Boy Meets Ai

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Aramais

She refused to crack. How vexing. Aramais dug his fingers deeper into the Ai's open wound, twisting and prodding. She let out a hellish scream. The agony washed over him as his torture victim spasmed with pain. To say it gave him pleasure would be an oversimplification. This feeling was a dark pool that he drowned in.

"You need not suffer anymore if you will simply comply. Call your User here and you will be free of me."

The helpless Ai stared at him, her face covered in blood. Her defiance was impressive, but admiration did not outweigh frustration in this situation. Aramais pulled a long thin dagger from his belt and jutted it just centimeters from her golden iris.

"I have had fun with this game, but I need a more... complex subject. Call. Your. User."

Aramais pierced her eye with the blade. Screams slammed against the cave walls, echoing back in on themselves. He had dialed up her pain receptors quite a bit. At this point, she should feel like her entire body was burning in acid. Still, she wouldn't call her.

"Please stop this. Please." The Ai wept tears and blood. Her body went limp, unable to summon any strength, exhausted from the hours spent with this sadist. Aramais sighed heavily and rose to his feet. They were in an abandoned mine shaft, deep within the Bokari Mountains. It was a route with little to traffic, perfect for his little experiments.

"We could've done this the easy way." A disgusting smile cracked jaggedly across his face. He placed his fingertips delicately on her scalp. With a deep inhale, he began to press. His fingers dug into her digital flesh as she screamed and screamed.

Her screams mixed with his laughter in the dark madness of the moment.

"I am truly sorry my friend. But if you will not call her yourself, then I will have to do it!"

With a bright flash, his code integrated with her own. He hijacked her very essence. Aramais felt her plead and beg as he ripped her apart from the inside. He reached deeper still, finding the function he needed. A link between Ai and user, one that he could exploit.

The cave lay still. Quiet now. Aramais sat comfortably as he waited for his prey to come. It didn't take long for him to hear the footsteps.

"Kataris! You down here? Come on girl I was sleeping, what's so important you had to show me?"

As she rounded the corner, Aramais waved. Oh, your Ai has been dead for some time now. She didn't give you up willingly if that's any consolation.

Player was frozen. Shock covered her face as she witnessed the mangled body of her Ai, Kataris.

"What the hell is this? Is this some kind of prank?" She gave a nervous chuckle.

Aramais stood and approached. Instinctively, the player stepped back. Fear coursing through her now. She quickly attempted a log out, only to find the system unresponsive.

"I've done my research. You're fairly high ranked among other pvp players. Certainly, a top contender for this upcoming tournament. Its impressive really." He loomed closer to her now, her back pressing into the cold stone wall.

"Is that what this is about? You don't want me joining? Fine I wont ok! Just stop whatever this is!" Panic laced her words as she spoke.

Aramais shook his head. "I do not care if you were to join. You are simply unlucky enough to be part of my training regimen. You see, I need to be better adapted to manipulating certain things in the heat of combat, and I need humans to do this."

"So, join a Brawl tavern! Why are you doing this? Why get me here and trap me?!" She was screaming now.

"Well, lets just say the techniques I use would be frowned upon in those circles. That and I prefer privacy while I work."

The girl scrambled backwards tripping on a loose rock. Aramais towered over her now.

"Please get to your feet." he said as he slammed his knuckles together. "This will be the last fight of your life, don't spend it down there, ok?"