"SIMULATION COMPLETE :: Processing performance metrics"
I was too exhausted to be annoyed by System's voice. My arm still ached phantom-like where the demon-dog had crunched it, even though the actual limb was perfectly intact. I thought about the scars where a stray dog had bit me, the same arm. It was strange how my old scars remained, but new ones never formed.
I focused on the first tab, wishing I could rub at those scars.
[GENERAL STATS]
:: COMBAT PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS ::
Damage Dealt: 4,867.2
- Melee (ōdachi): 3,144.5 (64.6%)
- Blitzkrieg (Lightning): 892.3 (18.3%)
- Environmental: 520.1 (10.7%)
- Capacity Pistol: 210.3 (4.3%)
- Flare Gun: 100.0 (2.1%)
Damage Taken: 1,633.8 (815.5 Overkill)
- Crushing/Blunt: 589.0 (432.6)
- Piercing/Fang: 344.5 (331.2)
- Poison (Cumulative): 267.8
- Neurotoxin: 123.4
- Slash/Claw: 89.1 (51.7)
- Fall Damage: 220
Debuffs Suffered: 23
- Poisoned (Skallarunkus): x3
- Poisoned (Garilist): x2
- Hemorrhaging: x4
- Neurotoxin Haze: x2
- Nausea: x3
- Waterlogged: x1
- Panic (Suppressed): x6
- Crushed Bones: x2
Accuracy:
- Melee Strikes: 67/93 (72.0%)
- Capacity Pistol: 4/6 (0.66%)
- Ability Targeting: 8/9 (88.9%)
Evasion:
- Successful Dodges: 14
- Phase Evasions (Retreat): 3
- Shadow Absorptions: 18
- Failed Evasions: 31
- Evasion Rating: 31.1%
Deaths: 2
MediDrone Canisters Used: 3
Antidotes Administered: 8
"Jesus," I muttered, "sixteen-hundred damage. That’s like… ten deaths. Thirty-one failed evasions?"
Coach chimed in, "Hey, for someone with your Agility, that's actually not terrible. Without the phaseplate boost, you'd be looking at single digits. Plus, you were learning on the fly. Proud of ya, kid."
I flipped to the Experience Details tab, but wasn’t really sure what I was looking at. There were so many different things, and the math didn’t seem to add up. I assumed there were calculations happening underneath the hood. I still wasn’t sure what exactly was supposed to happen when I properly reached a Level 2 Sync, but tucked the questions away for later.
[EXPERIENCE DETAILS]
:: SYNCHRONIZATION REPORT ::
Starting Sync Level: 1.47
Ending Sync Level: 1.56
Total Sync Gained: +0.09
Current Skill Points: 8
COMBAT EXPERIENCE BREAKDOWN:
Tutorial Enemies (Basic):
- Skallarunkus: +0.15
- Garilist: +0.22
- Murkmutts (x2): +0.18
- Razorflies (Swarm): +0.08
- Zabraycis (x2) +0.10
- Krungv (x8) +0.08
- Callakalus (x3) +0.12
Advanced Enemies:
- Medusa Hydra: +0.31
- Undead Tuundrabel: +0.56
- Lv.4 Chaotic Replicas (x2): +0.42
Miscellaneous:
- Environmental Navigation: +0.09
- Resource Harvesting: +0.04
- Creative Ability Usage: +0.08
STAT IMPROVEMENTS (Derived from Sync):
Constitution: 4.08 → 4.53 +11.3%
Endurance: 0.50 → 0.55 +10%
Vitality 1.10 → 1.10
Strength: 1.25 → 1.41 +12.8%
Agility: 3.60 → 4.12 +14.4%
Dexterity: 0.85 → 0.89 +04.7%
Intelligence: 1.50 → 1.58 +05.3%
Wisdom: 2.75 → 2.96 +07.6%
Mind: 0.75 → 0.76 +01.3%
Focus: 0.98 → 1.05 +07.1%
Charisma: 1.80 → 1.80
Willpower: 2.00 → 2.12 +06.0%
Faith: 0.25 → 0.09 -64.0%
Arcana: 0.00 → 0.00
Perception: 1.20 → 1.43 +19.2%
Luck: 1.00 → 1.00
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Technology: 1.20 → 1.21 +00.8%
Systems: 2.50 → 2.55 +02.0%
Resonance: 0.80 → 0.88 +10.0%
Presence: 1.25 → 1.25
- Health increased to 145 HP
- Stamina increased to 11.77
- Capacity increased to 40.86
- Evasion modifier increased to 7.55
- Poison Resistance +0.8%
- Pain Tolerance +1.2%
- Reaction time improved by 0.03 seconds
- Jump distance +1.5 feet
- Melee damage modifier +1.6%
- Tactical Advisor bandwidth increased
- Debuff resistance +0.2%
- Mental fortitude improved (marginal)
CLIENT CAPACITY IMPROVEMENTS:
- Shadow Duration: 45s → 48s
- Retreat Cooldown: 120s → 115s
- Blitzkrieg Area Damage: +12%
"Hmmm," I hummed out. "Is that a lot of improvement?"
