Rain tightened his grip on his scarf, feeling the weight of every mocking glance and whisper as he stepped into the competitors’ lounge. The air was thick with the smell of sweat, cheap food, and faint traces of burnt Ki. Around him, players of all sizes and ranks filled the room, their voices overlapping in a cacophony of bravado, laughter, and the occasional clatter of dice from a side game.
He made it three steps in before someone’s voice rose above the din, sharp and gleeful.
“No way! Look who decided to show up!” I don’t recognize their face at all but another voice chipped in before he could respond “Slime Slayer!”
Rain’s thoughts become clear. ‘It begins again. As long as I’ve been on Earth there have always been players that stepped on other players. I wasn’t an exception.’ He thinks to himself. Familiar memories flood his mind. ‘I was well known for my mediocrity as a player without stats, without skills, without techniques or even a hint of ki. No matter how much I trained. He’s had a bad
The heckler’s voice continued “This is the guy who gave us all his money for us to hold open a gate just to get bodied by a slime girl!” The voice continued
A wave of laughter rippled through the room, and Rain froze, his face burning under the hood. The voice belonged to a lanky man lounging across a couch with his boots kicked up on the table, his grin wide and toothy.
“Hey, doesn’t he owe you money, Venus?” someone called out, and a short older woman with a tattoo of a viper coiled into a heart over her right eye.
“Twenty big. And that’s not even counting interest.” she said winking. “Oh, Rain. I almost thought you were ducking me.”
“Interest?” Rain muttered under his breath, but before he could defend himself, another voice chimed in.
“Forget da cash,” an older man with a scruffy beard said, shaking his head with a laugh. “I’m still mad salty about how we had to rescue him after snuck into our gate. Remember, Venus? We tried training him and he played dead twice against that 90 pound lizardman!”
The room erupted again, players shouting over each other with increasingly exaggerated stories about Rain’s failures. One swore he saw Rain on a leash with some ogre hag.
Rain’s fists clenched, his nails digging into his palms. He wanted to throw out the most powerful attack he’d learned since unlocking the T-Reaver skill. Let them laugh while they were on the ground.
But before he could act, a loud voice boomed over the chaos.
“Alright, that’s enough!”
The room fell quiet as Kai—a broad-shouldered man with streaks of gray in his hair—rose from his seat. His presence commanded attention, and his voice carried the weight of years in the field.
“Got a lot of nerve,” he said, his tone firm but not unkind. “Let’s not pretend any of us started out as hotshots. He’s still trying. That’s more than I can say for some of you.”
“Speak for yourself, Kai,” Venus shot back, though her grin softened. “The bum still owes me.”
“Yeah, yeah, we all know,” Kai said with a wave of his hand. “And I’m still waiting for that favor he owes me.”
“I haven’t forgotten,” Rain muttered. “I’ll pay you all back. Every debt, every favor. I’m not running.”
“That’s cute,” Venus said, smirking. “But talk is cheap. How are you going to make this up?”
Rain straightened, meeting her gaze. He thinks to himself ‘Now I have a path to power. The T-Reaver skill doesn’t just make me stronger; it lets me grow exponentially. I can beat anyone, so long as they deserve it.’ Rain says to her in the viper’s eyes. “Maybe I’ve got something planned.”
Venus’ face twists into clear suspicion “What does this even mean?”
Rain gives her the side eye “I’m gonna make you go WILD old lady!”
Venus screams in a way she’s never screamt before! Eyes wide open to watch this cougar poacher. “IT WAS NEVER THAT SERIOUS YOUNG MAN!!”
Rain tells her something in her ear and she lightly chuckles,
The table went quiet for a moment, the older Players exchanging glances. Finally, the short woman spoke.
“Ahaha! Reaver?! I love it! Lil baby you’re a mess! But What are you going to do with Real power?”
doubt overtakes Rain’s demeanor “Yeah right gmilf. what do YOU know about Real power??”
“I was once the viper of the zodiac at one point!” she says flatly
Rain can’t hold back his Sarcasm “Yeah. That sure means something to somebody.”
Venus’ voice feigns sweet as only a master of sarcasm could. “Brooks! Come get this Lame before I hurt him y’know.”
A tall old man with a lean muscular build and baring scars across his body appears faster than Rain can react.
“Brooks this lil boy has a skill that can duplicate anyone he kills. Says it can be… profitable”
HE looks Rain in the eyes. Sternly “Is Death a hustle?”
Rain matches his gaze “Nah. Life is.”
Brooks sees him honestly. “Vibe check smooth! He’ll be alright”
“Get on him! what are you doing? he’s going to hurt people!” She yells
“No more than we did back in our day. Listen to what he just said and how they talked to him coming in the door. Match made in heaven. Go nuts kid.”
The room shifted, the atmosphere growing heavier. Kai leaned forward, his expression serious.
