> Area: Southeast of MetaCore — Dark Eye Ravaged Lands
Estimated Time: 4:02 AM IRL
Level: 9
Technomancer Class Progression: 63%
The lands of MetaCore were like nothing else.
Hulks of ancient mechanical colossi lay on the ground, living cables snaked through the ruins like forgotten veins of a changing world. Z3RO advanced slowly, his boots crumbling in magnetic black dust, B.I.T. flying above him, silent but active.
> "Environmental scan... unstable energy detected. Anomalous frequency on beta waves."
Z3RO clenched his jaw.
"Another disturbance? I haven't even finished stabilizing my last craft..."
He opened a holographic interface. His plans for technological advancement were clear: create a dual-mode energy revolver capable of switching between a paralyzing pulse and a concentrated plasma blast. But each prototype had overheated or exploded after a few tests.
And for good reason: it lacked a military-grade stabilizer core. Unavailable in standard zones.
> "Craft Revolver: 42% complete — Critical overload risk: high."
He grimaced.
"If I enter a corrupted zone with an unstable gun... I'm signing my death warrant."
🧠 The Plan
He had organized himself:
Recover the components from the ruins of the old mech base.
Hack a central data console.
Extract the complete blueprint for the N-E3 stabilizer.
And leave alive.
Easy said. Less done.
He activated Tactical Infiltration, a skill that temporarily reduced his detection to enemy radars. But even so, he wasn't advancing without fear.
B.I.T. abruptly turned his head toward a collapsed structure.
> "Movement detected. Unidentified hostile entity — Analysis protocol initiated."
— Not now...
Z3RO crouched behind a gutted generator. His heart was pounding, but not like facing a boss or a player. No... it was that feeling of the unexpected. Of being alone against a world evolving without him.
🧩 Frustration & Realization
He thought of it again: Hakaijin.
His fluid sword. His surgical timing. His complete lack of fear.
Z3RO wasn't cowardly. He was... strategic. But he had just reached a limit.
> "I need to be able to survive… even without B.I.T. Even without gadgets."
He accessed his class interface and selected the secondary weapon integration tab.
> Available weapon: Energy Dagger — Not activated
Option: "Integrate a medium-range tactical model?"
He hesitated.
Then clicked YES.
> New quest unlocked: "Autonomy Forge — Find and adapt a custom sidearm."
Objective: Infiltrate the "Stratopoint Sigma" mech zone
He sighed, then straightened up.
"Okay. I can't beat him yet. But I'm going to build something even he can't keep up with." > [End of Part 1 of Chapter 20 — Z3RO]
> Part 2: Hakaijin
> Area: Murim Rim — Black Lake and Ruined Shrine
Estimated Time: 12:12 PM IG / 5:16 AM IRL
Level: 9
Special Quest Progress: 2 out of 3 Fragments
The Black Lake emitted no reflection. Its surface was too calm, as if frozen in a time older than that of the game. Hakaijin was there, kneeling, his blade resting beside him.
Around it, the mist crept like a sleeping beast.
He had just absorbed the second fragment of the Phantom Saber, and already, he felt a transformation. Not in his power… but in his perception of the world.
> [ORIAS System: Next Suggested Destination — Murim Silent Gorge]
Area Type: Forbidden Shrine | Difficulty: Unknown | Persistent Memories: Active
> ⚠️ Warning: This area contains sentient entities from shattered memories.
He reread the last line several times.
— "Sentient… entities?"
🗡️ The incomplete… but living weapon
He touched the spectral handle hanging from his waist. The object vibrated as if breathing through it.
> Item: Fragment of Shinjitsu no Yoru
Status: Incomplete (2/3)
Temporary Bonus: Access to the "Inner Void" stance – increases mental clarity and precision in combat.
Hakaijin took a deep breath.
He wasn't looking for power. He was looking for… the real himself.
FLASHBACK — 3 hours earlier (IRL)
> Location: Family Dojo — Outskirts of Seoul
Time: 5:02 AM
A cup of hot tea lay untouched on the floor. His mother, still asleep in the next room. And he, alone, cross-legged in front of his capsule, thinking.
— "I never chose this life. So I choose Genesis."
