I stumbled forward, my legs shaky but determined as the little girl clung to my side. The streets were alive with chaos again, but it wasn't the same as before.
The air was alive with movement and noise, a far cry from the panicked chaos I'd seen on the first day. As I stepped cautiously through the ruins, I couldn't believe what I was witnessing.
The drones had now grown larger and bristling with weaponry. They zipped through the air with a chilling mechanical hum. Twin-mounted cannons unleashed rapid bursts of plasma, while razor-sharp blades folded out from their sides.
Nearby, a woman wielding a double-bladed staff carved through two drones with ease.
The participants were no longer running in fear. They were fighting. But not just fighting, they were winning.
A man vaulted over a fallen streetlamp, his movements unnaturally fluid as he spun midair and landed on a drone with precision. The drone sputtered and sparked before collapsing to the ground.
A group of three participants worked in unison. One fired bursts of energy from a metallic rifle, while another deflected incoming attacks with a circular shield. The third participant used what looked like a whip made of light, lashing at drones from a distance and pulling them out of the air.
It was like watching an action movie come to life.
"How…?" my eyes wide as I tried to process what I was seeing.
Someone sprinted past me, shouting over their shoulder. "The map is already opened! Let's go!"
I blinked, snapping out of my daze. I glanced around, noticing how focused everyone seemed. There was no hesitation in their movements. It was like they'd completely immersed themselves in their roles.
I took a hesitant step forward, my mind racing with questions.
My thoughts were interrupted by a sharp, high-pitched whine. My head snapped up just in time to see a drone locking onto me. My breath caught, and panic surged through me.
The drone fired.
I braced myself, but before the shot could hit, something massive surged up in front of me. A thick root burst from the ground, twisting into a barrier and deflecting the attack.
I stumbled back, staring at the root in disbelief. It was alive, moving and curling as though protecting me.
"What the…?" I gasped.
A gruff voice cut through my shock. "Hey, young girl! What's wrong?"
What's wrong? I don't know what's wrong.
I turned to see a man, likely in his forties, his rugged face lined with exhaustion. He stood a few feet away, his hands outstretched. Another root shot up from the ground, grabbing the drone that had attacked me and crushing it with a sickening crunch.
He turned back to me, his brow furrowed. "You look like you've lost. Are you okay?"
"I… I've been unconscious for two days," I stammered, still staring at the roots twisting around us.
He frowned, stepping closer. His expression shifting from annoyance to concern. He waved his hand, and roots sprang up around us, forming a protective barrier like a cave. The walls twisted and tightened, muffling the sounds of chaos outside.
"Archetype," he calmed his voice. "Did you get yours?"
I shook my head. "How do you even get one? What is this?"
I gestured at the living walls around us. Gnarled roots twisted together to form a barrier, their surfaces rough and knotted with grooves like veins. The roots coiled tightly, leaving no gaps for light to filter through, yet they seemed to glow faintly from within. Every time the walls took a hit from a drone's plasma or a falling piece of debris, they flexed and shifted, absorbing the impact before knitting themselves back together. The air inside was humid, carrying a faint earthy scent that felt grounding.
The man sighed, crouching slightly to meet my eyes.
"People started figuring it out yesterday. You get your archetype through physical contact from random stuff, really. Mine? I got it when I tried pulling a cassava from the ground. Next thing I knew, I was bending roots and vines like they were a part of me."
I stared at him, dumbfounded.
Cassava? Is this some sort of joke?
Before he could continue, the barrier trembled. A loud, metallic clang echoed through the cave as something massive struck the roots.
"Shit," the man standing quickly.
The roots parted slightly, revealing a mechanical tank rolling toward us. Its cannon swiveled, locking onto our position.
"Of course," the man muttered bitterly. "The enemies level up as we do."
The tanks' low, squat body was made of thick, blackened steel. Four heavy, treaded wheels churned through the rubble, leaving deep tracks in the cracked asphalt. The central turret, mounted on a rotating base, glowed with an intense red light as it powered up. Smaller gunports lined its sides.
The cannon fired, and the roots absorbed the blast, splintering momentarily before regrowing. The man turned to me, his face tense.
"We don't have time for this. The map's open, we need to move now."
"Did you get your archetype or not?" he cried.
"I don't even know how!"
His eyes darting between me, the tank, and the trembling girl by my side.
"Your citizen… they're supposed to tell you."
I froze, staring at the little girl.
I guess, she was telling me it.
"Call it!" the man yelled, his voice strained as he deflected another blast with his roots. "Call your archetype!"
I hesitated, panic clawing at my chest.
"Just say it!" the man cried out of patience.
My lips parted, the word tumbling out before I could think.
"Shadow?"
The air around me shifted instantly. A deep, guttural growl rumbled behind me. The air crackled, and the voice in my earphones spoke:
[Hyperstitial Transmission: Archetype Initialization Detected]
[Designation: Shadow. Status Upgrade Initiating…]
[Processing… Recalibrating Dimensional Resonance]
[Status Update: Core Alignment Stabilized]
[Upgrading Subject Parameters for Archetype Compatibility]
A screen burst before me. Lines of data scrolled across the screen, impossible to read in their speed. Finally, numbers and words solidified:
NAME: KIRA
AGE: 24
ARCHETYPE: SHADOW
STATUS:
STR: +15
AGI: +20
INT: +12
SKILLS:
Tendril Strike (Lv 1)
Veil of Darkness (Lv 1)
Shadow Resonance (Passive)
The shadows coiled around me with a sentient grace, as if it was protecting me. I gasped, feeling their cold touching across my skin, sending chills down my spine. The tendrils grew larger, stretching out like massive vines that pulsed, their edges rippling like liquid obsidian.
[Skill Activated: Tendril Strike]
A jolt of icy adrenaline coursed through my veins. I felt the shadows merge with me like it's becoming an extension of my own. They flexed and writhed in sync with my thoughts. The shadows shifted constantly, one moment they stretched into sharp spearheads, then they morphed into twisting coils, clawed tendrils, or bladed whips. It is ready to be unleashed at my will.
I sent one tendril shot forward, it slithered through the air with fast speed. The tendril slammed into the tank's steel surface. The metal groaned under the pressure.
The man's face broke into a grin.
"There it is. You got a nice one, never seen this before."
He turned back to the tank, his roots ready to strike.
"Now, let's take this robot shit down."