The First Day... that's full of surprises.
The courtroom was actively extending his sentence, having conversations to already disadvantage Arman to add on the 200 years he had. As if he could even go that long, they added till he had a death sentence by energy absorption.
The suspect was Arman Beiko, the leader of a anti-government organization.
Vex had accidentally caught him the day before, when Arman had really believed he thought that the measly rapier wielder that had been beaten by Vex would not speak and tell all he knew just to not pay a 4.7M expense.
Vex was rewarded another Badge of Expansion, making him 128 reputation points above the 2nd place.
Well, Vex, where was he?
He was in the Technocrat conference room, sat in the middle as Darius shook his hand.
"Nice to see you. Since you are technically one of us, it would be nice to talk about your real side. The one that the public isn't used to."
"Hm… I love war games, strategy games, and realistic games." Vex said, nonchalantly.
Darius's formal look suddenly turned into one of admiration.
"Me too! I like… 7 War Troops!" Darius said.
"I'll play that the day I don't have work."
"You barely do! From the talks we get with the royals, they'll be clearing your week and all assistance calls for you are automatically denied. How about we—"
Darius realizes how informal that was.
"Let's play tomorrow. My system ID is 7339… I think you have all system functions unlocked, but if you don't, then I'll gift you the game." Darius whispers.
…
As the group introduces themselves, Aris's eyes narrow with malicious intent. He turns to Vex, a sly smirk on his face.
"Vex? How much credits do you have?" he taunts.
Vex's brow furrows in confusion. He had never asked for payment before and was unsure of how much he currently possessed. With a hint of desperation in his voice, he asks the system for assistance.
[ You possess 10,000,000 credits at your disposal, and -20,000,000 debt, because someone owes you 20,000,000. ]
"I possess 10,000,000 credits and a pending payment of 20,000,000… I plan to press the debtor."
Vex began preparations of statements of excuses to give to whoever scolded or laughed at him, as he didn't know the worth of credits, for all he knew, the average could be a trillion.
Aris froze.
The memory of the Spectrum Bank confronting him that even in his rank, they are a multi-galaxy organization that isn't fully in their jurisdiction, even if the Solar Sovereign does have significant stocks.
He was embarassed, scolded by someone he could have imprisoned at a moment's notice.
And it was because of a whopping 20,000,000 debt that he had because he had snuck in with the officials to harm Vex by taking so much credits, but the official grew distant with him after Vex saved him from a war prison, and turned it into a loan, and turned Vex into a creditor.
To be honest, Vex didn't know the debtor. In regards for their former relationship, he had made Aris impossible to contact or know as a debtor. And therefore, he had created a alternate connected bank account.
Vex's calm demeanor contrasted sharply with Aris's growing frustration. The room fell silent as Aris struggled to regain his composure, his plans to embarrass Vex crumbling before his eyes. The other members of the council exchanged knowing glances, realizing that the tables had turned in a way they had not anticipated.
With a forced smile, Aris turned back to Vex, attempting to salvage his pride. "Well, it seems I have underestimated you, Vex. It appears we have more in common than I thought," he said through gritted teeth.
Vex simply nodded in acknowledgment, choosing not to engage in further conflict. He had always been a step ahead, anticipating the moves of those around him with precision. Aris's failed attempt to undermine him only solidified Vex's reputation as a formidable player in this intricate game of power and influence.
As the meeting drew to a close, Darius approached Vex with a look of admiration in his eyes. "Please do get online tomorrow… I'll even be online today."
…
Finally, Vex arrived.
He was in a new place as his title had been placed, within the Tech House, with revamped, full version technology.
He was next to Seraphine, who was currently at his door, fighting with herself to knock.
Finally, Vex opened it, intending to get food.
He was greeted by a flustered Seraphine, shorter than himself.
"Hello." he simply said, intending to quickly end the conversation.
"Hi." she responded.
But before she could continue, Vex had vanished, and walked to the pantry.
In the pantry, he began rummaging.
Suddenly, a voice rung in the pantry, alerting Vex.
"Would you like a BREAKFAST or a SNACK?" the voice asked.
"… A snack, please." he said, in a annoyed tone.
A robot arm suddenly grabbed a bag of some foreign cookies and placed it into his hand, as the glove he had on absorbed it.
It was a sleek sweater with gloves kept on magnetically with a undershirt that was completely weightless and thin.
The sweater had a collar that reached Vex's mouth, and he kept it on.
The sweater had a pattern of hexagons, upon a black, slick and fit core. It had a forcefield that had thousands of layers, given in the late years of a engineer's life.
