Age of Space

Over the next few days, when not working on the new design project, Ronin spent his free time investigating his body and mind. That nightmare had left him with a bad feeling in his stomach and he needed to know what it meant.

In order to inspect his body properly, he'd headed over to the black-market doctor Leyana Firnesse. She'd been very enthusiastic about helping him out. Maybe a little too enthusiastic. After having his entire body scanned with all kinds of equipment, she'd also taken blood and skin samples. He didn't mind, as long as she destroyed the samples afterwards. But when she'd started asking for bone-marrow samples, running off to find some giant syringe she'd just bought, he'd had to put a stop to it. He might be desperate, but even desperation had its limits.

Fortunately, the thorough bodily inspection had not revealed much. As with the last time he visited this place, they'd found elevated levels of anything from blood pressure to cell activity, but as for anything relating to that eerily real dream he'd had?

No, there was nothing.

When it came to his mind, however. Well... that was a different story. After spending hours going over his mindscape, surveying both his mind palace, as well as what lay beyond, he’d noticed changes. More specifically, he'd noticed changes to his battle soul technique. The images of the figures guarding the edges of his mindscape had changed, becoming more distinct. But that was only the beginning of it.

Upon closer inspection, he'd noticed thin, black, wiry strands now twisting around each and every one of those figures. For the lack of a better term, the figures felt more alive now. It was almost as if the black strands were infusing a form of life into them, turning them more real in the process.

His battle soul technique had been the only thing protecting him in that place and for it to change like that, it could only mean one thing. That so-called dream had been real, and his death in that place would have meant death in reality as well.

But though the battle soul technique had somehow saved his life, it had not been enough. Not by a long shot. He'd been a hairs breath away from dying in that place and if something like that happened again?

No, never again, Ronin inwardly promised, walking up to his VR-chamber.

This was a threat which could not be shoved aside, and the only way out, was through. But to get through, he needed to become stronger... much stronger.

He put on the breathing mask and lowered himself into the nutrient-rich liquid, letting himself sink down into the chamber. As his vision shifted to the gothic-styled castle that was his VR-lobby, he quickly entered Glory in the Arena.

“…”

Arriving in the familiar colosseum, he felt the heat from the sunbaked sand below his feet, but he did not pay it any mind. He immediately began queuing up for matches. Not wasting any time in between each battle, he spent all his time, either in queue, or in combat. With his main focus still being on learning new moves, he hovered around a win rate of about 80%, and by the time he'd finished his 600th match, 5 hours had gone by.

Feeling a slight strain on his mind, he thought about what to do next. Glancing over at his friends list, he saw the golden letters representing the girl who'd, not so long ago, had forcibly befriended him. Sleeping Empress.

Such arrogance.

What sort of person brute forces a friend request, only to ignore the man right after?

He sent her a message, informing her of just that. Hopefully she’d learn from her mistake and act less brazenly in the future.

However, just as Ronin was looking away, a ding! sounded out, informing him of an incoming message.

She responded? That was quick, he thought in surprise.

Then the message began playing, and an arrogant female voice started speaking:

[Inevitability, huh? They call you the copy warrior. How about it? Do you think you could copy me, little man?]

Her every word was dripping with condescension, and he could practically feel her looking down on him. He immediately sent her a request for a match. This girl needed to be taught a lesson. Despite having just reached the early gold rank, he had already beaten some opponents in brackets above that, and this Sleeping Empress would be no different.

Shortly after, Ronin saw a screen appear before him, but it was different from the normal azure-blue text boxes he’d gotten used to by now. This one was golden.

[Sleeping Empress has accepted your challenge.]

[Enter match now? Yes/No?]

Ronin was a bit taken aback. Golden text box? Could she be a high ranker or something?

A little over a week ago, he’d fought an opponent who struck the nerve points along the human body, crippling it in the process. It was an incredible style, and he'd been happily accepting every rematch the opponent offered as he attempted to learn it. But this... what could he learn from someone with the power to forcibly befriend other players? Someone the game gave golden text boxes? He couldn’t wait to find out, choosing to enter the match right away.

“…”

Ronin’s surroundings changed as the colosseum around him descended back into the ground. The sandy arena turned into a flowery field and a wooden fence rose up around him.

Is this some sort of private arena? He wondered. He’d never seen anything like this before.

In front of him, a silver haired girl emerged, looking no older than 20. Her face was something out of a fairytale. Brown skin, green sparkling eyes, a perfectly fitted nose, and cheekbones so complimenting, they could have been sculpted by a master craftsman. She was so beautiful he struggled taking his eyes off her.

But the arrogant girl had to be taught a lesson.

The dark voice, distinctive to Glory in the Arena, began counting down as Ronin readied himself for the fight. Lowering himself down, he relaxed his muscles, and as the count finally reached zero, every single muscle in his body tensed at the same time as he bolted forward. He quickly reached the girl, throwing out a couple of probing jabs first to test the waters. Tilting her head, she dodged the strikes gracefully with only millimeters to spare.

