We're now back to current times when the plot of this world will start in a few days. I'm inside the factory finishing the last touches of my personal Gundam. After weeks of work, it's finally complete.
Standing before me is the ORB-01 Akatsuki Gundam equipped with the Oowashi Sky Pack. The golden Gundam stood tall as its glow reflected across the factory floor. Various weaponry was equipped to the Akatsuki Gundam.
It is equipped with a head-mounted 12.5mm CIWS (Close-In Weapon System) along with a Hyakurai Beam Rifle. For defensive armaments, the whole body is equipped with the Yata-no-Kagami Anti-Beam Reflection System which in turn turns the whole body gold. It is also equipped with a shield with the same capabilities as the armor to help deal with any beam attacks as well as physical attacks such as missiles and other projectiles.
Thanks to the Oowashi Sky Pack, it could perform atmospheric flight to fly at subsonic speeds. The strongest armament brought by the Oowashi Sky Pack is the twin High-Beam Cannons mounted under the shoulders of the Akatsuki Gundam. All-in-all once this Gundam hits the battlefield, it would be a monster among monsters in destruction.
I looked up and enjoyed seeing my masterpiece and said, "It's finally done. I'll play-test it in a few days. The plot is about to start and let's see if I can beat the first challenge without going through the backdoor. This will be fun."
Walking towards the side is where I stored all the vehicles I have made as a modder. Having hands-on experience here certainly is a big bonus in case I need to build something for myself in other worlds. Cars ranging from the Toyota AE 86 from Initial D to the M12 FAV Warthog from Halo. Next to the cars were the motorcycles in which I will be using for the First Challenge. The motorcycles like the Light Cycle from Tron to the Fenrir motorcycle from Final Fantasy.
I looked through the bikes before spotting my choice and said, "You'll do the trick. Don't let me down, Cavaliere."
The demonic-looking motorcycle hummed in excitement from its owner. Cavaliere-G is a black motorcycle with demonic metal armor with bat wing-like decorative extensions to the side faring as well as double-serrated blades extending from the point where the front fork meets the wheel.
It was customised and outputs instantaneously for increased speed as well as deform and separate for flexibility. It could also re-attach and combine in a second to keep mobile in case of unforeseen circumstances. It also glows sickly green as if the souls of its enemies are trapped within the hull of the motorcycle.
I contacted the girls to get ready for the First Challenge and meet me there. I walked out of the factory and went to the main hub of the OASIS. There were still plenty of people moving around but not a lot heading for the Challenge portal. I suppose most gunters had given up due to it being too demanding. I hopped in and saw a race track with cars lined up along with gunters and sixers (IOI-funded employees).
I looked up to see the Statue of Liberty and waited in the back for the girls. Not long after, I saw Aech pop up from the portal. He spotted me and waved. I waved back and nodded back at him. He went to the front and got his monster truck ready. About five more minutes passed before Ryvel and the girls popped up. They rushed to find me before Faythe found me in the back.
I smiled and waved at them before saying, "Hey girls, you ready? I figured out the way to complete this challenge the way Halliday intended but I want to beat Kong and pass it my way. Let's see if I can brute force my way into the finish line."
Ryvel came up to me and asked, "You've figured out Halliday's clue? I've been combing through the Halliday Journals for so long and I couldn't figure it out. How co-wait? You knew from the beginning, didn't you?"
KiaraNyan and Faythe both gasped while I slowly smiled and said, "Of course I knew. The moment we arrived in this world, I knew how to beat this easter egg. I thought I would give you the challenge you wanted in this world. You were very close but your thinking went the wrong way. Sometimes the simplest ideas lead to the simplest solutions. I'll tell you the secret after this match."
The girls just took my advice in their hearts and planned on asking more about later. About five minutes left before the race start, Parzival arrived and headed straight to the front only for him to go to the back. I'm guessing he's running low on fuel and probably skimming coins from crashed cars. He saw me and waved before throwing down his Delorean and entering inside.
I chuckled and saw a Kaneda bike driven by a female gunter. It didn't take me long to figure out that Art3mis was also joining. I also noticed the girls' vehicles that I helped make for them. Ryvel asked for a Quadra Type-66 "Cthulhu" from Cyberpunk 2077 while KiaraNyan and Faythe will be riding together on the M12 FAV Warthog from Halo. Seems like they're raring to go.
I set down Cavaliere-G and watched it slowly enlarge before it hummed for me to ride it. I sat down and got ready. The eerie runes on Cavaliere-G turned a few heads from the girls and from my friends, Aech and Parzival. Even Art3mis looked a couple of times before readying herself again.
