Chapter 24: META
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Day [23/40]
Time Remaining Until Execution: [29 Days]
The attack came from within for my next spell in the Jingozi arena. My stomach filled with fire, burning me from the inside out, eventually transforming me into a walking inferno. Hot lava shot up my throat and out my nose before I could escape. I blinked back to my room, racked by phantom pain. Kitty looked on, whining with concern.
YOU HAVE RECEIVED A SPELL CARD:
Evolve [2]
<ul>
<li>
PVP/PVE: Increase any 0 on your card by +1 for every Zii paid.
</li>
</ul>
UPDATED STATUS:
Name: Ember [Doctrine Dealer]
Tier: I [Iron] Rank 2
Faction: Ninja [Field]
Zii: 100/100
Cards: 10/10
[Error]: 6/6
Deck:
It was my second [Evolve] card. Not only was it handy to have two, but I''d draw it more frequently, considering all the battle cards with zero scores in my deck. I wondered if I''d get duplicates of all the other spells as well.
A voice interrupted my thoughts.
“What are you doing?”
I whirled around.
Sora sat in the chair next to the bed—no idea how long she’d been there. She wore a full red ninja suit, her hood down, looking even more formidable.
“Nothing,” I groaned. “Just a bad dream.”
“If you’re going to lie, do it with some conviction.”
Wait a second, why am I the one that suddenly feels like the enormous asshole here?
"Suit up," she said. "Meet me in the next room.”
***
Sora and I stood in a large training room, the scent of sweat and dried blood hanging in the air. Across us, multiple wooden target dummies stood under electrical orbs that lit the room.
“The Ninja use a special technique with our Jingozi cards,” Sora began. “We throw them like shuriken. The strength of the card and the amount of Zii you use determine the damage they do.” She opened her hand to load three cards. “Watch closely.”
Sora threw the first card with a flick of her wrist. It spun through the air with a high-pitched vibration, embedding itself into the chest of the first target dummy. The card evaporated into red smoke, leaving a wicked gash.
In the same motion, Sora threw the second card. It sliced clean through the neck of the same dummy. The head fell to the ground with a dull thud.
The third exploded upon impact, engulfing the target in flames.
“That’s incredible,” I said, astonished.
“It’s the minimum,” she snapped her wrist to load five more cards. “This next technique utilizes higher reward power. It allows more control for various utilities, such as distraction, deflecting blows, or changing course to reach the target—even special effects.”
She flicked her wrist again, sending all five cards flying.
The first two curved past one set of dummies, hitting a single target in the next row. The third skimmed the ground under a dummy before shooting straight up to shatter a floating light. The fourth card burst into a smoke bomb in the back of the room. As the smoke cleared, the final card boomeranged around the room in a wide arc, slicing through the air until returning to Sora’s outstretched hand.
"Wow, Cragmarr did mention that it just wasn''t about picking the strongest cards," I said, attempting to demonstrate an eager pupil.
"Only fools approach Jingozi in such a way. The strength of your cards is secondary to how you use them, whether on offense or defense. Jingozi is a game of the mind—who can strategize more effectively for victory. As I said, this is the minimum. Anything less is worthless.” She stepped behind me and crossed her arms. “Show me.”
I loaded a card into my hand. With a deep breath, I closed my eyes.
“Focus,” she said. “Feel the flow of Zii within you and channel it into the card.”
I hurled it at the nearest target dummy. The card fluttered in the air and fell short.
“Concentrate!” She adjusted my stance by kicking the backs of my knees. “Channel your Zii properly.”
I closed my eyes again, trying to center myself. I focused on the ever-present thrum of Zii I felt, but I fumbled the shot, and the card dropped to the floor.
You’re making a serious fool of yourself, Ember Lynn.
“Unacceptable. You’re useless.”
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
“I’m trying,” my voice trembled.
“Trying is not enough. You have ten days, or you might as well accept your fate now.” She turned away, dismissing me with a wave.
