"What are those idiots doing there again?" Rakin muttered, squinting at the exploding stars in the faraway space. "I swear, if I get another complaint from Xina, I will kill them both. Even I have my limit…"

  Shaking his head, he looked away from the vast window. With a wave of his hand, the entire wall shifted back to its usual metallic red, sealing off the access to the outside world.

  At least they haven't destroyed anything yet, he thought, heading back to his desk. Though, at this rate, it's only a matter of time. Those two really put too much weight on my title…

  Rakin dropped onto his luxurious armchair, sinking into the soft leather. At least he could still count on some things in his life to remain reliable.

  And speaking of, shouldn't Nar—

  The sudden hiss of his office door sliding open cut off the thought.

  Rakin looked up and grinned.

  His main assistant strode in, the very picture of immaculate perfection. Her dark blue skin glowed under the room's soft lighting, while feathery silver hair fell over her shoulders in perfect waves. Not even her attire left room for criticism—a pristine black suit mostly hidden by a robe clearer than the sky outside.

  Exactly what he—and only he—expected from his right hand. Everyone else still couldn't fathom how someone so different from him, from his faction, had become his assistant. If only they knew…

  "Narin, my dear," Rakin exclaimed, spreading his arms. "For a moment there, I thought you forgot about our meeting."

  The woman arched a single silver eyebrow as she took a seat across from him. "I'm right on time, sir. Just like I always am. Do I need to get you a new clock?"

  "No, no, you don't," he waved her off. "What do you have for me today? Are all the reports in?"

  Narin nodded. "I have just returned from Overlord Conductor's territory. The next Integration has officially begun."

  "Excellent. We have waited long enough." Rakin smiled, lacing his fingers together. "Also, what have I told you about using our titles when we are alone?"

  "To not use them."

  "So what will you do?" he prodded.

  "Keep using them. It would be disrespectful not to do so," she answered with the straightest face in the whole universe.

  Of course you will… Rakin groaned and swore, "One day, I will get you, Narin."

  "Keep telling yourself that, sir. Whatever helps you sleep at night," the woman said, her golden eyes glinting. "Now, would you like to hear the bid and situational report? Or shall I leave you to your brooding?"

  And you dare to talk about respect… If only my Wraiths could see you now, Rakin lamented internally, while keeping the emotions from showing on his face. "Very well, go on. How many planets did we get this time?"

  "Sixty-four. And you, sir, have won the bid for the nine of them. I'm sure you have felt the connection forming."

  "I did," he muttered, frowning. "Nine… That's not much. How many went to the upstarts?"

  A bracelet on Narin's left wrist flashed lightly, and she hummed, scanning a small note that appeared in her hand. "Fifteen, which, all things considered, isn't that much."

  A small grin tugged at his lips. "Breakout then. Wonderful. Tell me there is more than one."

  "There is," Narin said, also allowing herself a small smile. "Three, to be exact. The Overseer had listed them as Earth, Eldoria, and Oblivis. Overlord Conductor has yet to release information about their population but shall do so within a day. For now, all we know is that the Overseer has already deployed Contamination Zones there and prepared the usual rewards for the Pioneers."

  Three. Been a while since we had more than two. We must have gone overboard with our bids, Rakin hummed, tapping his fingers on the desk. What if we spice things up a bit? The Overseer's ideas are always so dull. I'm sure Viktor will agree…

  "Sir? Please stop. I know this look." Narin's voice cut through his thoughts, sharp and knowing. "Last time someone interfered with the Breakout stages, we lost two planets. The entire tournament had to be rearranged. I don't think I need to remind you how the Overseer reacted."

  He held back a grimace. Yes, he remembered well what happened that day. There was a reason why he and the other Overlords were still winning fewer bids than usual. Still, his new idea was far from the sheer stupidity they had pulled back then.

  "Don't worry, my dear." He offered her what he hoped was a comforting smile. "I have no plans to interfere with the planets directly. I just thought about spicing things up a bit for the Pioneers. You know, better rewards for a higher risk. I'm sure the Overseer won't have anything against that."

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  Narin held his gaze for a moment before sighing. "Very well, sir. Do you wish for me to contact Overlord Conductor?"

  Rakin shook his head. "No need. I haven't talked to Viktor in a while. I might as well use this opportunity to visit him and discuss some matters I have been delaying for a while."

  "As you wish, sir. Shall I at least prepare the bonus rewards?"

  He snapped his fingers. "Now that's a good idea. You do that, my dear. You can never know if the Overseer will be generous enough to provide them on its own. Oh! Also, please inform the old crow of what's happening. He might as well start the broadcast early, or at least get some bonus footage."

  "Consider it done, sir." The note in her hand disappeared, only to be replaced by a much larger paper. "Here I also have the full situational report… along with a summary," she added.

  You know me so well.

  Rakin grinned. "Thank you! What would I ever do without you?"

  "I ask myself the same question every morning," Narin muttered before clearing her throat, eyes scanning the report. "The Broken Realm has expanded again—by approximately six percent this time. We're unsure what it consumed just yet, but again, this information should be available tomorrow or, in the worst case, the day after. Other than that, Overlord Jailer has asked for the support of your Wraiths for a few days."

