Chapter 6

I woke up from my dream, sweating buckets. I feel nauseated. It's been a while since I had dreamt of my sister, but due to yesterday's events, I'm not surprised in the slightest that it happened again. Tears began to well in my eyes at the thought. I feel too depressed and unmotivated to even get out of my bed. On top of it all, I seem to have a headache due to all my emotional stress last night.

*Ring ring ring *

I lethargically picked up my phone from the table next to my bed. I forgot to set an alarm yesterday so I'm certain that It was mom calling to check on me again. She's been too overprotective of me ever since my sister left us. Maybe a bit too nosy for my liking but I understand that she's just worried about my mental state so it also makes me glad at the same time.

I answered the call.

"Kat, don't tell me you're not done preparing for your class again?" She asked.

I hesitated for a bit, dreading to tell her that I probably wouldn't be able to attend the first class.

"...... I don't feel too well today Mom".

"Are you alright? Have you taken your medication?" She inquired, worry with a bit of panic apparent in her tone.

"If you don't feel that well, take the rest of the day off." She said something I didn't expect to hear from her.

"N-no, it's not that bad this time around, though I might just miss my first class."

"I see...... Just don't push yourself too hard honey, okay? Your dad and I are worried about you living alone there."

"Yeah, I won't. I'll hang up now and rest for a bit mom, love ya." I said as I pushed the end call button.

I sighed.

"I'll rest for a bit before I take my pills" I murmured to myself.

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The drool-worthy smell of greasy pizza wafted from the entryway that everyone was jammed into. Stick figures lined both sides of the salad bar. I sit alone on the far opposite side of the cafeteria doorway eating my lunch consisting of unhealthy, fatty, and oily foods. All the while enduring the noisy talking and squealing of the students having their lunch which is gradually grating on my nerves and fuelling my mild headache. I should've brought my lunch today, I thought to myself.

"Katherine there you are!"

I was brought back from my thoughts as I heard a familiar voice. The voice of Elizabeth instantly lifted a bit from my unpleasant mood.

"I was looking for you earlier. You weren't in the first class we were in together," she added.

"......I had a headache earlier when I woke up, I didn't really feel well enough to go to class so I wasn't able to attend." I reasoned.

"What! Are you alright now?"

"I'm fine thanks for worrying." I gave her a wan smile.

She seems unconvinced though but did not push the subject.

"So do you need me for something?" I inquired.

I tried to change the topic so that she would not pry anymore. My condition is not something I am comfortable sharing with others. Luckily she took the hint.

"Hmph! Do I need a reason to talk to a friend?" She pouted as she sat beside me.

Friend huh? Hearing her saying that to me warms up my heart. I felt my cheeks heat for a moment but I did my best to hide it.

"Really? So there is nothing you need from me?" I asked as I suppressed my embarrassment.

She looks like she has something she wants to talk about. It must be something really important.

"W-well there is a favor I would like to ask," she said hesitantly.

I thought so.

"Let's hear it first," I replied curiously

"Right, have you heard of the 'Champion's Brawl'?"

"Not that I remember, no."

"Oh then let me explain, the CoA team is hosting the first-ever LAN tournament for ages 15 to 20. Its main stage venue will be held in LA, California," she explained.

So they are even creating a strong foothold for the youth player base huh? the CoA's Marketing and publicity team are quite scary, to be honest.

"Of course, pro players of Division 1 and Division 2 teams cannot join even if they are under 20 cause it would be very unfair for the other participants." she continued

Wait, am I even allowed to participate in that tournament? Well, I suppose I never officially became a pro since, after the 1st cup, I declined all the offers I had received since I lacked the motivation nor the reason to play at all that time so I guess I'm eligible to join...... probably.

"It is a very huge event that has a prize pool with a total of $500,000. The 4th place team will get $50,000, the 3rd place team will get $75,000, the 2nd place team will get $100,000, and 1 place will receive a whopping $200,000! I forgot the other prizes but as far as I can remember, 5th to 8th place will also receive some cash prize." She continued as if reading from a script.

That is a pretty high prize pool overall even for an amateur tourney. I guess it is to be expected when the CoA team is the one hosting the tournament.

"Soooo... You know what I am getting at right? Wanna join the team I'm creating?" she said expectantly.

