Vol.2 Chapter 1


    <strong>Ring* Ring* Ring*</strong>


    I woke up at the sound of my phone rm ringing. I reach out to the small table beside my bed where I usually put it. It''s still too early. I have one and a half hours before my ss. I turned off the rm and went back to sleep.


    <strong>*Minutester</strong>


    My phone rang again, waking me up from my peaceful nap, albeit with a different tune. A tune I know quite well. I immediately answered the phone, adrenaline coursing through my veins.


    “M-mom, I’m already awake, no need for sermons this early in the morning please,” I pleaded.


    “Couldn’t fool me, Honey, I’ve been taking care of you ever since you were born. I know an excuse when I see one,” she expertly rebutted.


    “Urk! F-fine, but I’m awake now, I’m going to get ready for school now so… bye! Love, ya!” I immediately ended the call before she could respond.


    After the call, I begrudgingly tried to get off my bed. After a bit of hard work, I managed to aplish the arduous task… barely.


    God, I hate Mondays.


    I proceeded to do my morning stretches and then got into the shower.


    After drying with a towel, I positioned myself in front of the mirror to get changed into my attire. In front of me is the usual 5''? tall ck-haired girl I see every morning. I don’t think I’m growing as much as I want to. Well, I’m already tall enough as it is, but more growth is always wee. On the contrary, my hair is getting long, I should probably cut it before our trip to LA.


    After dressing up in my casual wear for school and brushing my longer-than-shoulder-length ck hair to look more presentable, I went to the mini kitchen in my apartment and prepared breakfast. Pancakes and bacon were the choice for today, abination of sweet and salty vors that are sure to tickle my tastebuds.


    I ced the meal I cooked in front of the dining table and called out in a moderately audible voice.


    "T.V. on."


    The television that was prompted by my voicemand turned on. I usually have nothing better to watch so my TV is set to the current news when it opens. After opening, the TV showed a professional-looking female I am familiar with casting the news.


    "In today’s gaming news, Champions of Andartha, the wildly popr VRMMORPG taking the VR industry by storm has announced its inaugural tournament exclusively for yers under the age of 20. Dubbed ''The Champion''s Brawl,'' this thrilling event is set to take ce in the vibrant city of LA, California. the decision to host a youth-focused tournament marks a strategic shift by the game developers, aiming to engage and spotlight the younger generation of gamers. Here is a rey of the announcement from the spokesperson for the Champions of Andartha team,” the newscaster broadcast.


    The screen then showed a charismatic professional-looking man with his name and title stered at the bottom of the screen.


    "We''re thrilled to provide a tform for the next generation of Champions of Andartha yers to showcase their talents and passion for immersive VR gaming," eximed the spokesperson. "This tournament is a celebration of youthful ingenuity and skill, and we can''t wait to witness the incredible feats of these young champions in ‘The Champion''s Brawl''!" he dered as the crowd cheered in favor of the announcement.


    What the heck! Don’t turn it into an upheaval for youth gaming or something! It is not the first to host a tournament with age restrictions so it''s not that revolutionary!


    This is bad! They are making such a big deal out of the tournament that it is starting to get on my nerves with how many people have their eyes on the event. This is not what I signed up for when I epted Liz''s offer to join her! Curse you CoA and your highly capable advertisement team!


    I turned off the TV before it even spouted more nonsense about the overblown event. If I can’t see it, then it means it’s not real! Out of sight, out of mind; I thought as I attempted to escape reality.


    I hurriedly finished my meal and then put the tes and utensils in the sink for me to washter. I then brushed my teeth and did my final preparations before going out the door and pressing the button on the elevator door right in the hallway.


    After waiting for a while, the elevator opened, revealing only two people riding it. Lucky for me the elevator is not cramped, it is quite rare to see it this spacious on a Monday. It is a busy morning after all where the majority of people go to work or school at this time of the day.


    "Excuse me," I said politely as I entered the elevator.


