The next evening, Jelo entered the Arena Nexus.
The virtual world loaded around him in layers. First came the sky, a neutral gray that held no sun or clouds. Then the ground materialized beneath his feet—a flat stone field that stretched in every direction, perfectly level and featureless. The air felt neither hot nor cold, existing in that strange neutral state that marked it as artificial. His avatar solidified last, and he flexed his fingers, testing the responsiveness of his virtual body.
Jelo navigated the interface with practiced ease, clicking on the multiplayer combat option. The system began searching for an opponent, and he waited in the empty field, feeling the familiar anticipation building in his chest. This was where he could practice freely, where he could use his abilities without restraint or consequence.
The matching process took only moments. The world shimmered, and his opponent appeared across the field.
