Chapter 167 167: I accept...

The screen showed gameplay footage from Elder Genes, the VR game he'd played that afternoon. But this wasn't ordinary gameplay. The clips showed his character performing techniques that should have been impossible within the game's mechanics—techniques that looked suspiciously like the void he used in real life. Noah remembered the moment clearly. It had felt amazing at the time. Liberating. Now it looked like a colossal mistake. "Is this you?" Kelvin asked, his voice rising with excitement. "Did you seriously pull off these moves in Elder Genes?" Noah swallowed hard. "I... might have found some exploit in the system." Kelvin's eyes widened to almost comical proportions. "An exploit? Noah, these moves aren't just exploits. The gaming forums are calling it a complete revolution of the combat system. Nobody's ever seen anything like it." 'Because it shouldn't be possible without my system,' Noah thought grimly. Kelvin swiped to another screen, showing a formal announcement with the Elder Genes company logo. "And now this! Gigarose herself has issued a challenge to the player known as ShadowOracle for a live exhibition match!" Noah felt lightheaded. "Gigarose? The creator of the game?" "The one and only!" Kelvin was practically bouncing now. "Nobody knows who she really is—she never appears in public, just uses an avatar for all communications. But she's a legend! Her company makes the best games on the market, and Elder Genes is their crown jewel." Noah handed the tablet back, trying to process this development. "How did they even connect this to me? I wasn't using my real name in-game." Kelvin's enthusiasm dimmed slightly. "Ah, that might be my fault. I recognized your playing style from the clips and might have mentioned in the forums that I knew who ShadowOracle was. I didn't give your name!" he added quickly. "Just said my roommate was the one behind those incredible moves." 'Great. So much for anonymity.' "Kelvin..." "I know, I know. But do you realize what this means?" Kelvin gripped Noah's shoulders. "If you accept this challenge, you'll be playing against the creator of Elder Genes herself! The stream will have millions of viewers worldwide! This could make you famous!" 'Or expose me completely,' Noah thought. "I don't think this is a good idea," Noah said cautiously. "The competition—" "Is days away," Kelvin interrupted. "The exhibition match is tomorrow night. You'll have plenty of time to rest before your final qualification match." His expression turned pleading. "Come on, man. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. How many players get personally challenged by Gigarose?" Noah ran a hand through his hair, weighing his options. The smart move would be to decline, to distance himself from the ShadowOracle identity completely. But that might raise even more questions. Plus, there was a part of him—a reckless, curious part—that wondered what it would be like to face off against the legendary game creator. "I'll think about it," he finally said. Kelvin whooped, taking that as a yes. "This is going to be epic! I'll help you prepare. I've been studying Gigarose's known playing style for years. She typically uses a hybrid approach that combines..." As Kelvin rambled on about strategy and tactics, Noah's mind drifted to the implications. If he accepted the challenge, he'd have to be extremely careful not to reveal too much about his abilities. He'd need to create a believable explanation for the techniques shown in the clips, something that could be attributed to clever exploitation of game mechanics rather than any hacks. But even then, it was the creator the game. How was he going to fool her?! 'I could claim I discovered a hidden combat system. Or maybe that I found a way to chain specific movements that the developers didn't anticipate.' It would be risky. But perhaps less risky than declining and drawing even more attention to himself. "...and she never uses the standard blocking mechanics, always opts for dodges instead," Kelvin was saying as they walked back toward the arena. "Oh, and we'll need to set up your VR rig in the common room. The lighting's better there for streaming." Noah held up a hand. "I haven't agreed to anything yet." Kelvin grinned. "But you will. I know that look in your eye. You can't resist a challenge." He wasn't entirely wrong. Noah had always been competitive by nature, even before his abilities had manifested. The thought of testing himself against someone of Gigarose's caliber was undeniably tempting. 'Maybe I can use this as an opportunity rather than a liability,' he thought. 'If I participate but deliberately underperform, it might help divert attention from my real capabilities.' "Fine," Noah said with a sigh that was only partially feigned. "I'll do it. But you're handling all the technical setup." Kelvin's face lit up with pure joy. "Yes! This is going to be amazing! My best friend versus Gigarose!" He paused, his expression suddenly serious. "Wait, does this mean I can tell people we know each other now?" Noah rolled his eyes. "Just don't make me regret this, okay?" As they rejoined the others, Noah couldn't help but wonder if he was making a massive mistake. The last thing he needed was more scrutiny, more attention. Yet here he was, about to step into the spotlight. 'Ten points from the knockdown, and now a high-profile gaming match.' He suppressed a grimace. 