***
I sat with Hikari and Kaito in the dining area, picking at my lunch. The twins exchanged glances before Hikari spoke up.
“Sora is harsh, no doubt, but she’s the best. She’s trained some of the greatest Ninjas in the faction and won many Jingozi tournaments.”
Kaito acknowledged, adding, “She does seem harder on you, Ember.”
“Do you think so?” I looked up from my bowl.
“She seems more… intense with you,” he shrugged. “Maybe it’s because you’re another Jingozi dealer. She probably has higher expectations.” He leaned back in his chair with a smirk. “Or she’s jealous.”
“I can’t imagine anyone being jealous of me,” I muttered, almost to myself.
“Some say she keeps a shuriken between her legs.”
I spat my tea, and Hikari threw a stale crust at Kaito. He caught the bread without looking and took a bite, unperturbed.
“You’re such an idiot, Kaito,” Hikari said. After a few more disgusted looks, she smiled at me. “You’re one of us now, and we’re here to help. We promise to teach you some Zii-Kata techniques to help your card throws.”
“Yeah, we’ve got your back, Ember,” Kaito said. “We know it’s tough, but we believe in you.”
“Thank you, both of you. It means a lot to me.”
As we finished lunch, Hikari and Kaito shared accounts of their training mishaps, each more hilarious than the last.
***
The twins taught me new Zii-Kata forms and patterns. Their synchronized movements made everything look deceptively simple. However, it also required precision, fluidity, and an intense focus I struggled to maintain, especially when my muscles burned from holding the same stance for minutes on end.
They demonstrated target practice with throwing stars and kunai, but I wasn''t improving with my cards nearly as fast as I needed to. My throws kept going wide, and my footwork felt clumsy compared to their graceful demonstrations.
They remained patient with each failed attempt, offering adjustments and encouragement with gentle voices. But I caught the slight doubt in their eyes when they thought I wasn''t looking, the uncertainty that deflated me. I''d seen that look before from people who expected more from me than I could deliver.
***
Day [24/40]
Time Remaining Until Execution: [28 Days]
As I sat to breakfast with Hikari and Kaito, Taikumi announced it was quiet in prison—the Samurai still believed my double was real.
"What does that mean?" I asked.
“It gives us more time,” he said. "But don’t waste it. How is your training progressing?”
"Training?" I stirred my miso soup. "Well, to be honest—"
"Ember''s doing great!" Hikari interjected.
"Yeah, I couldn''t agree more," Kaito added. "She''ll be ready to show the Shogun that the Ninja faction is not to be taken lightly!"
Taikumi smiled, poured himself some tea, and left the room.
"Kaito!" I exclaimed. "Show the Shogun? Pouring it on a bit too thick, don''t you think?"
"What did you expect?" Kaito shrugged.
"That''s Kaito for you," Hikari quipped.
We laughed.
***
The day passed in a blur of failure and mounting demoralization. I focused on the new Zii-Kata forms, trying to channel my Zii into the cards, but the results always fell short. The cards either lacked the necessary force or veered off course entirely. And the more I tried, the worse it got.
By evening, my body ached, and I had nothing to show for it. I sat on the training room floor, exhausted and discouraged.
“It’s okay, Ember." Hikari placed a supportive hand on my shoulder. "You’re improving, even if it doesn’t feel like it.”
Kaito tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but I didn’t hear it.
“Thanks, both of you. I just... I need to rest.”
As I trudged back to my room, Kitty bounded past me. She had discovered a way outside, enjoying the freedom to come and go. I collapsed onto my bed, feeling the day’s efforts in every muscle. Despite my exhaustion, sleep was elusive, with the futility of the day replaying in my head on autorepeat.
“Do you know why you fail?”
I almost fell out of bed, startled by her voice.
“You think it’s a game,” Sora continued from the shadows. “It’s not. You’re not in the Jingozi arena where your imagination is the weapon. The game makes you weak and gives you a false sense of security. You don’t die in the Jingozi arena. Out here, you do. The consequences are real.”
I hung my head, searching for words.
