Longhorn Squad and Armadillo Squad are transported back to Flint’s gun store where they are greeted none other than by Flint himself. “Welcome back! I just saw your match on the live stream. Y’all exceeded everyone’s expectations!” Flint says enthusiastically.
”Aw...thanks Flint. We honestly didn’t think we pull it off.” Emi admits while she inspects her inventory. “My squad is going to need replenish some ammo and supplies.”
”Same here.” Tomio also states. “I’m a few rounds left to being empty, but our income from the last match was pretty significant.”
”I had never seen my credit points in the quadruple digits!” Mai excitingly cries as she looks at her credit amount. “This is enough to have ammo for an entire year!”
”Maybe you should consider buying better weapons, Mai.” Hikari suggest which immediately causes Mai to shake her head.
”Nah...Not a chance!”
”Mai~, you’re so cheap…” Hikari sighs as everyone laughs.
”Well, my store should have anything you are looking for at the best prices, but before you consider buying anything, I have received a call from a specific visitor. He wanted to discuss something regarding the tournament and the way your team is managed.” Flint mentions. “I was told he should show up here in a few minutes.”
The front door of the store opens just as Flint had finished speaking. He’s a rather unassuming kind of guy with fluffy brown hair and dark blue eyes. He’s not wearing any sort of military fatigues as most people in this simulation game nor does he give off the vibes of being an NPC. He’s carrying a digital tablet in his hands and is wearing a brown coat, chinos, and a button up shirt with dress shoes. He looks like the kind of guy who would be going in for a job interview at a corporate office. “Ah...so you must be the members of Armadillo and Longhorn Squad...is that right?” He calls in a soft spoken voice.
”Yeah...that’s us.” Mai answers suspiciously. “I don’t recall ever seeing you around.”
”Oh...well please excuse me...I haven’t introduced myself.” The young man clears his voice before speaking. “My name is Markus. I’m actually a part time employee for Mil-Sim Story’s Dev Team. I don’t usually partake in the simulation as most of my work is off screen, however I’ve been summoned by my upper management to look over you all for the fall tournament.”
”So...you’re going to be a manager for us? Tomio asks.
”Are we going to have to make a cut from our earnings?” Kimberly adds.
”Yes….and no. This isn’t the music industry so don’t worry, I’m not taking any profits from your earnings from your matches. The only real money being made is in the finals and that money is going to be distributed to everyone in your squad if you win the championship.” He pulls out his tablet and types something in it which causes everyone’s heads up display to bring up a notification to teleport. “If you don’t mind, I’d like for everyone to accept the teleport request.”
Tomio’s and Emi’s squad are a little suspicious of the request but accept the invite in the notification. One by one, each of the members are teleported out of Flint’s Shop and into a new area they haven’t been to before. It’s a fairly average sized hanger with a decently high roof. The walls of the main interior of the hanger hang the banners of Emi’s and Tomio’s Squad logo which the same one that’s featured on their patches. There’s a couple of various trailers and doors leading to different rooms inside the hanger. Some of them are labeled as “Recreational Quarters”, “Indoor Shooting Range and Armory”, Vehicle Maintenance and Storage, and “Situation Room.” The garage door is open to this hanger looking over a virtual reaction of the City of Austin which can be viewed over the hill side of where the hanger is located. There’s an outdoor area that is visible and the whole perimeter is protected by a large barbed wire fence. Everyone is in total awe of this location. “Welcome to your personal hanger. Since both of your squads had won the first bracket of the tournament, you are now qualified to make this your personal base of operations.”
”All of this...is ours?” Emi says in astonishment.
”Yep, and I’m here to assist and keep everything in running order, as well as debrief you on the status of your team in terms of the tournament, logistic supplies, and basically any questions you have about the matches or teams in general.” He walks towards the Situation Room and opens the door for everyone. “If you don’t mind, I have some info about your next up coming match. Right this way.”
Armadillo and Longhorn squad enter the situation room which is a rectangular shaped room with a basic conference style table with seating all around. There’s more than enough chairs for everyone to be seated. On the wall of the center end of the room is a flat screen monitor that covers the entire wall. It appears to be controlled with a tablet being held by Markus. The first projection on the screen put on by Markus is the entire tournament bracket showing the various teams participating the Fall Tournament. Emi and Tomio can see their squads’ name on the corner where they had just defeated Glam Squad and Kraken PMC as their team names have been crossed out with an X. Next to them is another group of teams that go by the name “Vampire Squad” and “JarPig Squad.” They seemed to have defeated “Bronco Squad” and “The Agency”.
”I don’t think I need to say the obvious here. But as you can tell, your next match is going to be against the following squad you see here.” His taps his tablet which highlights both their team names and their next opponents’ squad names. “I can tell you for a fact that your opponents are aware of your victory and will be studying your previous match and your squad’s characteristics as we speak.
”So in other words, they’re going to expect everything we’re going to throw at them?” Hikari suggests.
