Deep Dive Ch. 04 - Boss Rush

Note from the author:

Hello again. Chapter 4 is finally here, even if it took much longer than expected.

I will try to deliver the next ones in a more timely manner.

This chapter lacks mature content as explicit as in the previous chapter. I think that's for the better since I firmly believe that including sex on every stage of the story is making it predictable. You can't build suspense when the reader knows that the main character will just fuck their way out of trouble each time. Also, since announcements like this one may be interpreted as content spoilers, I will not mention this again in future chapters. You will have to read the whole thing to find out. I am writing this only because Literotica as a site is dedicated to erotic content, and I want to be as transparent with potential readers as possible here.

TLDR: My goal is to write a story that you could unironically read for the plot. Sometimes there will be sex, sometimes not.

P.S. I have read the comments on previous chapters. I greatly appreciate all of them.

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I watched Veronica from the distance, as she talked with the guys. It didn't even take a whole minute before they got ready to move out.

She and James were scanning the building I was still in, trying to spot me, but none of them seemed to succeed. Lazar moved first, and James followed after him. Veronica waited a few more seconds. I briefly considered coming out of my hiding spot, but she turned around and caught up with the other two.

She told me before we split up to wait around five minutes to give them time to make some distance and only then follow behind. I was more than happy to do so. I lay down, finally having some time alone.

There was a lot to think about. The upcoming boss battle, my leave after it, and, most importantly, my second time with Veronica and how I felt about it.

I decided to start with the battle since it was arguably the most straightforward of the bunch. From what James could recall it will be the same robot as we faced before, but bigger and stronger with a wave or two of regular mobs. It was nothing new in terms of encounter design, it was still a tutorial after all.

The team went ahead to check the place out and I was to rejoin them later when they clear the way. That wasn't the best excuse, since my character was supposed to be a scout by design, but it was better than just flat-out telling guys that I had trouble walking.

Right, that. I covered my face with my hands. I still couldn't believe that happened. I mean, it did, but that was not the point. Why was I still thinking about it? That was another stupid question. I had a lot of them, but that didn't make me feel any better, just the opposite.

Yeah, I had sex before. Frequently enough for it to lose its novelty. I took a girl home or we went to her place, we had fun and then it was back to business as usual. Why was it different now?

Because you are a girl now, stupid. And you didn't fuck. You have been fucked.

- So what?! - I shouted - It's not even the real me! Why in the goddamn does that bother me so much?

I stood up and started pacing back and forth around the room. I must have done it too quickly since my vision was a bit blurry. I grabbed a small rock I found laying on the ground and threw it across the street. It didn't go as far as I anticipated.

I took the glove off and looked down at my hand. It was small, slim, and delicate. Feminine. I wiped my face and looked again. My fingers were wet.

I smiled. It kind of made sense now, when I thought about it. I put the glove back on and sat down, my back against the wall.

The guy asleep inside the cold pod never made a big deal out of sex. That was true. Right now, I was making a big deal out of sex. That was also true. The solution how to connecting those two facts was so simple I didn't even consider it.

I am not the same person as the one back in the real world, outside the VR. Obviously, it was still me. I am still me. Just... other me, I think? Does that make sense?

No, it doesn't. Stop making stupid shit up.

I stood up again and checked the time on my HUD. Turns out I was behind schedule already. Can't believe I got so distracted. I sighed and jumped down onto the street level.

Looking around there was no one nearby. I realized that this was the first time I have been alone. That character select playground doesn't count. It wasn't real. Ok, nothing here is, but there is a difference between a white, clearly artificial space and a place you couldn't tell apart from reality. I started walking, following the direction of the rest of the group.

The industrial complex was truly massive. Earlier I was thinking about it more in terms of individual areas than a single, cohesive unit, but now that I had a chance to take my time to look around. I wondered how it looked before when it was still operational.

I also noticed that the sun was slowly going down. I remember that when we started it was before noon, around 11 AM. Now, I checked my HUD again, just past 4 PM. Damn, time flies when you are having fun. I smiled despite myself.

