The System I Created

Chapter 16

The fear that reflected on Adams's face was real as he was trembling in fear; the panic in his eyes was more than enough to gain reactions from the rest of his teammates. They wanted to scold Adam, but as soon as they walked closer to Adam, Natasha made a hand gesture to signal the rest to remain where they were.

Natasha wasn't about to make a scene, but the killing intent she also felt within a nanosecond was real; the mana control he had was more than a new player. It was stated that no player in the world could do what she did; she is a second-generation player in her family. She and her older brother were influenced by their uncle to play Arcane Crusade in their teen years for reasons that many also regarded as a common and logical reason, as the virtual game will surely become economically beneficial in the future.

When she turned 20 years old, the virtual game eventually became so influential. Many corporations ventured into using the game to earn more revenue by developing technology. As Nexus Corporation opened their system to accept payable upgrades in an avatar's gear and equipment. The game's main development team was all focused on earning money but never had any skill in the actual game itself. These people were just the corporate face, but in reality, Damon Lazarus and his outsource team were the real masterminds behind the game's success. Their dedication to creating an immersive and engaging virtual world led to a surge in popularity and profitability for Nexus Corporation.

These seven people were masters of their craft, but none of them gained credit as they were forcefully silenced by the corporation until they just faded into oblivion.

The White Devil guild became known because of the first generation's effort as they joined virtual game competitions in the past, but after that fateful day when the game they loved playing became real, having fun is no longer the main reason; this time they need to play to survive.

Natasha knew this very well; all of the first-generation players that awakened their powers in the human realm were too fearful and lacked any physical training to actually hunt these monsters. Some were able to overcome this issue, but unlike Natasha Sokolov's uncle, who was already in his fifties, he just handed the guild he created in the game toward Alexsei and Natasha Sokolov when the tower became real.

Natasha has ten years of experience in playing the game and achieving many skills and magical abilities while in the virtual world, so when the tower became real, these abilities also manifested in reality, and they were able to fully utilize their game avatar effectively within a year. They secured their guild fame within the list of powerful guild clans in the world as they rank 50 among the top 100.

Natasha was always proud of her achievements as she was raised in a family to become competitive to obtain success. Her dedication and hard work paid off as she became a respected and skilled player in both the virtual and real worlds. Seeing how a mere newly registered player could drive her best melee fighter into a trembling mess with just a stare was making her upset and curious at the same time.

But she was still sensible to these matters, unlike his older brother, who will surely see this as an insult to the guild's pride. She doesn't want to act hastily, considering the person that did this was a Lazarus. Their guild was strong but not battle-crazy maniacs like the Lazarus clan. When they accepted a task from the first-floor lords and nobles, they wreaked havoc; the Lazarus clan was focused on large-scale war and destruction toward their prey. Their list of achievements is still etched in land. 5 thousand goblins eradicated, three adult wyverns, nearly a thousand bandits, and joined five known wars on the first floor as a hired mercenary army.

The Lazarus clan was raised to be a fighting force, trained from a young age to be ruthless and efficient in battle. Their reputation preceded them wherever they went, striking fear into the hearts of their enemies. Despite their rough nature, they were respected for their unmatched skill and unwavering loyalty to their family.

She knew she had to tread carefully when dealing with someone from that unpredictable clan.

Until she saw the man was talking to a staff member connected with the player association bounty program staff. She heard what happened yesterday when criminal players were killed.

She continued to look at Dane while she ordered her team to prepare to leave after an hour.

Natasha has an athletic physique; she stood exactly six feet tall, and her looks were far more than just appealing; she was strikingly beautiful. Her confidence and grace made her presence impossible to ignore. With red hair and piercing green eyes, Natasha exuded an aura of power and authority. But when she saw Dane again, she felt a certain hint of vulnerability creeping in. Despite her strong exterior, there was something about him that made her guard falter. She quickly composed herself, reminding herself of the task at hand before turning to address her team.

She assumed that he was asking about the association bounty program, considering it was the talk of the town after the successful elimination of the six criminal players, who were the talk of the town. Natasha knew that he was well aware of the program's success and was likely seeking more information on how to get involved. As many registered players already inquire about the same question,

After a brief explanation from the staff, the individual simply thanked the female association staff and walked away. and headed straight for the eating facilities. Natasha rushed over to the same employee to find out what the man in front of her had requested. Natasha persisted in asking the person's name even though the staff was unable to publicly state the topic of the chat. .

The association just politely told Natasha if she was interested in recruiting him, why not just ask him personally as he headed toward the cafeteria? She was annoyed hearing the staff answer, but she can't get mad at her, as she was also correct: these matters should be expected of her experience as a player. Natasha felt frustrated by the lack of information, but she knew that being direct with the man would be the best course of action. She decided to approach him in the cafeteria and ask him herself.

But even before she could go to him, an announcement was broadcasted at the association main hall monitor. That the bounty amount for those 6 criminal players has been successfully claimed by an offshore account. Natasha's frustration turned to shock. As well as everybody that was the announcement, they all assumed the person that took the bounty would surely personally claim the huge amount personally,

Dane just made an excuse to get near the staff member terminal while Miko, his AI assistant, secretly infiltrated the branch facility system and acquired the payment by creating fake bank accounts in a different area but made sure to create a back door where this money will all reroute toward the main account in random intervals to elude any suspicion. Miko was when Dane had already gained his powers, so no human-made AI system can even match her capability.

There was a reason why Dane traveled back toward the branch facility; it was for this reason. Actually, Miko can easily hack any bank and steal all its money, but she wasn't created to be like that; she is still bound to Dane's moral code and values. Dane was having a light meal when Natasha was about to talk to him when again out of no where he look at her as she was about to say something right in front of him and he just answered " ok"

"Huh? What do you mean, Ok i Accept your request?

