> Location: Cotonou — Outlying district of Fidjrossè
Time: 6:41 a.m. — Warm, calm early morning. No traffic yet.
The fan creaked from the ceiling. The light bulb hung, flickering, and the sky was still pale.
Arzane slowly opened his eyes. He no longer felt the weight of the headset, but the weight of his own thoughts.
He lay there for a moment, staring into the cracks in the ceiling.
In his chest: a feeling of mixed bitterness and lucidity.
> — "I got taken down… like a beginner."
> FLASH — Moment just before disconnection
Hakaijin's silhouette, straight, almost calm.
And him, Z3RO, drained, on his knees, his gadgets burned out, his drone overheating.
The ORIAS interface displayed a new message:
> ✅ Eligibility unlocked: Secondary class accessible —
🔹 Artificer → Technomancer (Prototype)
→ Compatibility: 94%
→ Recommended objective: Utility specialization / Field control
He didn't hesitate for long.
> — "I'm not here to be the strongest... but to be useful. To dominate the market."
> Back to the present
He sat down, picked up his crumpled notebook, and scribbled a rough plan.
> 🛠️ Progression Strategy (GENESIS – Objective: Farm & Sell)
Primary Objective: Reach rare loot areas (South of Metacore)
Secondary Objective: Craft high-value hybrid weapons
Priority Resources: Synchronous Batteries / Core Capsules / Code Fragments
Method: Clean solo of higher-level areas (calculated risk)
On another page, he wrote in black ink:
> "I'm not a tank. I'm not a swordsman. I'm a game business man.
I don't hunt monsters. I hunt for loot no one else can reach."
He closed the notebook.
A thought crossed his mind: "And for that... you have to be stronger."
> Genesis — Launch in progress
The capsule vibrated gently. He put on his helmet.
> [Connecting…]
[Welcome to GENESIS, Z3RO.]
[Selected Spawn Location: Underground Dump – South Metacore]
[Class Status: Technomancer (Prototype)]
[Initial Equipment Restored.]
[B.I.T. Tactical Drone Recalibrated to Autonomous Support.]
> Back in Game — 6 Seconds Later
A burnt metal floor. Echoes of mechanical creatures. Toxic fumes emanating from old circuits.
Z3RO opened his eyes. He was standing in a collapsed industrial zone, on the edge of a half-ruined technological biome.
His B.I.T. Drone was flying at a good distance. More discreet.
More independent.
It displayed an alert:
> "Scanning initiated – Rare Signature detected – Element: Dormant Catalysis Core (estimated value: high)"
Z3RO smiled.
— "All right… Let's start talking business."
He activated his HUD.
New interface: a lighter arsenal, a prototype kinetic energy pistol—dual-fire mode.
On his belt: jamming capsules, a level 1 repulsion field, and a folding electric knife.
Not for playing the hero.
But for surviving… and looting.
> ORIAS System:
📌 New recommended mission:
"Explore the abandoned dump – Recover rare materials – Estimated time: 35 minutes"
Rewards: XP + High-sale items (in the ORIAS auction shop)
He plunged into the ruins, his revolver in hand, his gaze fixed.
Z3RO was no longer the cautious player he had been at the beginning.
He hadn't become a warrior.
But a valuable hunter.
And Genesis… had become his investment ground.
✦ End of Chapter 18
> Next: CHAPTER 19 — "The Price of Ambition"