and death battle. They couldn¡¯t associate it with a human.


    It was this kind of screaming that Sorp could use to differentiate virtual humans from real humans. Whether he would is a different question.


    In response to their frantic accusations, Sorp continued to attack them. His smile as brilliant as ever. No one came to their assistance.


    Suddenly there was only one left. It was this person that wanted to actually run away. He had started running when Sorp went for the eleventh man.


    Instead of chasing after him, Sorp set his sights on the two still breathing members of this unfortunate group. One was already half dead. The other, screaming in agony.


    Sorp made quick work of the man lingering between life and death. However, when he moved to the man holding his stomach, he went for a different approach.


    The spear in his hand, Sorp slammed into the street next to the man. It didn¡¯t actually pierce through the street and only left a small scratch.


    The noise of the spear colliding with the ground caught the man¡¯s attention. What he saw made him lose control, he went so far as to soil himself.


    Sorp laughed louder than ever. It had been a while since he fought, but even longer since he enjoyed this kind of sadistic play.


    Kicking the man''s hands off the wound, Sorp proceeded to break his fingers. The screaming continued, but in reality the man didn¡¯t feel much pain anymore.


    The stomach wound already overwhelmed every sense. It was now pure terror that induced the screaming. The tears, snot, piss and shit. The man was like an infant, inconsolable and incoherent.


    Being in such a vulnerable state alongside him completely acknowledging defeat in his mind, Sorp did not have further chances to torture the man.


    What was now left, was eleven corpses, a rich scent of blood and a stunned crowd. The guys carefully made their way passed all the blood and walked up to Sorp.


    Their words of congratulation and laughter shocked the crowd further. They were going so far as to mock the man¡¯s last humiliating moments.


    The crowd did not try to stop them from leaving. They did not ask what or why this happened. These were all just players and virtual humans going along with Perpetuity.


    What Sorp did not think about, was this entire fight was going to be broadcasted. The men, in their attempts to record Sorp, had sent him requests to uncensor his figure, face and voice.


    When Sorp activate his recording, the option to automatically send such request was sent as well. This is a two way street, meaning they were all uncensored as they were slaughtered.

 Chapter thirty three: Is this still virtual reality?

    The recording of Sorp killing eleven people in succession has been met with great criticism. People were not just questioning the morality of it all, but also whether it was real.


    Some people cannot fathom the darkness that seeps into the minds of men. The absolute horrors they will commit.


    This is in spite of history repeatedly proving how cruel, how sadistic people can become. And in this video the stark difference between the two worlds is apparent.


    No matter how people viewed the situation, Sorp attacked unprovoked. Every piece of evidence pointed towards Sorp being excessively cruel.


    But nothing would happen to Sorp. this was a game after all. No matter how the twelve protested. No matter how the world¡¯s outrage.


    What the world agreed on, was Sorp was a monster. His popularity skyrocketed. This was notoriety.


    Yet what people met with, as they tuned into his feed, his recordings. Was a rigours training scheme, shocking amount of food intake and frequent sexual interactions with multiple different women.


    While Sorp did not overtake the most popular recorders, he did manage to land himself on what isn''t considered the front page.


    Hundreds of thousands of people were watching at any given moment. Sorp ignored it entirely and never even looked at then options around recording after turning it on.


    He ignored it because he wasn¡¯t interested in it. He instead did what he wanted to do. He trained, ate and partook in his carnal desires. As did the other guys.


    The cruelty Sorp displayed was eventually downplayed. It took only three weeks for a large faction to emerge, heralding what Sorp did as an heroic feat. ignoring the moral guidelines broken.


    Six weeks into the training, noone was qualified to take the test. Meaning no one was promoted and the next test would after two weeks.


    The reason for this is that the crafting difficulty proved itself to be a harder obstacle to overcome than expected.


    Majority of the camp meets the physical and B.F.M. requirements after roughly three to four weeks of training.


    What was strange, was that Sorp would choose the more deserted areas of the camp to practice. One can only assume it is because he wants others to have ideas and attack him.


    While it was awkward for the four guys to chase Sorp around. His obvious actions could only make them feel exasperated. But they would never question his actions.


    Sorp never knew why those twelve men had followed him and his friends. What he did know, to the best of his knowledge was that he had no instigated the hostilities.


    What Sorp gathered, was that one of his good friends had caused some problem, and these people had come to take care of them.


    Noone came after Sorp. This was due to a simple reason. Majority of his enemies had been forcefully cast back to the original spawn points.


    While they had the opportunity, assuming everything went perfectly, to return back to the Second wave reinforcement camp. They had still not prepared another revenge plan.


    Even if these twelve do not prepare another attack, Sorp and his friends very violent entertaining habits cause them to garner enemies fast.


    Instead of worrying about any potential attack, Sorp and the guys began focusing their efforts towards their crafting. They needed to be capable of creating every in their recipe tab.


    Alongside this they need at least a seventy percent completion on everyone one of the items.


    Every item has a degree of completion. This is something that the advanced Artificial intelligence judges.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    This Artificial intelligence is not like the virtual humans. These two possess similar traits but the virtual humans do not possess one percentage of the intelligence that the artificial intelligence network possesses.


    While virtual humans can only be compared to humans, this is already an enormous feat. This is because what virtual humans are capable of, is something that is inherently hard for computers to emulate.


    Humans are good at a lot of things. For example, identifying a person by their outwards appearance. This is something computers are not good at.


    While computers can be made to recognize humans from appearance alone, this requires enormous amount of resources. This is in comparison to a human¡¯s casual glance to do the same.


    The two types of intelligence can be split into two. Virtual humans can be considered a waste of resources in some sense.


    It is exactly because virtual humans are so similar to humans that they are hard to distinguish. And it will only become harder and harder as time goes on.


    This is because they continue to adapt to society and because soon enough, billions of humans will enter this world, their variety will make it harder to differentiate.


    Dart put a great deal of thought into this matter. Dart¡¯s problem is that he was a hoodlum. He was cruel and in some sense, dumb.


    No matter how he tried to predict human nature, he was still too inexperienced. This has a lot do with the absurdity, that is Sorp. Anyone that knows this person, cannot fit it into the puzzle that is human nature.


    While what Sorp did can be considered evil. In every sense of the word, Sorp is evil. He is something to be damned. A creature unfit for human society. Yet he here still is.


    In a sense, it can be said that society has failed to restrict him. He grew up in object poverty, at least what poverty means in this socialist society.


    Unlike psychopaths and sociopaths, Sorp acts on his insects. A sociopath has no emotions, especially not protective emotions.


    A sociopath may have certain inclinations towards those that they consider their loved ones, but they won¡¯t be like Sorp. Sorp lacked the ego inherent in a sociopath.


    No. Sorp is an animal. In every sense of the word. An intelligent animal. It can be said that humans are animals as well, only hiding behind the world civilisation.


    This is not wrong and can be somewhat confusing or at least covaluted. Because humans are indeed animals. But they have created walls between themselves and animals.


    Even amongst themselves there are walls. Thousands upon thousands of walls, creating individuality on a scale that appears bizarre from some points of view.


    Sorp is not like this. Aside from what Sorp considers his family, everything else is prey. An odd thought. It even sounds like he has made the world his enemy.


    It isn''t that the world is his enemy, but that the world is his prey. Whether they acknowledge this position or not.


    ¡°Another spear?¡±


    ¡°Spears are good. Their range are long, they are fast and hard to dodge.¡±


    ¡°Jarem stop bothering Sorp and practice your poisons. Don¡¯t think we don¡¯t know what you want to do with them.¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth, Pal. My righteous poisons are meant to assist all of you. If anything, you should thank me for helping you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll thank you for sucking my dick. How about that?¡±


    It was conversations like this that made them famous. Because Sorp had an enormous view base, and the guys spent majority of their waking time with Sorp.


    Sorp didn¡¯t really speak unless spoken to. It is hard to understand why, perhaps he didn¡¯t have much to say, maybe it was because he didn¡¯t want to.


    That didn¡¯t stop the guys from bickering constantly, there were five of them, this is excluding Ret who was training with animals, and it took majority of his time.


    There four of them, and while Dart didn¡¯t speak much either, he still chipped in with a demeaning response every once in a while.


    It was actually Jarem and Pal that were most active in these conversations. At least on the insulting front. Kom of course was very active as well, just less insulting.


    Sorp did also join in. But these moments were rare. All this caused Pal, Jarem and Kom to gain some recognition from the viewers.


    This is actually how things go in the entertainment business. The famous get more famous, to the point where being affiliated with them causes second hand fame.


    It might sound exaggerated but this is how it goes. With fame there comes more fame, especially with controversy. Pal, Jarem and Kom were fuel for controversy.


    Their conversations rarely strayed to appropriate topics and were usually on bad mouthing or talking about fucking some beauty or another.


    Strange as it was, people loved to hear about their conversations. They were unruly and shameless. Just like anyone who they grew up with.


    The main difference was that they suddenly had a spotlight to bathe in. and to their surprise, the spotlight seemed to love them.


    Ignoring their conversations, they could be considered pioneers in crafting. Although there were quite a few people in different locations learning about professions, they were among those few.


    Sorp spent his time forging weapons. His B.F.M tool took quite the toll on him, as did everyones tools.


    Jarem was working with poisons and this required finesse. A slight mistake might ruin the poison or in dramatic cases, poison him.


    Poison arts can be considered the most dangerous of the crafting professions. Whether it is when using materials or acquiring them.


    Poison arts is actually the most popular crafting profession. This has a lot due to to four individuals.


    These individuals record themselves are considered worldwide celebrities. They are not on the path that Sorp and the guys took.


    But all paths have something in common, they all end crafting professions, as it is crafting professions that are key to all future progress.


    The least popular professions is Synthesizer. Mainly because it does not provide expediente results. This is a profession, Dart is most interested in.


    What is most curious about it, is that it is highly dependant on farmers to study. Farmers rear a type of bird who possess B.F.M elements.


    These birds can launch a projectile three meters in front of them. This projectile can pierce human skin but cannot cut bones.


    The B.F.M. material is concentrated in the nerves leading to the beak and the beak itself. This beak and the nerves are materials used by Synthesizers.


    The only reason why Dart has not completed the crafting requirements is because he is studying two professions simultaneously.


    He is going so far as to looking into a third profession. It is good that these three professions are all directly linked and an be considered sharing the same roots.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Engraver


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Augmenter


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Synthesizer


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The Augments are very simple. At least at this point. They can be considered their own B.F.M. in a way.


    These Augments can add length, a small thrusting boost, width and so on. Later these changes can add miraculous additions. These additions are loosely explained in Perpetuity lore.

 Chapter thirty four: Subtle or blatant, control is control.

    Education, or better, the accumulation of knowledge has been simplified to a point where any individual can absorb and store information easily.


    It does not mean that complex ideas are easily understood. However, through possession of every related piece of knowledge, it is easier to make an attempt at understanding these ideas.


    When it comes to crafting, it is not really about the materials as much it is about how to interact with the materials. Especially when using a B.F.M. tool.


    There has been limited testing in this regard. But Perpetual Power did create innumerable recipes and more can be created at a whim.


    These recipes have certain paraments to fulfill, fulfill them and the degree of completion is increased.


    This is one side of crafting. The other is mastery of B.F.M. crafting tools. Once mastery has reached a certain level, an item can potentially reach one hundred percent completion.


    Each side can be measured from one percent to a hundred. And if both reach one hundred percent, the craft can reach one hundred percent completion.


    It is expected that people reach thirty percent completion of the B.F.M. tool and eighty percent completion on the material recipe side.


    These requirements were set after testing thoroughly. The upper limits of B.F.M. control or manipulation, is still not considered found.


    It is still uncertain whether such a limit can even be found. Perpetual Power has the theory that it is a muscle. Who is to say what the end result of a trained muscle can achieve?


    In addition to B.F.M. limitations, Perpetual Power has found various ways to accelerate B.F.M. growth. This is the real life growth of the pituitary gland.


    The issues they had with this, was traumatizing pain in the form of headaches. After several years of experimentation, they found that the natural growth of the Pituitary gland does not cause debilitating headaches.


    There have also been cases of people who have adjusted to the sudden growth. The science on why this occurs is not yet conclusive.


    In the end, Perpetual Power thought of multiple ways to increase people''s pituitary growth, and the most neutral way is the crafting system.


    The whole world of Perpetuity revolves around crafting for this reason. As crafting professions is a form of training their individual power.


    A formidable crafter can be considered a powerful warrior. Or at least with the potential of one.


    It is also because of this that Sorp¡¯s advantage has been stunted to a degree. While Sorp is physically gifted and is considered hyper observant. His Brute Force Method, just like everyone else new to Perpetuity, isn¡¯t developed.


    Like in many things, it is actually the youngest people that hold the largest advantage. But this age is too young. It is children in the ages of five to nine that posses the best adaptive properties.


    The question rises, how was this knowledge unveiled? The answer is without a doubt another sin. Another notch on the travesty that Perpetual Power has committed.


    The most prominent reason for this, is that children this young have not yet experienced atrophy to the pituitary gland. And it is easier to strengthen something that doesn¡¯t need to be repaired.


    It is also through experimenting on children that Perpetual Power has discovered majority of the ways to better the Pituitary gland.


    What is actually somewhat baffling is that the nutrition given free to the entire population in these last few years, has properties that do exactly that.


    This is in preparation for their eventually migration to Perpetuity. Once they enter Perpetuity, using Perpetual Powers devices, there will be an additional foreign material in their nutrition.


    This is a material that nanomachine use to replicate themselves, as they eventually get excreted from the body in various ways.


    It is no considered a waste as any human excretion is recycled. With near infinite power, at least for now, it is easier than ever to recycle efficiently.


    Efficiently. Only in the sense that power is not counted as harsh expenditure. If it was, it would be wildly inefficient.


    The same nanotechnology used to maintain and improve the human body, is used for recycling. This can be done because nano technologies largest flaw, power, is no longer a flaw.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    There are still limits to what these nanomachines can do without risking catastrophic failure. One such limitation is interfering with the human brain.


    When nanomachines enter the brain through the blood they only make sure they remain in the blood¡¯s circulation and are otherwise inert.


    This limitation is also why Perpetual Power has such strong requirements on crafting, or in better terms, B.F.M. requirements.


    It is surprisingly Dart that has advanced the furthest in this regard. For some reason he has a natural affinity for it. Almost treating it as an extension of his arm.


    There are multiple applications of B.F.M. within Perpetuity. One such application is that it is possible to control the entire user interface with it. Including drawing out items from the inventory.


    Right now, this is a difficult thing to do as it requires more finesse than crafting does. At least if one wants to outperform mental commands.


    While both can be considered mental commands, they also wildly differ. It is almost like a person using their non dominant hand to throw a ball. The feeling is similar.


    Speaking of dominant hands. Sorp and Dart can be considered ambidextrous. Perpetual Power has found some correlation to B.F.M. control and being able to control all limbs equally.


    Sorp spent most of his time training his combative abilities, because it was he enjoyed. His high attention to detail allowed him to experience monotonous exercise differently.


    Dart isn¡¯t like Sorp. He seeks out knowledge but he isn¡¯t any more intelligent than the guys. But when it came to crafting he similarly sought to see his knowledge put to use.


    Had Dart focused on one profession, it would be likely that he could have completed what the Second wave reinforcement camp asked of him.


    The reason he did not rush this, was because he knew he¡¯d be waiting for the rest of the group. He was no in no hurry and instead took it upon himself to study two crafting professions to occupy his time.


    As it stands. When it comes to the B.F.M. Dart can be said to be strongest in the group. Maybe not in endurance, but in deftness.


    This ability of his does not very bright in current state of affairs, but once people are equipped with B.F.M. devices that allow the use of this resource, he can seize an advantage.


    It must be noted, as has been noted before, that It is not only the people going through the reinforcement camps that are training in crafting.


    The city has a quite a few entrances to it. And if you follow the roads that lead out, in tandem with contracts to guide them, you will find similar institutions.


    Once people complete whatever goals are expected of them, they can use their training so far as proof of their capabilities.


    They may not be as adept at surviving or fighting, but they¡¯ll certainly be capable of crafting, foraging for crafting materials and even know how to build temporary outposts.


    The expansion outside of the Pebble in the river requires more than just combat ability. It requires a line of logistics, a degree of self sufficiency and other miscellaneous factors.


    One major factor required for an outpost to become a settlement is to set up certain facilities, mainly crafting facilities.


    This is done because Every death comes with a penalty that forces people to abstain from exploration or combat.


    It is expected of people to train their crafting once they die. Because through crafting will they become stronger.


    Of course there are other ways to become strong, but this is the single most powerful thing in the world of Perpetuity. The B.F.M. The Brute Force Method.


    Perpetuity, being a virtual world, there is no need for superhuman strength. This can all be implemented through game logic.