    As the elevator door shut, I waited for it to arrive on the ground floor while trying my best not to yawn.


    After arriving at my destination, I walked briskly to the exit of the high-rise apartmentplex, passing by the guard whom I now came to know as Carlos over the past month I was here.


    “Good Morning Ma’am Katherine,” he greeted me with his usual friendly smile.


    I nodded in response then gave him a polite smile.


    Having finished my greeting, I sauntered into the underground station just around the corner of the street walking just a couple of meters away from my apartment.


    After arriving at my destination, I surveyed my surroundings. There are plenty ofmuters in the station due to the rush hour, but thankfully, it is offset by the fact that there are more than ten payment terminals. I shed my phone, and it scanned, instantly prompting a confirmation to deduct money from my ount.


    As I boarded the train, my phone vibrated. I kept it on silent whenever I went to college since it might disturb my ssmates if it rang aloud in the middle of a lecture.


    I picked up my phone and saw Liz calling. I immediately answered it.


    “Liz, what’s up?”


    “Nothing, just want to check up on you... oh by the way, did you see the news early this morning?! So many people are anticipating the tournament!” she excitedly spoke.


    “Yes, I did not expect the CoA team to go all out on advertising the under-twenty tournament.” I kept the volume of my voice at a minimum to avoid interrupting other passengers on the train.


    “I even heard the tickets were sold out just earlier! Can you believe that? It’s only been two days since the tickets were avable to the public and it’s already gone!”


    “Uhuh… It’s not that umon though. Some business-minded people buy tickets in bulk just to sell them to others at an increased price, especially for an event hosted by the most popr VR game of this generation. No self-respecting entrepreneur would pass up the opportunity for a piece of the pie.” I helpfully exined.


    "Good thing we''re qualified, right? That means we won''t have to pay tickets for the tournament entrance, he hehe," she giggled lightheartedly.


    I smiled at her enthusiasm. "I guess that''s true."


    We continued to pass the time talking about current news and nonsensical things until I arrived at my destination. She is already waiting at the ss we both currently will be having today. It’s no surprise as she is always early to risepared to me… well, everyone is a morning personpared to me.


    Entering the school, I nced at the time. Good, I still have 5 minutes before ss.


    I walked into the gate building among the many students who were also heading in the same direction as me.


    I was promptly stopped by the scanner wherein I shed my ID card to gain entry. Inside there are plenty of security officers roaming around who politely greet students as they enter. Upon entering, I immediately sensed something wrong… I was garnering a couple of unwanted stares.


    Not that many, but enough for me to notice it. This seems suspicious.


    I vehemently ignored it and walked towards my destination, my first subject this morning. Not long after I stumbled upon the school bulletin board on my way to my ss. What I saw was something scarier than any horror movie I ever watched in my whole life. A picture of my face was posted on it for all to see, right next to Liz and Chu. Curious about why our pictures are stered on the bulletin like some sort of wanted criminal, I read the headline from the school bulletin news.


    <strong><em>Summit Peak Students Qualified for the ‘Champion’s Brawl’ </em></strong>


    <em>We are thrilled to extend our warmest congrattions to Elizabeth Miles, Katherine Katyusha, and Chu Xiaolong on sessfully qualifying for the prestigious ''The Champion''s Brawl'' tournament hosted by Champions of Andartha! Their exceptional skills and dedication have secured them a coveted spot among the talented participantspeting in this groundbreaking e-sports event.</em>


    <em>As they prepare to represent our college on this exhrating stage, know that their aplishment resonates across ourmunity, inspiring fellow e-sports club gamers and showcasing the caliber of talent nurtured within our institution.</em>


    <em>We believe that their participation in the event will not only be a thrilling experience for them but also an opportunity to showcase their abilities on an international tform. Their dedication and sportsmanship embody the spirit of Summit Peak College, and we stand proudly behind them as they embark on this exciting journey.</em>


    <em>We wish them the best of luck as they venture forth into the stage! May their skills shine brightly, and may they relish every moment of this extraordinary opportunity.</em>


    <em>Warm regards,</em>


    <em>Summit Peak College Administration</em>


    <em></em>


    That exins the stares from earlier! I''m positive Liz deliberately didn’t warn me about this as some sort of sick degenerate prank!