🧭 Change of direction
He stood up, ready to head towards the Silent Gorge, when a silhouette briefly appeared in his HUD.
> [Partial signal detection…]
Type: Unknown
Source: Unlisted entity | Classification: Non-NPC — Non-Player
A breath of air. A faint voice in the fog.
> "Why are you seeking a weapon that requires you to give up your name…?"
He turned around. No one. But the aura remained… present.
> [Special Quest Update: "The Weight of the Name" – Bonus Objective Unlocked]
He frowned.
— "This isn't a quest like any other. This game is testing me. Not my character… me."
He sheathed his sword, firmed his stance, and entered the path to the Silent Gorge.
✦ End of Chapter 20 — Part 2: Hakaijin
> Next: CHAPTER 21 — Tournament Preparation
# Chapter 20 - First Steps, New Paths
**Area:** Southeast of MetaCore — Dark Eye Ravaged Lands
**Estimated Time:** 4:02 AM IRL
**Level:** 9
**Technomancer Class Progression:** 63%
**Perspective:** Z3RO/Arzane
The lands of MetaCore were like nothing else in Genesis. Ancient mechanical colossi lay scattered across the wasteland like the bones of forgotten titans, their chrome surfaces dulled by decades of digital erosion. Living cables snaked through the ruins like arteries of a dying world, pulsing with residual energy that made the air itself taste of copper and ozone.
I advanced slowly through the magnetic black dust that crunched beneath my boots with each step. The desolation was complete—no birds sang here, no wind stirred the debris. Only the soft hum of B.I.T.'s processors as my companion drone flew overhead, its sensors sweeping the area for threats.
"Environmental scan complete," B.I.T.'s synthetic voice cut through the silence. "Unstable energy detected. Anomalous frequency on beta waves."
I clenched my jaw, feeling the familiar weight of frustration settle in my chest. "Another disturbance? I haven't even finished stabilizing my last craft..."
I pulled up my holographic interface, the blue light casting eerie shadows across the twisted metal landscape. My plans for technological advancement were laid out in perfect detail—a dual-mode energy revolver capable of switching between a paralyzing pulse and a concentrated plasma blast. The weapon would be revolutionary, a perfect fusion of my engineering skills and combat necessity.
But each prototype had failed spectacularly. Overheating after three shots, catastrophic energy feedback, complete system failure. The latest attempt had nearly taken my left hand off when the power core ruptured.
"Craft Progress: Dual-Mode Revolver - 42% complete," I muttered, reading the display. "Critical overload risk: High."
The reason was simple, infuriating, and completely predictable. I lacked a military-grade stabilizer core—a component that simply wasn't available in standard zones. The kind of hardware that only existed in places like this, where death was more common than success.
"If I enter a corrupted zone with an unstable gun," I said to B.I.T., "I'm signing my death warrant."
The drone's optical sensors swiveled toward me. "Risk assessment confirms your analysis. Recommend alternative approach."
But there was no alternative. Not if I wanted to compete with players like Hakaijin, who made combat look like an art form. While he danced through battles with instinctive grace, I fumbled with malfunctioning equipment and half-finished prototypes.
I opened my mission log, reviewing the plan I'd spent hours crafting:
**Phase One:** Recover components from the ruins of the old mech base
**Phase Two:** Hack central data console
**Phase Three:** Extract complete blueprint for N-E3 stabilizer
**Phase Four:** Leave alive
Easy to say. Significantly harder to execute.
I activated Tactical Infiltration, feeling the familiar tingle as the skill temporarily reduced my detection signature. Electronic camouflage rippled across my gear, making me harder to spot on enemy sensors. But even with the advantage, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was walking into a trap.
The mech base loomed ahead, a fortress of twisted metal and broken dreams. Automated defense systems still flickered with malevolent life, their red optical sensors sweeping the approaches in programmed patterns. I'd studied their movements for days, mapping their patrol routes and identifying blind spots.
B.I.T. suddenly jerked its head toward a collapsed structure to our left. "Movement detected. Unidentified hostile entity. Analysis protocol initiated."
"Not now..." I whispered, dropping into a crouch behind a gutted generator. My heart hammered against my ribs—not the clean fear of facing a known boss or another player, but the gnawing anxiety of the unknown. Of being alone against a world that evolved without my input or control.
