"Bao… whatever's on your mind—get rid of it," the shopkeeper whispered. "Or we're all going to die here tonight."
They stood in the kitchen.
Not as guests.
Not as heroes.
But as staff.
Their job was simple:
Manage the service robots.
Control what entered the ballroom.
Stay invisible.
Bao adjusted his uniform slightly.
A hologram flickered across his face, masking his real appearance beneath that of a stranger.
For a brief moment—
He had considered using David's face.
He didn't.
"…I know," Bao muttered.
Since shutting down Orbisterra—at least from Nelenia's side—
Something in him had changed.
He hadn't smiled once.
Not that he used to smile much.
But now—
Even the idea of it felt distant.
And it wasn't because he missed the game.
It wasn't withdrawal.
It wasn't addiction.
It was something else.
"Hey," Xun's voice cut in through the Cortex channel. "If you're going to have a heart-to-heart, don't do it on the main frequency."
Bao exhaled slowly.
Xun wasn't physically present.
He was running the operation remotely—monitoring cameras, systems, everything.
Their plan was… fragile.
They didn't know where the server room was.
They didn't know what security looked like.
They didn't even know what exactly they'd find.
Only one thing was certain:
Orbisterra's core was here.
And they had to destroy it.
"He's here," Yan's voice suddenly rang out.
Bao stiffened.
"Good evening, father," Ning's voice followed, calm but tense. "Could I speak with you privately tonight?"
A pause.
"If this is about your friend," a deep voice replied, cold and controlled, "he already escaped—and destroyed our satellite tower. I have nothing more to say on that matter."
Bao clenched his jaw.
"But what if I told you," Ning continued, "that I know where he is now?"
Silence.
Even through the Cortex channel, the ballroom music felt distant.
Muted.
Heavy.
"…Very well," the man finally said. "I suppose I can spare a few minutes for my son."
A faint chuckle.
"I've neglected that duty long enough."
Bao exchanged a quick glance with the shopkeeper.
This was it.
From the ballroom—
Applause erupted.
Bao slipped out through the kitchen's back exit.
Silent.
Controlled.
The plan was simple.
Ning would lure his father.
Make him access Orbisterra.
Bao and the others would follow.
Observe.
Locate the server room.
Then—
End it.
Bao moved down a narrow hallway.
Dimly lit.
Quiet.
At the far end—
A massive double door.
Tall.
Imposing.
He slowed.
A tablet in his hand—two drinks balanced on top.
Just another servant.
Nothing suspicious.
Carefully—
He leaned to the side.
Peeking around the corner.
Ning's father walked past the doors.
Ning followed just behind him.
"Now then," the man said, his voice echoing faintly through the Cortex channel as the doors closed, "what is so urgent that you'd interrupt my most important event of the year?"
"I need access to Orbisterra," Ning said without hesitation.
"A data extract. Subjects twenty through thirty."
A pause.
"And yes… that includes twenty-eight."
Bao's grip tightened around the tablet.
He knew what that meant.
Each player.
Each "user."
Numbered.
Catalogued.
Test subjects.
Just like him.
Even if Nelenia's connection was gone—
This system still remained.
"…That's a rather unusual request," Ning's father replied slowly.
Bao tuned them out.
Something felt off.
A shift in the air.
Presence.
He turned—
Too late.
Two men stood behind him.
Massive.
At least a head taller than him.
Bouncers.
Their bodies blocked the entire hallway.
A quick glance—
Electrified batons at their hips.
Weapons ready.
No escape.
The tablet slipped from Bao's hands.
Clatter.
He raised them slowly.
"…Well," he muttered under his breath.