Navigating my way through a series of rooftop bridges, I moved with a quickness across rooftop after rooftop without much issue as I made my way to link back up with the people I’d been traveling with. I followed the trail of signs of battle. Only once I glanced back at the way I’d come and noticed many more buildings were gone.
It was likely more of the Manhattan Rooftops had collapsed while I battled with the Detritus Mantis.
By my third crossing, I’d managed to close the distance between them and me. I saw three familiar faces waiting, but the Healer was gone. Instead, I saw Kenny, Nirma, and the younger girl I’d seen around the Healer previously. I noticed the girl and Nirma were standing close together, like Nirma was trying to be protective of her. I figured they had some kind of relationship.
Kenny sighed in relief as soon as he saw me.
I broke the silence first. "Did the others take a different route? What brings you three here?"
Nirma nervously adjusted her blouse as she responded, "The other path seemed more dangerous, and well..."
"Lydia leveled up," Kenny cut in, looking frustrated. "That shifted everything completely. She's now in charge now, apparently, and the Healer took off and left us behind. She seems to have him wrapped around her finger, which means she controls the Healing. And the Healer..."
"...will get a rude awakening if he thinks he can use my daughter to his advantage," Nirma concluded, her eyes burning with protective resolve.
I took a moment to consider this. "A Healer you can’t count on, isn’t a Healer. If they don’t have your back when your back’s against the wall, who else will? You’re better off without."
I directed my attention back to Kenney, "I can see why you wouldn't want to follow Lydia, but what about Nirma and her daughter?" I gestured vaguely in the direction of the daughter, not remembering her name. "Why are you looking out for them? Interested?"
Their reactions told me I was closer to the truth than I expected. The women looked shocked, while Kenny's expression was more bashful. "We were uh… neighbors before this all. I’ve been looking after her."
Nirma muttered something towards Kenney and the man bit his lip.
"We don’t know him. He’s just a loner, he doesn’t need to know that."
I still heard it, and it wasn't entirely wrong. I didn't let their personal stories affect me. I'd seen and heard enough in my previous life.
Kenny, in an attempt to correct Nirma, mentioned that I was ok with trading, labeling me more as a mercenary. Nirma's retort was sharp, but it did nothing to diffuse the tension between them. The girl looked on, a worried look in her eyes. It was clear to me Nirma and Kenney had been more than just neighbors.
I redirected the conversation, "So, what's the plan?"
"We thought we'd follow this path," Kenny explained, gesturing to the stretch of rooftops before us that connected with short bridges. "It should keep us going forward. Did you notice any other routes on your way here? Preferably ones less fraught with danger?"
"No, there weren't," I replied bluntly to Kenny's question, before setting off again. After a few paces, I glanced over my shoulder. Kenny met my gaze, his eyes full of uncertainty.
"Does this mean you're leading us?" he asked.
"I'm not leading anyone," I retorted, "but I'm not going to stop anyone from following me, either. We all take our own risks." I turned to the girl, meeting her gaze with a stern expression. "And that includes you. You need to pull your own weight if you want to survive."
Kenney looked a bit defensive as I addressed the girl, but he didn't argue. I guess he knew I had a point.
The path we took didn't loop back to the area I'd just come from. Instead, it stretched straight ahead, flanked by towering buildings on either side. These buildings reminded me of the arena where I had battled the Detritus Mantis. Pieces of rubble fell in front of us, like smaller versions of the beast I had vanquished.
Standing about six feet tall, the Concrete Scavenger was powerul, shaped from hardened chunks of cement and rubble, resembling a humanoid figure. Its body was a mismatch of pebbles, broken bricks, shards of glass, and splintered steel bars, which had come together into a cohesive whole.
Where the monster’s eyes should have been were two hollow sockets, glimmering with an eerie blue, with a cold, piercing stare across a completely blank and featureless face. Its limbs were thick, rough, much like the walls of the skyscrapers that surround us, ending in heavy, crudely formed fists, capable of crushing stone and metal alike.
