Chapter 52

Chapter 52



The description floored me. My main concern with building up a User identity was long-term. The identity perks were just window dressing. If I somehow acquired a tank identity. Eventually, I wouldnt be able to back it up, and it would be all too obvious that I wasnt who I claimed to be.

Granted, I had no intention of ever being a tank. But with just a few choices of assimilated feats along with the subtle nature of my Ordinator abilities, I could bridge that divide.

Not to mention, I could potentially round out my character in ways that my chosen Ordinator branch had locked me out of. Page had several ranged feats that looked promising

Are you salivating? Sae was looking at me in distress. She called up to the front seat. Anyone want to trade seats? Hes salivating.

Nicks cool blue eyes studied me in the rearview mirror. Dude. You just ate.

I wasnt salivating. I rolled my eyes. Just thinking about battle tactics. Though it would help if I knew more about your skills. This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com

Seems normal to me, Jinny piped up from the drivers seat. Thinking about blasting mutant elk always makes me peckish.

I wasnt salivating!

The elk, really? Nick asked Jinny, eyebrows raised in disbelief. They had growths and shit.

My initial reaction was ew. But the smell when we burned them Sae trailed off with a happy sigh.

Okay. Now I want to trade seats. Or cars for that matter, I shot back. The idea of eating creatures as intelligent as the was making queasy.

Actually, Nick cocked his head. Thats not a bad idea.

Im not eating mutated-cancer-ridden-monster-elk. I said firmly.

Not that. Nick twisted in his seat to face me and Sae. You knowing more about our skills. Since youre doing the tactician thing.

Saes mouth popped open, as if a thought had just occurred to her. Thats right. We can share character screens.

I didnt need screaming in my ear to remember the complicated nature of



And you just thought of this now? I asked, attempting to buy time. It was possible that the system wouldnt consider voluntary sharing of information as a traditional method or appraisal, but it was far from a sure thing.

We havent really had to use it much. Jinny admitted. Its mainly been the three of us, talking through options as we level.

Still, it wouldnt hurt to confirm that.

Do any of you have more than one title? I asked.

An air of discomfort settled over the car.

Because mine is more than a little annoying, I added, trying to defuse the tension.

We, uh, havent talked about them much. Nick gave me a look that was almost begging me to drop it. As far as I know, you only get one.

Figures, I sighed, and continued sorting through the screens while keeping an eye on the road. It helped that the system screen was semi-transparent, but I had to make a conscious effort to not tunnel-vision.

Nick was a powerhouse. As hed previously said, his chosen feats all revolved around taking a beating and dishing it out. Like some sort of masochist tank-dps hybrid. What he hadnt mentioned was that his main counter-attack ability relied on catching damage with a shield. From the description, it worked similar to a battery, building charge until he decided to dish it out. Also notable was a feat that kept him conscious and on his feet until he died.

Damn. Not sure if I would have picked that one for obvious reasons, but it made sense with his build.

His title was illegible. A literal black bar hung over it like a redacted military document. I suspected it had something to do with the ethos he mentioned. And considering how everyone had reacted the last time I mentioned titles, I decided to let it go.

Having read through both their sheets, it was clear that Nick had a natural synergy with Sae. He was incredibly hard to kill, and as long as he was alive, she could buff him.

Is that the same Escalade?

Wed stopped momentarily at a light. My heart hammered as I focused entirely on the street behind us. There was a Black Escalade parked on the side of the road. They all looked the same, so there was no way to know for sure, but a feeling of dread settled over me.

I nearly opened my mouth to call it all off, when a woman pushing a stroller approached the Escalade. She pulled a key fob from her clutch and clicked it, the lights on the escalade flicking on.

The light turned green, and I kept watch as the car grew more distant.

Barely visible, the woman pulled an infant in a onesie from the stroller, hoisted it in the air like Rafiki in the Lion King, and loaded it into a car-seat.

Keep jumping every time you see a black car. Idiot.

Annoyed at how quick was to switch targets, I pulled up Jinnys sheet. Then I read it again. By the third time, I realized it wasnt going to make sense if I read it a dozen times.

I studied her in the rearview. She saw me looking and gave me an uneasy smile. Happy to answer any questions you have about my sheet when Im not driving.

In other words, Sae and Nick didnt know. I gave the sheet one more cursory scan, just to confirm I hadnt imagined it.

Yeah. I had many questions.