Chapter 136: The Password of the Real World
The golden archway of the Out-Gate loomed over them, its surface rippling like the surface of a sunlit lake. This was the exit, the boundary between the digital prison and the world where Leo was watching.
"We're here," Kyle whispered, his voice trembling as he looked at the gate. "But look... the prompt. It's asking for a 'Final Verification'."
A massive, transparent screen appeared in front of the gate.
[INPUT REQUIRED: THE TRUTH BEYOND THE CODE. HINT: WHAT CANNOT BE REPLICATED?]
"A password?" Aki scratched his head, looking at the golden scar on his palm. "Is it 'Admin123'? Or maybe 'GodMode_On'? That's what I'd use if I were a creator."
Von (Volt) stepped forward, touching the screen. "No. The Architects hate things they can't predict. They can replicate power, magic, and even our faces. But there is one thing a machine can never truly have."
"And what's that?" Rena asked, holding her staff tight.
"Regret," Von said. He didn't type a word. He focused his mind on the memory of his first failure—the day he realized he was just a puppet for the system. He let the feeling of 'Loss' flow from his twilight energy into the gate.
The screen flickered from red to white.
[VERIFICATION SUCCESSFUL. IDENTITY: SOVEREIGN OF SELF. ACCESS GRANTED.]
"Aki! Sai! Rena!" Von roared as the gate began to pull them in. "This is it! Hold on to your memories, because the moment we cross, we aren't data anymore!"
Aki grabbed his daggers, a wild grin on his face. "Hey, Kyle! Make sure that burger you promised me is waiting on the other side!"
With a blinding flash of white light, the group vanished from the world of Server 777, leaving behind an empty valley and a system that had finally lost its crown