Chapter 20: Spades' Vortex
The ground trembled beneath their feet, a deep, resonant hum vibrating through their bones, the air buzzing with a low-frequency pulse that prickled their skin. The circular arena was a jagged funnel of collapsed concrete, its center dominated by a neon 10♠ pulsing with aggressive red light. Kirito's heart raced, sweat stinging his eyes, the metallic tang of fear sharp on his tongue. Usagi led the way, her body coiled like a spring, her scar stark against her grime-streaked face, her machete glinting in the neon's glow.
"Endurance test. The Watchman's going all-in to break us," Kirito thought, his sarcasm a fragile anchor against the rising panic.
[SYSTEM: HOST STATUS.]
[STRENGTH: 8. AGILITY: 15. STAMINA: 7. SYSTEM POINTS (SP): 1135.]
Arisu clutched his sketchpad, his charcoal-smudged hands trembling, his eyes scanning the arena's geometry. Kuina followed, her cigarette's ember a steady glow, her grin tight but fierce, her jacket dusted with ash. The Watchman Echo appeared above the arena, its robes flickering violently, the vortex hum intensifying as the air churned, pulling ash into a swirling tunnel.
"10 of Spades: Spades' Vortex," the Watchman boomed, its voice devoid of subtlety, a raw force of menace. "Endurance will fail. Your bond will break."
[SYSTEM: WATCHMAN ECHO DETECTED. GAME: 10♠ SPADES' VORTEX. RISK ASSESSMENT: EXTREME.]
"Usagi, go! Straight to the center!" Kirito yelled, his fingers brushing his phone.
[SYSTEM: QUERY: ACTIVATE 'STAMINA BURST' (COST: 50 SP)?]
"Get her through the vortex," he commanded.
[SYSTEM: STAMINA BURST ACTIVE. TOTAL SP: 1085.]
Usagi shot forward, a blur of speed, her boots pounding the concrete as she covered twenty meters in seconds, the boosted stamina fueling her charge. The ground bucked, a new wave of vortex energy erupting, catching Arisu off guard. He stumbled, falling to his knees, his sketchpad skidding across the floor.
"Arisu!" Kirito screamed, his voice nearly lost in the roaring wind.
"I—I can't!" Arisu cried, his hands clawing at the concrete as the vortex dragged him backward.
"Go, Kirito, go!" Usagi shouted, her words garbled by the wind.
"Go? Did she say throw? What am I throwing, my pride?" Kirito thought, a flash of absurd humor cutting through the chaos.
[SYSTEM: COMMUNICATION GLITCH. FUNNY MOMENT: MISHEARD ORDER. VORTEX INTENSIFICATION: DANGER.]
The Watchman's robes flared, the vortex's pull intensifying, the wind a solid weight against their bodies.
[SYSTEM: MORAL REMINDER: YOUR STRENGTH IS YOUR ALLIES. CHEATING TO SAVE IS YOUR EDGE.]
Usagi pivoted, slamming her foot down to halt her charge, sacrificing her stamina boost. She sprinted back, defying the game's logic, and grabbed Arisu, shielding him with her body as the vortex roared. "You don't leave family behind!" she shouted, her voice raw with resolve.
Kuina acted fast, tossing a jagged piece of rebar into the funnel, the metal disrupting the vortex's magnetic field for a fleeting moment. Usagi, carrying Arisu, stumbled across the boundary line, her breath ragged, her face pale.
[SYSTEM: 10♠ VICTORY. SACRIFICE AND ENDURANCE. VISAS EXTENDED: +10 DAYS. SP GAIN: +150 SP. TOTAL: 1235.]
They collapsed in the arena's shadow, Usagi trembling with exhaustion, her scar pulsing faintly. The neon 10♠ dimmed, the vortex stilling.
The wasteland's barren expanse offered shelter, the night's darkness a balm after the vortex's chaos. Usagi lay on the ground, her breath shallow, her machete beside her. Arisu knelt nearby, checking her pulse, his eyes wet with gratitude. Kirito checked his phone, the high SP total feeling hollow against the trauma.
[SYSTEM: CURRENT STATUS: STRENGTH: 8, AGILITY: 15, STAMINA: 7. SKILLS: DICE REROLL (50 SP), LIE DETECTOR (0 SP), AGILITY LEAP (50 SP), METEOR ECHO (50 SP), STAMINA BURST (50 SP), FULL FORK (100 SP). SP: 1235.]
"That was too close," Arisu whispered, wiping Usagi's brow with a rag, his hands shaking. "The glitch… it's the vortex. It's breaking the System's control."
Kuina lit a cigarette, her grin grim. "It's just another wall, Usagi. We smashed it."
Usagi's voice was rough but firm. "We'll outlast it. It can't break us if we don't run alone."
Kirito crouched beside her, his hand on her shoulder. "You're the best, Usagi. You gave up the win for him. The vortex doesn't stand a chance against us."
They shared a scavenged can of fruit, the sweet tang a fleeting comfort, grounding them in the moment. The dawn's glow warmed their faces, the ruins a silent witness to their plan. Kirito's phone projected a map of the vortex patterns, its glow faint.
[SYSTEM: PUZZLE INITIATED. COST: 0 SP. OBJECTIVE: MAP SYSTEM GLITCHES.]
"The glitches are worse," Kirito said, pointing to the map. "The Borderland's collapsing, and the System's struggling. The next game's a Jack, a human player using the instability."
Usagi nodded, her resolve steady. "I'll run through anything. Just keep us together."
Arisu's eyes were grim. "The vortex traps are escalating. We need to find their source."
[SYSTEM: PUZZLE COMPLETE. GLITCH PATTERNS MAPPED. SP GAIN: +50 SP. TOTAL: 1285.]
Kirito's quip sparked defiance. "We'll debug fate before it crashes us. Jack of Spades, here we come."
Their footsteps crunched toward a distant structure, its neon pulse a growing challenge, their unity a flame against the storm.
Love [ Im In Alice In Borderland ]? Unlock More Chapters and Support the Story!
Dive deeper into the world of [ Im In Alice In Borderland ] with exclusive access to 35+ chapters on my Patreon, plus new fanfic every week! Your support starting at just $5/month helps me keep crafting the stories you love across epic universes like [Grimm, Teen Wolf ,blacklist,Game Of Throne ,MCU and Arrowverse].
By joining, you're not just getting more chapters—you're helping me bring new worlds, twists, and adventures to life. Every pledge makes a huge difference!
👉 Join now at patreon.com/TheFinex5 and start reading today!