When he asked someone where the shop was and they gave him directions, he went there. It looked like a normal shop, and judging by its appearance, people did not visit it often. When he opened the door, someone usually welcomed customers, but this time it was someone familiar—it was Lyra standing behind the counter. When she saw him, she was surprised. He stepped toward the counter.
He asked her what she was doing here, and she explained that the shop actually belonged to his father. She had been taking care of it for a long time. Soon, he was surprised again, and after taking out his phone with the list of components he needed to buy, he showed it to her. He was surprised that all the components were of different classes (in the modern world, every object has efficiencies represented by their classes, usually ranked 1 to 9).
She was very confused about why all the components were in different classes because in their different existences, working separately greatly reduced efficiency. According to her, binding them properly could significantly increase performance. With so many components present, choosing the right ones for customization would be difficult.
Soon, she went to look for the items on the list. In the meantime, he wandered around the shop. It was not very big but best in class—not very attractive but in the taste of the creator.
He also saw many awards that his father had won at an early age in programming and IT. He still wondered why his father had chosen to create these games. Lyra walked into the hall holding all the components in her hands. She placed them on the table and said there was one component missing from the list: the core. (In the modern era, microprocessors have been replaced by cores—small, stone-like objects that store energy and are now used for transmitting data, but only a few top people know about them and how they are made.)
To his surprise, he noticed they had another component similar to the core that could be used instead, so it was no worry. He checked everything and confirmed it was all correct.
The prices there were usually lower than the market, and she mentioned there was a discount for him. After all, the bill came to 56,785. It was not too high, but his monthly income was 60,000, and he had savings for this. So, without hesitation, he took out his card from his purse to pay. She was surprised at this moment because it was her first sale. She had been working there for five months, taking care of the shop since his father had gone missing.
After that, there was a loud noise outside. He rushed out but saw that nothing had changed, so he returned and asked Lyra what had just happened. She mentioned it was a signal-shifting sound used to transfer large packets of data to another location. It was only a prototype used there recently. After that, they had a small talk about the shop.
The shop was open only a few days a week, and not many customers came to buy components. The people who did come were well-known to his father, and some were tech specialists. After a while, his phone rang. There was a message from his friend Arnold, saying he would be busy for the next four days and could not help set up the computer (he had asked him before, but there had been no reply for some time).
So, he asked Lyra if she could help set up the components. This was not a normal computer like those used in the old days. She had no problem helping, after all, they sold these components. She would fix it in a few days, and he gave her the address.
By around 2 o'clock, no one else had come to the shop besides him. She had gone to search for the items, and he was waiting in the front room.
Soon, she came back with a box in her hand. She placed it on the table and opened it. Inside were two cards, upside down. The outside showed only the logo of the game. When he asked Lyra what they were, she said it was a small gift the creator had left for him. On top of the box, his name, The Shadow Lord, was written, which he had failed to notice.
The two cards represented two concepts that Xinu understood in his mind—the final question the creator had asked in the game's last events. One represented the SUN, symbolizing domination and the will to control everything, or, as some might say, the power of freedom or independence. Without realizing it, placing it in the system also represented truth for some. The MOON represented darkness, destruction, or even death, but the only way to free oneself from all burdens was through fully engaging with the game. The concept varied in different places, which was one reason the game was different from ordinary ones. The final question was which was better between the two, as the creator wanted people in that world to live happy lives, even though he had created monsters for players to defeat. The true purpose of the game was peace among people and happiness among players (which never really happened—after the company took over, it became just a "gold-laying chicken").
He took the two cards in his hand, which had beautifully handmade pictures with iconic symbols from the game's old days. Even Lyra was surprised after seeing them, as she had never opened that box before. There was also another book inside, like the next chapter of the game, handwritten in a style Lyra could recognize. She took the book, turned the pages, and seeing his father's handwriting, she knew she had to research it thoroughly.