And here I am again, thinking about it. Yeah, it was fun. I caught myself walking with my eyes closed, daydreaming. I mean, there was nothing wrong with enjoying it, right? Too bad I was starting to think that more and more.

But that was not the plan. I picked up my pace, taking my rifle out of my EQ more to keep my hands occupied than for my protection.

The plan was to kill the boss, get to the next area, find a hub, whatever that was, and make a new character. A male one. Like it should have been from the start.

No more thinking about it. Move, get to the exit, and get this over with.

------------|V|------------

Turns out they have not cleared the way entirely. Or even worse, they did and I went the wrong way.

I took cover behind a wreck of a car, trying to remain hidden. It seemed to have worked since four bots further down the road continued walking aimlessly around.

I tried to recall the road I followed until now, and check if I missed something. I walked through the outskirts for a while, then went through the hangar with the blown-up doors and from there it was almost like a single corridor, as I entered the main part of the facility. The still-standing buildings, even if in terrible shape, created a single path that I followed.

I even checked a few doors along the way, but they never went further than two rooms, and the other exit always ended up on the same street that I walked before, just further down. I guessed it was a way to sneak past the guards, but the team at the front took everyone heads-on, so I didn't question why there was no one around. Well, until now.

I noticed no crossroads, shortcuts, or hidden paths along the way, even with my spotter skills. So they must have been here if there is no other way. And knowing them, they killed everything in sight. Then how is it possible, that they missed someone blocking the road?

- Hi Val - my comm link picked up a signal - it's an open channel, so I will be quick. We think we are nearing the boss fight location, but for some reason, enemies keep spawning even after we cleared an outpost. We can deal with them, but the problem is that some of us are running low on ammo, so please hurry up.

Before she cut the connection I heard several gunshots on her side. Pick up the pace, got it, but I would at least want to know if I am on the right path. I regretted more and more wanting to stay behind. Maybe I would have to suffer a walk of shame, but at least it would all be over sooner.

I tapped on my comm, and a pop-up showed up, displaying my security settings. I kept pressing until it displayed "Open channel".

- Val here - I spoke quietly - I am on my way. I passed the hangar you blew open around ten minutes ago. How long is it until...

I fell to the ground before my mind had a chance to process what just happened. The buckshot dug into the hood of a car a foot or two to the right of where I was hiding, creating a pattern of holes in the rusted metal.

I grabbed my rifle and dumped a whole magazine in the direction of the gunshot without even aiming. I heard only three impacts on the metal, the rest ended up in the wall behind the target, but it was still more than enough as the bot collapsed to the ground in a shower of electric sparks.

- Was that on your side? - my comm picked up a signal again - are you...

I tapped it once cutting the connection and crawled closer to the car, just as the burst of shots flew above me.

Dozens of thoughts ran through my head, and I tried to pick out ones that would somehow help me get out of this situation. No more open-channel communication until I am safe. Three enemies are still ahead, and one is dead on the ground. Combine that with what Veronica told me, and I was sure that the respawn kicked in.

Another shot, this time from the other side of the road. I just heard the whistle of shrapnel flying over my head and hitting the wall far back. Start fucking doing something!

I swapped mags and peeked over the hood of the car I was hiding behind. The closest one didn't have any ranged weapon and was limping my way, carrying a makeshift metal mace. The one in the middle was reloading a single-shot scrap cannon, and the one at the back was aiming straight at me.

I ducked down as fast as I could, but even in the game, you are not faster than the bullets. A few of the pellets went through the rust holes in the car and were about to tear into my back, but instead, I felt a brief but strong pressure, as if someone pushed my whole body.

[Shield 14]

That's right, I have a shield! I went through a whole tutorial and never got shot at even once, so I forgot about it. Time to use it to my advantage.

The one closest to me has no ranged weapons and is slow, the one at the back just shot at me, so he must be reloading. That makes the one in the middle a priority. I took a few quick breaths and pushed myself up, aiming at the target.

