GLOBAL AWAKENING: My 10,000x Exp Multiplier-Chapter 12: []The Academy Arena, Kael’s Delusion

The transition from the virtual world of Aetheria to the physical reality of Earth was always rough. Vahn opened his eyes inside his sensory pod. The faint hum of the machine felt incredibly quiet compared to the deafening roar of his Inferno Nova.

He pushed the glass canopy open and stepped out into his cramped and dimly lit apartment. For a brief second, green circuit patterns flashed across his real world irises before fading away into a dull brown.

The Dataization of his physical body was already beginning. It was a direct side effect of his massive EXP consumption in the game.

He flexed his hand. He could actually feel the phantom heat of the sun resting just beneath his skin.

"Time to go," Vahn muttered and grabbed his standard issue uniform jacket.

The Sovereign Awakened Academy was a massive modern complex of glass, steel, and floating holographic banners. It was the premier institution for the next generation of Gamers. These were recruits trained to explore Aetheria for corporate and military interests.

Today was the 97th Annual Combat Tournament. For almost a century, it had been a traditional real-world martial arts exhibition. But today, barely twenty-four hours after Aetheria’s launch, the military brass had forcefully moved the entire event into the VR servers to test the students’ newly awakened classes. The entire stadium was a colossal amphitheater capable of seating fifty thousand spectators and it was packed to the brim. Hover cameras buzzed overhead like metal insects, broadcasting the event to millions of viewers worldwide.

Vahn walked through the massive archways of the competitor entrance and blended perfectly into the crowd. He had his Disguise Cloak active. It was a low tier item he picked up specifically for this purpose.

To anyone analyzing him with a scanning device, he registered as a Level 3 Magic Apprentice with standard gray tier cloth armor.

He was the definition of unremarkable. A commoner. Pure fodder for the elites.

The noise inside the stadium was deafening. Students were bragging about their rare drops, comparing guild tags, and showing off flashy glowing weapons they had bought with their families’ real world wealth.

"Make way! Clear the path!"

A harsh and authoritative voice cut through the chatter near the registration desks. The crowd immediately parted like the Red Sea as murmurs of awe and envy rippled through the students.

Vahn didn’t need to look to know who it was.

Kael Reddington. The heir to the Reddington Corporate Empire and the self proclaimed king of the freshman class.

Kael swaggered down the makeshift aisle. He was flanked by four hulking bodyguards who looked more like mercenaries than students. He was draped in a full set of Gold Tier Radiant Knight armor.

The metal plates gleamed with an artificial and almost obnoxious holy light. A massive broadsword rested on his shoulder, leaving a trail of sparkling particle effects in the air.

He looked like a god among mortals. He knew it, and he loved it.

Kael’s eyes swept over the parting crowd to soak in the adoration, until his gaze snagged on Vahn. He hadn’t moved an inch. He was leaning against a concrete pillar and casually scrolling through his internal system interface, completely ignoring the grand entrance.

Kael’s smug smile faltered and was quickly replaced by a sneer of pure disgust. He altered his path and marched directly toward Vahn.

The crowd fell dead silent as they sensed the impending confrontation.

"Ryker," Kael barked and stopped just two feet away. His armor clanked loudly. It was an intimidating sound designed to make lesser players flinch.

Vahn slowly looked up from his interface. He met Kael’s furious gaze with a look of complete boredom.

"Kael," Vahn replied with a flat voice.

"What are you even doing here?" Kael demanded, his voice echoing in the quiet hall. He gestured dismissively at Vahn’s plain jacket. "This is the Combat Tournament. It is for actual Awakened. Not bottom feeding commoners who still wear trash tier rags."

He glared at Vahn as his chest puffed up.

"Did you even manage to clear the tutorial, or are you just here to clean the arena floors after we are done?"

A smattering of cruel laughter erupted from Kael’s bodyguards and the surrounding sycophants.

"I am here to compete," Vahn said simply.

Kael let out a harsh laugh. "Compete? With what? Your Level 3 stats? I hit Level 10 this morning. I have a full guild backing me, and equipment that costs more than your entire bloodline will earn in a century."

Kael leaned in closer and dropped his voice to a menacing whisper. "Do yourself a favor and withdraw. If you end up in my bracket, I will not just defeat you. I will break your avatar so badly the feedback will put your real body in a coma."

Vahn looked at the boy standing in front of him. Kael was so proud, so arrogant, and so blissfully unaware of the cosmic horror accelerating toward their planet.

In thirty days, all the real world money, all the corporate backing, and all the shiny Gold tier armor wouldn’t save him from the demonic vanguard. Kael was just a child playing in a sandbox, threatening a man who held the detonator to a nuclear bomb.

"Are you finished?" Vahn asked. His tone was icy and profoundly calm.

Kael blinked. He was thrown off by the complete lack of fear in Vahn’s eyes. "What did you say to me?"

"If you are finished talking, step aside. You are blocking the registration terminal." Vahn didn’t wait for a response. He pushed off the pillar and walked straight past Kael.

His shoulder lightly brushed against the Gold tier armor.

The audacity of the action sent a collective gasp through the crowd. No one walked away from Kael Reddington!

Kael’s face flushed a deep violent purple. He spun around and his hand flew to the hilt of his massive broadsword. "You arrogant piece of trash! I will kill you right here!"

"Enough."

A booming voice resonated through the hall, amplified by magic. The stadium Sub-Dean, a stern looking man with cybernetic eyes, hovered above the registration desks on a platform of solid light.

"Save your bloodlust for the arena, students," the Sub-Dean commanded as his gaze swept over Kael and Vahn. "The 97th Annual Combat Tournament is now officially open. The holographic brackets are generating. Find your names, head to your designated rings, and prepare to fight."

Above the center of the stadium, a massive three dimensional hologram flickered to life. Thousands of names rapidly shuffled and locked into place.

Vahn looked up and scanned the massive board. He found his name almost instantly in Block C, Ring 4.

[Round 1: Vahn Ryker vs. Jaxson Vane]

He didn’t know who Jaxson Vane was, and he didn’t care.

Vahn turned and walked down the dark tunnel leading toward the glaring lights of the arena floor. He didn’t draw a weapon. He didn’t hype himself up. He just focused on the phantom heat resting in the palm of his hand.

A cold and predatory smile finally broke across his face.

The elites wanted a show. He was going to give them a massacre.