Chương 56: Battle Royale

[Wait until you see his level.] - Veda. [What level are you?] - Corel. Joe silently promised himself that the pesky red serpent was getting a slap when she returned. Corel had just finished giving him a rundown of the last few months, her capture, imprisonment, and the disturbing plans Pathfinder had for her, including something she referred to as a rite of bonds. Joe had likened it to a wedding back on Earth; It seemed familiar in its formality.

The conversation had been heavy, and Joe found himself reflecting on how everyone had their own battles to fight. He'd also noticed the emptiness in her expression as she recounted the story. There was a hollowness behind her words, one that made his chest ache. That quiet voice within, the one that always spoke up when things truly mattered, urged him not to just care, but to help. His thoughts drifted to the bloodline vision.

Unlike the others, which had focused on clear lessons, his footwork from the dance Varonothray, the skill Nature's Grace, or his mastery of the quarterstaff, this vision had centred on a person. A woman. The alchemist. The seeker. Her face had been unmistakably similar to Corel's, minus the horns. But what did it mean? More curiously, who had he been represented by in that vision? Tanyon, the loyal brother and 'hero?' Or… the frog drooling over the sw… Joe chuckled to himself at the thought. That little frog… [Joe?] - Corel. He blinked, shaken out of his thoughts, remembering she'd asked him something. [Sixty-eight.] - Joe replied. [But that's because the system kept slowing me down. What level is Pathfinder?] [Somewhere around one hundred and fifty.] - Corel. [I'm not worried. Level isn't important. What level are you?] - Joe. [One hundred and twelve. My profession is sixty-five] - Corel. [Our professions are the same, then.] - Joe. [Does he always ask so many questions?] - Corel. [Yes.] - Veda.

[It's important to know. Anyway, I still have a ton more questions, and we have two days to kill before my competition starts, so buckle up, ladies.] - Joe. [Competition? What competition?] - Corel. [Something called Collision Protocol BR, which reminds me. I should probably read up on what that is. You don't know, do you?] - Joe. Joe pulled out his integration pillar. [It's a battle royale. Can you let me check it for you? Did you check the list of entrants?] - Corel.

She held out her hand, and Joe casually tossed her the pillar. [Don't just throw it!] - Corel complained, catching it smoothly despite the wince that followed. [You can check entrants?] - Joe. He heard an audible sigh. [Joseph doesn't have a brain, Corel; you'll have to show him how.] - Veda. [Hey, I have half a brain.] - Joe. Corel shook her head and tapped through the integration screen. Joe leaned over her shoulder as the list of entrants loaded. He began silently reading the names. Ortocon… Malphite…

Plebius. What weird names. He saw Kilch, K. Corel froze, her eyes narrowing. [Mother of Marrow. You signed up for a battle royale against the strongest being in the whole integration.] - Corel. She rubbed her temples, fingers pressing near the base of her horns. [Who, the guy at the top? Kilch'Kit whatever? Is he strong?] - Joe. [During the first six months of integration, he killed every person on the top one hundred leaderboard. Since then, anyone with a brain avoids any competition he signs up for.] - Corel.

[Oh.] - Joe. [Joseph dear, you are forbidden from signing up for competitions without the supervision of an adult from now on.] - Veda. [Fair, but please stop calling me Joseph.] - Joe. [I'll stop calling you Joseph when you stop doing stupid things.] - Veda. [Wait, that's not fair; how am I going to stop doing that?] - Joe. __ After listening to Joe and Veda argue about nothing for twenty minutes, Corel came to a quiet, sinking realization. She had made a mistake. This man wasn't the saviour of her people.

He wasn't some herald of change, some chosen one destined to reshape the world. No. He was an idiot who had absolutely no idea what he was doing. And now she was stuck with him. Maybe I will just run away when I'm healed. She thought. A day later, Corel rubbed her stomach, dazed and content. She had almost forgotten what it felt like to be full. Over the past day, she'd eaten so much that she was sure she would burst. Her body was slowly starting to return to its former self.

Recovery would still take time, but she was getting there. She glanced toward Joe, who was nearby practicing his footwork with laser focus. Despite everything, she had to admit, his better qualities were beginning to show, once you got past the strange dynamic he had with that red serpent. When he wasn't training with relentless intensity, he was cooking. And when he cooked, he fed her. Constantly. With the most delicious food she had ever tasted. Her hand brushed against the bandages wrapped around her leg.

