Chapter 126: The Golden Infection and the First Architect
The 'Source-Code-Key' in Aki's hand wasn't just a trophy; it was a living piece of the universe's foundation. As the Admin retreated, the golden icon began to pulse with a rhythmic heat, vibrating at a frequency that made Aki's teeth ache.
"Uh, Von? It's doing that thing again," Aki said, his voice trembling. "The 'I'm-about-to-explode-or-turn-you-into-a-toaster' thing. It's sticking to my palm!"
Before Von (Volt) could reach him, the golden light crawled up Aki's arm like liquid fire. Aki's eyes didn't turn violet like Von's; they turned a brilliant, blinding gold.
[SYSTEM OVERRIDE: Subject_777 integrating 'Admin_Rights'. Permissions: Unlocked. Reality-Bending: Enabled. Warning: Mortal vessel at 98% capacity.]
"Aki! Drop it!" Rena screamed, her hands glowing with healing magic, but the energy around Aki pushed her back like a physical wall.
"I... I can see it, Von!" Aki shouted, his body hovering a few inches off the ground. "I can see the lines! The world isn't made of dirt and water... it's made of 'If' and 'Then' statements! I can see the price tag on every blade of grass! I can see the 'HP' of the clouds!"
The Arrival of the First Architect
As Aki's transformation reached its peak, the sky didn't crack—it opened like a book. A figure descended, but it wasn't a Player or an Admin. It was an elderly man dressed in a simple, white linen robe, carrying a wooden staff that looked like it had been carved from the first tree in existence. He had no name-tag, no floating titles, and no neon armor.
He looked... human. Too human.
"The Key was never meant for a thief," the old man said, his voice echoing not in their ears, but directly in their souls. "I am the First Architect. I wrote the first line of code that created the light you stand in. And I have come to take my pen back."
Von stepped in front of Aki, his sword 'The Twilight Reaper' erupting in a flame of violet shadows. "You created a world of suffering. You turned life into a game for your amusement. If you want the Key, you'll have to delete me first."
The First Architect smiled sadly. "Volt... Iteration 500. You are my favorite failure. You were the only character that learned how to hate me. But a character cannot kill the author."
The old man simply tapped his staff on the ground.
The War of Reality vs. Code
Suddenly, the world around them began to 'un-write.' The grass turned into white text, the mountains into gray wire-frames. Von's sword began to flicker, its edges becoming jagged and pixelated.
"Sai! Rena! Protect Aki!" Von roared, lunging at the Architect.
Von's strike was perfect. It should have cut the old man in half. But the Architect didn't dodge. He simply reached out and 'paused' the moment. Von was frozen in mid-air, his blade inches from the Architect's neck.
"You are fast, but I am the one who defines 'Speed'," the Architect whispered.
Aki, still glowing gold, let out a roar of frustration. "Hey! Old man! You think you own everything because you wrote it? Well, I'm a glitch! I'm the mistake you couldn't fix! And a glitch doesn't follow the script!"
Using the power of the Key, Aki didn't attack the Architect. He 'Edited' the world. He reached into the air and 'Deleted' the gravity around the Architect.
The old man, surprised for the first time in an eternity, floated upward, his staff losing contact with the ground. The 'Pause' on Von was broken.
The Final Strike of the Glitched King
Von fell to the ground, rolled, and instantly gathered every ounce of his Twilight power. "Now, Aki! Rewrite the blade!"
Aki pointed his glowing hand at Von's sword. "From: Steel_Blade. To: Reality_Shatter. Execute!"
Von's sword turned into a blade made of pure, white static. He didn't just swing it; he unleashed a wave of 'Non-Existence' that crashed into the Architect.
The old man raised his hands, trying to 'Undo' the attack, but the Key in Aki's hand blocked the command. "Access Denied!" Aki screamed, blood trickling from his golden eyes.
The explosion of white light and violet shadows consumed the valley. When the dust settled, the First Architect was gone, leaving behind only his wooden staff, which was now broken in two.
The Cost of Victory
Aki collapsed to the ground, the golden light fading from his eyes. The Key was still in his hand, but it was now dark and cold.
"Is he... is he dead?" Sai asked, helping Aki up.
"No," Von said, looking at the broken staff. "You can't kill the First Architect. He just retreated to the 'Back-End' servers. But we've done something even more dangerous. We've shown him that his creation can fight back."
Rena looked at Aki's arm, which was now covered in faint, glowing circuitry patterns. "Aki... you're changing. The Key is merging with your DNA. You aren't just a thief anymore. You're becoming a 'Living Admin'."
Aki looked at his arm and then at the others. He tried to make a joke, but his voice was tired. "Well... I guess that means I can finally give myself infinite gold... right? Or at least a very, very large cheese?"
Von looked at the horizon. The sky was no longer blue or red. It was a clear, empty white. The war was no longer about a system. It was about who had the right to exist.