VR Pod

After the encounter with the second years, Michael realized that despite leveling up and becoming stronger, there were still others he wasn't strong enough to fight yet. He knew Brian was undoubtedly the strongest among the second years, but there were others even stronger than him. Many high-grade students possessed powers that couldn't even be measured—an obvious example being the White Corps.

If Michael wanted to become as strong as them, the easiest way was to level up. The only way to do that was by consuming blood and going on quests as much as possible. With his team backing him up, he figured it wouldn't be a problem. For now, while the academy's security wasn't tight, it was the perfect time for him to go on a hunt, get stronger, and improve his fighting skills.

"Hey guys, let's head to the arcade. Classes are getting boring," Michael suggested. Cole nodded in agreement, but Blake hesitated. He had planned to stay in the dorm and sleep until the next day; he didn't feel like doing anything.

Having not experienced much fun at his last school, he wanted to enjoy a little time before curfew. They had gone through a lot of fighting since arriving at the academy, and the enemies they now faced were enough to build a town. "Okay, let's go," Blake finally replied.

The three of them made their way to the arcade, with Michael grabbing some food along the way. Upon arriving, he spotted Brian in the arcade room. The arcade was open to the entire school, but since students didn't play games much, it was often quiet.

Michael checked his watch—he had only 20 Pes and needed to spend it wisely. Deciding to play a game, even if it wasn't the best use of his money, he shrugged off his concerns. As they entered the arcade, Michael felt lost; he had never played games before.

Blake, aware of this, decided to show him around. Blake led them to a VR room. The price to play the VR games was steep—50 Pes. Just as Michael was about to turn back, Blake grabbed his arm. "No need to go back; I'll pay for the three of us."

Unlike Michael and Cole, Blake's family was wealthy, and they sent him a daily allowance of 20 Pes, allowing him to afford anything at school. They entered the VR room together, and Blake pointed to a pod.

"This is a VR pod. Once you're in, it takes you to a virtual reality world. There's a popular game played among students and kids outside called Kill Zone. If you want to gain experience in fighting skills, this is the best game for real-life combat experience.

It provides an empty room for two players to fight until one loses. The pod can record all your attributes, so anything you can do in the real world, you can also do in the game." As they approached the pod and entered, Blake instructed them to select different servers.

"Hello, new user. Please input your nickname and select a server to start playing the game," a voice announced. Michael pondered; most players would want to enhance their abilities. What was the point of playing if you couldn't use your powers?

The VR was connected to other servers outside the school, allowing him to challenge players without revealing his identity and test himself against high-grade ability users. Michael registered for the game, inputting his name as "Sussex67" and selecting server 22, the academy's game server.

"Account created. Welcome to Kill Zone." In an instant, Michael was teleported to a white, empty space where he couldn't see his appearance, but he knew the game had altered his character. "Finding match..." Suddenly, the white space transformed into an ancient temple, and a list of ability user grades appeared for him to choose from.

He selected a grade six ability user. "I'm starting to understand how this game works," Michael thought as he awaited the player's arrival. The game then prompted him to choose what ability he wanted to use. Since he wanted to test if the game could replicate his abilities, he selected "Non."

A player appeared in front of him, with a bar floating above his head displaying his HP and grade, along with his username.

The player wore black armor with metal parts and a helmet that covered their face. The armor was a mix of leather and metal.

A countdown appeared over the arena, and when it reached zero, the battle commenced.

The player lunged at Michael, wielding a large flaming sword, and managed to hit him, sending Michael flying backward. Before he could react to the next attack, the player was upon him, ready to land a finishing blow.

Michael swiftly dodged and quickly formed a blood dagger in his hand, parrying the powerful strikes. They exchanged a flurry of blows, the fire user's sword leaving scorching marks on Michael's skin wherever it connected.

He was now in critical condition, and the system hadn't warned him about any incoming attacks. Perhaps it was because he was in a game. The player lunged at him again with lightning speed, and Michael dashed to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.

He managed to get close, slashing the player's chest with his blood dagger. The player's health bar dropped to half, surprising Michael at the effectiveness of the hit. Just as the player appeared in front of him, about to deliver a finishing strike, a system screen popped up.

<Critical condition warning>

<System Blood Cast activated>

<Cost: -5 HP>

Suddenly, the room turned red, and the floor transformed into a blood pool.

Michael vanished, and the only figure remaining was the player. A dagger shot through the player's chest, reducing his HP to zero, and the Blood Cast was deactivated. Michael reappeared, and the game announced him as the winner.

Michael couldn't believe what had just happened. He thought the system wouldn't interfere with the game unless it affected his real-life stats. The game displayed another set of options:

"End Game" (or) "Continue Game."

He decided to end the game. The battleground faded to black, and as Michael stepped out of the VR pod, he saw Blake and Cole standing in front of him, looking worried. "Are you okay, Michael?" Blake asked.

"We were worried about you. The VR pod was glowing red, signaling that your body was in a  critical condition," Cole added. Michael stared at them, confused. Why was the game affecting his stats? Was it because he used his ability while playing?