'What happened to keeping a low profile?' But as his friends gathered around him, talking excitedly about both his victory in the arena and the upcoming virtual challenge, Noah felt a reluctant smile form. Perhaps there was a way to navigate this situation without compromising himself. After all, adapting to unexpected circumstances was what he did best—both in combat and in life. "So," Sophie asked, sliding her arm through his, "what was that all about?" Noah exchanged a glance with Kelvin, who was practically vibrating with excitement. "Apparently," Noah said with measured casualness, "I've been invited to play a game." "A what now?" Sophie asked not sure she understood what he meant. "It's nothing really. Boy stuff," he said with a sigh. She looked at him for second and didn't push it. Choosing instead to look at the ongoing matches. While the next match unfolded in the arena, Noah found a quiet corner and pulled out his phone. With Kelvin's revelation about his trending status, he needed to see exactly what people were saying. He opened the Elder Genes forum and was immediately bombarded with threads about the mysterious Shadow Oracle. "Did anyone see those abilities? They're not even coded into the game!" "Shadow Oracle has to be a hacker. No other explanation." "Rumor has it they're from the military academy. A YEAR 1 student? No way." "Maybe it's a veteran player using a new account? Those shadow manipulations were too precise for a novice." "Gigarose wouldn't challenge a cheater. There must be more to this." Noah scrolled through the comments, his uneasiness growing. All these theories and speculations had been circulating for weeks, and he'd had no idea until today. While he'd been focused on his training and the upcoming competition, his gaming sessions had apparently caused quite a stir in the virtual world. 'I didn't even use chi in the game,' he thought with a grimace. 'I used void abilities. Completely different energy signature. But I suppose that's even worse—void manipulation isn't supposed to exist at all in this world.' His system had interfaced with the game mechanics, allowing him to access his void powers within Elder Genes. What had seemed like a harmless way to blow off steam now threatened to expose him on multiple fronts. With a quick mental command, Noah whispered "Profile" in his mind. Immediately, a translucent blue screen appeared before his eyes, visible only to him. [Noah Eclipse's Updated Stats] [Name: Noah Eclipse] [Level: 20] [Class: Void Oracle] [Health Points: 600/600] [Void Energy: 950/950] [Experience: 8500/10,000] [Talents:] • Void Summoning [SSS RANK] • Perfect Echo [Sealed] • Self-Regeneration [B RANK] [Enhanced Skills:] • Void Blink (Level 6) – Short-range teleportation, reduced cooldown (8 seconds) • Null Strike (Level 4) – Increased entropy damage, can ignore minor defenses (Void energy - 100) • Void Absorption (Level 3) – Can now absorb moderate energy attacks • Entropy Touch (Level 3) – Decay effect lasts longer (Void energy - 100) [Updated Attributes:] • Strength: 57 • Agility: 65 • Vitality: 54 • Intelligence: 73 • Wisdom: 69 Noah stared at the stats, a mix of satisfaction and concern washing over him. His levels had increased significantly—all from playing a game. While he used chi techniques in the real world as cover, his true abilities stemmed from the void, a power his system allowed him to harness. 'At least it's paying off,' he thought, noting his enhanced skills. As he studied his profile, a notification appeared at the bottom of the translucent screen: [Quest Updated: Conquer Elder Genes Boss!] Noah stared at the screen, not knowing what to say. He read on. [Objective: Defeat Gigarose in the exhibition match] [Reward: ???] "You know what..." He closed the profile with another mental command as he heard footsteps approaching. Kelvin appeared, still buzzing with excitement. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere. The forums are going crazy about your match with Gigarose tomorrow." Kelvin dropped onto the bench beside Noah. "What are you going to do? Please tell me you have a strategy." Noah pocketed his phone. "I'm still processing this whole situation. Until an hour ago, I didn't even know people were watching my gameplay." "Not just watching," Kelvin emphasized. "Analyzing. Theorizing. There are frame-by-frame breakdowns of your void techniques." His eyes widened with admiration. "How did you even discover that exploit? The shadow element isn't even supposed to be able to do all that you can in Elder Genes. The other gamers complain they can't access your avatar apparently," 'Because it's not an exploit,' Noah thought. 'It's who I am.' Aloud, he said, "I was just experimenting with some command combinations. Must have triggered something in the code." Kelvin looked skeptical. "Command combinations don't create entirely new ability animations and effects. The powers you used had unique visual signatures that aren't in the game files—trust me, people have checked." Noah shrugged, aiming for nonchalance. "Maybe it was a hidden developer feature. Easter eggs and all that." "That would explain why Gigarose is so interested," Kelvin mused. "If you accidentally discovered some unreleased content..." He trailed off, then clapped Noah on the shoulder. "Either way, this is huge. The challenge is scheduled for 8 PM tomorrow. The whole dorm is planning to watch." "The whole dorm?" Noah felt a headache forming behind his eyes. "And probably the entire academy, once word spreads about who Shadow Oracle really is." Kelvin grinned. "Your win today plus the Gigarose challenge? You're going to be a campus celebrity." 'Just what I need,' Noah thought grimly. 'More attention.' "Speaking of your match," Kelvin continued, lowering his voice, "those techniques you used against Kazuki were incredible. The way you fought..." He gave Noah a curious look. "It almost reminded me of some of the things Shadow Oracle did in the game. You are becoming your own avatar, bro," Noah's heart skipped a beat. "That's... a weird comparison. Real combat versus a VR game?" "I know, I know. But there was something about the way you moved, the mannerisms, they looked similar," Kelvin shook his head. "Probably just my imagination. Too many hours watching gameplay videos." Noah forced a laugh. "Definitely. Chi manipulation and video game abilities are worlds apart." Kelvin snatched his phone from his hand, unlocking it with a quick swipe. "You know what? Instead of just lurking and reading through forum posts like some ghost, you should make your own account." Noah frowned. "What? No. Why would I—" "Too late," Kelvin cut in, fingers already flying over the screen. "You're Shadow Oracle now, whether you like it or not. Might as well own it." Noah groaned. "Kelvin—" "Done." Kelvin shoved the phone into his hands. Noah stared at the screen in horror. A fresh account, his username already locked in, and a post glaring back at him: #I am not a hack. And @Gigarose, I accept! Noah nearly dropped the phone. "You did not just—" Kelvin grinned. "Oh, I absolutely did." Noah scrolled through the comments already trickling in, his headache intensifying. 'Great..just great,'