It wasn't healing quickly, but at least the rot had stopped. That alone was something to be grateful for. She needed to figure out how to restore it fully, how to make it strong again. She plucked at the filthy rags still clinging to her frame and looked down at her dirt-streaked skin. Her eyes wandered toward the small pond nearby, and a wistful sigh escaped her lips.

"Joe," she croaked. Her voice cracked, weak and raw, but it was a start. She could talk again. Joe immediately stopped his practice and appeared at her side, moving faster than she could track. Again, she wondered how someone at his level could move like that.

"What's up? Hungry?"

"No," she replied, barely suppressing a smile. He was obsessed with feeding her. She glanced down at her still-skeletal frame and sighed.

"Help me up, I need to wash. I stink."

"Oh," Joe replied, helping her to her feet.

"I'll get Veda, she can help you wash while I…"

"No. She can barely stand talking to me. You wash me. Help me remove these rags." She tried to take a step, but Joe held her steady. Confused, she looked up and noticed the red creeping across his cheeks. Ah, she thought, suppressing a smile.

"You're not embarrassed, are you? Do humans not tend to the weak or old? Helping them bathe?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, when you put it that way… that is kinda true," he admitted, still avoiding eye contact. He took a deep breath.

"Sorry, you're right. I should've noticed sooner. I'll help you clean. I have some spare clothing in my ring, but it's all men's stuff, so it'll be… baggy on you." She mouthed the word he'd used, puzzled.

"Men? Is that what you humans call males? My translation skill didn't pick up on that word."

"Yes, we usually refer to our males as men and females as women," Joe said as he carefully escorted her to the pond's edge.

"Well, can you remove my clothing? I don't have anything for cleaning, so just pour water over me."

"Oh, you're gonna love this then," he said, pulling a strange green bar from his ring.

"This is Palmolive soap. Give it a smell." She leaned in and inhaled. The smell was odd, not unpleasant, but unfamiliar. Her nose wrinkled slightly.

"Wait, I have another," replacing the green bar with a pale purple one.

"This one's lavender." She inhaled again and nodded in approval.

"This one will do, thank you, now please get these filthy things off me." What should have been a quick ten-minute wash turned into something much longer. Corel had severely underestimated how dirty she was, and the fact that Joe was trying to clean her without looking at her didn't help. She found it wholly amusing, watching him fumble awkwardly, cheeks burning, doing his best to be respectful. Who knew humans were so bashful? Voldura had no such hang-ups.

They bathed together often, family, friends, even casual acquaintances. To her, nudity held no shame. And if they were going to travel together, Joe would have to get used to that. Whether he liked it or not. Finally annoyed by his antics, Corel grabbed Joe's head and forced him to look at her.

"Joseph. This will never be done if you keep looking away. Now, please, help me clean properly. I don't care what you see, but I need your help. Or call Veda," she ordered. After another deep breath, Joe nodded and finally helped her clean herself properly. Once finished, he dressed her in some of his spare clothing. Now seated at the base of a tree, clean and dry, the scent of lavender lingering around her, Corel rubbed her itchy, bald scalp and sighed.

She hoped her hair would grow back soon; she hated being bald. Joe sat nearby, cooking away.

"Thank you for the clothes," she said, forcing a smile. She still wasn't sure what to make of him, and her earlier melancholy had begun to creep back in. Veda now sat between them, having returned shortly after Joe dried her off. For the first time, she turned to Corel and addressed her directly.

"You look much better, child. But you're still too thin. Make sure you eat everything you're given. Oh, and you should try to focus on something, a goal. Like the boy here," she said, flicking her tail toward Joe, who was clearly listening, even if he didn't add anything.

"He has his moments. He's impulsive and rarely thinks before he acts. But… he's always clear on his focus. Once he starts something, nothing short of death will stop him. You need that." Corel stared into those red eyes and saw what the little red serpent was hinting at. She nodded. Veda was right. She had spent so long just trying to survive; it might be time to find a new goal. A new purpose.

"Eat up," Veda urged, as Joe placed a full plate of food in her lap. When Corel met his gaze, he simply nodded. No words, just a slight tilt of the head, before turning to resume his footwork practice. Corel watched him go, beginning to understand the dynamic here. And for the first time, she felt no desire to give up. The flicker of emptiness in her eyes faded as she ate, eyes forward, chin held high. __ Day of the competition.

