Akiol held out his hand and used [Tool 1 (Shield)]. The serpent crashed into the shield, Akiol's arm buckled from the impact. Both the serpent and the shield cancelled out. Zui Hao saw Akiol still standing and roared with anger, "Can you not die?! [Phoenix Path: Arising Flame]!"
His sword floating besides him Zui Hao clapped his hands together, the flames that were scattered about from the miniature sun burned brilliantly.
Akiol saw the flames growing stronger and cringed, "Can't even get a break around here!"
Akiol leapt upwards, using [Tool 3 (Repulser)] to further increase the distance. The flames failed to reach him, but he was starting to fall.
He launched the rope towards Zui Hao, however it failed to latch on due to the burning flames surrounding the genius.
Akiol plummeted straight towards the flames, he sighed reluctantly in his heart. He was a little too hasty. Usually he would never make such a mistake, yet the idea that it was just a game always circled in his head.
This was the reason he stopped using the skills from his other world, it seemed overkill and unnecessary. If he died he only lost a few bits of experience and gold. Failure wasn't as punishing, successes were more rewarding.
His life didn't depend on playing the game, so he didn't mind losing some things. However there was this small nagging feeling residing in his heart.
Did he really want to play the game like this? All the time he spent before, all the blood shed and sweat dropped, was going to be wasted? Should he really just abandon everything he had earned?
Was this what he wanted?
No, it wasn't what he wanted. Being the best? He didn't care about such things. Being strong? Definitely.
It was a game, however something was telling him that it was something so much more. An experience he would remember. Something that HE would need to be in.
The game had an unnatural amount of realism, his skills from his previous life worked perfectly. The only difference was that the pain was reduced, and it felt fake. It looked near perfect, but there was always something that felt off about the game. Like his vision was altered by a thin clear visor.
Since his skills were able to be used in the game. . .
Akiol landed and swung his sword in a unique pattern. The flames around him extinguished. Akiol grinned, "Sure enough. . ."
It was a unique swordplay. It cut of a rampaging flame from its energy source, the catch was that it had to be started by magic. He wouldn't have been able to use such a technique had it been a natural fire.
Whatever energy Zui Hao was providing to the flames were momentarily cut off by Akiol. Without their constant supply of energy the flames were quickly cut off.
Akiol eyed Zui Hao and leaned into a stance. His gaze sharpened and his muscles tensed. Though it was slime that tensed.
"Haaa. . . !" Akiol shouted swinging his sword down, the force behind it strange.
Zui Hao looked at him oddly, "Have you gone insane from the hea-"
A cut formed across his chest. He spurted blood. He quickly patted his chest twice, "[Phoenix Path: Minor Rebirth]."
A flame spread across the wound and it healed at a rapid pace. He stared at Akiol as it healed, "That wasn't even a chant. . .-"
Akiol's surroundings changed, the red dimension turned blue. His surroundings slowly faded away. In a short time he found himself in a place similar to that he created his house in.
<System Warning! Strange attack value identified! Initiating Protocol 31.4B.>
<Please wait as a moderator examines the situation. Log out temporarily disabled. Player may request log out in an emergency. Account under supervision.>
<Contacting...>
~ ~ ~
Desk Guy frowned, a notification appeared in the corner of his screen. He hadn't expected a 31.4B protocol. Every developer in the room received the same notification and they all checked.
Protocol 31.4 meant that a damage was created outside the coded calculations. Meaning the attack damage value came from something not in the game.
This would have usually been handled by the moderating team, since it would usually be a third party software that caused it. However a 31.4B meant it was from an actual attack, the attack values matched up but the origin didn't. This could be falsely caused by an internet issue, but internet issues were rare in these times. So it had to be handled by someone who knows the game's coding, the developers.
Everyone pulled up the section. As soon as they saw the details they looked at Desk Guy, who was frowning at the screen. The entire development team knew about his favorite team. Now that one of them was caught doing something odd they felt a little bad.
They all decided to let him take care of it, he should verify it himself.
Desk Guy grabbed a small headband like object from a drawer. It acted like a VR headset, but the capabilities were severely limited. He then connected to the game moderation room and began speaking.
~ ~ ~
"Hello, please speak if you can hear me."
Akiol heard a voice from somewhere. Assuming it was the moderator he answered. "I can hear you, what's this all about?"
"Your activity is suspicious. The situation has already been looked through, I am here to ask some questions."
"Ask away."
"Very well, you damaged an entity from well over your swing distance. Perhaps that could be natural with your weapon, but you never increased its length. You have no skills showing a way to attack from that far So how did you manage to hit the entity?"
Akiol tapped his chin, "Ah well. . . it was hard for me to understand the concept of the attack when I first learned this. I can demonstrate if you want."
"That would suffice."
Akiol searched his surroundings, "Er, I need a weapon and a target. The weapon I would prefer to use a sword, the same one I was using before if possible."
"One moment. . ."
A wooden target appeared a distance away. A replica of of his sword hovered in front of Akiol. He gripped it and swung it around to make sure it was the same, "Alright I am going to do it now."
He positioned himself and aimed at the wooden target. His body flexed and his gaze sharpened. He swung his sword with a unique amount of force. A moment later a cut formed across the wooden target.
"Please hold."
~ ~ ~
"What?!!!"
Desk Guy muted himself and rewatched the clip he had just recorded. He was desperately watching the feedback from the VR helmet of Akiol, watching for any sign of third party software. However there wasn't a single sign!
He ran the clip through a simulator and began changing through the various filters. He stopped at the air movement one. When Akiol swung down instead of the air moving around the weapon like it usually did, it seemed to move forward!
It could be explained using water. When water moved and hit a pillar, it would then split and move around it. Reconnecting at the back depending on the speed. However the way Akiol moved was like if the pillar in the water jerked forward. And a straight section of the water moved opposite of the flow, splitting the water.
Even if it was air and not water it was strange! It shouldn't be possible using normal human means.
~ ~ ~
"Please explain your movements."
Akiol chuckled, "It baffled you too huh? It took me quite a while to figure out how to execute, but I still don't understand how it works.
By swinging a sword with just the right amount of force will cause the air to follow course. In this instance it followed the sharp edge of the sword, carrying the attack farther than the sword can reach. However it grows weaker the farther it goes. Sorry if my explanation is lacking, as I said I still don't fully understand."
"So you're saying this is an outcome of your own ability. Not usage of third party software?"
"Third party software? I barely know how my laptop works, how would I know the way to tamper with a VR headset? You're really overestimating me."
"Please hold."
Akiol twirled his sword. It seems like some of his skills wouldn't be able to be used. He sighed in his heart, "The time I decide to actually use my skills too."
Now that he had a moment of peace, he began reflecting on the moment he had earlier. He was simply going to die in the flames, so why did he think all that?
It was as if he was urged not to think of the game as 'just a game'. Was it his own feelings? Was it the game? He didn't know and it confused Akiol.
He looked into the infinite blue space, the walls never to connect. He hoped he wasn't in trouble.