The sun was already climbing high when Jayden stirred awake. The faint hum of morning birds filtered through the cracked window, slicing through the silence of his dim room.
For a mont, he just lay there, eyes half-open, muscles still aching from the night before. His body felt like a mountain of lead, heavy and sore, but in a satisfying way.. the kind of fatigue earned through power and carnage.
He rolled onto his side and groaned softly, rubbing his neck. "Guess I overdid it again…" he muttered under his breath.
The mories from last night replayed in flashes… the cries of the beasts, the thunder of his fists, the crunch of bones. The forest still echoed inside his mind. But that was the thing about Jayden.. no matter how violent the night, the morning always demanded routine.
He pushed himself off the bed and dragged his feet toward the bathroom. The floor was cold beneath his bare soles, and the hiss of running water filled the air. Steam rose, fogging up the mirror as he stepped beneath the spray. For a few minutes, the water drowned everything else out.. his thoughts, his exhaustion, his anxiety.
When he erged, the tension in his muscles had eased. He threw on a fresh black shirt and a pair of dark jeans, zipping up his jacket before stepping out into the soft blaze of midmorning light.
Outside, the world was alive again… cars gliding by, pedestrians moving in rhythm, holographic ads blinking lazily above the skyline. Jayden swung his leg over his hover bike and pressed the ignition. The engine purred awake, vibrating faintly beneath him.
He exhaled and lifted into the air, the city wind brushing his face as he angled toward the park to complete his daily quest. He wasn't one to skip a free exp and stat point bonus.
It didn't take long to reach the park. He landed near the training field, completed the usual agility drills, lifts and tree climbing—all on autopilot, his mind already elsewhere. Once done, he checked off the quest, collected his exp, and imdiately revved his hover bike back to life.
Next stop, the Pod Den.
The building lood ahead.. sleek, tallic, lined with glowing blue strips that pulsed faintly like veins. People ca and went, gars of every kind, so laughing, others dead-eyed from long sessions.
Jayden parked his bike near the entrance and strode in. He made his way to the counter, paid the necessary fee, and was directed to a vacant pod, one the receptionist claid was one of the latest model of ga pods.
She gave Jayden instructions on how to use it and he listened carefully. After leaving the counter, he walked down the dim corridor, his footsteps echoing faintly against the polished floor. The pods lined both sides like futuristic coffins, their glass lids faintly illuminated.
Jayden stopped at number 27, pressed the side panel, and the pod hissed open with a soft exhale.
He climbed in, the interior cool and smooth against his skin. The lid sealed shut above him, and darkness enveloped him for a mont before the system's voice whispered in his ear:
[Welco back, Jayden. Select Ga]
This was the feature of the new pods… you select your ga when already laying inside. It was easier and more efficient this way.
"EverRealm," Jayden muttered.
The system responded imdiately;
[Initializing Neural Link… Synching Data… Entering World]
Then his eyes began to grow heavy, his consciousness slipping away like smoke into the void.
Jayden's eyes opened to the familiar shimr of EverRealm's digital skies. The login plaza stretched around him, bright and vibrant with floating islands, other players materializing in flashes of light. The system pinged softly as his avatar fully loaded…sa black combat attire, sa calm, deadly aura.
Without wasting a second, he entered his lobby, opened the nu, and selected Quick Match.
A bright flare enveloped him and, in an instant, he was transported to a circular arena of steel and stone. Across from him, a random opponent materialized… a dual-dagger user, level 110. The countdown began.
3… 2… 1… Begin!
Jayden vanished.
The opponent barely registered movent before a silver blur sliced past him. There was a single flash, a burst of particles… and then silence.
[KO- Orion Wins]
Jayden exhaled slowly, expression blank as the world shifted him back to the lobby. That match had barely even lasted five seconds.
He imdiately selected Next Match. No hesitation, no pause. Another opponent spawned… this one a fire mage.
The countdown ended, and within seconds, Jayden reappeared behind them, claws slashing in one clean motion. His opponent's avatar disintegrated and he had another flawless victory.
He chose the next match, and the next, and the next. Claiming victory in seconds and earning exp as he did. This was his goal. To use the ga to farm enough exp to finally reach level 15. And to do that, he needed to win at least fifty matches.
An hour later, Jayden was calmly sitting at the edge of a mountain slope, one knee raised, resting his elbow on it. His breathing was steady, his eyes half-closed. Around him, the wind whistled through the simulation's vast arena.
He had already won forty-five matches straight. The fights were good, his reflexes grew sharper, and even his rank had climbed to 20. He was close now, just a few more to hit his goal.
He was transported back to his lobby, and his rewards were disbursed to him. He cracked his neck and was about to select another random Match when a soft ping suddenly echoed in his nu.
[You have received a Battle Request]
He raised a brow and opened it. The na glowed in crimson:
*Hercules
*Level: 685
*Rank: 10
Jayden blinked once. "Another top ten?" He leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing. "What's with these elites suddenly coming for ?"
First Ava. Now this.
He let out a sigh. "Well, it'd be rude not to accept, I guess." he muttered, an amused smirk forming
Then out of curiosity… and maybe a touch of amusent, he accepted.
[Request Accepted. Preparing Arena…]
The world flashed white, and the steel environnt faded into a wide, open battlefield… cracked brown terrain, heavy dust in the air, mountains in the far distance. The earthy scent, even though digital, felt real.
