Chapter 6

"You don't think you have an Aspect?" Helmet reiterates to Jay.

—Jay doesn't know how to explain himself further to Helmet, and awkwardly looks around at the floor. Helmet, still taken back from what Jay told him, checks his surroundings once again.

The two of them were right inside of Spring Plaza, with the entrance being several meters away. Helmet could spot tourists, and other players spot him out, which meant another group of his fans was approaching. Helmet wanted to further this conversation, as he had an idea.

As Jay silently looks back up to meet Helmet's visor, he's greeted with a hand.

"grab my hand for a sec', will ya?" Helmet says.

Jay looks behind Helmet to see the group of players start to prance over to their location. Jay looks up to Helmet, nods, and grabs hold of him. Helmet then opens up his game menu and selects the >Teleport< option. Jay hears Helmet mutter some words under his breath, but he can't make out where Helmet initiated the teleport because of his helmet.

After a brief moment, both players were consumed with a bright blue light, with several white rays shining out in every direction. Jay could feel dizziness similar to the feeling of motion when a player logs in or logs out.

The entire time, Helmet looks unphased, as if he was used to the feeling. The players approaching Helmet gasped at the sight and then sighed in depression as their role model left their sights completely. Jay and Helmet had disappeared.

Jay's vision—slowly coming back to him—was now starting to lose the bright light that had consumed him and Helmet within his peripherals. Instead of Spring Plaza, the two players were now in a dense forest area.

Trees taller than any building in Jay's real-life neighborhood sprouted everywhere, leaving most of the forest floor scattered with patterns of shadows. Roots laid dormant on the paths Jay could spot around them.

Helmet still looks unphased. He puts both hands in his pockets and looks towards Jay.

"Show me what it looks like when you try to use your Aspect."

Jay didn't know if Helmet took him here in particular to show him something or to simply get away from his fans.

"Hey Helmet, why do you ditch your fans all the time?" Jay asks.

Helmet doesn't respond.

"—Is it because you don't like the attention?"

Helmet doesn't respond.

"Or maybe it's because of—"

"Shut up and show me your Aspect!" Helmet says, being impatient, "I'm on schedule..."

"Alright then." Jay says, "*Aspect on*!"

As soon as he called out to his Aspect, his entire body froze. To Helmet it looked like nothing had initially happened, but Jay's side of the story was a completely different tale. A feeling of dread as he felt his spine twitch crept into his brain. In a flash, all of his muscles started to flex themselves at the same time. Jay grits his teeth at the sudden pressure.

Helmet notices Jay struggling to breathe and associates it with his odd stance. Instead of standing straight and still, Jay had arches forward, with his knees and elbows bent. The strain on Jay's body seemed to fixate him into this position, and Jay couldn't move.

It felt like he was lifting something hefty in every place in his body. Jay tried to speak, but no words left his mouth. He couldn't find time to breathe either, causing him to feel light-headed.

'Aspect Off!' Jay thinks to himself before almost passing out.

Helmet stands idle, studying the way Jay took in the strain, as well as what could've caused it. Jay looks to him as he catches his breath.

"So-ah, do you think-ah, you know the issue-ah?" Jay asks, gasping for air.

"Haven't got a single clue." Helmet says abruptly.

'Then why did you make me do that then?!' Jay thinks.

"Hmm," Helmet ponders, "It looks like you do have an Aspect, but it seems to make your muscles produce spasms every time it's activated."

Jay had never thought of it like that. He always thought it was some game issue.

Or maybe because of the ~accident~.

Jay stops himself delving more into his past. He turns to Helmet directly.

"So, is it some sort of Life Aspect? or maybe a material one where it amplifies my muscles?" Jay hypothesizes.

"I don't think we'll know for sure. However..." Helmet turns to the rough patch of grass Jay was initially standing on, "It seems like your mass was increased, judging by how the ground has been matted down..."

"So it is a muscle Aspect!" Jay cheers.

"No such thing." Helmet declines.

'Then why are we even doing this if I can't guess?' He thinks to himself.

Suddenly, Helmet looks up to the sky. The clouds started to leave as the sun slowly faded away. The first couple of stars could be spotted way up in the sky. Helmet looks away from the sight.

"Jay, do you know what «Preloading» is?"

"Huh?" Jay says, confused.