I raised my sword, but I wasn’t worried.
Concrete Scavengers, they were not as challenging as the Detritus Mantis and probably wouldn't yield any valuable rewards. I quickly dealt with those that dared to approach me, leaving the others to fend for themselves.
The others weren’t ready.
"Nick," Kenney managed to utter, his voice choked with panic, "we need you."
I propelled myself into action. My movements were efficient and precise. Deadly. With a swift, decisive stroke, I sliced through the Concrete Scavenger, cleaving it in two. Its dismembered halves crashed onto the rooftop with a loud thud. The brutal simplicity of the act further segmented just how far the gap between me and the rest of the group was.
The sudden appearance of the Concrete Scavengers was a surprise. Then, realization hit me then – if I hadn't taken on the Detritus Mantis on my own, these lesser creatures would have spawned in its place. It seemed there was no avoiding confrontation if System Fall decided it was necessary. Kenny and the others were going to be forced to fight regardless.
Another of the Concrete Scavengers pulled itself up the side of the building and I quickly dispatched it without hesitation.
After defeating another Concrete Scavenger, the others seemed to give me a wide berth. They didn't emit any Mana, making them more nuisance than threat. So, I left them alone and continued along the path. They were somebody else’s problem.
Eventually, the next bridge led us to an expansion rooftop with a pool that took up almost the entirety of the rooftop. The pool seemed to be one of the infinity kinds where water fell off the side, only to be caught in secret, discrete compartments and filtered back into the system.
The path led us to an expansive rooftop pool that filled nearly the entire view. Along its perimeter, other players gathered in clusters. The pool seemed to drain off somewhere in the distance, sunlight reflecting off its surface.
Before, I had assumed these rooftop pools were death traps. But as I scanned the area, I saw billboards displaying maps of various city districts. Out of curiosity, I used my Eyes of Legacy] ability to scan one, only to find it was just a regular billboard.
"Think we'll find a hotel around here?" one of the other players wondered aloud, a hint of weary humor in their tone.
"Forget a hotel, I'm longing for one of those stores from the Beginner Tutorial," another piped up.
"There's a place called the Business District, should we go there?" the third suggested. Despite the gritty reality around us, their spirits remained high.
I ignored them, and my group made similar suggestions. Kenney seemed more interested in the hotel than the business distract.
But before we could make a decision, a group of Concrete Scavengers climbed up the side of the building and tried to attack. Without missing a beat, I lunged forward, my trusty blade, Legender, firmly gripped in my hand. One of the scavengers was quicker than it appeared, lunging at me with jagged pieces of rebar. With a swift sidestep, I dodged the attack, following up with a precise slash at the creature's brick-laden leg.
The scavenger was stronger than some of the others, but it wasn’t strong enough. It let out a harsh, grinding noise, as if the city itself were protesting. It swiped at me again, but I was ready. This time, I deflected its attack, bringing my blade down hard onto its cement torso.
Chunks of concrete flew off, littering the rooftop. The Scavenger staggered but did not fall. I could see the others watching in tense anticipation as I moved around the creature.
With one final, powerful swing of Legender, I struck the Scavenger's central mass. There was a loud clatter as it finally fell apart after I managed to shatter its core, its components scattering across the concrete rooftop. I stood over its remains, victorious.
Brushing off the dust from my clothes. I made a decision. I didn’t need a hotel.
I turned back to the group. Their faces were a mix of relief and admiration. "So, the Business District, then?"
Sometime later, I gazed upon the sprawling labyrinth of Manhattan's Business District, its towering edifices of gleaming glass and steel replacing what should have been fields of whimsical cotton candy clouds. The district was riddled with ruthless Urban Predators. A fleeting thought of warning my band crossed my mind, but I dismissed it swiftly. They wished to dive into this maelstrom? They'd learn their lessons the hard way. This aerial cityscape was crafted with survival in mind, yet survival odds swung wildly from a paltry 1% to a near assured 99%, dependent solely on one's fortune and cunning.
