Skyspire City, Tiger Shark Group Headquarters

  Charles Harper reclined in a gaming pod, his VR headset flickering as an aide entered.

  "Boss," the man said, shutting the door, "Stellar Combat Academy fired Ethan Gray. But Gray blocked all our dummy accounts."

  Charles chuckled. "Luna Reed blocks me, Gray blocks us. A modern Romeo and Juliet. Pathetic."

  "Her uncle Liam Parker tried pressuring her parents," the aide added. "They threw him out."

  "Useless." Charles scowled. "How does Luna resist fame? Even switched to Horizon Live?"

  "Her monthly streams earn peanuts," the aide shrugged. "Youthful idealism. She’ll crack eventually."

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  "Boring." Charles dismissed him and plunged back into stock charts. Tiger Shark’s shares had plunged 8%—inexplicably. Father’s problem, he thought, unperturbed.

  Capital City, Vincent Hale’s Estate

  The 72-year-old martial legend devoured a steak, garlic cloves littering his plate. A hologram of Simon Long flickered before him.

  "Harper’s hounding Ethan over some girl," Simon said.

  "Love ruins fighters," Vincent Hale grumbled, his voice a tectonic rumble. At 6’3” and 240 lbs of pure muscle, the five-time World Combat Championship medalist radiated primal authority.

  He summoned an old ally via hologram—Gregory Wells, head of the National Elite Development Program.

  "Ethan Gray for the final slot," Vincent demanded.

  Gregory frowned. "The last three spots are for rising stars. Gray’s retired, with a bum leg—"

  "At 29, he’s younger than I was at my first Worlds." Vincent’s glare could melt steel. "No leg, no problem. His spearwork’s top-ten historic."