"This Zone Six is insane. I bailed the second I went in."
On the curb outside the gates, a man who had clearly just exited the Zone griped as he walked.
"For real. I spawned in a city and figured it would be normals only. First guy I meet is some old man with a turtle shell on his back who beats the snot out of me. Thank God I pulled out or I was done."
"What? You got worked by an old man?"
"Not a regular old man. That old man."
"Still an old man. At least I ran into a world champion's crew. A pink fat guy, one of Mr. Satan's people."
"World champion sounds strong."
"Of course. And that pink guy? Looked pudgy, but nothing hurt him. Every hit just vanished."
The speaker did not look the least bit ashamed he had failed his run. If anything, he sounded proud to be alive. In Zone Six, survival itself counted as an achievement.
Vincent Fox listened with a small smile. "Mr. Satan, getting that PR bump again."
The image popped into his head, a man with a blown-out afro and a gift for tall tales.
He stepped toward the entrance.
"Halt, credentials."
The soldiers outside stood in a tight line, faces set. Vincent nodded, produced his student ID, and let his eyes sweep the perimeter.
"No wonder they posted so many troops. Zone Six really is on another level."
The guard checked his ID with care, then waved him through. "You are clear."
Vincent pocketed the card and walked in. A countdown hovered ahead, a little over ten minutes left. The prep area was almost empty, a stark contrast to earlier Zones. He chose a bench, sat, and focused on his breathing. Best body, best mind.
"Be careful in there, son."
A voice at the door made him open his eyes. A young man in a mask had come in. A couple stood at the threshold, also masked, hands raised in farewell. Parents, almost certainly.
"Masks," Vincent murmured under his breath. "Cautious, or just keeping identities buried?"
He closed his eyes again.
"I know. Go home." The young man did not even turn around. He flicked a hand at them and disappeared around the corner. His parents lingered, reluctant to leave, all too aware how lethal Zone Six could be.
"Our boy is grown. Come on," the husband said softly.
"Let us light incense for him," the wife replied. "Never mind glory. Let him come back alive."
They left with matching sighs.
The masked youth circled to the prep zone, scanned the space, then deliberately sat beside Vincent. Feeling the motion, Vincent opened his eyes, let the Byakugan bloom for a heartbeat, and took his measure.
Weak.
The Byakugan sketched out the man's meridians and musculature in perfect relief. For all his swagger, he would not last a finger tap from Vincent, never mind a punch.
The newcomer noticed the look and returned it, eyes traveling up and down over Vincent's frame.
"Tch."
He snorted, turned away with theatrical disdain. Vincent could only shake his head.
The countdown hit zero. The gate opened.
"I hope we meet inside," the young man said suddenly. He tugged off his mask, shot Vincent a sideways look that dripped with superiority, and stepped into the light before Vincent could answer.
Vincent watched him vanish and almost laughed. "Pray you do not."
He crossed the threshold.
In the familiar white space, the system voice rolled out.
"This Zone contains eight factions, each corresponding to a universe. Choose one to join.
"Mission brief follows.
"Beginner: help your chosen universe assemble its roster. The higher your team places in the Tournament of Power, the greater your rewards.
"Intermediate: win your universe's internal trials and qualify to represent it in the Tournament. The better your final placement, the richer the rewards.
"Advanced: win your universe's trials, represent it in the Tournament of Power, and lead your universe to the overall championship."
Vincent studied the panel and hesitated. Zone Six had a reputation for a reason. For most entrants, even the beginner task was a wall. Unlike him, they did not know the plot beats or the landscape. Telling the god of destruction who should represent an entire universe was not a polite suggestion. It was a death sentence if you were wrong.
As for winning your universe outright, that meant crushing every heavyweight at home just to qualify. Then you had to survive the arena.
"Universe 11 has Jiren, who is effectively a god-tier fighter, and Toppo, a destroyer candidate. They are probably the strongest field."
"Universe 6 has Hit with time-skip. Their overall power is lower than Jiren's side, but with team tactics they can podium."
He weighed it. With him on the board, could Universe 11 guarantee first place?
Hard to say. Late-stage Son Goku was a nightmare matchup, and Universe 7 also had Android 17 and Lord Frieza. None of them were easy outs. One-on-one, Vincent wanted to test himself against any of them. But tournaments are chaos, and Universe 7 was the land of plot armor and balanced power.
"I choose Universe 7."
He made the call. Where the main cast gathered, miracles tended to happen.
----------------------------------------------------
The deeper he goes, the more the truth unravels. Don't wait read ahead and witness Vincent's rise before the world catches up!
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