Hugo and the others was enveloped by the vibrant neon glow that pulsed softly against the walls in shades of blue and violet.

They simply elt like they were in another realm,a digital wonderland where excitement hung thick in the air.

They all scattered across the expansive room like explorers on an uncharted planet, their bags tossed aside.

Their eyes darted around, too eager to absorb every detail at once. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation,who knew what adventures awaited them?

Hugo was drawn to one of the sleek gaming rigs.

He ran his fingers along its smooth steel casing, awe creeping into his voice. "This… this isn't standard consumer hardware," he murmured reverently.

"Custom chassis, liquid cooling integrated right into the frame! And look at those GPUs, quad-array stacked! Each system here must be pushing at least fifty teraflops!"

Dylan leaned closer, whistling in disbelief. "So basically, in normal terms, that's like five times more powerful than what pro teams brag about?"

"More like ten," Hugo replied flatly, his usual calm replaced by genuine amazement. "And check out those monitors,8K resolution and 480 Hz refresh rate with zero ghosting!"

Leo joined in from another side, tapping on a mechanical keyboard and delighting in its crisp clicks.

"Silver-speed optical switches? Barely a millisecond actuation? This tech isn't even available yet!"

Clara adjusted her glasses as she settled into one of the plush chairs, eyeing the interface with curiosity.

"The OS is modified too,not your typical Panterra builds. Everything here is streamlined for peak performance."

Mina stood before a massive projection screen, her cheeks stuffed with chips she had snatched earlier.

"Forget all that nerd talk! Look at this screen! It's like being in a cinema but sharper,I swear I can see pixels deep within my soul!"

Laughter erupted among them as their earlier tension melted away.

Liz leaned casually against one of the rigs, pride swelling within her as she observed her friends' reactions.

"Oh, there's even more! Storage is cloud-synced across servers in Dominion Sanctum, you'll never run out of space! Each rig runs on a dedicated fiber channel,so latency is practically nonexistent."

Her voice flowed steadily and confidently; it felt as if she had been waiting for this moment for months.

Hugo turned sharply towards her. "Wait..you're saying every single system here has its own direct server pipeline? That's military-grade infrastructure!"

Liz grinned mischievously. "Big brother believes games should run smoothly,so he made it happen."

The others groaned playfully in half-joking envy.

The lively chatter and clamor of voices filled the hall, creating a vibrant atmosphere,until the faint echo of footsteps from the back cut through the noise like a knife.

At first, no one noticed. They were simply too engrossed in testing buttons, spinning chairs, and debating which setup was the ultimate "god rig."

Just then came a simple cough, the laughter faded into silence as all of them turned sharply to the direction of the sound.

At the entrance stood Arthu, clad in his signature black attire.

His hands in his pockets; his expression was calm and steady. He didn't rush forward,he had been watching them for a while now.

"Brother!" Liz exclaimed, breaking the tension.

Without missing a beat, she dashed across the room and leapt into his arms like she used to do at school gates.

Arthur caught her effortlessly but couldn't suppress a slight twitch of exasperation on his lips. He cleared his throat again.

"You're not a little girl anymore, Liz. Let's save those hugs for when your friends aren't around."

Liz giggled as she released him but leaned against him affectionately. "What? Can't I hug my favorite brother?"

His eyes softened just slightly despite his firm tone. "Your friends are watching."

Her pout lasted only an instant before it melted into another fit of giggles.

Arthur stepped further into the room, scanning Hugo, Dylan, Leo, Clara, and Mina with an almost magnetic presence that made them instinctively straighten up.

"I hope you enjoy your time here," he said lightly. "It may not be much by some standards, but it should meet your needs."

Their lips twitched in unison at that remark. Not much? This hall could outshine even the best esports facilities worldwide! They exchanged glances filled with disbelief before nodding quickly.

"Yes! It's more than enough," Hugo managed to say awkwardly yet respectfully.

"Perfect actually," Clara chimed in while adjusting her glasses nervously.

