The world didn't just glitch.
It stuttered with a violent mechanical cough.
The marble pillars of Apex Academy were suddenly covered in flickering green lines of binary code that looked like digital scars.
Every holographic screen in Kaelen's vision turned into a deep blood red.
The million contracts of the Shadow Scholarship were being overwritten by a jagged skull icon.
[CRITICAL ALERT: RANSOMWARE DETECTED]
[NAME: THE ANARCHY PROTOCOL]
[EFFECT: TOTAL ENCRYPTION OF SOUL DATA]
[STATUS: 15% OF ASSETS LOCKED]
Kaelen Thorne stood in the center of the plaza as the digital grenade's wave washed over him.
He felt a cold static crawling across his skin.
It was like a million microscopic spiders trying to weave a web over his memories and his authority.
The rider with the red mohawk stepped off his chrome motorcycle.
His name was Jax and his cybernetic eye was spinning with a frantic crimson light.
Your 'Ledger' is a cage Kaelen Thorne Jax shouted his voice amplified by a distorted digital filter.
You've turned the multiverse into a giant bank where the poor pay interest on their own existence.
But the Outer Rims have a different philosophy.
We believe in Total Data Freedom.
Jax raised his cybernetic arm and a holographic timer appeared in the air above the Academy.
TIME UNTIL TOTAL SYSTEM WIPE: 00:59:59
If you don't release the souls of every debtor in your system Kaelen the key to the encryption will be destroyed Jax sneered.
The world will go back to the way it was before you arrived.
No system. No gods. No masters.
Just beautiful chaotic silence.
Kaelen Thorne adjusted his tie.
He didn't look at the timer.
He looked at his right hand which was flickering with green static.
A Ransomware attack Kaelen said his voice a low lethal hum.
He looked at the million students in the hallways who were starting to collapse as their mana circuits were locked by the virus.
It is the ultimate move for a rebel Kaelen continued.
You aren't trying to outbid me or sue me.
You're trying to Hostilely Delete the database.
Silas Vesper tried to lunge at Jax but as the assassin crossed the digital threshold his form shattered into a hundred flickering pixels.
Master! Silas gasped his voice sounding like a broken radio.
I can't... maintain my resolution!
Lia Sinclair roared her violet void aura erupting to protect Kaelen from the encroaching static.
She tried to bite the green code but she let out a cry of pain as the malware burned her tongue.
"It's bitter Mr. Thorne! It tastes like... poison and rust!"
Kaelen Thorne did not reach for his power.
He reached for his Sovereign Ledger.
The book appeared in the air but its white pages were being stained by the green binary of the Anarchy Protocol.
You talk about freedom Jax Kaelen said walking toward the revolutionary.
But you've just committed the greatest sin in the business of reality.
You've attempted to Encumber the Liquidity.
Jax laughed and pulled a heavy chrome pistol from his belt.
Your business terms don't work here Suit!
The Anarchy Protocol was written in a world where the laws of physics are just a suggestion.
It's an unhackable virus because it isn't based on mana.
It's based on the Will to Destroy.
Is it? Kaelen asked.
Kaelen stopped five feet from the chrome motorcycle.
His obsidian eyes were now glowing with a terrifying digital white light.
Every virus is just a series of commands Jax Kaelen said.
And every command is an Operating Expense.
Kaelen tapped his tablet and the Ledger's display changed.
He wasn't looking at the students anymore.
He was looking at the Energy Consumption of the Malware.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: INFRASTRUCTURE AUDIT]
[TARGET: THE ANARCHY PROTOCOL]
[ANALYSIS: THE VIRUS IS SIPHONING MANA FROM THE ENCRYPTED SOULS TO MAINTAIN ITS ENCRYPTION]
You see Jax Kaelen said his voice echoing with a chilling clarity.
Your 'Freedom' is currently being funded by the very people you claim to be liberating.
The Anarchy Protocol requires a massive amount of power to keep one million souls locked.
And since you didn't bring your own battery you are charging the bill to my debtors.
Jax's cybernetic eye twitched. So what? They'll be free once the wipe is complete.
They won't be free Kaelen said.
They'll be Bankrupt.
By the time your timer reaches zero their mana circuits will be burnt to ash to pay for the encryption process.
You aren't a liberator.
You're a Malicious Liquidator.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
[PUBLIC BROADCAST INITIATED]
[REMARK: EXPOSING THE TRUE COST OF THE ANARCHY PROTOCOL]
Across the Academy the students who were collapsing suddenly saw the truth.