”For the most part. But I’ll tell you this.” Markus continues as he switches over to the next slide on the screen showing a layout of a map. This map had a smaller perimeter compared to the last area Emi and Tomio’s squad fought in the last match. It appears to be a mountainous area with a single large mansion in the center. “Your next match will not be focused on combined arms warfare. This means you won’t have to rely on using anti-tank measures, support abilities, or vehicles and likewise for the enemy squads.”
”Phew. Thank God. I don’t have to buy any RPG rockets this time.” Mai sighs contently.
”This next match will be entirely close quarters combat with engagement range being at most mid range in some areas around the mansion. The tournament rules for this match are simple. Longhorn Squad and Armadillo Squad are playing defense this round. Your objective is to protect a person of interest living in this mansion. An NPC name Mortimer owns this mansion and has recently got into a nasty divorce with his wife.”
”Ouch.” Fio comments humorously.
”Heh...yeah….I don’t know what the devs were thinking while setting up this scenario.” Markus chuckles. “But yeah the objective of this mission is to protect Mortimer from the enemy team. Their goal is to capture him alive and escort him out of the mansion to be extracted either by van or by helicopter so that his ex-wife can take custody of his giant mansion.”
Emi knows that feeling all too well with the way her own parents had seperated, but this mission still comes off as humorous to her. “Sooo...is there a catch to this mission we have to be aware of, Markus?”
”Well, the skirmish is expected to take place around the late afternoon to midnight in game. Which means it would be best if both of your squads were to be equipped with night fighting equipment. Flashlights are a good option for long guns and handguns. If you have the funds, you can also opt for night vision goggles, but they aren’t cheap by any means.
”Not to my means.” Hikari smirks
”I already have a pair myself.” Fio says joyfully. “I love having passive income.”
”You two are so spoiled!” Mai cries in jealously.
”Oh and another thing. The enemy is going in blind since they are the attackers. Your squads on the other hand will have prior knowledge of the mansion from every floor and room. I’ll provide you the maps to your squad leader’s tablets so they can discuss potential defensive positions with each of you. Under no circumstances should you ever share this information with any other squads other than yourselves. You won’t know where the enemy will assault from but you’ll have the defensive advantage when it comes to where you can potentially hold them off.”
”I guess that sounds simple enough.” Tomio speaks confidently. “Could you tell us about the squads we’re going up against?”
”Of course. I was about to get to that part of my presentation." Markus moves onto his next slide of his presentation showing a portrait of what appears to be a girl in her 20s with long black hair, green eyes, dressed in black gothic clothes. “This is the squad leader for Vampire Squad. She goes by the name of Asura. Her squad’s specialty is entirely focused on night fighting and stealth. They seem to be a new squad on the block but from what information has been gathered by other squads that have gone against them prior to the tournament is that they are extremely aggressive and have a habit of killing NPC civilians and POWs at their whim. They seem less concerned about collateral damage and more focused on completing their objective and wiping out anything that crosses their path. I would be extremely cautious around them.”
”Jesus...they sound brutal.” Tomio comments.
”As for the other squad you’ll be going up against…” Markus moves onto the next slide which shows a portrait of a blonde guy in what appears to be fantasy attire mixed with tactical gear. This is Kael Valorheart. Squad leader of JarPig squad. Their name suggests they were all former Japanese role playing game enthusiasts.”
”Ugh….more weebs?” Hikari scoffs in disgusts, which causes Mai and Fio to chuckle between themselves.
”Uh...yeah something like that...but so far they do show a lot of promise on the military simulation side of things. Their specialty seems to revolve around room clearing with grenades of all sorts which is something you should keep in mind when you plan your defenses. Other than that, they seem pretty standard and most of their small arms are from countries like China, Japan, and Korea, with an occasional outlier firearms.”
”Chinese firearms you say? Do they have a Type 56?” Mai asks curiously.
”Hm...I’ve been told they have a Type 56 AK.”
”Ah man…” Mai disappointingly griefs.
”So that concludes my briefing on your next match for the tournament. You are expected to partake this match next month from now. This is going to give both you and your opponents time to train, make arrangements with your squad and so forth.” Markus looks over to Emi. “I’ve been told you and your squad are university students. I know studies are very important to you but try to make the best of your time to practice and plan whenever you can. Most competitors in this match are dedicating all of their resources and time into this tournament so you’re going to need every bit of practice you can get.”
”I see…” Emi retorts. “But at the end of the day, We can’t neglect our studies. Weekdays are out the question unless we are able to get our assignments done early. I know Mai in particular has a very rigorous degree so she can only do Fridays and Saturdays. She looks over to her Chiara, Hikari, and Mai. “Would those days work alright with you all?” All three of them nod in agreement.
”Thanks for taking my schedule into consideration Emi.” Mai gracefully mentions.
”Some of my squad members are busy on certain days, but we can cram in some practice sessions over the weekdays too.” Tomio mentions to Emi.
”I could probably ask for a sick day or two.” Ramirez adds.
”I don’t do anything so I can practice anytime I want.” Fio also interjects. “But I can’t miss my season anime which airs on Thursday afternoon. It’s no fun to watch something when I can’t comment with my online peers while watching it live.”
