Chapter 394: A different kind of marathon

The system put Mason against two more players he didn't recognize, this time in some kind of Indian bazaar with everything but the people. The players fought him together with practiced teamwork. They fought brilliantly, and with great skill, using the terrain to set mechanical traps and launch hidden sling bullets, managing to keep ahead of Mason’s speed.

And then they died, having had no chance at all. This time as Mason grabbed his enemies and held them with impossible strength he paused first.

"I know you can't surrender,” he said. “You want a stab in the heart, or want me to choke you out?"

After considerable confusion, both men eventually indicated they’d like to be choked unconscious. Mason felt a little better as he 'killed' them. But not much.

He came out with a diminished form of the same energy he'd felt before, wanting to smash the walls, the 'emperor', his robot overlord. But he couldn't do any of it. Mason didn't much care for anything these days that wasn't fighting or fucking, and when he found the three civilian girls Haley took one look in his eyes and started undressing.

It helped. A little.

But the system might really have been listening to Mason’s rant. The fights continued every fifteen minutes for almost two days, mostly individual matches, but maybe three or four team fights in a day. Every player in Nassau except Mason became a kind of walking zombie, their bodies always renewed, their minds exhausted and vaguely traumatized.

Win or lose (and it was almost always win), after about a day the players of Nassau would walk out and drop in whatever room they'd materialized, the 3 and even 6 man teams basically lying in a row, or a pile.

For his part, Mason went and found his girls (except for Becky, who was usually passed out on the floor). Rosa and Haley were very glad for Lexi after a few sessions. Despite being able to sleep and relax more or less as much as they wanted, their bodies were being...worn down.

"It's your turn, sweetheart," Haley mumbled as she staggered towards the bathroom after a particularly long session. Lexi and Rosa were tangled up in the sheets beside Mason, and both pointed at themselves, not sure who Haley meant. Mason was pretty sure she didn't care. And anyway, he took them both.

Sometimes the system interrupted him while he was in the middle, mind in a lust-fueled fog. Those fights didn't last long. And the opponent's usually didn't get the choking option.

As time went on Mason wasn't sure if the system had heard him and was now giving him what he wanted. Or if it was trying to punish him, to show him what the game would be like if it listened to him. Or if it truly didn't give a shit and all this was coincidence. None of it would have surprised him.

Blake came to the room for a visit at about hour thirty. He looked surprisingly chipper and awake compared to everyone else.

"Just another benefit if being me, brother," he'd grinned. "I can sleep with one half of my mind at a time. It's all very complicated. But I do have to say this endless fighting is truly unfair to casters. You physical types can grind away on muscle memory. But I've seen casters literally forget their powers."

"I have magic, you know. And us 'physical types' have powers same as you," Mason said, grumpier than he should have been. "Phuong and Carl have complex powers. So does Becky." He took a breath. "I don't know why I'm fighting you over this. Just come in and drink coffee or something."

Blake grinned and stepped inside.

"Where are the girls? I'm partially here because Sylvie wants to know if Haley is dead. She and Rosa haven't been at the bazaar or anywhere else for over a day.

"She's fine." Mason gestured at the bedroom. "Sleeping."

"I see." Blake drummed the table with his fingers, then summoned himself some breakfast. "I think it might be lunch technically but at this point who really cares. Want some bacon?" He stuffed some in his mouth and held out a piece. Mason stared and held back the reflexive no. Then he snatched it and summoned his own before realizing he was starving.

Blake grinned with that ever-annoying, know it all smile before pushing away his own plate.

"How much longer do you think this'll go on?" He glanced at his watch. "Theoretically we have about ten minutes, by the way."

Mason shrugged, chewing noisily and still trying not to think.

"Until it's over. Until it breaks us or gets bored."

Blake sighed. "I tried sleeping properly in a match, by the way. Mind controlled my opponent until he agreed. We had a good five minute nap until the system warned us to fight or get 'punished'. So that's out."

Mason snorted and kept chewing. Haley wandered out of the bedroom in a t-shirt, freezing when she saw Blake and his eyes sweeping her with a smile.

"Stop creeping her out," Mason mumbled through his food.

"Good morning, my dear," Blake ignored him entirely. "I'm glad to see you up and about. Are you hungry?"

