A post was quietly climbing the trending charts on the Link's EMP Virtual Mode forum, sparking heated debate.
Username: Pirate King of Kepler Title: The Puppet Master Megathread—Does the Virtual Zone's 'Puppet' have what it takes to challenge the Realistic Zone?
The thread already had tens of thousands of comments. The ID "Puppet" was legendary in the Virtual Combat Zone—thousands of battles, a sky-high win rate, and despite the profile being set to private, the sheer number of people who had crossed paths with him meant plenty of stories were being shared. The consensus? The guy was a nightmare. He was proficient with an absurd variety of mecha and seemingly had no losses on record. Plenty of top-tier virtual players had been dismantled by him; to date, no one could credibly claim a victory.
Naturally, the question followed: Was he just a casual player? If so, why the secrecy? Usually, people win to brag; otherwise, what's the point? Yet, no one had ever chatted with Puppet, and his friend list was a ghost town.
"I called it months ago—the Puppet Master is definitely moving to Realistic Mode. He's already run out of prey in Virtual!"
"Give it a rest. He hasn't even entered an official Virtual tournament. You can't compare amateur play to pro circuits."
"The skill is real, though. Probably some military academy ace smurfing on a secret account because they're too embarrassed to go public."
"Agreed. Honestly, I look down on that. If you're that good, stay in your own lane. What's the fun in bullying casuals in the Virtual Zone?"
...
Back in the dorms, the "Pirate King of Kepler" sat with his legs kicked up, watching the thread explode with a smug grin. "You rookies," Zane Cole muttered. "You lack my vision."
Zane was a freshman in the Journalism department at Tianjing Academy. He'd originally applied for Mecha, but his scores fell short. Journalism was his plan B—a way to stay close to the mecha legends he idolized.
The Virtual and Realistic zones were two different worlds. Many virtual "gods" eventually got big-headed and tried to prove themselves in the Realistic Zone, only to be sent home crying. This was a universal truth across the USE and other federations alike.
Zane usually toggled between the two modes. When he got tired of the grueling realism, he'd hop into virtual to unwind. He hadn't been a top prospect in his prep class, but in the Virtual Zone, his win rate was decent—especially when it came to humbling arrogant "pros."
Until he met Puppet.
It had been a total eclipse. Zane had been piloting an NUP light super-mecha with top-of-the-line specs; Puppet was in a basic Armored Dragon. Then, Zane was literally torn apart. The defeat left him with a lingering sense of dread.
He'd tried to track Puppet down for a rematch, but the player never responded. Being stubborn, Zane began observing the ID. He realized Puppet didn't block spectators, so he started watching—obsessively. Whenever Puppet's ID lit up, Zane was the first person in the digital stands.
He saw nothing but wins. Normally, that wouldn't mean much; any decent military cadet can pull off flashy moves against amateurs. As the saying goes: Don't use your hobby to challenge someone else's profession.
But Zane noticed something odd. A color discrepancy.
His "Golden Gene" trait was a bit of a dud—essentially a "gut feeling" that only worked half the time. He sensed something was off, so he re-watched the footage until he found it.
The two EMP modes have a subtle difference in color grading. Virtual Mode is brighter and more vibrant to appeal to gamers. In Puppet's matches, his mecha's color profile didn't match his opponents'. It was subtle, but it looked exactly like the desaturated, gritty tones of Realistic Mode.
At first, Zane laughed it off. It was illogical. Who would be such a masochist?
But after six months of observation, he was certain. This guy was playing in Realistic Mode against people in Virtual Mode.
Zane had tried it once and nearly vomited. Even for a virtual veteran, the shift in sensory input was like the end of the world. To fight like that—what kind of maniac was this? What was his motive?
Zane's blood began to boil. This Puppet guy was definitely something else. He was convinced Puppet would return to the Realistic Zone, and when he did, it would be a revolution.
Zane kept watch day and night, even checking the Link during bathroom breaks. Yesterday, he finally got what he was waiting for.
