Chapter 158: The Silver Streak of Honor
The transition from the glitchy 8-bit world to Server 65 was like waking up from a pixelated nightmare into a high-definition dream. As Aki, Rena, and the team stepped through the portal, they weren't met with forests or dungeons. Instead, they stood on a sprawling, twelve-lane highway that stretched infinitely into a horizon filled with neon skyscrapers and glowing traffic lights.
"Welcome to the Transit Hub," Von announced, his violet eyes reflecting the neon glow of the city. "This is where all data in the Multiverse is sorted and shipped. To get to the Heart of the Grid, we have to cross this city. But there's a catch—no one walks in the Transit Hub. You either drive, or you get run over by the system's data-streams."
Aki looked around. Massive metallic constructs, resembling futuristic trucks, were roaring past them at impossible speeds. Each one was carrying gigabytes of information.
[SYSTEM CHALLENGE: THE GREAT SECTOR RACE]
[OBJECTIVE: REACH THE TERMINAL GATE IN UNDER 5 MINUTES.]
[REWARD: ACCESS TO THE REAL-WORLD LINK.]
"Five minutes?" Sai grumbled, looking at his heavy copper shield. "I'm a tank, Aki, not a sprinter! I can't run that fast even if I set my boots on fire!"
Aki looked at the interface. He had over 1,675,000 coins in his balance. The platinum pen in his hand began to vibrate, reacting to his thoughts. He wasn't thinking about swords or magic anymore. He was thinking about a promise. He was thinking about a silver Nissan Sunny that could withstand anything.
"We aren't running, Sai," Aki said, his voice filled with a new kind of confidence. "We're driving."
Aki stepped into the center of the highway. He raised the Golden Tooth and focused all his willpower on the 1.6 million coins. "System Override! Materialize Unit: The Silver Guardian!"
The air began to hum. Thousands of golden coins flew out of Aki's inventory, swirling in a vortex of light. They began to take shape, forming a chassis, four wheels, and a sleek, silver body. It wasn't a tank or a spaceship. It was a perfect, reinforced replica of a silver Nissan Sunny N17, but with glowing blue lines of code running along its sides and a jet-turbine engine visible through the rear window.
"Whoa..." Rena breathed, touching the cool, silver metal. "It's beautiful, Aki. It feels... solid. Like it belongs in the real world."
"Get in! Fast!" Aki commanded, jumping into the driver's seat.
The interior was luxurious, filled with holographic displays showing the map of the city. Sai squeezed into the back, and Von hovered in the passenger seat. As Aki gripped the steering wheel, a message flashed on the windshield:
[SYNCING WITH AUTHOR'S WILL: 100%.]
[ENGINE STATUS: POWERED BY GRATITUDE.]
Aki slammed his foot on the accelerator. The engine didn't roar; it sang. The Silver Guardian shot forward, pinning everyone to their seats. They weren't just driving; they were a streak of silver lightning cutting through the neon chaos of the city.
Behind them, the System Enforcers appeared—black, jagged motorcycles ridden by shadow-programs. They began firing red lasers at the car.
"Aki, they're gaining on us!" Rena yelled, looking through the back window.
"Sai, use the coins to reinforce the rear bumper! Rena, channel your light magic into the headlights!" Aki shouted as he drifted the car around a sharp corner, the tires screaming against the digital asphalt.
Aki saw a massive gap in the highway ahead where the road had been deleted. "Everyone, hold on!"
He didn't slow down. He tapped the platinum pen against the dashboard. "Boost! Million-Coin Overdrive!"
The car's exhaust ports erupted with golden flames. The Silver Guardian soared through the air, jumping over the mile-wide gap. For a few seconds, everything went silent. Aki looked down at his hands—they were steady. He felt like he was finally in control of his destiny.
They landed with a heavy thud on the other side, the suspension absorbing the shock perfectly. The Terminal Gate was right in front of them—a massive archway of white light.
[TIME REMAINING: 0:10... 0:09...]
Aki pushed the engine to its absolute limit. The silver paint started to glow white-hot. With a final burst of speed, they crashed through the Gate just as the timer hit zero.
[CHALLENGE COMPLETE.]
[LEVEL UP: CHAPTER 105 COMPLETED.]
[NEW ITEM ACQUIRED: THE KEY OF THE PROVIDER.]
The car came to a slow halt in a quiet, white void. The neon city was gone. Aki stepped out of the car, his legs shaking slightly. In his hand, a new key had appeared—a silver key with a Nissan logo, but it was glowing with the power of the Multiverse.
"You did it, Aki," Von said, stepping out next to him. "That key... it's not just for a car. It's a fragment of the bridge between this world and yours. You're 77,000 words in. The contract is almost within reach."
Aki looked at the Silver Guardian. It was scratched and covered in digital dust, but it was still standing. Just like his father. Just like his dream.
"We're getting that car, Dad," Aki whispered to the empty void. "I'm almost home."