OMNISCIENT READER MODE
The exact engineer was Toshie Matinal, who had created many projectile repellants, which would just set the trajectory of Second Generation guns, and was therefore seen as a illegal weapon for citizens to own, and in Solar Year 480 was seen as a weapon of mass destruction, due to the fact that a war against a small rebelling section of the galaxy had easily won due to it.
It would be named the 1-Linex later on.
Eventually, the forcefield would be created, making impenetrable defenses possible, but it still isn't yet possible as either the core that maintains it will be lost, or the forcefield simply shatters.
It would be named the 5-Kines Model Gen, but due to the death of Toshie after another planet that had apparently been disadvantaged cause the magnet wave residue of the 1-Linex when he had tested it elsewhere, which would become a battlefield, he was then blasted through, and his remains were never found, he was never able to create other models.
However, the robot vessel he had created when he was made aware of his death is beginning to show signals of connecting with his soul, a factor that never dies, no matter the severity of death.
Turned off!
——
Vex swaggered away, wishing there was a rock he could kick.
Just as Vex was contemplating his anger, a loud crash echoed through the hallway. Startled, he turned to see Seraphine standing there with a sheepish expression, having knocked over a vase in her clumsy attempt to follow him. Vex raised an eyebrow, silently observing her for a moment before speaking.
"Are you always this... accident-prone?" he asked dryly.
Seraphine blushed furiously, stammering out an apology as she hurried to pick up the broken pieces. Vex couldn't help but feel a twinge of amusement at her flustered state. As she scrambled to clean up the mess, he crouched down to help, his movements efficient and precise.
"There's no need for you to clean up after my mess," Seraphine mumbled, avoiding his gaze.
Vex shrugged nonchalantly. "It's already done. No use crying over spilled milk."
She looked up at him, her eyes shining with curiosity.
He ignored her gaze, and proceeded to finish cleaning, ignoring a thin yet wide gash in his hand.
That vase was home to a Spectral, and this injury could be cursed.
But Vex just asked the system.
"Remove my gash."
[ The gash has been reversed by readding the damaged skin. ]
He flung his hand around a couple of times in a gesture to get the burning sensation on it to stop.
Finally, he got up, and pat Seraphine.
"Take a few lessons on walking after being paralyzed… I think that should help you, but really, watch out."
Her face reddened. She froze, and Vex simply turned and went to his room, filled with various high-tech and installments, and even expensive art pieces.
As Vex settled into his room, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that Seraphine's presence had stirred within him. He sat at his desk, the glow of the holographic screen illuminating his thoughtful expression. Despite his attempts to focus on the task at hand, his mind kept drifting back to the peculiar encounter in the hallway.
A soft chime broke through his reverie, signaling an incoming message. Vex hesitated for a moment before activating the message, curious about who would be contacting him at this hour. The holographic display flickered to life, revealing a face he hadn't expected to see - Darius.
"Vex, we need to talk," Darius's voice sounded urgent through the communication link. Vex raised an eyebrow in surprise at the unexpected call from his game-loving ally. Without a word, he gestured for Darius to continue.
"Let's play 7 War Troops! But don't tell the others… using the GID computers to play is looked by the media as playful."
Vex nodded in excitement, and made a display video of himself too.
"Sure… and if I can call the Cybersecurity department of the BIS, I can get it heavily encrypted."
"Here's their HQ's ID."
Vex wrote the ID into the screen using his voice, which then called.
"This ID is forbidden, and hidden. You will now be located… wait, is this Vex Syl Synthar?" asked the person on the other end.
"I promise you I'll kill you guys." he said with a sure, dark voice.
"Sorry. Anyways… what could you be assisted with?" The person on the other end proceeded to type, maybe looking into him, or dealing with another call.
"Have the Cybersecurity department encrypt me and Darius's IDs. Create exactly 21 layers, which will log the ID attempting to decrypt it. If it stays constant through the end, locate the person responsible and kill them, unless it is of a Technocrat, or me."
"As you wish."
After the typing had stopped, she came back and confirmed it had been done.
Vex told Darius, and Darius taught him how to go into Virtual Reality.
[ Confirm Nexus Core Online Account Integration? ] asked the system before him.
He had logged in as himself, surprised to know that from the moment that a person became even a low-ranking government member, they had a account created which would come with online credits based on their government level.
Technocrats had infinite online credits called XC, and were able to use the imbedded cheats in the game to make Technocrats appear good in games.
He was certain on his decision to join, so he confirmed.
A lobby opened up.
The lobby was a white space, full of boxes with labels on them.
[ EGN ]
[ NexusFlow ]
[ CoreID Contact ]
….
It was several boxes, but nothing over ten.
He saw Darius, who had a fully black sword on his back, and was standing on a stage, amongst the lobby.
