DIVERSE CITY PUBLIC HOSPITAL.When walking down from school, Ren had bought a single bundle of fresh flowers. He carefully placed them into the vase sitting beside his mother’s hospital bed, discarding the old, withered ones.A nurse stepped into the sterile room to check on the woman laying peacefully beneath the sheets. After a few brief equipment checkups, she offered a reassuring smile."Your mother is in stable condition. Don't worry about anything."Ren gave the nurse a respectful, tired nod. "Thank you."She left quietly, shutting the door behind her. The room fell into absolute silence, save for the faint beep... beep... beep... of the life-support machine keeping his mother alive.Ren pulled a plastic chair closer to the bedside. He dropped his school bag onto the small side table and sat down, resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward.A few heavy seconds passed before he finally forced himself to speak."Hey, Mom. How are you...?"He paused. Waiting in the qui

[CONGRATULATIONS, WARRIOR!][YOU HAVE UNLOCKED THE SUPREME BOXING SYSTEM.][YOUR TRAINING TO BECOME THE GREATEST FIGHTER BEGINS NOW.][EVOLVE AND GO BEYOND YOUR LIMITS!][GOOD LUCK, WARRIOR!]Ren's eyes fluttered open. He blinked, staring at the screen floating directly in front of him.The moment he finished reading the text, the screen vanished. His vision cleared, allowing him to take in his surroundings.He wasn't in the dirt lot behind his house anymore.Blinding morning sun reflected through large windows, a fresh breeze rustling white silk curtains.Ren sat upright on a massive king-sized bed, worth what he could make in the next twenty years."Where am I?" he muttered. He looked down, noticing an IV drip attached to the back of his hand.As he shifted his weight, a sharp pain shot straight through his ribs. He winced, pausing as his free hand moved instinctively to his side. His entire torso was tightly wrapped in thick medical bandages."Huh?"He looked closer. His finger

'Cough! Cough! Cough!!~'Ren collapsed onto the mattress, unsure of which part of his body to clutch first. As the agony slowly dulled out from his nerves, it left behind that same, heavy sense of absolute dread."Seventy times," he choked out, sweat dripping from his chin onto the sheets. "I have gone into that Sparring Void seventy damn times! And I can't even last a single second before getting knocked out."He stared down at his wrapped bandaged forearms. "If what happens in the Sparring Void translated directly to reality, I would have died an hour ago from crushed bones, internal bleeding, hemorrhage, and shock."He fell backward against the pillows, inhaling and exhaling in ragged, shallow gasps, right on the verge of hyperventilating."...I don't understand. I can't do anything! I can't dream of coming close to throwing a single punch at that shadow."Instead of closing his eyes and risking another immediate trip to the meat grinder, Ren forced himself to look at the ceiling

SAME TIME.SOMEWHERE IN DIVERSE CITY.A weary man walked down the street, dragging his feet, as though his limbs were heavy as lead. He clutched a plastic grocery bag, a heavy sigh escaping his lips every few steps."Daytime is too damn busy," he muttered, keeping his head low. "Nighttime is way better, and more quiet."He turned the corner, heading toward a secluded, rundown neighborhood.As he passed a dark alleyway, a sharp sound caught his attention."Just hand over the purse, and nobody gets hurt!"A thug cornered a woman against the brick wall, holding a small knife in his hand.The woman didn't hesitate in surrendering.She threw her hands up, trembling. "Here! Take it! Just please, don't hurt me!"The weary man stopped as he heard the confrontation.He stared into the alley and his brows furrowed into a frown.When he spoke, the exhaustion vanished from his voice, replaced by a cold sharp tone."Hey. Leave her alone."The thug's head snapped toward the entrance of the alley.

LOCATION: THE MONSTERVERSE.Monsters.It is never a simple word when used to describe the inhabitants of the Monsterverse. These creatures vary entirely based on raw strength, and their hierarchy is absolute.The stronger the monster, the greater the respect demanded. The greater the authority, the higher the rank—and with a higher rank came the right to challenge a rival for their position. A challenger could formally request a duel for a spot in the ranking, leaving the current holder to defend their place or fall.Through brutal rules and relentless requirements, a monster either rose to power or perished in the attempt.This was the law of the Monsterverse. Fight, conquer, and survive in a continuous cycle of blood, sweat, and terror.At the absolute apex of the hierarchy sat the Emperor of the Monsterverse, ruling above all others with a single, undisputed title: The Monster King.Right now, Za and Arcus materialized deep within the grand hall of the Monster King.Towering pi