"Wait! I haven't even introduced myself yet."

"what do mean you Accept my request!"

"You are the leader of the man who talked to me a few minutes ago, and the fact that you also have the same emblem on your shirt."

" you wont be approaching me now if it wasn't about the altercation i had with your team mate."

" and knowing players, pride tends to create a lot of unnecessary conflict."

" Let's try to start over with a clean slate, shall we?" Natasha said, trying to diffuse the tension between them. She hoped that by showing understanding and empathy, they could move past their initial confrontation and start fresh.

"That is why I said ok!"

"You are going to ask me about what your team member told me right?"

"so my answer is ok. I have no intension of making excuses, "

" your team member was rude and asked if we could spar? without even knowing the reason"

" he just insulted my clans name"

"So my answer to his question was actually ok. but after I talked to the association staff concerning personal inquiries."

"but he responded negatively, and bared his fangs toward me, so in response's sadly I reacted as negatively well."

"Seeing him react like that wasn't my intention, that is why we are now in this peculiar scenario,"

"I might be new as a player, but I do know requesting a spar is normal, mainly to gauge the player ability skill and weakness, while being recruited ."

" but the manner of how your teammate address this was inappropriate and rude," 

"So I will gladly accept any spar as long as I get compensated."

Dane plans was to test his own skill against a player with a year's worth of experience inside the tower. He wanted to see if he would win in his current stats or if he needed to really work hard inside the tower in order to gain the absolute freedom he dreams of obtaining. So the only reasonable thing to do is test his skills and lure the other players into his trap; challenging a player is actually legal, as it is part of the game feature, so being a player, they are bound to challenge another player. and hopefully he can gain something that is not yet available for him outside the tower of chaos

The rules are set based on the player being challenged; Dane knew that the association always indulged these kinds of events as it showcases many talents and strategies of the players. Sadly, there was an issue with Dane's compensation, as he wanted elemental magic scrolls that came from the tower rather than money. This was unprecedented because gaining a scroll was the easiest thing to obtain inside the tower, you can gain task, as many mage shops sell these magic skill scrolls as a basic commodity.

No matter how much magic scroll a player obtains, it's still connected to how big the player's mana capacity is. Currently, Dane has manipulated his affinity to two elements, that is, fire and lightning, but he hasn't gained any magic scroll to use it. While walking toward the association branch, all the shops he passed by were selling fake magic scrolls, and he thought of a plan: if his calculation was right, a player would openly challenge him. But he never expected the one who would bite would be the white devil guild.

Natasha was taken aback with the spar challenge compensation, but she does have many low-rank magic scrolls. These were utterly useless in combat situations. Her curiosity to see and test firsthand what a new registered Lazarus player was capable of prompted her to accept the challenge.

But this wasn't her plan at all; she got baited in the flow of the conversation. Dane's simple answer was enough to manipulate and open the doors that lead to the spar. Many of her team members didn't even notice it because they were more focused on what they all thought was their second leader's actual plan.

"I, Dane Rinne Lazarus, will accept your challenge. If I do, the compensation will be a magic scroll."

"Do you accept my condition??"

When he openly introduced himself as a Lazarus, many players who had no idea what happened prior to the octagon training ring were all shocked.

"Wow! He is a Lazarus. I heard they were all battle junkies, but this is the first time I've seen one accepting a spar."

"He's a new registered player, right? So there's a chance he is weak."

When asked about the situation, an older man with his team said, "You youngsters are too narrow-minded."

"Even if a player just registered, it doesn't mean his level is low," "It's all about strategy and skill, not just experience," he added, emphasizing the importance of not underestimating new players in the arena. The older man's words resonated with the crowd, who began to realize that being a Lazarus didn't automatically equate to weakness in battle.

"He has good reasons for being confident."

Natasha gave her answer after realizing the manipulation and trap she accidentally fell into. She knew she had to be more mindful of her assumptions and judgments moving forward. She wanted to steer away from the idea she instigated the spar, so knowing the man in front of her was cunning, she spoke openly, hoping she could control the flow and conditions of the spar.

Even the association staff and admins heard the commotion and were in utter disbelief that a new player was able to gain an official spar from the white devil.

"I am Natasha Sokolov. I will accept your request and abide by the compensation, but under my terms. If I win, you will work for the White Devil guild for a year."

"And let the association admin bear witness to this, like they always do; the spar shall be replaced with a dungeon raid in a separate room. In one hour, whoever has the most kills will win."

"Do you accept my terms?"

"Yes, so what are we hunting?"

" Evolve war Orcs."

Hearing the term, everybody gasped as the targets were the evolved war orcs. Natasha knew she laid her own trap and saw that the man in front of her had no choice but to accept her terms, knowing very well he had no actual experience in hunting inside the tower yet. He is just overconfident because he is a Lazarus. She assumes this Lazarus is also like the others; they would rather cut off their own hands than be seen as weak in front of other people.

"I will accept on the condition the challenge won't be broadcasted live."

"I will agree. If compensation is two different types of elemental magic scrolls of my choosing."

"So be it then; if you win, the white devil will pay with two magic scrolls."

"When do you want the challenge to take place?" The Lazarus asked, a sly smile on his face.

"Now," she replied confidently, already planning her strategy for the upcoming challenge.

'Let's get this over with," The Lazarus said, eager to finally gain permission for him to use elemental magic spells.

"Agreed," she replied, her eyes glinting with determination as they prepared for the challenge ahead.