> Zone: Erasthia — Heart of the Virtual City
IRL: Morning, Day +4 since the game opened
ORIAS System: Major Event Announcement
An invisible bell rang throughout Genesis. No matter the zone, biome, or instance. Even in the most remote places, the news reached the forefront.
> 📢 [Restricted Global Event] — HERO TOURNAMENT
Format: Solo Battle — Single Elimination
Required Level: 7 to 15
Eligible Classes: Fighter, Support, Hybrid Melee
Rewards: – 🧿 1st Prize: 500 Rubies (premium currency) – ⚔️ Legendary Weapon of Unknown Rank – 🎖 "Hero of Genesis" Badge (secret passive bonus)
> Registration: 72 hours IG
Location: Erasthia Arena
Mandatory Attendance: Pre-selection Phase.
Z3RO — Area: South of MetaCore, Level: 10 — Class: Technomancer (Prototype)
He had just finished a ballistics test of his modified revolver when the announcement came. The weapon's recoil had almost knocked him off balance, but his gaze remained fixed on the floating interface.
— "A tournament? With rubies... and a legendary weapon to boot?"
He frowned. This was exactly the kind of opportunity he was looking for. Not for the glory. But for the money.
> "If I do well, I'll just sell the weapon... and pay for two months of internet time."
He tapped B.I.T., which displayed a mini-map.
> [Registration area identified. Estimated safe path: 1 hour 20 minutes travel time + 2 corrupted zones to bypass.]
> [Z3RO Status — Technomancer Level 10 | Primary Skill: Pulse Revolver | Secondary Gadget: Energy Dagger to integrate.]
> [Mode: Soloist | Style: Field Control / Tactical Damage]
He smiled.
— "I'm ready. Maybe not to win. But to make an impression."
Hakaijin — Area: Murim Border, Level: 11 — Class: Warrior (Broken Blade School)
He had barely left the Black Lake and ancient shrine area.
His breath was still short from the partially completed test. But when he received the event notification, he stopped dead in his tracks.
> "A tournament? In Erasthia?"
He looked up at the misty sky of Murim. His hand rested on the incomplete Shinjitsu no Yoru hilt he still carried.
> [Hakaijin Status — Warrior Level 11 | Specialization: Parry / Reflexes | Style: Pure and Intuitive Offensive]
> [Mode: Soloist | Precision: Surgical]
A fight... in public.
An arena.
And hopes to find some good opponents to face.
> [Registration spotted in the global list: Username "Z3RO" — Level 10 — Prototype Technomancer]
He smiled. Coldly.
— "Perfect."
---
🏟️ Erasthia — Central City / Titans Arena
The line of players was long, dynamic, and noisy. Some came for fame, others for money, and the majority... just to exist. A floating screen listed the first registrants, with their username, class, and level. The internal betting was already rife.
🔥 Top Rankers (current) according to ORIAS:
1. BladeKhan — Level 15 / Class: Bloodthirsty Gladiator / Former Beta Tester
2. Nemessys — Level 14 / Class: Thorn Priestess / Pay-to-Win Player
3. IronPunch — Level 13 / Class: Rune Monk / DPS Tank
4. CryoKat — Level 12 / Class: Cryogenic Assassin / Extreme Speed
5. Sorghel — Level 12 / Class: Totem Summoner / AOE Buff
> ORIAS Note: "Approved combat NPCs will be present. Some will be used as referees or intermediate events."
🔄 Additional rules:
– No co-op allowed
– Tournament NPCs can fight at any time
– ORIAS reserves the right to change the difficulty based on performance
📺 Global Chat — #TournamentOfHeroes
[BladeKhan]: I'm warning you, I'm going to farm them all.
[CryoKat]: I just want to chop off 3 heads and I'll be happy.
[Nemessys]: How much are rubies converted to dollars again? 😈
[NPC_MasterZian]: The players... talk too much.
[New_Player_221]: Who's Z3RO? Why's he signing up?
[Ghost_Fencer]: And that Hakaijin over there? Another random ninja? 😂
[NPC_Archivist_Orias]: Silence. The true echoes will resonate in the blood.
🎮 End of CHAPTER 22
> Next: CHAPTER 23 — Departure for Erasthia / Tensions, Preparations & Pitfalls on the Road