"When we met at The Decimation, and even during our brawl, you seemed to know where the attacks from your friends and even some of mine were going to land. Just like me. I thought to myself both times, 'does he know «IT»?', but I would never know without asking you."

Jay looks to Helmet. His expression is shrunken up, and his posture is laid back. Helmet could tell Jay had no idea what he was talking about.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jay says.

'Well, this is a can of worms I just opened...' Helmet thought to himself.

"Ok, since your friends aren't here to listen in, I guess I can tell you what I mean by «Preloading»." Helmet replies.

Jay leans in, ready to hear the advice the Guildmaster Slayer had to offer.

"Preloading, also known as 'load Determination,' is a skill that the game doesn't chart in its libraries. When a player masters Preloading, it allows them to know when and where attacks will land—"

"If a player heightens their vision through intense training, it's possible to see the game's engine start to operate a move before it's even made. Think of it as being faster than the system. In my fight with Dillan yesterday, I had used preloading to determine where his attack would end up."

Jay remembered back when he bumped into Helmet, and when Axel used Fire Fist at him. Helmet didn't react but also didn't move out of the way. Did he predict Ivy's defensive maneuver as well?

"Well," Helmet starts, "I'm on schedule. I have a meeting later today. I'll have to get going now." Helmet tells Jay.

"Yea, that's right. You said something about that yesterday." Jay says.

"Remember the tryouts are next week at the site I specified." Helmet says, typing something into his game menu.

Jay receives a message right after Helmet finished typing, reading:

>THE WESTERN WILDS. SOUTHERN SIDE.

>2:00 PM

̂sent just now

"Hey, isn't this kind of like you teaching me in some way? I thought you said you couldn't train people outside of your Guild—" Jay says but gets cut off.

"That doesn't mean I have to be heartless," Helmet says, "Let's face it, you're gonna have a hard time at the tryouts if you rely upon only on your blade." Helmet finishes, glancing at Jay's sword.

Jay hated to admit it, but Helmet was right. He would need a miracle to pass, but his determination didn't falter. Jay wasn't fighting a battle for himself. He knew there was someone else that was special to him that he needed to keep safe. Getting more vital in the game was the only way to do that.

"Also, you can mention the text I sent you, but keep everything else we talked about between us. Preloading isn't something everyone needs to know about. Sounds shady, but trust me." Helmet says.

Jay nods his head to what Helmet says but gets an impulse to ask him a question. Without hesitation, Jay looks to Helmet and asks him a question that Helmet—even with Preloading—couldn't have predicted to hear.

"How do I get strong enough to be the number one player in the game?"

Helmet looks down as Jay says that, then starts to walk away, muttering words under his breath for a teleport. It was almost like he didn't want to answer Jay's question. Something inside of Jay needed a response, though. As Helmet starting to glow bright blue, Jay calls out once more:

"Helmet! How do I get stronger?"

Helmet looks to him as he's fading away and gives Jay one more piece of advice before fading away.

"Just remember these words 'cause they'll help you out when you least expect it." Helmet says.

"Visualize and execute."

—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

Jayson—taking out his LucidCast from his NIE—had just logged off The Nexus. He sat still for a moment, pondering the words Helmet had repeated to him from earlier.

'Visualize and execute...' Jayson thought.

Would he have to visualize and execute success to get stronger in the game without Aspect at his side?

Josh and Isabelle sounded like they were downstairs. Isabelle's dad must've convinced Josh to stay for dinner before he goes back home.

Jayson looks around Isabelle's room once again and spots Helmet's poster on the wall again. Jayson can't believe that he actually met him but also had a one-on-one conversation with him. Helmet seemed so stern and monotone in the media. I mean, he wasn't one to greet fans, but he actually cared about Jayson succeeding in the tryouts.

Next to the Helmet poster was a sketch of the «World Map», which is the world of The Nexus.

In the middle of the map was Spahn, the central city and first place new players entered. Jayson and his friends spent an awfully long time there these past couple of days.

Four giant stone bridges were connected to the Spahn city walls, linking the other four main cities. These bridges are spread apart, leading in opposite directions to the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest. They seemed to form a giant "X" with Spahn in the middle of them, being the connecting force between them. These bridges are very long, crossing through the game's entire map and ecosystem.

The other main cities—which are categorized on the map Jayson was looking at—are as follows:

«South Port», an ocean-side city with fishermen, pirates, and lots and lots of booze. Players here are usually water Aspect users who love to hunt beasts. South Port is located at the end of the southwest bridge.

