The Centurian Entertainment employee, whose name tag read 'Anya,' led Gabriel off the battle platform and through a series of stark, metallic corridors. The air, thick with the smell of sweat and ozone from the previous rounds, was quickly replaced by the clinical, chilled air of an office building. Gabriel's bruised body moved stiffly, every step a reminder of the physical cost of his victory.
Outside the warehouse bay doors, the contrast was blinding. Waiting on the cracked asphalt was a long, obsidian-black Maybach limousine.
"Transportation to headquarters," Anya explained, holding the door open. "Standard courtesy for our champions."
The drive was silent and surreal. The limo's interior was plush, with tinted windows that rendered the outside world irrelevant. Twenty minutes later, the vehicle slowed, pulling up to the Centurian Entertainment Global Headquarters.
The building was a technological marvel, a soaring structure of curved, mirrored glass and brushed steel that seemed to defy gravity. It wasn't just immaculate; it was integrated—the lights, the ventilation, the very texture of the pavement surrounding it all suggested hyper-optimized design. Gabriel's mind immediately began cataloging the architectural efficiency.
Anya escorted him past security and into a private, minimalist lounge. Waiting there was a man in his late forties with a sharp, tailored suit and a calm, unnerving presence.
"Mr. Knightwing. Congratulations," the man said, extending a hand. "I'm Julian Vance, Head Game Designer for Eternium. You've proven to be the most efficient candidate across the entire North American bracket. I'm here to finalize your access."
Julian gestured to a door that slid open silently, revealing a series of seven identical, sleek black capsules. They looked less like gaming equipment and more like funerary monuments designed by a futurist.
"These are your VR Life Pods," Julian continued, his voice smooth and professional. "They are your tether to Eternium and our promise of a fully immersive experience. The interior is lined with a high-density, comfortable cushioning. Once you enter, the pod will fill with a pressurized, oxygenated Newtonian fluid."
Gabriel raised an eyebrow, ignoring the throbbing pain in his ribs. "Hydrostatic support for impact mitigation?"
"Precisely," Julian confirmed with a nod of respect. "Full kinematic feedback requires a stable medium. It also allows us to administer small, non-invasive electrical pulses through the fluid. These pulses provide passive muscle exercise, ensuring your physical muscles do not atrophy, even during prolonged immersion."
A perfect system, Gabriel acknowledged internally. Biological maintenance integrated into the core function.
The Genesis Tokens
Julian turned, his expression shifting from technical pride to guarded excitement. "Now, for the true reward of winning the Global Access Tournament. The Life Pod is your entry ticket, but your victory has earned you something unique: two Genesis Tokens."
He paused, letting the significance sink in. Gabriel analyzed the pause—it was a calculated move to increase the perceived value of the item.
"The Genesis Tokens are not an item, currency, or skill," Julian explained. "They are system commands. They grant you the ability to Fuse any two existing aspects of Eternium. Crucially, they are a consumable item that can be activated at any time during your playthrough."
Gabriel felt a genuine spike of analytical curiosity for the first time since the fight. "Aspects? Classes? Racial traits? Skills?"
"Any two," Julian confirmed. "Imagine fusing the raw damage scaling of a Berserker Class with the instant, silent movement of a Rogue. Or fusing the passive healing ability of the Elven Race with the passive mining income of the Dwarf Race. You could create a completely unique build that no one else in the game has access to at launch. It is a one-time, permanent opportunity to rewrite a fragment of our code's foundational rules, and you can choose the moment of maximum strategic impact."
This is the true challenge, Gabriel realized. A chance to optimize the system before it even begins, or to save the advantage for a critical progression point. S-Rank intellectual efficiency applied to creation.
"Your first objective inside the pod will be system synchronization," Julian concluded, gesturing to the pod at the end of the row. "You will be presented with the character creation screen, and your two Genesis Tokens will be automatically delivered to your System Inventory. Choose wisely when to deploy them, Mr. Knightwing. The world is waiting for its first champion."
Gabriel walked stiffly toward the designated pod. He had won the physical game, endured the pain, and now possessed the most powerful analytical tool possible: the ability to hack the foundation of a brand new system.
He stepped inside. The door hissed shut, sealing him into the marble-black capsule.
A voice, not Julian's, but the same digitized voice from the tournament, filled the space.
[CENTURIAN ENTERTAINMENT. ETERNIUM ACCESS TOKEN VERIFIED.]
[INITIATING BIOLOGICAL SCAN AND SYSTEM SYNCHRONIZATION.]
The air chilled, and a thick, slightly warm liquid began to rise, rapidly enveloping his body. The gentle, almost imperceptible current of the anti-atrophy pulses started, but Gabriel ignored them. His focus was entirely internal.
Two Genesis Tokens. What two aspects will generate the most efficient, dominant threat matrix? The answer is not yet available. Saving the tokens.
[SYNCHRONIZATION COMPLETE. WELCOME TO ETERNIUM.]
[PROFILING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ATTRIBUTES...]