Three Years Later

// THREE YEARS LATER //

Astral Year 372

[ Metaverse - Telluria Online Simulation RPG ]

A masked young hero stood resolute with two gleaming swords in hand, calm amidst the overbearing pressure of the hoard of divine beasts that closed in on him.

On the ground behind him was an injured little girl, her neat teal curls tainted with the blood that was sporadically spurting out of her mouth.

The beasts circled around the hero and the girl, their eyes glowing with malevolent intent.

"ROAARRR!!!"

Amidst the snarling and snapping of their razor sharp fangs, the hero stood unfazed, taking in every minute detail, planning his next course of action.

His swords were held steady.

His muscles coiled like springs, waiting for the right moment to strike.

In a sudden burst of movement, the hero launched himself at the beasts.

His two swords flashed in the sunlight.

The clang of steel on the metallic hide of the beasts filled the air as he expertly parried their attacks, each stroke precise, purposeful and deadly.

The little girl looked up in awe, her initial fear now fully buried by a sense of safety and security.

The masked swordsman sliced through the hoard like a dancer in a deadly ballet, his movements fluid and graceful.

The beasts fell one by one...

As he picked up the pace, his swords became a blur of steel that sliced through the air with lethal precision.

However, amidst the cacophony of snarls and whimpers of the crashing bodies, a high pitched cry for help echoed,

"SAVE…"

Before the injured little girl could finish, two silver blurs flew right past each side of her face, missing her by mere inches.

The swords pierced the two beasts which were pouncing onto her straight in their throats.

A spray of blood showered onto the trembling girl...

The creature fell to the ground, its claws twitching in its death throes.

The hero burst toward the crimson covered little girl and stood protectively in front of her, his two swords now gone.

The little girl trembling in fear, started pleading,

"It's ok…You can leave, don't sacrifice yourself…"

Ignoring her, the hero began performing a series of flowing Tai Chi forms, his body moving in a mesmerizing dance.

His movements were slow and deliberate, but they held an incredible power.

With each form, he sent out waves of energy that pushed back against the beasts, sending them tumbling away.

The few remaining beasts roared in fury and pounced menacingly onto the unarmed hero.

Despite being unarmed, the hero remained calm and focused, his movements precise and controlled.

The few remaining beasts roared in fury and pounced menacingly onto him, but he remained unfazed, continuing his rhythmic pattern of movement.

With each motion, the masked hero sent out a burst of energy, sending the beasts flying back, their snarls growing more and more desperate.

But the masked hero was unrelenting, his movements growing faster and more fluid, until finally, the beasts were forced to retreat, defeated by his skill and power.

The little girl's eyes were wide open, even though she was drenched by the blood of divine beasts, she could not help but be entranced by the beauty of the hero's movements.

She felt a sense of safety and security that she had never known before.

As the hero's dance came to an end, she looked up above his head and noticed for the first time his ID.

" ID: [ Prince ] "

The young girl's heart was racing as she looked up at the person who had just saved her from danger.

It was her idol - Prince - the top ranked duelist in Telluria Online.

'OMG.. He... He is...'

His legendary mask made him an enigma to the millions who delved into this Simulation RPG.

Though he never ranked high on the power charts, he was the only player to remain undefeated in the dueling arena despite his average gear.

Tears filled her eyes as she tried to catch her breath, her mind still reeling from the close call.

She couldn't believe that this was happening -

Her hero had just intervened and saved her from harm.

Having collected his two swords, the masked hero looked behind his shoulders and gave her a light nod as his character dissolved into data particles.

As the adrenaline wore off, the girl knew that she would never forget what had just happened.

She had been saved by the person she admired most in the world, and it was a moment that she would cherish forever.

====================

[ Bedroom of Prince Chronos Astral ]

Chronos removed his Metaverse Simulation Headset and sat up from the Simulation Pod.

His eyes gradually adjusted to the sudden brightness of the bedroom, and he could feel the weight of the headset leaving an indentation on his forehead as a testament to his exceeded morning Metaverse gaming time.

' That little girl was cute but to think she had the face to call herself Dragon Princess!'

' Shameless... Blehhh'

Shaking his head to freshen up from the after-effects of the Simulation Pod, he reflected on the past three years since he had wiggled his butt toward the powers that be.

He had been smoothly indoctrinated into this futuristic world, thanks to the support of Grandmama, Sophia, and Athena, who had worked together to facilitate his extensive training regimes.

Despite the rigorous training, he had not found the solution to Vorta's curse, and his nightmares of death still haunted him.

Although he had grown accustomed to the nightmares to some extent, a profound fear lingered within him.

He could only find solace in practicing Tai Chi to calm his mind and await the sunrise by immersing himself in the Metaverse.

The Metaverse was the planet-wide simulation network of this world that enabled its users to undergo immersive experiences from gaming to socializing to combat practice.

The only flaw the system had was the inability to simulate physical pain or incorporate a cultivator's powers.

Everything else, however, was pretty realistic.

Telluria Online was the most popular Simulation RPG in the whole of Tertius and it was where he honed his combat skills every morning.

Grandmama had made it a requirement for him to clock in at least three hours in Telluria Online SRPG every single day, making the Simulation Pod the piece of technology he used the most.

But she would never explain the reasoning behind it…