The silence was heavier than the gunfire.
The Zenith helicopters had vanished into the dark valleys of Gwanaksan, assuming the "rebels" had perished in the explosion.
In the temple courtyard, the smell of gunpowder mixed with the scent of pine.
Sae-ri knelt on the cold stone. Her arms were empty. The body of the Clone Mother—the biological shell—had been taken away by the monks for cremation.
"It's done," Yoo-jin said, his voice rough.
He didn't offer empty comfort. He offered a hand.
Sae-ri looked at it. Her eyes were red, swollen, but dry. She had cried all her tears. Now, only a cold, hard resolve remained.
She took his hand. She stood up.
"Take me to her," she said.
"We have to move," Yoo-jin turned to the group. "David. The transport?"
"Waiting at the hiking trail entrance," David Kim tapped his tablet nervously. "A refrigerated logistics truck. Untraceable. I spent the last of our cash on the server rig inside."
"Good."
Yoo-jin looked at Eden. The boy was staring at his crushed right hand. Sparks popped from the exposed wiring at the wrist.
"Can you interface?" Yoo-jin asked.
"Neural link is intact," Eden said, his voice devoid of pain. "Manual input is compromised. I will require a direct jack-in."
"Let's go."
The truck rumbled down the highway, disguised as a frozen seafood delivery.
Inside the cargo container, it wasn't fish. It was a mobile command center. Banks of servers hummed against the walls, cooling fans roaring like jet engines.
"This is insane," David strapped himself into a chair. "We are fugitives. We owe the government 500 billion won. And our plan is to play a video game?"
"It's not a game," Yoo-jin adjusted the haptic suit over his chest. "It's an economy. A society. And right now, it's a prison."
He looked at the monitors. The logo of The Sanctuary spun in 4K resolution.
Welcome to a World Without Pain.
Powered by Zenith.
"Current user count?" Yoo-jin asked.
"Twelve million concurrent," So-young's voice came from the speakers. She was remote-piloting the network security. "It's the biggest launch in history. Everyone is logging in to escape the riots outside."
"Perfect," Yoo-jin said. "A captive audience."
He picked up a VR headset. It was a heavy, military-grade model David had procured from the black market.
"Rules of engagement," Yoo-jin addressed the team.
Everyone froze. Even Min-ji stopped tuning her digital guitar controller.
"One," Yoo-jin held up a finger. "Pain settings are at 100%. Mason removed the safety buffers to maximize immersion. If you get stabbed in there, your brain will think you're dying. You could go into shock."
Min-ji gulped. "So, don't get hit. Got it."
"Two," Yoo-jin continued. "If your avatar dies, your account is wiped. We lose access. We lose the Clone Mother."
Sae-ri tightened her grip on her headset. "I won't let that happen."
"Three," Yoo-jin's eyes narrowed. "We are not guests. We are viruses. We don't follow the quests. We break them."
He looked at Eden. The android was already plugged into the mainframe via a thick cable in his neck. His eyes were closed.
"Eden is our anchor," Yoo-jin said. "He'll hold the backdoor open. Sol, Luna, Min-ji—you're the noise. I'm the Director."
"And me?" David asked.
"You're the wallet," Yoo-jin said. "Anything we break, anything we steal... you liquidate it into crypto. We're paying off that debt, David. One loot drop at a time."
Yoo-jin pulled the visor down over his eyes.
"Dive."
Initializing Neural Handshake...
Synchronization: 100%
Welcome, User [Architect].
Light.
Blinding, white, absolute light.
Yoo-jin blinked. The smell of the truck was gone. The rumble of the road was gone.
He took a breath. The air tasted like vanilla and ozone.
He opened his eyes.
He was standing in a massive plaza made of white marble. Above him, a sky of impossible blue stretched forever, with two suns providing perfect, shadowless lighting.
Around him, thousands of avatars materialized in columns of light.
Some looked like elves. Some like cyberpunk street samurai. Others looked like ideal versions of their real selves—taller, thinner, cleaner.
"Whoa," a voice came from beside him.
Yoo-jin turned. Min-ji was there. Her avatar was a punk-rock demon with neon red skin and a spiked bat slung over her shoulder.
"I have horns!" Min-ji grabbed them. "This is sick!"
"Focus," Yoo-jin said.
He looked down at himself. He hadn't chosen a flashy skin. He wore a simple black suit. A Producer's uniform.
"Where are Sol and Luna?"
"Over here, Boss."
Two figures in shimmering silver cloaks approached. Their faces were obscured by digital veils.
"And Sae-ri?"
Yoo-jin scanned the crowd.
He saw her. She was standing near the fountain in the center of the plaza. Her avatar was unchanged—she looked exactly like herself.
She was staring up at the sky.
Floating in the air, high above the city, was a colossal floating island. A golden palace rested on clouds.
The Zenith Spire.
Admin Access Only.
"She's up there," Sae-ri whispered as Yoo-jin approached. "I can feel her."
"We'll get her," Yoo-jin promised.
"Attention, Citizens of Sanctuary!"
A booming voice filled the entire city. The sky dimmed.
