Nate stared at Quinn for a few seconds before he finally spoke.
"Uh, yeah?" He asked. "Is there…something wrong with that?"
Internally, Quinn was panicking.
A desert was a sprawling wasteland covered in sand with very littlevegetation and water. However, that was currently a non-factor, as Tsukuru could simply just make whatever rations the team required.
The real cause of concern was what else deserts tended to have.
Scorching heat under a blazing sun.
Just the idea of having to journey through that made Quinn start to feel tired and exhausted.
Looking back at Nate, Quinn let out a nervous laugh.
"No, nothing's wrong." He replied, feeling a cold sweat down his back. "Thank you so much for the information. You've been a big help. I'm gonna play a few more games now before my time runs out."
Nate smiled.
"Sure, go right ahead." He replied. "You mind if I stick around to watch?"
***
Back in Tsukuru's "Battle Arena", the last of the Swarmers let out a scream of pain, as Tsukuru dropkicked it, and sent it flying through the air.
The Swarmer flew backwards like a kicked ball, bursting into pixels a few seconds later.
Tsukuru reached his arm into his hood, and cracked his neck.
"Well, that's the last of them." He muttered.
He looked around, noticing that he was now once again alone on the concrete platform.
Instantly, a set of three System messages popped up in front of him, the three messages overlapping each other, looking like a triangle.
[You have killed a Swarmer. 14 XP received. XP: 1012/1600.]
[Wave 2 has been completed. You have received 2 BP. BP: 4.]
[The Exchange Corner has been updated. A new item is now available for purchase.]
Tsukuru quirked his eyebrow in interest as he saw the third message, which was overlaying the middle message on its far-right side.
"Oh?" He asked.
Instantly, he accessed the Battle Arena's "Exchange Corner" using his System, and scrolled it down all the way to the very bottom, as if spinning a wheel.
If Tsukuru knew anything from playing video games, it was that when a new item got added to anything, it always appeared at the very bottom.
And he was right, for at the very bottom of the list, there was a new option available, appearing right below the "Hobgoblin Summon Race".
[Dark Elf Summon Race
Cost: 6 BP
Unlocks the Dark Elf Summon Race and adds it to your Video Arsenal [this does not require you to have an empty Racial Slot]. Adds 1 Pawn Grade Dark Elf to your Video Arsenal.]
Just like with the "Hobgoblin Summon Race" option, its image showed the same image of the Dark Elf that appeared in the "square" in his vision when he scanned it.
Tsukuru stared at the new option for a moment, his face morphed into a look of utter disbelief.
Then, a smirk crept across his face.
His gaze then darted down towards his "BP" at the bottom of the screen. Seeing the "4" being displayed, Tsukuru grit his teeth in annoyance.
Instantly, he dismissed the screen.
"I don't have enough points to unlock that today, but It'll be the first thing I purchase tomorrow!" He muttered bitterly.
Almost instantly, a System message popped up in front of him.
[Wave 3 will now begin. Would you like to continue?
[Continue] [Retire] ]
***
Back in Power Fighters, Quinn thought about Nate's question for a minute.
If he didn't want Nate to watch, all he had to do was block him or delete him from his Friends List. But at the same time, Quinn honestly thought there wasn't a problem with letting Nate watch him.
Now that his first half-hour was done, Quinn would actually be fighting people. And besides, it wasn't like he was doing anything that suggested that he was a Vampire. Plus, it was likely that Nate wasn't even from the same base as him.
Quinn smiled at Nate.
"Sure." He replied. "Go right ahead."
Quinn opened up his Status Window, and noticed that the small bar overlaying the screen on the lower-right corner currently read "29:59", indicating that he currently had thirty minutes left.
Using his remaining time, Quinn decided to use the "Quick Match" option, matching him with completely random opponents of varying Ability Levels.
This half of his time in the VR Pod would be used to practice his fighting skills.
Quinn began his matches.
His first match was against a Level 3 with the Water Ability.
The Water user had thrust his hands out in front of him, and shot a pressurized stream of water at Quinn, like a firehose.
