Paige sat on the leather chair in her office, a glass panel open in front of her.
The projection showed every detail of the battlefield. Her hands were folded, but her eyes were wide.
She was stunned.
Her lips moved but no words came out. She could not believe what she had just seen. It was not just a fight.
What she had witnessed was her son Jax toying with an opponent, playing with them like it was nothing.
The voices of students echoed through the broadcast, their cheers and gasps filling the room, but Paige barely registered them.
Her mind was spinning.
"When did he learn so much? Did he… practice all these days?"
She leaned back slowly. Her eyes softened for a second, then hardened again.
"He has changed completely. He isn't the fool I thought I knew. The eyes I just saw… those were eyes to conquer. I've seen them before. That day too."
Her memory flashed for an instant, but she shook it off.
The office door opened. Her PA walked in quickly, bowing slightly before speaking.
"Madam, did you see that? Master… he won!"
Paige exhaled slowly, masking her surprise.
"Yes, I know. How could I miss it? And it was my son's match after all."
The PA almost jumped with excitement.
"Madam, the win of Master Jax has turned the market completely. We've already estimated a profit of one million cybers! People put all their bets on Zoe. The return rate was so low they thought it was free money. But Master Jax… he went against all odds, against all stats. The doubts are gone. He was really… awesome."
A faint smile touched Paige's lips.
"That's my son. Isn't it obvious this would happen?"
But her smile faded. A sudden thought struck her and her tone changed.
"The real fights are yet to come. Let's see how he handles them. I just hope he doesn't get overconfident and lose his momentum."
--x-- --x-- --x-- --x-- --x--
Back in the battlefield, Jax was already on the move.
A notification had appeared just minutes earlier.
[VR System: Poison gas deployed. The battlefield will shrink.]
He clicked his tongue.
"Just like in the game. They don't want campers. The edges will keep closing until everyone is forced in. Smart way to make sure it ends."
The green mist was visible far off, slowly crawling forward. He headed deeper toward the safe zone.
Then, ahead of him, the sound of weapons clashing caught his attention.
Clang! Slash! Shhhk!
He paused. From a distance, he spotted a fight.
Four players were surrounding one.
"Huh. So teaming has started already."
He tilted his head, watching for a moment.
"Four against one. That's cheap… should I join it could be fun."
His lips curved into a faint grin, but he shook his head and turned away.
"Not worth it. Too close to the edge. Poison will swallow this place soon anyway."
He had just taken a step when the VR system flickered in front of his eyes.
[Avatar Name: Myra – Spirit Caller]
[Real Name: Kai Steele]
Jax froze.
"…What?"
He blinked.
"That can't be right. This wasn't in any of the game routes. If this keeps up, he'll be eliminated. And if he's eliminated here… he'll be thrown out of the academy too."
His jaw tightened.
"In the game, he barely survived every arc. Always by luck, always scraping through."
Kai was a supporting character, a nobody. Just a puppy following behind one of the heroines' harems.
And then he thought about his sister.
Jax smiled faintly.
"Her, huh? She's one of the heroines too and also the character I choose to play the game".
His eyes darkened, recalling memories of the game.
"She's in third year. An ace of her class. And a tsundere through and through. Not like the others. She doesn't look down on men. She even cares for her brother. Right now… she must be watching this too."
--x-- --x-- --x-- --x-- --x--
Inside the academy, the third-year classrooms had stopped lessons for the day. The giant projection filled the wall, broadcasting the battlefield.
Students crowded around.
One girl whispered, "Thalia, looks like your brother is in trouble."
Another boy chuckled coldly.
"Trouble? It's over. Look closely. Your brother doesn't even know the mechanics. He's avoiding the fight completely. He's letting his wolf do everything while those four students crush it. He's wasting time and draining his mp. If I was in his place, I'd have fused with the summon already."
The girl rolled her eyes at him.
"Oh, hello mister. If you were in his place, just shut up. Nobody asked for your explanation. You're last in the class standings anyway."
Psshh.
Some students chuckled.
The boy's face reddened.
He hissed through his teeth and turned away, embarrassed.
Meanwhile, Thalia Steele sat still. She didn't flinch at the comments.
She didn't argue. Her eyes never left the screen.
Her breath was calm, but her lips pressed tight.
Finally, she spoke quietly.
"He fought well. Against four people… without complaining. That's more than most would do."
Then her eyes widened.
On the screen, an assassin appeared behind Kai.
[Avatar Name: Shade – Shadow Assassin]
The dagger pierced through him.
Kai's health dropped instantly.
[HP: 100 → 5.]
One more blow, and it was over.
Shade smirked, stepping forward. His second dagger gleamed, aimed straight at Kai's stomach.
"Goodbye, idiot."
But before it could land, sparks flew.
Clang!
A sword deflected the strike.
Kai stumbled back, his eyes wide.
Standing in front of him was Jax.
"You guys really are cowards. Four against one? Pathetic. Looks like it's time for my second lesson."
Shade's grin widened.
"Well, well. We caught another fool. Guys, let's make this quick. Poison is closing in."
The other three nodded.
Jax scanned their avatars.
[Ignis – Flame Caster]
[Sylph – Wind Ranger]
[Eryndor – Plain Blade]
His eyes narrowed when he saw the last one.
"…Eryndor?"
He froze for a second.
'Wait. Does he know? Does he understand this character's hidden skills? No way… none of the boys in this test were supposed to be that sharp.'
His mind raced.
Then it hit him.
"If I'm here as an extra, if I know the game already… then maybe… maybe he's the same."
A devilish smile spread across his face. He turned his blade toward the Eryndor player.
"Tell me. What made you choose this character?"
The boy blinked, confused.
"Uh… it looked cool?"
Jax's jaw dropped.
"…What?"
That was it?
The other three burst out laughing.
"I knew you'd pick something that stupid!"
"Seriously, you thought that was smart?"
The Eryndor player scratched his head nervously.
"Hey, guys, come on. Isn't it cool? Look at me. Besides, my mother taught me how to use a sword. So it felt like the best fit."
They laughed even harder.
"Psshh! Hahaha! You're hopeless!"
But then, a cold voice cut through their laughter.
"Silence, you fools."
The tone was sharp, heavy, filled with rage.
"You've all managed to piss me off."
The battlefield fell quiet.