“You listen to me, kid,” he said. “We know that none of that would have happened if you weren’t motivated. To get the championship. Look around kid. Logos and armor? Scars, prosthetics,? All these people here want to be champion. Surviving a couple of fights doesen’t make you better than anyone here. Most players returned from dungeons before they ever knew what they were. These people have been training, fighting, and bleeding for decades. They didn’t give up. They adapted. They survived in ways you haven’t even had to… yet.”
Rain looks sharply “What’s that mean?”
“It means these players are assholes because everybody has to shine to be a superstar. But Players represent cities, they fight for resources. Most of the people out here do the hard work of standing up for these cities and countries that big players don’t have time for. Don’t let any of the talk get to you. Some of it’s actually for show anyways” Venus says
Rain got a good look at the scarred and battered players, many of which still right here to make a name for themselves same as him. Even though the anger wants to rise to the surface Rain remains calm.
“Who are you really?” Rain asks
“We’re just some oldheads at this point. You don’t need to listen but we’ve been around. We are not chasing the championship ourselves, we keep somewhat of a social balance though” Brooks admits.
Rain opened his mouth to respond, but Kai held up a hand.
“One more thing,” Kai added. “Don’t let that Reaver skill go to your head. Consider your debts paid and get out of here.”
Rain nodded slowly, the weight of Kai’s words settling on his shoulders. He felt a flicker of determination reignite in his chest. These people might see him as a joke, but they had wisdom born from experience—and he’d be a fool to ignore it.
He wants to tell them he’ll only use it on people that deserve it. That he’ll make them respect him. But it’s whats understood doesen’t need to be understood. These oldheads have helped in ways hadn’t considered.
Just as Rain was about to turn the corner into the final passage leading to the competitors’ registration, a large, looming figure blocked his path. A man stood before him, clad in a samurai helmet and a mask that bore the fierce visage of a Shogun. The mask’s mouth twisted into a permanent snarl, giving the man an air of unyielding menace. A large, golden claw hung from a chain at his waist, glinting ominously in the dim light.
Rain stopped in his tracks, instinctively tightening his grip on the cloak that concealed his face. The man, clearly no ordinary player, tilted his head slightly as if studying him. Then, with a voice like rolling thunder, he spoke.
“Trying to sneak into the tournament, are we?” His tone was mocking, but there was a dangerous edge to it. “I can smell the stench of Ki blood on you from a mile away.”
Rain’s eyes narrowed. The term ‘Ki blood’ was a slur, used to describe those born of dungeons—monsters. It was meant to belittle, to dehumanize. He felt a spark of anger flare up inside him. “Oh god he’s dumb. Perfect. Why would you think monsters would be outside the gate??” he snapped back, trying to keep his voice steady.
The man chuckled darkly. “Name’s Ronin Gold. Avenge Guild, ever heard of it?” His massive form seemed to take up the entire hallway, making Rain feel small in comparison. “I was watching the last match, just like you, but I couldn’t help but notice your… enthusiasm. You sure had a lot to say about the Players up there, didn’t you?”
Rain’s mind raced. This guy was with Avenge Guild? The guild with more Players than any other. He didn’t consider that there were only four spots on the team. That they would have members lurking at the sign up. Ronin Gold must have been one of those left out. A benchwarmer, no matter how intimidating he looked. Rain felt a smirk tug at the corner of his mouth.
“And what about you?” Rain retorted, his confidence rising. “You weren’t even on the team, were you? Gotta suck to be riding pine at your size.”
The insult landed, but instead of anger, Ronin Gold’s eyes gleamed with amusement. “You think you’re clever, bruh? You talked all that stuff about Xengen! I wanna see you back it up! ”
Rain was confused. This avenge guild player is avenging the reputation of the guy that knocked the avenge guild out of the tournament? He was incredibly wrong. This guys not dumb he’s dangerously incompetent.
Rain’s muscles tensed. This was getting dangerous. He needed to defuse the situation or get out of it fast. Before he could respond, a soft giggle echoed through the corridor. A slender figure stepped out of the shadows behind Ronin Gold—a young black woman with vibrant green hair, wearing parachute pants. She walked with a confidence and swagger that made Rain curious.
“Ronin, you’re wasting your time,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “The Avenge Guild? Bunch of fakers, all of them. It’s all for the cameras.” She looked Rain up and down with a sly smile, as if she could see straight through him. “And you,” she added, her tone light and mocking, “Nope”
Rain bristled at her words, but before he could reply, Ronin Gold laughed—a deep, resonant sound that echoed off the walls. “She’s right, you know. Avenge Guild might be big, but they don’t do much for their own. They just want to get rich and famous while we get replaced. Killing Ki bloods and fighting noobs in bars… that’s about all we’re good for. Keeps us leveling”
Leveling
Leveling is an advancement of all abilities based on experience and actions. Progression of Levels can see players stats and abilities increase greatly as well as grant players skills to which the dojo can teach the player techniques.