"Yes, and no. Sims are designed for rapid early progression," Coach explained. "Real combat gives more Sync per encounter, but the controlled environment here lets you chain fights safely. Well, 'safely' being relative."
“Eight skill points seems good. It also says your bandwidth was increased. Are you smarter now?”
“Not smarter,” Coach said. “Its more like being able to think through more options at the same time. I’ll still come to my same conclusions, but we’ll get a wider set of plans and results faster. My subroutines can take up a lot of the Server connection, especially when I’m linked to a Macker, Library, or other mods.”
I was going to look into the drones tonight in bed.
The Financial Review tab made my stomach drop.
[FINANCIAL REVIEW]
:: FISCAL PERFORMANCE SUMMARY ::
EXPENDITURES:
Market Purchases:
- Xiamiti All-Purpose Injectors (x5): 50,000f
- Phase Delivery (Antidotes): 1,000f
- Simple Knife (Kil Kellen): 500f
- Phase Delivery (Knife): 1,000f
- Tuner Forks (x10): 10,000f
- Phase Delivery (Tuners): 1,000f
________________
Subtotal (Market Value): 63,500f
Simulation Costs:
- Respawn Fee (x2): 16,000,000f
- MediDrone Canister Refills (x3): 45,000f
- Facility Usage Fee: 25,000f
- Biohazard Cleanup: 5,000f
________________
Subtotal: 16,075,000f
TOTAL: -16,138,500f
EARNINGS:
Simulation Completion Bonus: 50,000f
Achievement - Mammoth of a Task: 100,000f
Material Harvesting Value:
- Skallarunkus Venom Spines (x23): 11,500f
- Garilist Hide (2 sq meters): 8,000f
- Garilist Roots (x4): 6,000f
- Hydra Fangs (x8): 16,000f
- Hydra Hide (5 sq meters): 15,000f
- Razorfly Wings (x12): 3,600f
- Tuundrabel Ivory (Partial): 75,000f
________________
Subtotal Materials: +135,100f
TOTAL (Potential): +285,100f
TAXES & FEES:
- Xiamiti Transaction Tax (3%): 4,841f
- Station Processing Fee: 10,000f
- Trainer Commission (Coach): 14,255f
NET DELTA: -15,882,496f
CURRENT FINANCIAL STATUS:
- Previous Debt: 0f (Forgiven)
- Credit Line: 50,000,000f
- Credit Used: 15,882,496f
- Available Credit: 34,117,504f
- Monthly Interest (1.8%): 285,885f / month
- Military Stipend Pending: +6,000,000f
NEXT PAYMENT DUE: 29 days
"Sixteen million florins—I only died once! Coach, I only died once! What the hell is that?!" I yelled.
“Calm down, kid,” he said with patience. “These things happen. You took so much damage, the sim must have registered multiple deaths. You probably popped a MediDrone can and an antidote right as it ticked, plus all that overkill. We can dispute it, easy enough.”
I thought about the Collector guy and had a feeling I would be dealing with the coward again. I needed to get a M.A.C.K. unit—Macker, as Coach called them—to really unlock my potential. That was going to be tens of millions, and going further into debt for it seemed like a heavy decision.
Feeling ready to get moving, I quickly checked Slop's stats, curious about what the four-legged hulk had accomplished.