The comrades I had met hailed from strikingly diverse districts, their stories as variant as their origins. Yet once I grew accustomed to the crisscrossing paths of this strange cityscape, only a handful of tales resonated deeply with me.
"I could use some grand design explaining why I'm thrown back in time," I muttered, a hollow sigh punctuating my words. A pang of regret nudged my spirit, a lingering emotion despite the grace of this second chance I'd been given.
The system message that directed me here...
A self-deprecating chuckle erupted. How could I have overlooked the glaring hints?
The note Annie handed me, penned in Commons.
The message offering a chance to reset, also inscribed in Commons. Being an English native, I had never been compelled to adjust my personal menu to Commons, despite [Admin] launching that feature a year after the language gained traction.
Aim beyond the [Sandbox].
Was Annie a time traveler as well? Was the System compromised?
The mystery surrounding the nature of System Fall was a Pandora's box, teeming with countless theories. Was it a matrix of sorts, and our original world merely a crafted illusion? Or was it an intricate, sadistic game masterminded by a deranged [Admin]? I had seldom indulged in such speculation, yet now, I wished I had.
I understood System Fall functioned akin to a complex software, brimming with helper bots spewing developer jargon. But since hacking attempts proved futile, I dismissed such knowledge as trivial.
However, a [Sandbox]... Was that a coding term or a nod towards the sandy expanse of the desert stage? I recalled vaguely that a sandbox denoted a digital environment susceptible to external manipulation. System Fall could indeed be this [Sandbox], with [Admin] puppeteering it from beyond the veil.
Was it possible that, with the Eyes of Legacy, I could commence my journey towards revenge? Activating my skill, I funneled every scrap of Mana into my sight, critically examining the sky, the lake, and the foliage-ridden rooftops fading into the distance.
Nothing.
Just as I was on the brink of relinquishing my scrutiny, my gaze settled on the map of the Manhattan Rooftops, now devoid of prying eyes.
"Hmm, isn't that peculiar..." I mumbled in suspicion.
Navigating my way through a series of rooftop bridges, I moved with a quickness across rooftop after rooftop without much issue as I made my way to link back up with the people I’d been traveling with. I followed the trail of signs of battle. Only once I glanced back at the way I’d come and noticed many more buildings were gone.
It was likely more of the Manhattan Rooftops had collapsed while I battled with the Detritus Mantis.
By my third crossing, I’d managed to close the distance between them and me. I saw three familiar faces waiting, but the Healer was gone. Instead, I saw Kenny, Nirma, and the younger girl I’d seen around the Healer previously. I noticed the girl and Nirma were standing close together, like Nirma was trying to be protective of her. I figured they had some kind of relationship.
Kenny sighed in relief as soon as he saw me.
I broke the silence first. "Did the others take a different route? What brings you three here?"
Nirma nervously adjusted her blouse as she responded, "The other path seemed more dangerous, and well..."
"Lydia leveled up," Kenny cut in, looking frustrated. "That shifted everything completely. She's now in charge now, apparently, and the Healer took off and left us behind. She seems to have him wrapped around her finger, which means she controls the Healing. And the Healer..."
"...will get a rude awakening if he thinks he can use my daughter to his advantage," Nirma concluded, her eyes burning with protective resolve.
I took a moment to consider this. "A Healer you can’t count on, isn’t a Healer. If they don’t have your back when your back’s against the wall, who else will? You’re better off without."
I directed my attention back to Kenney, "I can see why you wouldn't want to follow Lydia, but what about Nirma and her daughter?" I gestured vaguely in the direction of the daughter, not remembering her name. "Why are you looking out for them? Interested?"
Their reactions told me I was closer to the truth than I expected. The women looked shocked, while Kenny's expression was more bashful. "We were uh… neighbors before this all. I’ve been looking after her."
Nirma muttered something towards Kenney and the man bit his lip.
"We don’t know him. He’s just a loner, he doesn’t need to know that."