The first two shots went through its chest plate, leaving jagged holes through which I could see the building behind it. I was never this close to any of them before, even without using the scope I could see the oil dripping through the cracked armor. But it was not the time to marvel at the details. I switched the targets, moving my aim to the one at the back.

The next shot took me by surprise. That son of a bitch had a double barrel.

The force of the impact threw me to the ground, and I almost dropped my rifle due to sheer shock. Then I remembered that it was my only way out of the situation and I instinctually tightened my hand on the grip. Thank god that my shield still held, I didn't even want to think how much that would hurt if that shot landed while it was down.

[Shield 0]

Fuck, shit, fuck! Can I stand up before he reloads? I don't know. Do I want to find out? Absolutely fucking not. Stay down and stay low. I couldn't see him from behind the car, but that worked both ways. I knew more or less where he was, but I wasn't ready to bet my life on it, and blind fire hoping to take him down. I needed an edge.

I concentrated on slowing down my breathing like I did many times before and the world got more vivid. I could see the thin layers of paint peeling from the body of the rusted car, I could hear the steps of the closer bot making his way towards me, but most importantly, I could hear the sound of the bot loading presumably a second round into the chamber coming from somewhere behind the car.

I pulled my rifle closer to my chest, trying to lay as still as possible. I had just one chance to do it, there will be no time to reload. The shotgun latched close with a distinct sound, priming the shells for fire. Thanks to my improved hearing I could almost pinpoint the location it was coming from, even without seeing it.

It was also my first-time mag-dumping with enchanted senses, and if I wasn't in mortal danger I could even say I enjoyed it.

There was a flash, there was a bang, and another hole appeared in the rusted doors of the car. Small, just 0.308 of an inch. Then another. And another. Spent cases landed on the ground right beside me and I could smell the burnt gunpowder.

I kept pulling the trigger until the gun was empty. I heard the sound of hundreds of pounds of metal hitting the ground, just as my senses returned to their normal state.

Then I noticed the last bot just above me with the mace ready to strike.

I rolled to the side just in time to avoid the first strike. As I was scrambling to my feet the enemy took another swing, this time upwards that hit me in the chest and threw me across the street.

[Health 32]

That fucking hurt. Thankfully not as bad as I assumed it would hurt in real life, due to pain limiters in the pods, but I was not keen on testing how effective they were with stronger hits. That was just an offhand swing, and I still lost a fifth of my HP.

I stood up and took a few steps back. Then I realized that I was missing something.

My rifle was just beside the mace-wielding fuck-off-machine. It had me disarmed and I think it knew that now it had the upper hand. I swear if a scrap metal was ever able to express any emotions it would have the most shit-eating grin known to mankind.

And then it would turn to utter disbelief as I burned a hole in its head with my laser pistol. It wasn't nearly as much damage as I would do with my rifle, so I kept pulling the trigger to ensure I got the job done.

The barrel of the gun was glowing dull red, as the light weapon was not meant for that quick follow-up shots. But now that the danger was gone it would have the time to cool down.

I wanted to also do just that, but the reality of the current situation came crashing down on me.

Why has the respawn suddenly activated? Why were these robots dealing so much damage in the tutorial area? Why did they react so fast when I spoke through the open channel? Why haven't I just looked under the car, but tried to echolocate the enemy instead? Why am I trying to figure it out when I can just ask? Maybe not about the last question.

- Veronica? - I tapped my comm - you there?

- Val! - she was breathing heavily - thank God, I was so worried about you! Are you all right?

- Yeah, barely - I scanned through the surroundings looking for dropped ammo or supplies, but couldn't find anything - tell me, are the enemies suddenly tougher, or is it just me?

- They are. That's why I was calling earlier, when... - there was a pause, with a few shots in the background - wait, how do you know? We cleared the path. Don't tell me that the...

- Respawn turned on - I finished for her - seems like it. Just took out four bots that were packing more firepower than anything we have encountered before. Barely made it out alive.

