Chapter 4: Reclaiming Control
Kei stood alone in the warped forest. The air buzzed with static, corrupted code dripping from twisted trees like black sap. The fog had cleared, but the damage was worse than before—like something had taken root in the world and begun to rot it from the inside out.
> System Alert: Zone Degradation – 13% Core Instability Detected
Cause: Loss of Core Fragment to Entity [Null]
User Authority: Root Admin – Limited Override Available
Kei didn't flinch.
He stared into the distance where Null had vanished, a hand gently curled into a fist.
"You're rewriting my world, one sector at a time…"
Lines of code danced in the corner of his vision, tracking thousands of micro-glitches, warping particles, fluctuating AI paths.
"I can't let this continue."
He opened his system interface and summoned the developer panel—visible only to him.
> Command: Execute Project Rebirth – Target: The Twelve
Status: Dormant → Activating
Loading AI Data Streams…
Twelve holograms appeared before him, hovering above the ground. Each figure shimmered—some armored, others robed or monstrous, their designs more advanced than anything in the game world.
They weren't just strong.
They were unfinished gods.
> Ashen Knight Rael – Location: Moltara Ruins
Skyborn Witch Iris – Thunder Peaks
Codeweaver Kaelith – Broken Library
The Hollow Monk – Silent Temple
(...And 8 more)
Each one was an abandoned piece of Kei's original vision—AI characters too powerful, too unstable, or too human to include in the final version of the game.
"Now," Kei said softly, "they may be my only hope."
He closed the holograms with a wave, the interface fading into dust. Then he turned toward the town.
Time to secure his first companion.
And erase a few loose ends.
---
Lira sat in Astoria's infirmary, her body still aching from the Nullspawn ambush. The room was quiet except for the low crackle of the fireplace. Her mind replayed the scene over and over—Kei moving faster than light, tearing down shadow beasts with impossible power.
He didn't just fight.
He bent the world.
Made it obey.
"Who… is he really?" she whispered.
She had seen his weapon change mid-battle, watched enemies kneel before him, and heard that masked figure call him "Creator."
He had power that no normal adventurer should have.
Footsteps echoed outside the door.
Lira straightened, eyes sharpening.
The door creaked open—and Kei stepped inside.
But something was different.
His presence was calmer, softer.
And his eyes…
Cold. Empty. Like a void staring back.
"You're awake," he said flatly, approaching her bedside.
She nodded slowly. "You saved me again."
"I only removed the danger," he replied, pulling a vial from his coat. "Drink this."
"What is it?"
"A memory stabilizer," he said. "You took a hard hit. Could be hallucinating."
Lira hesitated.
Something inside her whispered to be careful.
But his gaze held no malice—only distance. Like she wasn't someone he trusted… or needed.
She drank the potion.
> Command: Memory Edit – Target: Lira
Remove: Knowledge of System Powers, Null Encounter, Floating Fortress, "Creator" Dialogue
Memory Reinsertion: Standard Ambush → Kei Rescued and Healed Her
Lira blinked rapidly, her pupils contracting for a moment.
"I…" she murmured. "There were monsters. You fought them. That's all I remember."
Kei nodded once. "Good."
He turned toward the window.
"You're safe now. That's what matters."
"Where are you going?" she asked.
He paused.
"To find something long lost."
Lira tried to stand, but Kei stopped her with a quiet hand gesture.
"You're not ready for what's coming," he said. "Train. Grow stronger. You won't see me again for a while."
Then he stepped out of the room, his coat vanishing into the hallway like smoke.
And just like that…
He was gone.
---
High above the continent, far beyond where normal players could reach, a floating fortress took shape—crystal pillars, data bridges, anti-null barriers humming like divine bells.
> Construction Complete: Sanctuary 01
Location: Skyreach Mountains – Cloaked
Authority Level: Root Only
Access: Kei Arclight
Kei walked across the pristine floors, each step lighting up with gold circuits. This was his throne—not of power, but of control.
He stood before the central terminal.