    Overwhelming power does not require overwhelming physical strength. As far as the world¡¯s internal system is concerned, all a person needs is an item with high attack damage.


    Similar to physical strength, physical health is irrelevant. With overpowering defensive items, a person¡¯s defence can become impenetrable to those with low attack power.


    Impenetrable in the terms that the damage is reduced to negligible numbers, for example from a thousand to the low tens. It might still deal damage, but will require attacking ten times to equal the original assumed one thousand damage.


    Neither of these things require the robust strength that Sorp possess. But the reflexes, the fast reaction speed, the combat experience, these things all matter.


    While B.F.M. items cannot rely on physical strength, there are B.F.M¡¯s in the form of weapons and they do require speed. Against powerful opponents, even battle technique is important.


    It is possible to dodge, block and deflect attacks as a form of defence. Similarly it is possible to stagger opponent that try exactly this, if they fail to do it well.


    This all does not mean that Sorp¡¯s large stature does not give him an advantage, it does. Just not when two B.F.M. weapons meet head on.


    If both opponents drain themselves of B.F.M. endurance, physical strength will become king. Whether this will be a common situation is to be seen and hard to predict.


    One of the negative effects of draining ones B.F.M. is something alike to losing one''s senses. Vision blurry, hearing muddled.


    It is actually just the vision and hearing that become significantly impaired, any other senses are difficult to perceive. For example touching or smelling, these are reduced but is not noticeable.


    A veteran B.F.M. user should know not to reach such low B.F.M. levels. It is instead better to rely somewhat on one''s physical prowess to dodge or retreat to recover.


    It is also possible to take up normal weapons at the end of such a fight. While the damage cannot compare to B.F.M. weapons, it can prove useful.


    As defence depends on B.F.M. equipment, if the user is forced to rely on this B.F.M. equipment to defend against normal attacks, their B.F.M. endurance will be drained.


    This happens until the user is no longer capable of supplying B.F.M. energy to their equipment and can then be killed outright by normal weapons.


    Whether such situations will be rare or common place, is yet to be seen. And if it does become common place, it will be a great advantage to those physically gifted or trained.


    It doesn¡¯t take much time to become good at something, even natural talent or gifts can make you good from an early start.


    But to become great, to become excellent, to become a master. This requires time, more time and then more time. Time not used on practicing the dominant Brute Force Method.


    Sorp can be said to be good at fighting. His ability with myriad weapons can be said to be good. But his B.F.M. endurance or manipulation can¡¯t be said to be good.


    Not even Dart can be considered good when it comes to B.F.M. manipulation, even though he shows talent for it. Controlling a new apandage isn¡¯t this easy.


    The tools people train with in these early stages do not have many functions. They do require some very elementary understanding of the B.F.M.


    To put this into words, if they were an infant child, they are attempting to move their fingers. Not trying to grip something, just move their fingers.


    Their fingers are weak and they don¡¯t really understand what they are doing, they rely almost entirely on their instincts in doing this. Instincts that have faded away.


    This is a part of why very young children have an easier time to adapt to the Brute Force Method. It is easier adapt to something at an early stage when neuroplasticity is high.


    Part of the Perpetual Power¡¯s scheme to improve people¡¯s B.F.M. control is to introduce neuroplasticity to people. This can lead to hallucinations, but it is within acceptable risks.


    Perpetual Power does not need to abide by moral conduct. This is because they can dictate what is and what isn¡¯t right. They can break and bend laws to their will.


    Not only this, they are the highest power, meaning they would have to condemn themselves and sentence themselves. This is unlikely to happen.


    It is this overwhelming power that Perpetual Power possess that influenced Perpetuity. As it is their creation, they do as they see fit.


    This includes making the world Perpetuity for all intents and purposes, lawless. The pain and pleasure people experience is very real.


    It is Perpetual Power¡¯s belief that this method of giving and taking, are required to control people. This can be subtle and it can be blatant.


    It is subtle when they need to reach as many people as possible over a long period of time and it is blatant when immediate results are required.

 Chapter thirty five: Completion rate

    Eight weeks. Two months. When the testing became open again, over sixty individuals were ready for it. Sixty four exactly.


    Unlike the previous test. This one took place in the camp and not in a forest. Because this test needed a lot of materials.


    This time around, the testers only had to attend a series of successive tests. They are to craft everything with a completion rate of fifty percent.


    It is not exactly fifty percent. Instead it is eighty percent completion of preparing the right materials and their order and other instructions.


    Another twenty percent is the handling of said products, in conjunction with the recipe portion. This equals a fifty percent completion.


    In addition to generic testing, the examinees have to complete certain tasks including emergency surgery and building an outpost.


    The tests are held with the same technology the users have been using in the crafting facilities.


    Of course this technology can do anything, as this is a virtual environment and the explanation for how it works is only relevant to the lore and not actual reality.


    This means the materials used and the injured person who is bounded for surgery are for all intents and purposes real.


    They can be said to be real because the only difference between them and the real thing, is that they aren¡¯t persistent. They will vanish after being used.


    Outside of the crafting facilities, these would be materials going to waste. It will be a person dying. Yes it is a virtual death, but nonetheless, it is a death.


    Death is not actually that terrifying. The pain and terror leading up to it might be. But it is the consequences afterwards that work as a deterrent in Perpetuity.


    That aside, the point is that the test does not hold the same deal of opportunity cost as the ¡®real¡¯ world test would have.


    There is still an opportunity cost, in short, it is the time spent waiting for another test. This is in cases where people fail.


    But it must be said, it is not expected that people fail. People do not get to take the test unless they meet the requirements to take the test.


    In truth, the requirements to take the test, are in itself a soft test. It serves to prepare the examinee thoroughly.


    It would not be bad to actually let people move on as soon as they meet the requirements, but the test also serves a purpose. It is a psychological one, and it is for the examines and not the tester.


    Perpetual Power does use the data from these tests, but that¡¯s something that will happen no matter what action these people take.


    To make sure people do train their B.F.M. control, every B.F.M. crafting tool is flexible. The recipes force people to manipulate their tools in what could be considered odd or wasteful.


    For a weapon crafter like Sorp, his B.F.M. tool needs to take the form of a furnace that melts the metals used. It then funnels the metal metal in to what is called a refining cauldron.


    The refining cauldron is just another part of the B.F.M. tool, this adds to the complexity of controlling the B.F.M. tool.


    In this refining cauldron, Sorp manipulates the tool to spin or shake. The metal, still in its molten form, is returned to the furnace.


    This action may have to be repeated a few times until it is considered refined. At this point the metal is funneled into a desired shape.


    It doesn''t matter if the shape is a sword, staff, hammer, axe or spear, it is then cooled and hammered.


    This hammering is also the B.F.M. tool and is done through the tool and not through swinging a physical hammer.


    The weapon is then sharpened or polished. At this point it can be considered finished. If the completion is high enough, the weapon might be worth using.


    This is the process a static weapon goes through. Upon completion it is dematerialized. All weapons and armors have a natural form where they are dematerialized.


    A spear might be seem like a normal spear, it might thicken, lengthen or grow into an axe. But all weapons and armors have a docile and active state.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Most static weapons serve little purpose right now. They are simple and have limited usability. Later these weapons might shoot out projectile blades or cleave forward with every swing.


    There might be multiple weapons that seem almost identical in use. All spears and all have similar thrust effect. Their only difference being their numerical power, assigned by the completion rate.


    This is one way a weapon crafter works with metals. But there are other ways as well, different arbitrary actions that are a part of the ¡®recipe¡¯ for the weapon.


    Then there are other crafting professions like Poison arts. Poison arts B.F.M. tool takes multiple forms as well, and similarly the materials can be refined or mixed.


    In all cases of crafting, the crafter is made to jump through various hoops before the B.F.M. completion rate is satisfied.


    Early on, a satisfying completion rate can be completed with persistence alone, through repeated actions. But later there will be graver punishment of failure and repeating the actions won¡¯t help.


    While one item with high completion rate may not be something amazing. A person with entire set of items, all with high completion rate, might be able to devastate its peers.


    To add on an entire person with high quality items, what about a team of people with good items? What about team of teams? This question answers itself.


    While Perpetuity, the world Perpetuity, might not focus on large scale battles, they are not nonexistent.


    From a certain perspective, the entire world can be seen in tiny inumerable tiles. Each tile colored to indicate what faction it is influenced by.


    If Perpetuity is a faction and they are colored purple, then the entire Pebble in the river is colored purple, but the Endless river is a placid gray.


    Any grayed out area can be considered wild. Wild in the sense that is dominated by a wildlife. This wildlife doesn¡¯t need to be united, but it can be.


    If the entire planet is taken into account, gray tiles make out the majority. This does not mean that these gray tiles have some sort of dominance, just that wilderness is all encompassing.


    Just over the two bridge leading from the Pebble in the river to the wilderness on the other side of the Endless river, there are purple tiles.


    These tiles are mere specks, a discoloration, and can hardly be considered a territory. These purple tiles are almost surrounded by a sea of gray tiles.


    These are small outposts that can be abandoned on a whim. If there is a sign of a large beast or a herd of dangerous beasts, the troops stationed there retreat immediately.


    They retreat to the bridge. Almost no animal dares to travel over the bridge. Their instincts warn them of terror. This is a fear of the powerful aquatic animals living in the river.


    Aside from the purple and gray, there are innumerable colored tiles. Any non gray tile demarks a civilization of sorts.


    To be a non gray tile, the dominating force in that area has to have one of two things, a powerful creature with certain intelligence.


    Or it can be numerable creatures that form a society, it can be of equals and they do not need to be united under a leadership.


    One such example is multiple tribal villages. Perhaps multiple flying creatures nests in small clusters. As long as their intelligence meets a requirement.


    In general, it requires a species with adequate intelligence and a force they either command or belong to. These two are the minimal requirements.


    On the other end of the spectrum, if a group of say, twenty humans, take over a tile. This tile may not come under their domain and can remain gray.


    The reason for this is simple. Perpetuity, the world, not the city, decides that their power or numbers are inadequate.


    It is not impossible for a single person to acquire a single tile by themselves. This is done through constructing a settlement.


    It''s not impossible, but it would be nothing short of a miracle for it to happen. It requires too many resources to build a complete settlement.


    A single person would need to gather astronomical resources, relevant to the gather power of a single person, at least.


    Added on that, they¡¯d have to have the individual strength to defend the area from roaming beasts. Not every beast is innately hostile, but building in the wild does cause hostility.


    The more intelligent the animal, the more hostile it is towards other creatures building in its vicinity, whether they are in its territory or not.


    The less intelligent animals may just attack to sate their hunger. Whatever the case may be, a single person will find it hard to carve out a piece of land by themselves.


    The question might become then, what is the purpose of conquering a tile. There is no experience in perpetuity after all.


    There is no experience, but there is Vcoin. Perpetuity, the world, relies heavily on crafting. And crafting relies on materials.


    Materials need to be brought back to the city Perpetuity, to be researched. Research is maybe not the right word. The unknown materials are analysed by ancient technology and its used derived.


    Once the materials use is known, the land owner can invest in gathering it. They can give out its use for free and sell the material outright.


    They can also set a monopoly for it and craft the items for profit. Whatever the case may be, this is one of the largest allures of owning a tile.


    This being a virtual world, certain things are possible. The settlement owner can automatically deduct a tax from every sale and purchase made within the territory.


    A settlement must have certain facilities, namely crafting facilities. The crafting facilities unlock the ability to spawn within the settlement.


    As it can take weeks or months to travel long distances, a spawn point can be invaluable. Thus any explorer will have to depend on such settlements.


    Outposts can serve as camp for rest and some trading, but an outpost does not have crafting facilities and thus does not have a spawn point.


    Outposts also do not automatically claim an area like a settlement does. Outposts is something a group for three should be able to complete in two or three days.


    One of the requirement in the Second wave reinforcement camp, is to create an Outpost from scratch.


    The virtual environment in the test will not be able to test people''s capabilities in finding materials but they can test their ability to gather the materials.


    They do not actually have to complete all the structures, only a third of it. It should still take them two or three days to do this.


    The test itself is a two week activity. Four days to make an Outpost and ten days to complete all beginner crafting items with fifty percent completion and perform emergency surgery.


    The Third wave reinforcement test was hard to fail, but this one is much harder to fail. The requirements to take the test can be considered a soft completion.


    As Perpetual Power genuinely wants people to succeed in these activities, it is set up so they will succeed.


    The real ¡®failure¡¯ is the time it takes people to meet the requirements. As not every person is equal in talent or persistence.


    There are bound to be people that take two or three times the average time to meet the requirements.


    The average in the Second reinforcement camp can be considered around five and a half week. There may some that take fifteen weeks to meet the same requirements later on.


    As to why people would take so long, one would be that other people are just capable and ambitious. Another would be their own lack of talent and perhaps their attitude is too lax.


    But what is true, is that everyone is capable of completing these activities. All they need is time. And Perpetuity does give them time.


    Right now all the guys are participating in the camp¡¯s examination. They cannot leave the area but they are served food and can access toilet facilities.


    The test should not prove difficult but it will be some challenge. To continually use their B.F.M. tools requires at least some persistence and it will strain them.


    It isn¡¯t difficult because they have already passed the test by meeting the requirements to actually take the exam. Only after experiencing the process do people understand why this a good way to learn.

 Chapter thirty six: Attack and Defence.

    The massive housing meant for hundreds upon hundreds of people to take tests simultaneously looked rather empty with sixty some examinees.


    Each of them were waving their hands wantonly in the air. This is crutch to help dictating their wills. Their hands or fingers moved and their B.F.M. tool experienced a transformation.


    Some people did not do this. A select few only moved their head and eyes about. These were people that vera adept at controlling the games interface.


    Dart is one of those people. He stood there looking as regal as could be, like an old man watching the younger generation work.


    If there were people that did not move, there were people that moved in a very animated fashion. One such person was Kom.


    Kom never stopped moving his hands about. Sometimes he took small steps to make up how far he could reach, making it look like he was half dancing and half stretching.


    There are four ways to control Perpetuity¡¯s interface. Things like flipping from one menu to another, from one recipe to another and so on.


    One is the most used at the moment, using holographic touchscreens. This one is the most relatable as it is something people already use in everyday life.


    The least used option is the B.F.M. controls, people lack the finesse to use it. It''s not taxing on the endurance, but it does cause lightheadedness and headaches.


    The second most popular is using one¡¯s mind to send out commands, this is similar to the first and most popular method, only excluding a middle man, the hand.


    The fourth method is voice commands. This one is third most used and even when used it is only used in rare occasions.


    Voice commands can be helpful when doing simple things. For example, when people are focusing on crafting, one step after another.


    The many steps make it so they can¡¯t be displayed on the same screen. So to reach the next section or page, people can use voice commands to do it.


    Even then it is not too popular, and people accustomed to the method Dart uses, continue to use the same method as it is no trouble for them.


    In the examination room you can see people wave their hands around, all kinds of bizarre B.F.M. tools manifesting various forms and the occasional shout to go to the next page.


    Some use the voice activation to let others know that they are doing well. Saying things like ¡®recipe fourteen.¡¯


    Each recipe has a name but they can be designated numerically as well. The problem is the numbers are not static. They are ranked according to various factors.


    As with all things in Perpetuity, they can order things meticulously. The current default is ¡®newest to oldest¡¯ having no practical meaning in terms of value, only that they have been acquired recently.


    Like others taking the test, Sorp is as well. He can be seen waving his hands occasionally. Not as animated as Kom but not far off either.


    It might be odd, it might be considered unexpected, but all the guys are enjoying themselves. Creating something has provided them an outlet they never knew they wanted.


    Being something like rats of society. While not destitute like some drug addled people, they can¡¯t have been considered well off.


    Perhaps in the later years they had more comfort through Sorp¡¯s prestige and more importantly, influx of cash.


    This does not change who they are, just short of being gangsters. They are criminals, vile humans beings at best. Undeserving of anyone''s care.


    Anyone who knew these things would find it strange to watch them so focused. Their interests are not faked and they are working hard to make something of themselves here.


    Large portion of this is because how easy it is to absorb knowledge, something only Dart had firm interests in doing. But also because people didn¡¯t treat them like trash.


    Here in Perpetuity, they were dressed like everyone else, knowing the cost of the devices, they were even assumed to be at least somewhat wealthy.


    It hasn¡¯t been described in detail, but the guys have been interacting with people that have considerable social status.


    They did not think about this, but people whose life revolve around wealth and social acceptance do considered it.


    One of the biggest reason why they did so well when it came to women is that their attitude was rude and arrogant, but a different kind of arrogance.


    They possessed wild confidence, something Sorp oozed out in plenty. Just like Sorp was affected by their personalities and the same environment, they were affected by Sorp¡¯s demeanor.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    To women and men of higher society, this a breath of fresh air. They didn¡¯t associate it with the lower class, they didn¡¯t understand it, but like most people, they liked the new experience.


