When Kazen opened his eyes, he was no longer in the tower.
He stood on a calm, endless ocean—not of water, but pure translucent code. Glowing ripples echoed with each step he took. Above him, a sky of suspended data blocks floated like stars. The world was quiet. Peaceful.
> Location: Sea of Code – Core Layer 1
> Danger Level: Low
> System Sync: 35%
> Bonus: Meditation Boost Active
The Patchling rested on his shoulder, flickering lightly.
"This place is where forgotten commands come to drift. A sea made of unused possibilities."
Kazen breathed deeply. The exhaustion from the Null King faded. His thoughts cleared, like waves smoothing stone.
> Bonus Skill Obtained: Meditation Interface
> Increases recovery speed and focus in Core Layers
For the first time, Kazen wasn't rushing toward danger. He sat on the shifting surface and let the sea flow around him. He accessed his system menu.
Stats. Skills. Fragments.
His mind returned to the decoded message—about being a backup host, bound to something called the Overcode. A being, or perhaps a system entity, that once existed to control the rules of this world.
He needed answers.
A pulse came from the depths below.
> Entity Detected: Oracle of Streams – Passive
> Requesting User Sync for Data Transfer
The ocean swirled. From beneath the code waves, a serpentine figure rose—long, shimmering, composed entirely of linked script. Its face was smooth and eyeless, but it bowed.
"I am Oracle," it spoke in calm tones. "You are the Chosen Rewrite. You seek the truth."
"Yes," Kazen said. "Tell me everything."
The Oracle's body curved around him like a protective coil.
"The System was perfect once. Balanced. Then users abused it. So gods emerged—players who ascended. They rewrote limits. Broke natural scripts. The Architect tried to restore balance by creating the Overcode."
"And I'm... that code?" Kazen asked.
"A copy. Your soul is the fragment of a soul meant to house control. You were never supposed to awaken. But the system is desperate now. You've been accepted."
Kazen stood slowly. "What happens if I keep syncing with the system?"
"You cease being human."
He clenched his fists.
"That might be a fair trade."
The Oracle released a piece of itself—a glowing orb of dense script.
> Reward: Core Upgrade Token
> Function: Unlock Personal Realm
> Sync Increased: 41%
> New Feature Unlocked: Inner Domain
A new space opened inside Kazen's interface—his own pocket realm, a training world he could enter anytime.
The Oracle lowered itself.
"When the time comes, you'll face the Council of Forgotten Gods. They rule now. And they won't surrender their code without a fight."
The sea began to ripple again—something darker was approaching.
Kazen turned to the horizon. He could see shapes moving beyond the light. Chapter One of his existence was ending. The real war was coming.