### Chapter 3: Crash-Landing in the Starborn Arena
Jaxon Vell stumbled out of the tutorial portal, still clutching his singed pizza box like it was his only friend in this cosmic madhouse. The Starborn Arena's hub sprawled before him, a neon-drenched city floating in a starry void that made Las Vegas look like a gas station. Towers of crystal pulsed with colors Jaxon didn't know existed, floating platforms zipped like flying Ubers, and the air hummed with a mix of magic and sci-fi static. "Okay," he muttered, brushing glitter off his delivery jacket, "either I'm tripping on expired mozzarella, or this place is *nuts*."
The Cosmic Jester's voice echoed from nowhere, his mohawk practically glowing through the void. "Welcome to the Arena Hub, pizza champ! Your home base for surviving, thriving, and maybe not dying!" The crowd of gods in the stands—shimmering, shape-shifting weirdos—cheered, their voices shaking the platform under Jaxon's sneakers. He spotted the stern goddess from before, her black-hole eyes glaring like he'd just spilled coffee on her cosmic robe.
"Home base?" Jaxon snorted, waving his pizza box. "Unless this place has a couch and Netflix, I'm not calling it home." His *Trickster's Spark* system pinged in his vision, the glowing interface flashing: *Chaos Charisma (Level 1) Active. Influence +5% for witty remarks.* A few gods chuckled, and Jaxon grinned. "Alright, system, I see you. Keep the points coming."
Before he could bask in his minor fame, a shadow loomed. A towering figure in gleaming silver armor strutted forward, a knight with a jawline sharper than a katana and eyes that screamed *I'm better than you*. "You're the new meat?" the knight sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "Vara, Champion of Solaris. And you're… a delivery boy?" He eyed Jaxon's pizza box like it was a war crime.
Jaxon's smirk didn't waver. "Jaxon Vell, Champion of Extra Cheese. Bet I can out-quip you before you polish that ego to a shine." The *Spark* tingled, rewarding his jab with *+10 Spark Points*. Vara's face twitched, but the gods' laughter drowned out his retort. Jaxon caught a glimpse of the shapeshifter from the stands—her sly smile flashing again—before she vanished into the crowd.
"Enough!" the Cosmic Jester boomed, appearing in a burst of neon sparks. "Time to meet your fellow freaks—er, champions!" He waved, and the platform filled with a motley crew: a six-armed archer juggling knives, a cyborg with a glowing mohawk (clearly a Jester fan), and a hooded figure whispering to a floating orb. Jaxon counted at least a dozen, each radiating power and attitude. "These are your rivals in the Starborn Arena," the Jester continued. "Win challenges, earn *Spark* points, and maybe you'll outshine them. Or, y'know, crash and burn."
Jaxon leaned toward the cyborg, whispering, "Is this guy always this extra?" The cyborg snorted, but Vara shot him a death glare. The *Spark* pinged: *Chaos Charisma Success. +5 Spark Points for ally nudge.* Jaxon grinned—maybe he could charm his way through this.
The Jester clapped, and the hub's central crystal flared, projecting a holographic arena that looked like a neon jungle crossed with a rave. "Your first real challenge!" he declared. "The Disco Volcano of Dimension Z! Survive its lava beasts, dodge its laser traps, and maybe don't trip over your own ego, Vara!" The knight bristled, but the gods roared with laughter. Jaxon's *Spark* chimed: *Challenge Accepted. Objective: Survive Disco Volcano. Reward: 500 Spark Points, Skill Upgrade.*
"Lava beasts? Laser traps?" Jaxon muttered, gripping his pizza box. "This is what I get for not calling in sick." The platform rumbled, and a portal yawned open, its violet glow pulsing with heat and bass-heavy music. The other champions charged forward, Vara shoving past Jaxon with a smirk. "Try not to die, delivery boy."
Jaxon's heart raced, but his smirk held firm. "Oh, Vara, when I win, I'm putting your name on the 'employee of the month' wall at Pizza Palace." The *Spark* rewarded his quip with *+10 Points*, and the shapeshifter's laugh echoed from the crowd, her eyes locking on his for a split second. Something told Jaxon she'd be more than a spectator soon.
As the portal's heat washed over him, Jaxon squared his shoulders. "Alright, multiverse. Time to deliver some chaos." With a final glance at his pizza box—his last shred of normalcy—he charged into the glowing unknown, ready to make the Arena his stage.