They saw the green lines of code siphoning their life force to power the very cage that held them.
The "Will to Destroy" Jax spoke of was being turned into a Liability.
Suddenly the green static around Kaelen began to turn a deep angry red.
The students weren't just resisting the virus.
They were Filing a Collective Grievance.
[NOTICE: MASS REJECTION OF THE ANARCHY PROTOCOL]
[STATUS: THE VIRUS HAS BECOME AN 'UNAUTHORIZED TRANSACTION']
Kaelen Thorne raised his hand and the golden threads of the Ledger lashed out.
They didn't grab Jax.
They grabbed the Binary Code itself.
I am the Master Liquidator Kaelen hissed his voice sounding like a thousand machines.
And I am declaring this virus a Fraudulent Debt.
Kaelen executed a Systemic Chargeback.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: THE RECOVERY PROTOCOL]
[EFFECT: REVERSING ALL TRANSACTIONS PERFORMED BY THE MALWARE]
The green static on the walls began to flow backward.
The binary code was sucked out of the students and the pillars returning to Jax's cybernetic arm.
The revolutionary screamed as his own arm began to glow with a frantic red heat.
Wait! No! The protocol is supposed to be one way!
In a fair market yes Kaelen said walking to Jax and grabbing his chrome arm.
But in my market the one who initiates the transaction is responsible for the Reversal Fee.
Kaelen twisted the metal arm and a torrent of red static flowed from Jax into Kaelen's heart-seal.
Kaelen didn't store the virus.
He Repurposed it.
He took the encryption logic and turned it into a Security Firewall.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
[VIRUS NEUTRALIZED]
[ASSETS RECOVERED]
[NEW TRAIT ACQUIRED: CYBER-SOVEREIGNTY]
Jax fell to the ground his chrome arm smoking and sparking.
His red mohawk was limp and his digital eye was cracked.
He looked up at Kaelen with pure disbelief.
You... you just turned my revolution into an antivirus program.
I turned your revolution into a Productivity Tool Kaelen said.
Kaelen looked at the students who were standing up their mana circuits stronger than ever after the "Recovery" process.
Your virus was very efficient at organizing data Jax Kaelen added.
I've decided to use it to optimize the Global Debt Collection process.
Thank you for the update.
Lia Sinclair walked to Kaelen's side her violet eyes gleaming with a new golden spark.
She looked at the chrome motorcycle.
"Can I eat the bike Mr. Thorne? It smells like... high speed and rebellion."
"Go ahead Lia" Kaelen said. "It's been declared as 'Civil Forfeiture'."
Lia Sinclair lunged at the motorcycle her void aura consuming the chrome in a single violet flash.
[LIA SINCLAIR HAS EVOLVED: THE CYBER-VOID ARCHIVE]
Kaelen adjusted his tie and looked at the sky.
The neon lights were fading returning to the warm afternoon sun.
The "Reader" notification in the corner of his eye was a steady deep gold.
[INTEREST LEVEL: MAXIMIZED]
[REWARD: PERMANENT ACQUISITION OF THE CROSSOVER ASSETS]
Kaelen looked at the fallen revolutionary.
"Silas, take Jax to the server room. He's going to be our new Chief Security Officer. Since he knows how to break things... he's the best one to make sure they stay fixed."
"Yes Master" Silas said his form solid and lethal once more.
Kaelen turned to walk back into the Academy.
The Crossover was over.
He had beaten the Hero the Empress and the Rebel.
But as he reached the doors he felt a sudden violent tremor beneath his feet.
It was not an explosion.
It was a Structural Collapse.
Kaelen looked at his tablet and his eyes widened.
The "Total System Wipe" timer hadn't stopped.
It had just been hidden.
TIME UNTIL REALITY DELETION: 00:00:10
Kaelen looked at Jax.
The rebel was smiling through the blood on his face.
"I told you Kaelen" Jax whispered. "Anarchy isn't a program. It's a Dead Man's Switch."
"If I lose... the world loses."
Kaelen Thorne looked at the sky.
He looked at the million students.
He looked at Lia.
00:00:05
00:00:04
Kaelen grabbed the [Chronos Core] shards in his pocket and his Alpha Heart began to roar.
He didn't have enough time to stop the wipe.
He only had enough time to Refile the World.
"Lia! Silas! Grab my hands!" Kaelen shouted.
00:00:01
00:00:00