[FAMILIAR STATS - SLOP]
:: COMPANION PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS ::
Classification: Canine Familiar (Retriever, Golden)
Sync Level: 1.00 → 1.31 (+0.31)
Combat Performance:
- Damage Dealt: 12,445
- Kills: 3 (Garilist, Murkmutt, Chaotic Replica)
- Damage Taken: 2,890
- Debuffs Suffered: 8
Abilities Demonstrated:
- Pack Tactics: Efficiency +20% when fighting alongside Harness User
- Brutal Bite: Ignores 15% of target's armor
- Loyal: Damage resistance +10% when User health <50%
- [LOCKED - Requires Higher Sync]
Growth Metrics:
- Strength: +1.8%
- Constitution: +2.2%
- Agility: +0.8%
- Perception: +3.1%
- Stealth: +1.1%
Behavioral Notes:
- Exceptional combat instincts for non-Harnessed entity
- Unusual synchronization with User's tactical decisions
- Anomalous damage output against higher-tier enemies
- Responding to Client integration despite lacking Harness
:: WARNING ::
Familiar exhibiting non-standard integration patterns.
:: Monitoring recommended ::
"Coach," I said slowly, "what's going on with Slop?"
"No idea, kid. Never seen anything like it. Your dog's... special. The System's tracking something about him that doesn't fit the normal categories."
Before I could respond, the recap screen dissolved and the simulator's exit door materialized in front of us with a gentle chime. Slop and I were suddenly clean—the blood, mud, and oil vanishing as if they'd never existed. My uniform was pressed and pristine, though I still felt the bone-deep exhaustion that no amount of techno-cleansing could fix. At least it kept Slop’s neckerchief on him.
"SIMULATION DATA ARCHIVED :: Tactical Analysis delivered to Debrief Room 7"
"Debrief?" I asked, moving toward the door. "I thought we were done."
Coach asked, "Debrief? You mean the recap screen?"
But Coach couldn’t hear System. I was disturbed by the implication.
“Yeah… no- nevermind.”
“Okay, buddy,” he replied, his chipper tone rubbing me the wrong way.
The door slid open to reveal a sterile white corridor. Other trainees were emerging from their own simulation chambers—some limping despite being physically healed, others with the thousand-yard stare I recognized from my sailing days. A mantis-like woman—six-legged, chitinous, but with a humanoid torso—was actively vomiting into a waste receptacle. Her companion, a brain-stemmed jellyfish in a floating octopus mechsuit-turned-aquarium, patted her back.
Neon blue pulses of light streamed from the core down the eight tentacles, a neat grid of wires and RGB under thick armored plates. A dome of glass surrounding the creature showed the flickers of its HUD as it bobbed gently in the contained fluid. The jelly's tank turned from a glowing green to pulsing red, iris-like orbs dilating in a stuttered pattern—jellyfish body language, I assumed.
“Your bravado was statistically unjustified,” it said in an overly reverbed robotic voice to its party member. “I was almost dismantled.”
The mantis woman turned and glared at the octopod, wiping her mandibles of a white and yellow bile. “It DID dismantle me, you little puddle jumper!” She threw up human-like arms that forked, four-fingered hands going straight out, jagged saw-like scythes doubling back and down. Dark green exoskeleton rattled as she turned in a huff, tan overcoat flaring dramatically as she skittered off with unbelievable speed. Several limbs climbed up the walls as she nearly drifted through the corner of the halls.
I nudged Slop forward with a gentle knee and stepped past the jelly, angling toward the main corridor. My HUD pinged, highlighting a list of upcoming simulations—most of them flagged “RESTRICTED” or “INCOMPLETE.” One, labeled “Advanced Fieldcraft: Hostile Environments,” glowed a sullen yellow. I wasn’t sure if that was an invitation or a warning. It would become available in roughly fourteen hours.
Coach grunted in my head. “That’s your ticket, kid. Let’s get some rest and be ready for the next round.”
I kept moving, boots scuffing along the seamless floor, the heavy artificial gravity reminding me I wasn’t on Earth. The other trainees gave me space, some watching like I was about to sprout tentacles myself. I wasn’t sure, but I suspected it had something to do with being the only harnessed human. In the Navy, anyone flagged out as special, new, or unique, was glared down and hassled by all hands, round the clock. Eventually, they would assimilate into the crew, but those first few weeks could be a lonely, living hell of hazing and turned backs. I just knew this would be no different.
The jellyfish in the mechsuit pootered up, the movement sounding like high-pitched engine farts, reminding me of the Jetsons. Servo-arms flexed as it pivoted to block my path. Its voice came filtered through tinny speakers, too formal for the squishy mass behind the glass. “You survived the low-tier simulation?” Its tentacles pulsed, blue veins lighting up like roadways on a map. “Statistically improbable. Your species is uncalibrated. Unintelligent. You should have failed. In what ways have you deployed deceptive tactics of fraud and cheating?”
