Martial Online.

Ambrose and Bella walked down the streets of Amaterasu, and they both noticed that there was a strange atmosphere hovering over the city.

It wasn't as bright anymore as before, and most of the NPCs had gloomy expressions on their faces as they basically dragged their feet behind them as they moved along the streets.

It was as if a wave of depression had hit everyone.

"What's going on?" Ambrose asked curiously.

"Must be the Berserker Epidemic." Bella mentioned it, stopped moving, and tugged Ambrose's sleeve to get his attention.

Ambrose followed her line of sight and saw a dirty-looking house tucked behind a store, and currently, masked figures were entering and exiting the house.

At that moment, three corpses were brought out of the house, covered in a white cloth, and placed in the back of a carriage.

"Those are victims of the Berserker Epidemic." Bella said it with a sad tone. "Occasionally, you can hear screams coming from houses at night.

"It is why everyone is so afraid to walk the streets these days and why there is so much depression around. Many NPCs have lost their family members to this epidemic."

"Just how many have died because of this?" Ambrose asked with a frown.

"Around a thousand, but if animals count, probably over ten thousand." Bella sighed, fearing that this was just the start.

'That is an insane amount!' Ambrose thought in shock.

'From what I know, this epidemic must be man-made, so did a single person cause all those deaths? That is absolutely insane!

'Why would anyone do this? Unless there is a big group behind this, this is still utter insanity.'

"Shall we find a cafe or something?" Bella asked and took Ambrose's hand. "I don't really like walking on these streets anymore."

"Nn." Ambrose nodded gently and started leading her towards the city center, where most of the popular cafes were located.

Wherever they went, the heaviness of the depression was weighing on them like a thick fog.

Carriages after carriages, filled with corpses covered in a white cloth, rolled down the streets, bringing a scent of death with them.

Whenever NPCs saw them, they chanted a quick prayer before moving on with heavy looks on their faces.

"Don't move in big crowds." Ambrose mentioned this to Bella as they walked on a sidewalk, following a crowd of pedestrians.

"Eh, why?" Bella asked.

"This Berserker Epidemic, as they call it, I believe is man-made."

"W-what?" Bella said it in surprise. "How could anyone do something so evil?"

"The secret behind the Berserker epidemic is the soul." Ambrose said. "Someone injures a person's soul, creating pain that consumes the person.

"When used in animals, they enter a rage frenzy and become uncontrollable beasts.

"That's where the name Berserker Epidemic came from, as they thought that the epidemic also created them to become angry.

"That's not really true; the pain caused them to lose their minds.

"When used in people, they are only in agony and don't go into a similar frenzy. It must be soul injuries that are causing this, and it can only be caused by a person.

"Whether it was created by the player or NPC, I don't know."

"That's horrible." Bella whispered, her heart aching for the deceased. "Why would anyone do this?"

"I am not sure." Ambrose said it with a sigh and patted her head. "For now, avoid large crowds. I think that person is using large crowds to easily create soul injuries and cause chaos.

"That's how they are inflicting so many people, and also, using that way, none of the victims is able to reveal that the epidemic was created by a person.

"If that person just went one-by-one, inflicting soul injuries, the Watchmen of Amaterasu would've already caught the culprit."

"I see…" Bella saw that they were in a large crowd and hugged Ambrose's arm. "Are we safe here?"

"I can cure soul injuries, and if anyone is trying to do that bullshit here, I can sense it."

Ambrose spoke while his aura turned colder. He was keeping a watchful eye over the nearby streets.

If anyone was trying to use their soul-related skills nearby, he would know.

After a while of walking down the streets, they came across a cafe that immediately caught Bella's attention.

It was a nice-looking place with cozy outdoor seating, and the decor was quaint and inviting with very nature-based elements. It was as if the cafe was located in the middle of a flourishing forest.

Without further ado, Bella dragged Ambrose there.

"Welcome to Cafe LaBlanca." The waitress greeted the two with a beautiful smile. "Would you two want a seat outside or inside?"

"Mm…" Bella tapped her chin thoughtfully, and after seeing the terrace, her eyes brightened. "Can we have a seat for two on the terrace?"

"Of course." The waitress bowed with a smile and led the two to the terrace that was made out of wood, as if the whole terrace were crafted from a tree.

After taking their seats, they gave their orders and started enjoying the peaceful summer atmosphere.

"So, about Loch City." Ambrose looked at his girlfriend with a slight smile on his lips.

"Mm…" Bella murmured, her gaze distant, as she tried to remember things about Loch City.

Even though she had lived there her entire life, she felt like it was nothing but a distant memory.

"Just don't do anything weird to me when you visit me." Bella said it with a playful pout.

"Mm." Ambrose nodded with a chuckle and cracked his knuckles. "My parents said that they were also coming with me."

"Really?" Bella said in surprise.

"Yeah, Emma as well." Ambrose chuckled. "They want to cheer me on and all, but well, that just brings me more nerves."

"Sigh…" Bella sighed in envy. "I also want to see the tournament in person."

"..." Ambrose looked at her silently before grabbing her hand and assuring her. "I've heard some other news."

"What?" Bella asked curiously.

"Well, the gist of the tournament is that it will happen in the stadium in Loch City.

"We'll have our headsets there and play there, but we are still inside Martial Online while the people in the stadium are only able to watch from the screen there.

"All the celebrations and award ceremonies also happen in the real world, of course.

"However, the fights happen in a colisseum-like tournament arena inside Martial Online. You can still watch in person, if that makes sense."

"Oh." Bella smiled. "That is good, I guess, but I guess the places will be all full instantly."

"I received an email today, saying that I can invite whoever I want to watch the tournament. I don't really have anyone else except you, so if you want to watch, just give me a word."

"Sounds good!" Bella said smilingly, feeling better now.

"Also, do you think my idea about the tournament is correct?" Ambrose asked. "I only saw your father briefly, but I feel like I got a good sense of him."

"I think you're right," Bella said.

"I don't really know about my father as much as I should.

"I only remember him being at work, and whenever he came home, he was always sleepy and spending time with my mother.

"Of course, he tried to spend time with me as much as possible, but he never talked about the work with me.

"However, I think my father wants only the best to win, and I feel like the bracket-styled tournament is what he always intended."

"Aight…" Ambrose nodded with a smile.

At that moment, the waitress returned with their coffees, and they started drinking in a comfortable silence.

"By the way, what will you do for the following weeks?" Bella asked curiously.

"I have to grow stronger." Ambrose said and smiled. "My goal is to reach level 100, as I have Upgrade Class Token and I would like to increase my strength to an even greater level.

"That's why I'll probably spend most of my time grinding experience points, so I apologize if you don't see me much. I know I just returned, and I would like to spend more time with you, but this tournament is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"I know, and I don't mind." Bella said with a giggle. "I might know what might help you."

Ambrose raised an eyebrow and asked, "What?"

"Visit the Adventurer's Guild." Bella said, "They've been a new hit recently among players. You can accept quests there and get plenty of silver and experience points.

"This way, you don't have to blindly walk around the Crow Forest, hoping to find something to kill."

"That sounds like a good idea." Ambrose said with a shrug. "I guess I'll go check it out after drinking this coffee. Is it owned by the player?"

"Yes." Bella nodded. "The nearest is called Gold Adventurer's Guild, and it is owned by a player named Goldfinger.

"You can also apply for membership there and get your own Adventurer Card. It will grant you access to exclusive quests and rewards, depending on your rank, of course."

"I see, that sounds interesting." Ambrose sipped his coffee while feeling intrigued.