A massive holographic projection appeared. It was Mason Gold. He looked like a god, draped in white robes, smiling benevolently.
"I welcome you to the future," Mason's voice vibrated in their chests. "Here, you are free from hunger. Free from ugly emotions. Just follow the rhythm."
Music began to play. It was the Violet Signal—subtle, hypnotic, calming.
The avatars in the plaza stopped moving. Their expressions went slack. They began to sway.
"It's a conditioning loop," Yoo-jin realized. "He's pacifying them even in the game."
"It's disgusting," Min-ji spat. She gripped her bat. "Can I hit him?"
"Not yet," Yoo-jin scanned the environment.
His vision flickered.
Text scrolled across his retina.
[Passive Skill Activated: The Producer's Eye]
[Analyzing Code Structure...]
[Identifying Weak Points...]
Yoo-jin smiled. It was just as he thought.
His old "System"—the one he destroyed in the real world—was compatible here. In reality, he was just a man. But in here? He was software. And he knew the architecture better than anyone.
He saw the hidden lines of code beneath the marble pavement. He saw the structural integrity of the fountain.
"There," Yoo-jin pointed to a massive golden statue of a 'Muse' guarding the bridge to the upper levels.
[Level 50 Gatekeeper: The Silencer]
[HP: 5,000,000]
A line of players was waiting at the bridge. They were paying tolls to pass—real money transferring to Zenith's accounts.
"That Gatekeeper controls the traffic to the residential district," Yoo-jin said. "If we take it down, we crash the toll system."
"That thing is huge," Sol whispered. "It's a Raid Boss."
"David," Yoo-jin spoke into the comms. "Are we live?"
"I've hijacked the Pirate App feed," David's voice crackled in his ear. "Streaming to the real world. Viewers are tuning in. They want to see what Starforce is doing."
"Good," Yoo-jin adjusted his cuffs.
"Let's give them a debut stage."
The Gatekeeper, a four-armed golem made of gold and speakers, looked down as five figures approached the bridge.
"HALT," the Golem boomed. "PRESENT YOUR CITIZENSHIP TOKENS."
The players in line scattered, sensing trouble.
Yoo-jin stepped forward.
"We don't have tokens," Yoo-jin said calmly. "We have a complaint."
"UNAUTHORIZED ENTITY DETECTED," The Golem's eyes glowed red. "INITIATING BAN HAMMER."
One of the Golem's massive arms raised. A giant hammer materialized, crackling with electricity.
"Min-ji," Yoo-jin said. "Rhythm check."
Min-ji grinned. She pulled her bat. She slammed it against the marble ground.
CRACK.
The sound wasn't just a noise. In the Sanctuary, sound was physics. A shockwave of red energy rippled out, knocking the surrounding players off their feet.
The Golem hesitated. "ERROR. AUDIO SPIKE DETECTED."
"Sol, Luna," Yoo-jin commanded. "Harmonize. Frequency 440Hz. Break his shield."
The twins stepped forward. They lowered their hoods.
They opened their mouths.
It wasn't a song. It was a sonic lance. A pure, high-pitched note that cut through the soothing background music of the city.
SCREEEEEEE.
The Golem's golden armor vibrated. Cracks appeared on its chest.
"THREAT LEVEL: CRITICAL," the Golem roared. It swung the hammer.
It was fast. Too fast.
The hammer descended toward Sae-ri.
"Sae-ri, move!" Min-ji screamed.
Sae-ri didn't move. She stood her ground, her eyes locked on the Golem.
"Yoo-jin," she said calmly. "Edit."
Yoo-jin reached out his hand. He didn't use a weapon. He used his mind.
[Admin Override Attempt...]
[Glitch Exploit: Texture Collision]
Yoo-jin clenched his fist.
Just as the hammer was about to crush Sae-ri, the ground beneath the Golem liquefied.
The code corrupted. The marble floor turned into a digital swamp.
SPLAT.
The Golem lost its footing. The hammer swing went wide, smashing into the bridge support.
"Now!" Yoo-jin shouted.
Min-ji leaped into the air. Her bat glowed with chaotic, distorted pixels.
"Shutdown!"
She slammed the bat into the Golem's head.
BOOOOOM.
Damage numbers exploded like confetti.
-9,999,999 CRITICAL HIT
The Golem shattered. Not into blood, but into coins. Millions of gold coins rained down from the sky.
The players watching gasped.
The "Toll Gate" dissolved. The barrier to the upper city vanished.
Yoo-jin walked through the shower of gold.
[System Alert: Zone 'Lower Plaza' Liberated.]
[Zenith Stock Value: -0.05%]
David screamed in the earpiece. "Holy crap! We just made 200 million won in loot drops! And the stream count is exploding!"
Yoo-jin didn't smile. He looked up at the floating island in the sky.
The eye of Mason Gold in the sky seemed to glare down at him.
"Keep the change," Yoo-jin said to the stunned players gathering around the loot.
He turned to his team.
"This isn't a heist," Yoo-jin declared, his digital eyes glowing with cold fury. "It's a hostile takeover."
"Next target: The Bank."