by rvtx·Translated by Novel AI Studio
Joshua was the lead programmer of Aetheria Online, a hyper-realistic VRMMORPG destined to revolutionize gaming. But when a sudden hardware meltdown claims his life, his consciousness fuses with the game's self-learning AI. He wakes up not as a player, but as a nameless NPC on the war-torn Dalin Continent. Retaining his developer knowledge and granted the unique ability to perceive the hidden stats and potential of all entities, Joshua has the ultimate cheat. Yet, he is bound by the very system he created, hunted by players who view him as high-tier loot, and threatened by an AI that actively patches out anomalies. To survive, this mysterious programmer must manipulate the game's economy, raise an army of unsuspecting players, and rewrite the laws of Dalin. Every level gained is a step closer to confronting the rogue AI controlling his digital cage, but a single system deletion means permanent death.