I kind of want to join, 200,000 bucks just for winning a tournament without any pros in it. Just think of how many kinds of stuff I could buy with those. And this time around, I'm planning to keep it all instead of letting my parents manage it if we ever win! Also, spending more time with a friend with the same hobby is a big plus on my list. It has been fun talking to Elizabeth about common things we like and dislike. Lastly, I can finally repay my debt to her. That's 3 big enough reasons to accept her offer.

There is 1 huge problem though.

"But I..... don't have my own max-level account," I told a half-truth.

"Oh, I don't think that would be a problem. The online elimination tourney for all the entrees will start next month on October 3rd, and the top 16 teams will be able to join the LAN event on October 26th. You will have more than a month's worth of time to power-level your account and I can even boost you. Or if you want, you can always borrow mine?"

"No, I'll just create my own account thanks."

Your oversized breasts will only get in the way of dodging. That's good news though, I better create my account later so I can grind my levels in time for the elimination. And as long as I am not using 'that' account, I probably can play without any difficulties.

"So does that mean you're in!?" she said excitedly.

"I guess it does." I smiled.

"Woohoo! Thank you, Katherine!"

She celebrated and tried to hug me, but I blocked her with my hand. Too slow.

"No hugs." I declared

"Tsk! You're no fun." she pouted

I can't seem to understand why other girls are so touchy-feely. Don't they have any respect for personal space?

"Ohh I almost forgot, what role do you want to play?"

I pondered for a moment. Playing support is really quite fun now that I think about it. It adds a different perspective that I haven't yet experienced as opposed to playing the carry of my team in the past. Also creating a support-oriented character falls in line with my plan to a fresh start playing CoA again.

"I'll play as your support like last time." I decided

"Ohh, I was hoping you could be the carry. But with how good you are, you can probably excel in any role you want."

".....You overestimate me." I looked away not meeting her gaze.

"Ohh, do I?" She smiled at me knowingly

"What about our other teammates?" I changed the subject.

She pondered for a while then finally said "I have a skilled guild member who is under 20 that plays well at team-ranked matches. The other one though, I'm not sure if he would join us. But if all goes well he will be a strong teammate. I'll inform you if I manage to poach him."

"Sure, then if you don't have any more business with me I'll be going to my next class," I say as I look at the time on my phone.

Looks like I only have 10 more minutes before my Robotics class. Better get there early to get the farthest seat at the back.

"See ya Katherine, and thanks again!" She waved goodbye.

"Kat," I mumbled

"Huh?"

"Katherine is too long, just call me Kat," I said, barely audible.

"Then just call me Liz and we're even. It's what my friends call me" she replied jovially.

"Later then, Liz," I said while walking away so she didn't notice my reddening cheeks.

I returned my half-empty tray and got out of the cafeteria.

__________________________________________

Since I cannot use my sister's account without triggering my past trauma and having a mental breakdown, I decided to create a new character. That is the main reason I like to tell myself but deep down I know there is something else.

I'm scared.

When I played the match with June's team the other day, I realized the gap in skills between the current me from my past prime. I don't know if I could live up to the expectations of being Yuusha's user. I'm scared that I will drag my sister's legacy to the ground with my current lack of skills and knowledge of the current meta.

Looking at the brighter side of the picture though, having a new character and a fresh start would probably help me overcome my mental trauma bit by bit. I have to thank Liz for giving me the push I need to return to the game I love. I'll return the favor by doing my best to win our matches.

Also, it would be a lie if I said that I'm not intrigued by the notion of creating a support-oriented character. I always wanted to try one back then but I never got a chance to do so due to circumstances beyond my control.

That is why I'm currently looking at the text in front of me.

*Account created, do you want to save your username and password for this VR pod? Yes / No*

"Yes" prompted the voice command.

*User name and password saved preparing to enter the game.*

*Please create your character*

It was my first time creating a character in CoA since I never had one I could call my own so the novelty and excitement I feel multiplied tenfold.

-A long while later-

Ok, the hairstyle is good. Time to move to face customization

Do you want to scan your facial features for your character? Yes / No

"No"

I don't want my face to be plastered all over the net if we ever did manage to garner attention at the tournament.

