Chapter 77: Strange Energy
Alicia nodded. "Yes." She replied flatly. "And yes, I know you’re just discovering your abilities and it’s not really strong yet. But for some reason, my algorithm tells me that you have the potential to become as strong, and eventually even stronger, than my cousin in a few months. Which is more than enough time before the tournament begins."
Scar processed the entire data dump. He tapped into his inherited memories, searching for the "Amazon Tournament." The information hit his brain like a freight train.
The Amazon Tournament was an annual, ultra-violent combat game hosted by the Amazon Queen. Powerful combatants from all over the globe competed in a brutal series of duels, obstacle courses, and survival rounds. The winner received unimaginable wealth and rewards from the Queen herself.
But it was incredibly, notoriously dangerous. People who signed up for the tournament usually either had a death wish or were blinded by the pursuit of glory. Not everyone made it out of the arena in one piece.
Scar rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. Alicia had threatened him, blackmailed him, and almost stopped his heart... simply because of a dress. He didn’t know whether to laugh or question just how crazy she was. He knew she had some bigger plans for him, but he didn’t think it would be something this suicidal.
"So," he began. "You want me to fight for you."
"Yes." Alicia replied.
"In an incredibly dangerous tournament." Scar continued.
Alicia nodded. "Yes."
Scar breathed. "To compete with stronger, highly lethal opponents, and probably get killed."
"Yes." She replied flatly.
Scar stared at her in awe. "Just so you can win... a dress?!"
Alicia hummed, tilting her head. "Well, it’s not just any dress. It’s historically priceless," she claimed in her defense. "It could easily be worth a billion credits on the black market."
Scar’s expression shifted instantly at the mention of money. "Wait, really?" He asked, getting intrigued.
"Yep," Alicia nodded, satisfied by his sudden shift in tone. "It’s a century old and was worn by the Amazon Queen herself. I’m pretty sure that fact alone makes it incredibly valuable."
Scar hummed, his mind instantly calculating the financial leverage a billion credits could buy him. But he had to make sure Alicia wasn’t just goading him. "Okay. But are you even going to sell it if you get it?" he asked, raising his brow.
"What?" Alicia scoffed, looking at him like he was crazy. "Fuck, no. My grandma would kill me if I sold it. Sure, if I get the dress it’ll mine by right, but it has become sorta like a family heirloom. I can’t just give it away for money."
Scar frowned, clearly displeased. "So what are you going to do with it?" He asked. "Put it in a showcase?"
Alicia became thoughtful, tapping her chin with a grease-stained finger. "Nah. Perhaps I’ll wear it to a few parties." She shrugged. "A picnic, maybe."
Scar’s jaw nearly dropped. "You’re going to wear a billion-credit, indestructible dress... to a picnic?" he asked sharply. "Why the hell did you even bring up its net worth if you weren’t planning on liquidating it?"
Alicia laughed. "To get you hyped up. I mean, who doesn’t get hyped up at the talk of money?" She chuckled. "But don’t worry, if it’s money you want, you’ll get it. There’s a monetary reward for participating in the tournament if you make it to the final stage. And if you win, grandma will also give you tons of rewards." Then she clapped her hands together. "So, what’d you say? Are you going to fight for me or not?"
Scar looked at her, then looked around the multi-billion-credit underground lab. If he wanted to survive in this world, he needed bleeding-edge tech and unparalleled intellect backing him up. Alicia would be very useful.
He sighed and made up his mind on the spot. "I plan to."
Alicia’s face lit up with a massive smile. "That’s great!" She said. "But I’m sure you have some conditions, yes?"
"Not just conditions," Scar corrected sharply. "Requests. If I am going to put myself at risk like this, then you are going to help me get stronger. Even stronger than your little algorithm anticipated."
Alicia chuckled, leaning back. "I plan to," she giggled. "In fact, I’m currently working on something that would make you go faster. It’s a special project."
"Okay," Scar nodded. "That’s good. So we have a new agreement, then. You help me get faster, and I help you compete in the tournament."
"Deal." Alicia smirked, walking the remaining few steps toward him and holding out her hand. "Let’s shake on it."
Scar took her hand, and he was instantly surprised by the texture. Despite constantly tinkering with heavy machinery, her skin was incredibly soft. "Deal," he confirmed. Then he raised an eyebrow. "But wait, what happens if I don’t win the tournament?"
Alicia shrugged. "You don’t necessarily have to win the whole thing. All you have to do is make sure you survive long enough to get paired up against my cousin. And then, you fight her," she explained. "If you win that specific match, the wager is complete and the dress is all mine."
Scar furrowed his brow. "And if I don’t beat her?"
Alicia smirked darkly. "You die."
"What?" Scar’s eyes widened, his muscles instantly tensing to retort.
"Relax, I’m just kidding," Alicia laughed loudly, waving her hand. Then, her expression dropped into dead seriousness. "But seriously, I strongly advise that you do not lose. Nobody has ever gone against my cousin and remained the same. They are all either disabled, in a coma, or currently locked in a mental hospital."
Scar scoffed. "Sounds like your cousin is a beast."
"She is!" Alicia agreed fervently. "We’re talking about the same girl who is a two-time champion of the Amazon tournament. And she won the first one when she was just fifteen."
Scar was stunned. Fifteen? How was that even possible?
"That’s the reason I chose you," Alicia continued. "You have the exact same type of energy signature as my cousin. I don’t really know what the hell it is, but it’s wild. And it is incredibly powerful. Much more powerful and volatile than standard mana."
Scar’s eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, you can sense my energy signature?"
Alicia nodded. "Yeah. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before... at least since the first time I sensed it in my cousin," she said. "I’m guessing it’s what powers your speed, instead of mana cells."
Scar processed the information. He didn’t even know all of this. He had no idea his speed was fueled by some mysterious energy. But he always knew it had to come from somewhere, and now he finally knew what it was. He made a mental note to ask Miley about it later.
But then, something from her earlier explanation caught his attention. "Hold on, this cousin of yours... does she happen to have mana cells?" he asked.
Alicia nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Although you have that strange energy, you do not possess mana cells at all," She explained. "But my cousin... she has both."
Scar exhaled softly, the weight of the upcoming challenge settling over his shoulders. "I see," he said, quickly discarding the assumption his mind was already forming. "I better get training, then."
"Yeah," Alicia agreed. "We will continue to have our regular track assessments as usual, and I’ll let you know immediately if I have any new developments regarding anything that can enhance your speed."
"Okay," Scar said.
Alicia turned and began walking back toward her workbench. "So, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to sharpening my shield."
Scar watched her pick up the round, silver disc. A thought suddenly crossed his mind. "You know, that shield reminds me of something from my previous life," he chuckled.
Alicia froze. She spun back around instantly, her eyes wide with uncontainable excitement. "Really? Tell me more!" she urged hysterically.
Scar laughed at her sudden enthusiasm. "Why are you so interested with my past life?"
"Who wouldn’t be?" Alicia demanded, throwing her hands up. "For a long time, I always thought I knew and understood everything the universe had to offer. But never, in my entire life, did I think transmigration was possible!"
"I didn’t think so, either," Scar admitted, shoving his hands into his pockets. "It just happened. I died, and then I woke up here."
Alicia stepped closer, her eyes gleaming with morbid curiosity. "How did you die?" she asked carefully.