Chapter 9 - Fan Boy

"Evolution games?" Asked Trev, intrigued by the concept.

"Yes! Earth is the highly anticipated Thirty-Second Expansion!" replied the Ent enthusiastically.

"We never agreed to this!" Emilee argued, her voice filled with defiance.

"But you did! Don't tell me you're unaware of the story. It was a monumental event back then, hyped for fifty years!" the Ent explained, disappointment evident in his voice.

"Please enlighten us. We are unaware," Elena sighed impatiently, her anger mounting.

"Fifty years ago, Evolution Corp, the creators of the evolution games, dispatched an expedition to Earth to extend an invitation for you to join the games. They landed in a place you call the United States of America, where they met the leader of the world, Nichard Rixon. He agreed to participate in the evolution games, in exchange for some technological assistance and fifty years of preparation. And now, your fifty years have come to an end, and I couldn't be more thrilled to be here!" The Ent's excitement contrasted sharply with their collective sigh.

"I don't even know where to start," muttered Trev under his breath.

"So, what exactly is the purpose of this Evolution game?" Asked Emilee, not familiar with gaming in the slightest.

"Entertainment! You pay a small fee to watch the most skilled player battling enormous creatures, risking their lives for the sake of loot, money, and fame," cheered the Ent.

Elena approached the Ent, gripping his shirt threateningly and bringing his face close to hers before speaking through clenched teeth.

"Who do I have to kill to put an end to this madness?" she seethed.

The Ent was taken aback by her aggression but pressed on.

"You can't stop it. In five days, the transformation will be complete, and the finest players from across the universe will begin to arrive."

Elena pushed the Ent away and began walking out of the dome.

"Watch me," she muttered under her breath.

Emilee and Trev stood momentarily stunned, realising that their best chance of survival lay with Elena.

"Thank you mister," said Emilee, waving at the Ent as she departed.

"Come back any time! If you amass more funds, we also offer secure accommodations! Ask for Spruce… That's me!" called the Ent, his voice fading as they moved away.

~~~~

Trev replayed Spruce's words in his mind, their weight lingering heavily. Loot, Money, Fame. They were the dreams he had always harboured, though perhaps not so much the loot itself, but definitely the allure of wealth and recognition. If this was the situation that earth had agreed too, he may as well make the most of it. The group continued their journey along the river bed, striving to remain hidden from any creatures that prowled the streets above.

Emilee, slightly trailing behind the others, scanned their surroundings anxiously.

"What's our next move?" she asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

"We'll kill whoever is responsible for this and restore Earth, so I can finally claim that holiday you promised me." replied Elena, obviously angry with the situation.

"How do we even begin to do that?" Questioned Trev, fishing for the answer he wanted.

"For now, we play their silly game until we can gather more information," she replied, smacking her pipe on the riverbed.

Confusion etched across Emilee's face as she sought clarification.

"What do you mean by 'play their game'?"

"Kill shit…" replied Elena, angrily hitting her pipe on the stone wall like a baseball bat. "Acquire currency!" Elena continued, smacking her pipe on the stone wall even harder.

These strikes caused the pipe to reverberate loudly, pinging the area like sonar.

Suddenly, a creature approached the river from above and peered over the edge. It appeared to be a goblin, drawn by the noise. The goblin jumped over the edge of the high wall and landed on the riverbed. It was followed by another three goblins, two landing on each side. They were each wielding a small knife. After a moment of intimidation the goblins charged, their screeches filled the air.

Trev was still gripping the chain he had found earlier. He skillfully flicked and released it at one of the goblin's heads. The chain propelled the creature backward, turning it into a pile of ash. Behind him, the sound of two skulls cracking in quick succession signalled Elena's wrath unleashed upon her two goblins. Beside Trev, Emilee swiftly delivered a front kick to the last goblin's face, Stomping its head into the ground and reducing it to dust as well.

As abruptly as it had started, the encounter came to an end. Trev kicked the piles of ash and discovered a single copper coin in each, which he collected and distributed among the group, giving Elena two due to her significant contribution. Their experience bar had also advanced to halfway. Surprisingly, there were no blue mana crystals this time, prompting Trev to ponder about the nature and usage of mana. He made a mental note to inquire about it from a vendor when the opportunity arose. They continued their silent journey down the river bed, mindful of not attracting any further attention.

Trev, intrigued by its purpose, started fiddling with his blue-faced watch. Tapping its face, he tried to discover any additional functions it might possess apart from glowing. The glow flickered slightly with each tap, but nothing significant happened. Then, he pressed on it for a longer duration, and the strobing grew more persistent. Finally, he held his finger against the watch, maintaining contact for two seconds, when suddenly a small blue holographic box, about the size of a watermelon, materialised above the watch. He stared intently at the box; interestingly the middle of the box was transparent. Holding up his arm, he faced it towards Emilee. A green glow outlined her silhouette, accompanied by the following text:

[Homo-sapien]

[Emilee Jasmine Dean]

[Age: 27 Earth years]

[Level 1 - Unknown]

Just as Trev attempted to do the same with Elena, the box vanished, and the watch lost its glow. A moment of panic gripped him, but he quickly glanced at his mana, only to find it had depleted to zero. Astonished by this revelation, he felt compelled to verify the accuracy of the information provided. He caught up with Emilee and walked beside her.

"Emilee, is your middle name Jasmine?" Trev whispered.

Surprised, Emilee responded.

"Yes, how did you know?"

"If you hold your finger against the watch, it uses mana to gather information about the surrounding area," Trev revealed.

Emilee's gaze shifted towards Trev's mana, and her gasp echoed through the air. She mimicked his actions, facing her watch towards Trev.

"Homo-sapien. Trevor John Helion. Age: twenty-three Earth years. Level one, unknown," Emilee whispered in awe as her mana dwindled away.

Trev's eyes widened in amazement.

"That's correct," he affirmed.

Elena, who had been walking ahead, abruptly halted and turned to face the pair. She issued a chilling warning, her demeanour deadly serious.

"If you point that thing at me, I will kill you."

Had Trev been unaware of Elena's background, he might have laughed, but he understood the gravity of her words. He had no desire to test her resolve.