The race was about to start and I thought to myself, "Time to break Halliday's Challenge. Ready, Cavaliere?"
I revved the engine as it hummed in excitement. The scenery started to change as a race track slowly morphed in front of the racers. A stop light appeared in front as it slowly changed colors from red to orange to green. A firework went off and green lights exploded, indicating the start of the race. Everyone rushed out of the track with Aech and a few IOI players tailing him. I kept pace from the back since I'll need the other racers to clear the path for me.
Luckily Ryvel and the girls are doing great work with that. Faythe was driving with KiaraNyan on the back shooting from the mounted turret. A dozen IOI cars were implicated and destroyed, giving them some distance as well as giving Parzival the coins he needed for fuel. Ryvel was neck-and-neck with Art3mis and felt a challenge was between the both of them.
Not surprising since Ryvel herself is competitive in nature and willing to do whatever it takes till her curiosity is sated, much like Art3mis herself. I sped through the collision of cars as Cavaliere-G had an automatic gold pickup installed for this race.
I chuckled and thought, "Such a shame to leave these coins here. Might as well take them for myself."
While I was lagging in the back enjoying a peaceful ride, the ones in the front were having a hard time whether it was the wrecking ball or the T-Rex blocking their way. KiaraNyan was laughing her heart out as she continued to mow down cars in her path.
Faythe was shaking her head and continued to concentrate on driving the Warthog while Aech's monster truck got a piece of it bitten off by the T-Rex. Luckily for him, it didn't leave any lasting damage and could continue to race.
Ryvel was speeding up with Art3mis on her side and cursed, "This person is good. She can actually keep up with me."
Ryvel took plenty of driving courses here in the OASIS to brush up her skills for future worlds and enjoy the feeling of speed racing. She even taught KiaraNyan and Faythe the basics so that they could fend for themselves, should they be separated. She tried to gain ahead but she could keep up with her and as frustrating as it is, she welcomed the challenge. Ryvel intended to beat this person to the finish line as she sped through and dodged the obstacles on the road.
Aech was having trouble of his own as he noticed that the bridge connecting the race got demolished with no way to jump it with his monster truck. He stepped hard on the breaks and narrowly stopped at the edge by bumping another player's car into the abyss.
Aech heard a motorcycle approaching behind him and saw Art3mis' fly through and make it to the other side. While that was happening, Parzival was almost at the finish line.
Aech kept yelling, "Go! Go! Go! Go!" as he banged on the side of his driver door.
Parvizal was focused and sped towards the finish line but King Kong blocked the way. With no other choice, he braked as hard as he could, spinning around before coming to a complete stop near Kong.
Parzival cursed while seeing Kong disappear, "Balls!!"
Parzival stepped out before he heard the engines of a motorcycle closing in. He saw Art3mis coming with Ryvel next to her.
Before Ryvel could accelerate further, Parvival shouted, "Bail! Bail out! Bail!!"
Parzival held out his arm and grabbed the speeding Art3mis as they tumbled in the air for a while before landing on the ground. Ryvel braked long before and saw Kong grabbed Art3mis' motorcycle and crushed it in his hands. KiaraNyan and Faythe finally caught up to Ryvel and stopped next to her.
KiaraNyan asked Ryvel, "What happened? How come you stopped?"
Ryvel responded back as she shook her head, "Kong blocked the way and crushed that girl's bike. Where's Vex, by the way?"
Faythe chimed in and said, "He was in the back last time I saw him."
The girls heard the roaring sound of a motorcycle and looked back. They all saw me grinning as I zipped through the course with exceptional speed. It didn't take long before I sped past them and headed towards the finish line. Both Parzival and Art3mis already cleared away to store their vehicles before they saw me.
Parzival shouted, "Are you crazy, Vex?!!"
I ignored his shouting and activated the Speed Boost as I launched into the air. Without missing a beat, Kong appeared from below, determined to crush me along with Cavaliere-G. He tried to grab me but unfortunately he's doomed to fail.
I clenched hard on Cavaliere-G and said, "Time for a big surprise! Yeah!!"
I activated Cavaliere-G's ability to split apart in two as I spun and narrowly avoided being crushed in Kong's palm. As I passed through his hands, I immediately combined Cavaliere-G back into one and activated the speed boost. The increased boost propelled me towards the finish line and finishing the First Challenge of Halliday's Easter Egg Hunt.