A Realistic Mode battle. The first opponent was "Eternal Starlight." Although the profile was hidden, as an EMP fanatic, Zane recognized it instantly—it was the training account for Feynman, the vanguard of the NUP Stellar Academy. He expected a clash of titans, but what he saw defied belief. Feynman, a star of the Mecha Combat Competition, was treated like a punching bag.
The USE's recent losses in the tournament had left fans desperate for a win. After the tournament ended, EMP's Virtual Mode activity had jumped 300%.
What excited Zane most was that Puppet was likely a USE pilot. He showed a subconscious preference for USE medium-tier mecha—an unlikely choice for someone from another federation.
If someone like this had participated in the last tournament, would the outcome have been different?
Seeing the thread reach its boiling point, Zane opened the Link and dropped his second post.
Realistic Mode Puppet: A 7-Win Streak Highlight Reel.
It was a simple title, paired with a video he'd stayed up all night editing. Perfect.
Zane leaned back, locking his hands behind his head. He didn't need a clickbait title. Sometimes, it's better to leave breadcrumbs and let people discover the truth themselves. If they didn't catch on, he'd use an alt account to "point it out" later. For now, he'd let the fire spread.
His roommates returned shortly, still buzzing with the excitement of being at Tianjing. Zane closed the Link. A man of mystery needs to keep his secrets, just like Puppet.
"Tianjing's resources are insane. You'll never guess who I saw today."
"Who?" Zane asked, playing the straight man.
"Noctis, the Class Rep, and Senior Sienna. All three of them in one frame. Different vibes, same elite level. It was incredible."
At the mention of the campus "goddesses," the freshmen went wild. Zane, however, wasn't interested. Most Journalism students were gossips, but Zane felt he was hunting a much larger whale.
Meanwhile, a certain humble worker returned to campus after finishing his deliveries and pocketing his daily wages.
It was still early. Knowing Bleem, the order to reach a 3,000 rating wasn't just about the points; there was likely a bigger mission waiting. Since he was already halfway to the truth, Leo didn't mind picking up the pace.
After a quick meal to recharge, Leo headed to the EMP building. With classes officially starting, the place was packed. During the semester, the EMP building was reserved for Mecha and Starship students; anyone else had to find a setup off-campus, which usually only supported Virtual Mode.
After a ten-minute wait, Leo secured a training room. The EMP system rewards early wins and win-streaks, but the climb gets exponentially harder as you rank up. Reaching 3,000 wouldn't be a walk in the park.
He logged in.
Ping. Ping-ping-ping-ping—
An avalanche of notifications hit him. Leo frowned. What the hell? Friend requests and challenge invites flooded his screen. He spent a moment clearing them into the trash before disabling all incoming requests.
He just wanted a quiet climb. Hopefully, he'd find a decent opponent today.
"Pilot Puppet, you have entered Matchmaking. Please wait..."
Leo closed his eyes to rest as the system searched.
On the Moon, at Stellar Academy, Feynman sat in a Mecha Theory class with bloodshot eyes. As a young prodigy who had made the team and secured top marks, he wasn't used to losing. He'd faced strong enemies before, but he'd never experienced the kind of "humiliation" he'd felt yesterday. He was fuming. If he didn't get a rematch, he felt like he'd literally explode.
Arles had tried to talk him down, but it was useless. Feynman was nothing if not stubborn.
He sprinted out of class, logging into the Link to search for a match. The odds were low, but since they'd fought yesterday, there was a statistical overlap in their matchmaking pools. He prayed. God, if you're listening, just give me one shot!
Back at Tianjing, Zane, who was still chatting with his roommates, glanced at the Link out of habit. The icon for Puppet lit up. He instantly donned his holographic glasses. "Guys, I gotta go. Talk later!"
Leo was starting to get annoyed. What's the hold-up? Is no one online?
Usually, finding a match in EMP was instant. However, the system had flagged Leo's profile as "anomalous" based on his performance metrics, even though it fit the rules, causing the delay.
Finally, the match was locked.
Opponent: Eternal Starlight.
In that moment, a roar like a wild beast echoed through the halls of Stellar Academy. Son of a...! God had actually heard his prayer. If he didn't beat this guy into the ground today, he'd change his damn name.