Chapter 13: The MMORPG Interlude

The plan was codenamed "Operation: Server Crash," and it was Kimi's most brilliant and insane idea yet. The pressure from Prometheus was suffocating them. They were overthinking every move, playing scared. They needed a reset. They needed to remember how to have fun.

So, for one week, they were officially benching Delta Strike. Instead, they were all diving headfirst into the launch of "Aethelgard Online," the most anticipated fantasy MMORPG in a decade.

Ms. Aya was, predictably, horrified. "You want to spend a week playing a completely different game, right before your first qualifying tournament? Are you insane?"

"It's a team-building exercise," Kimi argued, with a perfectly straight face. "A way to approach problem-solving from a new angle. Think of it as… cross-training for the mind."

Somehow, she convinced her. The next day, the entire Stardust Breakers team created their characters and logged into the pristine, unexplored world of Aethelgard. The change was immediate. The tense, focused atmosphere of the training facility was replaced with laughter and excited shouts.

Their pro-gamer instincts, however, were impossible to turn off. They didn't just play the game; they optimized it.

Mina, as expected, rolled a Berserker. Within hours, she had become a minor legend on the starting server for her terrifying and reckless method of pulling entire fields of monsters at once, a technique that was either brilliant or suicidal. She named her character "HardCoreSmasher."

Emi, naturally, chose to be a Frost Mage, a class that relied on precision and crowd control. She spent the first day not questing, but creating a massive spreadsheet that calculated the most optimal gear progression and damage-per-mana rotation for her class. Her character, "IceQueen," was ruthlessly efficient.

Akiro created a Cleric named "LuvHeals," and instantly became the server's most beloved and sought-after healer, known for her patience and kindness to new players. Yuki, wanting a change of pace, rolled a nimble Rogue named "Bugsy."

The pros were just as intense. Kenji, as a Dragon Knight, tried to solo every group quest he came across. Haru, a Trickster Bard, spent his time trying to find glitches in the game world and playing annoying songs in the main city. Daichi, in a move that surprised everyone, created a Paladin, a stalwart tank dedicated to protecting his party.

And Shouka? He rolled a Summoner, a class that relied on controlling multiple minions and managing complex strategies. He named him "MrManager."

Together, they formed a guild: "Childhood's End." And they proceeded to accidentally, and completely, break the game. Dungeon bosses that were meant to take a full party of twenty players, they cleared with just their core group of eight. They conquered the server's first raid on the second day of launch, a feat the developers thought was impossible. They became infamous.

The real magic, however, happened in the quiet moments. Shouka and Kimi, under the guise of "scouting new zones," would wander off together, exploring the game's breathtaking digital landscapes. They rode mythical beasts across shimmering plains, climbed to the top of crystalline mountains, and sat by the edge of a virtual ocean, watching two digital moons rise in the sky.

"It’s peaceful here," Kimi said one evening, their characters sitting together on a cliff overlooking a glowing forest. "No sponsors, no fans, no Prometheus. Just… this."

"It's nice," Shouka agreed. In this world, she wasn't Spicarie, and he wasn't MrJanitor. They were just two players, sharing an adventure. As a joke, they completed the in-game "Ceremony of Eternal Bonding" quest line, a virtual wedding complete with silly outfits and a shower of digital fireworks. It was goofy and meaningless, but as their characters stood there on the cliff, it felt surprisingly real.

Their fun diversion took a sharp turn on the fifth day. They were attempting a world boss, a massive dragon that required a hundred players to defeat. As they were coordinating the raid, Shouka noticed something odd. Another guild, "The Cogitators," was there. They weren't fighting the dragon. They were fighting the other players, using tactics that were unnervingly predictive. They seemed to know exactly when a player would use a healing potion, exactly when a mage would be out of mana.

Shouka zoomed in on their guild leader. His name was "Oracle." He was a Warlock, a class that focused on debuffs and long-term, strategic damage. He wasn't the best player, but he directed his guild with a cold, machine-like precision.

Then Shouka saw it. A tiny, almost unnoticeable cosmetic pet floating beside the Oracle's head. It was a limited-edition reward from a Delta Strike tournament a year ago. A reward given only to high-level data analysts and coaches.

A cold dread washed over Shouka. He opened the guild info panel for The Cogitators. Their motto was a simple, chilling phrase: "Logica est Omnia." Logic is Everything.

MrManager: Kimi, look at the Oracle's pet. And their guild motto.

Kimi zoomed in. Her response came a second later, a single, sharp intake of breath over their private voice channel. It wasn't proof, but it was a clue. Prometheus wasn't just in their heads. He was in their game.

"Okay," Shouka said, his voice low and intense. "Forget the dragon. New plan. We're going hunting."