Chapter 156: The invitation from the Void
Oakhaven had finally settled into a rhythm of peace, but for Aki, the quiet was starting to feel heavy. He was sitting in his workshop, surrounded by broken drones and half-fixed tablets, when a notification appeared on every single screen in the room. It wasn't a pop-up, and it wasn't a glitch. It was a golden envelope with a seal that looked like an infinity symbol.
"Rena! Von! Sai! Get in here!" Aki yelled, his voice echoing with a mix of excitement and dread.
As they gathered around, the envelope opened, projecting a 3D hologram of a woman made of pure white light. She didn't look like Marcus or any of the Architects. She looked... ancient.
"Greetings, survivors of Server 777," the hologram spoke, her voice sounding like a thousand bells. "You have done the impossible. You have broken the cycle of the simulation. But beyond your world lies the 'Greater Grid'—a network of a thousand servers, all falling into chaos. We need a team. Not a team of soldiers, but a team of 'Anomalies' who know how to break the rules."
The Beta Test Offer
"The Greater Grid?" Von stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "We just finished fighting for our lives on the moon. Why should we help you?"
"Because," the woman replied, "the collapse of the other servers is leaking into your reality. If you don't help us stabilize the Grid, Oakhaven will be the first to dissolve. We are offering you a position as Universal Beta Testers. You will have your powers back, but this time, they will be official. You will be the law-bringers of the digital multiverse."
Aki looked at the screen, then at his friends. He saw the spark in Sai's eyes and the determination on Rena's face. They weren't meant for a quiet life. They were meant for greatness.
"What's the first mission?" Aki asked, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"Server 909: The Steampunk Wasteland," the woman said. "A virus has turned the machines against the players. If you accept, your transit will begin in... three... two... one..."
The Leap into the Unknown
The floor of the workshop suddenly turned into a swirling vortex of golden light. One by one, they stepped in, leaving the real world behind once again. But this time, they weren't running away. They were heading into the fight.
As Aki felt the familiar sensation of his data being recompiled, he saw his new 'Status Window' pop up:
[NAME: AKI (THE GHOST OF TWILIGHT)]
[ROLE: LEAD BETA TESTER]
[LEVEL: ???]
[MISSION: SAVE SERVER 909]
"Here we go again," Aki laughed as he vanished into the golden light.