Joe had a few hours to kill before the Collision Protocol event began, so he decided, for once, to be responsible and read up on the information available on his integration pillar. He discovered that the collision protocol referred to a combat competition. There were three versions: the battle royale version he had signed up for, an individual duel version, and a team-based one. The team version consisted of groups of three or five competing against one another.

Each world could submit up to ten teams, though the number allowed depended on how active the world had been in entering past competitions. Curious, Joe decided to ask Corel what she knew about previous events.

"Regretfully, our world hasn't competed in many competitions for about a year. Pathfinder monopolized all our pillars, which are needed to enter a competition. And then he restricted entry to the point no one was allowed to compete," Corel said.

"Why would he do that? Is he planning just to lose and let the world fail?" Joe asked.

"Yes. He has already made plans for himself and his chosen Clan members to transfer to a top world before the ten years are up," Corel answered.

"You can just transfer to another world? How is that possible?"

"After five years, the system opens up trading between worlds. This includes transferring high-level individuals stuck in a world that can't keep up with them. A theory I heard before the system arrived was that the system seeds try to condense all the elites of the integration onto ten worlds to ensure those worlds are strong enough to survive full integration into the Multiverse. Otherwise, they may be stripped of resources by the nearest empire as soon as they arrive." Joe mulled this over.

The way she explained it made sense. A handful of elites couldn't protect an entire world from Multiversal powers looking to exploit a newly integrated world. But if each world managed to gather hundreds, if not thousands, of high-level defenders, the odds of survival would go up dramatically.

"I think I now understand why the system gave me my own pillar. The damn thing probably expects me to compete in a lot of these competitions. Which, of course, I want to. But one thing I don't understand is if no one is allowed to compete in the competitions. How is everyone so high level?" Joe asked.

"Through gates," Corel explained.

"Even Pathfinder can't monopolize all of those. He takes control of all within his territory. But the world is a large place. Many are conquered before he knows about them. So everyone gets a chance to level." Joe nodded.

"So gates are a normal occurrence here? We had very few since the whole failed tutorial thing."

"Yes, there are always up to fifty gates active at any time," Corel said. So, beasts, gates and integration competitions. Joe was starting to get excited. It was nearly time for a Joe goes levelling adventure. The final hours passed relatively quickly, and soon it was time to say farewell to Corel and Veda. He made Veda promise to look after Corel, who was still injured. Then, without any fanfare, Joe was teleported off-world for his first taste of an integration competition.

Corel said a silent prayer, hoping that she would see him again and that he would somehow survive. __"Chief, he has departed. We are ready," the diviner reported. Nodo Vor smiled as he got up and made his way over to his sky vessel, where his brother Godo Vor waited for him.

"Are you ready to pick up our little Seeker brother?"

"As ready as ever, brother." The two, level-140 Voldura, set out with their platoon of forty. Heading straight for Corel and Veda's location. __ Joe appeared in a large, circular, metallic room. Forty-nine numbered kiosks ringed the space, with kiosk thirty-one directly behind him. A plain white ceiling hovered overhead. He took a breath; the entire place smelled like brand-new plastic. Turning around, he approached the kiosk behind him, where a robotic man and a computer terminal stood waiting.

The robot tapped away at the terminal as flashes of light began to fill the room, signalling the arrival of hundreds of other competitors. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. For now, he ignored the incoming crowd. The kiosk displayed a timer: one hour remaining. Plenty of time to check out what was available. He quickly discovered it was a shop, offering a wide assortment of items.

Before he could dig too deep into the catalogue, a trio of strange-looking aliens glided toward him. Joe stepped away from the terminal just as the group reached him. One of them made a strange bubbling noise.

"Greetings, World Thirty-One participant," said the fish-like being. Joe attempted to use Identify, but the system blocked the skill. A notification showed that Identify can not be used in a pre-competition staging area.

"Greetings, I'm Joe. Is that water covering your head?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Greetings, Joe. We are named Voiifis, Juurio and Kissyui," Voiifis replied.

"The substance you refer to as water is indeed what surrounds us. We are an aquatic race." Joe tilted his head slightly. Though the translation skill handled their speech, it still sounded like someone speaking underwater. It was a strange, muffled effect.

"We would like to congratulate your race on achieving reintegration. That is quite a feat, and we would love to hear how your world achieved this monumental achievement," Voiifis continued.

"Thank you?" Joe replied cautiously. These guys were well-informed. They were probably here to monitor any new entries into the competitions.

