A Wooden Stick Against the Galaxy
By @john1208
Ruzbeh, once the deadliest shadow-assassin of a forgotten ancient era, has finally found the peace he always craved. Reborn into a high-tech galactic society where physical combat is a laughable relic replaced by laser-pulsing mechas, his only goal is to nap in the sun and bake pastries for his sweet new little brother, Omid. But groceries cost credits. Logging into the Avesta Star Network to farm low-level bounties, Ruzbeh immediately finds himself in a desperate chase, hunted by a squad of elite player mechas for accidentally trespassing in a high-tier zone. Too lazy to keep running, he picks up a glitchy environmental wooden stick, channels his ancient qi, and effortlessly dismantles his pursuers - accidentally swatting the galaxy's reigning virtual champion, Soraya Vance, out of the sky in the process.
Furious and obsessed, Soraya tracks down this mysterious prodigy in the real world, only to find a gentle, sleepy slacker who immediately melts her heart. As a heartwarming romance blossoms between the intense champion and the lazy assassin, a silent timer ticks in the background. Ruzbeh's ancient soul is burning through his futuristic body, giving him only six months to reach the network's Zenith Tier to solidify his existence. Can the slacker conquer the galaxy before he fades away?
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