The Omnipotent System

HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…

The sound of air pressure releasing filled the dimly lit room as the pods slowly unlocked. One by one, the lids slid open, releasing cool mist into the air.

Jack was the first to sit up, running a hand through his sweat-damp hair. His muscles felt stiff, like he had just finished an intense workout. Even though it was all in the game, the full-dive system made their bodies react as if it was real.

Arianna practically leaped out of her pod, stretching her arms high above her head. "Wooooah, that was crazy!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing in the quiet room. She turned to Jack, grinning. "Did you see me? I was so cool!"

Jack snorted, stepping out of his pod. "Yeah, yeah, little miss MVP. You totally carried us."

Arianna puffed up her chest, nodding proudly. "I did save you guys a couple of times!"

Jameson groaned as he sat up, rubbing his temples. "Ugh… my head hurts. Anderson hit way too hard."

Erren climbed out next, stretching out her stiff legs. "That's because you kept trying to parry him," she said with a smirk. "With a dagger. Against that monster. What were you thinking?"

Jameson shrugged. "I dunno. Thought I could pull it off."

Elamenor stepped out last, rolling his shoulders. His usual cocky grin was still there, but there was something else in his eyes—excitement. "We actually made him bleed," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

Jack turned to him. "Yeah. That was insane."

They stood there for a moment, the weight of what had just happened in the game still sinking in. The room was dimly lit, the neon-blue glow of the pods casting soft shadows across the walls. Outside the glass walls of the gaming lounge, the city skyline stretched endlessly, lights flickering like stars in the night.

Jack exhaled, cracking his neck. "So… we passed."

Arianna flopped onto the nearest couch, kicking her legs. "Yep! And we got some crazy levels from it too! I wonder what our rankings are now?"

Jameson grabbed his phone and quickly checked the game's leaderboard. His eyes widened. "Uh… guys?"

Jack leaned over. "What?"

Jameson turned the screen to them.

[TOP PLAYERS—WORLD RANKINGS]

1. Jack

2. Arianna

3. Elamenor

4. Jameson

5. Erren

6. Kieran

7. Su Yang

Arianna nearly fell off the couch. "I'M IN THE TOP TEN!?"

Elamenor's eyes narrowed. "I'm ranked third?"

Elamenor crossed his arms. "And Jack is number one…"

Jack sighed, rubbing his face. "Whatever. We'll deal with that later."

Arianna, still hyped from her new ranking, jumped to her feet. "Okay, but seriously, that fight was awesome! The way Anderson moved was insane! And that part where Elamenor went full 'RAHHH' mode and started throwing punches like a madman—"

Elamenor smirked. "That was fun."

"And Jack!" Arianna spun toward him, mimicking his stance. "You were all like—BOOM! Black lightning everywhere! CRACK! Fist to the face! KABOOM! Epic explosion!"

Jack raised an eyebrow. "…That's not how it happened."

"It felt like it!" Arianna threw a few mock punches in the air, then spun dramatically. "And then I was like—'Formation: Stasis Lock!' And the chains wrapped around Anderson like SWOOOSH! But then he just—FWOOOM! melted them! And I was like 'NOOOOOO!' But then Kieran was all 'TAKE THIS!' and tried to slash him and—!"

Jack sighed, sitting down. "She's gonna be like this for a while."

Jameson chuckled. "Let her have it. She did good."

Arianna beamed, spinning in circles. "Damn right I did!"

Erren watched her with amusement. "So, what's next?"

Jack leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "We take a break. Get some real food. Maybe sleep."

Elamenor smirked. "And then?"

Jack's eyes flicked toward him, a grin creeping onto his face.

"Then we go back."

The Aftermath

HISSSSSSSSSSS…

The familiar sound of the pod unlocking echoed through Kieran's dimly lit apartment. The lid slid open, releasing a thin mist of cooling vapor. His fingers twitched as his senses returned, his head pounding like he'd just woken up from a wild dream—or maybe a nightmare.

Slowly, he sat up, running a shaky hand through his damp hair. His body felt heavy, muscles sore like he had actually fought in that battle. But that wasn't possible, right? It was just a game. Just a game.

So why the hell did it feel so real?

He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling as he stared at the neon lights flickering outside his window. The city was alive, the hum of traffic and distant chatter blending into the background. But Kieran barely noticed. His mind was still in the game. Still in that moment.

That fight.

That monster.

And that name.

Chaosgod.

Kieran shivered, gripping the edge of the pod as flashes of the battle replayed in his mind. The power. The sheer overwhelming power that thing had. It wasn't normal. It wasn't like any boss he had ever faced before. It wasn't programmed like something from a game.

His hands clenched into fists.

"Who… were those people?" he muttered under his breath.

They weren't NPCs. He was sure of it. The way they moved, the way they fought, the way they reacted—it was too fluid, too natural. They were real players. And yet… they weren't like any players he had ever encountered before.

Especially him.

That guy. The one with the black lightning. Jack.

Kieran had seen top players before. He had fought against world-ranked legends, traded blows with the best of the best. But Jack? That was something else entirely. That wasn't just skill. That wasn't just talent. That was like fighting against a force of nature.

And then there was the other one.

The one with the wild, beast-like movements. The one who laughed as he fought. Who grinned through the pain. Elamenor.

Kieran exhaled sharply.

How the hell were those two at the top?

And why did it feel like they weren't even going all out?

His phone buzzed beside him, the screen lighting up with notifications. He ignored most of them, except one. The one that made his stomach twist.

[TOP PLAYERS—WORLD RANKINGS]

He hesitated before opening it. A part of him already knew what he would see.

1. Jack

2. Arianna

3. Elamenor

4. Jameson

5. Erren

6. Kieran

7. Su Yang

Sixth.

Kieran narrowed his eyes.

He closed his phone, leaning back against the pod. He could feel his heartbeat in his ears, his breathing uneven. None of this made sense.

The rankings, the fight, that thing they fought against—everything about this felt wrong.

And yet, for some reason…

His lips curled into a small grin.

For the first time in years, Kieran felt excited.