Author's Note: Do Not Unlock Yet. Chapter Is Still Under Construction.
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The Academy's faint mechanical whirring from the vents overhead seemed almost peaceful in contrast to the brutal world he had just escaped from.
Victor wiped his forehead, groaning.
"This is a problem."
He flopped backward onto the bed dramatically.
"What kind of persistent creep waits five damn days for someone to log back in?" he muttered. "Bro needs therapy. And maybe a hobby."
He rubbed his sore muscles instinctively, even though technically he hadn't taken real damage.
I'm gonna need a damn army at this rate.
Victor lay there thinking about what his next move would be.
---sss
The moment Victor tucked himself back under the bedsheets that night, clutching his VR helmet like a forbidden secret, he knew it was going to be a long night.
Still, he logged into Ascendant Realms with the same optimism he carried into every stupid decision:
Maybe this time, I'll get lucky.
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