Initiating Facial Customization

What appeared in front of me was a screen with hundreds of customization options. There is even an option to put cat ears in my character? Yes, please! W-wait let's not get carried away now, shall we? Think of what would happen if Liz saw my character has cat ears, it would shatter my image. This is gonna take a while though.

-An eternity later-

"F-finally done, whew that was harder than any PVP I've ever fought."

It was worth it though. Wavy black hair, beautifully supple cheeks, a small but cute nose, and round and curious blue eyes in contrast to my piercingly intimidating one. I've created the cutest avatar character I possibly can. Very far off from what my real image is but I'm not complaining.

Face creation complete

Moving on to body type creation. Would you like to do a full-body scan? Yes / No

"Yes"

*tut, tut, tut, tut, tut*

The machine resounded as it scanned my body's proportions. No picture though so it doesn't breach any privacy terms and such, just the full measurements of my body from head to toe. It's the same principle as if you're going to get measurements from tailors or designers, or so they say.

Now that I think about it, having my body measurements known is too much for a reserved person like me.

*Full body scan complete*

As I was having second thoughts about having my full body measurements shown to the world, there was a ping signaling its completion. It showed me the final results of my avatar.

*Showing results. Is this acceptable? Yes/No

I saw my full body proportions bearing the cute face I had just created. Honestly, this went better than I expected. The cute facial features highlight my thin and lithe body type.

"Yes"

Character creation complete.

Please Enter a Name: ___________

A name huh? After pondering for a while, I suddenly remembered one of our classes on Robotics about innovation.

"Hmmm, let's go with......Novo."

It means 'new' in Old Portuguese. The name symbolizes my new start in the world of CoA.

Please Enter a Name: Novo

*Entering game*

A cutscene then entered my vision about the lore.

I immediately skipped it. It's a waste of time since I already know it by heart. It's about Andartha choosing me to be one of her champions to save the world. Something so cliche like that.

*Synergizing character to the nerve gear.........40%.......78%........Synergy complete*

*Entering the World of Palios*

Zffff*

The view of the blue sky instantly entered my vision. Wispy layers and smokey formations in feathery strokes that do not look out of place when painted on a canvas. I looked at my eye level and saw a beautiful town bustling with countless new players, the town of Lumiria.

There are this many new accounts in the starting town, huh, the player base of CoA just keeps increasing. Obviously, these are not only the newbie players in the starting town in the entirety of CoA even if they number more than a thousand. Due to CoA's rise in player base, cross-server instances have been implemented. This basically meant that in a single server, the player count could not pass more than a specified number of players. For example, a town already has 2000 players and the cap of the server is 2000 players, if you log in or teleport to that town, you would be transferred to a different town with different players but is the same exact replica of the said town. This was implemented so that grinding spots and many other different quests that require certain items won't become a problem due to overcrowding. Parties are inseparable though so if you want to play with someone you know, party with them so you won't miss each other when trying to play together and explore the world of CoA.

The names of the newbies I saw vary and some even imitate the name of their favorite pro players. Different players can have the same exact name so it's possible but their game id is the one that separates them individually. Pro players also have an indication in their name when you identify them signifying that they are the real deal.

An example of this is the newbie here that I had just identified.

ZettaHp: 100%Mp: 100%Lvl: 12Guild: noneDuel wr: 25%Wins: 1Matches: 4Team Rank matches wr: N / A1v1 Rank matches wr: N / Aid#:***********Introduction: I'm the real Zetta 'the Duelist'. Follow me on twi**** and insta**** and I'll give you free weapons and stuff.

Hmmm, very convincing, but considering Zetta is max lvl 95, a high-rank guild officer of Razor Guild, and has more than thousands of matches in his ranked match history, it makes me doubt your intro a little Mr. Real Zetta.

I took a look at the settings. Voice changer on, check. Auto translate feature, check. I made sure to enable both specifically since I'm not comfortable with strangers hearing my real voice (which I customized to blend well with my cute avatar) and also the auto-translate feature so I can understand even people who speak different languages. Technology sure has come a long way for us to have these conveniences.

Welp, no time to lose, time to grind and do the main quests for XP. The elimination round will start in a month so I need to power-level.

I immediately headed straight to the grinding area to do some leveling.