"We would appreciate it if you told us what your race is called," Voiifis asked politely.

"Human. And yourselves?" Joe replied evenly. Voiifis's eyes twitched ever so slightly before responding. Joe narrowed his gaze. Did he catch the half-lie? He had a feeling he did. These ones were sharp; he'd have to tread carefully.

"We are Grosii xvv," Voiifis replied.

"We were hoping you would share information with us." The alien's bluntness caught him off guard. He couldn't decide if Voiifis had metaphorical balls of steel or was just… odd.

"Sure, but first, could you tell me who that giant bird man is? The one who's been staring at me since he arrived?" Joe asked. Voiifis didn't even glance over before responding.

"That is the Corthegian known as Kilch'Kitz Novo'Fara." Joe looked over and locked eyes with the number one ranked being in the entire integration. He gave a slight nod. Kilch'Kitz returned it with a faint smile before turning away. A bead of sweat trickled down Joe's temple. He turned back to Voiifis.

"Thank you. So, what did you want to know?" Twenty minutes later, Joe felt completely drained. Turns out being grilled with a relentless barrage of questions was less fun than it sounded. Still, he had learned a few useful things. The Grosii were a hive-mind species, impossibly intelligent and obsessed with gathering information. Apparently, these three had willingly sacrificed their own competitive chance just to attend this event and speak with him, which Joe found borderline insane.

His thoughts were interrupted by a system notification flashing before him and the rest of the competitors: Collision Protocol (BR) Message Due to the number of participants, this Battle Royale will be split into two groups. Please draw lots to determine which group you will be placed in. A small floating box appeared in the air before Joe, with a narrow hole at the top. He reached in and pulled out a small ball marked with the letter A. A glowing 'A' lit up above his head.

He glanced around as the letters, A or B, began appearing above the other competitors. His gaze found Kilch… B. Joe exhaled slowly, feeling a mix of relief and disappointment. A part of him had wanted to test himself against the strongest. But he wasn't completely delusional; he knew this was probably for the best. Voiifis approached once more, a glowing B above his head like the other two Grosii.

"Good luck in your section, Joe. This is where we part ways." The trio returned to their numbered kiosk. A new message flashed into view at the centre of the room: Collision Protocol (BR) Rewards - Winner of group A, 250, 000 points. Winner of group B, 250, 000 points. Only the winner of each group would receive any points. Joe had learned that battle royales were usually fought to the death. That part had genuinely shocked him.

He'd assumed there would be options, some kind of surrender mechanic, maybe even a knockout system. But no. There were only two ways to survive a battle royale: win… or use a challenge orb. The orbs, available in the shop, allowed a participant to either forfeit or force another player to forfeit, ejecting them from the event. That was it. Joe had only ever killed one person, not counting Beasts. The assassin in France. That memory still lingered, sharp and bitter.

Now, facing the idea of killing dozens, or even more, he felt the full weight of it. Could he really do it? Did he have that in him? He wasn't sure. Trying to calm his nerves, Joe purchased fifty challenge orbs from the shop. Maybe he could at least force a few out without killing them. He hoped that would be enough. Collision Protocol (BR) Message Time is up; all group A combatants will be teleported into the fighting arena. Good Luck. Joe closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The world shifted as he vanished.

The moment he appeared in the arena, chaos erupted. One hundred and seventy-two combatants from Group A unleashed everything they had. Spells lit the air, weapons clashed, and roars and shrieks echoed all around. Joe remained still, arms crossed, focused, watching as the battlefield erupted around him. To his left, a small orange frog-man squared off against what looked like a lumbering pile of stones. Just beyond them, two brown-green slugs, limbless, grotesque, clashed in a brutal duel.

One controlled a massive broadsword, the other a hammer the size of a house. Their weapons floated mid-air, suspended and controlled by thin threads of mana. Joe's Mana Sight picked up on it immediately, delicate, precise manipulation. They were fighting telekinetically. Why were they fighting each other instead of teaming up? No idea. Joe had already given up trying to understand the logic of alien battles. Two arrows suddenly sliced through the air toward him. Joe didn't hesitate.

He activated Space Jump and reappeared fifty meters away, then continued calmly observing the madness. A pink-purple, ten-metre-long grasshopper leapt past Joe and collided with what could only be described as a bookcase with legs. One wielded an orb, the other a book as a weapon. Waves of fire and ice crashed into each other. Their spells didn't just target one another; nearby combatants were caught in the elemental crossfire. A sword arced toward Joe's head.

