CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT

As soon as Jason returned home, he showered and then promptly got into bed.

Although he was excited, he did his best to blank out any thoughts.

Jason knew that improvement and training required a careful process. For now, he had to rest and recuperate so that he was in a good mental space to study and train the next day.

Despite his high emotions, it didn't take him much time to achieve a state of total calmness.

He fell asleep shortly after.

He slept deeply.

The next day, he got out of bed and then made a breakfast sandwich with ham and eggs along with his usual cheap instant coffee.

He pulled up several YouTube videos on finger exercises as he ate and drank. He carefully watched and then rewatched the videos to ensure he was taking in every detail.

Once he finished, he set his plate aside and then washed his hands. After drying them off, he started slowly and steadily going through the flexibility and dexterity exercises. He carefully dragged his finger across the timing bar at the bottom of the video, pausing every few seconds to make sure he was doing every step correctly.

After about ten or twenty minutes of stretching and training, he put his phone aside.

It was important not to overwork and strain himself. Jason wanted to improve long term. However, he also needed to stay ready for the overall Tournament of Assassins.

Once he finished the entire process, Jason returned to the basement and pulled up his computer.

After resting and eating up, he could think clearly again.

The first and most crucial step was finishing up the weapons listed on the Blazing Avarice.

Out of his current items, he had five strong options.

The Legerdemain Blade and the Gorgon's Flail were great utility items. The Titan's Macuahuitl filled a key role of killing Grunts. The Valorous Ji was a great all-around option. It could stab, slash, and jab without any issues.

As for the Pendulum Shield...

Jason frowned.

The damage-reflecting item had been his secret weapon against Vile, but he'd never gotten to use it.

The Pendulum Shield's ability to absorb impacts and then redirect them was powerful, but his failure to use the weapon helped Jason realize that the item was extremely restricted.

It could only be used at ultra-close range.

If Jason used the item as a conventional shield for ranged attacks or extended melee strikes from items like spears, he wouldn't be able to redirect the damage onto his opponent.

Initially, Jason had been extremely attracted to the item's upside. Now, he was forced to consider the weapon's downside. It'd be worth replacing the item with a different shield if he found something particularly useful.

Of course, the most important slots were his two empty options.

While Jason had his eye on the unique options available for the Martial Arts event, he needed to find worthy items before moving to the Tournament of Assassins. He couldn't afford to wait for the event.

Fortunately, there were plenty of high-ranking missions available.

Jason had two roles in mind.

The first was a high-force item that could emulate the strength of the Triple-Gravity Staff. The raw power of that item had left a strong image in his mind.

The second was an item that worked well for team play. Fighting alongside Danny was Jason's best option if the fight became too tough to handle alone. Jason wouldn't give up on individual fights, but his loss to Vile told him that he definitely needed a backup plan.

As for the specific items he wanted...

Jason wasn't entirely sure. There were a lot of options available, and with a week to go, he could take his time and plot out the most beneficial option.

In addition, he was more than happy to coordinate with Danny.

The two pilots had initially intended to prepare separately before the tournament, but now, Jason wanted to get some practice beforehand.

He pulled out his app and sent the other pilot a message.

Devourer22: Hey, would you like to start heading to Castle Notoria together? I was thinking we could take the longer route and try to finish some missions on the way there. I need to upgrade my Mech.

Jason was still concerned about the Illusionist's scouting ability. However, he felt like it was more important for him to practice with Danny's team. On top of that, there was no need for Jason to openly use the Red Minerva.

Although Jason had completed several other maps, the two remaining Vaults remained on his mind. While he would probably need to use the Red Minerva for more difficult stages, he was happy to travel using a different machine. It would be a good way to get long-term practice while also disguising the Red Minerva's new watchdog genes.

The second stage of the Tournament of Assassins involved a unique twist.

Castle Notoria, the highly defended Illusionist Fortress, rested on one of Overdrive's hidden planets. A hidden planet couldn't be reached via the teleporter on the central summoning platform.

Instead, players traveled through open space to arrive at the hidden planet.

Fortunately, players had a map of the location beforehand. Assuming nothing went poorly, players could fly from the central spawning platform to Castle Notoria in about five hours of game time.

On the surface, it seemed like splitting that game time over a week would be a relatively casual stroll.

Players could save their current location so that they'd re-spawn there once they logged on.

On top of that, it was impossible to lose your parts or Mech. The Salvage rule or Expert battles were both de-activated. Players couldn't steal parts from other players.