    All these things helped the guys adapt to Perpetuity and they felt a drive to succeed here. Not only for themselves but also to keep up with the guys and the other people they had gotten to know.


    All this crafting opened a new venue. People not longer needed to wear exactly the same clothes. They could design their own and craft them.


    It is possible to buy vanity clothing from the city, but no such store was in the Reinforcement camps.


    They still didn¡¯t have new clothing or anything from crafting for that matter. They had only experimented with virtual items that vanished after being used.


    Perhaps later there would be people with a merchant like spirit, who would ferry materials and items to the camps and villages along the way.


    There are quite a few natural resources that Perpetuity had relied on this past that provide some crafting materials, but these are exclusively owned by the government.


    It has been mentioned before that people could go to such sites, sites with natural resources, and gather materials from there. This is considered stealing.


    One or two people skulking around a mine, pretending to explore it for exploring reasons might be able to haul some ore out. As these sites are not monitored as closely.


    The problem is quantity of people. If enough people begin to pilfer natural resources, it becomes obvious. In such cases, countermeasures will be enforced.


    Just like pests can devastated large plantations, if there are only few of them, they can be ignored. However large infestations require considerable effort to combat.


    When people begin accumulating crafting materials and begin crafting with them, they will feel the sting of failure.


    In the test, people fail continuously, this is why the test takes two weeks. It is expected people fail over and over again. They only have to succeed each recipe once.


    There are a total of ten recipes that are allocated to each beginner. These recipes are all similar but they hold different names.


    For weapons, armours and trinkets, their appearance can be modified slightly from the original mold.


    As this ia virtual world, there are some things that can only be done once people reach certain ¡®expertise¡¯ in a crafting profession.


    Increased ¡®expertise¡¯ which is just a numerical number representing how many successful and challenging items the crafter has made.


    This number does not represent their capabilities within the profession. It does however, prove some degree of competence.


    A user with three hundred points in a profession has to have successfully crafting three hundred items that Perpetuity labeled ¡®challenging¡¯.


    This point system is used to allow some modifications to a craft, a percentage increase in damage, increased potion duration or other various effects.


    It also allows for vanity modifications to weapons and armours, meaning a more unique item, visually. And incrementally better attributes on the item.


    The people participating in the test cannot receive these points. They will only be rewarded once they use ¡®real¡¯ materials to craft with.


    This sort of point accumulation that seems almost pointless is rampant throughout Perpetuity. They are there just to allow users keep track of various types of progress.


    Once people graduate from generic B.F.M. weapons they¡¯ll accumulate proficiency in using each weapon type and also in using each individual weapon.


    Armors, trinkets and other things will also have this sort of point accumulation. Everything related to B.F.M. tools has meaningful benefits. Some things are just for vanity.


    Many abilities will begin to appear. These abilities can be considered to belong to specific archetypes and later go into specializations.


    For example, close range abilities and long range abilities. Single target abilities, area abilities and split target abilities.


    These are generic labels and may not serve much use other than informing people of their nature.


    There are still no apparent class types in Perpetuity. None that has been discovered at least. Right now they are non existent.


    It is only once people begin moving out of the Pebble in the river that these sorts of higher tier abilities and classes begin to appear.


    This has to do with B.F.M. as they need certain minimum requirements to actually use these abilities.


    Perpetuity could have allowed people to choose a class whenever they wanted, and they could have given them abilities that do not require any proficiency in the Brute Force Method.


    They did not do this, one reason is that their research indicated that people would not be happy having to train their B.F.M. just to use spells and attacks in a ¡®game.¡¯


    Instead people are much more willing to work for abilities if they haven¡¯t been able to use a easier to user substitute.


    Similar thing can be seen everywhere. A person used to being driven around everywhere won¡¯t be satisfied having to cycle or walk instead.


    A person grown up in poverty and never taste the quality of life of high society less likely to despise cycling or taking public transportation.


    The people who are about to complete the Second wave reinforcement test are one of twelve groups closest to being able to use these advanced B.F.M. abilities.


    In a sense, the odd crafting tools and the methods to craft are a variation on these abilities, they just do not combat abilities.


    In the future, a person combat ability can be deduced from their crafting proficiency. There are other metrics as well, but crafting proficiency is a type of proof.


    There are threshold to this as well. Every ability has a roof to their destructive or defensive capabilities.


    If Sorp and Dart have the same ability, and Dart is far more proficiency in the Brute Force Method, but they both reach the limits of the ability, Dart won¡¯t deal more damage.


    It¡¯s in these types of situations that one would think about the fact that this is a virtual world. You can find parallels in real life, namely guns.


    No matter the strength of two people, their bullet has the same damage capabilities. This is assuming they both hit the same target and in the same location.


    Quickly, once one realizes this, it is easy to see how combat senses come into play. A person''s timing is crucial, their aim and understanding their opponent.


    In short, people will be given some equivalent of a gun, this weapon has the same theoretical damage potential for everyone. The weapon being a B.F.M. ability.


    If things are simple, two opponents just throw themselves at each other without regard to tactics, assuming they both attack and defend adequately, the one with better items should win.


    This not a single item, but an accumulation of every time these two individuals have. But things are not this simple, and they shouldn¡¯t ever be.


    Defence can be seen in five aspects. One is blocking, this is putting their attack power against each other, and the one deals damage based on the difference.


    The difference is then mitigated by the defensive power. Assuming the attack power is similar, the damage should become negligible.


    Another aspect of defence is simple, evading. Not being hit means no damage will be take, this is simple and easy to understand.


    Deflecting can be considered a type of blocking, but it is categorized as a defensive feature of its own in perpetuity. This is a high level skill in comparison to blocking.


    Deflecting is steering the opponents strike awry with either a weapon, armour or by shifting the body, making it glance by.


    It is hard to deflect a strike than to straight out block one, but deflecting does not mitigate game damage in the same way as blocking.


    If a person attack power is similar to the opponents, if done with the weapon, it can also be considered an offensive move.


    This means that if the opponents strike is deflected with a weapon or an ability, the opponent takes more damage than if they just blocked the strike.


    Deflecting with the armour is only wise if it is impossible to block or deflect with a weapon or when their attack power difference is too high.


    The last two defensive aspects are defending with the armour itself. One part is the total cumulative defensive power and the other is the individual B.F.M. armour.


    This being a virtual world, the fighting through B.F.M. is different than real life. A person wearing full armour does not need to cover every surface to apply to every surface of the body.


    A circle around the head or a dress with revealing features are considered to cover every inch of a person. At least while a person has the B.F.M. endurance to maintain it.


    This means that the damage taken from a clean it is dependant on the person''s total defensive power, the exact defensive equipment hit and whether a B.F.M. ability is used to mitigate it.

 Chapter thirty seven: There and not back again.

    Towards the end of the exam, people have completed everything except for one or two recipes from the profession they qualified in.


    These are the last people, some have already managed to clear all objectives and left the testing area.


    Those few that have left are both talented, somewhat intelligent and ambitious. But most of all, they were lucky.


    Dart is one of these people. One of eight that managed to finish the test three days ahead of schedule.


    Dart, like the other seven was lucky. He had split his time studying two professions, meaning he had to practice with the B.F.M. crafting tools more.


    This made him better at utilizing them. But the degree of proficiency he has is still not capable of surviving the crafting process without help from the Perpetuity system.


    Twenty percent B.F.M. completion rate means the item has a high rate of failure. So he has surprisingly managed to complete a few recipes almost entirely through luck.


    It is easy to see this as lucky because once the data is analyzed, you see that Dart not did struggle with a few recipes but struggled with others.


    This doesn¡¯t make sense in respect to B.F.M. competency, as that¡¯s the entirety of the qualification. It lacks consistency. And the same thing can be seen for other early completers.


    Of course there is something to be said about their talent, ambition and intelligence. And this made them complete earlier, better B.F.M. control lowers the chance of failure.


    On the thirteenth day, everyone has finished the exam. Everyone completed everything required of them.


    Upon leaving the testing area, they are given a familiar medal. A medal used to prove their qualifications.


    Since Dart was one of the first one out, he had a two days to arrange their traveling. He couldn¡¯t deal with the animals, only Ret knew where they even were.


    Ret was still in the testing area, where all communication and recording was impossible. What he did do was gather momentous amount food.


    After this he had some leisure time, this time was spent browsing what had happened these past two weeks. Greatest difference was the number of people in the camp.


    There is not a small number of people in Perpetuity but they can¡¯t all be leading the pack. Most of the people trickle in like a tide.


    Not only does the environment funnel people towards areas like the Reinforcement camps, but information has also become common place.


    It has turned highway traveling into a lucrative trade, many people have been contracted to drive people in large carrighes.


    This sort of quality of life and a clear path to progress has created a virtual flood of people. The large roads are not filled but they can be said to have traffic.


    Such traffic has created jobs for the more out of reach villages and the people on contracts there. Things like stalls with general foodstuff by the highway are not rare.


    The number of people in the Second wave reinforcement camp has more than quadrupled, excluding the graduates, there are exactly two hundred sixty two people training and studying.


    This is small scale compared to the First wave reinforcement camp, which has over four thousand people already, making the facility look packed.


    This issue is managed through illusory instancing. Instead of creating bigger facilities, Perpetual Power uses layered instances.


    This means that millions could theoretically stay in the same spot as Perpetual power can create near infinite seamless instances.


    These instances do not need to big or small, they can be a single building or a single stretch of road. It only matters whether people have direct eyesight to each other.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    It might sound complicated or maybe convoluted, but the technology for it is solid, all that matters is that it is managed properly.


    People can be in multiple instance at one time, this is what makes the instances layered instead of just making more and more new instances.


    An example of this would be a person opening a door to a house and in the moment the door is interacted with, that person is most likely in two instances at once.


    A second example would be a person entering a crossroad. On a crossroad, one with heavy traffic, is presumably two to four instances. One for each stretch of road.


    These things might not matter in the grand scheme of things, but can be considered worthwhile to know. This sort of technology is hungry for resources.


    For the first time, the guys were thinking about taking a break from Perpetuity. They had been here for months, they ate and slept here.


    Soon they had been here for twelve weeks. This can¡¯t be considered a long time, and they certainly didn¡¯t feel like it had been long.


    Once the time difference is calculated, only two weeks have passed in the real world. Two weeks, in which they learned monumental amount of information.


    Everything aside, the training and the traveling. It all pales in comparison to the amount of information they managed to stuff inside their brains in the span of two weeks.


    Two weeks in real time, but even in when twelve weeks are considered, about three months, it is still an astonishing amount of information they absorbed.


    In a sense, traditional learning has been cast to the wayside and even people without sight or hearing can learn myriad of things without effort.


    It might be blunt to say, but even retards are capable of possessing ludicrous amount of knowledge, whether they can apply is a different matter.


    ¡°We should get to the next camp first.¡±


    ¡°Why does that matter? We can leave now and come back.¡±


    ¡°I agree with Kom, Pal, I think we should go to the next camp first.¡±


    ¡°So, Kom and Jar want to go. What do you guys think?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I¡¯ll leave it up to you and Sorp.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Ret is undecided what about you Sorp?¡±


    ¡°I say we got to the next camp.¡±


    Sorp¡¯s reasoning is simple. This world is more interesting than the real one. The new experiences and a sense of achievement is continuous in Perpetuity.


    These things might take some time, but they also have new goals. They just finished the test and experiencing that sense of achievement pushes them forward.


    ¡°I just wanted to properly check up on our businesses.¡±


    ¡°I already did that, Kom. Everything is fine.¡±


    ¡°Alright, if Dart says its fine, guess I¡¯m fine with staying then.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    There are two ways to log out in Perpetuity. One is leaving entirely. To do this, you need to at least be in a Settlement.


    And the other is to leave the game and leave behind an avatar. This avatar can be treated as a comatose person. They can be killed and abused.


    The benefit of logging out with an avatar staying is traveling. A one week journey can become a day a single day in the real world. This requires someone to travel with and guard the avatar.


    It is impossible to directly contact someone inside Perpetuity. Perpetuity only exports data. It is possible to send messages to the real world from Perpetuity but not receive them from the outside world.


    It¡¯s not impossible to do these things, Perpetual Power created this one way channel of information for a reason. Their explanation is simple, it¡¯s better this way.


    This piece of information or rather, understanding how communication works, is something Dart discovered in his leisure time while waiting for the guys to finish the test.


    Seeing as they have their own carriage and beast to drag it, they can utilize one of two logout methods with negative repercussions.


    This means they can cut down the consumption of food or drink while travelling, as long as someone drives the carriage.


    The issue is when they should log back in. The journey should take a week or two at least. They are still unsure as the information is still not in circulation.


    What they can do, is watch the guys recordings or better yet, watch the front runners recordings.


    The biggest reason for logging out and doing this, is to not waste time traveling. But they also lose one or two weeks of B.F.M. training, which can be instrumental in future success.


    Despite Dart¡¯s explanation, noone decided to utilize this logout method. Pal was tempted, he wanted to check up on the family.


    Dart also checked up on their families situation when he logged out at the Second wave Reinforcement camp.


    At that time, Dart didn¡¯t leave his pod, he just contacted everyone he had to contact before going back in.


    Dart has a mother and two siblings. His younger brother nothing like him and his older sister, almost more of a villain than him.


    After making sure no real issues had come up and that their collective employees weren¡¯t skimming too much off the top he logged back in, he knew time goes six times faster in Perpetuity.


    Even spending a day in real life would reach six days in Perpetuity, he only spent twenty minutes in the real world. This is two hours in Perpetuity, the thought alone scared him.


    The time difference between the two world does in part create a dependance on Perpetuity, the fear of missing out or being left behind is the cause.


    Quite a few have experienced this phenomena. Out of the guys, only Dart understands it, or atleast knows to fear it.


    To put this into perspective. A year in Perpetuity is at least six years and ten become sixty, half a lifetime.


    This is assuming people don¡¯t enter sub instances where the time dilation is exacerbated. With continued B.F.M. training, the human mind might be capable of handling even further time dilation.


    While the guys did not plan to escape from the trip, they still took the opportunity to leave for two or three hours.


    They can¡¯t be called good people, but they still love their family. Even their family can¡¯t be called good people, but they all stuck together like insects or packs of vermin.


    The journey was almost identical to the other two. They traveled, ate, trained, rested, binged on entertainment and not much else.


    Daisy did not join the guys. But this time she travelled with a group of men and women on a carriage. The expenses dramatically lowered because they split it between themselves.


    Because of the lengthy travel and the very few restops along the way, the travellers sync up. Assuming they do not try to hasten the journey by ignoring any stops.


    There is some reason to stop at such locations. There are some special materials being sold there, though they might not know what they are used for.


    They can even get simple contracts to move products from one place to another and gain simple reputation.


    Those interested can spend some time there to and gain further prestige with the residents, this can lead to numerous things, to name one, setting up a transport export business.


    No one stopped at this random village locations. All they did was walk about, take in the sights and perhaps find out what the local export was.


    Even the guys took their time to rest and relax at some points. The traveling could take weeks to end, they valued the occasional rest stop. No one knew how far away the next camp was.

 Chapter thirty eight: Let me off this wild ride.

    The traveling this time isn¡¯t as useful as the previous one. Even if the guys could train their B.F.M. endurance, practicing their control became almost impossible.


    This is because of their experience with the crafting tools. Everyone graduated from the Second wave reinforcement camp has already surpassed the lowest threshold for B.F.M. control.


    In the future, any B.F.M. control related practice is tide to their crafting prowess. That is, until they receive more complex B.F.M. weapons and armor.


    Complex B.F.M. weapons and armor are not rare. At some point everyone will have a piece of equipment that is considered complex.


    But this is like a child destined to own a car. They still need to reach the age they are legally allowed to own a car. In the same way, in Perpetuity, certain parameters must be met.


    Unlike crafting tools, weapons have a ceiling. In theory, crafting tools also have a ceiling for B.F.M. control, but the two can¡¯t be compared.


    There are hard limits on certain B.F.M. items. Once they are reached, they can no longer be used to reach higher B.F.M. complexity. They can still be used to stabilize their capabilities.


    This is why crafting tools and crafting will always be the best way to determine a person''s power level. The further ahead they are in crafting, the higher their potential power is.


    It is still possible for certain weapons to become famous. Perhaps a someone will create numerous weapons that all have similar power and that could become a temporary marker for a person¡¯s power.


    The last Reinforcement camp is the third one. It is also the most demanding one. Demanding not exactly in difficulty, but quantity of requirements.


    This is quantity not diversity, quantity like thousands of liters of water not quantity as in types of birds. Quantity in terms of how much B.F.M. endurance is required.


    Similarly the requirements for combat, B.F.M. control, which is measured in crafting achievements.


