All around the world, numerous people's phones and other devices chimed, a notification about a certain person coming online popping on their gadgets, but while many sighed and ignored this message, having grown and seen the bigger picture of the world, those who still remembered their younger days immediately clicked on this notification.
For those who were opportune, they got into their pods or put on their helmet while the rest just clicked on their phones and live streamed a video.
While a buzz was going around the world particularly with the younger generation the source of this small commotion sat in the spectator stand of a battle arena watching the combatants in the ring.
The notification to spectate this bizarre match had popped up in Fhize, personal game lobby and interested, he had come to the stands.
For the first minutes, while the combatant fought, he had been engrossed in their rather educative battle unaware of the sensation he was or was causing till soon people started appearing around him all of them looking at him.
"Teddy-blood"
"King of the unranked"
"Are you really teddy-blood"
For a while these people appearing around him had bombarded Fhize with questions, and was everyone not constricted to a seat at the stand only able to move to another free one and not stand up from it, Fhize feared he might have been swarmed.
Silently he chose the mute option zooming out of all the people around him and quietly letting several pieces of memory he never knew he had filter into his head.
"So I'm the infamous teddy blood, king of the unranked," Fhize muttered as new information flooded into his head.
"Now the question I have for myself is why did want to lose these memories, I even brainwashed myself into disliking Zen online and believing that I threw away my helmet."
While the world chattered around him messages for a battle request pouring into his mail, Fhize remained silently watching the battlefield and then just as the pair in the arena seemed about to end their battle he sent a battle request.
[Teddy-blood(unranked) has sent you a battle request]
"Huh"
Marko who after getting Crusher2q3 focus back on their match and was about to end his lesson with a brutal high kick to his head stopped, looked at the screen that had appeared before his eyes and then directed his gaze towards the spectator stand.
He left the just barely standing boy and moved over to the man who had stolen his little spotlight and he asked for clarification.
"You want to fight me"
Other than physical communication which was restricted, any other form of communication was allowed in Zen online so long as both parties allowed it.
"Yes"
Mark was taken aback by the excitement he could hear in the voice talking to him despite how calm it was and to clear up his disbelief he questioned some more.
"You do understand that if you fight me and lose, your winning streak would be gone right? I don't know why you're still showing as unraked after two years of absence, but you do know if you lose your streak you'll be forced to stay here in the unranked zone and grind for another 100 matches."
Other than turning his hair white, wearing a red mask that covered his nose and mouth and making his eyes bright blue Fhize had left every other thing about himself the same and with his blue eyes peering into Marko's dark orbs he indifferently answered.
"Yes"
Despite getting conformation, the absurdity of a match between himself and the infamous teddy-blood had Marko hesitant to accept the battle request but before he could think further, the crowd around him began talking after all it wasn't like he and teddy-blood's conversation had been private.
[Battle between teddy-blood(Unranked) and Grindbomb(c). Underdog fight of the decade]
In different forms, the several spectators who had come to see the mysterious Teddy-blood but had now seen teddy-blood challenge a C-rank player could not help but want to spread the news. Broadcasting the information in their own words.
Looking left and right, and seeing how quickly things were spiralling out of control, the colour drained out of Marko's face but before he could speak again he noticed Fhize look away from him to his game screen with interest.
On Fhize's screen, there was a bundle of messages with the tag 'priority messages" and inside there Fhize could see about a dozen challenges from several C-rank players.
"Forget it" Fhize said his figure disappearing from the stands the next second.
The sudden disinterest and disregard for his presence had Marko shocked and then when he noticed murmurs about him and his grade, his eyes couldn't help but narrow.
Sure the infamous teddy-blood had once been his idol, but that was in the past, back then he was just a hopeless E rank, now things were different he was in a totally different league than the infamous King of Unranked.
With a frown on his face, he hastily ended his current battle and clicking accept on Fhize battle request, he stood in the ring and waited for his opponent to appear, the shouts and exclamations from the stand fading into the background.
"To think I subconsciously rated an unranked player higher than myself and even fear to fight him, today I'll break free of this mental prison."
Returning to his lobby, Fhize was busy going through the several battle requests he had received and letting his brain recollect memories of his past interactions with some of the individuals when Marko's acceptance of his battle request came in.
A huge timer counting down from 10 appeared in his lobby and he could only look at it with a frown.
"I'm no longer interested, cancel the battle"
[An accepted battle challenge cannot be reneged by either participant]