”No worries Fio. Your schedule is more flexible than anyone here, so don’t sweat it.” Tomio suggest before speaking to Emi and her squad. “Like I said, we’re doing this for fun, so I wouldn’t stress ourselves with all this.”
”If that’s what you insist.” Markus then states “But your opponents aren’t going to be as easy going, so try to be considerate of your performance if you’re serious about winning. Other than that, if there’s any questions about the next match up, do let me know. I’m available from 8 in the morning till 8 in the afternoon in your timezone. This game is practically my job and my life, but I have to admit, I’m not well versed in firearms or any of that stuff apart from what’s on my notes. I would go to Drill Sergeant Perry or Flint for that sort of information.” Markus fixes the thick frame glasses on his face. “Otherwise, I can give info on the state of your squad, your logistics, and maybe getting some promotional material for your squad before the tournament. I can certainly make some arrangements for that.”
”Like YouTube videos and social media?” Hikari asks.
”Exactly. I think it’s a good idea to get your name out there and develop a fan base. I’m sure you are aware of Raptor Squad’s social media and their massive following. I can’t promise you that level of fame since they did win the Summer Tournament a couple of months ago, but I can help you get some sponsorships if your team is promising enough. You can earn some extra credits to fund your logistics and armory.”
”Do you really think it would right we would actually considering selling out?” Kimberly asks with concern. “We wouldn’t be indie if we went that route.”
”It’s like Markus said, this isn’t the music industry.” Ramirez added. “Additional credits are going to benefit our image and our potential to fund our gear.” He scratches the back of his head. “Now that I think about it. I seriously need to restock on some of that Dragon’s Breath shells. They aren’t exactly cheap.”
”You have a point Rami.” Kimberly sighs. “I mean...we made quite a bit from our last match.”
”True...but not enough to buy night vision for all of us.” Tomio rubs his chin as he thinks. “We might have to look for a sponsorship at some point.”
”And it would be pretty cool to have a huuuuge social media following too!” Fio happily interjects. “Like we can do cute photoshoots with each other, make videos of us doing fun stuff, oh...wait what about an online series where we film our everyday lives...like vlogs?”
”Hey...let’s not get carried away with all this.” Kimberly looks uncomfortably overwhelmed by Fio’s list of ideas.
“..or maybe we can all do swimsuit photos and….”
”NO FIO!” Everyone in the room answers immediately except Markus who is just awkwardly listening in on the conversation.
”Aw...it would have been cute.”
”Hah...I didn’t expect to be working alongside such a lively squad when I signed up for this.” Markus seems rather entertained by what he got himself into.
”What about you Markus? What’s your personal life like?” Emi asks.
”Oh...well...I don’t mind sharing my own personal details...I know I get often mistaken for an NPC because I’m not really that exciting of a guy...but other than working in VR here in Mil-Sim story, there’s not much that goes on in my personal life. I just live at home and...”
”Ooooh you’re a NEET? Me too!” Fio exciting proclaims.”
”Um….yeah, you could say that…” Markus admits reluctantly.
”Jeez...why didn’t you say so….now I want to be close friends with you….sorry Hikari.”
”Huh...since when did you even make a promise to be my friend?” Hikari is baffled and confused.
”I...uh….I mean….I’m not against that idea...but I still have to remain professional in my position...so….”
”Good enough for me!” Fio replies to Markus.
”Ha….okay...so...in the meantime, do check out the rest of the base at your leisure. I’ll be here...relaxing and using my tablet if you need me.” Markus shuts off the monitor on the wall and nods his head. “Once again, I’m Markus, and good luck to you all.”
”Thanks Markus!” Everyone answers in unison before getting up from the table.
”I call dibs on the Armory and Indoor Range!” Mai calls out immediately.
”I bet the exterior would be a nice place to jog.” Emi looks over at the open hanger garage door. “It’s a pretty nice view from here.”
”I wonder if the Recreational Barracks has any mini games.” Fio ponders to her squadmates.”
”I just want to take a nap.” Ramirez yawns. “We had a pretty busy day today. Would be nice to catch up on some rest and relaxation.”
”As everyone is talking among themselves as they leave, Markus notices Chiara has been awfully quiet the entire time. “Hey….Chiara...that’s your name right?” Markus addresses her before she is out of the room.”
”Hm...oh….yeah….” Chiara answers with a bit of stumble.
”Are you sure you don’t have questions or concerns about the base or the next match? You looked a little spaced out while I was giving my little lecture.”
”Oh...no...I understood everything you said, Markus. I’m just...a little exhausted from my match...that’s all.”
”I understand...well try to take it easy for now. And don’t be afraid to ask me or your squad mates if you need anything...okay?”
”Oh of course….thank you...Markus.”
”Are you sure you’re not overly stressed? I hope I didn’t scare you with the pressure I’m putting on your squad for the next match.”
”I...I’m good...it’s just...well...this is all so new to me.”
”That’s to be expected. I know that’s how I felt way when I first got this VR Job. But eventually you just accept the reality for what it is. I’d be rejoiced in your team’s previous victory. I wouldn’t worry about your next match...at least for today.”
”I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.” Chiara finally heads out to join the rest of her squad in exploring their new home away from home.