Through the gaps in the twisted metal, I caught a glimpse of movement. Something large, mechanical, with too many joints and not enough regard for conventional physics. One of the corrupted defense units, probably driven mad by years of isolation and system degradation.
I thought about Hakaijin again, remembering the fluid way he moved through combat. His surgical timing, his complete lack of hesitation. While I crouched behind cover, calculating angles and probabilities, he would have already closed the distance and ended the fight.
"I need to be able to survive without relying on gadgets," I murmured, pulling up my character interface. "Even without B.I.T. Even without perfect equipment."
The realization hit me like a physical blow. I'd been so focused on building the perfect weapon that I'd forgotten to build myself. My entire combat philosophy revolved around technological superiority, but what happened when that technology failed?
I navigated to the secondary weapon integration tab, something I'd ignored since character creation. The options were limited but intriguing:
**Available weapon: Energy Dagger — Status: Not activated**
**Option: "Integrate a medium-range tactical model?"**
I hesitated, my finger hovering over the interface. Adding a melee weapon felt like admitting failure, like acknowledging that my carefully planned technological approach wasn't enough. But as I crouched in the shadow of ancient machines, listening to the mechanical death stalking through the ruins, I realized that pride was a luxury I couldn't afford.
I clicked YES.
**New quest unlocked: "Autonomy Forge — Find and adapt a custom sidearm."**
**Objective: Infiltrate the "Stratopoint Sigma" mech zone**
The quest marker appeared on my HUD, pointing deeper into the corrupted landscape. Stratopoint Sigma—I'd heard whispers about that place in the forums. A military installation where the line between man and machine had blurred beyond recognition.
I stood slowly, brushing the magnetic dust from my gear. "Okay," I said to the empty wasteland. "I can't beat him yet. But I'm going to build something even he can't keep up with."
The mechanical hunter had moved on, its sensors focused on some other disturbance. I slipped through the ruins toward Stratopoint Sigma, my mind already racing with possibilities. If I couldn't match Hakaijin's natural grace, I'd forge something entirely new—a fusion of technology and instinct that would redefine what it meant to be a Technomancer.
The path ahead was treacherous, littered with the remains of players who'd attempted this journey before me. But for the first time in weeks, I felt genuinely excited about the challenge.
---
**Area:** Murim Rim — Black Lake and Ruined Shrine
**Estimated Time:** 12:12 PM IG / 5:16 AM IRL
**Level:** 9
**Special Quest Progress:** 2 out of 3 Fragments
**Perspective:** Hakaijin/Ren Daiki
The Black Lake emitted no reflection, its surface too still to capture light or shadow. It was as if the water had been frozen in a moment older than Genesis itself, preserving some ancient secret in its depths. I knelt at the water's edge, my blade resting beside me on the weathered stone.
The mist crept around me like a living thing, responding to my presence with subtle shifts and whispers. I'd been here for over an hour, not grinding levels or farming resources, but simply existing in the space between meditation and action.
I had just absorbed the second fragment of the Phantom Saber, and already I could feel the transformation beginning. Not in my raw power—the numbers on my character sheet remained largely unchanged—but in my perception of the world around me. Colors seemed more vivid, sounds more distinct. The boundary between my consciousness and the digital environment was becoming increasingly thin.
**[ORIAS System: Next Suggested Destination — Murim Silent Gorge]**
**Area Type: Forbidden Shrine | Difficulty: Unknown | Persistent Memories: Active**
**⚠️ Warning: This area contains sentient entities from shattered memories.**
I read the last line several times, feeling a chill that had nothing to do with the virtual environment. Sentient entities from shattered memories? Genesis was notorious for its advanced AI, but this suggested something beyond standard programming.
I touched the spectral handle hanging from my waist, feeling the incomplete weapon pulse with its own heartbeat. The object had been growing stronger with each fragment I collected, but it still felt hollow, like a song missing its final verse.
**Item: Fragment of Shinjitsu no Yoru**
**Status: Incomplete (2/3)**
**Temporary Bonus: Access to the "Inner Void" stance – increases mental clarity and precision in combat.**
The Inner Void stance had been a revelation, allowing me to fight with a clarity I'd never experienced before. In that state, every movement felt inevitable, every decision perfectly calibrated. It was the closest I'd come to feeling truly free, both in Genesis and in life.