    On top of this there is some extended survival training, medicinal and in terms of foreign materials and cooking adequate meals.


    In this there is included the philosophy of how to plan excursions, to know when to retreat and when to charge. There are many instances where knowledge is the right tool, when brawn isn¡¯t sufficient.


    On this journey to the Third reinforcement camp, the guys have begun feeling a bit irritated. They have already been traveling for two weeks and three days. And this is on trained animals.


    Their conversations have died out and they all lean on their palm devices to pass the time. Even Sorp has begun finding things to be irritated about, something exceedingly rare for him.


    The distance between the first and second camps is only just under half the distance from the second to third camp.


    It''s come to a point where the guys have passed a few carriages, because they all own their own animals. Ret has been training them, making their stamina better and their speed faster.


    They aren¡¯t the furthest ahead because they¡¯ve stopped regularly to vent their frustrations. The small villages are indeed small but they are a nice change of pace for long distance travelers.


    Daisy is in a carriages ahead of the guys, she and her companions are similarly dull, their expressions rather dazed and they spent most of their time immersed in their palm devices.


    Sorp¡¯s grand massacre from a while back now has a spiritual successor of sorts, a few spiritual successors. Videos emerged of people slaughtering one another for some unknown reason.


    Unknown to people watching the videos, but the instigators of course had their motives. Similar to Sorp, they were merciless and killed in unusually cruel way.


    However, unlike Sorp, their faces were not plastered with a handsome smile and their fighting not as domineering. They did prevail in the end.


    These individuals have since continued acting in a barbarish way, this has caused others to mimic them. Waves of outrage has sparked.


    Due to the number of videos containing graphic violence, seemingly for no good reason, has made people realize that Perpetuity isn¡¯t policed properly.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Numerous people have begun a sort of protest or at least a semblance of one, wanting their safety guaranteed. Perpetual Power has ignored all complaints directed at them.


    Perpetual Power¡¯s aim is not to please, it is to immerse. They do not care about morality, not in the same way a civilian would at least.


    Perpetual Power¡¯s leaders have the wisdom earned from over two hundred years of life. Their lifespans granted to them by the same technology used on every user in Perpetuity.


    Unlike the users in Perpetuity, they have been using it for over a millenia and a half. These are the kind of people that can no longer relate to normal people.


    This is normal people, rich, poor, handsome, ugly, talented, wastrels and so on. They can even consider themselves a different superiours species, and in some ways they are.


    It takes this kind of people, with such detachments from what they once were, to plan out the eugenics plan that is Perpetuity.


    The last thing on their mind is the virtual suffering of people bumbling about in Perpetuity. Their minds are on the incoming data on continuous and straining B.F.M. use. It is their hope that they solve problems related to their lifespans.


    Sorp can be considered a high valued target in this data set. Not only Sorp, but the guys and everyone else in the second wave reinforcement camp and similar facilities.


    There are literally billions of things Perpetual Power is monitoring, not just B.F.M. related things. They value a large span of information.


    Whatever grand scheme Perpetual Power has are certainly quite a few years away. At least in Perpetuity¡¯s time.


    Ignoring Perpetual Power, the first carriage is about to arrive at the Third wave reinforcement camp. The mere sight of it caused the viewership of the people in that carriage to skyrocket.


    ¡°We¡¯re finally here!¡±


    ¡°Finally! I can¡¯t stand seeing your ugly faces anymore.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even mention your faces, I can¡¯t stand your stench!¡±


    ¡°Freedom¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long before the guys noticed the people about to enter the next camp. This camp was actually more like a city rather than a camp.


    In this camp, millions of people live. Unlike Perpetuity, the city, this camp can only sustain a few million people. While Perpetuity can hold billions of people.


    ¡°This is a camp?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s huge.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re back in civilization, I can finally meet good looking guys again!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Hey! ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act shocked, you three barely pass when i''m stumbling drunk.¡±


    The camp has too many people to act surprised at the new arrivials, they were given a cursory glance before being ignored.


    Those that saw the new people arriving assumed they were just one of the farmers or a trading group.


    One carriage is too inconspicuous, perhaps when they come in the tens or hundreds or even thousands, virtual humans will react to the incoming people.


    There are thousands of people living at the edge of the city. These people were descendants of people with great potential, family of great people or descendants of great people.


    All in all, even the weakest among the people here, servant or not, were descendants of great people or great people themselves.


    The harsh truth is that even those that manage to climb can still fail. Not hundreds, but thousands of people have had to make the First wave reinforcement camp, their home.


    To the citizens of the First wave reinforcement camp, also known as Reinforcement city or First wave city, the new arrivials did not make much of an impact.


    As the day passed, Sorp and the guys went so far as to climb on top of their carriage, ignoring the filth that had accumulated on it.


    ¡°Dart can you see anything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a little bit taller then you, what can I see?¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t see, shut the fuck up and keep looking.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come down there and beat your midget ass.¡±


    It would be fair to say that tensions in the carriage have been rising steadily as the days go on, but this boiling pot has already lost most of its steam with the news of the earliest arrivals.


    This does not mean that a friendly wrestling match in the small confines of the carriage was averted. Like every wrestling match, it eventually dragged everyone into it, ending when Sorp joined in, as they could not match him in anyway.


    ¡°Can¡¯t they go any faster, Ret?¡±


    ¡°They can, but it is would harmful if they do it for a long time.¡±


    ¡°How long are we talking?¡±


    ¡°I can use their B.F.M. harness to bolster them but they can only keep it up for a few minutes at a time before they start hurting themselves.¡±


    ¡°Then do it for a few minutes.¡±


    Seeing no objections, Ret took it as a silent consent, the four corses began gaining speed. The carriage remained steady, unfaced by the increased velocity.


    ¡°Woah!¡±


    The only one affected by the increase was Dart and Sorp, who both stood on the roof of the carriage. The momentum nearly throwing them off.


    The increased speed is just under a thirty percent increase. This is quite the increase, seeing as the corses are heavy set creatures, meant for stamina not burst speeds.


    What the guys didn¡¯t know, despite Ret trying to thrust it into conversation on multiple occasions, was that the corses can serve as attackers as well.


    Their ramming momentum can be used to tackle beasts and their muscular hinderleggs can become a deadly force.


    In truth, corses are not very suited for combat or traveling in uncharted territory, but on a long stretch of road, they can be considered invaluable.


    A few minutes pass before Ret eased the pack back, letting them return to their former speed. The guys couldn¡¯t see it, but the city was not far off now.


    They were so close that any minute, mirage like buildings would begin to make their appearance on the horizon.


    The towering buildings are not skyscrapers but they are not lacking in grandeur, not to mention that largest portion of the city is underground.


    Majority is underground due to an inexplicably deep and complex cave system. So deep is this came system that it is still unexplored.


    This is not without reason. As explained by Perpetuity lore, this cave system was originally considered a human habitation.


    Perpetuity¡¯s lore does not declare who loved in this cave system but it does explain that the caves structures were so immaculate they were unsure whether it really was a cave.


    It was not until previously undiscovered opening, that depth and complexity of the cave was discovered. This addition the cave is not inhabited by humans.


    This is one of the reason the cave is not completely explored, because it can be considered somewhat new. New in the sense that those that built the city Perpetuity did not leave behind any information about this cave system.


    The second reason, is that people tend to vanish down there. This can be allocated to the complexity of the caverns but more importantly the caverns creatures.


    Throughout the years, cave diving has been a lucrative trade. To dive in the cavern, a B.F.M. weapon or multiple people are required.


    As most B.F.M. weapons have a coating of invisible energy. Weapons can glow and make noises, but all B.F.M. weapons have a coating of invisible energy.


    Quite a few creatures in the caverns posses B.F.M. abilities. And as with all B.F.M. related creatures, they posses B.F.M. defence and offence.


    With enough people with static B.F.M. weapons of the lowest standard, these creatures can be whittled down. Greater fighters with better weapons may do this alone or dive deeper.


    These creatures can be brought back and used to discover their use in crafting recipes. Weapons, armors, trinkets, potions and various poisons.

 Chapter thirty nine: First wave city!

    The guys entrance to the city was similar to those before them. They took in the sight, the native people gave a cursory glance or ignored them entirely.


    First wave city does not have the ingenious logistics of Perpetuity, as it was built by later generations. These things are all explained in Perpetuity lore.


    The city was built with Perpetuity as the model. The difficulty in generating enough power to create an underground railroad system became too difficult.


    This does not mean that such plans had not begun. Conveniently for Perpetual Power, or inconveniently for Perpetuity¡¯s people, these plans have yet to be realized.


    Of course it is easy to see that this is a planned activity, perhaps a few months from now, such underground transportation system would become a reality.


    Some would say that this was a very much intended to slow down general progress of the game. Perpetual Power does have plans to gather the entire world¡¯s population here after all.


    Ignoring overarching plans, grand but distant plans for expansion, we can instead look at immediate plans Sorp and the guys have.


    It would be easy to get lost in this large city, not to the scale of Perpetuity, but easy nonetheless. It is convenient that this is a virtual world and all that comes with it.


    The guys have not strayed from their objective, that is, to reach the First wave reinforcement camp. All they have to do is follow the compass guiding them.


    In some ways, the entire city is the First wave reinforcement camp, but there is also a specific point of reference, where all newcomers must gather at.


    This is a building. It is not in anyway outstand, and is instead plain. This is one of the first buildings inserted here, according to Perpetuity lore.


    This building¡¯s purpose is to manage camp affairs. The building has been outdated and the housing for managing everything is further behind.


    Instead this plain building has become a registration facility, a information center, a gateway into the great caverns and general meeting place for people with great individual power.


    Of course the actual entrance to the caverns that are worth exploring is far below. But the entirety of the cave complex is considered government facilities.


    Below the ground are housing for trainees, employees, aspiring cave divers and other important personal.


    In a way, these caverns, refitted to a great degree, have become a world of their own. Sometimes called as the bottom of the iceberg.


    ¡°This is the place.¡±


    ¡°Looks like it.¡±


    ¡°Why are there so many people here?¡±


    It has been mentioned in the past that there are other facilities like the Third and Second wave reinforcement camps. They all funnel to First wave city.


    But there is more to it. In the city live people that aspire to great things and the First wave reinforcement camp is the path to achieve greatness.


    Millions of people, some live their lives content with what they have, but quite a few train everyday in hopes to gain the right to enter the First wave reinforcement camp.


    While majority of people can use B.F.M. devices to a degree, not everyone can reach the level required to control more advanced B.F.M. items.


    Then there are families of great people that live in the cave system or in the high class part of the city. These people can be considered elites of sorts.


    ¡°Sorp?¡±


    ¡°These are strong people.¡±


    Sorp didn¡¯t make this observation on instincts alone. He noticed their movements, even the unique aura that the B.F.M. exudes can be felt.


    It is a vague sensation, but it can be felt on people who have trained their entire life or those that have reach certain degree of power. Sorp himself does not emit such aura.


    Dart also sensed this aura but he did not make the same inferences as Sorp. Dart doesn¡¯t think in the same way as Sorp. he only felt this place was crowded and he felt something was off.


    Most people felt this strange sensation. Like their skin was slightly wet, as if they had just walked into the lightest of drizzling rain.


    The people that emit this sort of B.F.M. energy have reached a step where they can actively use B.F.M. to coat themselves as form of defence.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    This sort of defence is very unreliable and is better used to power B.F.M. equipment. In short, B.F.M. equipment can be seen as conductors for B.F.M. energy.


    A person with enough experience in wielding their B.F.M. can use themselves as a conductor and even emit burst of B.F.M. energy as a form of attack.


    In the same way that B.F.M. equipment is better at utilizing this energy, so are weapons and other miscellaneous B.F.M. related paraphernalia.


    ¡°We should go over there. I¡¯m sure you can fight these people later.¡±


    Kom reached up and but his palm on Sorp¡¯s back and tried to convince him. To his surprise Sorp¡¯s lips curved into a violent smile.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Sorp ignored Kom and stepped towards the large reception desk, it was relatively crowded but not compared to the human traffic.


    This is because most people in the area are not here to register for the First wave reinforcement camp or sign up for a test to enter it.


    Majority is here on various other reasons. Mainly meeting to go elsewhere. There are multiple service facilities in the area as well. This can be considered a social hub of sorts.


    ¡°Here to sign up for a test?¡±


    Kom was leading the group, he waved his hands in the air and then thrust if forward, towards the burly receptionist.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to join the First wave reinforcement camp. We all are.¡±


    Quite a few people glanced their way, it was rare for people to directly enter the camp. Usually people would sign for a test.


    They would take a test to measure their capabilities, and if they were within the right age, they would enter, otherwise they¡¯d have to partake in further tests before being given the right to join.


    ¡°Oh! Quite a few of you today.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how many?¡±


    ¡°About twenty eight. All in batches of seven, you are the first ones to come in six.¡±


    The man returned to his job, like Kom he waved his hand about before thrusting something towards him.


    Quickly all the guys went through, it was straight forward. What was surprising, and something that made Dart suspicious, was that they didn''t need to pay a tuition fee this time around.


    ¡°Part of the training is considered repayment. For example, cave diving.¡±


    Dart wasn¡¯t satisfied with the vague answer, but he took it to mean they¡¯d have to work in some form. It was only Dart who cared about this arrangement.


    Like before, the guys had an updated contract that included a new destination to follow. Just like the previous camps, they had to go for a round of introductions.


    They were given updated maps of the underground facilities, if they looked into air they¡¯d see a skylike ceiling, it was quite convincing but also easy determine it was man made.


    The underground area was even more busy than the outside city. Not in the same way of people roaming about, but that there endless training areas.


    People were on stages sparring, running alongside each other, sitting in groups appearing to practicing the B.F.M. exhaustion exercise and quite a few were just move about.


    The noise was entirely different as well. This has to do with the cave structure, it was somewhat overbearing to begin with. When the guys entered the living quarters, the noise suddenly vanished.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I like this place.¡±


    ¡°At least I can permanently stay with you guys this time.¡±


    Due to the limited space beneath the cave system, some restrictions were in place, one such restriction is the number and size of animals. Four large coreses simply take up too much space.


    What Ret was given instead to further his animal rearing is a type of monkey. A monkey that is commonly found in the caves. These Monkeys are both predators and scavengers.


    This monkey was on a lease that lead to Ret¡¯s wrist from its back harness. This harness is a B.F.M. equipment developed to control these small creatures.


    Like most cave dwelling creatures they have some form of B.F.M. appendages, in the case of this particular type of monkey, it is their tails.


    Their tails cannot be controlled by others but they can be taught to use them properly. The B.F.M. Harness is mostly used as a way to embolster these little guys defence.


    ¡°And I already like Balboa.¡±


    Ret not only received this animal, he is also considered capable enough to self study. He does however, have the option to seek the help of experienced beast rearers.


    The corses were taken in by the First wave government, they¡¯ll be fostered and made to do some menial work fitting for such large durable beasts.


    ¡°What do you guys want to do? Rest for a day?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find someone to sparr.¡±


    Jarem felt like resting for the day, which seemed odd as they had been resting for what seemed like months.


    ¡°Ret and Pal are going to find some tail. I¡¯m going with Sorp.¡±


    ¡°Guess i¡¯ll join you.¡±


    It was only Dart that that went alone, he was heading towards the crafting facilities but not before selling his and the guys accumulated information.


    Sorp was itching to fight, and there are numerous places to fight. Those sparring in arenas are generally a part of a group, a sort of small team.


    This can be a team of two or upwards to a hundred. Majority are small teams and even the large teams will split into factions between themselves.


    Due to Perpetual Powers arrangements, the world developed a synergy, and this is why you see rather small groups.


    That is not to say that larger excursions do not take place, there can be circumstances where people decide they are willing to take a loss on loot and use overwhelming power.


    ¡°What are they fighting with?¡±


    ¡°Their hands?¡±


    ¡°I can see, Jarem. What are those sounds?¡±


    ¡°Sounds similar to electricity.¡±


    While Kom and Jarem chatted, Sorp was concentrating on the altercation. The two fighters didn¡¯t seem to move very quickly.


    ¡°Why does it feel like they are just playing?¡±


    ¡°Even I can dodge those strikes.¡±


    Kom and Jarem are no master fighters but they have some experience, their words can be taken into consideration.


    Sorp felt the same but he noticed they weren¡¯t really training their fighting techniques as much as they were training their Brute Force Method.


    ¡°They¡¯ve got the same aura.¡±


    ¡°Aura?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any aura.¡±


    Sorp was talking to himself but he still glanced at his friends after hearing their responses.


    ¡°Their Brute Force Method is so strong they are using it to attack and defend.¡±


    It was only when he mentioned that they noticed it. When they concentrated they noticed how the two fighters never actually touched.


    This is because one is trying to project his B.F.M. energy while the other it to neutralize it. The forces neutralizing can create different sounds depending on how the force is dealt with.


