Felix stood in front of the gym’s floor-length mirror, sweat dripping down his forehead. The faint hum of machinery and the rhythmic pounding of gloves hitting punching bags filled the air. He wiped his face with a towel and turned to his sparring partner, a wiry instructor with years of experience in martial arts.

"Again," the instructor said, motioning for Felix to adopt his stance.

Felix exhaled and positioned himself. His movements were sharper now, more deliberate. Weeks of training had honed his reflexes. The punches came fast, and Felix ducked, sidestepping before landing a clean counter.

"Much better," the instructor said with a nod. "You’re starting to move like someone who’s been doing this for years."

"It’s the stats," Felix muttered under his breath. "This isn’t just me."

Caroline’s voice buzzed in his earpiece. "It’s mostly you. The stats just make you a little less terrible. Also, heads up—your stream just went live. Try not to embarrass yourself."

Felix froze mid-stretch. "Wait, what? I didn’t authorize a stream."

"Relax," Caroline said, her tone amused. "The system AI did. Apparently, your tutorial performance was such a hit that they want to keep the hype going. Consider it free publicity."

Felix groaned, glancing at the small holographic camera drone hovering nearby. "Great. Just what I need—an audience."

The instructor raised an eyebrow. "You’re streaming this?"

"Apparently," Felix said, rolling his shoulders. "Let’s just pretend they’re not here."

As they resumed training, Caroline began narrating the stream in his ear. "Alright, Lix, chat’s already blowing up. Let’s see... ‘Is this guy for real?’ ‘Why’s he sweating so much?’ Oh, and here’s a classic: ‘Carryoline doing all the work again, I see.’"

Felix smirked, dodging a jab from the instructor. "Tell them to try this and see how they do."

Caroline’s voice turned mock-serious. "Felix says, ‘Put your money where your mouth is.’ Anyone want to challenge him? No? Didn’t think so."

The instructor landed a light tap on Felix’s shoulder, snapping him back to focus. "Eyes on me, kid. Stream or no stream, you’re here to train."

Felix nodded, refocusing. But Caroline wasn’t done. "Oh, here’s a good one: ‘Is this what peak performance looks like?’ And another: ‘When’s the Caroline merch dropping?’"

Felix laughed, shaking his head. "You’re loving this, aren’t you?"

"Immensely," Caroline replied. "But don’t worry, there’s some actual support in here too. ‘Looking sharp, Lix!’ ‘Can’t wait to see you in Sol Online!’ Oh, and this one’s sweet: ‘You’re inspiring me to hit the gym.’"

The session continued, with Felix’s movements growing more fluid and precise. By the end, even the instructor looked impressed. "You’ve got potential, kid. But potential only gets you so far. What’s your endgame here? You training for a fight, or just trying to impress your fans?"

Felix hesitated, wiping the sweat from his brow. "It’s... complicated. Let’s just say I need to be ready for anything."

----------------------------------------

The smell of gunpowder and the sharp crack of bullets echoed through the shooting range. Felix adjusted his stance, his sniper rifle steady in his grip. Johnny stood behind him, his arms crossed as he watched his son line up the shot.

"Take your time," Johnny said. "Breathe."

Felix inhaled deeply, the crosshairs steadying over the target’s bullseye. He squeezed the trigger, and the rifle kicked back slightly as the shot rang out. The bullet punched cleanly through the center.

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"Not bad," Johnny said, stepping forward to inspect the target. "You’re a natural."

"It’s the game," Felix admitted. "My Perception and Dexterity feel like they’ve been dialed up."

Johnny nodded thoughtfully. "Stats or no stats, you’ve still got to put in the work. Game reflexes won’t save you out here."

Felix glanced at the other end of the range, where a group of Marines—Johnny’s old squad—were testing out their weapons. They had all agreed to play Sol Online after Felix’s call to action, intrigued by the possibilities.

One of the Marines waved Felix over. "Hey, hotshot! Think you can outshoot us in the real world, too?"

Felix grinned. "Bring it."

The competition was fierce, but Felix held his own. His stats gave him an edge, but it was his focus and determination that impressed the Marines. By the end of the session, they were clapping him on the back, welcoming him into their ranks.