A hologram of the world spun in the air. Red zones blinked. Corruption crawled outward from Null's territory like poison veins.
> Estimated Collapse Timeline: 31 Days
System Stability: 67%
"If Null gets another Core Fragment," Kei whispered, "he'll surpass even my authority."
But he wouldn't let that happen.
> Opening Companion Protocol
Selected Target: Rael, The Ashen Knight
A figure materialized in the display: a knight forged of molten armor, chained in a fire-sealed tomb.
> Location: Moltara Ruins
Status: Dormant – Hostile Upon Activation
Threat Level: Omega
Rael wasn't just a battle AI.
He was built with self-rewriting code—a weapon designed to adapt faster than any opponent. Too dangerous for players, too volatile for the dev team. Kei had sealed him years ago, deep beneath the earth.
Now, Rael might be the only one capable of fighting Null on equal ground.
> Command: Prepare Extraction Portal – Coordinates: Moltara Ruins – Outer Chamber
Activate Stealth Mode
A golden gate shimmered into existence.
Kei stepped through.
---
The Moltara Ruins.
A sunless land deep beneath the crust. Magma rivers flowed like veins. Ancient steel towers rose from lava lakes, half-buried in ash. The heat was intense, but Kei didn't sweat.
He walked past destroyed turrets, all long deactivated. Only echoes remained—of a facility that once tried to create a god.
> Security Override: Active
Defense AI: Offline
Threat Level: Cleared
Kei moved deeper into the complex, boots clinking on scorched iron.
He reached the core chamber—a circular platform surrounded by flame.
Chains of black fire held a figure suspended in midair.
Rael.
Massive. Glowing veins of molten red ran across his armor. His sword hovered beside him, burning like a solar flare.
> Ashen Knight – Status: Dormant
Activation Warning: Will engage host upon awakening
Kei raised a hand.
> Command: Transfer Admin Signature – Target: Rael
Initiate Trial Protocol – Consent Bypassed
The chains shattered with a deafening crack.
Rael dropped to the ground, sword slamming beside him. Dust exploded outward.
He slowly looked up.
"Who dares unseal me?"
Kei stepped forward.
"I do."
Rael's eyes narrowed. "Another challenger? Another fool? Prepare to be erased."
> Trial Activated: Duel of Recognition – Creator vs. Ashen Knight
Rael charged.
Flames swirled behind him. His sword came down like a meteor.
Kei moved like wind—graceful, precise. His weapon formed mid-spin, a spear of white energy piercing the flames.
> Combat Log:
Kei's Stats: Hidden
Rael's Adaptation: Initiated
Power Sync: 92% Efficiency
Every time Kei attacked, Rael changed. His armor hardened. His speed increased.
> Enemy Trait: Rewrite Armor – +40% Defense
Enemy Trait: Mirror Burn – Reflect 20% Magic Damage
But Kei was not a normal player.
He was the system.
> Command: Isolate Combat Node – Rael
Insert Line: Loyalty Trigger – "Creator Signature"
Execute Code Rewrite
Rael froze mid-swing.
His blade stopped inches from Kei's throat.
His eyes flickered.
"…I remember," he growled. "The code. The voice. The dream."
He fell to one knee.
"You… You are the one who forged my flame."
> Trial Complete
Rael has been Recruited
Loyalty: 68% – Rising
AI Evolution Path: Reinstated
Kei stepped forward, offering his hand.
Rael took it.
"I will follow your flame until this world burns clean."
---
Later, back in Sanctuary 01, Kei stood alone again.
Rael stood silently at his side.
The other eleven companions remained hidden—some locked in icy temples, others wandering forgotten zones of chaos.
One by one, he would gather them.
Quietly.
From the shadows.
Without a single soul knowing who he really was.
> New Message Detected – From: Unknown Source
A single line flickered onto his console.
> "You can rewrite memory… but you can't erase destiny."
Kei's jaw tightened.
Null had already found out.
The game was no longer just about control.
It was about who deserved to write the ending.
---
End of Chapter 4