Warmth blossomed around his right wrist, and he looked down to see a shimmering white gauntlet fashioned out of holographic light covering his right arm from the elbow down to the ends of his fingers. He turned his hand left and right, feeling no weight to the gauntlet but sensing something changing inside his body and mind.
>> Calibrating.
The warmth he had felt a moment earlier spread from his right wrist up his arm and into his chest, moving through the rest of his body as though he were being dipped into a warm bath. He felt strength and vitality course through every cell and sinew of his body. It was both exhilarating and daunting considering the darkness all around him and the disturbing news he’d just received about the end of the world.
>> Calibrating.
A visual display appeared in front of him like a video game heads up display. It showed a red sphere at the bottom center of his vision, which he immediately assumed represented his health. To either side of that circle sat blank tiles, and a timer was counting upward from the top right of the screen.
“Okay, so this is officially the weirdest day ever,” he said, looking left and right.
>> Assigning contest tutor.
A small symbol popped up in the top left of his HUD. It looked like a small soundwave made of orange light, but the wave was barely moving.
>> Loading personality.
“Hello?” Pete called out. “Alien robot lady? You wanna tell me what’s going on here?”
>> Tutor activated. Handshake completed. Tutorial duties transferred to gauntlet AI.
“Lady?!” Pete repeated. “I thought you said there were enemies coming?”
[Nero] Oh, goodness!
The soundwave icon sprang to life, responding to a high-pitched male voice.
[Nero] Goodness me, how disturbing.
The voice sounded like an English butler from one of those old-fashioned films, but a little higher pitched than it should be.
[Nero] I was having the most marvelous dream.
“Ah, hello?” Pete said, hoping the new figure would be able to provide a clearer picture of what was going on.
[Nero] Oh, yes, of course. Greetings, contestant Alpha-Twelve-Horatio-Seventeen. I am Nero-Seven-JJH7-Sigma, your inbuilt AI tutor and guide to the Dominion Ultrimax Contest. What is your preferred designation?
“Ah, my friends call me Pete.”
[Nero] Excellent, then if you will allow me, I shall continue the tradition, Pete. In response, you may simply refer to me as Nero.
“Great. Okay, Nero, I need you to tell me what the hell is going on here! That other chick said there were enemies coming, and she mentioned some kind of weapon?”
[Nero] Yes indeed. Before we begin, however, I should inform you that I am technically under the employ of the Tongsly Belch Corporation and as such am required to feed back all data gathered during the course of my tutorial duties. Any conversations we share will be made available to the Tongsly Belch Corporation, as will all visual and auditory data collected during the course of your time in the contest.
“Fine. I just need to know—”
[Nero] While your private information and sensitive details about your competition performance—combat strategies, unique skills and weapon upgrades, and the like—will be made available to all beta level employees and above at the Tongsly Belch Corporation, these details will not be directly sold for profit or passed onto third parties.
“Okay, but—”
[Nero] They may however be auctioned off as part of a larger bundle of data. Such auctions are held on a seasonal basis and contain up to twelve Exabytes of data in total which are typically purchased by one entity and used for a variety of purposes including targeting of advertisements, the manufacture of physical and holographic merchandise, editing of competition highlights to be sold as collectable digital items, and so on.
“Shit! I get it. Fine. I don’t care about any of that. Just tell me what the hell is going on with this gauntlet and the weapon I’m supposed to get. Also, I need to know what enemies I’m going to be facing and how to kill them.”
[Nero] Of course. Given your request, would you like to waive a comprehensive outline of the terms and conditions relating to all Dominion Ultrimax governed activities, in addition to the Tongsly Belch Corporation terms of service amendments, privacy agreement, and contestant contractual obligations?
Pete paused, eyes narrowing as he considered what the AI tutor had just said. It sure as hell sounded like a trap.
“First, I’m guessing we’re in some kind of time stasis area. So, time isn’t moving here as fast as it is in the real world, right?”
[Nero] An excellent deduction, Pete. You are correct. While you are undergoing the process of configuration, you technically exist outside your regular space and time.
Pete let out a breath, nodding as he thought through the implications of what he was hearing.