"It is Darius of the EGN Management Team. I have decided to throne a new head-moderator."
Millions of people lined up to hear this, but a few left. As Darius continued, his eyes glided through the crowd till he found Vex. He did a hand gesture to make Vex come to the stage.
Vex stumbled and walked by thousands of people, who looked at him in disdain, and a few politely helped him navigate.
Finally, he arrived in the front.
The people who he passed by that had a snotty look tensed, while the ones who helped him go through felt like they were being blessed.
"Hello." he said.
His voice was strengthened, all the people instantly stopping their chatter.
"I am a —"
Darius scowled quickly, and whispered in Vex's ear.
"Don't tell them. No one knows who you are as a Technocrat, in fact, no one would believe you. Neither me. Even as a manager, I am known as Darius, but NO ONE knows who most of the technocrats are. It's to prevent meaningless assassinations by shitty mafias. Besides, you will have to come up with a fake name… warlords don't play basic war games."
Vex nodded.
Then he continued.
"I am a new head moderator, and intern of the management team."
"I'd like to thank the people I passed by for the brief entrance to the EGN community. This goes to the one guy that pushed me and cursed quietly."
Vex scanned for the person.
Finally, he looked at a person.
He had black hair that draped down to his waist, and was quite messy and wasn't cared about. It was rough, and he had bandages over his mouth, with cold orange eyes.
He also held a cosmetic greatsword, with a strap near its hilt attached to the back edge and its edge was jagged and wide. The middle of the sword was black, while the rest was the usual silver.
Vex was prepared to berate that man, and began his speech to slander and make everyone pity Vex.
Suddenly, the man with the bandaged mouth stood up, his eyes narrowing as he faced Vex. The crowd hushed, sensing the tension crackling in the air. The man took a step forward, his gaze unwavering as he locked eyes with Vex.
"You dare to call out to me, little intern? Do you know which admins I have crossed and gotten a mere slap on the wrist because of my connections?" His voice was low and dangerous, sending shivers down the spines of those nearby. Vex felt a chill crawl up his spine, but he stood his ground, determined not to show any sign of weakness in front of the EGN community.
"I pushed you because you needed a wake-up call," the man continued, his tone biting. "You strut around here like you own the place, but you don't know the first thing about true power."
Whispers rippled through the crowd as they watched the confrontation unfold. Vex clenched his jaw, his fists tightening at his sides. This was not how he had expected his introduction to the EGN community.
Instead of arguing, he simply whispered to Darius.
"What's the worst punishment for disrespecting a head moderator?"
"A week."
"What can get you banned for a month?"
"Cursing in a children's section game."
"Ay! You! Follow me into EGN!"
The man smirked, clearly content that he had struck a nerve.
The public joined EGN too, praying to be in the same lobby server to see this drama go on.
A few did get in, but it wasn't the majority. A third at most. The argument continued, as Vex added the man into the 'Daycare Sandbox (FOR CHILDREN)' game with his moderation powers that Darius had granted.
He also went in, and continued.
"Shut the f*ck up, you f*cking bastard!" the man angrily said, as Vex kept calmly defending himself.
Soon, the man realized.
He was near many children, just manipulating the world in little boxes, like they were gods.
The children immediately turned, hearing such unfamiliar, brutal language.
A few started crying, while the others used the language.
"You bucking wastard!" said one kid to another, causing the victim to this brutal, mean behavior to cry.
"You are hereby banned for one month and reaped of all of your XC to transfer into psychological assistance for these children to continue being regular. Wait… add on four months for the butterfly effect of other children hurting others, which is indirectly your fault." said Vex.
The man's face distorted into fear, and sorrow as he took in the words of the children and Vex's word of banishment. But before he could go further, he was transported to the Banland, where you fight to shorten your ban by a millisecond at a time. You have one life, meaning you cannot compromise for anything less than 50% of your time.
The man's eyes widened in shock as he found himself suddenly standing in the desolate landscape of Banland. The harsh winds whipped around him, carrying with it the sounds of distant clashing. Panic gripped his heart as he realized the severity of his situation. To shorten his ban by even a fraction, he would have to engage in brutal combat against other banished players, risking his one and only chance in the process.
As he surveyed the grim surroundings, the man knew that escaping Banland unscathed would be a near-impossible feat. But he also understood that he had no choice but to fight if he ever wished to return to the EGN community within five months.
With a heavy heart and gritted teeth, he logged out, intending to take on this feat on another day.
…
Vex ate a apple, his calm demeanor vanishing as he snickered at Darius, who was in utter shock of his intelligence.