She’s good, he admitted.

Changing his approach, he opted for his new nerve point striking technique, opening up his fists as he tried striking a pressure point along her shoulder.

CRACK!

One of his fingers was intercepted by an elbow, breaking in the process and he heard her scoff arrogantly:

“I’ve fought men much better than you in Koshijutsu!”

They could talk during battle now? Another new development.

Closing the distance, he attempted to bring her down with a takedown, but as he was about to grab her, he noticed a closed fist. Is she planning to strike me from this distance? We’re not even half a meter apart! It couldn’t possibly—

BOOM!

As the fist connected with his stomach, the impossible happened. His entire body bent over as it flew across the field, not stopping until he crashed into the fence.

[Defeat!]

“...”

Waking up in the same flowery field soon after, Ronin immediately requested a rematch. As the dark voice of the arena once again counted down towards zero, the 2nd battle commenced. He tried fighting at a distance this time, using every trick he could think of to bring her down. It, however, quickly became evident he wouldn’t be winning this one either. Sleeping Empress somehow closed the distance between them in an instant, and just like last time, Ronin found himself flying across the field.

Back first, he crashed into the hardwood fence, defeated for the 2nd time in a row today.

But this wasn’t even the worst of it. Every move the girl made was generic and styleless. There was nothing for him to learn from or improve upon. The only real technique he could learn from her was that short distance punch she’d used, but… A punch that strong was an impossibility no matter which way he looked at it. Be it torque, acceleration or the weight of the human body, with the limitations of the game, you simply couldn’t generate that much force, no matter what.

He glared at her with suspicion in his eyes. If she could set up these special battle arenas, talk mid-fight, perhaps she could make herself stronger than the opponent as well?

“No,” the frowning girl's voice broke through his musings as if she could read his mind.

“Then how!” He groaned back. He needed to know.

“Hmm,” Sleeping Empress smiled playfully, leaning forward as she poked her own body. “If you can touch me first, I might consider telling you, but you...” She let out a breath in disappointment, “—can't even do that, can you?”

Frustrated, Ronin requested another rematch. The only cards left to play were Presenceless and Snapshot. He’d never attempted these techniques in VR before, and he wasn’t sure they’d work. But if they did work… how large would the strain on his mind become? He wasn’t exactly using this machine responsibly, having removed its safety filters and all.

As the game’s omnipresent voice, once again, started counting down, Ronin silently murmured, “Apocalypse,” and the match began.

Not too far away from Ronin’s factory, Elsa Tulsi was walking home from yet another job interview. She’d found an add on the concordia net seeking a secretary position for a marketing company. This wasn't her first rodeo this month. She’d been turned down in several previous interviews, but with this job, she really might get the position!

Not that she’d give up if she was turned down. She’d never stop looking. Ronin had saved both her and her son's life, giving them a second chance. Never again would she have to sell her body for food, never again would she starve. Her small family finally had the possibility of a real life ahead of them.

A life of hope, she inwardly whispered to herself.

As Ronin had said, she’d waited for him to demand something of her. To play her like all the others. A helping hand always came with a cost, but in this case… it seemed he'd really just wanted to help. She felt her heart warm every time she thought about it.

I will have to thank him the next time I see him, but how do you thank a man who has already given so much?

The sound of a crying child broke her out of her thoughts. What was that? It was coming from the alleyway…

She turned, then started walking towards the narrow passage. Why would a small child be left alone like that? It would have been normal in the slums, but here?

As she entered the passage, Elsa saw a small, brown-haired girl no more than maybe 6 or 7 years old. Tears fell down the small girls freckled cheeks as she seemed to be in great pain.

“What’s the matter little one? Where are your parents?” Elsa asked, moving closer.

“I…I, help,” the small girl replied, her words coming out as unclear amidst the tears.

Elsa put her hand on the little girl's shoulder, feeling a sense of weakness befall her as she did.

Strange... What was going on? Why would she feel tired all of a sudden? She’d just slept a few hours ago…

The child stopped crying, and its weak snuffles were replaced by a hoarse cackling only something much older could make.

Elsa now had to fight just to stay conscious. She looked down at the hand touching the girl's shoulder. It had turned wrinkled and old. She tried to pull it away, but it wouldn’t move.

The tiny brown-haired girl began changing, growing larger. Elsa, on the other hand, only felt herself growing weaker and weaker...was she dying? When she saw what the small girl was turning into however, a far greater fear than death overcame her.

Her son—Scrabby—was in grave danger!

In front of the now wrinkled Elsa stood a woman, looking exactly as she had before she'd entered the passage. The creature, now a mirror image of Elsa, flashed a hungry grin as it licked its lips. "Soon Ronin... soon," it whispered to itself, exiting the narrow street.