Harden was staring at the reflex gauntlets game. It consisted of a platform—like a treadmill, though it wasn't moving—and wall panels that blended in seamlessly. Lights would flash just before the panels shot out. Depending on the light shown, participants had to hit, dodge, or block the panels for a full minute. The panels were attached to retractable rods that pulled them back after each strike. Body sensors tracked the players, ensuring the platform followed their movements.
The game had six levels, with each level increasing the panels' speed and difficulty.
Harden set it to level one and took a stance.
"Show me what you got," he said.
A buzzer sounded. A red light flashed. A panel shot out, heading straight for Harden's face. He leaned back, letting it narrowly miss him.
Not bad, Harden thought. But it's not fast enough.
A confident smile crossed his face. The alarm buzzed again. This time, a blue light flashed, and another panel shot out. Harden punched it hard.
He continued dodging, hitting, and blocking until the minute was up.
That wasn't so hard, he thought.
"Let me try," Kyle said, stepping up. He also cleared the first level. One by one, everyone completed it. They moved on to level two.
Amy was the only one who struggled, but after a few tries, she cleared it too.
Next was level three. This time, the lights, alarms, and panels were significantly faster. Almost immediately, Amy was knocked off the platform. Kyle stepped up next, managing to block, dodge, and hit the panels. But Harden noticed that during the final ten seconds, the speed increased even more.
Wang Ling lost interest and wandered off, while Raizo went to play a virtual reality sword-fighting game.
Harden took the platform and cleared the third level as well.
"Hey," Harden said, "why don't we skip to level five?"
"Sure," Kyle replied.
Kyle went up first. The alarm buzzed. A red light flashed—and almost instantly, a panel shot at his thigh. Kyle jumped, barely avoiding it. But as he was midair, a blue light flashed, and another panel struck his stomach, sending him flying off the platform. He landed hard beside Harden.
"That's rough," Harden said with a cheeky grin, trying to hide his smile.
"You think it's funny?" Raizo asked. "Let's see how you do."
"Sure," Harden replied, stepping forward.
The alarm buzzed. A green light flashed, followed immediately by a panel aimed at Harden's knee. He struck it away using his knee. Then a red light—another panel flew at his face. He leaned back to avoid it, and just as he lifted his head, another panel was coming for his stomach. Harden jumped, twisting midair. But then, a blue light—this time the panel targeted his groin. He blocked it by raising his knee, but the force pushed him back to the edge of the platform, nearly knocking him off.
He recovered and continued, barely dodging the panels.
The last ten seconds hit.
The lights were flashing almost simultaneously now. Panels flew with terrifying speed.
Hit. Block. Dodge. Dodge. Block. Hit, Harden repeated in his head, reacting with precision as he fought off panel after panel.
When the time was finally up, Harden was huffing and panting, catching his breath.
"Show-off," Kyle said, walking over. "You actually beat me."
"What the heck was that?" a voice laughed.
They turned to see a blonde-haired teenager with short, curly hair, black eyes, and a round face. Two others stood beside him—one chubby and round, the other so skinny and pale his bones were visible.
"That was a pathetic performance," the blonde kid said, smirking. "Let me show you how it's done."