Chapter 33: Six Days Later

  Six days after the virtual world’s launch, Ethan Gray lay sprawled on a muddy mountain path in a simulated canyon, his armor battered and body streaked with blood. With a tap on his Combat Profile, his injuries vanished, shields repaired, and clothes pristine once more.

  “100 enemies at BCR 800… still too much?” Ethan muttered, gripping his twin shields. “Again!”

  A hundred bandits materialized—some wielding spears, others axes or hammers. They surged toward him like a tidal wave.

  Ethan darted through the chaos, shields weaving like spiderwebs to deflect attacks. His footwork, honed through relentless drills, kept him barely ahead of the onslaught. Yet three spears pierced his defenses, their tips grazing his shoulder. He collapsed, the simulation dissolving.

  Combat Profile Update

  Player: Ethan Gray

  Evolution Method: Heavenly Python Evolution (Mid-Stage 75%)

  Physical Index (PI): 127

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  Skills: Spearmanship (Tier 2 – 88%), Footwork (Tier 2 – 62%), Shield Mastery (Tier 2 – 83%)

  BCR: 1,651 → CR: 2,030 (23% Combat Efficiency Bonus)

  “Footwork’s improving,” Ethan noted. Years of leg injuries had stunted his agility, but virtual sparring was closing the gap.

  Evening – Harbor City Apartment

  Ethan and Sophia Reed lounged on the couch, sharing grapes as a holographic match played.

  “Celestial Rank gets 16 hours daily,” Sophia grumbled. “I’m stuck at 10. You’d better not ghost me for pixels.”

  “You’ll hit Solar Rank soon,” Ethan teased. “Then it’s 12 hours of us time.”

  Sophia groaned. “Lunar Rank ★20 is my ceiling. Win one, lose two—it’s brutal.”

  “Focus on BCR 400. A month tops,” Ethan said. “Virtual training accelerates—”

  Sophia cut him off, switching the screen to a match replay. “Raymond ‘Scar’ Thunder finally joined a Celestial-tier battle. No livestream, but the footage’s out.”

  Match Analysis – Snowfield Arena

  Raymond moved like a phantom across the snow, dual blades sheathed. Arrows whizzed past his afterimages. Three Celestial-tier fighters regrouped, but Raymond closed in—a blur of steel.

  Slice. Slash. Thrust.

  Three corpses crumpled.

  “The Three Kings,” Ethan murmured. “Raymond, Quinn ‘Colossus’ Mills, and Alan Amilenko—untouchable legends. Only kings defeat kings.”

  Sophia gaped. “How’d you fare against him?”

  Ethan chuckled darkly. “I’d last ten seconds. Maybe.”