An endless expanse of sand comes into Blake's vision. Dune after dune as far as the eye can see void of any greenery, the dull beige of the sand drowns out the entire view.
"The battle is ever changing" Pyres advice rings out in his mind. His subconscious almost warning him of what's to come.
Powering up his keepups, a hum emits out of them kicking up grains of sand in his wake. Navigating the simulated space before him diligently keeping an eye on any changes or disturbances.
'Even the sun has warmth to it.' He observes, thoughts firing through as his body notices the familiar sensations. Sand starts to find its way in the creaks and cracks of the interior of his boots.
'How do they even come up with something like this.' Mulling his thoughts through, he leaves a dissipating trail of neon green in his wake disturbing the dunes by his forming speed.
A shadow is cast over him, blocking out the warm embrace of the sun eclipsed by the silhouette of a black vulture. Wings spread wide encompassing the light of the sun. His eyes are drawn to the sublimity of the creature coming into view.
'PAY ATTENTION!' The same foreign voice from before, erupts from the depths of his mind. Hostility and anger bubbles to the surface and burst as Blake responds back.
'TELL ME WHO OR WHAT YOU ARE!?' He asks, becoming more demanding, the lack of response so far only feeding his unease.
The only response he receives is a deafening silence, the presence almost refusing to make itself known. Getting swept up in his emotions and unease Blake neglects the warning that was given.
"ARRRRHH what the hell was that!" Blake yells out, pain throbbing and surging through his calve. A set of inky black fangs sink deeper into his leg sending a foreign substance throughout his body causing a blare of system screens to erupt in his vision.
[-2hp]
[28/30HP]
[Quest activated]
[Defeat your enemy]
[Failure outcome: Certain amount of stats lost]
[Reward: Randomized ability similar to opponent.]
[Level Up Reward +10 Stats of your choosing.]
[Reward 200 EXP]
[450/500 EXP]
Notifications pile up as the familiar translucent screen makes itself known in his vision. Each notification announced with a mental chime not letting go of his attention. Ignoring the pain in his leg, his finger trembles interacting with the screens in front of him.
"If I win this I'll level up. Just who knows what that will bring. But if I lose, everything will come crashing down." Blake lets out a long sigh.
"Again." He says wiping a hand down his face trying to regain his composure.
"More of an incentive to win I guess." He says trying to motivate himself through the pressure.
"Not that I'm going to let myself lose." He says clenching each individual finger in his new prosthetic, the motors and servos responding to the muscle tension in his stump.
[You have been poisoned with tracking venom]
'Certainly want to stack up the challenge on this huh.' He exhales, rotating his shoulder readying himself.
"Wouldn't be any fun otherwise." A wide grin forms on his face enticed by the stakes at hand. The rush of battle seeping through him, dominating any panic that might try and find its way into being.
In the corner of his vision the familiar vulture enters his peripheral, gaining immense speed nosediving towards the ground. Pulling up at the last moment, a gust of wind follows sling shotting forward with momentum.
"He he he, easy peasy." A low confident voice enters Blakes ears.
"Sorry kid, I'm winning this one. My family will return to prominence, once more!" The voice announces his presence in a confident laugh. His silhouette standing tall with his arms crossed.
"I'll make sure to end it quickly though." A bald dark skinned man comes into view clinging onto the feathers of the vulture. His tattoos dominate any skin available. A set of goggles cling to his eyes, scouting the ground below him thoroughly.
The vulture starts to home in on Blake. Soaring close to the dunes of sand the vulture's wings brushes against the dunes. Kicking up a massive cloud of sand towards Blake.
His vision immediately clouds as particles of sand obscure his field of view. Before he can get his bearing a set of feet plant themselves into his face. Sending him flying across the dunes kicking up sand as he skips across. In the same motion his feet land on a black surface.
[-10HP]
[18/30HP]
A shark starts to swim through the depths of sand at incredible speed honing in on Blake just like the vulture. clinging to the fin of the shark, burns slowly started to form up his forearms. Rapidly it continues forward cutting through the sand like butter. Only for its wild maw to split open revealing a set of ivory white teeth breaking up the overall dominating black of the shark.
Catching Blake off guard and disorientated, the shark easily catches him in its jaws. Clenching down with the weight of tones. Its teeth pierce through his torso puncturing the skin. Tearing flesh and bone in the process. Only for it to flick its head, tossing Blake into the air before inhaling him in one gulp.
[-15HP]
[3/30HP]
"Did I overdo it" He says, flicking up his goggles with his thumb, still clutching onto the fin of his shark.
"My turn." A the same voice from before cuts through Blakes mind with ease, cleaving through his control. Before he can even protest, a feeling of detachment overwhelms Blake as he withdraws deep into his own eyes. Directions and intentions refusing to be acknowledged by his body.
An ominous presence asserts control. The feeling of pain washing away entirely its presence.
[Error! New System User-Unknown???]
'What!' Blake struggles to comprehend what's happening to him.
"THE HELL'' His mind goes into overdrive under the immense anxiety, the unknown feeling from before starts to take hold climbing up his throat almost forcing its presence to be known.
"Finally. I can have a turn at this body." He says his voice changing, lower more mature more arrogant. A hand goes up to his bloody head wiping the blood from his vision before brushing back his fringe revealing crazed eyes filled with hunger.
"It was getting so boring being cooped up in there, finally i can stretch my legs and try this out." A hungry smile spreads across his face as he stretches his arms and legs letting a crackle of sparks circulating down his legs. His muscles coil under the presences demands, generating a untested level of force. Tearing partially under the strain.
"I WILL WIN!" His eyes light up with a small spark, holding a fury and intense desire within them.
Smirking arrogantly, he outstretches both of his hands gripping down on the interior of his ink black capture. Blood poured out of the fresh wounds littering his body, a burning sensation dominates his chest where the shark bit down. All the muscles in his body begin to surge with power, a foreign feeling of electricity permeating its way through every fiber.
"I can't, I can't control it, what the hell is this!?" Blakes psyche cries out in shock, enveloped in the darkness of his mind. Only a porthole of vision into his own world even perceivable. His detachment bringing about a level of chaos and unrest he hasn't felt since the lightning.
'Win, win, win. WIN!' A surge of thoughts infant-like in nature dominate the usual silence of his mind. The porthole of vision opening up more becoming more detailed by the second.
In the depths of the shark's stomach electricity begins to dance. Erratically ripping apart the integrity. The voltage immediately soars. Forcing apart the ink composing the shark. Green static runs rampart on his prosthetic, a familiar spot of energy being mistaken for it.
"WAIT!" Blake cries out, screaming out as loud as he can.
"STOP YOU CANT REVEAL THAT!" Hi desperate plea echoes off the walls of his inner world.
"Fine". The first response Blake has ever gotten is received through the bleak darkness, a small concession in the face of a horrible situation.