Haley groaned and shuffle-walked to the table, picking pieces off Mason's plate and throwing back most of his coffee.

"How are Annie and Seul-ki doing?" she asked with a yawn.

"Oh just fine, thank you. Seul-ki isn't fighting. And Annie...well. She's had to rely a bit much on her power, but, nothing she can't handle now. I think."

Mason was curious about Seul-ki, but not enough to ask. Haley teleported herself another plate of food, then waved at Blake and stumbled back towards the bedroom.

"Tell Sylvie I won't be back until the fights stop. She can handle things."

Blake looked through the door as it opened, another wide smile as he glanced at Mason.

"Oh how far you've come, brother. It smells like an orgy in here. I almost envy you. Except it looks exhausting.

"Five minutes," Mason said. "Spit it out. Whatever it is."

Blake took a breath and tapped his fingers some more.

"I just wanted to say...in the event that we...are forced into some arena, which seems inevitable. Well, I intend to surrender."

Mason stopped eating long enough to look up. He was about to speak when Blake held up a hand.

"I know you won't. And probably can't. You're the one with the reputation to uphold, with all eyes glued to your matches. And you'd win anyway so it's not like I'm making some grand gesture. I just...wanted things to be clear."

Mason felt his mostly numb brain flicker through several emotions. But he just nodded, and went back to eating.

"Oh please, don't mention it," Blake said. "No, no, you're the gentleman and scholar. I couldn't possibly accept such thanks and compensation. Such praise and flattery. No, it's my brotherly duty, and I do it gladly. Please."

"You want a parade?" Mason said. "You're right, I'd win. So you're not some heroic martyr. And I might enjoy beating your ass a bit so don't feel you need to surrender too quickly."

"Well." Blake cleared his throat and stood. "Unbrotherly, and unfriendly, I call it. I came here to speak man to man and ease our minds, and you threaten me with actual violence. Maybe I will fight. Maybe I'll fly around with Telekinesis and make an arrow box—that's what I call it—right on the ceiling, until you get so bored you give up and look ridiculous."

"You fight our three man team yet?" Mason said, finally leaning back with a sigh.

"No." Blake glanced around the room. "They're doing well, I trust?"

"Carl likes you, but I'm pretty sure he's going to try and murder you in there."

"Well of course he is." Blake rolled his eyes. "I'm terrifying. And I'll probably find him first and make him think your girlfriend is trying to kill him with evil mind powers until he..." Here he winced. "Alright this isn't actually that pleasant. Should we come up with some…ground rules? I don't know...maybe a touch-hit sort of thing?"

"I don't know." Mason stood and made to walk Blake to the door. "Just don’t fuck with their minds, alright? You shouldn’t need that. You can work out anything else amongst yourselves. You're all big boys and girls. Now I think I'm going to try and sleep for four minutes. When this grind is over, we'll go to the promenade. We can sit and talk. Or whatever."

"Capital." Blake slapped Mason on the arm and shook his head. "Christ you don't have any fat at all. It's like hitting a metal bar."

"Wait a minute to give up when we fight, I'll give you a demo."

"I should make you kill a few constructs, at least. Actually a test would be kind of useful. Maybe I should start trying to design a specific…Masonator. Something that can..."

"Out. Sleep. Goodbye."

Mason closed the door and allowed himself a grin. He was glad he and Blake were getting back to normal, but he had to be at his mental best to withstand his endless energy for long.

"Sleep with half his mind," he muttered as he staggered for the bedroom. "It's all very complicated. I should smear that big brain all over some dirty arena." He opened the door and got a collective groan from all three girls.

"Mercy," Rosa said into the pillow she'd been biting, still exactly where he'd left her. She'd been pretty cocky at the start, and he definitely took extra pleasure in breaking her down. He swept her with his eyes, and she glanced over with incredulous and maybe slightly frightened eyes. "Haley," she said. "Help. He's looking at me."

[Attention, players. Your next combat match will take place in exactly: five minutes. Please prepare yourselves for a possible individual or team event. And good luck. We're rooting for you.]

Mason sighed and flopped down on the bed as he closed his eyes.

"Saved by the bell. But I wouldn't go far."

Rosa just groaned, and stuffed her face back in the pillow.