The System I Created

Chapter 17

Many inside the facility heard this, because Natasha wasn't about to lose face in an open challenge that she was baited in; she had already fallen for his provocation and manipulation. She had to gain her reputation; she forgot that the person in front of her was a Lazarus known for being cunning and devious. Natasha's pride and determination pushed her to accept the challenge, despite the warnings coming from her own consciousness and from those who knew Lazarus's true nature. She was determined to prove herself and show that she was not one to back down from a challenge. The same female staff member that Dane talked about the bounty system with was asked to oversee the competition between Natasha and Dane Lazarus, ensuring fairness and adherence to the rules.

An artificial dungeon training ground is available at each Association branch. The facility was constructed with assistance from GHH Corporation and with BOT Dynamics. Each association facility branch was given two distinct underground bunkers, each 200 square meters in size and ten meters high, with reinforced concrete covering the entire training bunker. This is the official location where the two massive corporations will install their military-grade equipment.

The most advanced holographic technology will be utilized for realistic combat simulations, providing a cutting-edge training experience for all members of the association. The partnership with GHH Corporation and Nexus Incorporated ensures that the training ground is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and resources to enhance the skills and capabilities of the players.

By using inductive charging, the bunker itself powers each droid. These quadruped robots are designed and created to mimic and respond to tactical warfare. And the holographic skin projected outward creates a visual similar to the creatures residing inside the tower; the now biggest quadruped robot is as big and heavy as a tank.

Since these quadruped robots are designed to continuously attack a target within the set region and are equipped with weapons that mimic the majority of program monsters the players will utilize, players will have the opportunity to practice their combat strategies and teamwork in a realistic and challenging environment. This cutting-edge technology allows for a dynamic and engaging training experience that pushes players to their limits.

In order to serve as rear guards, many wished to deploy this technology as the main attack unit inside the tower. Unfortunately, the power source required to run these quadruped robots is limited, making them unstable for prolonged periods of time. They only operate in a customized setting where the entire facility is designed to be a massive inductive charging station because of this.

Underestimating them will undoubtedly result in disaster. These robots offer a realistic and demanding environment for testing strategies and tactics as training simulations. Furthermore, personalization of the holographic skin is possible according to the particular scenario being mimicked. The hardest tests are facing the humanoid-looking robots; these fighting bots are based on the Atlas prototype.

But due to the vast advancements, these bots are now equipped with advanced artificial intelligence that adapts to the player's skills and strategies in real time. This makes them formidable opponents that require quick thinking and adaptability to defeat.

The source code for the monsters was sold by Nexus Corporation, the company that created the virtual game on which the Tower of Chaos was based, as required by the world government to enable these training bots to mimic the actual monster in the tower. The old gods had the power to create life and worlds with just a thought; they decided to punish humanity by copying a worldwide virtual game instead.

Dane smiled as he was walking while the association explained the brief history of the training bunker. These bunkers are free to use, but many players saw this to be a waste of time; the fact is going inside the tower was already a difficult issue. Only those with deep pockets or members of a wealthy organization can come back and forth. Even Natasha and her team hardly used this area because they already had actual combat experience inside the tower.

The people behind Natasha were all whispering among each other about the Lazarus guy's attitude; the eight people were mocking him behind his back, saying his ego was becoming unbearable. Natasha, however, remained focused on the mission at hand and ignored the gossip circulating around her team. She somehow was a bit wary of the challenge, as if something was not right.

As they went down and walked a few more seconds, they all finally reached the two separated entrance metal doors. Each entrance has a terminal where they could set up the battle scenario and adjust all the conditions of the training bunker. The association staff used her ID card to set up the condition and time frame. And just duplicate it in the other training room bunker.

Natasha and Dane each terminal to make sure the setup was the same. When everything was set, they shook hands and entered each of their respective training rooms and waited until the system activated.

When Dane first saw the training bunker, he was thrilled; it looked like the training room of his favorite comic book-based squad of mutant heroes, but this time he was truly experiencing it. In contrast, Natasha was ecstatic as she entered the training room, hoping to win the task and recruit a Lazarus member to her team.

Since Dane intends to employ the technology in the training bunker soon and wants to develop it as much as possible because he knows it would provide his family with a major edge in the future, he asked Miko to copy it. As the entire room was illuminated by this state-of-the-art technology, Miko responded to the command and successfully produced a holographic display of herself. The space quickly transforms into a cave with dim lighting from the flickering lights, which allows him to see what was in front of him. As a digital entity with a distinct autonomic system, Miko displayed her holographic appearance, allowing Dane to see how she desired to appear.

Wearing a Japanese kimono, Miko emerged as a tiny fairy with wings made of the longer, wider yukata obi at her back. Her delicate features and intricate details were visible in the holographic projection, captivating Dane with her ethereal presence. The combination of traditional Japanese attire and futuristic technology created a mesmerizing blend of past and future in the room.