In the back, the girls were wide-eyed as they didn't think they could pass Kong like I did. The amount of planning, coordination, and a bit of luck was tantamount to insanity since failure meant zero-ing out and starting over.
Once they got over their shock, they were yelling and clapping hard that their man completed this unbelievably hard challenge that no one in the world had done before.
Parzival and the others were in no less shock than the girls before Art3mis whispered, "He did it. He beat the first challenge. He's gonna be famous."
Art3mis looked towards Parzival as asked, "You know who he is? This is big news! He's gonna be famous."
Parzival and Aech shook out of their amazement and looked at each other before Aech said, "Yeah. That's Vex. We're friends of his. That damn bastard actually did it!!"
Aech looked back to Parzival and said, "Hey Z, this is gonna be bad. Everyone will be flocking to him like sharks."
Parzival replied back, "I know Aech. Still can't believe he did it. I really thought I could be first to the key."
Art3mis was processing the information and thought of the name Vex before raising her voice a bit and said, "That Vex?! The Murderous Hunter who hunts others like Death itself?"
Aech only nodded and said, "Yep. That's him. Though he's not really like that when you get to know him."
Art3mis was flabbergasted and lucky she didn't get targeted with a bounty or else she would've been zero-ed out a long time ago by Vex.
Art3mis thought, "How terrifying...but I bet IOI is panicking more. I'm sure they have intelligence on this legendary player and from his reputation alone would curb some IOI aggression towards him."
Meanwhile at the finish line, rows of instruments were playing welcoming my presence and as I hopped off Cavaliere-G, the scattered leaves spun around and formed to become Halliday's avatar-Anorak.
Anorak announced like a kind grandfather, "Exceptional racing, Padawan. You're the first person to finish albeit not the correct way but you proved me wrong. Now take your key and get yourself a clue."
In Anorak's palm, float a bronze key and slowly handed it to me before pointing me to the fountain in the middle of the park. A bronze scroll appeared where Anorak was pointing and gestured to me to grab it. I walked over and acquired the scroll containing the clue to the next challenge. The sky above me started popping fireworks as my name occupied the first place in the Easter Egg Hunt scoreboard.
At that moment, my name became even more famous than it was before. Talks of the name Vex started to circulate in the OASIS on how I managed to get past Kong and make it to the finish line while others were preparing to zero me out in hopes of erasing me from said scoreboard. Nevertheless, everyone will start swarming me as soon as they see me.
I unfurled the scroll revealing the clue within as it says, "A creator who hates his own creation. A hidden key, a leap not taken. Retrace your steps, escape your past. And the key of jade will be yours at last."
By the time I finished reading the clue, Anorak had disappeared and a portal had appeared in its place. Probably to transport me back to the main lobby. I put away the scroll in my inventory and walked out. The portal slowly closed as my name on the scoreboard was hanging over the park.
The moment I stepped out, I immediately changed to a different avatar to blend in since I already know people will start to swarm me if they see me. Thankfully, I had one ready for emergencies. It still resembles my normal avatar but the main theme was silver blue. As expected, plenty of people were watching the main portal to find me.
I sighed and thought, "I'm so glad I had this backup avatar for emergencies. I think the last time I used this was during the time I went to the Assassin's Creed World Sector. The damn place was crawling with bounty hunters."
I contacted the girls as well as Parzival and Aech to meet up at my workshop. I walked around making sure no one was spying on me before I opened a portal to my safe space.
I looked around and sat on the sofa overlooking the Akatsuki Gundam and said, "I guess I'm the first one here."
A few moments had passed before the first people arrived at the workshop. Thing actually got the girls together and got here with no problems. Next came Aech and Parzival as well as a surprise guest, Art3mis.
Surprised by her appearance, I thought, "Did I take over Aech's place from the movie? Meh, I'll have Aech still fix her bike. He knows where the tools are and spare materials."
They all walked through the portal before Parzival, Aech, and Art3mis ran towards the Akatsuki Gundam. Their mouths were agape that one could fit a whole egg in there.
Art3mis hurriedly asked, "H-How did Vex find a whole Gundam?!!"
Aech shockingly replied, "I don't even know that he found an intact Gundam. I haven't been here since the last time we worked together."
Parvizal just continued to marvel at the mechanical beauty of the Akatsuki Gundam. Thing and the girls just chuckled at their reactions before heading up to the lounge area. The three eventually snapped out of it and caught up with them.
Once they got up, they all saw me playing "Black Myth: Wukong" on the sofa. The various spells interested me and perhaps I could replicate them with my own magic such as "Immobilize" and the "Somersault Cloud."
