Love is War

Chapter 14

“Woah,” I exclaimed when we reached their gaming stadium, it’s insanely huge, this can’t be called stadium anymore. It’s a gaming dome! All my fellow competitors are also admiring the beauty of this place. Computers are all over the place with its own gaming peripherals. I gotta say that they are saying the truth, they come prepared. Those gaming peripherals are high quality just like mine. Most of all, the two gaming computers in the center is really an attraction, its design is a true beauty and its gaming chair.

It is only two, but I can tell that these computers will be used in the grand finals, it’s too obvious and even a monkey can tell. What’s more important is that it gave me more motivation to reach the finals and to take my gaming skills to higher heights.

“That card is mine,” I heard the fatso beside me whispered and he is pretty confident with his skills, he is also a nerd. The nerd aura is strong from him. Nerds sure are formidable foes in this competition, it’s not an insult, it’s just how I label these smart looking persons, and also, they look like an addict gamer.

“Let’s see,” I told him and he was surprised that I heard him, as expected he showed fear when I intimidated him.

“Now, welcome to PCGG’s gaming stadium,” our moderator happily announced but my attention is pinned to this guy. It’s still bothering me where I have seen him, stupid brain. I pulled my phone out of my pocket when I felt vibration from it. Someone might have texted me. “Hey!” I heard the moderator exclaimed. Oh it’s dad, what does he want to tell me now. “Hey no phones allowed while inside the gaming stadium, you will be disqualified!” the moderator shouted again and I hide my phone immediately back to my pocket and I did not have the chance to read my dad’s text.

“Sorry hehe,” I apologized afraid of being disqualified in the match.

“Let’s continue,” he said and my attention is on him this time. “First round will be a battle royale and only top 20 participants will be allowed to proceed to round two,” he announced and I felt so lucky more than ever. Battle royale games is my kind of thing, PCBG (Player’s Common Battle Ground), LOS (Laws of Survival), or Peak Legends, you name it. I played all of those more than a thousand hours. “And the first game of the day!” and his announcement was quickly followed up by a drum roll and the big screens above brightened up and our eyes quickly gazed at it. Big texts slowly appeared in the screen.

E.. S.. C.. A.. P.. E.. F.. R.. O.. M.. G.. U.. L.. A.. G

Woah! Escape from Gulag?! Am I dreaming? I thought it was about to be released later in the year. It was said to be the first realistic battle royale in gaming history. I can’t believe that I am seeing this! Early experience! I am more motivated now!

The crowd bursts out of screams as they saw the mythical game be announced to be played by all. There are exactly 120 participants inside this stadium right now, which I believed to be the maximum players in a game.

This sure would be a hard road for all of us, since no one in this place has ever played this game. The guns spray patterns, the recoil, and other metas that should be considered in the game. No one knows except for the developers. We are like blind people placed in a strange place and our hands is the only thing that we can use to navigate through the place. The only thing all of us familiar off is to aim and shoot the gun.

“Now gamers! Go to any computer that you want, remember being comfortable is a crucial thing when it comes to gaming! The first round officially… starts… now!” he finally announced and the participants became chaotic in an instant. The battle officially starts now. I stood still enough to scan all the gaming computers some of them are already filled by other participants and others are fighting for one pc. I can see that each computer has their own set of specific specifications and also color. Oh I see, this is a psychological warfare not just gaming skills.

No worries, I already have picked my computer that I will use. People are harming each other but there are no punching happening, just pushing them away and pulling. What a boring battle! I dashed through a gaming rig similar to mine as it can help me to imagine myself in my home and to reduce the pressure.

“No you don’t,” I grabbed the fatso earlier who is about to sit in my computer. I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, he tried to punch my face but I easily avoided it. What a weak punch? Since I still have heart as a human, I just lifted his body despite of his weight and threw him away. From the looks of his face, I can tell that he is very surprised. Maybe he underestimated my strength since I am a woman. Disgusting misogynist!

Well, I must focus myself now for the game- woah who’s this who stopped me from the middle of grabbing the gaming chair. I quickly turned my head towards that guy and I was surprised the tall guy that’s been bothering my mind.

“If you can excuse me,” he said and threw my hand away from the gaming chair. Wow, such strength I can tell that he can give me a good fight.

“Don’t you know the saying, Ladies first?” I asked him and stopped him from having a seat on that gaming rig.

“Sorry, but I don’t know that saying,” he politely said and he turned his back on me. He sure is getting on my nerves; I clenched my fist and I threw a punch to him but he quickly avoided it even not seeing my actions, but I did not bother to be surprised by his movements since I am expecting it. I quickly withdrew my hand and throw yet another straight punch from my left but he guarded it. I am holding back since I am afraid of causing injuries to him.

Woah that was quick, I avoided one of his punches that I did not see, I didn’t even see him clenching his fist. What speed! Such rude man, he does not know how to hold back in front of a girl. In that case, then I will not hold back anymore, this time I will put my back on any punches that I will throw at him!

AHHH! I landed a punch to his solar plexus that sends him away from me but I did not waste any second to see him back on his feet. I lowered my body and threw an uppercut to his chin but he avoided it by quickly weaving his body, boxing? But what’s more surprising he did that while on a verge of falling. A hook landed on my face, I felt little pain to my body.

“WOAH! THIS IS TRULY A FIERCE BATTLE FOR THE GRX 9090!” I heard an announcer and I can say that all of them is focused on us right now. Since there is no rule that prevents us from physically fighting, we are not afraid of any disqualifications.

I regained my footing after taking that hook on my face. Such a worthy opponent! Boxing huh? Well, taste some of my muay thai skills. I positioned myself like in a muay thai match. Curving my body slightly and having an open guard, one of my foot is slightly raised to avoid any foot counter from him.

He is smart, he is conscious of my skills not underestimating me as a woman. He has my respect for that. Since he is on guard, I had time to spot other participants who is also aiming for the same gaming rig, almost of them are watching us fight but I quickly tripped the fatso who is persistently chasing for that spot.

“Not on my watch,” I told him giving him a death stare. All over his body he felt that chilling sensation that can be felt when you are in face to face with a deadly predator.

After that I dashed towards him throwing a jab straight, elbow combo, but he blocked it with his shoulders. He tried to counter but I avoided it with my footwork. I backed off to plan more on how to attack this guy, I really can’t go all out. Since injuring him that will prevent him to play will lead to our gang’s demise, since injuring someone in this place is forbidden.

Also at the same time my brain is telling me that he can take me on my strongest. Hmm, I don’t trust my brain that much in these kind of situation since my instinct is telling me to hold back if I want that card.

WHERE IS HE?! Oh gawd! I was so focused with my thoughts and his fast movements are very quick that he almost seems like that he vanished in thin air. I looked down and there I saw him about to throw an uppercut to me but I barely avoided it, his fist grazing my chin that made me dizzy. He is a boxing pro there’s no denying it.

Boxing athletes are targeting the chin, because that was their key success for a knock out. Chin can send your brain in shambles and trust me you don’t want a hard punch in your chin never. Just a graze is enough to make me dizzy. But not me! I did not budge to that dizziness and countered him with a downer cut the opposite of upper cut and I had a direct hit on his head and I am confident that I put my strength in that punch.

I don’t know if a downer cut is a thing but I have my own rules in my life. What I call it is what I call it!

“DOWN!!” the announcer shouted when he falls into his knees.