PART Z3RO
> IRL — Cotonou, Fidjrossè Outskirts
Saturday — 6:42 AM
The sun was barely rising, bathing the room in a soft orange glow. Arzane opened his eyes, his eyelids still heavy, but his mind already alert. No classes today. No cyberspace. Nothing... except the tournament.
He stretched for a long time, a strange feeling of calm and electricity in his body.
As if every muscle knew what awaited him.
He headed for the shower. Quick, efficient. He scrubbed, rinsed, breathed.
Then he got out, grabbed a clean t-shirt, took two sips of water, and opened the window.
Just another Saturday... for everyone else.
He put away a few things, checked the outlets, and turned off the fridge to avoid any unexpected power outages. Then he headed towards his immersion capsule. The object glowed slightly, already in standby mode.
He lay down inside.
— Come on… show me what you've got ready, ORIAS.
> [Connecting… Please wait 20 minutes for neural synchronization.]
In-Game — Genesis
> Area: Erasthia - Central Zone (Neutral Safepoint)
Estimated IG Time: 9:10 AM
Z3RO slowly emerged into the virtual world. The scenery shimmered around him.
The city of Erasthia pulsed with life: players, NPCs, merchants, lighting effects, and in the background… the imposing halo of the Nexus Stadium, the tournament's venue.
He remained frozen for a moment. Inhale. Exhale.
— OK.
First step: inventory.
He opened his mental interface, perfectly fluid thanks to the optimized synchronization from the previous day.
> [Current Status]
Class: Technomancer
Level: 10
Active Modules:
Energy Revolver (plasma & paralyzing wave mode)
Insulating Gloves: 10% magic damage reduction
Tactical Module: "Legendary Radar Scan" (duration: 25 seconds)
> [Skills]
Pulse Field Bomb (short-range AOE)
Charged Shot: Concentrated Plasma
Radar Infiltration (cooldown: 12 minutes)
Structural Analysis (passive)
Energy Dagger (still basic)
He clenched his fists.
> "Not enough to win. But enough to mark the entrance."
He opened the secondary menu and injected a few control modules to better manage the revolver's overheating. Then he adjusted the balance of his right glove—he had noticed a slight activation delay the day before.
Everything should be smooth.
> [Notification: Tournament coming up—Registration still open for 1 hour and 10 minutes]
He equipped himself with his lightweight reinforced jacket, retracted the dagger into its magnetic sheath, and activated the "Mobility Mode" on his boots.
> [Interface: Activate movement to GENESIS Stadium?]
✔️ Yes
[Final scene of the Z3RO game]
The street opened up before him, vast and crowded. Hundreds of players were already heading towards the arena. Some were shouting, others were training on the sidewalk. A small group was filming clips of their powers for the "ORIAS Live" network.
Z3RO, however, remained silent.
He entered the crowd, a silhouette among many.
But inwardly, he was already thinking about the plan. — I'm not the strongest... but I'm maybe the most unpredictable.
HAKAIJIN SECTION: RECONNECTION
> IRL — Seoul, Private Quarter
Saturday — 6:00 AM
The mansion was silent. Not a breath, not a footstep. Just the curtains stirred by the morning breeze.
Ren Daiki woke up in his room, motionless, his eyes open, staring at the sculpted ceiling. He hadn't been dreaming. His father had indeed discovered his in-game identity. He knew it. And yet... he had said nothing but one sentence the day before:
> "Live up to your name. Even in a game."
The message was clear.
During the night, after the party, Ren had his capsule installed in the technical wing of the mansion. His father had authorized the staff to take care of it.
— "No more playing in secret... very well."
He stood up calmly. No agitation. He took the time to shower, put on a simple pair of black pants, then walked silently down the hallway.
Before going down to the device room, he made a detour to his mother's room.
She was still asleep, a slight smile on her lips. He approached, crouched down at her bedside, and placed his hand on hers.
— "I will always be your son. Even if he doesn't understand it."
He sat up, met his own gaze in the hallway mirror, then entered the room where the capsule awaited him.
He lay down, locked the manual interface, and took a deep breath.
— Genesis… here we come.
> [Connecting… Neural loading — Please wait 20 minutes.]
In-Game — Genesis
> Area: Erasthia - Central Square
Estimated time: Morning (IG)
Hakaijin opened his eyes again.
The aura of the place immediately enveloped him. Erasthia was alive, pulsating, much brighter than the misty regions of Murim. Here, everything was movement, commerce, ambition. But he... he remained calm.
> [Current Status]
Class: Essence Blade
Level: 11
Active Modules:
Fragment of Shinjitsu no Yoru (2/3) — Limited
"Inner Void" Technique – Accuracy Boost
Murim Style: Sōryū no Kata (Unrevealed)
Mental Penetration Boots (Focus Bonus)
> [Skills]
Zanshin: Absolute Vigilance (Passive Detection)
Reflex Parry
Link Slicer (against summons)
Combat Memory: Slowed Mental Replay (Passive Bonus)
He slowly performed a tai chi stance. Every movement awakened his nerves, synchronized his senses. He was no longer a player. He was a fighter in a future arena.
> [Notification: Nexus Tournament – Departure in 1 hour]
He fastened his scabbard, locked his inventory, and activated the smooth movement to the preparation area.
> [Do you want to join the GENESIS Stadium priority lane?]
✔️ Yes
[Final Scene — Hakaijin]
He walked. Pure honesty. The players around him were making noise, talking loudly, testing their attacks.
Hakaijin, however, said nothing. He watched.
Gleaming helmets, too-new weapons. Movements lacking precision.
—They're strong. But not ready.
He entered the stadium's antechamber, where registration was about to begin.
In the corner, a hologram displayed the first names of the "Pre-Selection." Resonant names of ministers' sons, pro gamers, powerful guildsmen.
But his name wasn't there yet. And it was much better that way.
"They'll remember my name after they've seen me fight. Not before."
He closed his eyes.
Silence. Breathing. Empty.
The game could begin.