Nixxin crouched near the door, struggling to tie his shoe. His fingers fumbled with the laces as he tried to make a proper knot. He sighed, tightened it one last time, then stood up quickly.
"Grandpa, Uncle, I'm leaving," he called out.
Without waiting for a reply, he opened the door and stepped into the hallway. The air outside was cool and quiet. He hurried toward the elevator at the end of the corridor, pressing the button repeatedly as if that would make it arrive faster.
When the doors finally slid open, he stepped inside and pressed the ground floor. The elevator began its long descent from the top of the skyscraper hotel. Nixxin leaned against the wall, staring at the numbers as they slowly ticked down.
He groaned. The ride felt endless.
"I'm so bored," he muttered.
At last, the doors opened. He rushed out and sprinted toward the exit. As soon as he stepped outside, he spotted familiar faces waiting near the entrance.
He waved both arms. "Drei, Oniu, I'm here!"
Kael and Oniu turned toward him, while Drei stood slightly apart, staring up at the towering building behind them.
"Do you live here?" Drei asked, still looking at the skyscraper.
Nixxin ran up to them, slightly out of breath. "Yeah. Only four people live there. Me, my uncle, my grandpa, and the old man next to our door."
Before anyone could respond, a loud hum echoed across the landing area. A sleek spacejet descended and touched down nearby. The trainer stepped out, holding a tablet.
"Everyone, hurry up!" the trainer shouted. "We're going to the PC Tournament!"
The group quickly boarded the jet. As the doors closed, Nixxin glanced out the window. Far below, Uncle Welp stood watching them. The jet lifted slowly at first, then suddenly surged forward with incredible speed.
The city disappeared beneath them, replaced by clouds and then the endless dark of space.
After an hour, the excitement began to fade. The silence inside the jet grew heavy.
Kael pressed his face near the window, staring at the stars. "Where do you guys think the Solar System is?"
Oniu lazily pointed at a random bright star. "Probably there."
Then he leaned back and fell asleep almost instantly.
The others followed not long after.
When they woke up, a massive structure filled the view outside. It surrounded a star, glowing with immense energy.
They had arrived at the Dyson Sphere, where the tournament stage was located.
Kael jumped to his feet. "This is it!"
"What? Our match is tomorrow?" Drei asked, looking at the trainer in disbelief.
The trainer checked the tablet. "Unfortunately, yes. You are match nine in sector one. You will have to wait. I suggest watching match four and match five. Match three has just started."
Then the trainer left the room.
Nixxin dropped onto his bed. "Should we watch?"
Oniu was already asleep again, lying flat on his bed. Kael shrugged and walked out to buy food. Drei turned on the television.
"I think we should," Drei said.
As the broadcast played, Oniu slowly woke up and sat upright. A moment later, Kael returned with bags of food.
"Perfect timing," Kael said. "Match four is starting. Who do you guys think will win?"
He pulled out his wallet. "I bet nine thousand on that guy who can clone. He is definitely going to be MVP."
They ate while watching. The battle was intense. Team 7 moved with perfect coordination. One player created countless clones, filling the battlefield.
Nixxin leaned forward. "There are thousands of them."
Oniu smiled. "That guy who can raise the land is cool."
When the match ended, the MVP was announced.
It was not the clone user.
It was someone who controlled sound waves.
Kael slammed his hand on the table. "I really thought the clones would win."
Drei grabbed the remote and switched the channel. "Look. Match five in sector three has already started."
Kael pointed at the screen. "That guy with the gun is a problem. He killed me too many times before."
Oniu watched closely. His expression slowly changed.
Something was wrong.
Lurain was there, but he seemed weaker than usual. Distracted. Unfocused.
When the clash began, the player with the gun died almost instantly. Lurain struggled, making mistakes that he normally would not make.
Meanwhile, Aeolous stood still, casting something.
Only Drei seemed to understand what was happening.
Util stayed close, shielding Aeolous while he continued casting.
Then it happened.
A massive tornado appeared, tearing through everything on the battlefield. It wiped out every player.
Only Aeolous survived.
The room fell silent.
Even the shoutcaster could not speak for a moment.
Then Aeolous destroyed the tower and began moving toward the final objective.
Drei stared at the screen in shock. "Aeolous is strong as long as he has the Bloodpath Contract. When he has that, his power becomes unbelievable."
Five hours later, it was their turn to prepare.
Oniu carefully packed his arrows. He also held a small marble that Lurain had given him. He kept it close.
Nixxin and Kael headed out first. Drei searched the room for a weapon and picked up a sword that felt durable and light enough to handle. He tested its weight, then nodded and followed.
As they walked through the hallway, bright lights filled the path ahead.
"And on the left, we have the representatives from Proxima Centauri B, showing incredible performance in their practice scrims, Team 18!" the shoutcaster announced.
"And on the right, Team 17 from Proxima Centauri D!"
The crowd roared.
There were countless spectators watching from every direction. The arena was massive.
As they stepped onto the platform, the ground looked completely flat, unlike anything they had seen before.
Eight glowing circles appeared on the floor.
One by one, they stepped into them.
A flash of light surrounded them.
Then everything changed.
Drei tapped the device in his ear. "Everyone, can you hear me?"
Kael responded immediately. "Yes, sir!"
Nixxin's voice came through, slightly distorted. "Kind of. My footsteps are too loud."
Oniu was already in the bottom lane.
The environment around him was a beautiful garden filled with flowers and trees. The air felt calm.
Oniu looked around.
"This place is too peaceful," he said quietly. "I guess I have to destroy it."
He pressed his thumb and let a drop of blood fall onto the marble. Then he let more blood drip onto an arrow. The marble cracked and ignited, setting the arrow on fire.
He fired it.
It struck the ground near the enemy but missed.
A girl stood there, smiling at him.
Oniu did not hesitate. He threw another marble.
The moment it hit the burning arrow on the ground, it exploded.
Flames spread instantly. The minions and the girl were consumed, burning away with ease.
Oniu calmly prepared three more arrows. Each one had a marble attached to its tip.
He aimed at the enemy tower.
He released them all at once.
The arrows struck, and the tower erupted into flames.
Oniu lowered his bow.
"This is boring," he said.
He turned away from the destroyed lane. "I'm going to Nixxin's lane."