The others echoed similar sentiments; their attempts at composure were betrayed by their nervousness.

Arthur's gaze shifted back to Liz. "Have you decided on your team name yet?"

Silence enveloped the room like a thick fog.

Liz's smile faded as embarrassment washed over her; slowly shaking her head she replied softly, "No… we haven't thought of one yet."

A faint curve appeared on Arthur's lips,a hint of a smile but it didn't fully form. "When you decide on one, let Evolon design your logo and color theme for you. They'll also prepare your team uniforms; just send Ashley the final designs."

Liz's eyes sparkled with excitement as her earlier shame vanished instantly. "Really? That's amazing! Yes..we'll definitely do it!"

Her enthusiasm was infectious. Even Clara and the others, still a bit stiff in Arthur's presence, could feel the weight of his words settle around them like a thick fog.

Arthur nodded once, then offered a line of encouragement,short and sharp, yet heavy enough to sink deep into their hearts.

"Whatever name you choose, make it worthy of your bond. Names carry weight. Don't take that lightly."

His words lingered in the air, wrapping around them like a warm blanket on a chilly night.

For a moment, none of them knew how to respond.

As he turned to leave, Arthur waved faintly before slipping out the door. His departure was as quiet as his entrance had been.

The instant the door clicked shut behind him, the five friends exhaled in unison.

"Holy...." Dylan began, but Mina quickly slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Don't swear in Liz's house!" she hissed fiercely.

Dramatically clutching her chest, Mina added, "Liz, your brother is terrifying! I thought he was going to scold us for touching something we shouldn't!"

Liz blinked in surprise. "Scary? No way! My brother's hilarious… and warm!"

The others exchanged skeptical glances.

"Hilarious?" Leo muttered under his breath.

"Warm?" Clara chimed in while adjusting her glasses. "Liz… my dad is strict too, but even he doesn't have that kind of presence."

"Your brother feels like… like a general or something," Hugo said slowly. "Not someone you argue with. Definitely not someone you want to disappoint."

Confusion washed over Liz as she tilted her head slightly.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, maybe that's just how he is with strangers. With me? He's different! Anyway, let's not waste time talking about that."

Her voice shifted suddenly,firm and resolute in a way her friends hadn't heard before.

She moved toward the lounge area and clapped her hands together sharply. "Team meeting! Now!"

The five friends exchanged glances before following suit and settling into the plush couches surrounding Liz.

Standing confidently before them with bright eyes and an unwavering stance, she declared:

"For now, let's set aside our worries about names,we'll figure it out later! But from today onward? We're not just friends who play; we're a team! That means practice schedules and commitment!"

Her friends stared at her for a moment,taken aback by her newfound captain-like authority but one by one they broke into smiles.

"Captain Liz? I like it!" Dylan joked with enthusiasm.

Hugo nodded appreciatively. "Yeah! I'm on board!"

Liz grinned widely and raised her hand high above their heads. "Then let's make this official!"

They stacked their hands together, six palms pressing down in a delightful jumble.

Laughter erupted like fireworks, filling the neon-lit hall with an infectious energy that made it impossible not to smile.

---

Meanwhile...

In a different corner of the Main Palace, Arthur sat alone in his dimly lit office.

Holographic screens floated around him, each displaying live feeds of the gaming hall from various angles,an ever-changing panorama of excitement.

He focused on Liz, who was at the heart of her friends' laughter and camaraderie, effortlessly organizing and thriving in her element.

His expression remained inscrutable, calm as stone.

Yet inside, a quiet storm brewed, a mix of pride and unease.

Watching her spirit shine so brightly filled him with joy, but it also sparked a flicker of fear.

Was she growing too fast? Too independent? A world was unfolding before her that he could no longer control.

Leaning back in his chair, he narrowed his eyes at the flickering screens. "Too fast," he murmured to himself. "She's growing too fast."

While the gaming hall echoed with laughter and vibrant life, Arthur's office stood in stark contrast,silent and still.

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