Alpha Agent: A Post Apocalyptic LitRPG

Right after the mission, Dan was awarded a new cosmetic item. The same mask that covered the bottom half of the faces of the agents who had escorted him here. He covered himself up and now looked like a true badass as he checked himself out in the mirror.

But his celebration was cut short as Jane Sunheiser wasted no time in putting him through formal training.

Since the day of his first mission, Dan had been awake for two days and nights while under grueling training with Jane in charge. After an entire morning of running physical drills and running laps for three hours straight, Dan stood on an elevated position with a rifle in his hands, taking on a new exercise in an advanced training room with cover and elevated positions ideal for simulated battles.

The assault rifle in his hands was a ZK-77, the same rifle that the rioters had wielded. In this current exercise, he was tasked with eliminating and preventing Allen Draco from reaching a certain waypoint on his side of the arena. Allen had started at the other end of the room and had been slowly but gradually making his way through the arena, moving from cover to cover and evading Dan’s gunfire.

Allen had already crossed half the distance and only needed to make it through the rest of the arena to get to the waypoint. Even though Allen was specifically the heavy weapons expert of the team and didn’t specialize in speed, he was still superhumanly quick on his feet. Allen dashed between pieces of cover with a swiftness Dan couldn’t properly track. While he could still see Allen as he moved, the agent moved so fast that by the time Dan comprehended where he was heading, it was already too late and his shots missed.

Dan had every possible advantage in this exercise. He had higher ground, standing on a platform that was raised nine meters. He was also given unlimited ammo and had no time limit to worry about. And yet he hadn’t landed a single shot on Allen, and the agent was already more than halfway across the arena.

Scanning his environment, Dan kept his finger on the trigger and focused on Allen’s last known position. He then stopped and readjusted his eyes to take in the entire room rather than focusing on a single point. He couldn’t afford to suffer tunnel vision against someone with superhuman speed.

After another few seconds, the eerie quiet of the room was interrupted as Allen hopped over a piece of cover and make a beeline straight down the middle of the room. Dan took aim and was about to pull the trigger when an object came at him at high speed.

Allen had thrown something at him to throw him off his aim. The object came at Dan at surprising speed, and he barely had time to duck, his bullets not reaching his intended target. He raised his head and saw that it appeared to be a brick, or at least some part of the cover below.

Dan quickly regained his composure, as he knew with all that time Allen could have easily crossed the entire room and reached the waypoint. He aimed his rifle down at the arena and saw Allen standing out in the open.

Huh? Dan thought.

At this point, Allen had to know that he could have ended the exercise from distracting Dan. Now the agent was just playing around.

“You could have reached the waypoint while I was distracted, you know that?” Dan said.

“I know, but where’s the fun in that?” Allen said. “How about this? I’ll stand right here and give you one last shot at me. How about it, kid?”

Dan had a bad feeling that this was a trap. Allen wasn’t equipped with any weapons and his arms were at his sides. He didn’t have any more objects to throw at Dan to mess with his aim. Allen had a plan in mind.

“Come on, Dan. I mean it. Let’s get—”

Dan pulled the trigger, hoping to catch Allen off guard by shooting mid-speech. Whatever plan the more experienced agent had in mind, Dan wasn’t going to give him time to execute it.

No dice.

Allen had already begun moving as Dan pulled the trigger. By the time the bullets blasted out of the rifle barrel and ripped through the air, Allen had already dived out of the way without getting hit.

Once again, Dan was slack-jawed at the immense speed of the higher-ranked agent.

True to his word, Allen had given Dan his final chance to end the exercise, and he’d failed. The agent reached the waypoint, and Dan lost the exercise.

Exercise over. Winner: Allen Draco.

Good effort. Better luck next time!

Dan sighed, but he knew he’d lost fair and square. This was his first time trying to go head-to-head with an agent significantly higher-ranked than him. He hopped off the elevated platform and landed on the ground of the arena.

“It’s alright, kid,” Allen said. “Good try. You tried to catch me off guard by shooting at me mid-sentence.”

“Yeah, I was duped by your crazy speed,” Dan said.

Allen raised two fingers at Dan. “Two things. One, I’m not the fastest of the team. If you want to see fast, check out Kate or Jane. Their agility stats are higher than mine and they move with way more grace than I ever could.”