Overdrive's open space featured plenty of exciting and lighthearted challenges.

Although players and large organizations, including the Illusionists, followed certain rules and guidelines, open space was technically an open combat zone.

Players could battle each other at any time and test their skills.

The rules changed during the special Guild War periods, but there was no risk to parts and items during peacetime.

In addition, wild alien Hemoborn controlled by the Overdrive AI system occasionally roamed through space. Defeating the Mechs allowed players to collect genetic samples and frames.

Both features were appealing to Jason.

He couldn't copy weapons and upgrade his Mech, but he could battle different opponents and practice. None of the alien genes were particularly rare or powerful, but that didn't mean he couldn't find a place for specific aspects on the Red Minerva.

His loss to Vile's Grunt, the added strengths he'd gained from the watchdog genes, and the lessons he'd learned watching the local players at the Good Game Shoppe had all reminded Jason to respect basic skills and abilities.

He might have a much more powerful Mech now, but he couldn't forget the humble mindset of a One Star Boss.

However, flying through open space came with its own unique risk. The trouble was rather mild, but it was definitely annoying.

Simply put, it often took a great deal of time.

If your Mech was ever destroyed in open space, you would immediately re-spawn in the central space platform. You would also lose your original saved teleportation point, and you'd be forced to start over again.

For a timed mission like the Castle Notoria raid, that feature presented obvious challenges and obstacles.

Bzzt.

Jason's Overdrive app rang.

He pulled it up.

Rooster7: Yeah! Do you mind if I bring my guild members? Most of them are pretty inexperienced, but I think there will be safety in numbers. Besides, they'll still help us with the different maps if you want to upgrade your machine on the way there.

Jason quickly agreed with the other pilot.

Devourer22: That sounds great.

Traveling in a large group was a good idea.

Only Jason and Danny would be able to participate in the actual Tournament of Assassins. After all, they were the only players who had qualified for the second round.

However, Danny's guild could escort them to the planet where Castle Notoria rested.

The rules made it possible to eliminate other players from the tournament before the event officially started.

A player who was killed and forced back to the space station right before the tournament start date wouldn't lose their Mech or items. The Salvage Rule didn't activate until players set foot on the ground of Castle Notoria.

However, players who failed to descend into the atmosphere and reach the planet within the time limit would be disqualified.

The players responded with two different tactics. Some players recruited large posses to escort them. Others snuck past the groups and reached the planet on their own.

The Illusionist guild considered both options worthy of assassins.

After all, there were multiple different assassination styles. Some assassins charismatically blended into the crowd, working their way through the organization before finding their target. Others were solo operators.

Jason had initially considered himself in the second category, but he wanted to push himself further.

Starting the mission a week ahead of time was a good idea. If Danny's guild couldn't get it done, Jason would have time to make it there by himself.

However, Jason remembered Danny mentioning that his guild had reached the second round a couple of times before. While he likely had many inexperienced players, some of the pilots were good enough to clear the first round and assassinate an Illusionist guild leader.

Jason's Overdrive messenger app beeped again.

Rooster7: Awesome! I'm so excited to see you! You should definitely come right away.

Bzzt.

Bzzt.

Bzzt.

After his initial message, Danny sent a few other random excited sentences.

Jason smiled.

The other player was a really great guy. After parting ways, Danny had said he didn't mind what Jason did so long as he arrived at Castle Notoria on time.

Now, it was pretty obvious what he'd actually wanted to do. However, he'd been careful to respect Jason's preferences and way of playing.

It was an important lesson to remember.

In the end, Danny sent Jason the warp code to his guild headquarters.

Every guild had access to a special code that allowed players to arrive immediately at their headquarters. Advanced guilds, like the Illusionists, used these guild codes to teleport to any one of the organization's space stations or planets.

However, Danny's guild wasn't an official organization with its own territory. He hadn't purchased a headquarters from the Overdrive Corporation or managed to claim his own domain in a Guild War.

After entering the code, Jason arrived at one of the spherical satellite stations orbiting the central spawning platform. Guilds or shopkeepers that couldn't afford to purchase a territory were shunted off to the small orbiting sub-colonies around the central space station.

In a way, the sub-stations were the exact opposite of the extremely convenient floors directly beneath the spawning platform. Although they were technically in close proximity to each other, the slight distance made a big difference.

Reaching the OverManiacs floor was as simple as taking an elevator.

