Chapter 9: Forum in Chaos
The large, central monitor in the guild hall, usually a serene display of raid schedules and guild rankings, suddenly flickered to life, its usual calm replaced by a chaotic explosion of text and images. It displayed a single, glaring thread, already viral, dominating the entire screen: [URGENT] Buffer Waifu, OP NPC or Devs Bug? DISCUSS!! Below the headline, thousands of comments scrolled by in a blur, interspersed with memes. One particularly egregious meme showed Livia's avatar, awkwardly posed, with glowing eyes and the caption, "My Support Can't Be This Cute (and Buggy!)."
Livia's digital face flamed crimson, a heat spreading through her entire avatar. "I'm not a waifu, much less a discount gacha pull! Alex, delete that! Now!" she shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at StarSlinger, who was already stifling laughter. Her voice was sharp with indignation, echoing through the guild hall.
The guild members, despite the recent tension, burst into uncontrollable laughter. Alex, still chuckling, quickly typed something on his virtual keyboard. A moment later, a new post appeared on the forum, directly below the offending meme: "Mental Supporter, not your Waifu! -Guild Master's Orders-." It was accompanied by a slightly more dignified, but still vaguely awkward, screenshot of Livia mid-battle. A system notification shimmered briefly in Livia's vision: [ANOMALY POPULARITY +10%. WARNING: UNWANTED ATTENTION.] The irony wasn't lost on her; her very frustration was making her more famous, and more dangerous.
Later, the guild hall had settled into a quieter hum. The Cleaners had retreated for now, and the immediate panic had subsided, replaced by a tense anticipation. Livia had sought out Mei, SakuraSorceress, who was meticulously tidying her inventory, her usual bright cheeriness subdued. Mei had always been vibrant and bubbly, but Livia sensed a deeper current beneath the surface, a quiet reserve that sometimes bordered on withdrawal.
Livia approached her gently. "Mei, you seem... thoughtful."
Mei sighed, a soft sound, and picked at a loose thread on her sleeve. "It's… it's about my job back home, Livia," she began, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm a freelance graphic designer. It's mostly remote, and it gets lonely. Really lonely. Sometimes I work for days without talking to anyone outside of clients. And the pressure to always be creative, to meet deadlines alone… it's a lot. I play games so I can have friends, so I can connect. But sometimes, when things get stressful, I just… I shut down. I pull away. I'm afraid of being alone again, even here. It's like if I stop working, or if I mess up, everyone will just... forget me." Her digital eyes, usually sparkling, now held a deep, quiet sadness, reflecting a fear of abandonment that was palpable.
Livia's heart ached. Mei's vulnerability was a raw wound, echoing a loneliness Livia herself had felt before coming to Aethelgard Nexus. She focused, channeling EmpathySpark. A gentle, invigorating wave of warmth flowed from her, surrounding Mei. Livia poured a sense of belonging, of unwavering connection, into her, reminding her of the strength of their guild family. She felt Mei's mental burden, the heavy cloak of isolation and self-doubt, slowly lift, replaced by a renewed sense of warmth and camaraderie. Mei's posture visibly relaxed, her shoulders dropping, and a faint smile touched her lips.
"Wow, Livia," Mei breathed, her eyes wide with surprise and relief. "I feel… lighter. Like a huge weight just lifted. Thank you." She hugged Livia briefly, a genuine, heartfelt gesture. "You're like a waifu from a gacha SSR, Livia! Everyone wants to pull you! You're the best support!"
Livia rolled her eyes playfully, but a faint smile touched her lips. "Mei! Don't you start with the waifu thing too!" she playfully warned, though the warmth of Mei's gratitude softened her usual protest.
Alex, StarSlinger, overheard them and laughed. "See? I told you, Livia! You're the most sought-after NPC! This forum is like a toxic fandom that ships NPCs with players! But you're the main character!"
Sari, NightBlade, who had been quietly observing, smirked. "Exactly, Alex. It's like a drama on social media, but with more lasers."
StormReaver, Ethan, approached Livia, his gaze soft, his usual intensity mellowed. He reached out, his large hand gently taking hers. His thumb brushed softly against her digital skin, a feather-light touch that sent a shiver through her. "You're more than just code, Livia," he murmured, his voice low, intimate, cutting through the lingering tension of the guild hall. "You're real to us. More real than anything else here." The warmth of his hand, the sincerity in his eyes, enveloped her, an anchor in the growing chaos. She felt a profound connection, a deepening bond that transcended the virtual world, making the boundaries of her reality feel even blurrier.
Meanwhile, PsychoBlaze, Rian, was back on his virtual keyboard, his face pale, his brow furrowed in concentration. He slammed his hand on the table, startling everyone. "Guys! I found it!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling slightly. "The accident report! It's on a university forum thread, hidden deep. It confirms everything. A single motorcycle accident in Jakarta, victim named Livia, psychology student at UI. There's even a blurry photo of the accident site – a damaged streetlight, a broken curb... it's exactly like the place in your dreams, Livia. The place where you always wake up with that fear in your eyes." He quickly copied the link into the guild chat, his fingers flying.
Livia's breath hitched in her throat. Her digital body felt cold, her vision blurring at the edges, pixels shimmering wildly. Rian's words, the specific details, were a brutal assault on her fragile sense of what was real. Her head throbbed, a sharp, insistent pain that resonated with every beat of her frantic heart.
That night, Livia's dream returned with a vengeance. She was no longer just hearing sounds; she was there. The pungent aroma of antiseptic burned her nostrils, a metallic, sterile scent that permeated everything. She could feel the stiff, rough sheets beneath her, the cold, impersonal touch of medical instruments. A voice, deep and calm, yet filled with a chilling finality, echoed beside her ear. "We're trying again, don't give up..." It was a doctor's voice, detached yet desperate. She could feel the prick of a needle, the cold rush of fluid entering her veins. She woke with a gasp, tears—real, warm tears—streaming down her digital face, soaking her virtual pillow. Her chest heaved, a raw, primal sob escaping her lips. She was torn, brutally split between two realities, each demanding her full attention, each threatening to consume her.
Suddenly, a violent static ripped through the guild hall, not from a single source, but from everywhere at once, a deafening screech that made Livia wince. The large central monitor, still displaying the "Buffer Waifu" thread, began to flicker wildly. The text dissolved into corrupted pixels, then reappeared in stark, angry red. Cleaners were pouring into the forum, not just in the game world, but into the forum itself, erasing posts, deleting user accounts in a blinding flash of data, replacing them with their signature red static.
Then, a single, chilling message blazed across the screen, dominating everything: [ANOMALY MUST BE DELETED. FINAL DEBUG IS NEEDED.]
And for a fleeting, horrifying second, starkly visible against the red static, Livia saw it: the crisp, unmistakable logo of DEVS ORIGINALS. It was a silent, terrifying declaration. They weren't just reacting to a bug; they were taking direct, personal action. The true architects of AethelgardNexus had entered the fray, and Livia was their target.