Elliot and Liam trekked deeper into Ravenwood Pass, the shadows growing longer as the sun dipped below the digital horizon. Despite the faint hum of the game's ambient sounds, the silence felt unnatural. No distant monster growls. No flurry of player chatter on the comm channels. Just the occasional flicker of the terrain, like the world itself was trying to hold its shape.
"Tell me everything," Elliot said, his voice low but firm.
Liam kept his eyes ahead, gripping his staff tightly. His avatar—a mid-level Runecaster—was visibly under-equipped for the dangers lurking in the pass. "About three weeks ago, people started noticing small bugs. NPCs skipping dialogue, loot tables generating the wrong items. Nothing major at first, but then…"
"Then?" Elliot pressed.
"Then the Code Phantoms appeared," Liam said grimly. "That's what players are calling them. Those things you saw back there? They've been popping up more and more, completely wiping out parties. Even high-level guilds can't scratch them."
Elliot frowned. "And the dev team?"
"They've gone radio silent," Liam said. "No patches, no announcements, nothing. And when players die to the Phantoms…" He hesitated. "Their accounts get locked. Permanently. No respawns, no rerolling. It's like they're being deleted from the system."
A chill ran down Elliot's spine. That wasn't how Arcane Junction worked. Death in the game was inconvenient, but it was never permanent.
"And you're sure it's tied to The Forge?" Elliot asked.
Liam stopped walking and turned to face him. "I found the access point."
Elliot's eyes widened. "You what?"
"It's in The Shattered Archives," Liam said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I think someone's using it to inject corrupted data into the game. But every time I get close, the Phantoms show up. It's like they're guarding it."
Elliot's mind raced. The Shattered Archives was an endgame zone, infamous for its labyrinthine design and near-impossible challenges. It was the kind of place only top-tier players dared to venture—and even then, most didn't make it out alive.
"We need a plan," Elliot said. "And we need better gear. My loadout might hold up against normal mobs, but if these Phantoms are running off corrupted stats, we're going to need something stronger."
Liam nodded. "There's a black-market vendor in Shadowhaven. He deals in gear that's not… strictly legal."
Elliot raised an eyebrow. "You're suggesting we cheat?"
Liam smirked. "Coming from the guy who built half the exploits in this game?"
Elliot couldn't argue with that.
---
Scene Transition: Shadowhaven
The city of Shadowhaven was the complete opposite of Eryndel. Where Eryndel gleamed with marble towers and bustling marketplaces, Shadowhaven thrived in the shadows—an underground maze of twisting alleys, flickering neon signs, and shady dealings.
As they entered, Elliot kept his hood low, his Shadowweaver class helping him blend into the crowded streets. Liam led the way, weaving through the throng of players and NPCs.
The black-market vendor's stall was hidden behind a veil of glowing runes, its inventory displayed as a holographic projection. The vendor, a masked NPC with piercing green eyes, greeted them with a sly smile.
"Ah, travelers," the vendor said, his voice smooth and oily. "Looking for something… special?"
Elliot wasted no time. "Show us your high-tier gear."
The vendor waved a hand, and a new set of items appeared:
Shadowforged Plate (Epic): +50 Defense, +30 Agility.
Eclipse Dagger (Legendary): +75 Attack, +20 Stealth, Passive: Shadowstrike (Deals bonus damage when attacking from stealth).
Cursed Grimoire (Mythic): +100 Mana, Passive: Echo of the Void (Doubles spellcasting speed).
Elliot's eyes lingered on the Eclipse Dagger, its dark blade glinting ominously. "How much?"
The vendor's smile widened. "10,000 gold—or equivalent in trade."
Liam winced. "We don't have that kind of money."
Elliot glanced at his Hacking Proficiency stat and made a decision. "Keep watch," he said to Liam, stepping closer to the vendor's interface.
Opening his Developer Tools, Elliot activated Codebreaker, a skill that let him bypass certain in-game restrictions. The screen flickered as he manipulated the code, rerouting their limited funds to purchase the dagger and two sets of armor.
The vendor's expression didn't change, but a faint glimmer in his eyes suggested he knew what Elliot had done. "Pleasure doing business," the NPC said.
---
Back on the Road
Equipped with their new gear, Elliot and Liam set off for the Shattered Archives. The journey was long and fraught with minor skirmishes against corrupted monsters, each one glitching and shifting unnervingly as they fought.
Elliot tested his new weapon, the Eclipse Dagger, finding its Shadowstrike ability to be devastatingly effective. But with every victory, the nagging sense of unease grew stronger.
As they neared the Archives, the landscape began to shift. The once lush forests gave way to cracked, barren ground, with jagged lines of corrupted code snaking through the terrain like veins.
Liam stopped abruptly, his face pale.
"What is it?" Elliot asked.
Liam pointed to the horizon. A massive figure loomed in the distance, its form shrouded in black mist. Six glowing eyes pierced the darkness, and a faint, pulsing hum filled the air.
"It's waiting for us," Liam whispered.
Elliot tightened his grip on his dagger. "Then we make the first move."