    ¡°How are doing that?¡±


    ¡°Why are you looking at me? Ask Sorp.¡±


    Kom rolled his eyes before turning to Sorp.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Sorp stretched out his hand and felt the B.F.M. energy move according to his will. It wasn¡¯t to the extent of actually covering his hand, but he felt he could indeed move it about his body.


    When stopped he felt his hand go slightly numb and an uncomfortable feeling linger. It was his bodies first experience conducting B.F.M. energy.


    Kom and Jarem watched Sorp fall into a daze. He let B.F.M. systematically travel to every part of his body before he let it enter his right hand again.


    ¡°Jarem, here.¡±


    With a very slow motion Sorp thrust towards Jarem with an open palm. He was going to try out the B.F.M.¡¯s energy effects.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Jarem opened his palm and made the same gesture as Sorp, this is one high five Jarem will not ever forget.


    ¡°Ah! What the hell Sorp!¡±


    Jarem felt his hand shoot backwards, the quick motion felt like he was about to pull a muscle. There was also a sharp stinging sensation but no noticeable wound.


    ¡°Kom, High five.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Fist bump.¡±


    Kom took a few steps backs before taking his eyes of the excited Sorp to look at Jarem. Jarem looked like a wrong housewife, he wasn¡¯t crying but his eyes teared up slightly.


    ¡°How do you do that?¡±


    ¡°Use your Brute Force Method, starting from here.¡±


    Sorp pointed to a point between his eyebrows and then used his finger to draw a path down towards his chest and then up again towards his shoulder and lastly towards his hand.


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just Jarem and Kom that were astounded, there were more than just the two busy fighters and the guys there. Someone witnessed Sorp experiment

 Chapter forty: Slow

    An older man. His age somewhat ambiguous but he has the demeanor of an elder. The wrinkles give some of his experience away but guessing his age is still difficult. It has to be taken into consideration that Sorp and the guys are rather young, so even someone in their late twenties can be considered an older man.


    The man had initially been fiddling with some tool. This is a B.F.M. tool, whatever he was doing, it was cloaked by something that looked like murky glass. It looks like an old jar with mysterious liquid. The jar floats in the air, swirling slowly.


    The jar began losing momentum, the swivel nearly came to a stop before it resumes again. The man¡¯s expression is hard to gauge but he is clearly interested in what Sorp had just done.


    Looking at Sorp and the guys, you can compare them to those on the stage fighting a rather lackluster fight. A fight that is somehow inexplicably filled with tension.


    Any new arrival can¡¯t tell much of a difference between people down here but anyone risen in the ranks understands with a glance that Sorp, Kom and Jarem are new here.


    This is because the identification badge they received among other things. This badge marks two things, one a number.


    The number tells you how high a rank they are. This is in reference to how high they need to be to qualify for the last test, to be qualified to leave the Pebble in the river.


    Pebble in the river being the island, where the city Perpetuity, the camps and the final refuge of human civilization recides. As far as anyone knows at least. This has been mentioned before.


    The second attribute for this badge is its color. And this color is affected by how deep into the caverns they have gone. It is not publicly known why the badge changes, but it is rumored to be connected to pressure or more likely a B.F.M. related power that becomes stronger, the deeper you delve.


    Having the number zero on a white badge points towards a complete beginner. They have finished no contracts, not even trivial ones. The color is white, meaning they haven¡¯t even entered the caves as it''s not even smudged in color, but a pristine white.


    The man didn¡¯t stare, he only gave Sorp a lengthy glance. His thoughts mainly on his crafting procedure. Any medicine, poison or potion crafter can tell he is still in the preparatory stage.


    What is significant about this, is that these are not virtual materials. They are of course virtual in the sense that this is a virtual world, but within the world they can be considered a real thing.


    Assuming he isn¡¯t using low tier materials and has some degree of success in crafting, these materials should be practically priceless. Meaning they won¡¯t be for sale and can only be looked for and not bought.


    Any failure at this stage runs the risk of literally turning the materials into something worthless. He can be said to be gambling with a fortune.


    It is reasonable to assume that this person is a virtual human. But he is as much a part of this world as the guys are. His decision making process might be predictable to a degree, but so is a humans.


    ¡°Why are they just slapping each other like that?¡±


    It is Kom that felt the need to talk. This is to be expected of Kom. Jarem and Sorp are satisfied with just watching the hypnotic performance.


    ¡°They are using the Brute Force Method energy to attack and defend. They are training.¡±


    They had already said this before but it was worth mentioning again, it really didn¡¯t seem like traditional training or sparring. It appeared to be something like Tai chi or similar activities.


    The person speaking was the man previously observing the trio. The guys however didn¡¯t respond and only nodded, even Sorp.


    ¡°The reason they are moving so slowly is because the energy can have negative effects of the body.¡±


    At this point the guys realized that a fourth person was speaking to them and their couldn¡¯t help but look over.


    ¡°In an emergency, channeling energy in a flash is required, but to do it continuously will begin to cause internal injuries.¡±


    ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°How would I know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you! I¡¯m just talking out loud.¡±


    With the calm expression the man turned away from the match and to his jar, ignoring the guys as if he had never addressed them.


    The jar slowly came to a stop before dematerializing into his inventory. He had been successful. To him, it was an expected outcome.


    ¡°It is better to rely on items to conduct your energy, yet without tempering the body, one may find themself receiving grave injuries when subjected to a burst of hostile energies.¡±


    He didn¡¯t mention B.F.M. energies as most prefered the vaguer terms like energy, inner strength, power and other variations that become interchangeable with B.F.M. energy.Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°The benefits to this training doesn¡¯t end at a more resilient body, however.¡±


    At this point the man ceased talking and got into a more comfortable position and continued watching the tension filled sparring. Electing not to continue speaking.


    ¡°However? However what?¡±


    Kom really couldn¡¯t read the atmosphere the man was trying to conjure, however the man was also pleased with Kom¡¯s eagre response.


    ¡°However.¡±


    For the first time the man made eye contact with the guys, not forgetting to pause for dramatic effect. Nothing if not a seasoned story teller.


    ¡°Moving the energies within your own bodies is far slower and more difficult than doing so with an item designed to use it.¡±


    He clearly wasn¡¯t finished speaking but he paused. After a sudden outburst, one of the fighters recoiled backwards in defeat.


    ¡°Using a tool isn¡¯t a passive activity where you only pour your energy into it. Bursts of energy are far more destructive.¡±


    Sorp listened to the man, from his expression you¡¯d think he was thoroughly enjoying himself. And he was, his smile is as bright as could be.


    ¡°The faster you can channel the energy through an item, the faster you can perform powerful actions. Attacking faster and with greater momentum.¡±


    This is indeed a method of using B.F.M. energy. Fast but powerful bursts of energy at ideal times to minimize waste. It¡¯s not necessarily more powerful however.


    It is also possible to figuratively dump B.F.M. energy without reservation until one runs dry. Such tactics cannot be ruled out, though intuition should tell you that if it fails to produce positive results, the outcome will be dire as one would be out of energy.


    ¡°What those two were doing appeared slow, yet energy moved at pivotal moments at lightning speeds.¡±


    Unwilling to think about things any longer Sorp moved with steady steps towards the sparring platform. His hands gave of a tremor with every step, signaling the B.F.M. energy surging through his hands.


    ¡°Kid, that isn¡¯t smart.¡±


    Stepping onto the sparring platform Sorp began by watching his hands. Everytime they trembled slightly he was sending tiny amount of B.F.M. energy. The quantity so small that his energy pool barely dipped.


    ¡°You two!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Get your friend down from there! It¡¯s good to be enthusiastic but stepping onto the platform can be considered a challenge!¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with this old man?¡±


    ¡°You know how old people are.¡±


    Uncharastically, the previously stern and mystifying old man nearly lost his composure, only by pure strength of will did he manage to let out a gust of air out his nose. He swung his right hand to his body and walked away as if casting them aside.


    ¡°Who is this guy?¡±


    ¡°Never seen him before, he¡¯s a giant.¡±


    Of course Sorp is tall, a giant to some, but still within the range of human reasoning.


    ¡°His badge is white. A newbie?¡±


    ¡°Why is he on the sparring platform?¡±


    The reason this platform was used for sparring is that it recorded the matches. Everything is recorded in Perpetuity but these are recordings for the fighters. They could see what kind of damage they were doing and compare results to older matches.


    Many factions have such equipment and they are usually regarded with some respect. Most do not enter the stage without at least one person having a contract that require them to take an evaluation.


    It is not unheard of that people randomly take the stage to evaluated themselves but it isn¡¯t common. If the fighter is not a veteran or well known, it can be seen as a sign of disrespect to randomly step on the stage.


    ¡°What the- Your right! It¡¯s a total newbie. This dumb f-¡±


    ¡°What are you doing idiot!¡±


    ¡°He wants a fight, I¡¯ll give it to him.¡±


    Not everyone cares about unwritten rules. Those that did care about the rules would be more likely to rush up and try for some type of justice. What occurred however, is people wanting to stamp out a newbie were faster.


    ¡°If Oftert goes up he¡¯ll probably kill him.¡±


    ¡°Someone should stop him before he hurts that newbie.¡±


    No one takes Sorp¡¯s large stature into consideration. This isn¡¯t unusual as it is rarely the more physically adept that excels in these sparring arenas. Especially not people that haven¡¯t trained their bodies to handle bursts of B.F.M. energy.


    ¡°Someone get an instructor.¡±


    ¡°Commander phallen is over there already.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been there the entire time.¡±


    ¡°Now that I think about it, there aren¡¯t any rules about stepping onto the sparring arena.¡±


    There are not many people around the arena but the commotion managed to draw in more people and soon there are ten some people from the faction watching. These are not really members but apprentices, potential members. It can be considered an oddity that a revered person with the status of a commander is out here lounging around.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late to back down now.¡±


    Watching the malicious smile, Sorp felt a surge of delight. He usually liked seeing a kind of despair in the people he fought. But his favorite was turning a smile into a cry for help. It was less a cry for help to Sorp and more a sound of absolute victory.


    ¡°I¡¯ll follow your lead.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll follow my lead?¡±


    Seeing Sorp never stopped smiling and instead seemed to be very comfortable on stage, Oftert felt a strange anger bubble up. He didn¡¯t know why but he felt a strange type of humiliation. He was doubting himself for a moment before remembering that this was a complete newbie.


    ¡°Alright. Fine. Fine! I¡¯ll start!¡±


    As he spoke, his voice got louder. Despite his boiling over anger, Oftert didn¡¯t strike out in fury and in a very traditional manor opened his palm. His open hand slowly made its way towards Sorp.


    ¡°Be careful with your timing.¡±


    Acting like a good instructor, Oftert felt it would be even more enjoyable to keep up a veil of a teacher. He of course isn¡¯t a teacher, but has no shortage of role models. Perhaps due to his own inadequacies he has experienced plenty of defeats in these B.F.M. surge duels.


    ¡°That guy looks a bit cocky.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen somebody look so confident fighting Sorp.¡±


    ¡°Well there was that one guy.¡±


    ¡°It doesn''t count if they are so drugged they can¡¯t even feel their bones break.¡±


    ¡°When your right, your right.¡±


    Kom and Jarem were not being too loud but they weren¡¯t quiet. Their chatter earned some despising looks. Many speculated the results of this fight but none of them considered Sorp doing anything but be defeated.


    When Sorp¡¯s and Oftert¡¯s hands collided a small thunder sound echoed out and Sorp¡¯s hand shot backwards, the rebound nearly tearing his shoulder out its socket.


    ¡°Whew. This doesn¡¯t look good.¡±


    ¡°This might be the first time Sorp loses.¡±


    Unlike Kom and Jarem, the rest of the crowd was shocked. Sorp definitely lost in that engagement, but not in the way they expected. The most shocked was Oftert. He had intentionally moved a tad faster at the end.


    It has to be known that they moved this slowly because it¡¯s training their B.F.M. control and not how fast they can strike. However Sorp is anything but unexperienced in fighting.


    Rubbing his shoulder and opening and closing his right hand, Sorp couldn¡¯t help but be a bit shocked. The pain was very real, almost too much.


    Everything from the top of his finger to his shoulder blades felt a strange new pain. It was like a dull numbing feeling of pins and needles. Except it wasn¡ät numb and instead genuinely painful.


    Seeing he couldn¡¯t really move his hand, Sorp indicated he¡¯d use his left hand and began counter attacking. Like before, his hand moved at a snail like pace towards Ofterts. Ofterts had no other option but meet the strike.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Look at Sorp¡¯s face.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡±


    They didn''t need say more. Sorp wasn''t smiling his usual smile. His eyes were unusually focused, it is taking everything he has to overpower the shooting pain that seems to only be growing.


    ¡°He¡¯s not bad, but this is just reckless.¡±


    Out of the few people talking, the old man interjected once again, his nonchalant expression went unseen as people didn¡¯t even give him a glance. This made his anger flare up again, he swished his long armed sleeve and huffed out copious amount of air.

 Chapter forty one: A new Master!

    Kom and Jarem had profound faith in Sorp, so no matter what they say, within them there is a core belief that Sorp will prevail. They had seen some rather doubtful times where Sorp appeared to be hanging on by a string, this didn¡¯t look like one yet.


    ¡°Hey, Jar.¡±


    ¡°Mm?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be managing this situation?¡±


    ¡°What do you me-. Oh! Your right, lets go.¡±


    While the fight proceeded slowly there is still a sense of tension in the air. Kom and Jarem have begun walking around taking bets. A whopping majority betting on Oftert.


    When their hands meet a second time, Sorp experienced a strong rebound again, his hand shooting backwards. But Sorp is quick to adapt and rather than forcefully stopping the impact he twirls in two whole circles to defuse the kinetic force.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Is he dancing?¡±


    This sort of action would be absurd in a fight, maybe against foolish people it could work as a type of counter attack, but not against experienced fighters. The problem is, this isn¡¯t a genuine fight but a sparring session focusing on a very particular application of the B.F.M. energy.


    ¡°It seems you guys don¡¯t know Sorp at all.¡±


    Kom shook his head at the crowd, they had all put some Vcoin on the line. Not astronomical sum but a healthy number.


    ¡°Not only is Sorp a genius fighter but a prolific dancer.¡±


    Jarem stood there nodding. They were very serious. It should come as no surprised that a flexible being that relies heavily of intuition is a phenomenal dancer. It can be seen as a sign of a talented fighter to be agile on their feet.


    The crowd wasn¡¯t in any kind of mood to listen to Kom or Jarem. And especially not Oftert, who felt a strange urge to leap forward and start a brawl.


    ¡°Are you really a newbie!?¡±


    ¡°As new as they come.¡±


    Sorp had already shocked some people and been questioned if he was a newbie before. He couldn¡¯t help but respond when asked. He did appreciate the fight and while he didn¡¯t mean the person no harm, he also wouldn¡¯t hold anything back.


    ¡°Your turn.¡±


    Sorp readied his right hand again. He still felt it pulse with a dull ache, but it was nothing much at this point. His adrenaline was flowing and endorphins were making the pain almost enjoyable.


    ¡°I¡¯ll crush your arm.¡±


    Oftert didn¡¯t realize he was losing his edge. His open palm shot out, except this time it wasn¡¯t slow. It isn¡¯t illegal to do this but it is frowned upon. Oftert was never a person too fond of propriety so this is not a shocking turn of events.


    His mistake however, is to assume Sorp was not ready for this sort of strike. It could be said Sorp had the advantage when it came to real time combat rather than their well timed slow maneuvers.


    The problem with this sort of fighting while training is that people are more likely to make mistakes and get hurt as a result. And this isn¡¯t supposed to be more than a way to train and measure yourself with your peers.


    ¡°Oftert lost his patience.¡±


    ¡°Disgraceful.¡±


    A few frowned seeing him, some even managed to blurt out a few hasty words before the sound of muffled thunder reverberated from the sparring arena. They had once again collided.


    ¡°As expected.¡±


    Everyone was speechless. Everyone but Kom, as if unable to endure a silence longer than a second he felt the urge to comment.


    ¡°It¡¯s not their fault, really. How can they know about Sorp? These are all underground mole people after all.¡±


    Oftert had made an enormous mistake showing his intent to harm. As soon as his aggression was apparent, Sorp changed his tactics as well. He weaved slightly and thrust his open palm into Ofterts lower right chest. The impact nearly stopped his heart. He didn¡¯t even have time to scream and fell listlessly to the ground.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    When people were finally coming back to their sense they looked to their peers, to Sorp and then Kom and Jarem, who were counting their Vcoin.


    It was at this point the older man from before made his way towards Oftert and broke something in his hands and let the brown dust fall onto his lips and into his nose. Oftert sprung up inhaling and coughing vehemently.