    I could imagine the mischievous smile on her charming face as she hid this important information from me as we talked on the phone earlier. I’ll get back on you for this Liz, if it’s thest thing I do!


    I sighed.


    It’s not umon for colleges to brag about e-sport-rted achievements like this. It can also be considered as a form of advertisement for their school. If a college has a renowned e-sports club that has won popr tournaments, it will surely tempt young high school graduates to choose the said school because of its decent e-sports environment specifically, for fresh graduates who n on dabbling in the professional VR gaming industry which is experiencing a boom as ofte. I won’t be surprised if the school calls on us to advertise our school in the tournament.


    I pulled myself out of my own musings as I recalled that I was going to bete. I hurriedly went to my ssroom, not without garnering some onlookers on the way. As I arrived at the ssroom door, I hesitated. The entire ss still doesn’t know about it already, right?


    Well, I was never more wrong. As I entered, my glimmer of hope morphed into despair as I saw my ssmates staring at me like I was some sort of celebrity.


    Then, the murmurs came after, I didn’t hear most but I can only assume they were likely talking about me.


    “Did you see the news about the tournament? Apparently, they were qualified!”


    “I did! It was mentioned in yesterday night''s news.”


    “I saw her y live! She’s the one supporting Elizabeth Miles, the user of the dual caster ount!”


    “Did you know they beat our e-sports club?”


    “Yeah, I know, I watched the match live to support our school! It was a one-sided match and I did not know that it was two of my ssmates ying at that time!”


    “I was surprised to know that Katyusha ys VRMMO like me! Do you think I have a chance with her If I impress her with my skills?”


    “Dude… you haven’t even spoken a single time to her since the start of the semester…”


    The heck! I don’t need this much attention. It’s like a living nightmare for an unsociable introvert like me!


    Luckily, I mastered the art of making a poker face, which is needed for outying my enemies in CoA. I didn’t expect the skill I learned in the Virtual World to be this handy even in real life, but I’m sure as hell notining.


    I amped up my expressionless poker face to the max as I proceeded to walk to the very back of the ss where I usually sit. Liz was there beside my usual seat wherein two of my course mates whom I''m not familiar with were sitting while talking to her, probably about the tournament. The two separated from her and went to their own seats when they saw me get near, but not before giving me a polite nod... am I really that unapproachable?!


    As I got near, she greeted me jovially.


    “Morning Kat! Did anything noteworthy happen on your way here?” she asked mischievously.


    You know very well what happened! I gave her a light karate chop in the head. Revenge is a dish best served cold, preferably with a chop.


    “Ouch! Why did you hit me?” she pouted.


    I instantly regretted what I did when I noticed that her dramatic outburst garnered more curious stares and murmurs about how close we were. I must have instinctively done it because I sometimes do it in VR when she does something absurd while I help her train her haste movement. Besides, I am certain that she was just over-reacting. I only did a light chop to make a point.


    “You know why,” I crossed my arms while lowering my voice to dissuade listeners from hearing our conversation.


    “Okay, fine, I kinda’ deserved it. I only did it cause'' I just wanted you to find out about the surprise on your own.”


    “You know I don’t like surprises. It would be better if you tell me these kinds of things beforehand so I can mentally prepare for it.”


    “Nope! Unpredictability is what makes things fun! I wish I could’ve seen your reaction when you saw your picture posted on the board, he hehe,” she giggled.


    I stared at her, unamused. I was tempted to make another chop, preferably with more force this time. Only the arrival of the instructor dissuaded me from doing so.


    At least one saving grace from this harrowing experience is that I was notte for ss.