Dan could feel the sweat dripping down the sides of his face and back of his neck just from that one comment. Allen was capable of dodging bullets from a high-powered assault rifle. Somehow, there were agents even faster than him.

“And two, it wasn’t just speed alone. While I was pitching you my generous offer, I was watching you and studying your body language. It’s a bit tougher when your opponent is covered in body armor, but it’s still possible to read your next move through your body’s movements alone. I closely watched your hands and finger to see when you would pull the trigger. Once I saw your trigger finger twitch, I sprang into action.”

Still staring at Allen, Dan couldn’t even fathom what the agent had said. Dan felt that just dodging the bullets would have been a simpler explanation.

Allen bent down to pick up a brick, the same one he had thrown at Dan earlier. “You don’t need raw speed to dodge a bullet. Sometimes, it’s easier and just as effective to move out of the way of the gun’s barrel. It helps to study your opponent's movements, which comes easy if you have a sharp set of eyes and some observational skill.”

“Let me get this straight,” Dan said. “You had the ability and the calmness to just study me while I was actively trying to shoot you?”

“Precisely. It’s all about experience, kid. You’ll get to that level of skill eventually as long as you’re willing to work for it. Believe it.”

A rectangular hole in the wall opened up on Dan’s right. Jane, Kate and Ben walked into the arena.

Jane’s stride was quick and efficient as she approached. She stopped a few paces in front of Dan and looked at him. She turned her head slightly to Allen and asked, “Any thoughts or comments on Dan’s performance?”

“Nothing I haven’t already told him,” Allen said. “Solid aim and trigger discipline. He even tried shooting at me mid-speech. He just needs more experience. You were watching, so you already know all this.”

“I see,” she said. Jane redirected her attention back to Dan. “You have a solid base in being a marksman. But remember that the dynamics of combat change once you face off against an opponent with superhuman stats. Allen used his enhanced speed and strength to forge his own path to the waypoint. No ordinary human could move as fast or have the strength to throw objects at your position as a diversion with such grace.”

“Yes ma’am,” Dan said.

Jane stepped closer to Dan. “You’re still at a lower rank. But on future missions, you will be facing off against agents from rival shards. You’ll have to get used to fighting enemies stronger and faster than you. Allen here was just being playful. Had this been a deathmatch, Allen would have had over a dozen ways to end your life, even while unarmed. Remember that.”

Dan stood there staring wide-eyed at Jane.

This drew a chuckle out of Allen. “Damn, Jane. I think he’s intimidated by your lack of a filter.”

“He’ll get used to it,” Jane replied.

“Or maybe he’s just nervous having a pretty woman in his personal space.”

Dan gave Allen some side-eye for that remark. While he could admit that Jane looked as beautiful as she did in the ads and billboards, Dan had no such romantic feelings for his squad leader.

Jane looked at Dan and gave him a light smirk. “He will get used to that too. It’s my responsibility to whip him into shape so he can keep up with the rest of us.”

Allen shut his mouth at Jane’s unamused reply. For once, Dan was thankful for Jane’s bluntness to shut down that crush nonsense from Allen.

“Your next exercise will be hand-to-hand combat. Your opponent will be Kate,” Jane said.

“Good luck,” Allen said as he turned and walked towards the arena’s exit.

Jane looked at Kate. “You’re up. Teach Dan a thing or two about getting his hands dirty.”

“Yes ma’am. Will do,” Kate said with glee. Her huge grin might have been cute if it wasn’t unsettling given the context.

“I’ll be testing what you already know,” Jane said. “Based on what I see, I’ll determine the best hand-to-hand training tailored to you.”

“Uh, ma’am. Are you sure Dan’s opponent should be Kate of all people?” Ben asked.

“Dan won’t grow if he doesn’t get challenged. He’ll be too comfortable for my liking if he were to face off against an agent of equal rank and skill. This is how it has to go.”

The medic gave Dan a look, probably of pity, before he turned and left the arena. Jane followed suit and exited, leaving Dan and Kate behind.

“Hey, before we get started,” Kate whispered. “Jane told me not to go easy on you. But don’t worry, I won’t send you to the hospital.”

“Thanks. I wouldn’t want you to go soft on me either,” Dan said.

“Well, if it makes you feel better, Jane told me to give you the first attack.”

