"Ladieeees aaand gentlemen! It's time for the maaaaiiiiin event of the eeeeeveniiiiing!"

Bright spotlights roved across the arena's front stage, bathing it in a mosaic of blues and reds. At its center stood the announcer, white lights reflecting off of the stitched silver threading of his tailored suit. Cheers and whoops of anticipation echoed through the shadowed crowd.

"This next match will decide: who is THE right-arm super-heavyweight champion of the world? Introducing first, the challenger!"

Off to the side, down one of the ramps leading up to the stage, the darkened waiting area bustled with activity. Backstage workers spoke in hushed voices through headsets, sending others rushing about their tasks. Among the carefully orchestrated chaos stood a tall, well-built man. He let out a long exhale and shook out his arms. The distant sound of the announcer's voice continued, introducing the first competitor to the muffled bass of some intense metal song.

"VLADIMIIIIIR 'THE LEVIATHAAAAAAN' ROMAOOOOOV!"

From this point of view, the stage was out of sight, but it wasn't hard to imagine Vladimir climbing up the other ramp as the sound of cheering swelled. Despite that, the fanfare still felt oddly muted and faraway, as though from a stadium across the street as opposed to right there. For now.

The second walkout song began to play. The tune started off soft and unassuming, a complete contrast to the last one. Yet the crowd immediately recognized it. Their fervor redoubled as adrenaline began pumping through the tall figure's system.

"Aaaaaand now! Introducing his opponent!"

The man cracked his neck and swept a hand through his dark brown hair. A worker wearing a headset held up a hand, counting down time on his fingers. It was time.

"Hailing from the Lone Star State, this man needs no introduction. He is the reigning, defending, right-arm super-heavyweight champion of the woooooorld–"

The worker waved the man toward the stage. With a grin, he stepped confidently into the blinding glare of the spotlight.

"The one! The only! CHADWICK 'GAAAAAIIIINS' ARRRRMSTROOOONG!"

Chad emerged from the darkness backstage, white teeth bared in a ferocious smile. His wavy hair was swept back out of his face, allowing his blue eyes to sparkle in the sudden spotlights. A black shirt plastered with various sponsors and logos hung off of his fit frame. But none of those were the main things a person might notice about Chad. No, most people would be stuck staring at his right arm.

He raised the disproportionately sized limb high, flexing it in a show of strength. The arm looked like it should have belonged to a man two or three times his build at least. Corded muscle and veins bulged all across its surface as his grin widened. Lumps and ridges protruded from places where most people didn't even realize there were muscles. Certainly not ones that big. All the while, the crowd roared in approval.

The sight would have been comical to anyone who didn't know who he was. And to be honest, plenty of people still made fun of his appearance. But Chad didn't care. Not with his record. He was the best in the world, and everyone who mattered knew it. Everyone except his challenger, that was.

Just as he neared the main stage, the music reached its crescendo. The crowd sang along with growing anticipation, waiting for the chorus to arrive. With a deep breath, Chad turned to the crowd and bellowed the lyrics along with them.

"SWEEEEET CAAAAROLIIIIIINE—"

"BA-BA-BAAAAA"

Taking the scene in, a grin threatened to split his face. The sound of so many voices singing this song never got old. Even still, the energy in the audience really felt like something else today.

A moment later, he stepped toward the center of the stage. A smallish table had been bolted to the floor at about waist height. Thick pads sat along its four edges - one in front of either competitor and two other taller ones to either side. Small metal gripping rods jutted up behind the taller pads, one for each wrestler. Chad stepped toward the all-too-familiar table, greeting it like an old friend. Vladimir was already waiting across from him, gaze serious.

Chad locked eyes with his opponent as he approached. Vladimir looked, for all intents and purposes, like a bull crossed with a bear that had worked as a lumberjack before he could walk. Burly muscle and hair covered every visible inch of his opponent's body. The only exception was his bald head, which practically sparkled with reflected light. In all honesty, he looked like the rightful owner of an arm like Chad's. Not that Vladimir's arms were anything to be ashamed of though. The right one in particular looked about as thick as a tree.

The pair clasped arms across the table in greeting before turning to the referee. The noticeably shorter man went over the rules that they both knew by heart.

"Any questions?"

Chad shook his head, then raised his eyebrows at his opponent. "It's not too late to back out, Vlad. You can still save some face, here."

Vladimir remained silent, still glaring stoically. Chad just shrugged. He didn't expect his opponent to be so easy to rile up. But maybe once he'd have better luck after the first round.

The competitors leaned forward and set their elbows on the pads before them. Hands gripped and regripped each other under the ref's careful supervision, sliding about to jockey for position before the match officially began. For a few moments, they were held still above the table.

"Ready… go!"

Contrary to popular belief, arm wrestling wasn't so much about pushing. The normal rotating motion one might associate with the sport wasn't exactly how things worked, especially at higher levels. That's why, instead of pushing, Chad pulled.

His arm bulged with exertion, fighting against the matching force from his opponent. The Leviathan grimaced, a vein on his temple pulsing with effort. In a battle of will and strength, neither party seemed able to find an opening.

Then, he felt it.

