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 gave it a decisive click. 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, augmented with the identity of all involved as long as they have been visually confirmed, along with strategies, movement routes, and known ability data, provided you are of the same rank or higher.During a match, the user may select allies' tokens to issue direct orders; whether they obey depends on rank and trust between players.]
—What…? —Yes, that was all I managed to say.
"V" was the highest rating for abilities. Considering the stars—divided into five edges—level five had to be the definitive upgrade within Search. And the difference was immediate.
The map before me expanded, revealing details infinitely more precise and clear than when I tested it with Geronimo. Exact Virgo-pattern trajectories were calculated in real time, impact radii, enemy positioning… even my allies' data 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 expanding. Awkwardly, I reached out to grasp one of the vectors floating before me, and instantly, a complete plan formed in my mind.
At last, chaos had become calculable geometry.
I pressed the party section, unfolding a new submenu with three gleaming black tokens and their respective names:
[Mr. Nobody / Level 1 / Rank Steel][Antonio José de Sucre / Level 3 / Rank Steel][Manuela Sáenz / Level 2 / Rank Steel]
"I can't believe it."
In my life, to escape, I devoted my free time to studying history, mythology, and legends, solely to catch as many references as possible in the media I loved most. Among history's great figures, it was impossible not to recognize Antonio José de Sucre, a Venezuelan military leader and politician—one of the most brilliant generals of the wars of independence, disciple and right hand of none other than Simón Bolívar himself.
As for Manuela Sáenz, she too was a key figure in the independence movement—visionary and brave—who would become the Liberator's 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, gently caressing 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 right path until you reach those pillars! We'll distract Aries so you can shoot the leg joints; they're weak, and with a good shot we can bring it down—at least temporarily!
—Kid… you suddenly grew some guts out of nowhere! —Sucre yelled, surprised.
Even so, he didn't hesitate. His instinct told him those orders made sense, and he ran.
—Manuela, we'll use enemy fire as a distraction! When Antonio lands the hit, you must shoot the neck; its core is there, right beneath the snout!
Manuela met my gaze. Something about it pleased her, because she smiled before starting to run. I immediately matched her pace, dodging both gunfire and the beast's charges as it leapt at us, slamming its horns into the bleachers, which exploded into debris and sparks. Shots ricocheted off its copper plating, filling the air with deafening metallic crashes and stray bullets everywhere.
Having an ability that handled impossible calculations for me was one thing—but expecting a history-obsessed otaku to keep up with a historical figure was another. One bad step sent me tasting the coliseum floor; my ankle screamed, and when I tried to get up, I collapsed again. I couldn't stand—but I couldn't let Manuela get caught either.
—Keep going! You're the only one who can finish it… uh—
Manuela ignored me completely. Displaying strength far beyond what her delicate hands and shoulders suggested, she hoisted me up like a sack of potatoes to pick up speed. Pathetically, this gave me the chance to focus on [Search V]; recalling the second paragraph of the upgrade, I pressed Antonio's name.
When the goat was about to crash down on us—at the 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 instant. The system marked the ideal firing vector and transferred it to him through my ability.
He fired. The shot cut clean through the bleachers and into Aries' joint. The beast let out a metallic, tearing roar.
—Now, Manuela!
She didn't hesitate. She dropped me hard onto the bleachers. I swallowed the pain, rolled, and pushed myself up just in time to watch that valiant woman leap toward the beast's now-exposed neck. With a roar louder than the creature's own, she drove her bayonet deep into the mechanical throat.
The agonized bellow shook the coliseum. Aries thrashed its head and hurled Manuela through the air, but she rolled across the ground, suffering nothing worse than scrapes.
Enraged, the goat turned toward me.
I didn't move.
The beast passed right over me, leaping and crashing directly into the rival team's hiding place. Amid screams of pain and the clamor of hundreds of thousands of frying pans smashing together, the great beast fell.
The system had assured me this would be its final move, so with blind faith, I closed my eyes and waited for the outcome…
Finally, a screen announced:
[Aries has FALLEN][+20k Credits | Black Team]
As if I'd been holding my breath for a lifetime, I exhaled sharply with a single, reverent word:
—God…