The woman smirked. “Exactly. You might want to find a better way to make a name for yourself, Ronin, before you end up as just another statistic.” She glanced at Rain, her expression unreadable. “And you… well, you should know that the real dangers aren’t just in the ring. You’re playing with fire, and you don’t even realize it.”
Then, with a sly signal—a small, almost imperceptible nod—she gave him the chance to hit. Rain took his opportunity with a certain pride in his lack of integrity.
With a swift motion, Rain began to channel his Ki, recalling the technique the he obtained by killing the Oni. He focused, drawing the energy into his palm, and prepared to unleash a massive fireball to assert his strength. But just as the ball of flame began to form, it fizzled out, the energy dissipating before it could take shape.
Ronin Gold didn’t even flinch. Instead, he looked at Rain with an expression of mild curiosity. “You should really read the shirt, kid,” he said, pointing to the words emblazoned across his chest. Before Rain could react, another player nearby, curious about the exchange, read the words aloud.
“Get slapped like a…” The rest of the sentence was drowned out by the deafening sound of Ronin Gold’s hand connecting with the player’s face. The slap was so powerful that it sent the unfortunate victim flying, crashing into several other players. Ronin Gold bellowed out the final word with a gleeful roar. “BITCH!”
The slap triggered a chaotic chain reaction. Players from all corners of the entrance erupted into a massive brawl, fists and Ki flying in every direction. The air was filled with the sounds of clashing techniques, explosions, and the shouts of combatants. Amidst the chaos, Rain saw his opportunity. With all eyes off him, he slipped away, dodging punches and blasts as he moved toward the exit.
The small group of veterans began to talk amongst one another now that the coast was clear.
“Not one of us had the heart to tell him??” Venus yells
“Nah, no way,” Kai muttered back. “It’s too embarrassing.”
Kimora crossed her arms. “Uggh don’t even talk about it.”
Venus sighed dramatically, resting her cheek on her hand. “I was me, you know? I fight stuff. Was an icon. A threat.” Her voice cracked slightly. “Then one day, I wake up and the best I have to make a living is a theme. ‘ thief’?!” I’ve never stolen anything in my life and i’m like 60.
Kimora sneers “heel. Falls paid more than wins’”
“Pfft,” Brooks grunted. Venus laughs “Don’t give me that! You were a constant main eventer!”
“That meant nothing. I was cutting promos for clout while my city suffered.” He smolders
“It’s the damn audience,” Venus hissed. “They pick their favorites, and the rest of us? We’re just jobbers now!”
Just outside Rain had little time to relish his escape. He had made it out of one danger only to face another. A group of powerful Players cornered him, their eyes gleaming with predatory intent. He was outmatched.
But before they could strike, a whirlwind of energy blasted through the corridor, scattering the attackers like leaves in the wind. Standing in the center of the storm was a woman, spinning her finger, as she lowered her hand, the remnants of her attack still crackling in the air.
“Hurricane Cherry!” They screamed, recognizing her immediately. “Her stats are off the charts— Let’s get out of here!” The other Players knew it too. They didn’t even attempt to retaliate, instead choosing to retreat into the shadows.
Cherry’s eyes sparkled as she surveyed the aftermath, a grin playing on her lips as she watched the cowards flee. When her gaze landed on Rain, she let out a light giggle
“Oh, my! Where have you been?! It’s good to see you! We have to catch up! Have you been eating?” Her questions coming too fast for him to reply.
She sees he’s overwhelmed “Oh thats right You did a bad!” she says before taking a deep breath.
“Rainy-day!” she exclaimed, bouncing on her heels with a giggle. “You know, it’s kinda like a rite of passage for the newbies to get heckled by the low-level Players, but c’mon, Wearin’ that hot-ass cloak? You’re practically beggin’ for it!”
Rain shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, but he could tell Cherry wasn’t buying it. She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, her expression softening slightly. “They’ve been through the wringer together, but you… you’re like a shiny new toy they ain’t never seen before! And that makes you all sorts of suspicious. Haven’t you heard about the Skill Runners?”
Rain frowned. The term was unfamiliar to him. “Skill Runners?”
Cherry’s eyes widened with an exaggerated nod, her face lighting up like she was sharing a juicy secret. “Oh yeah, those crazies who use Ki tech and monster DNA to force skills on themselves! The drawbacks are deadly, Rainy—players just kind of explode! I’ve never seen it happen but people kinda just say ‘pop!’ and there’s a bunch of elements everywhere And lately, the guilds are all paranoid, like, ‘FULL ALERT!’ tryin’ to keep those poor suckers outta the scene.”
Rain’s curiosity was piqued. “What’s so wrong with that? If it gives them power, why not?”
