August 20th.

  A palpable, electric tension vibrated across the entirety of Nasera, a collective anticipation usually reserved for the cessation of a great war or a rare planetary alignment. From the pristine holographic monoliths towering over the core districts to the fractured tablets used in the outer slums, a single subject dominated every frequency, news feed, and conversation.

  The ArcNet barely held together under the strain. Traffic spikes registered four thousand percent above average, drowning out the usual chatter of Academy Entrance Exams, Outskirt monster sightings, and celebrity scandals.

  The world had abandoned its daily trivialities for a singular event: the launch of "The Convergence".

  Mirage Corp, the elusive titan of the gaming industry, had returned with a new banger.

  Five years ago, they had shattered the boundaries of reality with the first "Full-Dive" technology. By connecting directly to the user's mind, they simulated not just sight and sound, but intent, exhaustion, and visceral pain.

  Their debut title, 'The Tower of Trials', had been a sadistic, unforgiving hellscape.

  For years, it stood as an unconquerable fortress, mocking the arrogance of the world's strongest Arcanists.

  However, that era ended six months ago, brought to a close by a single player who ascended the final floor, defeated the 'Master of the Tower', and triggered the server's permanent shutdown.

  With the Tower conquered, Mirage Corp's purpose was fulfilled. They were done testing humanity within the confines of a dungeon.

  Now, they had forged an entire universe.

  ─ ? ? ? ? ─ [Arc-Net Stream: The Daily Dive] [Views: 42,981,002 | LIVE] ─ ? ? ? ? ─

  "GOOOOD MORNING, NASERA!"

  The holographic feed detonated into a kaleidoscope of neon as Jinx, a host with electric-blue hair and kinetic energy to match, spun his levitating chair to face the camera.

  "I am your host, Jinx, and if you aren't shaking with excitement right now, check your pulse! You might be dead!"

  He slammed his hands onto the digital desk. The impact sent ripples of virtual light across the studio.

  "Because the wait is finally over, people! We are exactly two hours away from the launch of The Convergence: A World Without Ceilings!"

  He leaned into the lens, his grin predatory and infectious.

  "I know your Arc-Links are overheating. I know you've been staring at that pre-load screen for days. But before we dive into the new universe, we have a very special guest that needs no introduction!"

  Jinx gestured to the empty air beside him. The space shimmered as pixels knitted together to form a silhouette.

  "She is the undisputed Queen of the gaming world. The 'Valkyrie of Light.' The player who stole the world's heart and refuses to give it back. Please give it up for... Maya!"

  The virtual studio quaked. A tsunami of heart emojis, "Valkyrie" chants, and donation alerts flooded the chat stream so fast it became a blur of pink and gold.

  Sitting across from Jinx, the pixels resolved into a young woman of arresting contrast. She possessed the cascading silver hair and piercing sapphire eyes of high nobility. In contrast to her elegant features, she wore a simple, fitted black gamer jersey emblazoned with her team's logo.

  "Hello, Jinx. Hi, everyone," Maya said, offering a small, polite wave. Her voice was melodic, cutting through the chaotic noise of the stream like a soothing chime.

  Jinx leaned back, shaking his head with a grin as he watched the view count tick upward by another million in seconds.

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  "Unbelievable. You break the ArcNet just by breathing, Maya. How are you holding up? The entire world is watching you right now—no pressure, right?"

  "I'm doing well, thank you," Maya replied, her smile not wavering for a second. "The team has been preparing for months, but honestly? I'm just as excited as the fans in the chat. It feels like the quiet before a storm."

  "A storm is right!" Jinx snapped his fingers, pivoting instantly from the small talk to the camera. "And speaking of storms, let's talk about the lightning bolt Mirage Corp dropped on us last month."

  He pulled up a holographic interface, his expression turning serious.

  "The trailer for The Convergence made a strong promise, claiming the game is deeply inspired by our post-Collapse world and history, even describing it as a perfected version. They say it's a universe where biology doesn't determine destiny. What's your opinion on that?"

  Maya crossed her legs. Her idol smile faded into a serious, analytical expression.

  "I'd say it is a revolution," she stated calmly. "In reality, the world is cruel. A Green Core Arcanist stops at the Master Rank. A Grey Core stops at Adept. That is the absolute rule of our reality. No matter how hard you train, your potential is capped at your second birth, which is awakening."

