Boy Meets Ai

Chapter 68

Chapter 68

Gebrochen was in complete pandemonium. Screaming and fearful fans stampeded from the stadium in a wave of terror. They shouted to the players in the city to get out as quick as they could. As more and more of them realized they couldn't log out of the game, the panic began to spread like wildfire. Everyone pushed and shoved towards the exit gate of the city. Players that fell were trampled under foot by others trying to get away. The main crowd surged through the streets and made it within eyeshot of the gates.

"We're gonna get out! Just keep running or you'll end up dead!" The leader shouted.

Just as they reached the edge of Gebrochen, they noticed the dark cloud above. They ran as fast as they could, trying to escape the tendrils but to no avail. The miasma cascaded down just in front of the gate, enclosing the players in a dome of darkness. They dared not get close to it as more wriggling tendrils formed on the smoke wall. A druid tried to rip through the ground with her vines, making a tunnel out of the city. Before she could get far though, the bodies started to appear. One by one, corrupted Ai stumbled from the barrier. Some players stepped forward as they recognized their own companions. Unfortunately, they didn't realize that they were no longer themselves until it was too late. The corrupt attacked mindlessly. They stabbed into the players and good Ai with weapons, eliciting howls of anguish. It seemed that everyone under the cloud had their pain receptors activated. The ones that were hit went down immediately, writhing in pain. The crowd stumbled back as the corrupted marched forward, an army of darkness. The situation was worsened by the fact that the players in the back weren't aware of the danger ahead. They kept surging forward while the ones in the front were trying to retreat. Amidst the confusion and panic, no one noticed the figure hovering above them. In a sudden sun burst, the horde of corrupted was lit up. A hailstorm of missiles barraged them from above. The explosions sent them flying in all directions. Then, a humongous ball of flame slammed into the Ai from the side. Honey Badger and his companion had taken on the offensive in an all out assault. They held nothing back. The inventor Ai in his mechanized suit landed in the midst of the corrupted. They all turned to attack him but were stopped by another barrage of missiles. More and more Ai poured from the wall, rushing the mech suit. Honey Badger's companion slammed his fist into the ground, resulting in a seismic shockwave. It rippled out in all directions, knocking the assailants off their feet. The Burner Mage shot out bolts of fire in controlled bursts. The attacks melted holes in his enemies, whizzing through them. Despite their ferocious attack though, the corrupted hadn't decreased in number. The mage realized that whatever was creating the monsters, was able to make more than one copy at a time.

"It's a war of attrition." Gearhardt appeared right next to Honey Badger, frightening him.

"You're welcome to join in whenever you like!" The burner mage shouted, firing another massive fire ball into a dense crowd of corrupted.

"OH! We would like to get in on the action as well!" Hati and Skoll leapt down from a nearby building. The savages were practically foaming at the mouth to get a piece of the action.

"We should try to come up with a plan." Gearhardt said as he pulled Leviathan's Tooth from its place on his back.

"Oh? We don't think we can afford to be seen working with a pimp. Let's just divide up the enemy!" Skoll suggested, gaining a hateful glare from the knight.

He just sighed. "Whatever. Lets just go crazy then."

The group of them did just that. Gearhardt sunk into the ground, transforming into his shark form. The corrupted were helpless as he shot out like a torpedo. Each time he whizzed by the enemies lost their limbs and sometimes even their heads. The knight was too fast and the corrupted couldn't lay a hand on him.

Hati and Skoll took a more head on approach. They used their perfectly synced teamwork to create a sphere of carnage. With their axes in hand, they demolished the Ai in their path. Hati slammed his feet firmly on the ground, rooting himself in place. He inhaled deeply then with a mighty howl, unleashed his ultimate technique.

"SOL CRUSHER!"

In a flash of white, an enormous wall of frost blasted out from the savage in all directions. The horde that surrounded him was flash frozen in an instant, but that wasn't all. Skoll laughed maniacally as he rushed towards the encased corrupted. He smashed through them, reducing them to icy rubble.

The tournament runner ups were holding their own. Badger and his Ai attacked the base of the wall with their ranged attacks, chugging mana potions to keep their supply up. Gearhardt was on a massacring spree, ripping through the ground. Hati and Skoll froze and demolished the corrupted in droves, but the number of enemies was increasing. They could only do so much. The lower level players couldn't handle the combat and were being pressed back. The corrupted were merciless, cutting into the humans with no remorse. The screams of anguish filled the city as the fallen adventurers were added to Aramais' darkness.

"Hello? Can you hear me?"

Oaklee could. The voice of Gabriel came to her mind clearly. She mentally confirmed, asking what he needed.

"This thing and his lackeys are reading as a legitimate part of the game. I can't just remove them."

"How do we kill him?" she asked, whipping one shadow ai into another with her red bands.

"He regenerates almost instantly. Not only that, his health pool has grown larger than I can put out with one attack. We need a way to hit him with over 25000 critical damage in one shot."

The lightbulb blinked in her mind. She looked to Seiko. The plan started to take shape. A way to save them. She just needed one thing. Time.