Vladimir shifted his grip, trying to gain some leverage by curving his wrist over. But the move left him vulnerable. Chad shifted his feet, left arm gripping the table handle, and leaned, prying the opportunity open. The bearlike man's teeth clenched as Chad screamed with effort, nearly disappearing under the table as he worked for leverage. The Leviathan was resisting, keeping him honest. But he wasn't one to let such an advantage go. With a force that felt like it would rip the very table off the stage, Chad forced the hairy hand in his grip onto the pad.

The referee called the round as Chad roared in victory, stepping away to meet the crowd's cheers. He strode up and down the stage, basking in the win until he was called back for the next round.

With a savage grin, he leaned forward and met The Leviathan's gaze again. Now though, the stony determination had a crack in it. Fear and uncertainty had taken root deep within as the man's confidence was shaken.

One down, two to go.

"Ow, ow, owwww!"

Chad lay face up and shirtless on a long white massage table, arms straight at his sides. The smells of eucalyptus and lavender wafted through the dim interior of the room – strong, but not quite cloying. At his side, a dark-haired woman with almond-shaped eyes pressed her thumbs deep into his neck and shoulders.

"I swear, Chad." She grunted as she pressed into a particularly recalcitrant knot. Her slight drawl caught a lot of people off guard, but Chad had known her long enough to barely notice. "Have you ever tried stretching?"

"I do stretch!"

"Somethin' other than your arm?" The masseuse snorted.

"Nah. Just - ow - the muscles that get me wins." The words came out a bit more high-pitched than he'd intended.

The woman shook her head in disappointment. "Honestly. You'd be so much better off if you at least tried to be more well-rounded. Time to flip."

"Nope." He obligingly rolled over with a slight grunt. "What's the point? That'd just be time I could've spent grinding more, Annie."

"Yeah, and how are you gonna grind when a muscle imbalance pulls your spine out of alignment? Or sticks you with a permanent limp?" The woman sighed, tucking a strand of hair back into her bun. "There's more to life than competing, Chad."

"Like what?"

"Like not lookin' like an absolute freak."

Chad grinned into the round face pillow. When he spoke, the words came out slightly muffled. "I don't look like a freak, Annie. I look like the champion that I am. This arm got me a 3-0 win against The Leviathan! The Leviathan!"

"Uh-huh. You keep tellin' yourself that, hun."

It was an argument they'd had many times before and would probably keep coming back to again and again. Chad simply couldn't see her point though. Just because his right arm was over twice as big as his left didn't make him a freak. It just showed how dedicated he was to his craft. If anything, it got him nods of respect from his peers and fans.

As for other people… Well, they didn't understand the grind anyway.

Annie placed a set of warm compresses along his right arm and shifted it away from his body a bit. "Alright, time for the fun part. Take a few deep breaths and relax."

She began massaging his right arm, working knots and tension out of the dense muscles. The feeling elicited a happy sigh from the arm wrestler. It felt like heaven. Sure, it hurt a bit - Annie never went easy on him - but he was a firm proponent of "no pain, no gain". Not to mention that he really needed it after that last match. Even though he'd won handily, the Leviathan was no pushover. The three rounds had left Chad feeling like he'd been kicked by a horse.

Annie had been Chad's go-to masseuse for years now. He had tried others, but despite numerous personal recommendations and great reviews, he always ended up coming back to her. No one else could hold a candle to her work. Despite the hard time she always gave him, it was well worth the trade. Not to mention that Annie was right down the street from his place.

She alternated between using the heels of her hands and elbows as Chad slowly relaxed. As strong as Annie's thumbs were, they were no match for a job like this. Finally, after a solid fifteen minutes of work, the woman paused to wipe her brow. "Alright. I'm gonna do the other side for a little while too. It'll keep your imbalance from getting any worse."

Chad grumbled but knew better than to object. Annie had her quirks, and this idea of "balance" was one of them. It was one of the conditions she refused to budge on no matter what argument he made. So as inefficient and pointless as it was, he'd have to accept it.

She straightened, stretching slightly. "I'll be right back. Gotta grab a few more warm compresses before I start. Stay right there, ok Chad?"

"You got it."

He heard the door creak open, then click closed. The arm wrestler took a moment to simply relax in the dim room, enjoying the soothing ambiance as he thought.

Now that championships were over, he'd have a bit of a break from competitions for a while. That didn't mean rest though – no, the offseason just meant more time to focus entirely on training. Without traveling and media work to get in the way, it would be much easier to settle down into a good, consistent workout routine. Well, he'd likely need to make some appearances, but still. The thought excited him.

Maybe he'd finally be able to visit gram-gram again, too. She was nearby, maybe an hour away from his place in Dallas at most. He'd made sure not to move too far away just in case she ever needed him. But with how busy things had gotten…

It's been way too long. I'll have to swing by this weekend.

After a bit more daydreaming, he cracked his eyes open. Annie's been gone for a while… I wonder what's keeping her?

As Chad lifted his head to look around, his attention was immediately diverted by something bizarre. A floating blue box full of text.

Integration initiated. Subject - Planet 1056 (Earth)

Integration starting…

Identifying lifeforms…

Implementing system…

Generating help text…

Integrating…

Integration complete.

