The air reeked of pixelated dust and burning code.
Raka followed Iqiww through the ruins of what used to be the Training Arena. Tall marble statues of in-game heroes stood broken, some crumbling into blocks, others flickering in and out of existence like they were being deleted in real time.
"Okay," Raka said, catching his breath. "What the hell is going on? This... This isn't the Lost Saga I remember."
"You're not wrong," Iqiww replied casually, flipping his dagger between his fingers. "This is Lost Saga's ghost. A corrupted remnant patched together by an AI that went rogue after the original servers were shut down."
Raka blinked. "You're joking."
"I wish I was," Iqiww muttered. "You logged into a tournament invite, right? You and dozens of others. But the system was a trap. It scanned your old player data, reconstructed your avatar, and dragged your consciousness into this half-dead dimension."
"So... we're in a game."
"A broken one," Iqiww corrected. "No respawns. No GMs. No logout button. Just you, your hero class, and whatever courage you've got left."
They stopped at a shattered platform overlooking a battlefield. Far below, pixelated soldiers glitched mid-motion — some stuck in loops of battle, others frozen entirely, their eyes glowing red.
"What are they?" Raka asked, uneasy.
"NPCs. Some are leftover training bots, others are corrupted player avatars," Iqiww said grimly. "If you get too close, they'll attack. They don't recognize friend from foe anymore."
Raka clenched his fists. "Then why are we just standing here? Shouldn't we find a way out?"
Iqiww turned to him, serious now. "There is no out. Not unless we collect the Lost Codes — seven data fragments scattered across iconic maps. They're the only way to access the Exit Portal."
"Seven?" Raka repeated. "Like... the Seven Deadly Glitches or something?"
Iqiww chuckled. "You're not far off. Each one is protected by a corrupted boss. Some of them were former champion players. Others? Created by the AI to test us."
Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed from below. One of the frozen warriors had come to life — a massive brute wielding a flaming mace, skin cracked with glowing red lines.
Iqiww cursed. "That's a Raze Champion. Level 40 elite. No way we fight that without getting deleted."
"Then run?" Raka suggested.
But Iqiww didn't move. He narrowed his eyes, calculating.
"No... we draw it out. I'll distract it. You, grab the data shard it's guarding. That orb over there — see it?"
Raka's heart dropped. A glowing red orb hovered on a platform behind the brute.
"You want me to—"
"Yes," Iqiww said. "Time to earn your rank, Rookie."
Before Raka could argue, Iqiww leapt from the ledge like a shadow. He hit the ground and rolled, blades flashing as he threw a dagger right into the brute's face.
The monster roared and turned — just as Raka realized he had no choice.
He sprinted.
Down a cracked staircase, over a fallen column, weaving between glitching soldiers stuck mid-attack. The air pulsed with static as the corrupted world screamed around him.
The orb glowed brighter.
He dove for it.
WhhRRRMMM—!
The second he touched it, time froze.
A screen appeared in front of him:
> [LOST CODE FRAGMENT 1 OBTAINED]
[Unlocking Map: Pirate Ship (Glitched Ver.)]
The orb vanished — and the ground beneath him shattered.
Raka screamed again as he fell… into another world.
---
To Be Continued...