Chapter 119: The Map of the Ghost Nodes
The crater where the Archive once stood was a silent reminder of what happens when the past refuses to stay buried. Von, Aki, Rena, and Sai sat around a small campfire, the only light in the pitch-black valley.
"So, the 'Luck Algorithm' is in my pocket, the Archive is a hole in the ground, and I'm officially a 'Manifestation of RNG'," Aki muttered, staring at the glowing crystal he'd stolen. "But there's a problem. This crystal is vibrating. It's pointing toward three different directions like a compass that's had too much caffeine."
Rena used her staff to draw a triangle in the dirt. "Those are the remaining Nodes. If the cultists get to them, they can rebuild the Archive. We have to reach them first."
Node Alpha: Located in the 'Sunken City of Glitch-Water'.
Node Beta: Hidden inside the 'Volcano of Infinite Loops'.
Node Gamma: At the very edge of the world, where the sky meets the 'Un-rendered Void'.
"I vote for the water city!" Aki raised his hand. "At least if we fail there, I can drown instead of being melted in a volcano. It's better for the skin."
Von (Volt) stood up, his grey-twilight aura flickering against the darkness. "We're going to the Sunken City. But be warned: the water there doesn't follow the laws of physics anymore. It's 'Liquid Logic.' If you think you're drowning, you are. If you believe you can breathe, you might survive."
Aki's face went pale. "So... my survival depends on my imagination? Von, my imagination is 90% full of cheese and 10% full of running away from monsters! I'm doomed!