Ryvel sat down next to me and gave a little peck on the cheek and asked, "That was an amazing sight to see, my beloved. Care to tell us how to beat the level?"
I put the controller down before I replied, "I basically brute passed Kong would be the short answer for your question but that's not really the "correct" way to pass the level. I can give you the answer but I need to ask whether you'd rather me tell you directly or point out the single clue leading to the answer?"
My answer kinda stumped everyone since they were truly looking forward to completing the challenge like me.
Art3mis broke the ice and said, "I'd rather have the clue. There's no satisfaction if you gave me the answer straight."
Her words brought clarity to everyone and gave her a look of thanks.
Ryvel took the lead and said, "Agreed. I'd like to hear the clue and figure out the way after."
I smiled at their determined answer and replied, "Oh alright. I'll tell you the clue. I'm sure Parzival knows about it since he's such a Halliday genius. The clue can be found at the Halliday Journals. Be sure to ask for this exact time-Gregarious Games, 2029 Office Party. You'll find your clue there."
All of them looked at Parzival before calming down. They all sat down before they were wondering what the clue to the second challenge would be. I simply took the scroll I got and tossed it to Ryvel. She grabbed it in the air and unfurled it for her to read. Everyone else stood up and walked behind her as they all read the riddle to the next key.
I shook my head at their enthusiasm and took the hot tea Thing prepared. After reading the clue to themselves, they got to thinking what it could mean. Seeing them like this, I shook my head and continued to play "Black Myth: Wukong."
Ryvel put down the scroll and said, "A creator who hates his own creation. That sentence could refer to plenty of things. But first things first, we need to head to the Halliday Journals for the answers for the first challenge."
Everyone besides me all agreed and headed to the Halliday Journals as a group. I could only shake my head at their enthusiasm before deciding whether or not I should finish the second challenge early.
On the other side, IOI was having their weekly meeting and Sorrento was presenting his vision for the future of OASIS. The other board members were not so convinced about his plans after winning the contest or even that they could win in the first place.
Sorrento reassured the board members and unveiled, "I had contacted mercenary groups as well as our IOI Sixers to keep a look out for this Vex player. Now every greedy person in the OASIS will be gunning for this player to get him off the scoreboard."
The board members were a little convinced by Sorrento's plan and called for a vote for approval. Everyone voted yes to his plan and it was being implemented as they speak. An alert had spread throughout the OASIS as the bulletin board had a new kill bounty in which the reward was an immense amount of coin as well as artifacts. The only requirement was to kill the first to acquire Halliday's key-Vex.
The meeting was adjourned and Sorrento called F'Nale over and ordered, "Find out who this mystery "Vex" person is and dispose of him. Find out if he's living in Columbus and bribe a few managers from Gregarious Games to make sure."
F'Nale replied, "I'll do what I can but no promises. Rumours had been circulating that this "Vex" is very mysterious and hard to track with no leads to his real-life identity. But he does have a few associates who seem to be familiar with him."
A picture of Ryvel, KiaraNyan, Faythe, Parzival, and Aech appeared on the tablet before she showed it to Sorrento.
Sorrento added, "Make sure to find their identities as well. Perhaps we can take one or a few of them hostage in exchange for winning this contest."
F'Nale nodded and went away to investigate. Unfortunately for Sorrento, any plan is useless when one's strength reaches a certain threshold. Unaware of Sorrento and F'Nale, there was a shadow hiding watching every movement and every news they had done. Their conversation will be sent back to their King for further orders.
It has been a week since my name popped up on the scoreboard. Everyday since then there was a new name on it. First was Ryvel, then KiaraNyan and Faythe, then Parzival, then Art3mis, then Aech, then Daito, and finally Sho.
Now there are nine names up on the scoreboard. The funds they received were used to buy enhancements as well as weapons at the market. Looking back at the day I gave them the clue, they immediately went to the Halliday Journals and met the Curator. Once he heard their request, they were all escorted to the memory.
Once there, they spent a few hours analysing every word they could find before Ryvel yelled, "I found it!!"
They all stopped what they were doing and came next to her. She explained her findings and pointed out how Halliday would like to "Drive backwards. Backwards, fast as we can. Bill and Ted did it."
Parzival and Art3mis widened their eyes for missing an obvious clue. KiaraNyan and Faythe just looked on with amusement. Once they found the clue, they discussed the order on how to complete the level to themselves. They all left the Halliday Journals and waited till the next day for the First Challenge to start.