He Space-Jumped a hundred metres away without missing a beat. From his new position, Joe spotted a towering, dark-skinned man, built like a bodybuilder, complete with fin-like ridges running along his arms. His monstrous physique didn't help him, though. A tiny, three-foot-tall yellow-skinned woman with eyes the size of Joe's fists froze him mid-charge. She floated over, touched his cheek with surprising tenderness, and just like that, the man collapsed… stone dead. Her enormous eyes drifted toward Joe.

He didn't wait. He Space-Jumped again. This time, he landed behind a tall, grey-skinned mutant turtle wielding twin knives. To Joe's dismay, the turtle wasn't wearing a bandana. It was currently slashing at a tiny cloaked figure, barely the size of a pixie, with a wide-brimmed hat that completely hid their body. Joe thought he glimpsed a flash of tanned skin underneath. A barrage of attacks interrupted his observation: two swords, a hammer, three arrows, and four magic bolts.

The ground where he'd stood exploded as he jumped once again. Joe reappeared and immediately felt it. The fun was over. At least a dozen combatants were now watching him. He started jogging, just fast enough to keep mobile, just slow enough to avoid standing out too much. Three archers took position on a ridge and let loose. Arrows flew with terrifying force. Joe Space-Jumped between them, landing in a crouch. As he touched down, he unleashed twin mana waves that exploded outward, hurling all three archers aside.

Six mana bolts smashed into him from somewhere behind. His Nature's Barding flared to life, absorbing the blasts. Joe grunted at the force but took no real damage. Flowing into the familiar rhythm of his footwork, he moved gracefully toward one of the mages. The caster, some kind of dwarf with a giraffe neck, raised a hand too slowly. Joe closed the distance and kicked, breaking the mage's arm and slamming them into the dirt. More spells flew his way.

Joe leaned, spun, ducked, and darted toward a second mage, who wisely chose to run. Joe weaved between incoming attacks, dodging expertly as his list of enemies grew. He counted at least twenty now targeting him. Great. Either they'd noticed he was dangerous… or they really hated his glasses. Joe sighed and pulled out one of the challenge orbs. As he neared a massive green rhinoceros-man, he hurled the orb at him.

It activated mid-flight, creating a glowing forcefield around them and neutralizing all incoming attacks aimed at Joe.

"Hi, sorry I used you as a test subject. I wanted to know how these orbs worked."

"Silence. I will kill you!" the rhino man bellowed, charging. Joe met the charge with a Mana-Coated fist. His punch landed clean, sending the towering beast of an alien crashing into the barrier's edge. The rhino man slid down the glowing wall, groaning as Joe winced at the unmistakable sound of snapping bones.

"Sorry again, I thought you were stronger. You should forfeit and leave," Joe said as he scanned around. Outside the forcefield, twenty-one people stood watching. Further off, battles still raged, though fewer now. A large counter floated above the arena… One hundred combatants remaining. Nearly half had already been eliminated, either killed or forced to forfeit. Joe didn't see any other active force fields. The rhino man growled and forced himself to his feet.

"Just leave," Joe said.

"It's over."

"No," came the low, stubborn reply. Joe stared at him, baffled.

"Why not? You can't fight, what's the point?" The rhino man limped forward, dragging a battered leg, defiant to the end.

"No!" Joe's confusion grew. Why? Why won't he back down? Did he want to die? Joe tried to understand, but he simply couldn't.

"Why? Don't you value your life? You don't have to die here!" Joe yelled, anger seeping into his voice. Just leave…

"No!!" The rhino man reached him and swung. Joe didn't move. The punch landed on his chest, light, feeble. Another blow followed, then an explosion of mana.

"Fight me!" the rhino shouted, striking Joe over and over.

"Coward!" Joe stood still, unmoving. The hits were meaningless. He let them come, one after another, until finally, he raised a hand. Behind the shield of his glasses, his vision blurred. He hoped no one could see the tears. A single Mana Blast shot out from his palm, ending it. The rhino dropped to the ground. The force field vanished. __ Kilch'Kitz Novo'Fara turned away from the monitor, disappointment showing on his face. He lay down on the floor and closed his eyes. He had felt strength in the human.