Quinn had used his high Ability to dodge the stream.
Then, using the Flash Step, he teleported behind the Water User.
Before the Water User could turn around, Quinn released a Hammer Strike to his back, causing the Water User to collapse.
A System message popped up in front of him.
[25 Exp received. Exp: 290/800]
Quinn's next two matches were against a Level 1 and a Level 2.
And just like his earlier fights, they were Elemental Users, possessing the Earth and Wind Abilities respectively.
Quinn easily dealt with the Level 1 Earth User with a barrage of Blood Swipe.
As the Level 1 Earth User fell, another System message popped up in front of Quinn.
[25 Exp received. Exp: 315/800]
Quinn's fight with the Level 2 Wind User was much like his fight with Sam.
He used Blood Swipes to cancel out his opponent's Wind Blades, and then Flash Stepped behind him.
When the Wind User had turned around, Quinn used the sharped claws of his Black-Horned Gauntlets to tear apart his stomach, ending the match.
Another System message appeared.
[25 Exp received. Exp: 340/800]
***
When Tsukuru pressed the "Continue" option, the option lit up brightly, and an electronic "beep" was heard.
Like before, Tsukuru felt his whole body lit up green, and the warm feeling of reinvigoration flooded his body.
A System screen then popped up in front of him.
[Your HP, MC, and Stamina have been fully restored.
HP: 30/30
MC: 60/60
Stamina: 14/14
Wave 3 will now begin.]
Instantly, Tsukuru heard the sound of electronic interference.
Looking straight ahead, he saw seven groups of pixels appear on the opposite side of the platform.
The pixels clustered together into the familiar, arachnoid shape of the Swarmers.
There was a flash of light, and they fully manifested.
They all let out a loud "Scree!", and lifted their front legs in a show of aggression.
Tsukuru just stared at them for a moment, before he let out a deep sigh.
He held his right arm out at the side, and activated his Ability.
The sound of electronic interference filled the area, and three groups of pixels appeared under his arm.
The pixels clustered together into the shape of arrows.
The flame-shaped tip and the feathers along the end signaled them as Firebomb Arrows.
There was a bright flash of light, and the arrows fully manifested.
Tsukuru grabbed them with his Video Stasis Skill before the arrows could fall to the ground.
Tsukuru then flung his arm forward, sending the arrows flying at the group of Swarmers.
Just like before, the opposite side of the arena burst into flames, as three consecutive fireballs came into existence.
The Swarmers all screamed in pain, and they all simultaneously exploded into pixels.
As they exploded, a System message popped up in front of Tsukuru.
[You have killed seven Swarmers. 98 XP received. XP: 1110/1600.]
There was a short pause, before the sound of electronic interference could be heard again, signalling the arrival of the next group of enemies.
Tsukuru watched as eleven groups of pixels began to appear.
Just like before, they all clustered together into the shapes of the Swarmers.
Seeing this, Tsukuru's eye twitched in slight annoyance.
'I swear to God, this whole wave better not be nothing but Swarmers!' He thought.
Just like with the last group, the Swarmers all let out a cry as they fully manifested, lifting their front legs aggressively.
Tsukuru narrowed his eyes.
This time, he put both arms out by his sides as he activated his Ability.
The sound of electronic interference could be heard, and three groups of pixels appeared under each of his arms.
Each of the groups of pixels clustered together into the shape of one of the Firebomb Arrows.
There was a flash of light, and they appeared.
Tsukuru grabbed them with his Video Stasis Skill, and flung both of his arms out, sending the arrows flying.
When the arrows impacted with the concrete ground of the platform, they all exploded into flames, creating a raging inferno.
Tsukuru grit his teeth, and put his arm in front of his face to protect it from the intense wave of heat.
'Damn, Logan.' Tsukuru thought. 'You sure made this VR environment pretty REALISTIC!'
The Swarmers all cried, as they were incinerated by the fire.
They all burst into pixels, causing a new System screen to appear in front of Tsukuru.
[You have killed eleven Swarmers. 154 XP received. XP: 1264/1600.]