Hanging Out with Phoenicia

Security Bodyscan Progress

[100%]

Real and Virtual Body Confirmation

[Match!]

Scan Completed!

Welcome to the Syanic Earth, Shien Niang!

Shien opened his eyes and awoke in the virtual world, lying on the soft grass. He stood and smiled at the sunset's glory over the serene yellow sky.

Shien's calendar opened on his notifications page.

"Yep, going to meet the goons at the Bistro," Shien then checked on his gear.

Shien appeared as himself, wearing his caidercoat that shrouded his dark blue shirt and gray pants. Shien looked across the sunset to see the nearby city of Tetrachrome. The UICA made players appear as themselves to promote people's self-esteem. The visors scan their bodies to check that players used their respective player accounts.

Shien heard a slight rustle from the trees behind him. He cracked a smile as he knew who it was. Shien moved his head away to dodge a flying kick, placing his elbow at the waist and raising his arm to strike the neck. The opponent backflipped away from the palm strike as Shien bent his knees and positioned his arms in Wu Sao. The familiar person stood with one leg up as she readied herself in Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg.

"Still trying to attack me when I'm not looking, Phoenicia?" Shien walked to his friend. "You remember the Golden Rooster!"

"Of course," The young android lady with silver hair and cybernetic green eyes smiled. "I have a programmed ability to learn different martial arts."

Phoenicia wore a uniform green shirt along with a gray skirt. The two fist-bumped and spun their bodies to high-five below with their backs facing each other.

"You remember Dorian's handshake!" Shien jumped.

"How could I forget such a greeting told by your gang?" Phoenicia adjusted the berry ornament on her hair. "I infer that your presence here means that a meeting at Enshiron's is taking place, correct?"

"Of course! Wanna join my empire?"

"If I overthrow you, then yes!"

"Not a chance."

"My height exceeds yours by six inches."

"Shut up, you tin can!"

Shien jumped with a vein popping on his forehead as Phoenicia gave him a noogie. The two walked through the streets of the majestic skyscrapers blazing with different colors. Players performed street dances with their glowing attire. The DJs spun the table disks to vibrate the streets with electric music.

"Phoenicia," Shien jumped. "How have the new players been?"

Shien smiled at his android guide. Android guides help new players.

"I'd say satisfactory," She replied.

"That's cool! How many people have you helped today?"

"I assisted at least 12 new players."

"Is it tiring?"

"Do not worry. As an android in the Syanic Earth, I can resist most forms of fatigue."

"I see. Did anything special happen?"

"Nothing that requires notice."

"What about the Saberdome?"

"Since today is the anniversary, the UICA updated me about their plans to add a new arena panorama."

"I didn't know that! Which one?"

"According to the testing simulations, the new panorama is semi-volcanic and icy."

"That's cool stuff!"

"I believe Ritom will enjoy the fire."

"Yes, but he will melt all the ice."

"That's the most probable outcome."

The two chuckled until Phoenicia's two antenna hairs vibrated at their ends. Usually, it meant she sensed danger.

"What is it? Cubic Regime?"

"A possibility."

An explosion occurred a few blocks away. A dark-robed person wearing dark red shades holding a large bag ran away from the Tetrachrome bank. The enemy's profile emerged.

Cyber Bandit

Level 40

HP: [40,000/40,000]

The two friends looked at each other.

Phoenicia elbowed Shien. "Remember what I told you about cyber bandits?"

"Yep. Cyber bandits are full of netium credits! How about we tango a bit before meeting with the others?"

"With the utmost pleasure."

Shien pressed a few tabs to summon his clarinet bo staff as Phoenicia equipped her jet-powered arm and leg gauntlets.

"Shall I divert the enemy's attention?" The silver-haired android said with her pupils glowing red in combat mode.

"Yeah! Let's go!"

***

"Jeez, I'm late," Elysia twitched her Vulpi fox ears, seeing the bandit running wildly across the street with his fat bag full of netium credits.

Elysia was looking forward to catching the cyber bandit for netium credits. She was geared with her steel-tipped brass knuckles, tungsten machete, and trusty pair of machine pistols. They were weapons she used for a long time in the real world.

Elysia is a Vulpi, a race of people who have fox ears and tails. In the real world, she was a member of the Waxing Sickle in her past, a radical Vulpi group that fought against the Kneapexist Global Federation and killed humans for a living.

"It's my chance," Elysia prepared her brass knuckles as she rushed through the city like a ninja. "Those credits are mine! Huh? Who's that?"

As she struggled to keep up with the bandit, Elysia spotted the bandit shooting at a droid girl with his plasma pistol. The cyborg lady jumped toward the bandit with jet-powered force ejecting from her leg gauntlets with every step, blocking the plasma fire with her arm gauntlets.

As crowds dressed in colorful cybernetic attire watched the commotion, Phoenicia blocked the bullets with her gauntlets, swiping the air with her arms and legs with finesse.

"No! Someone got ahead of me!" Elysia exclaimed, running across the buildings. "That cash is mine!"

***

Shien surprised the bandit by landing on his shoulders to crush them. "Avian Form: Hawk's Talon!"

He swung his clarinet bo staff to deal the finishing blow. The bandit's health reached zero as the enemy disintegrated into blue hexagons that faded into the air.

Cyber Bandit

Level 40

HP: [0/40,000]

Phoenicia held the netium bag while her red pupils shifted back to green. She winked and gave Shien a thumbs-up as the two received tabs confirming their victory, EXP, and netium reward. The surrounding crowd clapped, impressed by the teamwork. Shien waved while Phoenicia bowed.

She walked to Shien with the bag as he skipped towards her, closing a tab that deactivated his clarinet into thin air. The android girl placed the bag down and gave Shien Dorian's handshake, fist-bumping a few times before spinning around to high-five below with their backs facing. As the crowd returned to their usual activities of street dancing, Phoenicia activated a tab and showed it to Shien, which stated their reward of 500,000 netium credits.

!Congratulations!

Netium Reward: 500,000

EXP: 20,000

"Wanna split fifty-fifty?" Shien asked. "After all, it was teamwork!"

"A thoughtful gesture," The android girl punched his shoulder.

"Hey, you two!" A voice shouted over the booming crowd as Phoenicia's two antenna hairs stood, vibrating on their ends again. "That's mine!"