Chapter 50: let’s spar sometime

Jelo stretched, feeling the ache in his muscles or at least the simulated sensation of muscle ache that the Arena Nexus provided to make the experience feel authentic. His arms felt heavy from all the Dragon Claw projections he’d been throwing, and his legs were tired from the constant movement and Wingburst dashes. The neural interface did an impressive job of making virtual exertion feel real.

Mira approached him as the marble colosseum environment began dissolving back into the neutral lobby space. She looked tired too, her Purple Bandit avatar somehow conveying exhaustion despite being just a digital construct.

“That was a good session,” she said, her voice carrying a note of fatigue. “But I think we’ve spent enough time in the Nexus for today. We should head back to the real world.”

Jelo hesitated, his teddy bear head turning to look back at the opponent selection interface that was still visible in the distance. He wanted to stay. Wanted to fight more. Each battle was teaching him something new, revealing weaknesses in his technique, showing him possibilities he hadn’t considered. The hunger for improvement was still burning in his chest, demanding he continue.

But when he looked back at Mira, he noticed she was rubbing her temples slightly, her posture suggesting genuine weariness. She’d been here longer than him, had fought her own match before he’d even logged in, then stayed to watch and support him through his two fights.

“Yeah,” Jelo agreed, pushing down his desire to continue. “You’re right. We can always come back another day.”

And that was true, he reminded himself. The Arena Nexus would still be here tomorrow, and the day after that, and every day going forward. He had two hours of daily access. There was no need to burn himself out trying to cram everything into one session.

“Good call,” Mira said with visible relief. “Let’s log out.”

They both accessed their individual menus and selected the logout option. The familiar sensation of transition washed over Jelo, that feeling of falling backward through water, of consciousness shifting from one state to another.

—–

When Jelo opened his eyes, he was back in the gaming room, sitting in the chair with the neural interface device still positioned over his head. The screens in front of him showed nothing now, just blank displays waiting for the next user.

He reached up and carefully removed the device, setting it back in its mounting position. His body felt stiff from sitting motionless for so long, and he stretched properly this time, real stretching, real muscles working to relieve real tension.

Around him, other students were still engaged in their own matches, their bodies motionless in their chairs while their minds fought battles in virtual arenas. The room was quieter than he’d expected, just the soft hum of machinery and the occasional unconscious movement from a player whose body was reacting to what their mind was experiencing.

Mira had already removed her neural interface and was standing up from her chair, also stretching and working out the stiffness. She caught Jelo’s eye and gestured toward the exit with her head.

They left the gaming room together, stepping back out into the familiar corridors of the academy. The transition from the dim, blue-lit gaming room to the bright, sterile hallways was jarring, and Jelo had to blink several times as his eyes adjusted.

As they walked, Mira spoke up, her tone curious and thoughtful. “You know, I’ve been thinking, I want to spar with you sometime. In the real world, I mean, not just in the Nexus.”

Jelo glanced at her, surprised. “Yeah? Why?”

“Your fighting style is interesting,” Mira said, her hands gesturing as she spoke. “It’s different from most people I’ve fought against. The way you use those Dragon Claw projections, the timing of your defensive ability, that burst dash move, it’s all very… unconventional. Not bad, just different. I think I could learn something from sparring with you.”

She paused, then added with genuine curiosity, “Does each ability come with a tutorial or something? Like, did the system teach you how to use them, or do you just instinctively know what to do?”

Jelo considered how to answer that without revealing too much about the actual system interface that only he could see. “Each ability provides a description,” he said carefully. “Like, it tells me what the ability does, what its basic function is. But beyond that initial description, it’s up to me to figure out how to use it creatively. How to apply it in different situations, how to combine it with other abilities, timing, strategy, all of that is something I have to work out myself.”

He gestured vaguely as he continued, “That’s exactly why I need the Arena Nexus. I can experiment there, try different approaches, make mistakes and learn from them without real consequences. The descriptions give me the foundation, but I have to build the actual skill on top of that foundation through practice.”

Mira nodded thoughtfully, seeming satisfied with that explanation. “That makes sense. Most ability users have to go through a similar process, you get the power, but mastering it is a whole different challenge. Though I have to say, you’re picking things up remarkably quickly for someone who’s supposedly rank F.”

There was a question implicit in that statement, but Mira didn’t push it. She’d already seen enough of Jelo’s secrets to know that his official rank didn’t reflect his actual capabilities.

They continued walking in comfortable silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. The corridors were moderately busy with students moving between activities, but no one paid particular attention to them. Just two more students heading back to their dorms after an evening activity.

What neither Jelo nor Mira realized was that they hadn’t been alone in the Arena Nexus.

—–

In a different part of the academy, in a private room with more advanced gaming equipment than the standard student access area, a young woman sat at her workstation with an expression of fascinated concentration.

She was dressed in an elegant outfit of brown and gold, expensive clothing that suggested wealth and status, far nicer than the standard academy uniforms most students wore. Her face was nearly as pale as ceramic, giving her an almost porcelain doll-like appearance that was both beautiful and slightly unsettling.

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