“Wow, so charitable of her,” Dan said. As sarcastic as he was, he knew that against an agent like Kate, who was tier two, he needed every advantage he could take. He had no time for pride by giving up his first strike.

“Okay then,” Kate said. “Let’s get into position. Stand across from me. About five meters between the two of us.”

Dan followed her instructions. His HUD updated him with the following info:

New exercise: hand-to-hand combat

Your opponent: Kate Razor

Your opponent’s stats:

Rank: Tier 2 | Level 36

Strength: 38

Agility: 52

Endurance: 46

Intelligence: 42

Healing Factor: None

Dan felt like his HUD was playing a cruel joke, reminding him of Kate’s far superior stats.

“Whenever you're ready, Dan!” Kate said. She simply stood straight with a relaxed pose, both hands at her sides.

Dan stared at her, trying to study her body language the same way Allen had studied his body language to skillfully dodge his bursts of gunfire in the previous exercise.

“Oh, you’re staring at me quite intently,” Kate said playfully. “See something you like?”

Dan was tempted to respond but knew that the more experienced Kate was simply distracting him. While Kate was ordered to give Dan the first attack, that didn’t mean she was forbidden from causing Dan to fuck it up.

He didn’t allow himself to be fooled by her looks and playful attitude. Being two full tiers above him in rank, Kate was a superhuman agent. Dan had no idea how he was going to attack someone of such lethality up close. Not knowing any formal martial arts, Dan fell back on what he knew when dealing with gangsters up close.

Whenever Dan hadn’t been running away or hiding from gangs, he would usually hit as hard as he could, as fast as he could, making sure his opponent knew he wouldn’t let up on the aggression. This approach would either end the fight quickly with a nasty hit to the face or neck, or force the gangster to back off. Gang members weren’t usually the brave types.

This was all Dan had, and he charged Kate full-force. He opened the fight with a right hook, putting as much strength as he could behind the punch.

Kate, without saying a word, simply ducked underneath Dan’s punch so quickly that she’d raised her head back up before Dan even readjusted his stance. He stumbled, hastily trying to stop his momentum. As he tried to regain his composure, Kate stood in place and kept her eyes on him, even cracking a light smile.

Since Kate still didn’t attack, Dan continued his barrage of punches. None of the strikes ever hit their mark. The agent simply swerved her head out of the way. Once or twice she sidestepped a punch Dan hurled towards her.

Desperate to land at least one hit, he picked up a brick from the ground, the same one Allen had used against him in the previous exercise. He mustered as much strength as he could and threw it at Kate’s feet.

Kate easily dodged it, but Dan counted on this. As fast he could, Dan ran up to her and readied an attack from below. His fist came up from the ground and he delivered the hardest punch he could into Kate’s armored midsection.

Despite Kate’s lithe frame, the punch didn’t do much. Her superior body armor and enhanced durability prevented it from hurting.

Dan didn’t want to admit that his hand and wrist ached from punching what felt like an armored wall.

The agent looked down at Dan and gave him the same smile as before. But Dan instinctively took a few steps back, knowing what was coming.

“My turn,” she said.

Kate leapt at him with a speed Dan’s eyes couldn’t follow. He felt the wind from one of Kate’s punches as her arm stretched beside his face. Realizing that he’d almost had his head punched off, Dan backed away from her and tried to raise his arms up to block another attack.

In that moment, Dan forgot he was fighting someone much stronger than he was. Kate got past Dan’s guard and delivered a punch to his lower chest. The strike forced all the air out of his lungs, and he tumbled out of breath across the arena. The entire world spun around before he slammed against a piece of cover. Hard.

The stop was so sudden that Dan was surprised he didn’t black out instantly. He was still on the ground and knew he was still awake. Although he didn’t know what direction was up or down. All his eyes could see was the world tumbling around him.

He vaguely heard screams in the background as he tried his best to stand back up. Every time he raised his head, the dizziness would just make him fall back down. Dan was on his knees and the world was still spinning as Kate ran over to him with a look of distress. A sharp pain originating in his chest pulsated throughout his body.

Warning. Injuries/negative status effects detected:

Spatial disorientation.

One broken rib.

Seek immediate medical attention.