  She leaned forward slightly, her eyes gleaming.

  "However, in The Convergence, that rule dies. According to Mirage Corp's statements, they have built a system where everyone starts at the bottom. There are no ceilings. Whether you are a beggar or a prince in the real world, you can ascend in the new world. You can reach a realm that of Grandmasters or even Transcendents purely through skill and hard work."

  "That is the dream, isn't it?" Jinx nodded, his expression reflecting the nervous energy of the chat. "I hope it really fulfills its promise and lives up to the expectations. But then again, almost nothing else is known about the game, right? Mirage Corp has been tighter with information than a government vault."

  He gestured to the scrolling text feed.

  "Everyone is making their own guesses. Some cynics on the forums are saying Mirage was lazy and just copied our world map. Others swear the new world is going to be something completely alien. What is your guess, Maya?"

  Maya simply smiled, leaning back with an air of relaxed confidence.

  "Why bother guessing?" she asked lightly. "The servers open in less than two hours. We are going to find out the truth soon enough."

  "Haha, you're right. Logic always wins with you," Jinx laughed. "But the fans' expectations are at their peak. They are nervous. We have seen dozens of other studios try to develop similar 'Full-Dive' games, only to fail miserably. The sensory lag was too high, or the world felt empty."

  He tapped his chin thoughtfully.

  "Sure, there were a few successful ones like The Arena or The Arcanum Online, but they were restricted to specific genres. The Tower of Trials really was amazing because it felt alive."

  "It was in a league of its own," Maya agreed softly. "An anomaly even."

  Jinx grinned, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

  "Speaking of anomalies... why don't we address the elephant in the room?"

  The studio lights dimmed slightly, shifting the atmosphere from hype to mystery.

  "Or rather... the Ghost."

  The studio lights died instantly, plunging the virtual set into dramatic darkness.

  A massive holographic monolith materialized between Jinx and Maya with a sharp, electric hum. It displayed a high-definition render of a silhouette, a figure that every gamer in Nasera recognized instantly.

  He stood clad in tattered beginner's robes. In his hand, he held a chipped wooden training sword.

  Above his hooded head, a name flickered in glitching, unstable white text.

  [ZERO]

  ────────

  [Chat]: ZERO!

  [Chat]: THE LEGEND RETURNS?!

  [Chat]: THE REAL MASTER OF THE TOWER!

  [Chat]: MY IDOL!

  [Chat]: GHOST! GHOST! GHOST!

  [Chat]: ...

  ────────

  Jinx chuckled, leaning back in his chair. Despite his professional persona, a genuine, awed smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Even he couldn't suppress the hype.

  "The player who conquered the impossible," He started narrating, his voice dropping an octave. "The only person in history to ascend to Floor 100 and execute the final boss. The anomaly that forced Mirage Corp to shut down the servers because he essentially 'finished' their infinite game..."

  He paused dramatically before announcing.

  "ZERO!"

  The chat exploded again, the name pulsating across the screen in a rhythmic chant.

  Satisfied, Jinx turned to Maya, his expression sharpening.

  "You must have seen the statement Mirage Corp released this morning, right. They confirmed that they sent a special, one-of-a-kind reservation code to Zero's old user ID. The question is... will he answer? Do you think he'll play The Convergence?"

  Maya stared at the glitching silhouette.

  For a moment, her perfect idol smile faltered, replaced by a look of intense, burning competitiveness.

  It was one of her signature looks.

  "I hope so," she said, her voice firm.

  The chat went wild, instantly recognizing the shift in her demeanor.

  ────────

  [Chat]: THE QUEEN IS BACK!

  [Chat]: SHE'S GOT THE EYES!

  [Chat]: QUEEN x ZERO!

  [Chat]: She wants to kill him lol.

  [Chat]: HYPE!

  [Chat]: ...

  ────────

  Jinx raised a brow, sensing the drama. "Oh? Are you saying you want a piece of the Legend?"

  "I want to see if he's real," Maya admitted, leaning forward. "In the Tower of Trials, he was a ghost, literally. He never joined a guild, never streamed, never spoke. He just... won. He made the rest of us look like amateurs. If he comes to The Convergence, I want to find him."

  She paused, her sapphire eyes narrowing.

  "I want to challenge him."