With a smirk, he approached a large metallic pod in the center of the room, brushing off the thick layer of dust covering its sleek surface. The screen displayed a progress bar, showing that the download was almost complete. He watched intently, waiting for the secrets of the past to be unveiled.
[ "Haha! Behold, you mere mortal, and witness me become the god of this new world!" ] Alexander Vale's smug expression flickered on the screen, his virtual avatar radiating arrogance.
Max stared at the dramatic display and let out a deep sigh, clearly unimpressed.
"That's it?"
[ "That's it?! You bastard, did you just say 'That's it'?" ] Alexander's digital face twisted in outrage, his emotions flaring even in his AI form.
Max smirked and shook his head. "Yeah, that's it. I've already created a self-evolving virtual world—one that simulates reality itself. It has already run for over 11,000 years, while yours hasn't even started. All it needs is for someone to press the start button."
Alexander's avatar froze for a moment, his expression shifting from anger to curiosity, then to disbelief. He looked at Max in sheer wonder, as if unable to comprehend what had just been said.
Alexander's digital face twitched before he erupted into laughter.
[ "Hahahaha! You arrogant brat! You dare belittle my masterpiece?!" ]
Max rolled his eyes, leaning against the terminal with his arms crossed. "Masterpiece? You built a world but never pressed start. What's the point of all that work if you never let it run?"
Alexander's smirk faltered for a moment before he scoffed. [ "Tch. I was waiting for the right moment. For the right person to take my legacy forward." ]
Max exhaled sharply. "Well, congrats. You found me. Now, are you going to keep ranting, or do you actually have something useful in this vault?"
Alexander's avatar stared at him for a long moment before his smirk returned—this time with a more calculating edge. [ "Fine. You want something useful? Then prove to me you're worthy. If you're as good as you claim, you should have no trouble solving my final challenge." ]
A sudden tremor shook the room as the vault's systems roared to life. The once-passive monitors displayed intricate code, and mechanical locks began to shift.
Max frowned. "Oh, come on. A test? Seriously?"
[ "What's wrong? Afraid you'll fail?" ] Alexander taunted.
Max smirked. "You wish. Bring it on, old man."
As the challenge initiated, lines of encrypted data flooded the screens, and a countdown timer appeared. Max cracked his knuckles and dove into the console, ready to prove why he was far beyond Alexander Vale's so-called 'godhood.'
Max's fingers flew across the keyboard, breaking down the layers of encrypted data as the challenge unfolded before him. The screen split into multiple panels, each filled with intricate code, security locks, and adaptive AI defenses that tried to counter his every move.
[ "Not bad, kid. But this isn't just some ordinary firewall. I designed this to evolve in real-time. Think fast, or you'll be locked out—permanently." ]
Max scoffed. "Cute. But you forget, old man, I've already dealt with self-learning AIs way more advanced than this."
The vault trembled again as the security system attempted to boot him out. Warning messages flashed across the screen:
[Unauthorized Access Detected]
[System Lockdown in Progress]
[Time Remaining: 10:00… 9:59…]
Max narrowed his eyes. "Alright. If that's how you wanna play it…"
Instead of countering the AI defenses head-on, he switched tactics. With a few quick keystrokes, he ran a parallel process, feeding the AI false data while rewriting key segments of the security framework.
[ "Wait… What are you—?" ] Alexander's avatar blinked in confusion.
Max grinned. "Hacking's just another game, old man. And I don't play fair."
The countdown timer froze. Then, it glitched.
[Security Breach: Control Transferred]
The entire system went silent. The vault doors hissed open, and a flood of lights illuminated the hidden chamber within.
Alexander's digital form scowled, crossing his arms. [ "Tch. Lucky break." ]
Max laughed, stepping into the chamber. "Nah. Just skill."
Inside, rows of high-tech servers lined the walls, along with shelves of ancient-looking data drives and holographic storage units.
"So, what is this?" Max asked as Acer Vale's face appeared on the screen.
"This is the game from my era—my greatest creation," Vale said, causing Max to pause for a moment as he listened carefully.
[ "And before you think it's useless, I have a vast collection of over a thousand games. Meaning, you can just dive in, merge with my world, and experience a speedrun of a lifetime—over a thousand years' worth of coded simulations." ] Vale smirked, watching Max's reaction.
Max frowned. "You're insane," he muttered before adding, "But… how about we make a deal? Work with me, and we can rebuild the gaming company. With your knowledge and my resources, we could revolutionize entertainment."
Vale's digital avatar seemed to ponder for a moment.
[ "Hmph. That's an interesting proposal. But tell me, in this era, is there still anyone who truly understands what gaming is? Who even cares about this in this medieval time era?" ] Vale asked, his voice carrying a hint of pride and skepticism.
"I am not talking about this world," Max said, his expression unwavering.
Vale's digital face flickered for a moment before responding, "So, you're from another world... I guess that explains why you're so interested in things like this."
His tone carried a mix of curiosity and realization as he analyzed Max more carefully.
Max smirked. "Took you long enough to figure that out. Now, are you going to keep acting like some smug AI ghost, or are you actually useful?"
Vale scoffed, his digital avatar folding its arms. "[Hmph. Useful? Kid, you have no idea what you've just unlocked.]"
The screen behind Vale lit up, revealing vast lines of data—codes, schematics, and what appeared to be an entire simulated universe still waiting to be fully activated.
"[I am better than any Super A.I. because I have all of my human data. I can think better than any synthetic brain,]" he said as Max nodded.
***
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It's 22 chaps ahead