Night looked different in the city of Oryn. It was unlike anything Jax had ever seen. He had changed outfits to match what the occasion called for.The card sat flat in his palm and his mind reflected back to a time before all of this. Jax let himself sit with the changes and how far he had come. It felt like victory but there was still so much more to do.Jax stepped outside his room and realised how vast the building was. The structure was different too. He didn't feel many coded signatures the way he had in the other cities. Oryn felt lenient and too relaxed by comparison.Jax adjusted his collar and tie and kept looking around. He groaned when he saw Lina approaching him."You look handsome, Jax." She said, flashing a smile at him.He fixed a dark look at her."I didn't forget a single thing you did to me these past few months." He huffed and looked away. "In fact, since I've known you."He didn't wait for her to respond. He kept walking as if he knew the way. Lina caught up to hi

A few characters surrounded the scene. Players and NPCs who had heard about what was unfolding in the garden pooled in to watch from a distance.Jax held his ground, his eyes locked on Kira."Kira, we don't have to do this." He said, trying one more time to reach her.Kira read the system data further, inputting codes that would create a reciprocal link to override the Primordial Overseer's full authority on it.She faced Jax again, about to attack, but a few security players entered the field and raised their ammunition."Stand down now!" One of them said. The others fixed their sights on both Jax and Kira.Tension rose further. Jax's chest tightened, his breathing harsh as he realised how quickly things had turned. He had expected a settled night but it had been nothing short of eventful so far.From the midst of the crowd, Lina walked through."Don't fire." She said to the security players.A gauntlet was in her left hand. She raised it and pointed it at both Jax and Kira."What's

Jax burned with anger in his mind. Seeing how Kira was eliminated reminded him of Kade's deletion too. The old Creators had now taken more than just one NPC from him, defying every promise they had ever made about protecting the game world.There was no difference between them and the ones they actually called the enemy.The system beeped inside Jax's mind, settling in like a forgotten code that was being rewritten, restudied, and understood completely. He felt it move through his veins and blood. It rewrote the data under his skin, all the weakness he felt now being replaced by sharpness.Jax burned with the efficiency of it and wanted to release a blast of energy against the old Creators right there.As he stepped forward with his hands balled into fists, an arm grabbed him by the hem of his shirt.He turned his head and saw Lina. She had risen to her feet and leaned close to him. The old Creators were watching. It felt like they were observing Jax, waiting to see what he would do.

The old Creators led the team of nine to where the flight was positioned before giving the final instruction."This operation depends on the cooperation of this team. While the Glitch Overlord carries out his mission, the others will make sure he fulfils the goal. End the Sentinel Protocol and return."The sound of the blades nearly drowned out FX3's statement. The group got themselves into the cargo, the sound of the blades increasing. The air went wild, blowing aggressively as they got themselves strapped into their seats.Lina took a seat next to Jax and he looked at her with wary eyes."What?" He shouted so she could hear him.The cargo rose into the air, moving in the direction led by the flight."I don't trust you." She said. "You had them recode the NPCs into medium-level players. What are you planning?""An escape?" Jax suggested with a tone that carried humour. Lina's face stayed firm. She actually considered that Jax might not be lying about finding smart ways around things

The ground had become dust. Rocks crushed into crusts, the space filled with the clash of Jax's energy and Eldric's. Jax kept pushing back, playing defense while Eldric charged with the full force of an offense."Lina, anytime now please."Eldric was bleeding on the side of his head but he didn't seem to feel the pain. Jax didn't want to hurt him any further. Jax, on the other hand, had Vortex Core sealing his wounds steadily.With each fight and usage of his skills, the system kept unlocking his level, elevating his physical and mental stats.Eldric launched a boulder toward Jax which he caught in the air. He mirrored Eldric's object compulsion to turn the boulder into packed sand and it rained down between them. Eldric blew it toward Jax and he evaded the attack."I got it. Read it now!" Lina said suddenly, her voice high-pitched.Jax reached into the system in his mind and began the download. He set the output format to elixir.[Glitch Overlord System: Key Data Download Complete.]