He smiled and greeted his creation; she can only be seen every time Dane activates his own similar holographic monitor screen. She looked animated and flat, but now she was brought to life in a way that was both enchanting and surreal. Miko was also happy but explained to Dane she could only do this inside the training bunker as it was designed to project images in 3D. The holographic technology was truly revolutionary, allowing Miko to interact with Dane in a way that seemed almost magical. It was a glimpse into the future of communication and connection.

The challenge was about to start, and soon there came an announcement. Dane wanted to win in a fair fight, so he requested Miko not to help him. Miko downsized herself to a foot tall, nodded, and simply floated aimlessly behind him like a cloud.

Dane took out his mother's chokutō katana as he decided to use this as his primary weapon as the challenge started. Dane quickly dashed toward his moving target; the cave was a bit hard to navigate in as it was lightly illuminated and filled with obstacles. Despite the difficulty, Dane remained focused on his goal and continued to move swiftly through the cave. The evolved high orc bot was created to see in the dark, and their numbers are about fifty, as the floor under the training bunker holds a storage room of these high orc bots.

As Dane approached his target, he knew he would have to rely on his agility and quick reflexes to outmaneuver him. He knew how agile and strong these orcs were, as he had coded them in the past to have the ability to hack a person with an impact of mass of 1000 kilos and have the speed of a cheetah. With the odds stacked against him, Dane took a deep breath and attacked first.

The first conflict then occurred, and Dane faced one of them directly. The sound reverberated like thunder hitting rock. Like a battering ram aimed directly at his chest, the orc bot's arm swung downward as it surged at him with blinding speed. Dane, however, saw this dance coming and quickly turned on one heel, ducked beneath its blow, and then rolled sideways to get back on track.

Time seemed to slow down as he produced his mother's katana, a weapon made of steel and years of disciplined practice in the face of hardship, and cut upward diagonally across the metal beast's chest. Contact caused sparks to fly, then circuits ignited violently before crashing over themselves, followed by an agonized whirr.

Others were waiting behind the first few that already fallen , though, and they rushed forward unrelentingly, creating a wave propelled by programming intended to destroy threats mercilessly and without hesitation. Breathless but determined in the midst of the chaos, Dane recalled long-forgotten memories—the laughter during training sessions illuminated by sunlight streaming through swaying trees; times when uncertainty seemed far removed from the unwavering faith instilled by maternal guidance during early childhood.

He muttered to himself, "Focus!" as he avoided another hit that would have killed him! His body quickly learned to adapt, so even though his odds of survival were minimal, he danced again in the face of impending disaster! Every stroke was fueled by unwavering tenacity. At first, Dane's motions were sluggish due to the small and constricted figure, but as time went on, his agility and speed improved. His mother's weapon, the adrenaline pumping through his veins, was hacking and cutting cables and synthetic rubber skin.

Because the orc robots were so lifelike, anyone who encounters them will be terrified. These monsters' weapons are comparable to those of the real thing, yet living things have finite stamina and endurance, but the orc robots appear to have limitless vitality. As he fought on, Dane came to understand that quick reactions and intelligent thought were just as important as physical power in beating them.

One after another these orc fell at a very fast rate, at first each skite toward their metallic internal body was hard, it was like hacking a tree with a dull axe, but now after a few minutes his prowess was honed and adjusted , Dane unleashed fury focus strikes solely for the intension to slice the enemy as if they were made of paper.

He combined his punches and kicks to maximize his attack, but this action was now taking a toll on his body; he was trained by his mother in the past to use a sword effectively with focused slashes with minimal energy expenditure. As he continued to fight, Dane's movements became fluid and precise; attacks were slowly becoming more sluggish and inefficient, conserving his energy while still delivering powerful sword slashes and blows was now making him tired.

Miko advised him to use his mana to enhance his attacks, allowing him to maintain his strength and precision without exhausting himself. But Dane thought this might be considered cheating as he never discussed this with Natasha.

However, this was not the case with Natasha, who was already using her mana to destroy the programmed evolved high orc bots. She was also using her secondary magic, which is healing. Like most players, Natasha always makes sure that everybody in her guild has secondary hidden skills, some even having four in their arsenal. As for Natasha, she has three skills: a healer, a sword dancer, and mana perception and detection.

As all creatures from the tower have mana, this was her biggest advantage in hunting in the dark, as she could see her targets like they were glowing beacons in the night. With her keen perception and healing abilities, Natasha was a formidable opponent in the tower, able to outmaneuver and outlast her enemies with ease.

While she was using her mana to make her eyes more adaptable in the darkness, as these orc bots don't produce mana in the artificial bodies, and she could not feel the mana coming from the other training bunker room.

"Was I wrong?"

"Why isn't he using his mana?"

"Is he really that stubborn?"

Natasha's mind raced with questions as she pondered the unusual behavior of her opponent. Despite her confusion, she remained focused on the task at hand, determined to emerge victorious.

"Anyway, he was foolish enough to accept the challenge without even properly gathering equipment."

"he doesn't even have any weapon or gear on him, while I always carry my claymore sword with me."

"As I recall, he doesn't even have a weapon on him."

