“If you would like me to run through how I can be of assistance, please say ‘help,’” his assistant said.
“Okay, help!” he yelled enthusiastically instead of screaming at the voice like he had wanted to.
“Sure thing. You have been selected as a candidate for the 76th Death March. Congratulations. As your assistant, I am able to answer any questions you may have about level upgrades or the grand algorithm in general. Please let me know if there is a specific topic you are interested in.”
Okay, you still haven’t explained what the fuck a Death March is.
“It is self-explanatory, is it not?”
No, it’s fucking not.
“Hmm. Well, it is the march towards the death of your planet's sad existence and the beginning of its ascension to part of the greater universe. During this time, those selected as candidates will gain early access to the grand algorithm in all its glory and compete for the spot of planetary leader.”
Okay, sure, why not? That’s just great…
“It is, isn’t it?” his assistant said with envy dripping from her voice.
No! No the fuck it’s not! Why the hell do you seem so envious of this?
“Oh, because it's a great blessing to be chosen during a Death March. Those of your planets will experience accelerated growth, only possible during such an event. Everyone born after their planet’s Death March would kill to be a part of one--literally.”
Sirans approached in the distance, catching Jay’s attention.
Fuck! he screamed internally, but his mouth didn’t seem to agree. “Amazing!”
He began running once more and found it slightly easier than before. It wasn’t much, but every piece of his body felt like it was working together just a little more efficiently to propel him forward. He ran for miles, only stopping when he had far passed the point at which he could no longer hear the sirens.
**Skill level increased: Running 1 - 2**
**Experience threshold reached: Level 0 - 1**
**Skill level increased: Running 2 - 3**
He placed his hands on his knees, panting after running so far. Level? he asked mentally.
“Mhmm. If you would like to learn more about them, you can check your status screen.”
How do I do that?
“Simply will the screen to appear.”
Jay furrowed his eyebrows, but did as the voice had asked. Another screen appeared before him.
Status:
Name: Jay Anderson
Race: Human: (Level - 1)
Class: N/A
Innate Class: N/A
Spirit: 124/200
Stats:
Physique: 3
Reflexes: 4
Intellect: 8
Charisma: 6
Willpower: 3
Tech: 6
Upgrade Points: 1
Cyberware:
Emotional Regulator - Rare - Excellent
Artificial Liver - Common - Poor
Bionic Arm - Common - Poor
Skills:
Running: (Level - 3)
Class skills:
N/A
What does any of that mean?
“That screen shows all of your base stats, as well as any cybernetics and skills that you have.”
Okay… So, what am I supposed to do with that knowledge?
“First, I recommend you allocate your upgrade point. You get one per level, and they are the only way to up your stats before you acquire a class.”
Still breathing heavily, Jay took a seat against one of the brick walls in the alleyway where he had stopped. He was about to ask how, but he guessed he already knew the answer. He willed the point to go into Physique and watched as the number increased from 3 to 4. He stopped panting as he felt a boost of energy and strength flow through his body.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Whoa!
“Addicting, isn’t it?”
Yeah.
He clenched and released his hands a few times. That feeling was like nothing he had experienced before, and he wanted to feel it again. He jumped to his feet, feeling rejuvenated, and began running once more. He would need to get back to his apartment quickly if he wanted to grab his medicine and leave before they were able to connect that crime scene to him.
**Skill level increased: Running 3 - 4**
He ran six more miles back to his home. He dashed into the elevator and agonized over every second it took to make it to his floor. When Jay finally reached his apartment. He grabbed his medication, as well as anything else he thought would be important. Which included two large sacks of nonperishable food. He charged back down the stairs and kept moving, finally collapsing from exhaustion in a back alley almost two miles away.
**Skill level increased: Running 4 - 5**
He panted, scooting his way against one of the walls to use as a backrest. Finally able to rest once more, it all washed over him. He screamed internally and slammed his fist into the wall over and over until a warm sensation ran down his hand.
**Skill level increased: Pain Tolerance 0 - 1**
Fuck off! He gripped his face with both hands, forcing his mouth to stay shut before it could utter some bullshit version of what he was actually thinking. Blood flowed down his cheek, running from a cut that had opened on his hand.
He shook as it mixed with sweat and another liquid. He was surprised the chip didn’t stop him, but felt a sense of relief. Tears ran down his face and fell into his lap, staining his cheap suit. For a moment, he thought he would finally be able to express his pain to the world once more. Then, the laughter started, like a gunshot to his soul. Almost three minutes passed before he was finally able to get it under control.
He wiped what remained of the liquid mixture from his face and ripped a small piece of cloth from his suit using a rusted needle that he found nearby to puncture the material. Without a care for where his makeshift cutting device had been, he ripped the cloth around his bleeding hand, tying it tightly.
“Maybe I'll get some sort of infection resistance,” he said happily with a chuckle.
“While that is a type of resistance, I would not recommend obtaining it in--”
Shut up! he yelled, cutting his assistant off.
