A Fighting Chance [I]

Back on the Atlas, Jok stared at the screen with both amazement and confusion. When had this man earned five Psyons? He'd only walked away for a few hours, and after returning, Lucian had gained an F+ reward's worth of Psyons. It didn't make any sense!

"What a strange lad," Jok grumbled. He shook his head and pushed the screen away. It was great that things were going well on Lucian's end, but things hadn't been going well for himself and Amelia the last few days.

Dorkan had been attempting to send multiple messages out through his spies, and Pochan was reaching the limits of what she could prevent. The missives would find their way to Vetrus no matter what Jok and Pochan attempted to deflect. He was hoping they could stall for at least a few more weeks, but he felt that the Vice-Chancellor would find out shortly after the Second Wave had commenced.

"He would have to manage at least one D- Grade in the second wave..." Jok cringed at the thought. When it was found out that he gave a Microlink to a nobody just to unlock their [Initiate] state, there was no doubt he would lose his Captain seat. That was unless that person proved to be a worthy investment. Even then, he would be put under surveillance until the first significant Milestone of the Tournament.

"What a bother," Jok groaned. He stood from his chair and walked down the extended, silver walkway that led out of the Bridge. As he neared the shining door at the end of the platform, it faded from existence to let him pass. A low humming sound resounded from the archway after he walked through, and the shining door appeared once more.

Jok stood in the long hallway outside of the Bridge and finally let himself relax. The last few days had been tense, and Dorkan had multiple eyes on him even when he was on the Bridge. He felt stiff from not being able to be himself or cut up with his subordinates.

The giant of a man looked down either side of the hallway and let out a long breath when he saw that it was empty. He performed a few stretches before proceeding to the left and toward the teleporter that would take him up to his quarters. Just as he was about to step on, the hexagon-shaped platform lit up, and he moved to the side to wait for the incoming individual to appear. A slight frown crossed his face when he saw who stepped out.

"Ahhh, Jok. So nice to see you off the throne for once."

The giant rolled his eyes and looked down at the slightly shorter man. He was approximately 300 centimeters tall and just as stocky as Jok. The man had pale blue skin that was covered in scales. A smirk formed on his face, and his reptilian eyes stared back at Jok with a mocking glare. An air of authority surrounded Jok, and he stood tall as he addressed the slightly smaller man.

"Dorkan, it's odd to see you down here with the working men," Jok countered. "Is there anything that I can do for you today?"

Though Dorkan was out for his job, Jok wouldn't treat him with blatant disrespect. The man was a warrior and had proved himself in many battles. If it weren't for his affiliation with the Vice-Chancellor, Jok even believed that the two of them could have worked well together.

"Just thought I'd check in on your new pet," Dorkan coughed. "The Horace Family caught wind that the Microlink meant for their son went to some no-name and requested information on the man."

Jok grimaced. He couldn't say no. Information about the contestants was supposed to be made readily available to all those within the Sector... but he could alter the information slightly. He expected this moment to come at some point, so he added a few lines that had increased Lucian's Survival Rating.

"Fine," Jok twisted his wrist upward, bringing out a small holographic keyboard. He punched in a string of symbols, and copies of Lucian's file and files for the other four contestants who received Microlinks appeared in the air. Dorkan held up his own wrist, and the file began the download sequence.

"Is there anything else I can help you with today, Dorkan?" Jok asked.

Dorkan grinned, flashing both rows of sharpened teeth, "That'll be all, Jok. Thank you."

The reptilian man turned and stepped onto the teleporter. A brief moment and a bright flash of light later, he was gone. Jok's shoulders drooped, and he let out a long sigh. Things were progressing too quickly, and Lucian needed to perform well, or there would soon be changes on the Atlas.

Before he could step on, the platform lit up again. Jok stepped back and stood up straight, once again portraying the figure of authority that he was supposed to be. He didn't expect Dorkan to be able to notice something out of place in the files, but he'd prepared an argument just in case. Just as he was about to start pointing his finger, a woman's body began to take shape, and he hurriedly placed his hands behind his back. A young woman stepped out with a flushed face and immediately noticed Jok standing to the side.

"Jok! You aren't at your station?" Amelia asked, surprised.

The giant smiled widely, forgetting the troubles that had just been on his mind, "Mills! Did you come all this way to see me?"

She completely ignored his advances and waved her arm in front of him, "Look at this! Lucian's Survivability Rating just skyrocketed for the early Waves!"

Jok's smile turned awkward, and he scratched the back of his head. That was... until he remembered that he'd given her access to the earlier unedited files.

"What do you mean his rating's skyrocketed?" He asked.

Amelia turned the screen around and pointed to some of the new data that appeared, "Not only did he somehow come across a Fruit of Awakening, but he's also already crafted gear with the properties of Laws!"

"What?!" Jok opened the files on his own armband, and his eyes widened as he looked over the more detailed information. He grabbed Amelia by the shoulders and shook her gently. "Mills! This couldn't have happened at a better time!"

The woman's smile faltered, "What do you mean?"

Jok looked back down the hallway to ensure that no one was listening, "Come to my quarters. There are some things we need to discuss."

*****

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