Cherry giggled as she continued to explain, “Because, sweetie, it ain’t real power! It’s a cheap trick, I have to laugh to keep from crying right?” Her face gets concerned “No offense but it’ll get dead everyone involved! Players, their teams innocents. Kind of a big deal. Sorry I’m bad at explainin stuff but If you’re thinkin’ about takin’ that shortcut, you better throw that idea out the window, fast!”
Rain’s confidence faltered for a moment, but he quickly pushed the doubt aside. “I’ll be fine. I’m stronger than you think. Besides, what does it matter to you?”
Cherry’s eyes began to carry a certain sadness. “Oh, Rainy, you’ve been leanin’ on that skill of yours, but it ain’t enough! You’re gonna get yourself killed, and that’s gonna make me all kinds of sad!” Cherry’s expression softened again, but there was a sadness in her eyes. “You didn’t finish your training, Rain. You left, when we needed you most.”
Rain’s heart pounded in his chest. He couldn’t afford to listen to her. He had to keep moving forward, no matter what. “Nobody needed me back there,” he said coldly. “Not you, not Streets, not the Empress. I was summoned to this world to save it, and that’s what I’m going to do. I trained day in and day out right by your side and I didn’t get any progress. I even tried using that tower before but it didn’t even respond to me. Using this skill I’ve become stronger, Cherry. I don’t have anything to do with the Black Star Dojo.”
Cherry’s playful energy matched her sarcasm, “Your stats haven’t budged an inch, Rain. You’ve been chasin’ techniques like they’re candy, but without the Ki to fuel ‘em, they’re just sugar-coated nothin’. But who am I to say You’re walkin’ into a death trap?”
She turned away, her voice tinged with regret. “I’m just a girl, that liked a boy but I won’t be waiting for you anymore.” She gave him a quick, tight hug that surprised him, then stormed off without another word, disappearing into the competitor’s entrance like a whirlwind.
You don’t have the Ki to back it up, and without that, you’re just a walking time bomb.
Rain stood there, his emotions all twisted up like a rollercoaster. Part of him wanted to run after her, to explain why he had to do this, but he knew it was too late. She was right—he hadn’t finished his training. But none of that mattered now. He had a job to do, and come hell or high water, nothing was gonna stop him.
As he steeled himself for the challenge ahead, something caught his eye. A prism on a beaded necklace, glowing faintly, was around his neck. Cherry must have slipped it on him during their confrontation. He recognized it immediately—a Tower, a portable device that contained a team’s resources, data, and communication. It was a gift, a final act of kindness from someone who still cared about him, despite everything.
The Tower’s interface suddenly sprang to life, scanning the environment, analyzing threat levels, and displaying data in a dizzying array of languages and symbols. Rain barely had time to process the information when he spotted a group of players arguing near the sign-up area. A young man, a girl, and a kid in a hoodie were in the midst of a heated discussion.
“You heard the plan,” the woman said, her voice tinged with frustration. “We’ve got to drop you here. You’ll be a liability if we don’t.”
The young man added, “Let’s go. Leave this loser and be done with him.”
Rain’s vision started to blur as the Tower’s interface bombarded him with pop-ups and alerts. He quickly dismissed them, trying to focus on what was happening in front of him. But before he could react, someone bumped into him—hard. Rain stumbled, barely catching himself before he fell. He looked up to see the meanest-looking young man he had ever encountered. The guy exuded an aura of danger, and Rain’s Tower immediately flagged him as a high-level threat.
Then, in a flash, the green-haired girl from earlier darted past him, her smirk unmistakable. She was up to something, but Rain couldn’t afford to get involved. He turned his attention back to the boy in the hoodie. The kid looked no older than sixteen, his hair in dreadlocks, his face a mask of despair. He seemed lost, defeated.
Rain’s instincts screamed at him to walk away, but something held him in place. Before he could say anything, the kid suddenly lunged at him, delivering a sucker punch to Rain’s gut. The force of the blow knocked the wind out of him, and before he knew it, everything went black.
When Rain finally regained consciousness, the chaos of the tournament grounds had faded into the background. He was lying in a dimly lit room, his head throbbing, his vision slowly clearing. As he sat up, he realized he was no longer in the same place. His clothes were different. He had a combat gi on now. His colors were black and orange and a logo he’d never seen before on the front. Shoto Jump. The room was unfamiliar, but the voices outside the door were unmistakable—Players, discussing strategies, whispering secrets, preparing for battle.
Rain gritted his teeth, pushing through the pain. He had been careless, caught off guard by a kid with more guts than sense. But that didn’t matter now. He was in the tournament, whether he liked it or not, and there was no turning back.
With renewed determination, Rain stood up, his mind focused on the battles to come. The world would soon know his name. He would prove his strength, his worth, and fulfill the mission he had been summoned for.
But first, he had to survive.