Shining before me was the answer to my prayers. What happened? At this point, I didn't care; the "Welcome" sign was an invitation, an opportunity I wouldn't waste.
Quickly and without hesitation, I clicked firmly, and my data appeared neatly organized: my name, the node system, and there, the first sphere—the only one I could acquire at level one—had changed:
[Search V][Maximum precision in Allied, Enemy, and Floor Incarnation positioning, added with the identity of all involved as long as they have been visualized, along with strategies, movement routes, and known skill data provided you are of equal or higher rank.During a match, the user may press on their companions' tokens to give them direct orders; whether they obey will depend on rank and trust between players.]
—What…? —Yes, that was all I managed to say.
"V" was the highest possible rating for skills. If the stars—divided into five points—were taken into account, level five had to be the ultimate upgrade within Search. And the difference was immediate.
The map before me expanded, revealing infinitely more precise and clearer details than when I tested it with Geronimo. Exact movement patterns of Aries were calculated in real time, impact radii, enemy positioning… even my allies' data could be read with the clarity of a children's book.
When I lifted my gaze, I could see vector traces around me, like beams of light extending beyond the interactive map. It was my own vision stretching outward. I clumsily reached out to grasp one of the floating vectors in front of me. Instantly, a complete plan formed in my mind.
Finally, chaos had become calculable geometry.
I pressed the "party" section, opening a new submenu with three glowing black tokens and their respective names:
[Mr. Nobody / Level 1 / Rank Metal][Antonio José de Sucre / Level 3 / Rank Steel][Manuela Sáenz / Level 2 / Rank Metal]
"I can't believe it."
In my life, to escape reality, I spent my free time studying history, mythology, and legends, solely to understand as many references as possible in the media I loved. Among the great historical figures, it was impossible not to recognize "Antonio José de Sucre," a Venezuelan military and political leader, one of the most brilliant generals of the wars of independence. A disciple and right-hand man of none other than Simón Bolívar himself.
As for "Manuela Sáenz," she too was a key figure in the independence movement. Visionary and brave, she would become the Liberator's romantic partner and political ally.
"Mother of God, before me stand two of the most important figures in Venezuelan history."
—Forgive me, dear little system… —I whispered with tears in my eyes as I gently caressed the screen.
"Now is the moment, Tristan. Be the protagonist. Prove to yourself you're not a nobody."
—Antonio! —I shouted at the top of my lungs, startling him—. Run along the path to the right until you reach those pillars! Take advantage of us distracting Aries and shoot at the joints in its legs—they're fragile. With a good shot we can bring it down, at least temporarily!
—Kid… you suddenly grew a pair out of nowhere! —Sucre shouted, surprised.
Even so, he didn't hesitate. His instinct told him the orders made sense, and he ran.
—Manuela, we'll use the enemy gunfire as distraction! When Antonio lands the shot, you fire at the neck! Its core is there, just beneath the snout!
Manuela simply looked into my eyes. Something in them must have pleased her, because she gave me a smile before starting to run. I immediately followed, dodging both gunfire and the beast's charges as it leapt toward us, smashing its horns into the stands, sending debris and sparks flying. The bullets ricocheted off its copper plating, filling the air with deafening metallic explosions and stray shots.
Having a powerful ability making impossible calculations for me was one thing; expecting a history-obsessed otaku to keep pace with historical figures was another. One wrong step sent me face-first into the coliseum floor. My ankle flared with pain, and when I tried to get up, I fell again. I couldn't stand—but I couldn't let them reach Manuela either.
—Keep going! You're the only one who can finish it… uh…
Manuela ignored me completely. In a display of strength far beyond what her delicate hands and shoulders suggested, she hoisted me up like a sack of potatoes to accelerate her pace. Pathetically, that gave me the chance to focus on [Search V]. Remembering the second paragraph of the upgrade, I pressed Antonio's name.
When the goat was about to fall upon us, at the exact point where only Manuela and I stood beneath its curved horns, I gave the order.
—Now, Antonio!
Hidden behind a pillar, Sucre waited for the precise moment. The system marked the ideal firing vector, transmitted to him through my skill.
He fired. The shot tore through the stands and struck Aries cleanly at the joint. The beast released a metallic, tearing roar.
—Now, Manuela!
She didn't hesitate. She dropped me roughly against the stands. I swallowed the pain, rolling and pushing myself up just in time to watch that brave woman leap toward the now-exposed neck of the beast. With a mighty roar that surpassed even the monster's, she drove her bayonet deep into the mechanical throat.
The agonized bellow that followed shook the coliseum. Aries jerked its head, throwing Manuela through the air, but she rolled across the ground, suffering nothing more than scrapes.
Enraged, the goat turned toward me.
I didn't move.
The beast passed right over me, leaping and crashing directly into the opposing team's hiding spot. Amid screams of pain and the deafening clamor of hundreds of thousands of pans striking one another, the great beast fell.
The system had assured me this would be its final movement, so with blind faith, I closed my eyes and awaited the outcome…
Finally, a screen appeared:
[Aries has FALLEN][+20k credits | Black Team]
As if I had been holding my breath for a lifetime, I exhaled sharply with a loud:
—God…