Jace Varn wiped sweat from his brow, the backroom of the Rusty Nail feeling smaller than ever with Riko wheezing in the corner. The guy's face was a mess—bruises, a fresh chip scar like Jace's, eyes darting wild. Milo's EMP gadgets smoked on the table, and Lena paced, her boots scuffing the dirty floor. Outside, New Cascadia's neon buzzed like it was laughing at them. That boss player's fried chip still sparked in Jace's mind, the kill EXP pushing him to Level 3. Stats felt beefier—HP maxed at 160, agility making him itch to move—but the high faded quickly. Architects know his name now. Flagged anomaly. One wrong step, and purge meant lights out for good.
"Talk, Riko," Jace said, leaning close. The HUD tagged him: Ally? Trust Low - Chipped Pawn. "You ghosted after the Docks. That stick I