I still heard it, and it wasn't entirely wrong. I didn't let their personal stories affect me. I'd seen and heard enough in my previous life.
Kenny, in an attempt to correct Nirma, mentioned that I was ok with trading, labeling me more as a mercenary. Nirma's retort was sharp, but it did nothing to diffuse the tension between them. The girl looked on, a worried look in her eyes. It was clear to me Nirma and Kenney had been more than just neighbors.
I redirected the conversation, "So, what's the plan?"
"We thought we'd follow this path," Kenny explained, gesturing to the stretch of rooftops before us that connected with short bridges. "It should keep us going forward. Did you notice any other routes on your way here? Preferably ones less fraught with danger?"
"No, there weren't," I replied bluntly to Kenny's question, before setting off again. After a few paces, I glanced over my shoulder. Kenny met my gaze, his eyes full of uncertainty.
"Does this mean you're leading us?" he asked.
"I'm not leading anyone," I retorted, "but I'm not going to stop anyone from following me, either. We all take our own risks." I turned to the girl, meeting her gaze with a stern expression. "And that includes you. You need to pull your own weight if you want to survive."
Kenney looked a bit defensive as I addressed the girl, but he didn't argue. I guess he knew I had a point.
The path we took didn't loop back to the area I'd just come from. Instead, it stretched straight ahead, flanked by towering buildings on either side. These buildings reminded me of the arena where I had battled the Detritus Mantis. Pieces of rubble fell in front of us, like smaller versions of the beast I had vanquished.
Standing about six feet tall, the Concrete Scavenger was powerul, shaped from hardened chunks of cement and rubble, resembling a humanoid figure. Its body was a mismatch of pebbles, broken bricks, shards of glass, and splintered steel bars, which had come together into a cohesive whole.
Where the monster’s eyes should have been were two hollow sockets, glimmering with an eerie blue, with a cold, piercing stare across a completely blank and featureless face. Its limbs were thick, rough, much like the walls of the skyscrapers that surround us, ending in heavy, crudely formed fists, capable of crushing stone and metal alike.
I raised my sword, but I wasn’t worried.
Concrete Scavengers, they were not as challenging as the Detritus Mantis and probably wouldn't yield any valuable rewards. I quickly dealt with those that dared to approach me, leaving the others to fend for themselves.
The others weren’t ready.
"Nick," Kenney managed to utter, his voice choked with panic, "we need you."
I propelled myself into action. My movements were efficient and precise. Deadly. With a swift, decisive stroke, I sliced through the Concrete Scavenger, cleaving it in two. Its dismembered halves crashed onto the rooftop with a loud thud. The brutal simplicity of the act further segmented just how far the gap between me and the rest of the group was.
The sudden appearance of the Concrete Scavengers was a surprise. Then, realization hit me then – if I hadn't taken on the Detritus Mantis on my own, these lesser creatures would have spawned in its place. It seemed there was no avoiding confrontation if System Fall decided it was necessary. Kenny and the others were going to be forced to fight regardless.
Another of the Concrete Scavengers pulled itself up the side of the building and I quickly dispatched it without hesitation.
After defeating another Concrete Scavenger, the others seemed to give me a wide berth. They didn't emit any Mana, making them more nuisance than threat. So, I left them alone and continued along the path. They were somebody else’s problem.
Eventually, the next bridge led us to an expansion rooftop with a pool that took up almost the entirety of the rooftop. The pool seemed to be one of the infinity kinds where water fell off the side, only to be caught in secret, discrete compartments and filtered back into the system.
The path led us to an expansive rooftop pool that filled nearly the entire view. Along its perimeter, other players gathered in clusters. The pool seemed to drain off somewhere in the distance, sunlight reflecting off its surface.
Before, I had assumed these rooftop pools were death traps. But as I scanned the area, I saw billboards displaying maps of various city districts. Out of curiosity, I used my Eyes of Legacy] ability to scan one, only to find it was just a regular billboard.
"Think we'll find a hotel around here?" one of the other players wondered aloud, a hint of weary humor in their tone.
