Chapter 140 - 136: Busting Loose???

Chapter 140: Chapter 136: Busting Loose???

POP!

Burning stars and a hint of magical combustion give us a hint before the shooting star lattice EXPLODES. OUCH.

Pain. Burning fur. A bad sunburn, but worse. I shut my eyes against the flash, and I smell the choking odor of my fur on fire. My claws scrabble against the platform. Lobo howls in agony. After a nanosecond, I recognize my own roar.

The announcer shouts, "Philippus broke free! He broke free! An absolutely astounding escape from a trap engineered with precision and teamwork."

Our trap. Destroyed. While System played us like a fiddle. We were such simpletons.

I regroup, reclaiming my footing, reopening my eyes. The first thing I see is the energy field spreading from one quill to the next and enmeshing Philippus in electric armor and supercharged deadly quill tips. The second thing I see is Lobo shaking all over, as if our defeat can roll off his back like rainwater.

Temporary defeat. Just temporary.

Without preamble, no time for check-in or fussing, I strategize with Lobo. [We have a Plan B, right? We practiced one.]

His growl is more than frustrated. It’s borderline homicidal, if that applies to System. [We always have a Plan B--]

SLAM.

A battering ram knocks me down in the form of Atum. I’m on my back on the platform. My chest heaves and burns. The wind knocked out of me, I lie back, stunned.

[WATCH IT!] Lobo growls. Not panicked, never that. More concerned. [I’m getting out of Philippus’ way. He’s stalking me. Our Plan B is to knock Philippus out cold, or off the platform.]

I roll over before Atum can pin me. How sporting. He let me get my breath. Of course, accidentally crushing your opponents to death is against the rules.

[Can’t get close to him, can’t Super Jump him. How do we do this?]

Electricity is a very poor substitute for crunchy exotic fruits in my mouth. But it is crunchy. Somehow, I can taste it. I’m more sensitive to tastes, smells, and sounds that humans wouldn’t notice. And it’s driving me crazy. System’s faux benevolence smells as bad as my burnt fur.

[You tricked us.] I confront System, [You tried to negotiate with us as a smokescreen for distracting us. Nice try. We’re still in the game.]

Lightning roars. [I knew we couldn’t trust you!]

She’s right. But System sounded so...genuine. Maybe a hint of its former self reawakening? It wasn’t always evil, according to Lobo and the Mushroom Man and others.

System is smug. [You’ll be out of the game soon enough.]

Never mind System. Knock Philippus out cold. Surviving Atum’s attack, and Philippus breaking free, is only going to boost our profile and our stats. Lobo’s real world online contacts operating Atum and Philippus have cooperated in this strategy, almost like boxers and wrestlers throwing a match to get a payout. Except, in the case, the payout is something money can’t buy. It’s priceless. The payout is freedom.

Low to the ground, Atum stalks me, inching forward, a golden predator. I mirror him, eye to eye, circling each other while never breaking eye contact. I have to keep him within my sights at all times while Lobo forges ahead with Philippus.

[Plan B.] Lobo is panting through the link. [Your amulet.]

[Been using it.]

[I mean...put it into overdrive. Concentrate all your power on Philippus. Maybe you Super Jump him so hard you knock him flat.]

Kaline is next to me, not interfering, but supporting. I can smell the sweat as well as her faint floral scent. I feel her hand on my fur, a balm to my erratic, primal nerves. [Blaze, you have to avoid shocks from Philippus.]

[Lobo wants me to Super Jump hard and knock him out. Is there a moment when his quills aren’t charged? A moment when he needs to regroup?]

[Yes!] Kaline is impressed. [Every three minutes, he needs to recharge. The spell is very taxing to maintain. Taxing on Kesi and on him. And we’re in minute one of the next cycle.]

I feel full of concern for her. Drawing on so much power could burn her up like a dying star. [You need to brace yourself. Lightning does too. And Hans. Because I am going to pull everything I can from my amulet and knock Philippus out of the tournament.]

Lightning weighs in. [Stop fretting about all of us and do this already!]

