Arcade

Jumping out of the second story window went a lot better than Jay thought it would go. Maybe it was because of how strong he was in this world compared to his old one, but his ankle only stung a little. Clean escape all things considered.

"See system, I told you it'd be fine."

[You could've broken your leg.]

"But I didn't." Jay smirked as he walked past the mingling students. Following the map the system pulled up based off memory. Leading him to the entertainment sector of campus. It didn't have a lot, a movie theatre, a rec center, pc cafe, and some other stuff so that students didn't need to go all the way to the city whenever they wanted to hang out. But it did have an arcade. And a damn good one at that.

There was also no line for it, so win-win.

"Don't mind if I do." Jay said as he walking inside, the neon lights hanging over the entrance as he walked inside. Opening the door and seeing an arcade setup he didn't recognize. It was ironic, even with the giant walls and looming monsters, it was the arcade that reminded Jay the most of the vast differences between Final Frontier and his old world.

There was still the presence of sn arcade, but not the old crappy ones he was used to. No fuzzy carpets, dim lights, pizza smell, or random coins everywhere. No this place was clean, bright lights and the counter for prizes seemed more like an armory store than anything. With weapons, items, and other low ranking equipment hanging on the walls.

Meanwhile the games weren't regular arcade games. Almost all of them looked like booths, holding VR setups on the inside. Jay forgot that this world, or Voxx specifically, had access to virtual dungeons. It would only make sense that they replaced games, at least in a place like Voxx that could afford it. Still, it was jarring, seeing something he knew replaced by something better. He was rooted for a second.

And the new pop music playing through the speakers wasn't helping. A band he didn't know and a tune he didn't particularly like.

That was the moment that he started to internalize that this was 2069. And music from his time, if they even existed, would be considered classics. And his classics would considered history. It was odd...

It was so odd.

"Excuse me." A girl said, and Jay flinched. Taken out of his reverie, he glanced at the prize desk, doubling as the check in station, and saw a girl with a hat, long blonde hair and brown eyes. Beckoning him over as she blew some bubblegum. "This your first time in an arcade or something? Need help?"

"Uh... no I think I got it." Jay said as he glanced around the room one last time before walking over. He saw the girl glance at his casted arm and bruised face, before glancing away and blowing a bubble. She held out her hand, and he gave her his student ID. She checked it, nodded, and handed it back.

"How long you want to play? It's 60 per hour."

"You charge by hour?" He asked, surprised because one thing he didn't expect this world to differ in was its ability to scam people by the dollar.

"Seems smarter to charge by game right?"

"The times in the virtual games aren't adjusted. So a minute there is a minute here. Trust me, it passes by a lot quicker than you think." She shrugged, blowing another bubble as she asked, "So you playing?"

"Give me five hours." He said, paying for the time as she took his 300 U, damn he was gonna miss that, before she took out her phone and played on it.

"You're our only customer right now so I'll trust you to keep track of time." she gestured towards the games. "Don't make me regret it first year."

"I would never." Jay smirked as he glanced at the wall, his eyes sparkling as he saw the prizes. He may have said it looked like an armory store earlier, but now that he looked closer he could see toys. Behind the glass countertop and on the lower shelves, but the upper shelves, the good stuff, did have weapons. Low ranking equipment, probably stuff you'd be able to get from a G or maybe F- rank dungeon, but still.

It was equipment.

And it didn't take long to spot what he was looking for.

"How many points do I need to get for the unranked skill." He asked, pointing to the scroll-manuscript on the wall. Upper middle section. He watched as she raised her eyebrow, before glancing back at the skill and scoffing. "Not much. Every game in the arcade will track points through your school ID when you enter, so if you can get... let's say fifty thousand, I'll give it to you. It'll be tough though. You might have to come here for a couple weeks before you get it."

She then shook her head, "Don't know why you'd want to though. That skill is trash."

"Oh come on, I think it could be cool."