"Forget a hotel, I'm longing for one of those stores from the Beginner Tutorial," another piped up.
"There's a place called the Business District, should we go there?" the third suggested. Despite the gritty reality around us, their spirits remained high.
I ignored them, and my group made similar suggestions. Kenney seemed more interested in the hotel than the business distract.
But before we could make a decision, a group of Concrete Scavengers climbed up the side of the building and tried to attack. Without missing a beat, I lunged forward, my trusty blade, Legender, firmly gripped in my hand. One of the scavengers was quicker than it appeared, lunging at me with jagged pieces of rebar. With a swift sidestep, I dodged the attack, following up with a precise slash at the creature's brick-laden leg.
The scavenger was stronger than some of the others, but it wasn’t strong enough. It let out a harsh, grinding noise, as if the city itself were protesting. It swiped at me again, but I was ready. This time, I deflected its attack, bringing my blade down hard onto its cement torso.
Chunks of concrete flew off, littering the rooftop. The Scavenger staggered but did not fall. I could see the others watching in tense anticipation as I moved around the creature.
With one final, powerful swing of Legender, I struck the Scavenger's central mass. There was a loud clatter as it finally fell apart after I managed to shatter its core, its components scattering across the concrete rooftop. I stood over its remains, victorious.
Brushing off the dust from my clothes. I made a decision. I didn’t need a hotel.
I turned back to the group. Their faces were a mix of relief and admiration. "So, the Business District, then?"
Sometime later, I gazed upon the sprawling labyrinth of Manhattan's Business District, its towering edifices of gleaming glass and steel replacing what should have been fields of whimsical cotton candy clouds. The district was riddled with ruthless Urban Predators. A fleeting thought of warning my band crossed my mind, but I dismissed it swiftly. They wished to dive into this maelstrom? They'd learn their lessons the hard way. This aerial cityscape was crafted with survival in mind, yet survival odds swung wildly from a paltry 1% to a near assured 99%, dependent solely on one's fortune and cunning.
The comrades I had met hailed from strikingly diverse districts, their stories as variant as their origins. Yet once I grew accustomed to the crisscrossing paths of this strange cityscape, only a handful of tales resonated deeply with me.
"I could use some grand design explaining why I'm thrown back in time," I muttered, a hollow sigh punctuating my words. A pang of regret nudged my spirit, a lingering emotion despite the grace of this second chance I'd been given.
The system message that directed me here...
A self-deprecating chuckle erupted. How could I have overlooked the glaring hints?
The note Annie handed me, penned in Commons.
The message offering a chance to reset, also inscribed in Commons. Being an English native, I had never been compelled to adjust my personal menu to Commons, despite [Admin] launching that feature a year after the language gained traction.
Aim beyond the [Sandbox].
Was Annie a time traveler as well? Was the System compromised?
The mystery surrounding the nature of System Fall was a Pandora's box, teeming with countless theories. Was it a matrix of sorts, and our original world merely a crafted illusion? Or was it an intricate, sadistic game masterminded by a deranged [Admin]? I had seldom indulged in such speculation, yet now, I wished I had.
I understood System Fall functioned akin to a complex software, brimming with helper bots spewing developer jargon. But since hacking attempts proved futile, I dismissed such knowledge as trivial.
However, a [Sandbox]... Was that a coding term or a nod towards the sandy expanse of the desert stage? I recalled vaguely that a sandbox denoted a digital environment susceptible to external manipulation. System Fall could indeed be this [Sandbox], with [Admin] puppeteering it from beyond the veil.
Was it possible that, with the Eyes of Legacy, I could commence my journey towards revenge? Activating my skill, I funneled every scrap of Mana into my sight, critically examining the sky, the lake, and the foliage-ridden rooftops fading into the distance.
Nothing.
Just as I was on the brink of relinquishing my scrutiny, my gaze settled on the map of the Manhattan Rooftops, now devoid of prying eyes.
"Hmm, isn't that peculiar..." I mumbled in suspicion.