"and his clothes are just ordinary,

Meanwhile, Dane was nearing his limit and felt the time limit would soon be reached when more orc bots came. Dane's opponent seemed prepared for the battle, as these Orc bots are far faster, and Dane's attacks were easily evaded. He felt the enemy's punch was stronger as he hit the cave wall like a raging bull. He nearly lost consciousness but managed to regain his focus just in time to dodge a fatal blow. With adrenaline pumping, Dane unconsciously activated his mana, seeing the group of orc bots already learned from their fallen comrades and adjusted their tactics accordingly, sending out stronger and more aggressive attacks.

The pungent, acrid smell of machine oil clung to the cavern floor, a greasy testament to the brutal conflict that had just transpired. Patches of the slick liquid formed dark, iridescent puddles reflecting the flickering light from the cave mouth. Where moments before lay scattered fragments of mangled orc bots, now a peculiar, almost unsettling choreography was taking place. Robotic tendrils, like metallic vines, emerged silently from the stone floor, their smooth, chrome surfaces contrasting starkly against the rough, rocky ground.

Carefully piecing the pieces together, they slithered across torn limbs, crushed torsos, and broken skulls. A faint, whirring sound reverberated with each exact connection, a mechanical heartbeat that restored the fallen automatons to rudimentary but dangerous life. Any moment of relief was cut short as the dull clanking of metal on metal became louder, a chorus of reassembly that filled the cave with dread.

Dane gripped his weapon tighter, the weight oddly reassuring him as his breath came in jagged spurts. He was aware that this was only a brief reprieve and not a victory. The metallic clamor reverberated about him, confirming his terrible realization that the war was far from done and that the next wave would be much more fierce than the previous. The bots were back, not just returned but rebuilt.

Additionally, because the training bunker is similar to the main association headquarters protocol source code, the system that makes and maintains these synthetic creatures is designed to be self-sufficient, with its main purpose being to replicate the production plant process.

Beneath its solid floor, a monstrous machine known as the Mother Forger dwells, a silent observer and tireless engineer. Each time a player engages in training, each defeat and triumph is meticulously cataloged. The Mother Forger doesn't possess sentience or true intelligence; it operates on a far more primal, instinctual level. Its programming is brutally simple: collect the wreckage of the training monsters, assess the combatant's shortcomings, and then use the salvaged components to forge a new, more challenging opponent. It doesn't think; it simply builds. This process isn't random; it's a direct response to the player's performance. The Mother Forger dissects their techniques, identifies their weaknesses, and reconfigures the new monster to exploit these flaws, pushing the player to adapt or be overrun by ever-evolving challenges.

Nobody has ever reached this stage where the mother forger had to keep up with the destruction of its creation. But in Dane's mind, he was struggling as he assumed he was lacking; as soon as he felt tired, Dane didn't even account for how many Orc bots he had already defeated. The Mother Forger's relentless production was based on its primary command. Dane had already reached the level where all the quadrupedal humanoid-looking robots were all gone.

And the player still has fifteen minutes left remaining inside the training bunker. All fifty orc bots were demolished and torn apart, and newly assembled by the mother forger, has Danes data. The fact he was getting beat up and slashed the wounds were not fatal, but I still hurt him physically and mentally. Despite the pain, Dane knew he had to push through and finally left with no option. He still had ten minutes, but the creatures he was now facing were seven evolved high orcs mounted on a decayed Dire Warg with a level of 35 each.

As he finally made the decision to use mana in an attempt to win over the seven warg orc riders, Dane was gasping for air. Unaware of what would follow, Dane unintentionally discharged all of his mana as he concentrated his energies. He believed that he only needed to defeat the seven foes that stood in front of him. His wrath and frustration filled the area with a very thick mana,

causing catastrophe in the actual training bunker structure, the high orcs and their ride just simply stop moving as the violent force of mana bursts out like a tidal wave and crushes everything inside the 200-square-meter underground hall. Those who were waiting thought a ballistic missile hit the association branch. The force was so strong that the room that Natasha was in also suffered damage from mana release. The tremor it created was far more destructive when he used it at the upper ground gym where the octagon ring was destroyed a few days ago.

The very floor shook and cracked under the pressure, the hologram the room was projecting malfunctioned, and like a broken computer screen, the quadrupedal robots orc artificial rubber skin were torn off the wall connected to Dane's room. Was like punched through by a battering ram.

The rubber skin of the quadrupedal robots on Natasha's side was vaporized and violently disassembled; she herself flew backwards and collided with the metal escape door. The entire underground bunker was rocked by the tremor's powerful force, which left chaos and devastation in its wake.

Even Brigand, who is Level 45, was unable to match the mana blast's power, leaving many waiting in the main terminal in a state of shock. As the registered number on each terminal was finally tabulated, it was revealed that the registered player Dane won the challenge within an hour. Dane eliminated 62 while Natasha was 43. But Dane was sitting unconscious inside his side of the training bunker room, as he exhausted his mana and fell asleep not knowing he won.