> Location: Cotonou — Outlying district of Fidjrossè
Time: 3:12 AM — The immersion headset has just opened.
The pale light of a flashing LED bulb revealed a cracked ceiling. Arzane slowly removed his headset, still panting. His t-shirt was soaked with sweat.
His heart was pounding as if he'd just escaped death.
He stared at the ceiling for a long moment... then blurted out:
— I'm... weak.
He closed his eyes. The images of the fight replayed in a loop:
Hakaijin dodging with disconcerting ease.
The boss towering over them without straining.
And him, Z3RO, hidden behind his drones, lobbing grenades from a distance... until he was ejected like an insect.
He sat up on his thin mattress. A heavy silence filled the room, barely broken by the hum of the old fan.
On the corner of the wooden cabinet, his phone vibrated.
A message from his brother.
> "Hang in there, bro. I'll send you your 2K tomorrow. Strength 🙏🏾"
Arzane smiled bitterly.
5,000 francs a week.
3,000 for the connection, the rest to survive.
And yet, he had bet everything on this game. On Genesis.
He turned on his old laptop. A PDF half-filled with notes appeared:
> Objective: Create an "offensive tactician" build with pulse weapons.
Priority: mobility + targeted damage + terrain control.
He added at the bottom:
> I am not a warrior. I am a creator. I will forge my power.
> FLASHBACK — 2 hours earlier, just before logging off
Z3RO, out of breath, had watched Hakaijin stand proudly, his saber still pulsing with power.
Z3RO, for his part, had leaned on one knee, drained, overwhelmed, burning with frustration.
The ORIAS system had sent a message:
> Recommendation: Class upgrade available — Artificer > Technomancer (Prototype)
He had hesitated.
Then he clicked "Accept".
> Back to the present — Arzane's room
On his desk, he scribbled by hand:
Phase 1 – Prototype craft: Energy Revolver (dual mode: plasma / paralyzing wave)
Phase 2 – Scan and study dimensional rifts
Phase 3 – Farm in corrupted areas (South of Metacore)
He took a deep breath.
No more running away.
He put on a wrinkled shirt.
Tomorrow was the start of university.
But as soon as he had a window of opportunity... he'd dive back in.
Genesis was his bet, his path, his revenge on the world.
> — I may be weak. But I'm not finished.
✦ End of Chapter 16
> Next: CHAPTER 17 — Hakaijin: The Weight of Invisible Chains