  He clicked his tongue. "Of course she did. If I didn't know any better, I would say she is trying to steal them from me."

  "They are effective."

  "As are her generals," Rakin grumbled. "But fine, I have been holding them back for too long anyway. At least everybody will be sleeping well for a few days."

  Narin glanced toward the wall housing his windows, her eyes glowing. It didn't take a genius to guess what she was really looking at.

  "Hopefully," she said, rising from her seat. "Though I doubt that." She smoothed out her robe. "I'll be leaving now, sir. Please remember you have to be present at the Prime Arena tonight. Other than that, I wish you a good day."

  Rakin flashed her another grin. "You too, Narin. You too. I will see you tonight."

  The woman nodded and approached the exit, the door sliding open as she did. With one final look at him, she stepped outside, leaving him alone in the large office.

  The grin fell off Rakin's face as he leaned back into his armchair. All in all, this Integration was shaping up well. The low number of successful bids was concerning, but he would take it in exchange for three Breakouts. Those planets were always the most interesting to watch—always produced hosts with the highest potential.

  Once he finished his business with Viktor, he would need to meditate and study the new links now connected to him. Better to conduct proper reconnaissance before the broadcast and the following tournaments began. It would be a pity if someone with decent potential slipped past his radar because he neglected his duties.

  After all, despite his title, he had plans—many, many plans. Some of these were already in motion, while others waited for the right time or necessary resources. And with the new Integration upon them, it was the perfect time to advance his moving shadows.

  Show me what you can do, my dear new hosts. Impress me, and I shall give you the world. This universe has stagnated for long enough.

  Rakin jumped to his feet and also headed for the door. There was still much to be done. Thankfully, he had been at this for ages. Even if this Integration failed to bring new opportunities, there would always be the next one—and the ones after that.

  Chaos he might be, but patience had always been his greatest strength.

  Deep in the godforsaken stone chamber, lost in the middle of who-knows-where, Isaac was hard at work, testing weapon after weapon left behind by the Interface. Despite his initial worries—and the obvious rust—none of the blades crumbled in his hands. Even after attempting to cut into the chamber walls, there were no visible signs of damage on the weapons.

  But why are they so light?

  That was the part he couldn't understand. Everything he had seen during his quite short life, suggested that swords, or even pole arms, should be heavy. He couldn't have been more wrong.

  Despite his somewhat meager strength, he had no issue swinging any of the blades left and right. Sure, some weapons required a two-handed grip, but only for control, not due to weight.

  Can't be more than five or six pounds, Isaac mused as he placed a rusty longsword on the stone table. Out of all the normal blades, it felt the most comfortable to wield. Now, he just had to find a scabbard. He had seen some below the racks.

  "That makes two," he muttered, glancing at the other weapon on the table.

  It was a very simple polearm—a long, sharp metal blade with a pointy tip attached to a sturdy wooden shaft. Isaac had no idea how to use it properly, or what it was even called, but he could see it being useful during whatever the Interface prepared for him. At the very least, he could always throw it.

  Now for range.

  His gaze went back to the weapon racks, or more specifically, to those holding bows and crossbows. The former was out of the question. He would sooner hurt himself than make an accurate shot with those.

  But a crossbow? Now, that had potential. Not much, but maybe with enough luck, he wouldn't kill himself. Besides, he still had plenty of time to get some experience.

  Another plus of crossbows was that unlike the rest of the equipment in the chamber, those looked somewhat modern. That alone should make them easier to use than a bow. Or so he hoped.

  And so, for the next hour or so, he tested different crossbows, learning how to reload and fire them. His accuracy was far from perfect—or even decent—but with enough practice, he might at least hit a stationary target. Though, given his low agility and abysmal success rate, he didn't hold out much hope.

  "A break it is then." Isaac sighed, dropping the crossbow on the table and grabbing the glass filled with water.

  He gave the liquid a dubious look before taking a sip. At first, he had planned to leave the offering alone, but after an hour inside the chamber, the Interface had provided him with another message, stating that the food was safe.

  Not that he believed it at face value. However, he also couldn't go too long without drinking and eating. Swinging different blades for hours to no end was exhausting. He had already shed the jacket and one pair of pants, and still felt like a pig from all the sweat drenching his body.

  Maybe I should take one of the daggers, Isaac wondered before shaking his head. Nah, the knife will do, even if using it makes me feel like I did something wrong… Not my fault that the Interface snatched me off the face of Earth before I could have gone to the bank.

  Hopefully, Mrs. Jackson would understand… or not. In the end, he didn't promise her anything and could always help her out once he returned.

  "Three more hours. Better get back to wor—ugh!"

  Pain unlike any other erupted straight from his heart, spreading into his veins like wildfire. Isaac collapsed to his knees, just barely registering the red text now floating in front of him.

  Origin awakening successful. Brace yourself, Host.

  Yo!

  This would be it for the initial drop. From now on, I will be posting one chapter every day for about a month. After that? We will see how it goes. In any case, I hope you all enjoyed this little part of my new story. Things are just getting started.

  If you would like to help this story grow, please Every little bit of your assistance matters. Thank you, and see ya for another chapter tomorrow!