To combat irrelevant people from discovering the secret, she stayed at the very back and only when the other racers were out of sight that she started. She hit the gas pedal full throttle backwards and just as she was about to hit the wall, a passage opened as she looked around with wonder since she's under the map.
Everything was visible and various 3D models were lighting the pathway until she reached the other side to the finish line. Ryvel was celebrated like me by the instruments and got the clue for the next challenge from Anorak. One by one, everyone passed the First Challenge with no problems.
Everyone was getting along with each other and treated my place as their hideout. I didn't mind so long as they kept to the public areas and not the private ones. I excused myself from them and told them I'll be logging out for the night. I gave a kiss to Ryvel, KiaraNyan, and Faythe on the side and told them to stay safe.
I looked over to Thing, "Make sure to keep an eye on them. They tend to get into trouble without actively looking for it."
Thing nodded and promised to keep an eye on them. With his reassurement, I got off the OASIS before heading to shower.
A long and steamy shower scene unfolded in the minds of the readers. As water slid down my body, encompassing the outlines of the muscles on the way down. As the camera starts to slowly go down, the scene faded to black before I was seen in the tub with my bare naked chest as I drank my glass of bourbon.
I looked over to the space in front of him and said, "Enjoyed the show?"
After taking a sip, I looked out the window with sorrow in my eyes as my life had significantly changed after going through different worlds. Life of an immortal being can be boring if there is nothing to keep an interest in. Thankfully different worlds mean different experiences can provide endless entertainment.
With the Pool of Eternal Life in the Shadow World, it continuously enriched the land with its energies. The whole area around it had become a lush forest with trees growing from 100 meters tall and beyond. Thanks to the magical properties from its water, both Wednesday and Enid could live as long as needed.
While still thinking about the future, a shadow had unfolded behind me as he kneeled before making any other movements.
I felt the presence before saying, "Report."
The Shadow Knight reported, "My King, the person you wished to keep an eye out, had started to investigate you and the mistresses' identities along with your companions. The man called Sorrento had authorised the use of kidnapping to achieve his goals. Another female named F'Nale had taken the task. Milord, what are your orders?"
I digested the information given by the Shadow Knight before sighing, "This Sorrento really gives me a headache. I can't do anything to him before the final confrontation. I could only make sure the others are guarded from IOI. The girls can easily handle themselves-I pray Wednesday doesn't make it too bloody....Oh who am I kidding? She's gonna torture the poor souls who get in her path."
I called the Shadow Knight and ordered, "Maintain constant vigilance as well as send a Shadow Knight or Medjay to the others. The mistresses can take care of themselves so you do not need to bother them."
The Shadow Knight lowered his head to the order he received and blended in the shadows to continue his work. With the protection of the Shadows, the others should be fine with no risk of being killed. I slowly nodded off on the coach and slept through the night.
In the middle of the night, various people from IOI had started their investigations. The first one locked was Parzival due to his impulsiveness with Art3mis at the Distracted Globe.
They believed the next challenge was there and started a dance battle. In the heat of the moment, Parzival, who was dancing with Art3mis, revealed his real name to her. She ultimately tried to stop him but Parzival's persistent nature made his feelings clear to her. Before Art3mis could respond, IOI troops stormed the place.
Art3mis yelled, "It's an ambush!"
A few moments of fighting finally ended when Parzival used the Zemeckis Cube to rewind time back 60 seconds. They didn't see they were being targeted by I-R0k from the side. Both Parzival and Art3mis parted ways with remorse on their faces. Their little romantic encounter had its first block.
I-R0k on the other hand, had immediately gone digging for a guy named Wade who recently purchased a bootsuit from IOI. Low and behold, he figured out the real world name of Parzival was Wade Watts. He contacted Sorrento immediately and sent the information.
I-R0k grinned at Sorrento, "Ta-daaa!! Parzival's real world name is Wade Watts and he was stupid enough to leave a flaw. So what are you going to do, Nolan? Chop him up or bribe him?"
Sorrento glanced at I-R0k and said, "I have to report this to the board members about buying him out. If he doesn't take it, well someone will take care of him. I'll send you your usual payment for this information."
Sorrento walked to his office and digested the information. It contained Wade's full name along with his most recent address. His recent activity was that he hasn't left his home for a few days.
Sorrento thought, "Maybe money can solve this problem and have him work for me. After all, he lives in a ghetto rat trash place like the Stacks."
He informed the board of the directors about his plan to make an offer to Wade in exchange for winning the contest for them. The board agreed and asked Sorrento to make contact with Wade tomorrow. Unknown to everyone besides me, a looming danger was slowly creeping in.