    ¡°You¡¯ve only yourself to blame.¡±


    The old man looked away from Oftert and to Sorp. In truth what Sorp had done was considered worthy of punishment, but seeing as Oftert had already broken the rules it could be overlooked.


    ¡°Alright. Come with me then.¡±


    The man was clearly talking to Sorp but Kom and Jarem shamelessly tagged along as if it were only natural. The old man raised a brow but ignored them.


    ¡°Sorp, we should go dancing.¡±


    ¡°Right! It¡¯s been way too long since we had time to cut loose.¡±


    Sorp was still managing the pain in his hands and upper torso. He looked at Kom and Jarem, they were clearly enjoying themselves. Especially with the new windfall of Vcoin. They needed a way to spend it.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s find some place.¡±


    The old man finally loosened up a bit after hearing their conversation. He was thinking that these were just willful youths. He reminisced about the time he was young and reckless.


    The only issue was they didn¡¯t appreciate the mysticism he was trying to cultivate. He enjoyed looking enigmatic and unfathomable. Every time he saw the admiration in people¡¯s eyes he felt a surge of joy.


    ¡°Hold on. Why are we following this guy?¡±


    ¡°This guy!? I am one of the Two-step faction commanders! Haven¡¯t you heard of commander Phallen of the Two-step faction?¡±


    Sorp was focusing on his body, trying to understand why the B.F.M. energy caused so much damage despite being something he supposedly created himself.


    Jarem had a blank look on his face, he was playing through a fantasy in his head. He wanted to go find a place to spend some Vcoin.


    Kom however thrived in conversation and especially loved heated reactions. He doesn¡¯t like to incite anger but he enjoys getting a reaction out of people.


    ¡°Oh? Is the Two-step faction famous?¡±


    ¡°Of course we¡¯re famous. We¡¯re one of twelve factions capable of reaching dark purple depth.¡±


    Seeing that Kom had no reaction to his statement he felt indignation.


    ¡°Even if your new, you must have read the general information about the underground city. Where did you lot come from?¡±


    ¡°We came from the Second wave reinforcement camp. It¡¯s usually Dart that bothered with those long information brochures.¡±


    The guys had all received a bulky information package about the general things in First wave city, but they also didn¡¯t bother reading things that didn¡¯t make sense until it was read all the way through. And that includes things like factions and their hierarchy.


    In general, people are expected to join a faction, freelance for one or create their own. There are some benefits to each choice. Joining an existing factions allows for more guidance, creating their own group allows for greater control and possible high profit margins.


    Lastly,freelancing is actually looked down on but they have their freedom. There are also organizations that deal with freelancers, sometimes freelancers band together to create their own factions after sharing life and death experiences.


    The greatest issue with creating your own faction is that it lacks the foundations of older factions, which is a different way to saying, lacking in resources. In fact, most new factions are just groups of freelancers.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to educate your soon then. Why are you challenging the sparring stage when you don¡¯t intend to join the faction?¡±


    ¡°Sorp just likes to fight. And It was a great opportunity to make some Vcoin.¡±


    It has become ingrained in the guys to bet on Sorp when he fights. It''s not even a question anymore, just a question of how high the stakes should be.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get anywhere in life depending on Vcoin.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t depend on Vcoin, we depend on Sorp.¡±


    Sorp was listening to the conversation but had no interest in it. Most of his attention was on understanding the previous fight. He was trying to relive it and figure out why he had been on the losing side despite having impeccable timing.


    ¡°Depend on Sorp. You are Sorp?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Despite diverting most of his attention to other things, Sorp still managed to look like he was interesting in Kom¡¯s and commander phallen¡¯s conversation.


    ¡°Where did you train your energy surge technique? It isn¡¯t bad but a bit sloppy.¡±


    ¡°You mean this?¡±


    Sorp struck out into the air. The effect of B.F.M. energy being thrust created a muffled sound, similar to a deflating bag. It was a weak sound but once it collides with a counterforce it¡¯ll create a sound similar to that of a thunder.


    ¡°Right. That¡äs a basic surge technique. Are they teaching it now in the Second wave reinforcement camp? I thought they were focusing on crafting.¡±


    To understand commander Phallens sentence, one has to know he has memories to fill an entire life and has lived through them just as a normal human would experience a life. He has lived through the evaluation of the wave camps and other training facilities.


    ¡°I was guessing.¡±


    Others would might lean towards talking about how they learned to craft and lose track of their thoughts, but Sorp was accustomed to cut directly to the chase. It may seem tasteless and bland, but he was this way because he had others to be flavorful.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t take Sorp as a normal person. He¡¯s a freak. A monster. Even us, who grew up with him, keep being amazed. Actually, your pretty lucky to meet Sorp, he¡¯s a celebrity.¡±


    Phallen wanted to spit on the ground, he was beginning to dislike Kom more and more. This fellow kept interjecting with nonsense. A celebrity? Who was he? He is commander Phallen, a revered Two-step faction commander.


    ¡°You said you were guessing? Do you mean you created your own energy surge technique?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sorp didn¡¯t really consider it something he invented. He was just applying what he understood about channeling B.F.M. energy, it was actually because that was his method that it was so faulty.


    ¡°Can you walk me through your process?¡±


    Sorp went onto quickly recount in simple terms what he was doing. And understably Phallen was appalled but not too surprised. It was actually a bit of a problem that kept occuring, that people would treat their bodies like a B.F.M. tool when they are fundamentally different.


    ¡°This really won¡¯t do. Alright, I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯ll take your under my wing and give you a proper technique to train with.¡±


    Sorp¡¯s eyes lit up and his smile got brighter. He really did want to become stronger. And since he entered Perpetuity he was developing a taste for new ways to become stronger. Not just physical brawn.


    ¡°Wait! What about us?¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re taking us under your wing as well?¡±


    ¡°No room. Sorp is a big guy.¡±


    ¡°Sorp! This isn''t fair!¡±


    However to Kom¡¯s surprise and Jarems not so surprise, Sorp ignored them. He was moving closer to Phallen. Going so far as to ask some questions about manipulating B.F.M. energy throughout the body.


    Phallen began by explaining some basic concept such as how B.F.M. tools in tandem with a body are like an electrical wire. Without the tool, the electricity has nowhere to go and causes a rebound force when leaving the body.


    While his explanations weren¡¯t technically correct, it is still useful concepts to understand going forward.


    Jarem wasn¡¯t interested in the conversation but Kom was now sulking. He felt excluded from the conversation, in a sense he felt defeated.


    Kom kicked a small pebble on the ground and watched it shoot forward. It was a rather good kick, or so he felt. His gaze followed the pebble, making him look ahead. A few sizable buildings that look like they were carved into the bedrock. They were decorated, making them more palatable than the simpler buildings.

 Chapter forty two: Humiliation!

    Looking back to the time that Kom, Jarem and Sorp began watching the sparring match. To the point where they attracted the attention of commander Phallen. This can be considered a type of hidden contract.


    Challenging someone on the training stage to join a faction directly is public information but it can be considered hidden and would require a person like Dart to dig up. Another part one must think about, why did someone so high in the faction hierarchy lounge around the training arena?


    These things are not necessarily that coincidental. If you walk back to the public facing sparring arena, which is close enough for bystanders to stumble on, you¡¯ll find a Two-step faction instructor who has taken over Phallen¡¯s position to watch over the faction members training.


    Another tidbit is that these training members are all relatively low on the seniority list can be considered apprentices rather than members. Weak enough that their abilities can¡¯t be considered much and still within the range that a person like Sorp has the ability to match them.


    But in truth, Sorp wasn¡¯t a match for Oftert. Had Sorp lost completely, he¡¯d have to train and return to take the stage. Assuming his goal was to enter the faction in this way.


    Incidentally, the information about entering a faction in this way can be considered a valuable information and will return a sizeable sum over time, once enough people enter First wave city. Understanding that information like this can be found and be gathered in this way can also be instrumental to future success.


    Having explained all this, it should make some sense why someone like Phallen is taking them towards the Two-step faction. As to why the guys easily followed him, Sorp did it because he understood that Phallen was a strong person. Kom and Jarem just followed Sorp.


    There has been some shift in Sorp¡¯s thinking since he entered Perpetuity. Mainly that he¡¯s finding people that can challenge him in a fight. And in the Reinforcement camps, Sorp suspected some of the instructors were strong.


    Speaking of the Reinforcement camp. They also had quite a bit of opportunities like the one Sorp has stumbled into now. The issue is, these things aren¡¯t publicly known. From a certain perspective, these opportunities can be seen as a type of catch-up mechanic.


    Where those that enter the world later can utilize the information their predecessors have dug up, and take some shortcuts. Or make sure they don''t meet any sort of brick walls on the way. There are plenty of time consuming endeavours that can be reduced by preparing in advance.


    Hard time gates like waiting for tests to begin can¡¯t be avoided, but plenty of other things are not so restrictive and just require some training or preparation. Considering the lengthy travel times, targeted training during that dead time can be significant.


    Getting back to Sorp, Kom and Jarem. Phallen has brought them into the Two-step faction headquarters. Due to the limited space in the cavern, buildings cannot be too large, yet the most faction headquarters are impressive in size in comparison to other housing.


    The houses the guys stay at are rather cramped and most facilities like showers are all communal. It also a shallow building. This Two-step faction headquarters however is deep and has considerable interior space that is far more impressive than the exterior of the building.


    In addition to the deep interior of the carved out building, with technology from Perpetuity, the city, walls and ceilings can be made to look like skies and fields of grass. This is all explained in Perpetuity lore.


    ¡°Eh. The air in here is kinda heavy.¡±


    ¡°Do they ventilate the caverns?¡±


    Completely ignored by Sorp and Phallen, Kom and jarem can only chat amongst themselves. But they bring up interesting points. The ventilation in the cavern is an issue, an issue that may even see improvements as time passes and more people enter the caverns.


    ¡°You over there. Come here.¡±


    ¡°Sir, Phallen!¡±


    Unlike the common rabble outside, the staff inside headquarters have far more understanding of who is important within the faction and can even recognize neighbouring, allied or enemy factions upper members.


    ¡°Register this boy.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir.¡±


    While many rules are rigid and impossible to bend or break, any single faction is fully autonomous. They create their own rules and can do as they will. As a commander, Phallen only as two or three people he has to listen to, and even then they have to somewhat polite.


    ¡°What about us?¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°Sorp! Are you going to let him just ignore us?¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Sorp was mostly thinking about the ideas Phallen was talking about but he always had a shred of his attention on Kom and Jarem, just in case anything happened in this strange environment.


    ¡°They can¡¯t join?¡±


    ¡°They can. They just have to take some tests, go through a trial period and if they aren¡¯t too useless they¡¯ll become junior members.¡±


    ¡°Am I a junior member?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. You¡¯re my protege. Your status is somewhere around that of senior instructors.¡±


    At this point Sorp lost interest. This conversation was leading into some social related nonsense that Sorp couldn¡¯t take seriously. Seeing this was all just wordplay he decided it would be fine if Kom and Jarem took a test to join.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it easier for them, with me signing them up they can get passed some red tape and directly take the test and even get access to some training facilities if they like.¡±


    Phallen went onto talking to the man that registered Sorp, having him mark Kom and Jarem as his guests and to tell him to give them any relevant information to the test. This piece of information can also be considered valuable as it saves people quite a bit of time, if they want to join a faction.


    ¡°Alright. There isn¡¯t much I can do to help you right now. Once you¡¯ve tempered your body to resist your own energy to the novice level, we can move onto something more complicated.¡±


    Sorp nodded. Phallen felt a bit strange talking to such a built man. Sorp was just as tall if not taller than him and obviously far more muscular. Remembering Sorp was now his personal student he felt a bit better and a little proud.


    ¡°Of course if you have any questions, you can come to me at any time. You can also request living quarters here. Most resources need to be bought or earned, but you can make use of some members only knowledge in the study hall.¡±


    Sorp nodded and Phallen swished his sleeve lightly and began walking away with unusual swagger. Sorp turned to Kom and Jarem.


    ¡°What do you two want to do?¡±


    Jarem had wanted to go play a bit, but now he felt they were being given some special status. For a hoodrat like him, it was tempting to take it, even if he had found some success in the past year, it was hard to shake that feeling of insecurities growing up poor.


    Kom was more than happy to explore this Two-step faction and was excited to sink his teeth into the information. And when he thought about how jealous Dart would be that they had access to members only information he felt even more enthusiastic about the whole thing.


    Sorp wanted to begin tempering his body, the pain and loss of control he is experiencing right now is unacceptable. Just like when he felt the fatigue of low levels of B.F.M. energy, he would focus on reclaiming control.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to look into this test we have to take.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with Kom on this one. What about you, Sorp?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll join you.¡±


    Seeing as he didn¡¯t need to actually do anything but temper his body for now, it didn¡¯t really matter where he was. Except when tempering his lower body, at which point, walking could be compromised.


    It was not unexpected what the test involved was also related to tempering the body, except it was about having the ability to temper the body. This is tested through what they should be familiar with, crafting.


    To prepare people for B.F.M. body tempering, special tools are made, these tools are a grade more complicated than what they are used to. Tempering the body is a delicate affair and mistakes can be costly. Missing out on some materials is painful, but causing temporary damage by mistake can be devastating.


    This is easy to understand when you take them out of the camp and put them into the wilderness, where they¡¯ll have to continue to temper their bodies, except injuries in the wild won¡¯t be as forgiving.


    Essentially, people can be considered being in a safe environment on the island Pebble in the river. Once they step outside it, they are stepping outside of traditional civilization. Assuming the person or their companions have not trained in medicinal professions or are lacking in materials, it might spell the end of a journey.


    The first things the guys did was to find a place to sit down. Kom and Jarem began reading about the Two-step faction and their facilities. From their reading they discovered it was a lot like a small reinforcement camp with all the same commodities except social ones. Meaning no entertainment venues, they were all above ground, due to a lack of space.


    They also found unique things like contract boards. Places where the Two-step faction issued contracts to its members, and also public boards where Two-step issued contracts that both members and freelancers could take.


    The main difference between contracts is that there is no limit to who can take what contract. This means that two different people can complete the same contract but only one individual will be rewarded.


    In truth, most contracts have innate benefits to the contractee, even without the reward. So if they lose out on the contract payment, they can usually sell their gains in some other manner or to the Two-step faction at a lesser rate.


    The members only board does not follow this convention. They allow certain number people to take the contract and honor the payment. This means the contract on the board will be removed when, say, five people take it. All those five people have a chance to redeem payment for the contract, even if four people have turned it in.


    The most common contracts are in some form of material gathering. Material that is almost exclusive to two areas. One the caverns and second the artificial forest regions surrounding the First wave city. This is another maintained forest region, this all explained in the lore. Including how they lost control of it to a degree some time ago. The main reason being that the area is too large to monitor.


    Sitting in a quiet area the guys are looking into space at their devices, even Sorp is browsing through something. He is reading through a B.F.M. body tempering method. The body tempering method is actually a part of accumulated knowledge that you can interface with in the study rooms.


    Miscellaneous information like faction hierarchies, social things and other articles of information that are considered trivial are usually not accessible through the study room devices. Sorp could go interface with the body tempering method but he prefers staying with Kom and Jarem for the moment.


    While the three sat in a study hall quietly reading comprehensive information, a small section of the Two-step faction was abuzz. The moment Sorp entered the faction he dinged quite a few alerts. The most basic being an alert that told everyone that Two-step just got a new member.


    Factions are not too big so even just a single addition can be a notable event. Majority of the faction would maybe glance at it, the lowest tier members would be interested while for others it is a passing event and nothing worth paying attention to.


    Sorp ticked every alert all the way to a senior instructor. Meaning he suddenly passed through multiple layers in one go. This means that every member of Two-steps got as many alerts as there were layers to a senior instructor.


    These alerts are not intrusive and some might not even bother with checking them, but anyone active within the two-step faction will at least give a second to check their alerts. And especially alerts that tell you that they just got someone equivalent to a new senior instructor.


    A senior instructor might not be a too powerful figure but like any hierarchy, most of the members in any organization are in the bottom tiers of the hierarchy. They have many role models to look up to. And suddenly someone just shot up in front, and a new member at that. To say it created curiosity is an understatement.


    While the guys continued to study, the study hall kept getting more and more Two-step members. They weren¡¯t too conspicuous. But as their group grew, Sorp couldn¡¯t help but be put on edge. Kom and Jarem were already very suspicious of these people.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea, why are there so many people here?¡±


    ¡°Sorp, what do you think?¡±


    Seeing the nervous expression on Jarem and Kom¡¯s faces, Sorp felt the need to address the issue. The way Sorp dealt with things was rather brutal so any misstep on the part of this mob would end in some type of tragedy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it.¡±


    Kom felt a rush of indignation. The feeling of uncertainty isn¡¯t far from fear. This type of feeling can evoke a sense humiliation in people, humiliation that leads to anger. Jarem was not far from feeling the same way.

