🌐 Location: University of Abomey-Calavi – Main Campus
⏳ Time: Morning (IRL)
👤 Arzane (Z3RO) – Status: Offline
🎯 Objective: Keep up appearances, observe… and prepare for what comes next
The sun filtered through the dusty windows of the classroom, casting flickering reflections on the wooden tables. Arzane, backpack on his back and slightly shuffling, entered the lecture hall silently. Simple T-shirt, wrinkled jeans, discreet gaze.
— Z3RO had given way to Arzane the student.
He sat down toward the back, halfway up. Out of sight, but not too far. Enough to observe without attracting too much attention.
A few minutes later, two friends spotted him and came to sit down next to him.
— "Hey, bro, have you seen today's schedule?" one asked, pulling out his cracked tablet.
— "Yep. JavaScript, MVC model, and group practical work..." Arzane replied, without much conviction.
The atmosphere was almost normal, until the fourth member of the group entered. He was wearing a state-of-the-art smartwatch, a brand-new Puma bag, and a satisfied look plastered on his face.
— "Hey guys, have you checked out the Genesis tournament?" he said like a punchline.
Silence fell. Even those in the front row had turned around.
— "I signed up. Level 13 already. I paid for some rare gear. My dad topped me up with 100,000 FCFA in rubies. You'll see... this tournament is mine."
His name: Jacques, son of an influential merchant in Dantokpa. Always dressed as if he'd just stepped out of an Instagram shoot. In Genesis, he'd forged a berserker tank identity: "Djakos the Ravager." And he played it to the hilt.
"Have you guys even reached level 10?" he asked, looking down his nose at Arzane.
Z3RO, or rather Arzane at that point, gave a small smile.
"Me? I'm surviving. I'm having fun. It's a cool game."
Jacques snickered.
"You're going to die in the first phase. Those who play for free are there to add to the list of achievements of real players."
Arzane shrugged, then said calmly:
"Maybe. But sometimes, even a pawn can bring down a king." »
Jacques raised an eyebrow, visibly stung, but a crowd of students announced the professor's arrival.
— "Come on, kids. Today we're coding, not killing."
Everyone returned to their tables.
Arzane sat down, took out his old PC, and opened the terminal.
But his mind... remained in MetaCore.
> "A tank boosted by dad, eh? We'll see if his stuff can save him with a well-thought-out strategy..."
He typed a few lines of code, but in the back of his mind, another interface was already running.
Genesis.
The tournament was approaching.
And Z3RO... wasn't the type to talk. He was preparing.
> 🔜 Next Game: Hakaijin – Between tradition and family pressure...
> 🏙️ Location: Seoul — High-rise residential area
🕒 Time: Late morning (IRL)
👤 Ren Daiki (Hakaijin) — Status: Offline
🎯 Objective: Embrace his double life… and prepare to play another role
The hood of the helmet slowly lifted, revealing Ren Daiki's impassive face. He remained motionless for a few seconds, breathing slowly, his eyes fixed on the metal ceiling of the old shed. His gaze met that of a crow on a steel beam, then slid down to his phone screen.
> 📱 Alarm deactivated: 11:38 AM
📞 Voice call: "DRIVER PARK"
He slipped the device into his pocket, stood up calmly, adjusted his sleeves, and then left the shed. His black coat billowed slightly in the wind as he walked along the riverbank, joining the black sedan that had just stopped.
"Mr. Ren. Your father has warned you of your return."
The young man simply nodded and got into the back. The vehicle drove through the clean, quiet streets of the upscale Gangnam district, heading for the family mansion.
🏯 The Ren House
At the entrance, the butlers lined up orderly. Daiki gave them a quick signal and crossed the hall without stopping. He climbed the stairs without a word, to the room where his mother lay.
A pale-skinned woman, as thin as a feather, lay on a medical bed, her half-closed eyes staring out at the garden outside.
"Kaasan..." he murmured, kneeling beside her.
She turned her head slowly, giving a fragile smile.
"Ren... You're back."
He gently took her hand and bowed his head.
"I know I'm not here often. But I haven't forgotten you."
She replied in a barely audible voice, "I'm proud of you. Even if you choose another world... Live the one you want."
Her fingers trembled gently on his cheek.
A long silence followed.
Then Daiki stood up, took a deep breath, and left the room.
🧥 Ren's Room
He entered his room—simple but elegant. On his bed, a carefully wrapped package waited. A handwritten card accompanied it:
> "Make a good impression. —Father."
He opened the package. Inside, a tailored suit, black and silver, embroidered with the discreet Ren family seal.
— "Even when he pretends to ignore my choices, he controls them all."
He placed the suit on an armchair, took off his shirt, then lay down on his bed.
Staring at the ceiling. Spiraling thoughts.
He set his alarm for 7 p.m.
— "A ball for young heirs... Perfect for playing another role."
But soon, he would dive back into Genesis.
Because even behind a silk mask...
He was still Hakaijin, and he had a sword to complete.