Villain Ch 1992. Elio's Determination [Part 1]
Elio exhaled sharply as the loading screen faded, dumping him back into the blazing white sands of the PvP arena.
Midday.
Bright as hell.
The kind of light that reflected off armor plates like a damn spotlight, making everyone shine like they were gods about to bleed.
He stood alone.
His boots crunched into the cracked saltstone floor, his kite shield glinting on his arm, sword sheathed for now at his hip. The wind kicked up heat in waves, making the air shimmer. And yet… he felt cold inside.
Colder than he had any right to.
[Match confirmed. Five versus one.]
The system voice echoed in his ear. Neutral. Clinical.
He didn't flinch.
Lunch break. His teammates still weren't here yet, grabbing food or flirting in town squares or maybe napping in real life. Not him. He scarfed down his food in three minutes and dove back in like an addict chasing that next hit.
And this? This was the only thing that helped.