 Chapter forty three: Anger

    Sorp¡¯s eyes reflect his anger, his smile a bit wider and more teeth shown. As if he was an animal presenting his fangs. If one had to complain, it¡¯s how difficult it is to gauge Sorp¡¯s emotional state, because the constant smiling isn¡¯t much to go on.


    Sorp stood up slowly, his anger flaring, paying no attention to the three dozen men and women staring at him. There aren¡¯t a lot of people that think more the merrier applies to group fights, but Sorp was one of them.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Seeing that Sorp wasn¡¯t addressing them even though he had walked up to them in a measured manner and stopped right in front of them, someone couldn''t help but let out a question. It might seem unlikely, but Sorp didn¡¯t get into many verbal arguments and therefore had no practice in them. This was only exacerbated by the fact that his friends had took over this role.


    ¡°The fuck do you all want?¡±


    Sorp held a steady gaze at the group, but these weren¡¯t his words. Jarem and Kom had snuck up behind him. They were glaring daggers at the crowd and Kom already felt like he had to say something as the silence was killing him.


    The crowd looked at Kom and were a bit baffled. One has to remember that Kom doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯d be much of a fighter, even though his experience tells a different story. But above all, this group of people were more driven by curiosity rather than hostility.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to check out commander Phallen¡¯s new personal student.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    It was now Kom¡¯s turn to be confused, but even still he almost instantly realized they were talking about Sorp. he looked up and to the right. Sorp was still on high alarm and smiling an oddly vicious smile.


    Kom was about to ask why they all knew about Sorp but then dismissed the thought, he had just been reading through the comprehensive information he received from the man from that registered Sorp earlier. He understood that these people must¡¯ve been informed of Sorp joining the Two-step faction.


    ¡°Uh.¡±


    Feeling like a slimy frog was stuck in his throat, Kom didn¡¯t know how to proceed. Sorp did pick up on some hostility but nothing he¡¯d have to worry about so he turned around and walked away.


    ¡°They¡¯re not here to fight.¡±


    Kom, Jarem and Sorp returned to the chairs they had been sitting in earlier. The cat was out of the bag however and now they were quickly surrounded and a barrage of questions thrown their way.


    Sorp completely ignored these people, he did take a moment to study some of the more well built women before resuming his body tempering method. The women in question were painfully aware of that studious gaze of his.


    Jarem was patiently answering questions but he only answered questions from women, Kom answered everything he could however. Kom looked like a fire coming to life, he didn¡¯t only answer questions but also asked some of his own.


    Most of the questions were directed at Sorp, mainly people trying to figure out how he became a commander¡¯s personal student. Jarem and Kom didn¡¯t have the insight to answer the questions correctly but that didn¡¯t stop them from diving an answer that they thought was right, not forgetting to embellish their own role.


    After the crowd began thinning it only took moments before they all left. Jarem and Kom appeared to be charged up and resumed their reading. After a while they realized they could use the study devices to bypass a portion of the difficulty of the test. They could learn the actual body tempering method.


    The body tempering method was usually not made public to people until they met a certain threshold for B.F.M. manipulation. This was occasionally called a talent test, when in reality it was just a marker for whether they were good enough to actually begin training the body tempering method.


    At some later point, perhaps the body tempering method will be widespread through information vendors, but for now they are locked behind certain organizations and factions. And even then the information won¡¯t be accessed through devices where they can interface with them directly, but they¡¯ll have to read and study in the traditional sense.


    As soon as Kom and Jarem understood they could access a portion of the Two-step faction¡¯s information database, they jumped at the opportunity. This time around, it was Sorp that followed them.


    One has to remember that Sorp¡¯s access within the Two-step faction is mountains beyond Kom and Jarems. There isn¡¯t too much public information, most of it being about training, crafting and in rarest of cases some history of the faction. Things like history are usually considered trivial and is where most of Perpetuities lore can be found.


    Majority of Perpetuity lore can¡¯t be interfaced directly. It has to be discovered slowly and not any one person can strife to gather it without the help of information vendors.


    Kom, Jarem and Sorp sat down at the information interface machines. A familiar screen appeared before them. The same screen they saw in the reinforcement camp. But that was the extent of it.


    Previously the process had been very streamlined, making it hard to get lost in the interface. Now however, there are multiple categories to browse through. Some are straight forward but others are enigmatic to the point of being obtuse.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Uh. Kom.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Where is the test stuff?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still looking.¡±


    Perpetuity¡¯s philosophy is the reason for the inconvenience. There is no technical reason as to why it the previously fluid interface has become as convoluted as it is. It all comes down to Perpetuity¡¯s understanding of the human psyche.


    Their standing is that people have a deep requirement for difficulty. That difficulty comes in numerous forms. However this particular difficulty comes in the form of unnecessary restrictions.


    Sorp instantly became annoyed not knowing what to do. Sorp does have the capacity to act in an absurd way, a way that acts not from instincts or wisdom, but from ignorance. This has its benefits and deficits. And in this case, Sorp just began scouring one thing to another.


    ¡°I think i found it. Give me a second.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°I said give me a second.¡±


    As Kom and Jarem continued searching for the the particulars to the Two-step initiation test, Sorp continued to sift through one subject to another. Most of the information pertained to the Two-step faction. This can be considered a Perpetuity lore but it can also be considered as trivial Perpetuity lore.


    It wasn¡¯t just Sorp sifting through this nonsense, Kom and Jarem also had a taste of it, but they went through it faster and before long they found testimonies of Two-faction members. Similar to a person¡¯s biography, except it all pertained to their journey to joining the Two-step faction and what they did once joining.


    Unlike reading directly, the information interface machines directly deposited the knowledge into them. Most of the experience is passive but as people develop their B.F.M. related abilities, they can become more than just a passenger in these activities and even expand the bandwidth of data being processed.


    When Kom and Jarem unlodged from the information machine, day had already turned to night. Down here, that means the faux sky reflected a magnificent starry sky. This sky isn¡ät just a recreation of the outside world but even more detailed and gives people the sense that they are only a speck of dust in this world.


    When Sorp exited the machine he was fairly annoyed. He had also a greater understanding of the Two-step faction so he instantly began walking towards the inner sparring rooms. He wanted to vent his frustrations.


    Kom and Jarem didn¡¯t ask any questions and just followed alongside Sorp. They were chatting about everything between B.F.M. training and where to go party later. Jarem was making sure to eye up all the girls along the way, his mind running hundreds of simulations as to how to trick them.


    Kom on the other hand was paying attention to people¡¯s insignias, the ones that they themselves were automatically assigned when they registered to the first wave camp earlier.


    There are two reasons why Sorp was heading towards the sparring arena. One is that his frustrations built up having to search through so much inane information and the second is that sparring is the best way to train his B.F.M body tempering.


    Sorp being as big as he is, he got more than a glance from people, especially when he entered the inner sparring yard. Quite a few people were talking amongst themselves or watching a few matches.


    While the sparring matches are supposed to be for training purposes, in truth, most matches came to be due to some indignation or another. They use the sparring as a guise to settle grievances. Not in all cases, but in many.


    It can be said to be rare for people to randomly challenge people. So when Sorp leapt to an empty square softwood sparring arena he got some looks. As before, people were confused but once they saw his insignia that confusion turned into disdain.


    ¡°How long do you think this will take?¡±


    ¡°Uh. Depends on the first fight, if he just hammers someone down, I doubt more will come up. So like five or ten minutes?¡±


    ¡°Good. I think I have an angle on one the girls we passed earlier.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still doing those things?¡±


    ¡°What? I can¡¯t have fun?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean fun? Can¡¯t you have fun without spinning a web of lies?¡±


    ¡°What do you know about having fun?¡±


    Before Kom could respond, someone had already strolled onto the soft wood platform. She gave Sorp a look before waving her hand, as if to tell Sorp to attack.


    ¡°Well?¡±


    Sorp was frustrated but not blind from anger. He can see the the woman¡¯s insignia. The number thirty six and a deep blue color. Having just browsed through an extensive library of what Sorp considered pointless information, he surprisingly could identify these things.


    The number thirty six meant she has completed most basic contracts in the first wave city and the deep blue color meant she had considerable B.F.M. energy pool. The color deepens as you dive deeper into the caverns. And as you dive deeper the more pressure is put on you, meaning your B.F.M. energy has to be a certain level.


    Sorp wasn¡¯t hesitating due to these factors, he just assumed this person was a degree stronger than other people. He has not actually fought any B.F.M. capable people before.


    What was surprising was that the person is a woman. One has to remember that the strength difference between a man and a woman is traditionally not comparable. However with the addition of B.F.M. energy, these differences have been reduced to experience, skill and demeanor.


    Many males would feel some hesitation to fight against a woman, even virtual humans hold these traditional thoughts. What has changed however, is that the physical barrier has began to crumble.


    Kom and Jarem were not surprised when Sorp began his attack. They were surprised to see that the woman was countering Sorp¡¯s attacks to the point where it looks like he is on the losing end.


    ¡°You came up here with just this skill?¡±


    It has to be mentioned that Sorp is not a trained fighter in the sense he utilizes fancy techniques but that does not mean he has any disadvantage. Throughout the years he has developed a style of his own, and while it is not ideal, it is also not bad. After training in the Reinforcement camp and incorporating the techniques taught there, he can be considered skilled.


    The woman was actually angry that she hadn¡¯t floored Sorp yet, after spitting out some disparaging words she began taking a more offensive approach.


    ¡°Looks like she¡¯s attacking Sorp now.¡±


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look too good.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s not good? Can¡¯t you see Sorp¡¯s expression?¡±


    Not only had Sorp forgotten his previous frustrations he was now completely immersed in the fight. He felt his disadvantage when it came to B.F.M. energy. Not only did he have less of it, he couldn¡¯t output as much as this woman.


    To counter this, he began dodging and even going so far as to throw feints and trying to get in a attack without her being able to defend herself with B.F.M. energy. Which seems to be his only chance.


    Sorp¡¯s saving grace however was not this tactic of his, but his resilience. The woman has repeatedly struck Sorp. The pulsing pain is enough to cause him to feel light headed. But in turn the woman has similarly accumulated some of her own.


    The difference is that Sorp has been on the losing end, so his wounds can be considered a few factors worse.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you fall!¡±


    Seeing Sorp not showing any signs of giving up, she gave out a loud grunt and leapt of the platform. She was under no obligation to continue fighting and she didn¡¯t want to swell into a pig.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I got things to do.¡±


    Not expecting his opponent to suddenly abandon the match Sorp stood there at a loss, but similarly he didn¡¯t have it in him to chase after her. He understands this feeling well enough to know what comes next. So he mustered the strength to move to Kom and Jarem to sit down.


    ¡°I need to rest..¡±


    ¡°Here?¡±


    ¡°Oh the ground?¡±


    ¡°You can do whatever you want.¡±


    Sorp didn¡¯t have the energy to argue with them and just closed his eyes. Kom let a deep sigh and sat down. Jarem on the other hand gave Kom a look and took off back from where they came earlier. He has his sight on a short haired brunette.


    ¡°I am Hondura, remember it.¡±


    Sorp opened his eyes the instant the words came out. His reaction was too abrupt for her, Sorp¡¯s eyes shone with such ferocity that she was actually startled a bit. This added to her frustration but she couldn¡¯t be too mad because of Sorp¡¯s animalistic charm adding to his handsome features and sculpted physique.


    In fact, it wasn¡¯t just her but quite a few of the observes, even some men had to reconcile some fleeting thoughts. Kom seized the moment to look proud and aloof, his eyes skimming the crowd with a low hanging smile.

 Chapter forty four: Entering the caverns!

    Over the next few days Sorp would show up at the sparring yard, leaping to the stage and take on challengers. Initially this sparked some controversy, as this was absolutely not the norm. What was odd about the whole ordeal, is that eight out of ten fighters would be women.


    Two weeks passed by in a flurry and all the guys had entered the Two-step faction. What was more is that they managed to maneuver their relationship with Sorp to gain some undeserved respect and renown.


    The third week in, more men began to challenge Sorp, almost entirely because the women he kept fighting would show sudden progress. This has to do with the types of fights Sorp engaged in. He is still considered a beginner in many ways but his perseverance allowed people to break past the shackles they didn¡¯t even know they had.


    Sorp fought like an animal, not like a person. His movements, his attitude and most importantly his tolerance for pain allowed people to gain new understanding of their abilities. Sorp could do this because he actually has high social standing due to his ¡®master¡ä. Master in the terms of a high regarded teacher.


    In addition to a stable standing within the Two-step faction, Sorp had access to healing facilities that allowed him to continue his reckless behaviour. It should come to no one''s surprise that he progressed quickly.


    However, things like tempering the body with B.F.M. energy requires time, not talent or perseverance. This can be seen by the fact that the guys were not far behind Sorp in terms of B.F.M energy tempering.


    During the third and fourth week, the Two-step faction saw an increase in recruits. Sorp and some of the guys have been recording and broadcasting their journey. This has allowed people to take some shortcuts.


    It isn¡ät just Sorp and the guys, quite a few people have an avid following of people. This following only increases and as time marches on, more people catch up. Just like in a ten meter race, a nine meter head start is massive but in a race of hundred meters, nine meters isn¡¯t as obvious.


    Pal, Ret and Jarem have gotten a rather bad reputation around the faction. Pal and Ret have been aggressive and even abusive. Jarem has fooled and tricked quite a few women into doing lecherous things with him.


    Kom and Dart have been busy in their own way and Sorp hasn¡¯t abstained from chasing after women but they still spend most of their times on more constructive things. Dart has mainly focused on his crafting and things related to it. Kom has been expanding his network of contacts and often participates in social events.


    All the guys have moved into the Two-step lodgings and abandoned the housing they were assigned when they arrived in first wave city underground cavern. Over these past weeks Dart has begun to see the importance of Vcoin.


    Crafting is still practicable through virtual environment but there are limits to it. Materials are not unreachable but they require some effort to obtain. Dart has even begun planning to dive into the caverns. In the caverns multiple crafting materials can be harvest.


    These caverns are not as simple as one would think. They have flowing rivers, underground foliage which can make it difficult to even traverse through. To call it an underground forest wouldn''t be far off. These caves can be narrow but they can also be as expansive as stadium fit to house tens of thousands of people.


    The caves are filled with beasts with a large variation of B.F.M. abilities that can be harvested for crafting. Multiple ores and plants are also used in crafting, some of which need to be analyzed by machines in Perpetuity, the city. These are remnant machines which hold vast swathes of information and can be used to deduce the use of rare unknown materials. This can all be found in Perpetuity lore.


    Quite a bit of materials can be identified locally through local organization, the twelve factions included. It does require them to willfully pass on the information, barring their willingness, there is no issue to send specimens back to Perpetuity at no significant cost. At most it takes time to send physical samples over. The findings can be directly transmitted through technological means, instantly.


    One would think that finding new materials worth excavating and sending back to Perpetuity are rare. However, the caverns aren¡¯t that simple, the factions have plenty of reason to keep things confidential. On top of that, the factions all have their own maps, none of which are identical. They tend to stay on their own routes and expand from there.


    These procedures make sure that even on lower levels of the cavern, there are ¡®unexplored¡¯ areas. If ignoring all maps and only taking the factions maps into consideration, the first thirty levels have only been map to about twenty seven percent.


    This does not mean that seventy three percent are unexplored. Just that the factions have not specifically spent time charting the areas. As to why this like this, Lore says it is because of time and money, mainly that is frivioulus to do so. These areas are not where they make their profits.


    These can all be seen as trivial excuses, and perhaps they are. To a degree, it is Perpetual powers intent that people chart their own maps in preparation to do so when they leave the Pebble in the river.


    This not expected of people in the sense that they actually chart the map, it is done for them as they explore the caverns. But a particular few may take up cartography to fulfill the needs of the public players.


    These things are relevant as Dart has managed through his mysterious means, acquire a piece of map layout for some particular crafting materials. Areas with renewal crafting materials are nodes. These nodes are more valuable than just an ordinary maps.


    Such nodes are chartered by members of the factions, mostly through contracts that not only require certain materials but also the location they were harvested. This is also how factions accumulate wealth over time.


    These kinds of practices are understandable now, but when wave after wave of new people arrive, these locations will become less valuable. However that wave of people will cover that cost through quantity. At first it will push down prices of materials and then it¡¯ll cause an inflation.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Dart is one of few front runners with his eyes on crafting materials. From an outside point of view, one would think gathering crafting materials is a priority. The reality is different. What people experience in the First wave city underground city, is combat. They experience this ethereal B.F.M. surge technique repeatedly.


    Not everyone cares for combat in the traditional sense, but they do experience it in abundance at least indirectly when they join a faction. Most people join a faction but some confident loners try to freelance. Those confident freelancer are even more likely to put emphasize on combat.