But that display was disgraceful. Just kill the weak. Simple. Efficient. This human, Joseph Caldwell… was no killer. He was soft. Hesitant. Another weak-willed fool playing at strength. He wouldn't last. Kilch knew that now. So he closed his eyes, quiet and still, and waited for the time he would tear the illusion apart himself. __ Veda leapt, launching a blazing sphere of fire that crashed down on two unsuspecting Voldura. Her red eyes lit up as their screams echoed through the trees.

How dare they try to ambush me? She had sensed them coming from the moment they entered the forest. She'd let them believe they were hidden, let them believe that they had the element of surprise. The moment their comrades burned in the opening blast, the look on their faces was delicious. She darted past a tree engulfed in flames, her joy dimming. Tsk. The two stronger ones were burning the whole forest. Joe's forest. The scent of scorched earth turned her stomach. She spotted one… Godo, she remembered.

He stood near the edge of the blaze, his back turned. She launched forward, claws ready. I'll end you first… A flash of Blue. Her eyes widened.

"No…!" Veda cried out as the glowing cube in Godo's hand activated. A magical field burst to life around her. She froze in place, suspended mid-leap, eyes burning with fury. __"That was too close, brother. Where the hell did that devil creature come from?" Godo panted, still catching his breath.

"No idea, brother," Nodo replied, scanning the burning forest.

"Let's grab the seeker and get out of here. And why, in all the moons, did you set the whole place on fire?"

"I had no choice, brother! The creature was too fast," Godo growled. The two brothers approached Corel's unconscious form, slinging her over one of their shoulders without care.

"Pathfinder will reward us big time today, brother!" Godo said, grinning as he turned toward their sky vessel.

"How many human women will you ask for?"

"At least ten, brother!" Nodo laughed, his voice sharp with cruelty.

"I worked up an appetite!" __ The forcefield around Joe vanished. He Space-Jumped out of the immediate barrage of attacks. Ten orbs. He'd used ten, and every time, he'd been forced to kill. Not one had forfeited. He no longer joked. He no longer smiled. For the first time in the entire battle royale, Joe pulled out Jingu Bang. It didn't hum. It wailed. Two combatants who had been charging him halted mid-step. Horror spread across their faces. They backed away, grimacing.

Regret, clear in their eyes as they stared at the glowing, pulsing staff. They rejoiced when they saw Kilch'Kitz wasn't in their group, thinking they had a chance. They had been wrong. There was always a bigger fish. They raised their weapons and charged, no longer out of hope, but out of resignation. Joe met them head-on. Two lives ended in a heartbeat. He looked up. Fifty-three left. Joe reappeared in the middle of a five-man hunting group, combatants who had been trailing him for some time.

He moved before they could react, footwork flowing, strikes precise. They tried to track him. Tried to anticipate his steps. They failed. Five seconds later, five more lay dead. He moved on. A challenge orb burst open nearby, snapping a force field into place around him. Joe stepped to the edge, his eyes focused outside. He tried to Space Jump. The mana inside the force field trembled, cracking, thin hairline fractures spread across its surface. The field held fast, Joe unable to force his way out.

Joe spun as the orange frog man who had challenged him struck. In a flash of movement, a body hit the ground, lifeless, eyes glazed over. The force field faded. Joe moved on. Barely twenty minutes had passed since the battle royale had begun. Only four combatants remained. Three of them now circled a single man, white sunglasses gleaming under the arena's harsh glow. Blood slid slowly down the Mana-Coated length of Jingu Bang, and yet Joe stood untouched. No wounds, no bruises.

Not a single speck of blood marred him. He looked as though he hadn't even moved. None of the remaining three spoke. They simply unleashed their attacks all at once, three different blasts of mana flying toward Joe. He vanished. Joe appeared behind one of them. The fighter spun with impressive speed, anticipating the ambush. It wasn't enough. With almost casual precision, Joe's staff cleaved clean through the neck. Before the head had moved more than an inch, he was already upon the second. Another swift strike.

Another clean kill. The last combatant reacted instantly, engulfing both himself and Joe in a dome of some caustic liquid, a sacrificial move meant to kill them both. A thunderous explosion rocked the field. When the smoke cleared, Joe stood, shimmering in purple mana. Alone atop a small rise, gazing silently over the battlefield strewn with corpses. He looked up as a glowing message materialized in the sky above. Collision Protocol (BR) Message Winner Joseph Caldwell Prize - 250, 000 integration points. Ding!

