Chapter One: A New Challenger Appears

Hello, my name is Ryan M Soluto and I’m a professional gamer. Needless to say I’m strappingly handsome, with the pecks of a god, an eight pack, and biceps that could crush cars with a single flex. Now that, that’s established, I truly hope there isn’t anyone in this world that believes that shit, ever. I’m not saying I’m this world’s version of Jabba but I’m not a swimsuit model...I haven’t had a swim in years, the graphics are terribly unrealistic.

However what I do is win, yes I know that’s a catchy old song, that I may or may not play every. single. Day. I have gone through any of the popular, less popular, and terrible games this world has produced within my twenty-nine years of living on this earth. I’ve done great in each one, I haven’t won in each instance, but I’ve always, and I mean always been in the top ten.

Call me conceited, cocky, overconfident, but all that translates to me is a w-i-n. Like I said earlier, I’m a professional gamer, and I take pride in the body that’s attached to these hands, this guy. Oh, one other person I guess, my best friend Dimitri as well. We’ve been through some tough times, tough demons, and even tougher lag times. So when I saw a post on social media about a alpha and beta testing of a new undisclosed HING (Hyper Interactive Neuro-Net Game) that would ‘crush the perception of gamers, worldwide’ I had to get him on the phone.

“Yo, D, you see this new ‘mystery’ game?’ I said, excited.

“Yeah, I saw, I’ve been raking over the net, but I’ve got zero” Dimitri replied.

“Damn you too? I couldn’t find a trace of anything, their research team must be top notch to keep everything under wraps.” I said, discouraged.

“I know, but looking at their website, it says ‘The top 5% of gamers worldwide will be notified of private details, invitations, and upcoming developments.’ So let’s just wait I know you’ll get in, I just hope I make the cut as well.” Dimitri explained.

“Don’t give me that bullshit, you’re way past top 5%. Don’t you go fishing for compliments because it’s raining outside and your depressed, loser.” I joked.

“Damn, you caught me!” Dimitri dramatically said.

I wasn’t joking either, Demitri could hold his own with any gamer in the world if he tried. The problem is, he really doesn’t try most of the time unless it’s against me or if someone gets under his skin. He was once called the ‘False King’ by Hei, the reigning top gamer in the world because it was obvious he was throwing a match due to boredom. Demitri got pissed and beat his ass five times until the crowd finally got tired and started to boo Demitri off stage. Until this day Hei has never lost any other match, well he’s never challenged me, he knows better.

“I don’t know how much hype this new thing truly needs. I think it’s because no one knows what the hell is going on, but once the mystery is gone it's going to fall faster than an DLC pre order.” I said.

As said our manly goodbyes, by which I mean insulting each other a couple more times and hung up. It wasn’t until two days later when I received an cryptic email about this new game. The email text even read weird.

“Come one, come all, this is where gamers evolve beyond the normal and will either break all or be broken. Be ready for the test to help you decide. Meeting instructions are located at the bottom of each email, please be prompt. - The Beta Academy ”

“Yeah, like that sounds like something someone would ever want to be apart of.”

Going back to my homescreen and proceeded to hit up Dimitri.

“You’re going to this thing right?” I said without pause.

“Of course I am, break all or be broken? I mean I’m not Zangief or anything but I’m down for seeing how far down the rabbit hole this takes us.” Dimitri responded.

“What the hell is the beta academy anyway? “ I asked.

“Bro, I don’t even know, all it says is that they are a research company on the west coast. They specialize in neural technology, brain scans, MRI, and the such.” Dimitri replied.

“Eh, that sounds, stupid and ominus at the same time.” I said, shrugging it off.

As the week progressed, Friday finally got here, and for mostly everyone it’s the last day of their work week, but for gamers, we don’t take a day off. This day represented the first day of hell, dipped in a pool of hand baskets, if the beta academy had anything to say about it. I met up with Dimitri and we talked down to our town’s library for this ‘meeting’. Once we arrived, there was no one on the computers, having hushed conversations, not even anyone manning the front door. There was however a very tall man dressed in all black at the front desk with a pocket watch waiting for us.

“Ah, right on time, Ryan M Soluto and Dimitri O Traverse, it’s nice to meet you both, you can call me M.” M announced.

“Does the M have a mysterious meaning like Q in James Bond?” I said, smirking.

“No...It’s just my nickname, my name is Martin. Anyway, come forth, we’ve got a lot to cover and not a lot of time.” Martin replied.

Feeling like a dumbass, I followed behind the laughing Dimitri as we were taken to the back of the library into a dark room. Once we were over the threshold the lights came on to the scene of a gigantic laboratory. This wasn’t any research lab, but it was strapped to the gills with what looked like scientists, researchers, analytics, and some things I’ve never even seen before.

The hustle and bustle of this place shocked me to my core. It looked like willy wonka’s factory but if Tony Stark bought it, there was chrome everyone. Eletro-microscopes, MRI machines, deep tissue brain scans, and some rooms with tinted glass I couldn’t peer into.

“Gentlemen, as you can see before you, we take study very seriously here at the Academy.” Martin said, very proud of our expressions.

“Wait, so your academy is in the back of our library?” I said dumbfounded.

“One of the many, this is a multi-billion dollar undertaking. It wouldn't do well to have a big building sticking out in the middle of a huge city yelling ‘come crazy people, blow something up’ now would it?” Martin finished.

“He does have a point Ry. It does look better to have something like this that almost no one has any idea about.” Dimitri said.

“Okay, but how did you get everyone out of the building and how in the hell does everyone not know this place is here? It sticks out like a sore thumb, or foot, or body, or damned space station.” I said, still looking dumbfounded.

“A lesson you’ll soon learn Mr. Soluto is that power in most cases is absolute.” Martin said with finality.