"Haaa..." Leon released a long sigh when his connection to the game world vanished.

He laid still on the laboratory's bed, giving his brain some time to rewire itself to the body.

"You finished a lot faster than I expected," the lab official said while staring at the results of some tests on his screen.

The official then turned around and looked Leon deeply in the eyes.

"How are you feeling?" the man asked, putting away his pen on the desk and focusing all his attention on the unusual patient.

"I will manage," Leon replied in a calm voice. He then shook his head. "Still, the leap in quality is insane," he said, raising his half-blind eyes on the official. "Do you think this version will make the final cut?" Leon then asked as he sat on the edge of his bed.

"That's debatable," the official sighed and crossed his hands over his chest. "This one needs a pretty high-quality hypno-agent to work," he admitted.

The official then stood up and shrugged his shoulders. He then turned back to his desk and took a sip of his coffee before offering Leon a fresh cup.

"E-excuse me, sir," Leon asked, mumbling his words as he averted his eyes.

Now that the young man was back in reality, his fantasy persona vanished, replaced by Leon's usual self.

"What's wrong?" the official asked, leaning his head to the side as he threw a sympathetic look on Leon's face.

"What's going to happen now?" the young man asked. He then raised his hand and scratched the back of his ear.

It was a reminder of how he could be in the game. A meaningless personal charm that Leon could use to seek the strength of his other self.

"I only learned about participating yesterday evening, so I don't really know what I'm supposed to do now," Leon admitted in a monotone voice. He ended up averting his eyes, avoiding the official's gaze.

"Ah, don't worry about it," the man smiled as if Leon's words brought back some of the memories he was fond of. The official then waved his hand before clapping it against his thigh. "There will be a guide that will lead you through all the process," he said before encouraging Leon with a small, kind smile.

Psst...

The doors opened up to the sides, revealing a figure of a perfectly fine office woman in her casual clothes.

"Follow her," the official said as he nodded his head at the woman. "It's better to sit in the lobby rather than in a lab, isn't it?" he then suggested, finally failing to stop his grin from appearing on his lips.

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"Forget about that old geezer," the woman rushed inside, reaching Leon's bed in an instant. She then wrapped her arms around his shoulder before helping the young man up. "I bet you are confused so let me help you."

The female official appeared to be in the middle of her twenties. She had every bit of look of a young, white-collar adult, yet sported a loose shirt and sweatpants. Her naked feet fitted into puffy and open sandals, completing the picture.

'This dissonance... is nice,' Leon thought, his head clouding a little when the girl suddenly broke into his personal space.

'Should I ask about...' Leon thought, only for his thoughts to freeze. 'No, I need to save this question for later,' he thought, abolishing his initial idea.

"When will the tournament match begin?" Leon asked in a calm voice.

It happened in a single instant. The young man went from a shy, reclusive young adult to a confident but calm mature person. The persona that Leon sported only in the games.

'The game has already started, didn't it?' Leon thought, his mind clearing up.

"We are waiting for everyone to get ready. It shouldn't take more than an hour. So, in the meantime, let's go to the lobby!"

For how insanely pleasant it was to have such a bombshell wrap herself around him, Leon couldn't really resist when she suddenly turned into a vortex that pulled him along.

The young man remembered taking only a few steps. And yet, when he came to be a little later, he couldn't help but notice a fancy-looking door right in front of his eyes.

"I hope you will enjoy your stay," the woman encouraged Leon only to gently shove him inside. "I will be back once everything starts so just take it easy and relax before the game," she added with a bright smile...

Only for the black wings of the entrance to close and cut Leon away from the energetic girl.

"Welcome to the lounge," a new voice reached Leon's ears, forcing him to turn away and face his new reality.

The room was as fancy as the doors leading to it. It was filled with all sorts of conveniences in every nook and cranny. From coffee machines through free snack vending machines all the way to literal meals prepared on the huge table in the middle.

There were ten people in the room besides Leon, all of whom currently turned their eyes toward him.

"Oh, I forgot to ask," Leon instantly muttered under his breath, reaching out with his hand to cover his opened mouth. "Guys, do you know if I can record my run?" Leon asked, raising his eyes.

He could easily ask this question to any of the officials. And yet, Leon held up.

All because the game was already going on.

"Record the run?" the same voice that initially welcomed Leon to the room appeared again. It belonged to a gung-ho-looking guy, wearing a full American-style outfit of jeans, a sleeveless t-shirt, and a red cap. "Oh, for clip or a stream?" the American-looking guy asked, raising his eyes to his up-right.

"That's correct," Leon confirmed, before bowing his head down before everyone. "As you already heard, I believe, I kinda just got lucky to be here," Leon dropped the bomb without any hesitation. "So rather than shaming myself in a massive competition, I will try to use this opportunity to kickstart my social profile," Leon explained his plan while his lips slowly turned into a grin.

"That's one smart approach, I will give you that," a familiar voice appeared to Leon's side. Only then did he realize that in this room, there was a person he already met. A man that accompanied the girl from before.

The man smiled as he crossed his hands on his chest.

"While it's okay to record, you will likely have to submit the footage to the company first," he then advised.

"Oh, that's perfectly fine," Leon was quick to reply. He then energetically nodded his head. "Thank you for your help!"

'The game has already started,' Leon thought, hiding an ugly smirk at the bottom of his soul. 'And I refuse to be left behind.'