"That's what they all say." She rolled her eyes, "but the only ones that use it are rookies or perverts." She narrowed her eyes, "You're not a pervert right?"

"Of course not!" Jay snapped, cheeks red as he crossed his arms, "I just wanted a cheap skill to help me out a little. Seems like the best one."

"Oh naive little first year." She shook her head, "Trust me it's not. Take it from me," she said, pointing to the dingy weapons on the shelves begin her, "if you're looking for cheap equipment get something else. Because that skill is unreliable, it's hard as fuck to use, and even if you get it down. It won't matter. No heroes use it in variety."

"Why?"

"Because it'll only help you fight things weaker than you," she said, adding on as an afterthought, "And even then it won't do a lick of damage. Ever. So it's useless. Why waste mana when I could use a skill that actually kills things for less effort. Trust me first year, you're better off aiming for something else."

"I'll take that into consideration." Jay rolled his eyes as the girl frowned. She huffed, "Whatever. Your loss first year." Before turning back to her phone. Jay glanced at the skill on the wall, before turning to the various games. He had five hours to kill. Five hours before he had to leave or spend more money.

And Jay wasn't planning on spending more money.

So in five hours he was gonna have fifty thousand points. Something that wouldn't be possible using normal methods. But Jay had a sure fire method to win. A secret plan to win the points they needed without having to come back for weeks on end.

"Oh this is gonna be fun."

It was called: Cheating.

[I don't like that look on your face.]

And his system was gonna help him do it.

.....

Maddie Neel was bored out of her mind. Waiting for winter break to end because she couldn't get an internship this year. It was her fourth year in Voxx and so far it was her most boring winter break imaginable. Nothing interesting happened.

Well, minus the bruised up freshie that was looking to get a useless skill. He'd already chosen a game and seemed ready to waste another four hours on it.

All for a skill no one used.

What a creative way to waste a holiday.

"Wish I had that free time." Her murmured as she checked social media on her phone. Amelie De La Serra had just finished another A rank dungeon, the pictures of team leaving the gate, all covered in blood except for her, were all over the internet. Everyone was fangirling over her as always.

I wonder if I could get the same bow as her. It looks cute… Blue's kind of my color. I could make it work.

Maddie was no different.

"Like." She giggled as she scrolled through people's reactions. Her attention stolen as she heard a tap at the counter. She looked up, startled by the sudden man standing before her, his unkempt black hair and Yukata cluing her instantly to his identity.

Oh she was so fucked.

"Well hello," the man said. Scratching his grey beard as his yellow dragon-like eyes lingered. Maddie felt a shiver crawl down her spine and dropped her phone, practically threw it away, and sat up straight. Voice shaky and nervous, "H-Hi sir! What do- I mean why- I mean what brings you here today! It- are-"

"No need to panic little girl. I'm just here because I'm bored." The man said, and Maddie gulped. Her nerves taught as she watched the man around, eyes lingering on the only game currently taken. Knight's Crossing. It was up to four players, and was all about trying to get as far as one could through a winding labyrinth of virtual monsters and demons. In a maze that was almost impossible to navigate correctly.

The farther you got, the more coins you earned. The more points you could get by the end of the game. All in hopes to spend it at the end. If you beat the boss monster you'd get a shit ton of stuff too. But most people avoided it. It was an older game. And tryng to remember which way to go, when the only time the map was given was a few seconds the start of the campaign, was brutal. Nobody liked it.

Except for Mr. Waste a winter over there.

And the man standing before her.

He seemed to be eyeing it rather curiously.

"I'll buy however many hours that boy purchased." The man said, and Maddie gulped. Nodding quickly as she took his money and watched him go towards the game the boy was playing at. Entering without a word, the booth for Player 2 closed and Maddie could finally breathe easy. That was horrible.

"Fuck… I think I broke my phone."

And that was how Maddie's boring day became the most stressful one of her life.