I rose from my meditation, stretching muscles that existed only in data but felt more real than my physical body. The Silent Gorge awaited, and with it, the possibility of completing the weapon that had become more than just a quest objective—it had become a symbol of my transformation.
But first, I needed to understand what I was walking into.
---
**Location: Family Dojo — Outskirts of Seoul**
**Time: 5:02 AM (Three Hours Earlier)**
A cup of green tea sat cooling on the wooden floor of our family dojo, its steam rising in delicate spirals toward the ceiling. My mother slept in the adjacent room, her breathing soft and regular. The house was silent except for the distant hum of traffic and the subtle creaking of old wood settling into itself.
I sat cross-legged before my immersion capsule, still in my sleeping clothes, thinking about the conversation with my father earlier that day. His words echoed in my mind like a mantra of obligation: "The weight of our family name, our legacy, our honor—all of it rests on your shoulders."
In the darkness of the dojo, surrounded by the swords and traditions of generations past, I made a decision that felt both inevitable and terrifying.
"I never chose this life," I whispered to the shadows. "So I choose Genesis."
---
**Back in Genesis - The Silent Gorge**
I made my way through the twisting paths that led to the Silent Gorge, each step taking me deeper into territory that felt increasingly unreal. The landscape shifted subtly as I walked, rock formations rearranging themselves when I wasn't looking directly at them, paths appearing and disappearing like tricks of the light.
The gorge itself was a wound in the earth, its walls stretching impossibly high toward a sky that seemed more memory than atmosphere. Ancient shrines clung to the rock face like barnacles, their paper lanterns flickering with flames that cast no shadow.
I was preparing to enter the central shrine when a silhouette flickered briefly in my peripheral vision. I spun around, hand moving instinctively to my sword hilt, but found nothing except empty air and shifting mist.
**[Partial signal detection...]**
**Type: Unknown**
**Source: Unlisted entity | Classification: Non-NPC — Non-Player**
A breath of wind stirred the mist, carrying with it a voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.
"Why are you seeking a weapon that requires you to give up your name...?"
I turned in a slow circle, scanning the gorge for any sign of the speaker. The voice hadn't been hostile, but it carried an weight that made my digital skin crawl. This wasn't standard quest dialogue—there was too much intelligence behind it, too much genuine curiosity.
**[Special Quest Update: "The Weight of the Name" – Bonus Objective Unlocked]**
The notification appeared in my vision, but I barely registered it. I was too focused on the implications of what I'd just heard. An entity that could speak to me directly, that knew about my quest, that understood the deeper meaning behind my search for the Phantom Saber.
"This isn't a quest like any other," I said aloud, my voice echoing strangely in the confined space. "This game is testing me. Not my character... me."
The mist began to part, revealing a path that led deeper into the gorge. Stone steps carved directly into the rock face descended into darkness, their surfaces worn smooth by countless footsteps. Real or virtual, I couldn't tell anymore.
I sheathed my incomplete sword, centered my stance, and began the descent toward the Silent Gorge's heart. Whatever waited for me below, I would face it as myself—not as Ren Daiki, the dutiful son, or even as Hakaijin, the skilled warrior, but as something new and undefined.
The path was treacherous, winding through passages so narrow I had to turn sideways to pass through. The walls pressed close, covered in symbols that seemed to shift and change when I wasn't looking directly at them. Some I recognized from my studies of ancient martial arts, others were completely foreign, as if they belonged to a language that existed only in dreams.
As I descended, I began to hear sounds that shouldn't exist in a digital environment—the whisper of wind through bamboo, the distant ring of temple bells, the soft splash of water over stone. Genesis was known for its realistic audio design, but this was something else entirely. These sounds carried emotional weight, triggering memories that weren't mine.
Finally, the passage opened into a circular chamber carved from living rock. The space was vast, its ceiling lost in shadow, its walls lined with alcoves containing ancient weapons. At the center stood a simple altar, upon which rested a single black candle that burned with a flame the color of starlight.
Standing before the altar was a figure that made my breath catch in my throat. Tall and lean, dressed in the traditional robes of a shrine keeper, but there was something wrong with the way he stood, the way shadows seemed to bend around him like living things.
