Chapter 32 - Coin Toss

The city lay in ruins, devastated by the fragments that had pelted the earth. Despite their small size, only as large as Trev's palm, they showed no mercy as they tore through buildings and roads, leaving gaping holes in their wake. Trev and his companions trudged through the wreckage, resuming their journey from where they had left off the day before. Trev made it a point to collect every fragment he found, meticulously analysing each one. The fragments were all plain beige hexagons crafted from evolution metal, bearing the embossed logo of the Evolution Corporation on one side. However, amidst the beige companions, one fragment he had found stood out—a vibrant crocodile green piece. Trev took a moment to scan the fragments, intrigued by their purpose. The beige one revealed the following description:

[Earth token - Common]

[Trade this token in at a vending machine for Earth exclusive common items]

The dark green fragment, on the other hand, scanned as follows:

[Earth token - Uncommon]

[Trade this token in at a vending machine for Earth exclusive uncommon items]

Trev smiled, these fragments were another staple in gaming, collectables. If it wasn't for their delivery method, the fact they could have killed him and the devastation they caused, he would have been happy to see them. Carefully stowing the fragments in his bag, he couldn't help but notice how they were starting to occupy precious space. They were competing with the food and water he had packed from the hotel's complimentary food. The hotel food was pretty basic, but it was free and provided the required sustenance to get them through the day.

As they continued their journey, obelisks peppered their path. Most of them were basic dungeons, but they encountered a larger obelisk labelled 'Raid' as they approached. This must be the next tier up of encounters. Yet, an unusual burnt orange obelisk, likely a remnant of the fifth rain, caught Trev's attention the most. Intrigued, he steered the party toward it, yearning to investigate further. Despite its similar height to a dungeon obelisk, Trev sensed that there was something different about it. As he stepped within its range, a text materialised before him:

[Dungeon - Courage Under Fire - Recommended Level 7]

[Mythic - Three modifiers [Fixed]]

Ignoring the usual clapping sequence to enter, Trev deduced that this dungeon was of a higher tier and its colour represented its mythic status. This revelation provided two ways to scale a dungeon's difficulty: type and rarity. Armed with this newfound knowledge, the group continued their trek toward their destination. It was already midday as the rains had taken out most of the morning, but this gave them a solid half day to level up. Which was more than possible if they focused.

~~~~

Mari concealed her exhaustion, refusing to reveal her weariness to the rest of the group. The previous night, she had drank an alien alcohol that seemed to contain a caffeine-like substance, leaving her wired throughout the night. The lack of sleep had cast a sombre mood upon her.

However, Mari hadn't wasted her time; she had utilised the sleepless hours to study the fundamentals of crafting in her newly unlocked crafting tab. Unfortunately, crafting in this game wasn't as simple as putting all the ingredients on a table, and hitting a button. It required skill, especially when crafting from raw materials. Crafting involved following a strict set of movements, some of which were easy while others were more challenging. Tools were also essential for some crafting, yet acquiring them required crafting, which, in turn, necessitated additional tools, creating a complex chain of prerequisites and requirements. Mari knew that in the future, people would likely sell tools, bypassing this arduous process, but for now, they were starting from scratch, which was basically the stone age. Lastly, some crafting even required specific skills, which increased the complexity of the crafting grind even further.

Contrary to Mari's glum state, Elena seemed remarkably chipper today, a stark contrast to her brooding self of yesterday. She skipped, hummed to herself, and even sported a smile, catching the attention of Emilee, who couldn't help but inquire about her sudden change in demeanour.

"You seem unusually happy today, Elena. Did something happen?" she asked.

"Just got a good night's sleep, that's all," replied Elena, seemingly unfazed.

Mari couldn't help but feel sceptical, finding Elena's statement rather uncharacteristic. However, she refrained from voicing her doubts.

Reaching their previous stopping point, the group continued down the road, hoping to encounter a new event. Soon after, a message materialised in Mari's vision, momentarily halting their progress. The message read:

[The Wild - Urban Zone - Level 6 to 10 - Conditional PVP]

Everyone paused, contemplating the implications. Mari quickly glanced at her map, noting the boundary between zones on which they now stood.

"Shall we go on?" Asked Mari.

"We could do with a challenge, and it will earn us experience faster," replied Elena, acting as if it wasn't even a question.

"But if we stumble across an event, it will likely be level ten," stated Trev, concerned for their safety.

"Shall we put it to a vote?" Suggested Emilee.

They all agreed, and Emilee went around the circle, taking each person's vote. Elena was obviously in favour of going ahead, whilst Emilee and Trev were against it. Mari found herself uncertain—a challenge could be good, as she had always felt comfortable in every fight aside from the one thus far. Additionally, she possessed a trump card if things spiralled out of control.

"I vote in favour of going ahead," stated Mari, a smile gracing her face.

Elena, initially resigned to defeat, perked up once more, her smile returning.

"Then let's leave it to a coin toss. Heads, we proceed. Tails, we turn back," suggested Trev, retrieving a coin from his bag.

Tossing it into the air, they all watched as it spun in flight, then rolled on the street before finally settling. It landed on heads, and with a sigh, Emilee and Trev accepted their loss, following Mari and Elena into the higher-level area.

Mari's excitement grew, relishing the challenge and the possibility of acquiring higher-level items. If she could just get one higher level item from this area, she might gain a significant advantage over her opponents in the upcoming tournament. However, a lingering concern plagued her thoughts—who among her group would use the other token and become her competitor? Emilee was unlikely, as combat didn't appeal to her. Trev lacked a real weapon, rendering him an improbable contender. That left Elena, undoubtedly a formidable obstacle that threatened to obstruct Mari's ambitions. Perhaps there was a way to dissuade Elena from participating before the tournament commenced, she had to try. Mari couldn't afford to lose, as the tournament winner earned the opportunity to meet a board member from Evolution Corp. She assumed the possibility she may get a request from the board member. If so, she had a special request in mind.