“Fuck you, fishhead!” The words slipped right out of my mouth, and I immediately regretted them.
“Not you, indignant ape. Your dog is a filthy anomaly,” the jelly interrupted, ignoring Slop’s warning. “Tactics: insufficient! Energy R.O.I.: Atrocious! Stealth capabilities: Abysmal! You lack innate resonance. A blaspheme!” It sounded angry, ready for a fight.
“Ah. Get fucked,” I said. “Before I send you to the respawn chambers.”
I held Slop back by the neckerchief. He wasn’t pulling, but I could tell he was ready to jump. I wondered if Slop knew what the thing was saying. The octopod shifted as if offended or curious, one side of the fishtank rising above the other, sloshing the fluid within. Without another word, the blinking craft was piloted off in the direction of the mantid, red and blue lights flashing through the corridor like a police chase.
I knelt down next to Slop and said, “Don’t let him get to you,” while scratching behind his ear.
Coach said, “Locker room drama, am I right?”
At a loss, I started toward the elevator. As I made my way through the complex corridors, Coach and I discussed a few things about aliens, the sim, how I could better prepare for the ‘hostile environments’ intro, and what kind of skills I should be thinking about. Slop trailed behind me, stopping occasionally to sniff at the space between the floor and various doors, but I never had to call for him.
The elevator ride was less eventful this time, my mind preoccupied with planning and exhaustion. Slop was signaling that he was more comfortable, and I wondered if System was somehow suppressing his panic like she was mine. I supposed it didn’t matter either way.
After a time, I asked, “Coach, when can I go home?”
A silence stretched, only interrupted by the arrival chime and airlock whooshing as the pod seated itself in its landing chamber.
“I don’t know, kid,” he said at last. “I didn’t really exist before I was installed onto your Client. I have memories—lots of them—and can read through some pretty large datasets. But, it's only what they give me, and it seems like Xiamiti doesn’t publish a lot about onboarding new civilizations into the I.R. Besides, do you really think you’ll be able to go back and be content? You’re changing—fast.”
I started walking toward my quarters, barely remembering which direction to turn in the uniform halls. “Can’t they take it out? Zap my mind and plug me back into the matrix?”
“Maybe,” he said sullenly. “There’s more to the universe, though. You might not know it, yet, but the people need you—or at least, they need those of you who can be harnessed to protect them. I don’t know how we got here, but I’m pretty sure it's just how you said: the only way out is through.”
“I don’t want to be Neo. Or Luke. I want to play as Anthem, hero of Azeroth, and Geilanor, and Eorzea. And those Chaotic things? What the hell are they?”
He said, “Well, that’s a bit of a mystery, even in my libraries. Demons, or something close—less hierarchy, more violent. They just showed up one day, came through a hole in the ground that didn’t make any sense. A stairwell of sorts, but that came from somewhere else, somewhere even our technology can’t go.
They come in all shapes and sizes, from little things that roll and spit acid to colossal spiders that can bend the fabrics of space and time. Some of them fly, some of them run, some just roll around spraying acid. Don’t matter how they get to you, they’re all deadly as hell. Millions in their hordes poured out. The few who have gone into the stairwell never came out, never respawned. They were just… gone.”
I asked, “So, what? Are they spreading?”
Coach said, “Yeah, like a god-damned plague. One hole turned into ten, then a hundred, then a thousand. Xiamiti has kept the tri-galaxy area safe for several hundred years now, but the new incursions near your solar system sparked renewed interest in human harnesses.”
I approached my door, stopping. “That’s... That’s a lot to process,” was all I could get out.
I hesitated, my hand hovering near the pad. That door didn’t lead to my room. My room was a million miles of empty space away. I wondered if there would be police reports for me as a missing person. I thought about Derrick, probably having to pick up the slack for me missing work for… I didn’t even know how many days it had been.
I felt lost, staring at my hand, not even sure if it was real anymore.
“Good night, Coach,” I said.
“See you in the morning, kid.”
I will likely spend some time tinkering with tables for the next round of these to try to reduce the eye strain.
Do you prefer these "stat chapters" broken out or included in the chapter itself?