“I would advise ?you speak to me more kindly. I am your only source of information about the new world, after all.”
Jay thought about yelling at the voice again, but restrained himself. No matter how angry he was, she was right. He would need her help if he wanted to get out of this mess.
Fine, he thought while folding his arms and letting his head fall back against the wall. No matter how he looked at it, he was fucked. Even if he had some new insane power. It wasn’t going to be enough to stop any organization from taking revenge for Mr. and Mrs. Winchester’s untimely deaths. It was truly over, and he was as good as dead. A spark he hadn’t felt in a long time suddenly awakened in his chest. He didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to spend the rest of his life afraid or confined in a small cell. He wanted to live! A deep part of himself he had suppressed and forgotten slowly opened its eyes once more. A stubborn resistance to his fate, a disagreement with anyone who would try to take away his choice in life. He clenched his bleeding fist tightly, letting the pain wash over him with the first genuine smile he had in years. He rose to his feet.
Hey, assistant or whatever I call you, how can I get stronger quickly?
“To start, you may call me Lan. As for growing your strength quickly, I would recommend you gain a few more skills and reach Level 5 to obtain your first class.”
Jay nodded before frowning slightly. How much would a class help me against someone decked out in some of the best combat augments?
“Seeing how advanced your planet was before integration, unless you get something truly broken, near zero.”
Jay had expected that answer, but even with confirmation, the smile didn’t leave his face. He had already decided that he would survive this and continue being a free man. If just getting a class wouldn’t be enough, he would just take it a step further. No matter what it took until he was forced to quit, he would rage and struggle until the end. With one deep breath, he looked around before he began running once more.
He didn’t stop until he had made it almost completely out of the city. It had taken almost 6 hours of running and avoiding every siren and other noise that he could. With how many times he had to stop, one of two things was happening. Either the manhunt for him was already much bigger than he had thought, or the world really was ending, and the authorities had bigger problems than one dead businessman. Five more notifications came as he finally made it out of the city and into a large forest nearby that stretched all the way to his hometown. He used to go camping there when he was younger, giving him some familiarity with the area. Even if he had never been to this part of it. The first told him his Running had improved once more, and another increased his Level to 2. The second leveling his Pain Tolerance, and finally, a new skill called Endurance. He was grateful for the last two. The numbing effect of Pain tolerance, combined with the improvement to his breathing that came from Endurance were probably the only thing that let him make it this far. His lungs still burned, and his knees felt like they would explode with every step, but he didn’t stop moving. It was not until he was deep into the forest that he finally felt comfortable enough to sit against a tree and catch his breath.
“I guess leveling your Running is one strategy, but why did you bring us out here?” Lan asked.
“It's the only place I could think of close by where they might have some trouble finding me,” he said between ragged breaths.
“Why are you so worried? Checking your planet's basic data net, it’s quite easy to find that fully enhanced humans are still quite rare. I doubt any would have time for you after today’s events.”
Today’s events?? And what the fack is a data net?
“Oh, I think the word here is internet, the large collection of information constantly flowing around the planet. Also, did you think one-fourth of the population suddenly gaining superpowers wouldn’t cause some issues?”
“Well, I, umm, had other things on my mind.”
“Either way, you're gonna be just fine. Look, that guy you killed is barely even a footnote in the day’s news.”
Jay jumped back as a glowing screen manifested in front of him, displaying a local news station feed. It displayed a woman that Jay was positive had some certain cybernetics to make her proportions a bit… exaggerated, to say the least. No sound came from the screen, and he quickly directed his attention to the closed captions scrolling across the bottom.
“That’s just the third of the over thirty incidents authorities responded to today. It is still unknown who is behind these incidents, but it is believed to be a coordinated attack linked to that strange message many report seeing this morning, talking about a ‘Death March’.” She made air quotes as she spoke the last two words before continuing.
Jay tuned it out for a moment and thought a question in Lan’s direction. They didn’t even mention me.
“And they haven't all day. Sure, that man may have been important at one point in time, but I assure you, it won’t take long for a new world order to be established. One where the strong rule, and the weak are left to die.”
“What changed?” Jay asked with a chuckle.
“The ability for one person to crush an army.”
Jay’s eyes widened. “You're kidding, right?”
“Nope,”
He stared off into the distance for a while. He couldn’t even imagine someone having that level of power. Sure, he had seen shows and games where people could shake the world with a single blow, but to think someone could actually have power like that in the real world put a smile on his face.
So, how do I get to that level of power?
“Get your class first, then begin training the skills you gain from it. That should get you leveling at a good pace, and it should hopefully be enough for you to get a good ranking on the leaderboard--just in time for the first round of rewards,” Lan said with a greedy chuckle.
Leaderboard?
“Did I not tell you about that yet? Oh well, just say ‘leaderboard’ the same way you opened your status. It should be pretty self-explanatory from there.”
Jay shrugged and, without delay, spoke, “Leaderboard.”