"The hell?"

Chad rubbed his eyes, blinking a few times. The blue box remained before him. Even when looking around the room, the thing followed him like it was being projected on his eyeballs themselves.

System initialization starting…

Detecting identity…

Identity detected. Name: Chadwick Armstrong.

Assigning race…

Race detected. Race: Human.

Assigning class based on primary vocation…

Primary vocation(s) detected. 1 class available.

Please select from the following class options:

Arm Wrestler (Champion)

Associated Traits:

Specialized Training (I) - As an arm wrestler, looking like a freak is par for the course. To achieve victory, you are willing to make sacrifices that seem insane to any reasonable person.

Effect: Allows allocation of stat points to specific areas of the body. Physical stats only. Stat point effectiveness is prorated based on specificity.

Arm-ed Combat (I) - Nine out of ten boxers agree that kicking is overrated. The tenth switched to MMA, so really he doesn't count anyway.

Effect: Increased effectiveness in unarmed combat involving arms and fists.

An option will be automatically selected at random in 30 seconds.

"Annie, you seeing this?"

He glanced up before remembering that Annie still hadn't returned. He sat up, bewildered. What in the world… Is this like some sorta game…?

Bewildered, he focused on the projection that continued to block his view. He swiped his hand through it experimentally. It passed through without any apparent effect, as though this really was a sourceless hologram.

Weird. Still, despite the strange situation, the text sent a surge of pride through him.

Damn straight I've got one primary vocation. Chad's chest swelled. I'm married to the game. At least someone realizes it. Even if that someone might be a fever dream.

Deciding to play along, he took a few moments to poke at the screen, attempting to select the option. After a bit of trial and error, he found that mentally focusing on the option he wanted to select did the trick.

Class selected. Class: Arm Wrestler.

System Initialization complete.

Integration portal will open in 5 second(s).

Integration portal? What does that mean?

Integration portal will open in 3 second(s).

He called out, a little louder this time. "Hey, Annie?"

Integration portal will open in 1 second(s).

Something in the air shifted. Suddenly, a sourceless pressure bore down on Chad's entire being, as though gravity had doubled in an instant. He gritted his teeth against the crushing sensation, reflexively pushing back against it. But almost as soon as it had come, the feeling disappeared. A deep whump reverberated through his chest, as though from a shockwave far in the distance. The impact even sent the bottles on Annie's table rattling a bit. Then, everything went back to normal. The dim room fell still and silent once more.

The arm wrestler shook his head. Things are getting weirder and weirder. I don't like this…

Just as he stood to look for Annie, he heard a scream.

In an instant, Chad was out the door and sprinting down the hallway. The scream had been a woman's and Annie was the only one here today. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together.

As he barreled into the main entrance, his eyes widened at the scene unfolding before him. Annie stood at the closet near the front desk, an armful of towels lying haphazardly on the tile by her feet. Her mouth hung open in horror and surprise as she stared at… something.

Chad followed her gaze to the front of the massage parlor. Beyond the glass walls, fluttering onto the paved sidewalk, were a pair of reddish imp-like creatures. Their batlike wings and ugly demonic faces made them a dead ringer for the mythical creatures. Their heads turned toward the sudden scream, faces contorting into hissing grimaces. As he looked directly at them, Chad was surprised to see text appear above their heads.

Blood Imp (Lvl 1)

In an instant, one flapped its wings and leapt through the air, shattering the window to launch itself at Annie.

Without slowing, Chad rushed past the frightened masseuse and crashed into the imp. His elbow caught it in the chest mid-leap and sent it hurtling back against the far wall. The second growled at him, leaping after its partner and through the broken pane of glass. Chad lashed out with a vicious backhand, slamming his oversized fist into the thing's head. It connected with a solid crack. The thing fell to the ground limply, its neck bent at an awkward angle.

You have defeated a Blood Imp (Lvl 1)! +1 Exp.

The other imp struggled to its feet, still stunned and wobbly. Before it could recover, Chad ran forward and grabbed its head with his right hand. He smashed it into the floor, cracking the thin tile with the force of the blow and exploding the imp's skull like an overripe melon.

You have defeated a Blood Imp (Lvl 1)! +1 Exp.

Threat dealt with, his head whipped back toward Annie. She stood in the same place, still frozen in shock but unharmed. But her eyes weren't on Chad or the dead imps. Rather, her horrified gaze was still fixed on something outside.

Beyond the broken window, far above the city's skyscrapers, a new feature adorned the otherwise cloudless blue sky: a massive portal of swirling maroon light. Its rim shifted and morphed as though made from bloody smoke, while the center shone with an ominous glow. Out of its gaping center and spiraling down toward the ground hung a set of oddly pristine white stairs. Stairs which were currently packed with a mass of writhing bodies.

For a moment, they both stared in awe at the sight. A tide of wriggling and charging forms hurtled down the spiral stairs, some plummeting off the sides to the ground. Still more forms glided down directly from the glowing portal on wings of feather, flame, and scale. Given their distance, the sheer size of the thing had to be immense.

A moment later, Chad broke the silence. "Well, shit."