You have levelled up. Joe was teleported back out into the staging area. No one acknowledged his return. One hundred seventy-two members of Group B continued their final preparations in silence. All except one. Kilch'Kitz Novo'Fara raised his head and turned slowly to face Joe. Then, with a quiet, disappointed shake of his head, he stood.

"The multiverse eats the weak," Kilch muttered just loud enough for Joe to hear. A screen appeared before Joe as he sat down beside his kiosk. The second group's combatants were already forming in the battle arena, and a countdown hovered above them. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Kilch'Kitz pulled back his bowstring, and it exploded with power that was indescribable. One hundred arrows screamed through the air in the blink of an eye, each landing with deadly precision. One hundred combatants died instantly. Joe blinked in awe.

Kilch vanished, using a movement skill so fast the camera blurred as it tracked his movement. Twenty more opponents dropped within seconds. The carnage was breathtaking in its efficiency. Joe couldn't tear his eyes away. It took no more than ten seconds for Kilch'Kitz to stand alone in the centre of the arena. The winner's message appeared a moment later, and the screen vanished into silence. Kilch returned to the staging area, the faint traces of euphoria fading from his eyes.

He didn't even glance in Joe's direction, but Joe felt it all the same. A weight. A pressure. A knowing presence. Like he was being watched with a gaze that didn't need eyes to see. Joe couldn't stop himself from looking over at the birdman again. The earlier confidence he'd held that Kilch might be close to his level evaporated instantly. He had been wrong. Very, very wrong.

"What level are you?" Kilch asked, still not turning his head. Joe blinked. The sudden question caught him completely off guard. He glanced down at his notifications. Ten levels were gained during the competition.

"Seventy-eight," he answered honestly. This time, Kilch turned. His eyes focused on Joe, and Joe flinched. The intensity of that gaze almost broke through his aura. Something ancient, something powerful stirred inside him in response. Familiar. That feeling… Joe's eyes widened. He has a bloodline.

"I have changed my assessment of you," Kilch said.

"I thought you, weak, mentally. Pathetic. But now I realize you are just green." Without another word, Kilch turned back to the shop terminal, tapped once, and vanished. Joe sat alone. It took Joe a full minute to rise and walk over to his kiosk's shop screen. A new winner's list had appeared, glowing gently in the soft light of the staging room.

Collision Protocol (BR) Prize list: 1: Gear piece upgrade token (E Grade) 2: One time use profession gate creation device 3: Rare grade Weapon (Staff) 4: One Million credits Joe read through the list of prizes carefully. The notification he had received confirmed he could only pick one. After a brief moment of thought, he selected the first option. A token materialized in his hand. Joe took off his glasses and pressed the token to them, assuming something would happen.

Immediately, they began to glow blue and reformed in his grip. The result was a new, slightly flashier pair of spider silk glasses. He ran his fingers over the surface; they felt firm, sleek, and just a touch fancy. He slid them on. He felt the subtle wave of power flow through him as his stats climbed. Spider Silk Shades(E grade). Most spiders like dark spaces, and so do you. These shades will protect you from the harsh sunlight that tries to blind you. +200 Agility, +200 Endurance, Passive skill Night Vision.

A solid upgrade. What used to be +20 in two stats had now become +200 each. Grinning, Joe opened his status page to see where things stood now.

Status Name: Joseph Caldwell Age: 28 Race: High Human (Grade E - Rank 0) Alignment: High Human (World 43) Heritage: Path of Light Class: Magical Farmer (Unique) Level 78, Space Farmer (PseudoUnique) Level 78 Professions: Nature's Guardian(Legendary) Level 66 Bloodline: Light of the Eternal Spark (Grade E) Titles (80%)(1%): World 43 Progenitor; Integration Forerunner Stats Strength: 1160 (200) Agility: 1991 (620) Vitality: 1596 (520) Endurance: 1705 (200) Wisdom: 2407(60) Intelligence: 2859 (80) Luck: 181 Hidden Stat: Dao Knowledge - 1444 Free Points: 130 System Credits: 100, 943, 210 Joe also noticed a new skill from the ten levels he'd gained in his Magical Farmer Class: Farmer's Constitution(Passive) - As a farmer, it is your job to maintain your surroundings to the best of your ability, whether it be day or night, or when you are absent.

The notification faded as Joe's heart sank with an inexplicable sense of dread. Among the sea of notifications, one stood out with grim finality: Leave Integration competition. He tapped it. Joe was teleported back down to World Ranked 27.