In his peripheral vision, Dan saw Jane and Ben rush into the arena. Still not comprehending what was going on, he felt a light jab to his neck and a substance flowing through him. It felt like ice had penetrated his skin and entered his bloodstream, coldness flowing through his body.

The dizziness and spinning immediately stopped. Dan looked around and saw his three teammates. Kate breathed a sigh of relief. Jane simply stood with her arms crossed and a blank expression on her face, which didn’t surprise Dan.

“Hey buddy, how do you feel?” Ben asked.

“Like you injected me with ice,” Dan said. “I don’t feel dizzy and my chest doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Congratulations!

You are now Tier 0 | Level 5.

You have earned 5 stat points! You have 10 stat points to spend!

Dan didn’t hold back his grin. Another level up meant he could allocate more points into improving his stats.

“I injected you with a healing stim. It stops bleeding and can heal minor to moderate injuries in seconds.”

“A broken rib is considered a minor injury?” Dan asked.

“By agent standards, yes,” Ben replied.

Kate rushed in front of Dan and caressed his face with her hands. “Oh my god, are you okay?”

“Relax, I’m fine. I just ranked up thanks to you,” Dan said. “I may be much lower than you in numbers, but I’m built tough.”

Kate’s eyes were still filled with worry, but she relented and let go of him. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you that hard.”

“I said I’m fine, didn’t I?” Dan said.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Kate said. “Just glad I didn’t kill you.”

“You went too easy on him, Kate. Your performance was disappointing,” a firm female voice said.

Dan, Kate and Ben turned their heads in Jane’s direction.

“When Dan picked up that brick, you should have known he had an ulterior motive beyond just throwing an object at you,” Jane said sternly. “He was banking on the expectation that you would dodge it and move in a predictable fashion. If his stats matched yours, you would have lost that fight because of your arrogance.”

Dan had expected for Jane to lecture his performance, not Kate’s.

“What the hell do you expect?” Kate snapped and walked up to Jane, invading her personal space. “You wanted me to go full-force against Dan? I would have killed him. And even if I didn’t, what would he learn from getting the shit beaten out of him? The only thing that would have accomplished was killing his desire to get better. We’re not supposed to be bullying him.”

Jane didn’t change her stance and kept her gaze firmly on Kate. “If we’re not harsh on him in training, then when would be the right time, hmm? Michael Cynosa is the one who vouched for Dan, fully aware of the expectations I would have for him. Your performance was simply sloppy and you let Dan take advantage of your predictable movements. You should have known that Dan is a crafty fighter and has a history of fooling his enemies before his recruitment. It’s all in his file.”

Kate opened her mouth, but then stepped back and kept quiet. She turned back and smiled at Dan. “See, Dan? She’s harsh on everybody. So don’t feel bad when she yells at you. We’ve all experienced it at some point. Some of us still experience it now.”

Jane narrowed her eyes at Kate, then switched her gaze to Dan. “There’s room for improvement on your end, Dan. But considering the difference in stats, that was a solid hit you landed on Kate. Your fake out with the brick was just what I expected from you. Keep up the training and you’ll reach her level in a matter of time, especially if she doesn’t deal with her sloppiness and arrogance.”

The comment made Kate pout then walk towards the arena’s exit. “I think I need a drink. I’ll send you my coordinates, Dan, if you want to join me.”

“Thanks, Kate,” Dan replied.

Jane raised her finger. “Don’t. She’s an irresponsible drinker and a bad influence on you.”

“I heard that!” Kate said as she stepped out the opened door.

“That’s enough for today. You’re free to spend the rest of the day however you wish,” Jane said. “Before I leave, I need to borrow your combat knife.”

Dan looked at Jane confused. Why would a highly experienced agent need to borrow his knife? However, he relented. If his boss needed something from him, then he could only assume it was important. He removed the knife from its sheath and handed it over to his squad leader.

“Thank you,” Jane said. “I promise to return it to you in a timely manner. I never break a promise.”

Dan, still confused, looked at Ben for an answer.

The medic looked back at him and simply said, “Don’t worry about it. You’ll get your knife back. Jane knows what’s she’s doing.”

“I hope so,” Dan said. “I’m low enough on gear as it is.”

“Might I suggest you visit the armory again? You should have some credits to buy something at least,” Ben said.

Dan recalled the racks of guns he’d seen and how he didn’t have time to get a get look at them. “I think that’s a good idea.”