The Demonic Games (Disgardium Book #7): LitRPG Series, Dan Sugralinov [the read aloud family TXT] 📗

conscience. Thanks to me, many players had lost levels and the top players’ progress was stalled.

The second day of the Demonic Games is over!

 

Staring at Kerry as she stood by my capsule laughing, I moved my arms just to make sure I could, then said to my helper:

“Ue-ue…”

“What?”

“That damn paralysis made me forget how to talk! Hah! Imagine what I could have done if I wasn’t paralyzed!”

“I have been imagining it. That’s why…” Two security droids moved out from behind her back. “I don’t know what it is, Alex. Female intuition, sixth sense or second sight… I just have a feeling we’re going to need bodyguards after that performance!”

Chapter 10. The Kiran Jackson Way

I WAS NO EXPERT in security droids, so I asked with sincere interest what Kerry had brought. My assistant happily told me that these ones had been made at Snowstorm, but there were a few big brand names on the market.

As they escorted us, the security droids moved soundlessly and seemed nothing like the ones illustrated in the sci-fi films of the start of the century — they were light, but highly durable, flexible and fast. And of course, not at all humanoid.

In travel mode, they just rolled along in the shape of a ball, but if the object of their guardianship fell into danger, they instantly transformed into one of their battle forms. These ones weren’t military, so they had no serious weaponry, but they could make a shield around me to hold off fire even from plasma rifles. The droids could neutralize an enemy in various ways depending on the situation, either mechanically or with chemical suppression. They had a wide range of methods, from tranquilizers and paralytics to launchable self-guiding handcuffs and an indestructible sticky net that could pin even a small flyer to the ground.

“All the same, not counting military prototypes, our security droids are the best,” Kerry added. “Even Mr. Jackson uses the products of Snowstorm Robotics. And he could afford any kind.”

“I doubt that. As the company director, he couldn’t be seen to buy the competition’s products.”

“Naw, he has a Rolls-Royce flyer, and we make flyers too! I saw Kiran’s security once. It’s impressive, that’s for sure! His droids are real killing machines. Just one of them could take out a small country’s army from the start of the century. Even take over a country.”

“I think you’re exaggerating,” I said doubtfully.

“Hah! They’re immune to gunfire, they have a forcefield against kinetic weaponry. What else?”

“You could toss them into molten metal,” I said, remembering an ancient film. “How do you know all this anyway?”

Kerry blushed, but answered. It turned out she’d been a weaponry nut since childhood. She’d gotten the hobby from her father, a former peacekeeper. I didn’t find out any details, because five players suddenly surrounded us — the Readers clan I knocked out of the game had intercepted us in the elevator area.

Evilfort the clan leader stepped forward first, a tall white-haired man of around forty. He spat at my feet, stared at me angrily:

“Proud of yourself, are you?” he said.

JustGoofy stood next to his leader. “Do you know what you’ve done, Sheppard?” he said, staring hard at me. He began to move toward me.

“Don’t, Goof,” Levius blocked him with an arm. “You think he even cares? He’s a selfish asshole! We’re just obstacles in the path to his…” He made air quotes with his fingers. “…great goal!” What is your goal, Sheppard? Want to share it with us, now that you set us up like that? Maybe it was worth it? Huh?”

Passing players were drawn to the scene like sharks to blood. Camera drones surrounded us and a bald and disheveled young man in glasses started filming us on his comm, adding his own excited commentary.

I wanted to say something that the viewers would like. Enough debuffs already! Kerry pulled me by the arm and I stood my ground. The Readers didn’t give me a chance to open my mouth.

“No, I’m going to say my piece!” JustGoofy shouted and surged toward me again. “That was a mean trick, Sheppard!”

I was calm, but the viewers might take my silence as indifference. I doubted that would win me any favor. So I exploded, staring him down with righteous indignation:

“How’s that?! You were the ones who attacked me from behind! You were the ones who wanted to throw me out of the Games, knowing I had the paralysis debuff! Talk about kicking a guy while he’s down! What, should I have given up like a good boy?”

“Go to hell!” JustGoofy roared. “Fighting us and throwing us to the boss is one thing! But then pinning us with that dumb spell of yours and making us revive there over and over!”

“Didn’t you hear? You weren’t the only ones,” I answered, but he didn’t hear me, just kept shouting:

“You freak, do you have any idea how much that hurt? And not just physically! We bet all our money on getting into the top one hundred in the Games! Almost ten million, you asshole! Who’s going to get that back for us? You?”

“Why the hell would I do that? Did all those wipes make you crack?”

Gingrin tried to calm his comrade down again:

“Don’t give him the satisfaction! It’s not worth it! He doesn’t give a shit what we lost!”

“Let’s go, Alex!” Kerry said, pulling me toward the elevator. “Ignore them, their accusations are a joke!”

“A joke, you say?” Coover snapped, a broad-shouldered man with a shaved head who hadn’t said anything yet. He snarled and rushed straight at me.

“Aggression detected! Countermeasure mode! Defense mode!” the security droids began, first trying to intimidate, but active countermeasures soon followed. “Pacification!”

One droid formed two shields like those used to hold back protestors, and stood between us. In the