New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

Phoenix rapidly breathed in the surrounding fire, separating the mana particles from it, and condensing it as best she could.

Before long, the icicles started pelting her flame cocoon, and it was rapidly becoming weaker. By the time she had absorbed enough Aether to do what she wanted, the cocoon was gone.

She had started taking damage from all the needles, and her health was dwindling. But she managed to save herself in time.

"Combat Pyromancy: Flame Armor," Phoenix murmured.

Flames erupted from her body, pushing away the ice needles falling at her, and melting the closest ones. The icicles stopped reaching her; the heat emanating from her being too high, and she used that to her advantage.

Phoenix darted forward, heading directly toward Violette. The girl couldn't move anymore, since holding a spell this strong required most of her focus. The best she could do was to focus the rain of ice on Phoenix's path.

The ice needle suddenly started raining in a much more concentrated fashion, trying to block Phoenix's path. She had to twirl and sidestep, as she kept slowly moving toward Violette.

Once she reached her target, Phoenix punched forward into Violette's abdomen.

"Flash-fire Fist!" she yelled out, as all the flames on her body moved to her hand and shot out instantly.

Violette felt like a sledgehammer had just impacted her body as she was sent flying backward, falling outside of the arena. She rose to her feet, but it was already too late.

Sadness clouded her mind, and she spun around to run away, feeling tears rise to her eyes. But before she could take a step away, two feminine arms enveloped her from behind.

She was lifted off her feet, and spun around rapidly, before being put on the ground again. When Violette turned, she was face to face with a smiling Phoenix.

"You are an amazing little girl! I can't believe you almost defeated me!" Phoenix blurted out, holding Violette by her shoulders.

The tears in the little girl's eyes seemed to vanish, as a sense of pride washed over her.

'The strongest mage in the game just called me amazing!' she exclaimed internally, her face beaming.

The barrier had already been shut down, and the cheers from the crowd permeated the area. The crowd was practically rioting, unsure of what they had just witnessed.

Astaroth had left the bleachers, going for the entrance of the building to wait for both of his friends. It wasn't too long before they made it out, too.

Phoenix had a radiant smile on her face, and Violette was practically shining. Astaroth waved at them.

"So. Is she up to your standards?" he asked Phoenix.

Phoenix walked up to him and playfully punched his arm.

"Where were you hiding such a gem? You can't start hoarding talented players on your own, you know?" Phoenix teased him.

"Hey! Don't blame me for that. She simply appeared in the same village as me. It's not like I forced her to join me," Astaroth chuckled, rubbing his arm.

Violette was not even listening to them, as her mind was still revelling in the praise she got from Phoenix. When she had learned that she had a high magic affinity, she had hoped she could someday be like a certain red-haired mage.

Now, her dreams were coming to fruition, as said mage was praising her talent and strength.

Astaroth saw the daze the girl was in and refrained from breaking it. He simply grabbed her hand, dragging her along as they left the area.

They promptly left before the players in the crowd started washing out and swarmed them. Popularity was good, but too much could also be a detriment.

As they faded into some alleys, the arena emptied out, much to the displeasure of the proprietors. They had made a lump sum of gold from this fight, but no one could match this level and the next fights had been cancelled.

No one wanted to pose after such a fight. There would be no one to watch it, and what little crowd would remain would not be thrilled.

Astaroth, Phoenix, and Violette prowled the quieter streets, making their way to an inn. They would be resting there for the rest of the evening.

The weekend started the next day, and they agreed to play during the day instead of the night. This way, everyone would be fresh and in their best form.

Astaroth paid for his and Violette's rooms, being flush with cash again. He had high hopes for Violette, but he knew she wouldn't win, so he had bet on Phoenix.

Phoenix gave him the stink eye when she saw him pull out the pouch of gold, sporting the arena's logo on it, knowing full well where his money came from.

He gave her a wry smile, shrugging innocently, before she also paid for a room and climbed the stairs to go rest.

Astaroth pushed along Violette, who was still in her daze, which was now starting to mix with fatigue. When he reached her room, he unlocked it, pushing her inside, reminding her to log out and rest, before closing the door and locking it.

He then walked one room further down the hall and entered it. He locked the door behind him and lay down on the soft bed.

He closed his eyes before logging out.

When he opened them again, he was staring at the familiar pod interior. He pushed it open and rose from it.

Alexander took a long, hot shower before going to bed early. Tomorrow was going to be a long and adventure-filled day.

After a long night's sleep, he woke up feeling like crap, as he always did. He walked his zombie walk to the kitchen, starting up the coffeemaker.

He also cooked himself a quick but nutritious breakfast that he ate while enjoying his coffee and the view of the city. Once done, he washed his dishes and went back to his room to dress up.

Before logging back in, he went to the gym and trained with Clark before jogging back home. Alex took another shower before lying down inside his gaming pod, and making sure the IV bags were all full.

"Log in."