- I am glad you did. Keep doing that. And it's the same here, but the numbers are a lot higher - another series of shots - nothing we can't handle for now, but we are burning through our stockpiles of ammo fast. Where are you anyway?

- I went through the blown open hangar around ten to fifteen minutes ago - I answered while picking up my pace, moving further into the facility - how much further do I have to go?

- Not much thankfully, but we will have to find a safe house anyway. Five-minute jog is not a big deal for you, but we can't keep holding this point for that long - she groaned in frustration - here is the plan. We will move toward the boss's location and stop right outside of the arena when we spot the place. We will lure as many of the scrap heads after us and blow the path closed, hopefully taking some of them out. You won't have to fight them, but you will need to find another way inside. There is one through the roof, I saw it, but guys are allergic to platforming, so we went straight through the main entrance.

I spotted a good place to start climbing and ran to it. I figured the sooner I gain the upper ground the better. I tightened the strap of the rifle on my back, wishing quietly for a less-realistic inventory management, and started climbing.

- Funny thing - Veronica continued - James may have started enjoying the game again. He has to dodge attacks now, and he even got his shield taken down a few times. The boy is just addicted to risk. I am more worried about stopping him from walking right into the boss's area once we get there than about us dying from an endless horde of bots. Anyway, get your pretty ass here, we won't be waiting forever.

- Already on it, expect fire support from above in a few - I grinned, jumping from one roof to another.

I already saw the main building, and even heard the last shots before the fight moved indoors. Just a few blocks away, with no enemies in sight. Shouldn't take me more than a few minutes. If I hurry, I may even get to the boss first.

------------|V|------------

- Oh my fucking God - I wheezed, resting against the railing - why is my endurance so low?

I took another step forward then another one. Just a few more, and I will officially be up the stairs.

- Who designed a scout character, that is supposed to run around and search the area and then gave it seven points in fucking endurance?

I pulled up my HUD and checked how much energy I had left in my suit. Still four, out of seven. I opened my inventory and did a quick rundown of what I had left.

Five mags for the rifle and another six for the laser pistol. The road was not as enemy-free as I was initially suspecting. I took everyone out before they got in range to be any real danger, but my supplies ran low.

I had one health pack, the same one from the beginning. I never needed it, even after the first fight. It heals fifteen HP, while I was down only eight, so using it would be a waste.

I also had two boosters. As far as I knew they could be used on someone or some of the equipment. Like my suit. Or me. Could I manage with just four charges for my abilities? I guess?

Could I fight while spitting out my lungs and not barely being able to walk? Stupid question.

I clicked on one of them on my inventory screen and it materialized in my hand. Just a small vial with a blue liquid inside and an injector on one end. Not the most unique design, but as someone said, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I jabbed the short needle into my thigh, making sure I wouldn't hit the reinforced part of my suit and after a brief sting, I could feel a wave of energy coursing through my veins.

I squeezed the metal railing so hard it creaked. Wow, whoever figures out a way to make something like this in the real world will be remembered as the one who took down the coffee industry.

I jumped a few times, just to check if my legs were back in working order, and ran up the last few stairs. There waited for me a single door hanging on one hinge, which lead into the building. Another few steps and I tapped my comm.

- I am inside - I put my hands on my hips - how are you doing?

- Finally, what took you so long? - Veronica answered after a brief moment - Everything went according to the plan, we have a visual of what we assume is a boss arena. Let me know... hey, wait for a second! James!

- I've waited long enough - Veronica's comm picked up his voice - either she gets here fast, or we take all of the exp. I don't care to be honest. I am sick of this level.

There was a rumble that shook the entire building. Thankfully it was in better condition than the ones I passed on the way here, so aside from some dust, nothing came crashing down.

- He went in - Vera sighed - And the arena activated judging by everything shaking around. I and Lazar are going in, try to get here as soon as you can.

- Where is here? - I asked moving further into the facility - You know what, never mind, there is just one path.