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Chapter 2 - Chapter 2

Two nights ago.

"Where ya going, Baby Ollie? We all know you've got nowhere to be and no one to go home to."

The voice came from behind him, cruel and familiar, and wholly unoriginal with its taunt. Ollie kept walking, his hands tightening around his backpack straps. The sun set, and he just wanted to get home.

He picked up his pace, trying to ignore them.

Then came the final insult.

"Hey, Little Baby Orphan Greenfield, how's your sister doing? How's the failed OverKnight Pilot—"

Ollie's fist connected before the boy could finish. There was a loud crack as bone separated from cartilage. Then silence. The bully crumpled to the ground; a thick crimson liquid dripped from his newly misshapen nostrils.

Then the others were on Ollie. Blows to his ribs, his back, his legs. But Ollie fought back, stronger, faster. By the end, they were the ones on the ground, groaning. He stood over them, breathing hard, his hands bloodied and cut up.

None of them would ever admit that they were beaten by 'Little Baby Orphan Ollie.'

"Mr. Greenfield, please proceed to Training Cubicle One."

Ollie blinks, snapping back to the present. He stands and makes his way inside.

The cubicle is small, illuminated by soft blue lighting. A metallic podium stands in the center. He places his hand on it, and his MIND activates.

A voice fills the room. "Welcome to the Pilot training program. I am CyberMask, the overseer of the Libra Tower and the entire OverKnights initiative. Once you pass the training program, you are one step closer to reaching the top of Libra Tower and claiming the Hypercube for yourself. I wish you the best of luck, and hopefully I'll see you soon."

A video file opens and begins to explain how the OverKnights' battle system works. Ollie clicks on the close button and proceeds straight into the fight. This is what Lyra trained him for. She'd created a deck of cards—an analog version of the battles—and had him train for several hours.

"I don't need a damn lesson. I need a fight."

His MIND flares to life. A virtual battlefield unfolds before him. Glaive materializes, glowing in the dim light.

The battle begins, and he absent-mindedly engages in the fight, effortlessly flying through the training program.

"Congratulations, Mr. Greenfield! You've completed the tutorial. Please make your way to the elevator to access the next step of your climb. Be warned that three consecutive losses will result in you having to return to the previous floor. With that, we at the Libra Tower wish you the best of luck."

Ollie exhales, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Yeah. Let's get this climb started."

He turns and heads toward the next phase of his journey.

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