Lobo woofs. [I will deal with Atum. You prepare to Super Jump.]

Kaline adds, [Hans can add his strength to this. You, me, Lightning, and Hans can all pour our energy into the amulet.}

The hard platform beneath my feet seems to hold its breath.

[I don’t see that we have a choice.] Confidence underpins Lobo’s words. [We can make this work. All we need is to neutralize Philippus.]

Do or die. I have to try this. Even if I burn everyone out. Because if I don’t, I and the other players will all be mindless slaves. Our identities erased. Our personhood erased.

Concentrating my, Kaline’s, Lightning’s, and Hans’ power, I push everything I have through the amulet, which superheats my fur. For a moment, I think my fur around my neck might go up in flames. Hot coals have nothing on my amulet.

[Energy Potion In Arsenal. 10% Bonus to Strength.]

Of course, System didn’t decide to be generous suddenly. This must be a private gift from Lobo or Lightning or one of the other players. I never realized that other players could send me in-game gifts. But my ignorance makes sense. After all, System would never reveal that particular in-game in-world hack.

Downing the Energy Potion, I feel a surge of cold refreshing air like an arctic blast. It awakens my senses. My body tingles. It’s time.

Inching backward to get a running start, I launch myself into the air. Super Jump activated. Trajectory plotted. Philippus sits placidly at the one end of the tightly plotted arc. He won’t know what hit him if all goes according to plan.

I taste fear and uncertainty along with the snowflakes in my mouth. Now, JUMP.

Leap into the air. Soar high. Philippus a prickly rotund shape below. Atum gazing up with the lights gleaming on his fur ruff. The five minute cycle ticked down. I’d be cutting it close. Too close. My claws outstretched. Grab his quills and slam him down, or throw him off the platform.

The announcer babbled. "Blaze has Super Jumped with al the power from the amulet around his neck. Look at him go! He’s soaring straight for Philippus. Of course, Philippus is between charges now. But will Blaze reach him in time?"

I’ve got to. I have to knock into him. I can do this. I know I can do this.

Staring up at me, Philippus scoots away, trying to evade me. Maybe only a perfunctory effort. After all, his player intends to throw the match and get knocked out of the game. Freedom. A sacrifice for the greater good.

How many minutes is that? Three and a half? Four?

My front legs dip and my tail lifts on the descent. Here we go. Any minute now, I should land. Any second now. Let’s hope it’s not too late.

[FASTER!] That’s Lightning. [FASTER. You’re running out of time.]

Lobo woofs. [Come on! No time for finesse. Smash into him/]

Closer. Closer. Falling now. That porcine porcupine is starting to look bigger, a prickly landing pad. No electricity yet. I’m so close!

SMASH!

Pain shoots up from the pad of my paw all the way up my arm, bones rattling. OUCH.

It’s worth it, though. Philippus crashes to the platform and rolls, picking up speed, his quills a blur now. Kesi shouts, "PHILIPPUS! Use your quills to slow yourself! Friction!"

I don’t think that’s how it works. And Philippus is picking up even more speed, spinning over and over and over, closer to the edge. He makes no sound. What sound does a porcupine even make? Whatever it is, he’s as silent as a thorny thicket with no animals and birds.

WHOOSH. He spins right off the platform.

The announcer shouts, "A dragon from House Nitakret has broken Philippus’ fall. Philippus is OUT. Now it’s only Atum against Blaze and Lobo. I repeat, Philippus is OUT."

We did it! Lightning’s shriek of triumph reverberates in the arena. Niall whoops. Lobo howls.

Finally, Philippus is out of the game! All we have to do is defeat Atum, and we will live to fight another day. Take that, System!

Meanwhile, I stop, drop, and roll myself, crashing to a halt on the hard platform. Shuddering and shaking my fur, I stand with great difficulty. No surprise, I landed harder than I thought. Where are my bones? Did they just melt when I cast the spell? Planting my paws on the platform, I ground myself and face Atum, with Lobo surrounding him in a pincer move.

Your turn, Atum!