Josh quickly made his way to a shop, selling all the useless bows he had acquired. Once more, a nice U-bot helped him. It really begged to question why there were even human workers at this point. Perhaps it was in case something unexpected happened?
This whole city had a weird dynamic. One could easily start Climbing the Tower, and yet many didn't bother. Were they scared of Climbing? Had they given up after seeing their Class options? Did they prefer living a full life as a wealthy commoner to becoming weak Climbers?
That's when he heard his UW: BEEP! Apparently, Dale had been messaging him a LOT. Just as he replied to his text, he instantly received a video call. Then appeared Dale's face that was radiating joy.
"Josh, finally! I thought you were going to live all your life in the Tower!"
"Well, besides the lack of food, it wouldn't be that bad, really," Josh admitted.
"...You...Anyway! You'll join the VR tournament, right? The deadline to sign up is tomorrow! But let's register right now!" He was so enthusiastic.
"Why would I even join that?" Josh lazily replied, showing a bored expression.
"There is a reward! They are giving out customs VR machines, the newest there are! That model will even be able to connect to the servers of the upcoming <Climbers' World>!"
"You forgot to say why I should care"
"Hey, have you been living under a rock?!" Dale seemed both surprised and reproachful.
"?"
"Climbers' World! The amazing game that will revolutionize gaming AND Climbing! The newest MMO that will perfectly replicate the Tower Floors! People will be able to use their real-life data in-game or start a new virtual avatar from scratch. Climbing will make you progress in-game too!" Dale almost seemed like he was doing sponsored advertising.
"That sounds fun, but it also sounds like they are trying to collect Player-Data." Josh showed cautiousness.
"Don't worry, that was something the S-Rank guilds were worried about too. It will all be managed by an independent AI, and no one will have access to that information. It includes a partnership between the various big tech companies, the MTAs, and the strongest guilds." Dale was patting his chest.
"Honestly, it sounds nice but can't I just buy a VR capsule when it comes out? If anything, VR-wise, I'm more looking for a way to change the pain setting for training purposes." Josh still didn't care.
"Didn't I mention it before? These VR machines are custom ones. Customs means that one can meet the manufacturer directly and ask for specific requirements. Most people just care about the color but—"
"I'm in!" Josh instantly cut him off.
Higher pain setting? That's exactly what he needed for his own training! Actually, this worked out perfectly. He'd be able to practice keeping his skills active when he got some, no matter the amount of distraction (pain).
"Nice! With us both, we'll destroy the tag-team matches!" Dale showed confidence.
"Oh? I thought it was an individual battle. How does it work exactly?"
"It's 2 V 2 matches. The winners progress to the next round. There are various prizes. The top 3 of each league get the custom VR machines. We'll definitely have an advantage because I'm level 24 at the moment. Talk about lucky!" Dale explained.
"What does the level have to do with any of it? Aren't the fights set at level 1 status?"
"Well, yeah, but that wouldn't necessarily make it fair either. The higher level the Climbers are and the more they are used to intense fighting. Part because of the level and part because of the experience itself."
"Fair enough, so what did they do to remedy it?" Josh curiously asked.
"They separated the people into four leagues. The unawakened, the level 1-9, the level 10-24, and the level 25+."
"I see, so you are one level from competing in a stronger league. Quite interesting, but the unawakened one is gonna be a shitshow." Josh predicted.
"Oh yeah, for sure. There are bound to be some guys from some Climber schools that will utterly destroy everyone else. Well, it's hard to balance it perfectly for everyone anyway. At least that one gives a few credits for every victory one obtains."
"So many will join just to try their luck, eh? Not that it matters. Anything else I need to know?"
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"Pretty sure that's about it. Alright, let's meet up at a VR place!"
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"Wait, can we just meet up at Draconic then?"
"Yep, this is perfect! Meet you there!"
Oh wow. Josh couldn't help but think that it was a bit ironic. As a white-gold member of Draconic, he hadn't even been aware of such a thing. Well, to be fair, he had been Climbing the last few days. Looking at his lifespan, Josh nodded with satisfaction. He had time: <35 Days>.
As soon as he arrived, he was confronted with a sea of people that were making a long queue to enter the guild. At this point, would they even be able to register by tomorrow?
"Josh! Josh!" In the back of the line, Dale called out his name while waving.
"Hey. Already here? You ran?" Josh could see him catching his breath. How fast did a level 24 have to run to be that exhausted?! Josh had missed an opportunity to film his friend looking like a lunatic.
"Gotta be fast. Don't want to miss it because of waiting too much."
Josh simply shrugged as he left the queue and walked toward the front. Then he gestured to Dale, "You coming or not?" The man followed him awkwardly. Josh was a VIP there. Why would he bother waiting?
As they pushed their way toward the front, many frowned with displeasure at their conduct. That's how the two of them finally entered the building. The inside was also utterly filled with people. Every single VR station in sight was occupied.
Josh quickly found the table that was being used for registration. Sitting there was a receptionist. It was a guy Josh knew by face but not by name. Josh kept walking, bringing Dale right at the very front of the queue, not even bothering to explain himself.
Many seemed pissed, but they still kept their mouth shut. They wisely figured that Josh must have some sort of backing to dare do such a thing. Well, of course, there were always exceptions. A young man quickly hollered at the two of them.
"OY! What do you think you are doing?!" He shouted at them.
"Registering for the tournament. I thought this was obvious." Josh shrugged
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"Get the fuck out of here! The back of the line is back there, you buffoon! We've been waiting here for hours. No fucking way we'll tolerate your bullshit!" He was angrily gesticulating too.
"How about you calm down? You are disturbing the peace here." That is when the guy in front was done, and Josh quickly advanced to register. But before he could proceed, the angry man began blocking his way.
"I won't repeat myself. Back of the queue! Now, you ill-mannered bastard!" He shouted vehemently.
Josh sighed: "Just let us pass, will you? This won't end well for you."
"Ah! I'll be damned if I'll let some rude bastard have his way! I won't move an inch! As long as I am here, you can forget about registering here, fucker!"
But the man had only begun his valiant stand that members of the guild were already in the process of throwing him out. They had clearly recognized Josh already. Fun fact, none of them really knew who he truly was. Still, they were aware that he hung out with the gold members. That was enough to take his side.
As he was getting dragged away forcefully, the man kept screaming. Something about how unfair this was. Something about how he was going to get the media involved. Something about how he was going to get them all fired. Josh couldn't help but laugh as he saw the fool at play.
"Don't you feel bad for him just a bit? He was just trying to uphold justice..." Dale hesitantly asked.
"No way!" Josh turned toward him, looking serious. "A self-righteous man is even worse than an evil bastard. At least the latter has some self-awareness. No need to overthink it. He's in a better place now."
"Brother, why are you saying it like that?! He's not dead. He was just dragged out!" Dale exclaimed.
"Exactly, out of my sigh is a better place for this annoying guy, for sure." Josh reiterated.
"..." Dale was speechless. Who other than Josh would use the expression literally?!
That is how they officially registered for the tournament amidst the screams of some idiot. Next on the agenda was some training. But, there was one place Josh wanted to visit first.
It was time to fulfill one of the conditions that came with buying D-23…
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