Chapter 240 Valtor Shade  

Following the guide map towards the red dot on his watch, which showed the pathway to his capsule, Rio reached there.

Taking the VR headgear placed near the capsule on a table, he just took a long breath and placed it over his head. It covered half his face. After adjusting it carefully, he pressed the button at the side with his thumb and the headgear was turned on. The digital display came to life, projecting a transparent screen in front of his eyes. Various notifications started appearing in front of him.

[Initiating Biometric Scan...]

[Initiating Retina scan… ]

[User Identification Confirmed: Rio Blake]

With the scans and identification complete, Rio stepped into the capsule. The interior was a pristine and sterile space, lined with sensors and equipped with a softly padded floor to ensure the user's comfort.

The transparent cover smoothly descended over him, sealing him within. The cover was made from advanced smart glass, providing a degree of translucency that allowed for minimal light and shadows to filter through. Once he was settled in, another few notifications popped up.

In the VR world though the users had to keep the same appearance as the real world, but the digital data still gave the option to customize everyone's avatar. Students could choose the clothes they would like to wear.

[Select Clothing Option: Casual | Formal | Futuristic | Historical | Fantasy]

Seeing the notification Rio just chose casual and then instead of picking up styles or colors, he just clicked on random and then ended it. Once that was done, the final process started, as the display about the final confirmation appeared

[Enter : Y/N]

Clicking Yes without even looking Rio swiped his hand. Gotta say, it had become his habit of swiping screens sideways after talking with that useless system for so much time.

[Staging the transfer. VR network_Zenith Aqua]

[Transfer complete.]

[Health Parameters: Optimal] [You're now in Quantum Nexus]

[Welcome back, Rio Blake]

Once the last notifications sounded, he opened his eyes and found himself in an endless white hall. Gone was the VR capsule or headgear, everything was so clear and real now in front of his eyes.

He raised his hands and clenched his fists to check for the movement and sensations he could feel. He still had a doubt if Joi really messed up some settings on his server or not. That girl had a turtle brain so he couldn't even be sure.

Rio looked down to see his clothes, he was wearing a long sleeve T-shirt in gray color and a brown casual pants.

'Hmm seems nice enough' he nodded his head while pulling his sleeves up a little on both hands.

He looked around and saw many students who started appearing in the white hall.

This endless luminous space was called Quantum Hub. The entrance point for the virtual world. Everyone connected to a server would be transported here first. And from here after the administrators allows, one would be sent to the other zones.

This is where every student first enters and then rests between their tests. Those who lost or died would also be transported here, instead of directly being sent to the real world.

Rio looked around and noticed many of the idiots, who were on their first rodeo of VR choosing clothes that they liked. Like some of them chose historian clothes and were wearing stuff like they were going to get married or attend the Royal court.

Some girls were roaming around in cyberpunk style with neon plastic skirts. While some were looking like a mad Max dystopian theme junkie, with all the haggard and ragged clothes they had.

Wait, did that guy just choose a feather and leaves dress, what the fuck is wrong with him.

Rio, looked around at the weird fashion senses of some people and wanted to laugh at them, as he remembered, now they'll have to fight and finish this test in those clothes.

'That feather guy is so fucked.' Rio thought and prayed for his walk of shame later.

When all the students appeared in the hall, the projection device lit up in the center and the figures of a few professors became visible to everyone. Those were all the homeroom teachers of all the first year classes.

Harkin Inkspire for class A-1.

Mythila Nelson for class A-2.

Freya Morgan for class A-3. Osborn Evergreen for class A-4.

Arabella Lawrence for class A-5.

Apart from them, battle arts professor Thaddeus Winthrop, and technical engineering professor Dorian Lancaster were also present there. The figure of Jorvik, Joi's grandfather also appeared in the hall, as he was incharge of maintaining all the VR tech.

Aside from everyone here, a few healers were stationed to monitor everyone's vitals and pull them out in case of some emergency situation. After all, VR is good and all, but it's also risky. Your brain is basically connected to a digital world and your subconscious is pulled here in Quantum Hub, so if anyone pulled the plug or simply released a high energy wave, it could kill everyone here easily. Having someone being brain dead and having them trapped in Quantum is also a high possibility, that's why VR rooms and halls are always secured completely every time any test Or exam is going on. Except for selected staff no one can ever enter the halls once students enter the capsules. So it's all relatively safe.

The professors glanced at everyone and saw their attire. Professor Harkin noted down those who chose stylish clothes from his class and remembered their faces. Rio could see from his expression that he'll have them punished in tomorrow's class.

All the other professors did the same too, after all, it's common sense for them to think about something like this. They're coming here for a test and they're dressed like this.

"They do this every year, don't they?" Someone came near Rio and asked.

"Yupp," Rio said and turned to the side. And there he saw, one of the main characters of the , Valtor Shade. He was wearing an all black attire, which could accentuate his fighting style and element of shadow. He was also looking pretty good in it too. Rio just needed to turn a little, and he could see the girls fawning over Valtor from a distance. Well that was to be expected. After all, Valtor was too famous.

The son of the guildmaster of Nexus guild. Someone who was measured for the potential ranking of SS rank. awakened at the age of 12 and had been training among the guild ever since then. At the age of 16 he entered his first dungeon raid and cleared it. Ever since then, he's been going on with his guild members on many dungeon raids to get experience and grow stronger.

He never made many appearances in outside parties and social events, so there wasn't a single bad thing said about him anywhere.

Obviously his reputation was still an inch lower than Rio's own, who basically had the habit of breaking all these records of the characters of the . Whatever Valtor did, Rio did it better.

There was even a time when everyone would compare both him and Valtor, after all, both of them were talented and had similar elements. Shadow and darkness - different but similar.

But since Rio was supposed to be dead, Valtor had been on an even higher rise since then. All that can't just be changed and forgotten since Rio came back, right. So there were still a lot of little fangirls for our little rival of the protagonist.

"Heard you were attacked?" Valtor asked, breaking Rio out of his thoughts.

"Aren't you asking about it a little too early? It's been more than two weeks now." Rio replied. And asked straightforwardly "Just tell me what you want, Valtor. You were never good at small talks."

Hearing his direct question, Valtor hesitated for a little bit and then asked "What do you think about the first ranker? That Baron's son."

"Ohh are you curious about him? I wonder why?" Rio asked as a smile formed on his face. He didn't think it was gonna be such an interesting conversation.

"The fire and the way he uses his techniques, they aren't normal. I'm sure you noticed it too. That's why you've been paying attention to him right?" Valtor said, voicing his doubts, as he looked at Leon. magic

After fighting with him in spars for so many days, he had noticed a few abnormalities with the way Leon fights. The techniques he uses were no way normal, and anyone with discerning eyes could see it too. Valtor, who wields the opposite element of it and had faced those skills head on, knew about them the best.

"They're way too high level for something someone can learn in just two years after awakening. Or something a Baron can get." Valtor finished his words remembering the way Leon fought against him in every spar.

Rio, who heard his words, had a smirk on his face. 'Looks like you're not doing a good job, Apollo. People are picking up on your avatar's lies. Up your game a little. The real fun haven't even begun yet.'