A pulse of light ford across the arena. His opponent materialized… massive, towering, and built like a human tank. Long dark hair flowed down his back, and his skin glead with sweat and battle scars. In his right hand, he held a gigantic war hamr, its head carved with glowing runes that humd with power.
Jayden exhaled softly, assessing the brute. "Physical type… heavy weapon user. Probably trades speed for strength," he muttered under his breath. He already knew what that ant… high strength stats, likely boosted equipnt, and massive area-of-effect attacks. He would need to be fast and unpredictable.
Hercules broke the silence with a booming laugh. "So you're the player everyone's talking about. The one who beat Storm with a single hit."
Jayden tilted his head slightly. "You say that like it's a myth."
Hercules scoffed. "You don't look so tough to . But I shall fight you anyways. I want to see if you're truly as strong as they say you are."
Jayden smirked faintly. "You sure about that? If you lose, your rank's mine. Just saying.. you might wanna forfeit before it's too late."
Hercules grinned, his teeth flashing white. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. But this…" he patted the hamr against his shoulder, "…is a legendary weapon. One hit and this match is over."
Jayden chuckled. "Oh, thanks for heads up. I'll just make sure to not get hit then. Maybe outrun you?"
Hercules snorted, resting the hamr's head against the ground with a deep, echoing thud. "You won't last ten seconds, boy. Strength like mine isn't sothing speed can overco."
Jayden cracked his knuckles slowly, stepping into a relaxed stance. "We'll see about that."
"Match Start in Three…" The system's voice echoed like thunder.
"Two…"
"One…"
"Begin!"
.....
The instant the system voice began the countdown, the ripple reached the heart of EverRealm's feed hub: the Streaming Pavilion.
It pulsed with light and life, a sprawling, sky-high amphitheater made entirely of glowing data streams and hovering panels. The walls shimred with thousands of holographic feeds, each one broadcasting ongoing duels from across EverRealm's servers.
Players drifted through the open space like ghosts of code, their avatars glowing faintly, chatting, laughing, bragging about match streaks. It was the one place where no one fought… only watched. The great Coliseum of Spectators.
Then suddenly…
"Whoa, hold on, soone pull that up!" shouted a girl in a neon-blue flight jacket. Her avatar's wings flared open as she zood toward one of the holo screens. "Is that Orion?!"
Instantly, a dozen avatars blinked in beside her, their digital footsteps echoing through the floating floor panels.
The screen expanded at her command, and the crowd gasped.
The feed centered on a rocky arena bathed in crimson light. Dust spiraled around two figures: one, sleek and calm, dressed in black… Orion. The other, a shirtless giant wielding a war hamr the size of a car… Hercules, the Tenth Ranked Elite.
"No way… no way, that's Hercules!" soone blurted.
"Broooo, the God of Brutes versus the Backstabber himself? This is crazy!"
The feed's overlay flickered:
[ORION - Rank 20 VS. HERCULES - Rank 10
*Arena: Earth's Divide
*Spectators: 1200… 1800… 2600…]
The number of viewers skyrocketed by the second.
All around the pavilion, holo-screens reconfigured, flashing red and gold as Orion's fight overtook every broadcast feed. The buzz was electric, avatars teleporting in by the dozens, their nas blinking into existence.
-"Soone record this!"
-"Finally! The new prodigy versus the old brute!"
-"Let's gooo Team Orion! The rciless Backstabber boutta humble that hamrhead!"
Within minutes, the entire pavilion was divided in two: Team Hercules, roaring with chants and fire emojis, certain that brute force and a legendary weapon would end this quick. While team Orion, smaller but louder, spamming "SpeedGod" in the chat.
"Y'all really betting against Hercules? Man's a walking mountain!" a heavyset avatar barked.
"And you're forgetting Orion humiliated Storm!" another shot back, tail flicking with excitent. "He dodged nearly all his lightening attacks, bro. That's not human!"
In the VIP section above, where the Stream Masters and high-rank elites lounged in shimring data thrones, a tall woman leaned forward, her avatar wrapped in liquid silver armor. Her eyes reflected the battlefield feed.
"So, Orion again," she murmured. "I told you he wouldn't stop with Storm."
A man beside her, his voice tallic through his helm, nodded. "I heard Hercules issued the challenge. Guess the big guy wanted to see how powerful Orion really is."
The woman smirked. "Or maybe he just wants attention for himself."
Below them, the crowd grew louder as the cara zood in.. two figures facing off under the digital sun. The air around them shimred, dust spiraling like static.
"Bro's just standing there!"
"Look at Hercules' stance.. he's winding up!"
"Oh my god, it's happening—"
Then the system voice cut through every speaker:
[Comncing Combat Phase]
[Begin!]
The ground cracked. Wind exploded outward in a shockwave of dust and data fragnts.
For a split second, both avatars blurred, then… Orion Vanished. Completely gone without a trace.
The crowd erupted.
-"Holy crap! He disappeared!"
-"What the… where'd he go?"
-"He's gonna pull his super move! Oh, oh, oh, Hercules won't stand a chance."
Then suddenly, Orion reappeared right above Hercules, his claws aid at his head. Hercules reacted quickly, swinging his hamr straight at Orion in a deadly arc.
Whoosh!
Orion vanished again before the hamr could reach him, reappearing behind Hercules. The caras struggled to keep up with the motion blur. All they could catch was a flicker of silver slicing through the dust.
And in that split second, the entire Stream Pavilion held its breath…every single soul locked into the unfolding storm between two gods.
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