Martial Online.

"Brother…" June looked at the phone in her brother's hand and looked at him worryingly.

"Hmm." Jason looked at the announcement and then closed his phone. "That might be the way out."

"Way out?" June tilted her head.

At that moment, a loud thud sounded from the living room as a drunken, overweight man rolled off the sofa and crashed on the ground.

"God damn it!" Their father's drunken shout sounded.

"Yeah…" Jason glanced at his room's door and said, "The prize money will be enough for us to move away."

"…" June looked at him with a soft look. "You're participating then…"

"Of course." Jason pocketed his phone and glanced at his VR headset on the bed. "I'll need a partner…"

June sat down on the bench and kicked her legs up and down while looking at her brother. She was conflicted about the tournament.

It would definitely have a huge cash prize, but it would also mean that every best player would be there.

'He'll must participate as well.' Jason narrowed his eyes.

…

"Brother!" Emma rushed inside Jesse's room and saw him lying on the bed.

It was already quite late, so it was surprising that he was still online.

"Brother?" She approached the bed and watched at her sleeping brother.

His head was covered in the VR headset, and his eyes were peacefully closed.

She sighed in slight disappointment, as she wanted to talk to him about the update and tournament announcement.

It even made her very excited, even though she was a casual player.

She also wondered whether her big brother was going to participate in the tournament, as she believed him to be the strongest.

"Mm, I'll leave him a note." She opened the drawer and was surprised to see that it was full of easily eatable food.

'Why is he collecting food?'

She shrugged her shoulders and took out a paper and pen, then wrote that she wanted to talk to him as soon as possible when he logged off.

After that, she left the note in the bedside drawer and left the room.

At that moment, Jesse's eyelids fluttered below the headset visor, and his veins bulged on his forehead as if he were in great pain.

Jesse was still unaware of what had happened in the outside world, as he was still suffering in the Room of Damnation.

…

Next morning, Nocklund's High School.

Zach sat in his classroom, leaning against his arm with the school book opened on his desk.

At that moment, a figure dragged his chair and sat right beside him.

"Heard about the news?" Westlund, his hair neatly combed, looked at Zach excitedly.

"Hard not to." Zach wryly smiled as he glanced at his former bully and now friend, Westlund.

After the incident on the rooftop, Westlund had a complete change in personality. He never bullied anymore and instead protected the weak.

Eventually, he befriended Zach.

"I'll have to settle with watching the qualifiers." Westlund sighed and put his arms behind his head. "I ain't strong enough to compete in the tournament, but the update is hype as fuck!"

"It's very interesting." Zach scratched his chin.

"You should try the game, dude!" Westlund looked at him with a grin. "It's something you have to experience to know how special it is!"

"Hmm…" Zach frowned as he felt conflicted and nudged his glasses up his nose bridge. "Maybe I should…"

At that moment, the door opened, revealing a beautiful, tanned girl with a soft countenance. She immediately attracted all the male students attention.

"Zach." Holly said softly as she approached him.

"Uh, Holly?" Zach looked at her in surprise, as she had never approached him before.

"Mind telling Jesse that I asked about his whereabouts in Martial Online?"

"Why don't you send him a text message?" Zach asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I… had to sell my phone." Holly sighed and shook her head, signaling that she didn't want to talk about it.

"Oh, okay." Zach nodded. "I will."

After that, Holly departed from the classmate, and Westlund rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I didn't know you two were close."

"We aren't." Zach said, and he glanced at the clock. "The class is about to start. Go to your seat."

"Aye, aye."

…

In the Honorable Temple's basement.

The two guards leaned against the granite door while having their lunch break. They brought a knee-length table and two wooden chairs there, and they were eating silently.

At that moment, they both heard another scream from inside the room.

"What in the world…" The first guard glanced at the door and gulped. "Those screams are something else."

"Want to bet how long he'll last?" The second guard asked with a smile.

"Hmph, fine." The first guard shrugged his shoulders and said, "3 days."

"1 and a half." The second guard said.

"That low?" The first guard scoffed. "He is, after all, Honorable and the youngest one at that. Don't you remember the test?"

"I do, and he barely survived that." The second guard said: "At average, honorables last 2 and a half days. Based on these screams, he is already at the limit."

"It has almost been 1 and a half." The first guard said, "Two hours or so left."

"Yeah, and he'll give up soon; you'll see."

At that moment, both heard banging sounds coming from the other side of the door, as if someone were hitting their head against the door.

"He might kill himself at this rate." The second guard wiped his sweat and asked. "Perhaps we should tell the grandmaster?"

"You know what he said." The first guard said, "We can only call him if the person inside the room shows a desire to leave."

"That is not enough?" The second guard asked as he listened to the banging.

"A verbal desire is needed." The first guard sighed.

Gulp—they both gulped as they wondered whether the person inside would actually survive.

It would be somewhat their fault if they didn't let him out before he died.

…

Atop a small hill in Tsukuyomi's southern area.

A middle-aged man with an enormous, cross-shaped sword in hand slashed against the thick bark of an old-looking tree with withered leaves and long branches.

He then heard footsteps coming from the bottom of the hill. The person, with those footsteps, seemed to waltz up rocky steps at a slow and steady pace.

"Hmm?" Julian spun his sword around, shethed it on his back scabbard, and turned around to the person.

His eyes narrowed in surprise.

"You are…" Julian whispered.

"You know me? I am honored that the great Saint Julian knows me."

The walking figure had messy, crystal-colored hair with well-defined features and a dainty nose. His collarbone that wasn't covered with a shirt looked prominent, and it made him look stronger than one would think based on his soft-looking countenance.

There were two sharp Sai weapons dangling from his waist. They were about 20 inches in length, with a metal-made main shaft and two prongs projecting from the right angles of the handle.

It looked like a weapon that ninjas would use.

"Of course I know you." Julian said and leaned against the tree, whose bark was filled with sword scratches. "You're the world's most famous streamer, after all."

"Heh, hearing that coming from you is quite interesting." The man said with a chuckle.

He was ForeverStream's biggest streamer, standing at the top of the ranking—Zadkiel.

"Is it really?" Julian sighed. "You're way more famous than I am. I am even subscribed to your ForeverStream. I am a fan."

"Haha, is that so? You aren't using your login; otherwise, I would've noticed if someone like you subscribed to me." Zadkiel smiled.

"Would you?" Julian chuckled. "You have millions of other subscribers. I am just one person. Well, what did you want?"

"Heard about the tournament?" Zadkiel put his arms behind his back and smiled. "Well, of course you have. Everyone has."

"Mm, what about it?" Julian asked.

"Join the tournament with me." Zadkiel grinned with wide eyes. "Two of us can make it very far."

"I didn't think you would be interested." Julian said in surprise. "You've got nothing to prove. There is nothing you can gain from taking part in the tournament."

"I am doing it for my own enjoyment." Zadkiel grinned. "There is only one person I want to take part in it with, and that is you. The world's strongest player."

"I am not sure if I am the strongest anymore, but sure, I'll join you." Julian stopped leaning against the tree. "How strong are you?"

"Want to test my strength?" Zadkiel grinned and pulled out his Sai's. Their small black blade looked dangerous.

"Hmm, very well." Julian drew his long, cross-shaped sword and pointed it at him. "Come."

The two figures lunged and clashed with their weapons.

As the sparks flew like fireworks, the outside world had no idea that two of the most powerful people around had just joined hands.

If anyone knew, they would throw their gloves on the desk and give up, as no one would believe that there was any chance of victory against this team!