«Axtasia», a bustling city with only the wealthiest players in their ranks. Gambling and the elusive ~Black Market~ are among the treats that await players here. Many material Aspect users find a good profit—and prey—here. Axtasia is located at the end of the southeast bridge.

«Undergrowth», a city in the middle of the game's most dense jungle, Is home to the ever-popular ~Skill Tree~. Players can spend skill points to upgrade their avatar here permanently. Most life Aspect users call this place home. Undergrowth is located at the end of the northwest bridge.

And finally, «Oasis City». 'Oasis,' as players around the game call it, is a desert city located in the harshest environments in the game. Many players come here for the quarries spread around this part of the map, hoping to collect resources for reselling or use them in blacksmithing. Oasis City has many fire Aspect users and is located at the end of the northeast bridge.

Spahn, South Port, Axtasia, Undergrowth, and Oasis City. Jayson hasn't ever been to either Axtasia or Oasis City because there isn't a need to go there. As Jayson looks at the map, he spots all sorts of places of interest between these cities. Some he's been to, and others that he found exciting places to visit.

Because of the travel time to each area and the fact that teleporting is a luxury product that is high in price, players usually find one city and stick there. Primarily because of the zone that surrounds each bridge and each city...

«The Wilds»

As Jayson looks at the map, he remembers just how big the Wilds are, spreading to every other corner of the map. Except for the points of interest inside of it.

The Wilds, better known by the player base as "The Bush," is a wilderness-like zone that instigates risk and reward for players wanting a challenge.

You see, the five cities in the game serve as ~Safe Areas~, which don't allow players to lose money or experience if they fight. Players can still fight with these rules, but nothing is lost on either side. The Wilds, however, have no ruleset. If you get attacked by another player—and end up losing—you will lose a percentage of your money as a penalty and spawn back in Spahn.

You could say crossing through the Wilds is dangerous, but not if you're the one being hunted.

The Slayer's Pack is notorious for letting players in their ranks train inside of the Wilds. The longer a player survives inside of it, a multiplier is put on the money they gain from inside, from either completing quests or hunting beasts.

The Nexus is a PvP game, but with another focus on hunting fantasy-style monsters to earn money and experience. These monsters can drop loot and other items to help aid the player in advancing in their progression.

Players who stay in the Wilds for a long time may get a bonus on killing these monsters, but also if they kill other players. The trade-off for this is simple: If this player dies, they lose not only money but also experience. It's a high risk, high reward.

Jayson remembers the first time he crossed through the Wilds, thinking that the long stone bridge was a safe area. He quickly fell victim to a player crossing it as well, losing most of his starting currency in one fail swoop.

As Jayson continues looking at the World Map sketch, he remembers the area Helmet had told him to go. Checking near the southside of the Western Wilds, one of the points of interest in the Wilds was conveniently located there.

With a small safe zone like that there, Jayson knew instantly that the place he was looking at on the poster was where he and his friends would venture.

"Hey, Jayson! You're finally up!" A voice says behind him.

Isabelle stood in front of her room's door frame. Jayson looks away from the poster and to Isabelle, who has a calm expression.

"Did Josh already go home?" Jayson asks.

"Yeah."

Jayson stands up straight, cracking his back in discomfort. He feels something wrap around his left side and sees a blanket over him. Had Isabelle just tossed it over him?

"Out of my room!" She says with an evil snark, "The couch is calling your name."

"T-thanks...and did you tell your parents—" Jayson starts but is cut off.

"About what happened with your dad? Yes." Isabelle replies.

"So they're letting me stay?"

"As long as you need, until your dad calms down."

Jayson looks down at the floor. It would be hard to return home now from what happened the other day with his dad and his family. He thanks Isabelle for the blanket and heads downstairs.

"Oh! if you need anything or if you wanna log into The Nexus, tell me." Isabelle says from the top of the stairs.

"Thanks, there's actually some things I'll have to tell you and Josh tomorrow. It's about what Helmet and I talked about after you left." Jayson replies.

"Ok. Night!" Isabelle smiles, closing her bedroom door.

Jayson heads to the Davis household's couch. He would be staying here until things cleared up with his father and the rest of his family.

Jayson's eyes start to get really heavy as he lays down on the couch and wraps the blanket over him. After only a couple of minutes, he drifts asleep.

Thoughts of what happened between him and his father flashed into his head.