MIND GAMES: Guild Tryouts

Chapter 15

—Spahn's streets light up in the early morning sunlight. Axel could feel sweat drip down his left side as he continued to run with all of his remaining strength.

The sidewalks and roads were close to empty, and the air refreshed his mind. These early morning jogs of his felt so much better in the Nexus than in the real world. It was probably because he had more stamina in the game than his real body could ever dream of, but he still was having a hard time hitting his PR.

His gauntlets seemed to strangle his fingertips and the palm of his hand. They are heavier than ever when Axel gets tired like this, making it uncomfortable to keep up the pace. Even so, Axel knew he couldn't take them off.

If he did, his entire body would be covered up in flames.

The gauntlets help contain his Aspect when he uses it, which he was at this moment to boost his speed a tiny bit, swinging his blazing gauntlets back and forth like two loose jet engines.

Axel reaches his quota, being ten kilometers, and he catches himself before he collapses onto the ground. His arms were locked as he gripped his calves and panted in exhaustion.

'I can go faster!!' He thinks, 'I have to improve my endurance somehow...'

Axel only had a week at this point before the official start of the Slayer's Pack tryouts, and he had to train every part of his body for it. Ivy and Jay were already preparing at this point, giving him the motivation to break his barriers as well. If Jay could be staking up everything for this opportunity—even though he doesn't have an Aspect—then surely Axel can do better.

"Hey! You with the flames!" A voice says in the distance.

Axel looked in every direction to see who was calling out in the area. Unless someone else was playing at this hour using a flame Aspect, someone was trying to get his attention. Axel's determination cleared its way out for an ensuing confusion.

"Over here!" The voice says.

Axel turns to his right at the voice and spots a large group of players surrounding a small area on the side of the road. People in the buildings above were on their balconies, looking in the same direction as everyone.

'What could be so interesting at this time of day?' Axel thinks

Axel walks closer, and a player steps up to him, waving beforehand. Axel returns the wave of kindness but is still very lost.

"Hey, man! You gotta check this out!" The player says.

"Uh, ok, but what is happening?!" Axel demands.

"Just come watch!" The player insists.

Agreeing, Axel trails the strange figure to the group of onlookers up ahead. Everyone seemed to have a positive attitude, and the environment seemed almost like a party or rave. The hype surrounding the air was being stirred into the crowd from some group in the distance, and Axel kept his eyes on the player who was escorting him through the crowd.

As he made it to the front of the large pack of players, the player leading Axel pointed up ahead. Axel's eyes shine in enthusiasm at the sight.

"These guys are doing a «King of the Hill» game!" The player explains, "And it's just like basketball!"

The Nexus has plenty for players to do, going on hunts for rare monsters or fighting other players. The scenery is also something to marvel at. The fact that players had come up with their rendition of basketball, not to mention a pickup game like King of the Hill, was impressive.