As I approached, he turned to face me, and I saw that his eyes were empty sockets filled with the same starlight as the candle's flame.
"Welcome, seeker," he said, his voice the same one that had spoken to me in the mist. "I am the Keeper of Names, guardian of the threshold between identity and essence. You have come seeking the final fragment of Shinjitsu no Yoru, but first, you must answer a question."
He gestured to the altar, and the candle's flame flared brighter. In its light, I saw my own reflection—not as Hakaijin, but as Ren Daiki, complete with the uncertainty and pain I'd tried to leave behind.
"Who are you when all names are stripped away? When family, tradition, expectation, and even your chosen identity are burned away, what remains?"
The question hit me like a physical blow. I'd spent so long running from Ren Daiki's limitations and embracing Hakaijin's freedom that I'd never stopped to consider what lay beneath both identities.
"I..." I began, then stopped. The easy answers—warrior, son, rebel—felt hollow in this place. The Keeper waited patiently, his empty gaze somehow more perceptive than any normal eyes could be.
"I am someone who refuses to be defined by others," I said finally. "Someone who chooses his own path, even when that path leads into darkness."
The Keeper nodded slowly. "Truth, but incomplete. You define yourself in opposition to others' expectations, but what of your own essence? What do you choose when no one is watching, when no one is judging, when the only opinion that matters is your own?"
The chamber fell silent except for the soft whisper of the candle's flame. I closed my eyes, reaching past the layers of identity I'd built up over the years. Past the dutiful son, past the skilled warrior, past the digital rebel. What remained when all of that was stripped away?
"I choose to protect," I said, the words coming from somewhere deeper than conscious thought. "Not because I'm told to, not because it's expected, but because I can't stand to see others suffer the way I have. I choose to stand between the strong and the weak, even when it costs me everything."
The Keeper smiled, the expression transforming his otherworldly features into something almost human. "Now you begin to understand. The true name is not given by others, nor chosen in defiance of them. It is discovered in the moment when you act according to your deepest nature, regardless of consequence."
He raised his hand, and the final fragment of the Phantom Saber materialized above the altar—a shard of crystallized starlight that pulsed with its own inner fire.
"Take it," he said. "Complete the weapon, and with it, complete yourself. But know this—once you wield Shinjitsu no Yoru in its full form, you cannot return to the comfort of partial truth. You will be forced to live authentically, in this world and all others."
I reached for the fragment, feeling its power resonate with something deep in my core. The moment my fingers touched the crystalline surface, the world exploded into light and sensation. The incomplete saber at my waist burst into flames that didn't burn, reforming itself into something that transcended mere data.
When the light faded, I held a weapon that seemed to be made of captured moonlight and tempered shadow. It was beautiful beyond description, but more than that, it felt like a part of me that had been missing my entire life.
**[Legendary Weapon Obtained: Shinjitsu no Yoru - Truth of Night]**
**Weapon Type: Phantom Katana**
**Special Properties: Adapts to wielder's authentic self, cannot be used while concealing one's true nature**
**Unique Skill: "Cutting Truth" - Reveals and destroys illusions, including self-deception**
The Keeper began to fade, his form becoming translucent as his purpose was fulfilled. "The tournament approaches," he said, his voice growing distant. "You will face challenges that test more than your skill with a blade. Remember—the strongest chains are the ones we forge for ourselves."
I stood alone in the chamber, the completed weapon humming with power in my hands. For the first time in my life, both virtual and real, I felt completely honest about who I was and what I wanted.
The path back to the surface seemed shorter than the descent, as if the gorge itself was eager to release me back into the world. When I finally emerged into daylight, I found a notification waiting:
**[Heroes' Tournament — Registration Now Open]**
**"The greatest warriors in Genesis gather to prove their worth. Will you answer the call?"**
I smiled, feeling the weight of the completed weapon at my side. The tournament wasn't just another event—it was an opportunity to live authentically on the grandest stage Genesis had to offer.
"I'll answer," I said to the empty gorge. "And I'll show them what happens when someone stops pretending to be someone else."
---
**✦ End of Chapter 20 — Z3RO & Hakaijin**
**Next: Chapter 21 - Tournament Preparation**