Chapter 8 – Reunion and Rewards

After returning from Coil Island, Yen felt the lingering hum of the two rare Synaptic Acceleration Transmitters. The thought of wielding them together haunted him like the whispers of gods. But he knew he couldn’t stay there. Autumn Leaf stayed behind to continue her own mission, and Yen made his way back to the main city to find Ash’s son.

Their reunion wasn’t dramatic—just two friends checking levels, grinning like rivals. Yen had surged to level 142, while Ash’s son sat at 136. The difference stung a little, but Ash’s son kept his word.
“Here,” he said, handing over a package that looked like molten data frozen into crystal. “Your reward.”

Inside were 10 AI Co-Clusters. Each one was equal to a thousand AI Co’s, making it nearly impossible for most players to acquire even a single cluster. Yen already had two stored up from past quests, so his total shot up to 12 AI Co-Clusters. His hands trembled just holding them—this was currency that could reshape entire factions.

For once, Yen allowed himself to smile. He wasn’t just climbing levels anymore. He was stockpiling power.

Still, there were other tasks waiting. The tech scraps he had recycled for the new purple bag were taking too long to process, so Yen shelved that mission for later. Instead, he turned his focus toward something more important—his survival.

Chapter 9 – The Grind of a Thousand Skills

Yen realized a chilling truth: the higher he climbed, the fewer people could help him. By level 1000, there wouldn’t be healers or printers willing—or even able—to support him. If he wanted to survive at the peak, he had to become self-sufficient.

He turned his gaze to medical science. At the time, his level was 35—respectable, but nothing compared to his combat levels. He locked himself in the training halls, working endlessly with sterile kits, scanners, and biomod printers. His hands blistered, his concentration burned, but within a single day his medical skill exploded to 82.

The hall managers whispered. Most players took months to make that kind of jump. For Yen, it was just “a start.”

But the grind wasn’t lonely. In the molecular printing labs, he met new NPCs, each with their quirks. Isabella, a sly trader from the lower markets, kept trying to shortchange him on print fuel, laughing whenever he caught her. “Sharp eyes,” she teased. Then there was the quiet technician from the recycling sector, who taught him how to squeeze every drop of material out of broken drones.

Outside the labs, Yen stumbled into someone new—a player called Void Angel. Their first conversation sparked like firecrackers, both disagreeing on nearly everything. Yen believed in careful grinding; Void Angel preached chaos and risk. They argued so much that onlookers thought they’d duel, but Yen eventually waved it off. “Pointless,” he muttered. And somehow, that restraint earned Void Angel’s respect.

By the end of the night, Void Angel had invited him to join their gang, making Yen an official member. It was messy, but it felt right.

Chapter 10 – Frames, Futures, and Friends

As Yen’s skills grew, the city buzzed with news. Jesse, one of the most famous and powerful players in the cybernetic realms, was hosting a birthday event. Rumor said he would give away a Frame—a rare customization item that wasn’t just cosmetic. Frames altered stats, boosted attributes, and allowed players to warp their status windows in ways normal coding never could.

There was only one catch. A gifted Frame was temporary. To make it permanent, you had to pay the cost with your lifespan.

Everyone was whispering about it—gangs, traders, even the silent NPCs. A Frame could make you look untouchable, even if only for a short time. Yen wasn’t sure if luck would ever be on his side, but the thought of owning one, even for a breath, filled him with anticipation.

In the meantime, Yen doubled down. His medical training continued, his printing knowledge grew sharper, and his friendships—volatile as they were—started to matter. He could feel the threads of destiny pulling tighter.

Somewhere in the neon chaos, he thought again about the transmitters. Two artifacts of godlike power sat hidden in his inventory, whispering promises. Skills, levels, gangs, and giveaways—they were all stepping stones. The real war was still waiting, and Yen knew when it came, he’d have to decide what kind of god he wanted to be.