Reaching one of the sub-colonies required summoning your Mech and flying outside. The total difference in time was just fifteen minutes, but it meant that there was almost no reason for someone to visit the sub-colonies when they could just go downstairs.

In addition, the sub-colonies offered none of the unique bonuses - such as specially customized fortresses or defense turrets - that guilds could install outside their own bases.

In short, the small rooms in the sub-colonies were just basic offices with no advantages. However, Jason understood where the Overdrive Corporation was coming from.

They wanted to give inexperienced players some sort of space to develop their guilds or shops. However, they also wanted to encourage those same players to start participating in the in-game economy as soon as possible.

All of the offices in the subsidiary space station were the same.

Each guild had its own plain office with a gray rectangular door. A poster hung on each door displayed the guild's name and insignia.

To Jason's surprise, Danny's poster didn't look like a poster.

Instead, a plain paper bag was tapped onto the door. The guild's name was scrawled on the bag in Red Sharpie.

BAG Guild - Broke Ass (Guild) Guild

Jason smirked.

That was a pretty funny name.

He pulled at the door, and it briefly flickered green after verifying that he'd been given the appropriate warp code.

He stepped inside, and Danny immediately greeted him with an enthusiastic hello.

The eager pilot quickly pointed from guild member to guild member as he introduced each member of his party. The names one after the other, quick as a waterfall, and Jason already knew that he'd spend the next few days asking for clarification.

Fortunately, it seemed like the guild already had a clear-cut process for new members.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

A storm of new friend requests hit Jason's inbox. Each friend request came with a profile, including a name and picture.

A quick headcount showed that there were about a dozen or so players in the room, but that only included players who were both online and currently in the clubhouse.

There could be other players hunting for parts on various maps. On top of that, not everybody would log on just to say hi to Jason.

Jason didn't know much about guilds, but common sense dictated that not everybody would play simultaneously. Most guilds usually used an impromptu system of players hopping in to participate in individual missions.

Danny's guild probably had many more players than the dozen in the room.

Danny had said that his guild was relatively inexperienced, but it seemed they'd probably had plenty of experience welcoming new players into the fold. They'd known exactly what to do upon meeting Jason.

Jason quickly looked through the profiles.

Just as Danny said, most of the players seemed mediocre or downright bad. Some of them had played thousands of ranked games only to accrue a very low rank.

In general, Jason knew not to dismiss someone with a low rank.

Someone who'd only played a few games might have gotten unlucky. However, someone who'd played thousands of games had almost certainly reached their true ranking.

There were many such low-ranking players in the guild. Out of the group in front of Jason, only Danny and a couple of other players stood at a respectable individual level.

However...

Jason took a look around them.

All of the players were carefully working together on their current goal. The collaborative atmosphere and buzz resonated through the air. Every player wanted to help Danny and Jason safely reach Castle Notoria while upgrading their Mechs.

The vibe here was just like the Good Game Shoppe.

Jason felt like he could fit in here and play his own game without interfering with anyone.

Then he caught himself and shook his head.

No.

He had to be more than just a solo player. Vile had proven to Jason that he couldn't just brute force one-on-one his way past every opponent. He had to grow and develop his skills.

He had to fit in with the rest of the team and even elevate the weaker players.

The BAG Guild quickly figured out the overall route and the most comfortable way for everyone to play.

The other players took care to include Jason in their conversation, even when he was silent. Although they'd just met him, they pulled him into the discussion every time he paused.

If any player got kicked back to the space station due to a death, they agreed to catch up on their own time instead of making the others wait for them.

In addition, they'd put out a call for help to the other guild members, letting them know where they could join up with everyone.

Finally, split the route into five segments of two hours of gameplay each. Normally, it only would take five hours to reach the location. However, Danny wanted to budget in additional time for other missions while on the way there.

Finally, Danny wanted to safely arrive the day before the event so that he and Jason could focus entirely on the descent once they arrived. Although players could arrive outside the planet early, they were only allowed to descend through the atmosphere on the actual day of the tournament.

Trying to sneak in earlier would bring the whole Illusionists guild down on you.

The other player's planning was very fastidious, and Jason admired his organizational skills. When accounting for his own goals, Jason soon developed an aggressive plan.

During the day, he would travel with Danny and his friends.

During the night, he would practice at the Good Game Shoppe and learn additional techniques.

With just a week to go before the event, he had to be as efficient as possible as he continued his journey of growing into the strongest player he could be.