“Okay, so if I waive the details of all these agreements now, will I be able to bring them up later on and go through them?”
[Nero] Yes, of course. All agreements are available to contestants and can be read at your leisure. Of course, it’s unlikely that you’ll get much leisure time, particularly during the opening days of the contest. Most players tend to spend the first forty-eight hours running and screaming and spilling bodily fluids out onto the ground. A lot of praying too and mentioning mothers.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Pete clenched his fists, noting that the gauntlet on his right hand responded seamlessly to his hand movements.
“How long is it going to take to read through it all now?”
[Nero] Approximately thirteen hours.
“Fuck! Seriously?”
[Nero] Yes indeed. There is a good deal of fine print, and the Tongsly Belch Corporation likes to be very thorough in its legal positioning.
“But I can’t refuse any of this anyway, right? I mean, I don’t have a choice.”
[Nero] You made contact with the gauntlet, Pete. That signals complete agreement with the various stipulations and requirements of the contest.
“Then I guess I’ll waive listening to the agreements. Just give me the highlights of what I’m facing here. And tell me what the deal is with this gauntlet?
[Nero] Of course, Pete. Presently, you are in the process of being integrated into the Mammon System. Once everything is fully calibrated, you will be able to make full use of your gauntlet and can begin the process of securing a class and commencing your journey as a hero in the Dominion Ultrimax competition. Alternatively, you could die horribly the moment after leaving this calibration space, in which case any loot you have acquired or personal properties you possess will revert to the Tongsly Belch Corporation.
“But what does the gauntlet actually do? And how does this System work. Judging by the head-up display, I’m guessing it runs on pretty standard gaming mechanics?”
[Nero] Why, yes, it does in fact. Are you familiar with such Systems?
“I’m familiar with games, and this shit looks like it’s been ripped right out of a first-person shooter. So do I get special skills and abilities or shit like that?”
[Nero] That will depend on your class and how well you are able to progress in the first few hours after calibration has completed. Your first step will be to survive, and if you manage to do that, you will acquire a Soul Ledger Token, which can be used to select a class.
“Classes like what? Warrior, rogue, healer, that kind of thing?”
[Nero] There are five primary classes to choose from, provided you have sufficient funds to make the choice. Would you like to see a list of available classes?
“Yeah. Show me what my options are.”
[Nero] Very well. Here is a list of the official classes that can be chosen at the novice level.
+| Blue Chip Brawler [Warrior Archetype]: This tank turns wealth into resilience, with defense that grows stronger as valuable gear and currency are accumulated. It becomes an impenetrable fortress of finance, able to absorb massive damage.
+| Market Manipulator [Mage Archetype]: A master of economic warfare, bending the very laws of supply and demand to their will. This class’s unique “magic” weaponizes currency and destabilizes enemy assets.
+| Black Market Broker [Rogue Archetype]: A ghost in the System specializing in illegal deals and acquiring rare goods from the shadows. This class’s skills let them bypass guards and acquire incredible wealth without ever being seen.
+| Venture Capitalist [Summoner Archetype]: Does not fight its own battles—it funds them. This class summons temporary creatures and hired muscle by “investing” Belch Bucks, building an army that can be leveraged for massive returns.
Pete snorted. “So, you guys are really all in on the whole money-based mechanics thing, huh?”
[Nero] Correct. But you may find that, while the terms used for these classes differ from what you are accustomed to, their skill sets echo those of traditional fighting classes. Each class includes its own strengths and weaknesses and, depending on your natural inclinations, some classes will prove easier for you to progress in than others.
Pete nodded, comforted by something he was at least familiar with, even if the terminology was twisted. Surrounded by darkness and still feeling as though his body was being changed somehow, he latched on to the idea of those familiar gaming mechanics.
“Okay, well if the Blue Chip Brawler is what I think it is, then I’ll go for that if I can. I’m guessing it’s a tank, right? Soaks up damage but doesn’t dish much out? Prioritizes survival over speed and damage dealing?”
