The VR pods hissed open one by one, releasing their occupants back into the real world. Kyle groaned as he peeled himself off the padded interior, his muscles aching as if he'd actually fought for hours.
Beside him, Eleanora sat up smoothly, though her fingers twitched slightly—phantom echoes of the battle still lingering in her nerves.
The room was dead silent.
Kyle blinked, adjusting to the bright lights of the VR chamber. Then he noticed—everyone was staring at them.
All the other students had been eliminated earlier and had watched the final battle play out on the massive screens lining the walls. Their expressions ranged from shock to outright disbelief.
A low murmur spread through the crowd.
"Did you see that lightning serpent?" someone whispered.
"That darkness dome—how is that even possible at Bronze rank?"