"Not bad, kid," one of them said. "You might just make a decent Marine after all."

Felix laughed, but Johnny’s expression was serious. "Don’t let it go to your head. Out there, it’s not about who’s the best shot. It’s about who’s the smartest, the fastest, the most adaptable."

Felix nodded, the weight of his dad’s words sinking in. He knew the road ahead would be tough, but he was ready to face it—with his dad, Caroline, and his growing skills by his side.

----------------------------------------

As they left the shooting range, Felix caught snippets of news about the asteroid and the pyramids. The public’s reaction was mixed—some were panicking, others were hopeful. Caroline provided a rundown of the latest developments, including rumors about other players who were also experiencing real-world effects from the game.

"Looks like you’re not the only one leveling up," Caroline said. "Other beta players are coming forward now that their NDAs have been lifted. They’re reporting the same thing—stats bleeding into real life. Strength, agility, even heightened senses. It’s not just a handful of people anymore. It’s hundreds, maybe thousands."

Felix frowned. "Thousands? That’s... a lot. Are they all high-level players?"

"Not necessarily," Caroline replied. "It seems to be tied to how deeply immersed they are in the game. The more time they spend in Sol Online, the stronger the effects. But here’s the kicker—some players are reporting negative side effects. Fatigue, disorientation, even hallucinations. It’s like their bodies are struggling to adapt."

Johnny’s brow furrowed. "Sounds like the game’s pushing people too hard. What’s the government saying about all this?"

"Officially? They’re downplaying it," Caroline said. "But unofficially, there are whispers of a classified project called Operation Convergence. It’s tied to the pyramids and the alien technology. From what I can gather, they’re trying to figure out how to control or replicate the effects of Sol Online."

Felix’s stomach churned. "Control it? That sounds... dangerous."

"Agreed," Caroline said. "But that’s not all. There’s also chatter about rival factions forming within the game. Some players are banding together, pooling their resources to prepare for whatever’s coming. Others are going solo, hoarding power and information. It’s creating a lot of tension."

Felix rubbed his temples, trying to process everything. "Any names I should know about?"

"Plenty," Caroline said. "There’s a guild called Eclipse that’s been making waves. They’re led by a player named Kael, who’s rumored to have maxed his level. Then there’s Ironclad, a group of former military personnel who are using their real-world training gain stats in-game and dominate with it. And don’t even get me started on the solo players. One guy, calls himself Voidwalker, has been clearing a 5-man dungeons single-handedly, and got spesial rewards for it. He’s got a reputation for being... unpredictable."

Felix groaned. "Great. So not only do we have an asteroid and alien pyramids to worry about, but now we’ve got a bunch of power-hungry gamers running around with superpowers?"

"Pretty much," Caroline said, her tone dry. "But it’s not all bad news. There are also players from other games who want to work together. A group called The Vanguard is trying to organize a global alliance. They’re calling it the Sol Coalition. Their goal is to unite players and prepare for the asteroid’s impact."

Johnny glanced at Felix. "Sounds like your kind of people."

"Maybe," Felix said, though he wasn’t convinced. "But alliances can be tricky. Everyone’s got their own agenda. Besides, I already told Aric I’m going solo. I’m not tying myself to a guild again."

Caroline’s voice was calm but firm. "Solo doesn’t mean alone, Felix. You’ve got me, your old guild, your dad, and his Marine buddies. That’s a solid foundation. You just need to figure out how to use it."

Felix smiled despite himself. "Thanks, Caroline. I’ll keep that in mind."

As they pulled into the driveway, Felix’s phone buzzed with a notification. He glanced at the screen—a message from Aric. "Felix, we need to talk. Something big’s happening Sol online AI has Emailed alot of ppl, with informasjon about the game Launch . Call me."

Caroline’s voice was calm but firm. "Looks like you’re not the only one who’s been busy."

Felix sighed, pocketing his phone. "Guess I’ll call him tomorrow. Right now, I just need some sleep."

Johnny clapped him on the shoulder. "You’ve earned it, kid. But don’t get too comfortable. Something tells me things are about to get a lot more complicated."

Felix nodded, the weight of the day settling over him. As he headed inside, Caroline’s final words lingered in his mind. "Whatever’s coming, Felix, we’ll face it together."