    It takes people like Kom or Dart to direct their attention to what is really important, crafting. It is crafting where Perpetuity¡¯s future lies. Without crafting there is no future. A person that is reluctant to fight will still do better than a person that ignores crafting.


    This makes little sense until the factor of virtual reality is taken into account. Or more precisely, that this is a game in many ways. There are armour pieces that allow people to negate damage and at the same time, allow them to deal damage.


    Just from an outside perspective, this might sound unfair or unrealistic, but in practice it flows naturally. Training crafting is very much in tune with training people to fight. This is because future abilities in Perpetuity are bound to a person¡¯s control over their energy.


    This is why Sorp¡¯s and other prominent fighters might not hold an advantage over a physically frail person. As long as a person puts in the time, they may even defeat world renowned fighters. Fighters Sorp would have lost to.


    It''s been over four weeks since the guys entered the first wave city underground caverns and they have not gone into the deeper caves. This might sound strange, four weeks may seem a long time to just mill around.


    But in reality, things take time, especially if they are to hold any meaning. Dart has completed five contracts while the guys have at most finished one. And Sorp has finished none. The reason why they haven¡¯t gone into the caves is because they haven¡¯t been qualified.


    Going into the caves means they have to reach a certain degree of success in body tempering. Without it, they¡¯ll feel a debilitating pressure that¡¯ll incapacitate them. Five days ago, their body tempering entered a stage where they¡¯ll benefit from diving into the caves.


    One way to know when they are ready is by digging out the knowledge from Perpetuity Lore or by monitoring what contracts they have available. This being a virtual environment, the system in place will know when they are eligible for a contract.


    These contracts are simple fetching contracts. Members are sent into relatively safe areas to collect from known material nodes. Most of the danger is other people, but there is also a risk of the local wildlife.


    Dart has accepted one these contracts and is planning to leave today. It took little no effort to get the guys to join him and accept similar contracts. While four weeks is not a long time, it is also not short.


    Ret, Pal and Jarem jumped at the chance to do something other than their usual depravity, which there was too much of. On one hand they have a lot better understanding of the above ground city and its entertainment options.


    Eight people walking down an increasingly crowded street are the guys and two Two-step members, both women. One of these woman is Hondura and the other, her friend Jatto. Over the past few weeks they have been routinely sparring with Sorp.


    ¡°We¡¯ll stay at the Dive house until about eighteen hundred.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Hondura waved her hand and left for one of the cave entrances with her friend. Sorp and the guys went on to register themselves, using their identity as a Two-step member.


    Certain ¡®rules¡¯ make it so the guys cannot join the two girls on their contracts. In short, they are not qualified to accept the quest the girls are attempting to fulfill.


    After registering themselves, the guys are given some general information and public maps for the cave entrances. Sorp¡¯s unique status in the Two-step faction allowed him access to a far more complete map so the guys only give the brochure a cursory glance.


    ¡°Ignore those contracts Ret.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re cheating everyone out of their loot.¡±


    General contracts, meaning government contracts, are far less valuable than those issued by private organizations. But these contracts have the benefit of advancing a person¡¯s reputation with the government.


    There are benefits to high government reputation but without an obvious and immediate benefit, these contracts can be seen as poor.


    One has to remember that most contracts are not about culling beasts but gathering materials. And any contracts about an action like removing pests, are usually issued by the government.


    Another factor to these contracts is that they are what is called open. They do not need to be accepted or denied. When people enter an area like with a governmental office, where the guys are located right now, they are alerted to the option of turning in a contract.


    Many people may casually accept turning in a contract like this, this has to do with authority. Being prompted to do something, even if it is optional, can be a very compelling.


    Dart has already read up on the differing rewards from various contracts and its his opinion that is best to stick to a single organisation. The reputation accumulated can make up the loss in temporary gain.


    Sorp had the grueling experience of having to use the study hall devices and on would struggle finding relevant information, but in doing so he gained valuable information. This information included potential harvest nodes.


    Another thing to remember about harvest nodes, is that it is not a small location. It can be, but doesn¡¯t have to be. Harvest nodes can also be the native habitat of specific beasts that possess useful B.F.M. appendages.


    It can also be the case that specific animals hunt other animals or gather valuable materials and are then hunted for those materials. This is often the case with the smaller and smarter animals. While the larger tend to lean on brute force.


    Most of the harvest nodes in the earliest caves are from animals. And majority of those are from what the animal creates rather than the animal itself. Neutral B.F.M. animals still have B.F.M. abilities but they usually come from a B.F.M. organ.


    Unlike for example the monkey creature Ret is taking care of, which has a B.F.M. tail for offense and defence, these creatures have things like B.F.M. livers that process what they eat. This also means that majority of what makes them valuable has to be sifted through their droppings.


    In some cases, these animals are made domesticated and in more crueler cases, the animal is killed and the organ harvested directly. Sometimes they are made into strings or concocted into potions. A tiny pebble can become a tip of a weapon, giving it unique abilities.


    The guys were in a group and heading towards one of the cave entrances. This entrance is called withering depths. The name itself doesn''t mean much, only that the vegetation appears to be dry and dying.


    Along the path, the cave begins to twist, turn and widen. Five minutes in, the cave path begins to be wide enough that their light source isn¡¯t enough to see from wall to wall.


    ¡°You hear anything?¡±


    ¡°A wind?¡±


    ¡°No I heard something else.¡±


    In the caverns, the most numerous living being are small insects and critters. These critters are at best food for sustiance and nothing else. Their skittering about serves as ambient sound. The sounds blend into the guys breathing, their footsteps and the friction of moving clothes.


    ¡°Does it have to be this dark?¡±


    ¡°Did any of you bring a flashlight?¡±


    There is a way to deal with dark areas without a source of light. And that is B.F.M. equipment, unfortunately, only the government sells these. Currently the guys do not have the qualification to buy them.


    There is almost always a way around such restrictions. Sorp could have asked Phallen to give him a pair for example. But general government regulations don¡¯t allow even someone like Phallen to buy multiple regulated devices on a whim.


    These sorts of restrictions can be seen as arbitrary but from Perpetual Power¡¯s point of view they are crucial to the sense of progression. Even those naturally talented at fighting need walls to break down, and those walls can come in many forms.


    ¡°Where are we now?¡±


    ¡°Hold on guys.¡±


    Kom and Dart had their maps up, followed by the rest of them, leaving only Sorp to look around. Now at this point it would be a perfect opportunity for Sorp to tell them he had a near perfect map that could lead them directly to four of six locations.


    It is four out of six locations because two of the contracts are ¡®confirmation¡¯ contracts. Meaning Two-step faction has begun preparing for an influx of new members. They want more starter resources as their prices will skyrocket in the coming six months.


    These harvest nodes can actually result in abnormal amount of resources. While a few tens cannot begin to dent the vigorous resources of the Two-step faction, hundreds and thousands can amount to a considerable amount.

 Chapter forty five: Volra rats

    ¡°This way.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Sorp knows where we are going?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys underestimating Sorp? It¡¯s not like he can¡¯t read a map.¡±


    ¡°Is his map better than ours? Cause I have almost no idea where to go.¡±


    ¡°Instincts, It¡¯s instincts.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that Sorp¡¯s instincts are sharp, but what does that have to do with reading maps?¡±


    The guys are in their natural state of arguing, no matter how menial. Despite Sorp following his map, they still end up walking for almost half an hour before finding anything larger than a critter.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    The creature on the ground is eating a glowing piece of rock. The glow is very faint and barely noticeable, but it is certainly there. This particular piece of rock is considered worthless but the creatures themselves refine them after eating them.


    ¡°This is what we are supposed to kill.¡±


    ¡°Last one to kill one is a bitch!¡±


    It might be easy to forget but the guys are mature only in physical terms, for all intents and purposes they are maleficent children. And Sorp hearing Ret¡¯s challenge, burst forth striking out with his spear, piercing the critter.


    ¡°Got one.¡±


    ¡°Got one as well!¡±


    ¡°Damnit! Go go go.¡±


    Like cockroaches the guys scatter, chasing after the creatures who have begun to group up in small teams and fighting back.


    ¡°Kom is a bitch.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t playing your childish game.¡±


    No matter what Kom said the guys taunting caused his expression to turn sour. He had tried to strike a creature but they were already gathering together and leaping at him. Having a creature leap at him scared the living shit out of him, this made him go on the defensive.


    ¡°I got an item.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    As the creatures gathered together the guys similarly began to bunch up and even backing up because the rats seemed to be gathering into an intimidating size. The creatures were hostile but not swarming as expected. If they were, the guys would have no chance to defend themselves.


    ¡°It says its a Volra refined stone.¡±


    ¡°We need Volra livers not refined stone.¡±


    ¡°Guys we should back up there are too many of them.¡±


    Even being fearless, Sorp feels like fighting this many little rodents is too much. If he kills a creature with a swing there are two other to take its place. As the fight goes on the less comfortable the guys are, a slimy feeling crawling down their back.


    ¡°Where the hell are these rats coming from?¡±


    ¡°Probably the holes in the ground.¡±


    ¡°Back up!¡±


    After fifteen minutes of continuous fighting the guys are accumulating small scratches and ugly bite marks.Numbers float above them periodically. They have been inflicted by an ailment that causes damage over time. Either bleeding or a type of infection. Perhaps a disease.


    The wounds itch and are accompanied with a foul smell. At this point they come to a spontenous consensus and directly begin running rather than fighting and backing up slowly.


    ¡°What the hell is this. How are we supposed to explore this area with so many ats?¡±


    ¡°We got a lot of Volra liver and refined stones.¡±


    A part of the items were directly transfered to their inventory but quite a bit laid on the ground sparkling slightly as if tempting them. but it was all overuun by the staggering number of Volra molerats defending their home.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°I wonder what these stones are for.¡±


    After escaping the guys are huddled around a fire, cursing and scratching their wounds, they are slowly healing but the itch still remained.


    ¡°Should we go back to the guild? This isn¡¯t nearly as fun as chasing girls.¡±


    Pal and Ret both nod their heads at Jarem¡¯s suggestion. But everyone else just shakes their head, it¡¯s obvious that Sorp intends to continue.


    Sorp also has a few scratches and bites, they slowly close over and heal, the scabs have already formed and by the looks of just a few minutes more and they¡¯ll be fully recovered.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go again once we¡¯re healed. This time I need you guys to support me.¡±


    Sorp has already thought of a way to fight those molerats and that is to have one or two people in charge of attacking and the others will defend.


    The creatures have a clear pattern and will only attack by leaping. This means they won¡¯t directly swarm them by running up to them and will always leap into the air to attack.


    After going through some instructions and checking his wounds Sorp stands up again and swings his spear and then swings his sword.


    ¡°The sword is better, it is faster.¡±


    Thinking for a moment Sorp turned to his friends.


    ¡°Come here, swing at me as fast as you can.¡±


    After a series of rather lackluster performances, Jarem is given the task of being the second attacker while the other guys are on defence. So each time Jarem attacks, two of the guys will defend him from the molerats.


    Jarem was surprised at the appointment but he was evne more thrilled for some reason he couldn''t figure out. He felt superiour perhaps. he felt grateful to be recognized. He was marginally better than the others but he felt like he had made a great achievement. he stood proud next to Sorp..


    ¡°Alright get in position let¡¯s go.¡±


    Once again the guys return to the molerat node, this time they carefully attempt to lure out a few and the results are fantastic. Even with the occasional scratch or puncturing bite, the guys are steadily killing their prey.


    Sorp has better than average stamina, but the guys are not in too bad a shape after tempering themselves and their physical bodies are not the same as the were. It''s not until a figurative mountain of rats lie dead that Sorp reluctantly orders a retreat.


    At this point they had already killed over a hundred and sixty molerats. Each rat could only take a single hit, no matter how hard and how inaccurately they were hit. At the end everyone of the guys have killed enough molerats that their lore accumilated to a point that they see the volerats numeric health.


    ¡°Are we going to harvest all these things?¡±


    ¡°You can do whatever you want with them.¡±


    The stench of the rat blood is somewhat sweet and not repulsive in anyway. It even covercame the otherwise stagnant smell in the large cave.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to practice my skinning ability then.¡±


    As Pal skins the Volra corpses the rest of the guys sit back and rest. The difficulty of the Volra is still considered one of the lowest.


    The ¡®known¡¯ tactic is to slowly grab the attention of a few at a time and retreat before killing them. With enough distance they won¡¯t reach large numbers.


    The guys however recklessly killed and only retreated when the Volra had gathered in the tens, allowing them to break past their formation and scratch or bite the guys.


    Of course the guys had already been scratched and bit on the first altercation so most fear was lowered to the point of just not wanting to feel itchy. Sorp of course didn¡¯t care in the slightest that he had been bitten.


    If anything it was strange that Sorp had been bitten or scratched at all. An outsider observer, a keen outside observer would have noticed it seemed like Sorp had let them attack him.


    ¡°I got over three hundred pieces of Volra leather scraps. With this I can probably make us some armour pieces.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You want us to wear rat leather? Nice one.¡±


    Even Sorp laughed at the notion, only Dart entertained the idea.


    ¡°So you are better than rats now? When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°You want to die?¡±


    ¡°Everyday I pray to find a worthy foe to strike me down in combat. Sadly I¡¯m around idiots.¡±


    Shaking his head he looked into the distance with a look that said he really had no peers. Of course Sorp wasn¡¯t even considered to be part of this discussion.


    When the guys finally settled down again Sorp and the guys repeated their previous actions. With repeated practice they began more and more proficient. Soon their mission completed and they retreated to their temporary campsite.


    ¡°This was a lot easier than I expected.¡±


    ¡°Why do I feel like we are just pest control?¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it.¡±


    ¡°What do you expect? Haven¡¯t you ever played games before? This is how it goes. You do easy quests and then later do harder and harder ones.¡±


    ¡°Only you Kom have time play games everyday, we are out there on the streets barely surviving.¡±


    Pal and Jarem nodded at Ret¡¯s statement and put on expressions that they thought looked like they were remembering hard times.


    ¡°What surviving! We¡¯ve been kings of the Ring for the past few years. Who dared to make anything hard on you? Why don¡¯t you tell Sorp, I¡¯m sure he would want to know.¡±


    ¡°Tell me. I¡¯ll kill them.¡±


    Pal, Ret and Jarem gave Kom a glare in unison.


    ¡°How could we bother Sorp with these things? After all Sorp has done for us?¡±


    This time around Kom smiled widely. He knew he had them.


    ¡°Oh? You can¡¯t even reach out to your brother? Did you even think of what Sorp would think?¡±


    ¡°Kom is right. How can you guys keeps these things from me?¡±


    Dart looked at the guys and shook his head, they all looked like they had constipation.


    ¡°Damnit Ret, why did you have to pull out such a bad lie!¡±


    ¡°Ret was bullshiting we were only playing along.¡±


    ¡°Traitors!¡±


    Seeing the guys were speaking nonsense Sorp went back to his thoughts. Kom was practically glowing with victory bliss.


    ¡°I got all the materials I need to practice. I wanted different ones. Our contracts should be done but I still want to gather a material called Rot roots.¡±


    ¡°Hoh? What are are trying to make Dart?¡±


    ¡°With Rot roots I can make an Augment that causes a negative affliction on enemies. It is a temporary Augment but it can be used on any B.F.M: tool or weapon.¡±


    The large collection of Volra stones is also a material most professions can use to pratice with but Dart can¡¯t know everything. In fact he is only making an educated guess that he can use the Volra stones.


    The Volra livers are going to be turned in but the guys have some leftover, presumably these can be used to craft as well. Otherwise why would Two-step want them?


    ¡°Lead the way Dart.¡±


    The guys resigned themselves to another mission hearing that Sorp was interested. To Sorp¡¯s regret they didn¡¯t meet more enemies to fight and Dart was harvesting small one meter high thing tree and cutting their roots off.


    ¡°Is the rest of the tree valuable?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gray so I doubt it.¡±


    ¡°I found a small mushroom over here, its white. Its called Rotshroom.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s font is white then its a crafting material.¡±


    ¡°There are more over here.¡±


    In the back Sorp vigilantly inspected the surrounding only to be dissapointed.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    You have discovered a Rot node.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°You guys get that as well?¡±


    ¡°Ye.¡±


    ¡°So this is how it works?¡±


    Only aftering gathering numerous Rot related materials did the guys as a team discover the node. They can now sell this information or donate it to the Two-step faction.


    If the faction values the information they will receive rewards similar to a contract and perhaps be issued new worthwhile contracts.


    ¡°Alright, Sorp is clearly bored we should go.¡±


    The materials required little finesse to collect, this can hold true later in the future but there are materials that require skills to properly harvest. Without it most items will lower in quality or be ruined entirely.