[Nero] Correct. Although Blue Chip Brawlers can be quite devastating at higher levels, depending on which abilities and augments are acquired during their ascent. Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer a class that aligns a little more closely with your physique? Blue Chip Brawlers are typically favored by species with great strength and physical prowess. Perhaps you would be better suited to the Black Market Broker class given your…meager dimensions.
Pete frowned at that. “Dude, I’m six four. Been working out since I was fifteen years old. I may not be the biggest guy in the world, but I’m no shrimp.”
[Nero] I meant no disrespect, Pete. I simply note that, compared to many of the species that compete in the Dominion Ultrimax Contest, humans are a little on the…skimpy side.
Pete grimaced at that. It didn’t bode well if he was going to be facing alien species that were significantly more powerful than humans. Then again, he was standing smack bang in the middle of an alien invasion, so all bets were off.
[Nero] You may be quite reasonably proportioned for someone of your species, Pete, but you will be facing enemies that have been drawn to the contest from all across the cosmos. Many of them far outstrip humankind in strength and size. Several possess innate magical abilities. Some even have weaponry built into their biology. Speaking of which, do you happen to have a weapon at hand?
“A weapon? No. I thought that lady said that I was supposed to get a weapon at the Novice Arena?”
[Nero] A soulbound weapon, yes. But until then, you will need to use whatever mundane weaponry you can find. Do you not have a sword at hand, or some kind of projectile weapon you could employ to aid in your survival?
Pete blinked, quickly making an inventory of his apartment in a vain attempt to find something that would serve as an effective weapon. He didn’t have any guns. There were a few big knives in the kitchen, a baseball bat in his bedroom, but nothing else came to mind.
“Shit!” he blurted. “If I’d known I was gonna have to provide my own weapons, I would have tried to grab something before I walked outside today.”
Other than my car keys, he thought bitterly.
[Nero] Fret not, Pete. Tongsly Belch will provide. Why, for just the low, low price of five hundred Belch Bucks, you can secure yourself a base level Ultra Belch Blaster. In truth, there is very little that is ‘ultra’ about this particular weapon, but it will serve as a reliable firearm, and it should assist you in fighting off the first wave of enemies.
“What the fuck are Belch Bucks! Actually, it doesn’t matter because I don’t have any. What about cash? Shit, I don’t have much of that either, but maybe there’s something I can trade in. My car…is fucked, so not that. I’ve got a pretty nice flatscreen, and my computer is worth a bit of cash.”
[Nero] You don’t have any Belch Bucks? Well, I suppose that makes sense, given that you can only earn currency by defeating enemies in the contest, fulfilling quests, acquiring achievements and so on. Given your current circumstances, I suggest that you quickly find something to use as a weapon when we return to your reality. The enemy will be upon you within moments, so I suggest searching your immediate area and using whatever is at hand.
What did he have in hand? Car keys, a half-empty box of Tic Tacs, a ten-dollar faux-leather belt which was badly worn and unlikely to do much damage if he whipped it at someone.
He remembered the last message he’d heard before being taken to the configuration area. Old lady Cooper, her ferret, and something about a new body for his ‘companion’.
“Oh shit!”
>> CONFIGURATION COMPLETE!
Pete’s eyes went wide. “OH SHIT!”
[Nero] Time to return to your reality, Pete. I will be there to assist you, of course. My matrix has been fully integrated with your gauntlet so I will be with you throughout your time in the contest, available day and night to offer advice and tell you about all the great discounts you can pick up from your closest Tongsly Belch Vend-o-matic machine.
“Wait! I’m not ready to go back yet. I’ve still got questions. First, who the hell is this Tongsly Belch guy and why does he have a such hard-on for earth? What the fuck did we do to deserve invasion?!”
[Nero] Once more I will counsel you against making disparaging remarks about High Baron Tongsly Belch, Pete. The penalties for doing so are steep.
“Well how the fuck am I supposed to act when the guy has decided to drop an apocalypse on our world?”
[Nero] I’m sorry, Pete, but seeing as you waived your right to hear all terms, conditions, statutes, and rules relating to the contest, I’m afraid you will be returned to reality in just a few moments. While your chances of survival are very slim, I do hope that you have enjoyed our time together as much as I have.
“Wait? What about the—”