The mage's cottage pulsed with newfound energy as Zarix integrated into the party, his shadowy tendrils weaving subtle code patterns across the walls, enhancing the base's defenses. The appraisal glasses scanned him anew, reading "[Zarix, Male, Abyssal Outcast, Level 30, Trait: Code Manipulator, Alignment: Ally, +15 Code Manipulation]." The Mega-Core Fragment glowed in its mount, bolstering "[Defense: +50 Active]," while the 12,000 gold from their alliance victory funded quick repairs, pushing the base's durability to "[Durability: 50/100]." The overclocked debug console, at "[Durability: 90/100]," displayed fragmented warnings from the Developer Memo: "[Patch 6.1: Rebellion Suppression, Avatar Deployment]." The Amulet of Stability thrummed around Kaz's neck, and the Cap of Mirth bobbed on Liora's head like a defiant flag.
The party assembled in the workshop, the air humming with Zarix's ethereal presence. Liora eyed him warily, her Glitchblade at her side, declaring, "YOUR POWERS ARE A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD, ABYSSAL ONE—PROVE YOUR LOYALTY IN THE FIRES OF BATTLE!"—the glasses updating "[Liora Vayne, Female, Human Noble, Level 14, +15 Attack, Morale Boost: +5, Charm: +10]." Grumm crossed his arms, his Carnival Hammer leaning against the wall, grumbling, "As long as you don't glitch my coffee, we're good," his durability at "[Durability: 70/100]." Pippa hovered near Zarix's tendrils, poking one curiously—"Shiny strings!"—the glasses noting "[Pippa, Female, Fairy, Level 9, Trait: Kleptomaniac, Agility: +12]." Nutjob perched on Zarix's shoulder, chittering curiously, his stats reading "[Nutjob, Male, Rabid Squirrel (Tamed), Level 6, Loyalty: High, Perception: +20]." Zarix's cyan eyes glowed faintly. "My exile fuels my vengeance. With your resistance, we can unravel their code from within."
Kaz nodded, the glasses flashing "[System Alert: Patch 6.1 Deployed, Avatar Incoming]." "We don't have time to chat—Patch 6.1's live." Sys materialized, her hologram distorting with excitement. "You've poked the hornet's nest, user! They're sending an Avatar—a direct Developer proxy. It's got god-like cheats. Good luck not getting deleted!" She faded, leaving a ripple of dread.
The ground split with a cataclysmic rumble, a portal erupting in Serene Hollow's square. From it stepped the Developer Avatar—a colossal, ethereal being of pure code, its form a swirling mass of algorithms with a humanoid silhouette, crowned by a halo of binary streams. The glasses struggled—"[Developer Avatar, Entity, Level ??, Weakness: Code Rebellion, Trait: Omnipotent Override]." It boomed, "Interferers, your rebellion ends here. Surrender the Outcast, or be erased."
Zarix's tendrils flared. "They fear us now." The battle ignited as the Avatar unleashed override waves, glitching the landscape—trees turned to firewalls, the ground to quicksand code. The base's shield held—"[Defense: 50/50]"—but the Avatar's hand swept, spawning mini-avatars—"[Mini-Avatar, Level 40, Weakness: Tendril Bind]."
Liora charged, her Glitchblade carving through a mini-avatar. "FACE THE UNYIELDING SPIRIT OF HEROES!" she thundered, her morale boost surging the party—"[Stamina: 90/100]." Mini-avatars exploded in code bursts, but more spawned. Grumm swung his hammer, smashing two, his durability dropping to "[65/100]," roaring, "Come get some!" Pippa darted, stealing a binary halo—"[Binary Halo: Value 500 Gold]"—reversing its override to glitch a mini-avatar. Nutjob leapt, biting a tendril, earning "[+25 Agility Bonus]."
Kaz and Zarix synced—Kaz typing "amplify_tendrils: zarix" on the console—"[Durability: 85/100]"—as Zarix's tendrils lashed out, binding mini-avatars and reversing their code to attack the Avatar. The entity recoiled, its halo flickering. "You dare manipulate my domain?" it snarled, summoning a code storm—bolts of deletion raining down, corroding the shield—"[Defense: 40/50]"—and the base's durability to "[30/100]."
The fight escalated to frenzy. Liora vaulted onto the Avatar's arm, slashing at its back tendrils—"[Durability: 75/100]"—her stamina at "[70/100]." Grumm hurled his hammer at the halo, cracking it, while Pippa tossed stolen halos like grenades, exploding in code fireworks. Zarix wove a rebellion matrix, his eyes blazing—"My exile ends today!"—reversing the storm to target the Avatar.
In a pulse-pounding peak, the Avatar overrode the base, walls glitching into voids—"[Durability: 20/100]." Kaz pushed the console to its limit—"rebel_code: avatar"—the screen cracking—"[Durability: 60/100]"—as Zarix channeled his full power. Tendrils pierced the core, reversing the Avatar's overrides against itself. It screamed, "Error—rebellion detected!"—its form unraveling in a spectacular digital vortex, sucking in mini-avatars before imploding.
The portal sealed, the base teetering at "[Durability: 15/100]." A radiant chest emerged—"[Rebellion Reward Chest]"—yielding 15,000 gold, a code nexus—"[Code Nexus: +30 Manipulation]"—and a defiant note—"[Developer Edict: Patch 7.0 Total Reset]." The glasses buzzed "[System Alert: Rebellion Momentum Gained]."
Liora collapsed laughing, "A GOD-SLAYING FEAT!" Grumm panted, "That's my limit." Pippa hugged the nexus—"Ultimate shiny!" Nutjob chittered triumphantly. Zarix nodded, "We've ignited a rebellion." Kaz repaired the console—"[Durability: 80/100]"—and installed the nexus—"[Manipulation: +30 Active]." Sys appeared, stunned. "You reversed an Avatar? The Developers are scrambling—Patch 7.0's their doomsday. You've got allies now." Kaz grinned, the amulet pulsing. The glasses read "[Kazuto Hoshino, Level 20, Trait: Rebel Leader]." The excitement of rebellion surged—the Developers' endgame had begun.