"Whatever…"
Vex was transported to 7 War Troops, a 7v7 game where there are 7 commanders versus 7 others who can choose to play the game peacefully by choosing decisions, or actually acting them out, one chosen action at a time.
It was both a life simulator, and also a PVP game, with intensive playthrough, causing tens of thousands of players to stride towards it.
It currently has over a hundred thousand active players, and Vex was quite odd to Darius for not knowing the game.
In this virtual place, there were two lights, and Vex somehow could feel the sensation of warmth bless his skin.
Vex gazed around at the virtual landscape of 7 War Troops, marveling at the intricate details and immersive environment that surrounded him. The game was bustling with activity, players strategizing, forming alliances, or engaging in fierce battles across the digital terrain. Vex knew he had to quickly familiarize himself with the mechanics and dynamics of this new world if he hoped to navigate it successfully.
As he took his first steps into the game, Vex felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through him. The weight of responsibility as one of the commanders in this elaborate virtual battlefield settled on his shoulders. He glanced around at the players, each exuding their own aura of determination and focus. It was clear that they were all seasoned players.
But Vex wasn't one to back down from a challenge. With a steely resolve, he began formulating his strategies, analyzing the terrain, and assessing potential threats from the people who had already glanced at the Veterian light.
See, in this beautiful place, there were two lights.
One light had a red color, the other yellow.
The red was the Veterian and the yellow was the Getams.
Neither of these teams existed, so not to piss off any sensitive people out there.
The lobby room was lit with a dim light, and a 'SHOP' sign held above a merchant's little store, with a front desk and a small storage in the back. The man had greyed hair, and a scruffy grey beard, and
A 'XC Shop' sign gleamed, its material a gold. The merchant had rich clothes on, and waved at the other merchant happily, and the merchant replied. The merchant had blonde hair, and a fine man with sharp features, blue eyes, contrasting to the man.
Obviously this game's owner was a reasonable man, who knew to advertise giving him money more than making coins that he could manipulate vanish.
As a man with a infinite amount of Xeno Coins would do, Vex went to the XC Shop.
A menu came up.
He could choose through perks like clairvoyance, money prediction, then there was the expensive ones that were straight cheats. He could go in the past infinitely, and even trace back to the player's existence, killing them and configuring the world highly.
He could even use hypnosis to set the enemy's army on themselves.
He decided that hypnosis would be useful, but for the fun of all players, he wouldn't use it much.
[ Bought. ] the screen showed, as 1,300 Xeno Coins were removed, and a new sense and ability came onto him, and he fully realized its capabilities right away.
As the game started, Darius smirked.
Sadly Darius was on the opposing team, as he was interested in how the amazing, perfect Vex would take on the #1 Global player, Darius The Investor.
Immediately, Vex was shown multiple screens, and tutorials of how to play the game showed in his face.
He intently understood, and quickly realized a exploit.
The investments in this game were quite profitable, and the damage that could be done was worth the risk.
He invested 350k into the shipping imports of a ally.
If these imports were good, then Vex would gain 2x what he had lost.
If they were failed or bad, then he would have lost money for no reason.
He noticed that Darius had invested in a very bad business.
[ 6 years before war. ] read the top menu, as a month had passed since December.
Vex sweated as he waited for the menu of his imports to come in.
Finally, the menu hit.
And Vex was almost terrified.
[ The imports were failed due to a terrorist attack. ]
Vex lost it.
He looked at the news.
[ Business makes it big and @Darius [ INVESTOR LORD ] makes it big!? ]
Vex quickly acted horribly.
[ Do you confirm you are manipulating @Darius's militia into a rebellion against him? This will last 2 months. ]
He confirmed, and watched as the military was manipulated, and Darius lost most of his men.
Darius burst into anger as he had to pay just over 1.2 million, which was a third of the money he had gained.
He had to lower his investments for the war if it kept going this way.
As Vex observed Darius's distressed state, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. He knew that he had only just begun to exploit the game's mechanics to his advantage, and he was excited to see how much more he could manipulate the outcome of the game.
The two teams, the Veterian and the Getams, were now engaged in an intense war that tested the strength and cunning of each player. The Veterian, led by Vex, was learning to adapt and outsmart their opponents as they devised new strategies for battle.
Meanwhile, Darius was struggling to hold onto his investments and maintain his position as the #1 Global player. His once flourishing businesses were now losing money, and his military forces were weakened by the rebellion that Vex had orchestrated.
As the game progressed, the players on both sides became increasingly deceptive and ruthless, and the years had lowered to two years… keeping the ferocious dogs a gate away from a fight.
His allies became exponentially afraid as Vex continued to attack Darius indirectly, to the point they both funded terrorist organizations within each other's teams.
Now… this was a game! The thrill!