“Look, Sora, I get that—"
She was gone.
***
“Is she right?” I asked the voice in the arena.
“That depends,” he said. “Your original question, Ember, was whether or not you think this is all a game.”
“Yes.”
“And that’s why you think you’re failing.”
“Yes.”
“The answer is clear then,” he said. “You don’t think this is a game at all. You’re taking it very seriously.”
“Thank you.”
“And you take yourself too seriously.”
“Excuse me?”
“And that’s the problem. It is all a game.”
“What?”
“Aren’t you here because the Jingozi want you to play their game?”
“Yeah, but…”
“There are games within games,” he continued. “Sora’s training represents one level of the game. A Jingozi match is another—each with different rules. Your mistake is thinking it should all work the same. Some games have hard black-and-white rules while others don’t.”
“What’s the difference then? How do I know which one I’m playing?”
“It depends on the game and what you care about.”
“Huh?”
“When you play poker, what do you care about?”
“Uh, okay. The goal is to win the other players’ chips.”
“That’s right. However, when playing a cash game versus a tournament, your strategy and system change. Isn’t it true that if you played a cash game like a tournament, you’d surely lose, and vice versa?”
“Correct. I lost a lot of money making that mistake.”
“Okay, so let’s go with that. Imagine the rest of your life was gamified. What do you care about then? How do you win at the game of life when there are games within the game?”
“This is getting meta.” I suddenly remembered the first tutorial. "Wait a second, metas… Cragmarr told me about metas."
“Exactly. You’ll figure it out.”
***
Day [25/40]
Time Remaining Until Execution: [27 Days]
The next day was another frustrating ordeal of failed attempts and mounting pressure. I hit the wall. After a dinner of rice balls, Hikari and Kaito turned to me with an encouraging smile.
“Alright, Ember. We’re going to mix things up a bit,” Kaito said.
“The game is called Ninja Tag,” Hikari added. “It’s a great way to build reflexes and control, mixed with a lot of fun.”
I followed them to another training arena filled with obstacles—walls to climb, ropes to swing from, and various structures to hide behind.
“The goal is simple,” Hikari explained. “You use your cards to tag us while evading being tagged yourself. It’s every Ninja for themselves.”
Kaito held up a metal disc about the size of a CD.
“We’re going to use these,” he grinned. “But don’t hold out on us. Half the fun is dodging your crazy Jingozi shots.”
“But Kaito, isn’t that unfair? You could get hurt.”
“That’s why we wear these.” Hikari tossed Kaito an armored vest. She pulled another over her head. “They''re reinforced with Zii to withstand Jingozi cards. Don’t worry. Sora plays with us all the time.”
I was unconvinced and stared dubiously around the arena.
“Ready?” Kaito said. “Give us a ten-count head start.”
We scattered. Ducking behind a concrete slab, I searched for any sign of them. I considered using the Jingozi arena, but what good would that do?
A disc whistled out of nowhere to hit me in the ribs—the sting adding to my surprise—two more pelted off the barrier inches above my head. Haphazardly peeking around the edge, another disc plunked me on the noggin. Snickers echoed from the shadows.
The game continued as I hurled a card that might as well have been paper airplanes. Even bogged down by metal chest plates, Hikari and Kaito moved with such ease and agility, tagging each other while practically ignoring my attempts. Every tag that hit me added to the evidence of my total ineptitude.
Eventually, I got the hang of it, dodging a few tags. Landing a card on either of them was another story.
After sliding behind a row of barrels, I spied Kaito behind Hikari, ready to pounce. Something came over me. My senses sharpened as if I were in the Jingozi arena.
I burned one Zii, and my vision filled with dozens of red vectors curving and pointing to Kaito. I mentally clicked on a flight path and launched it.
My shot flew true, hitting Kaito squarely in the back. It exploded, lighting the arena with fireworks. The force sent him flying past Hikari into a metal barricade with a crash.
Hikari’s face turned to utter shock. She ran over to her fallen twin brother, using her sleeves to snuff out the flames.