DIVINE STAR

Boa strides through the upper parts of the slum cities, where life is more tolerable compared to the lower depths. Yunbam and Jen walk alongside him, accompanied by a few of his guards. Some Slummers bow in worship as he passes, while others glare in contempt. A few even dare to attack, but Boa and his group quickly knock them out without breaking their pace.

Eventually, they arrive at the high-tech gates of the slum prison. A pair of armed noble soldiers step forward, scanning Boa's ID. He casually hands each of them a small bag of gold coins. With a nod of approval, the soldiers step aside, allowing Boa, Yunbam, and Jen to proceed while the rest of his group remains behind.

The long digital road ahead stretches before them, an illuminated path leading deeper into the facility. After a long walk, they finally reach the towering prison gates. As they step inside, the guards immediately recognize Boa. Without a word, he places a hefty bag of gold onto the front desk. A scanning robot hums to life, its sensors analyzing the contents as Boa says. 

"This should be enough for Crank."

The robot processes the information before responding. "Correct. After reviewing your last 108 deposits and including the inmate's activity quotas, the necessary amount of points has been acquired for the inmate's freedom."

A moment later, they step into an elevator that descends deep underground. Yunbam fidgets, visibly uneasy, while Jen bounces on her feet, thrilled to be back inside the prison. Boa, however, remains composed, gazing upward at the dim elevator lights, lost in memories of his own time spent within these walls.

Meanwhile, in the common city, Kayle trains with Tomi in hand-to-hand combat inside a large building. Tomi's punch lands cleanly, sending Kayle crashing onto her back near a window. Gritting her teeth, she glances upward, eyes locking onto Oasis as it floats in the distant sky. The sight fuels her determination. Without hesitation, she pushes herself back up, preparing to continue her sparring session.

At the same time, in Black Paradise, Nox remains seated, intently watching the noble trials unfold on the digital screens before him. Suddenly, a digital projection of Susan materializes behind him. Without turning, Nox gives his order.

"Susan please form my team for the final phase."

Susan bows in acknowledgment before raising her arms, summoning an array of digital screens displaying countless profiles.

Back at the noble trails, Gaia lounges on a bench, her moment of rest interrupted as her team approaches. Ortis steps forward.

"Lady Gaia, we've discovered that there's a currency system here based on points. Points are earned through acquiring knowledge or performing specific actions, but the amount varies depending on whether you were the first to discover something or how efficiently you executed the task."

Gaia rises to her feet. "That's good to know. So how many points do we have in total?"

She strides toward the front of the workshop as Ortis checks their numbers.

"Right now, with 18 people in our group, we've accumulated a total of 148 points."

Gaia nods. "With my 88 points added, that brings us to 236. That's enough for each of us to get decent equipment before heading into the asylum."

As Gaia surveys the workshop, a sudden notification pings in her private channel—her other teammates report that more groups are approaching the graveyard. Her mind instantly shifts into high gear, analyzing the equipment before her. Complex calculations and deep strategic thoughts race through her head, mapping out every possible scenario.

Then, a distinct pop—knowledge manifests in her mind. Her golden eyes gleam with clarity as she turns to her team.

"Listen up. At our current pace, we only had a 40% chance of securing victory. But I've just discovered a method that increases our odds to 73%."

She stands with unwavering confidence, her presence commanding the attention of everyone in the room.

Moments later, at the graveyard, the competition is fierce. Multiple teams are digging through graves, desperately searching for clues. Inside the stone building, a dozen competitors crowd around the coffin. Then, in a dazzling display of pixelated energy, Gaia and her team phase through the coffin itself, appearing before the stunned crowd. Their bodies fluctuate with residual data pixels as they step forward.

Gaia takes a slow walk out with a calculated look around. Some competitors are on the right track, digging at the correct graves, but the process is slow and inefficient. She assume that the overlapping excavation efforts must have made it even more difficult to locate the correct bones.

She sighs, shaking her head. "You guys are going to take forever to find this new station. How about I offer you all an easier way? All I ask in return is a fair exchange of knowledge."

The competitors hesitate, wary of her proposition. Then, one man steps forward.

"I need to win this to become a Star. I'm not going to waste any more time digging. If this is the fastest way to my dream, then so be it."

Gaia hands him a flashlight, an EMF reader, and a notebook. In return, he transfers some of his knowledge to her.

"We need a fair trade," she adds. "How about you also hand over all your accumulated points? You have no use for them anyway."

The man checks his headset, seeing his total points. With a shrug, he extends his hand. "Go ahead. I have no idea what these points are even for."

A direct transfer is made as his points flow into Gaia's system.

Seeing the exchange, others step forward, eager for an advantage. One by one, competitors trade their knowledge and points in return for equipment.

As the minutes pass, more and more weary diggers abandon their efforts and caves in to Gaia's offer. The power dynamic in the graveyard shifts—while others struggle in the dirt, Gaia and her team secure both resources and influence without doing so much. 

The word knowledge flashes repeatedly on Gaia's head, a near-constant influx of new information feeding into her thoughts. Each discovery sharpens her understanding, pushing her further ahead of the trail.

Moments later, she steps into the new station alone. Her stride is calm, yet her presence commands authority as she approaches the guide person.

"I've done what I can," she states firmly. "So you're going to open up that room for me now."

Behind the guide person, the board suddenly flickers to life, revealing a previously hidden action:

??? ACTION UNLOCKED: Plant over 20 hidden cameras on other players

REWARD: Private Security Room

The guide person observes her with intrigue before responding, "You've indeed unlocked a secret action. To even see high-value items available in the shop—like the hidden cameras—you first need enough points. Each hidden camera costs 100 points. You were able to access them because of the sheer number of points you gathered."

He pauses, analyzing her further. "But what fascinates me is how fast you think. You not only asked me questions through a private channel without anyone else noticing, but you also gathered vast amounts of information at an astonishing pace. Even when I didn't give you complete answers, you simulated possible solutions in your mind, connecting the hints to reach the correct conclusions. That level of thinking is what makes you worthy of becoming a Star. But now I'm curious… what will you do next?"

Without a word, Gaia follows as the guide person leads her into another room. The doors slide open, revealing an expansive private secuirty room—a high-tech surveillance room filled with countless screens, advanced computers, and an array of sophisticated tools.

Gaia smirks. "You forgot to mention that I have quick eyes too," she says, stepping further into the room. "The moment we entered the new station, I noticed something—some of the competitors who arrived before us planted something on my teammates. I couldn't see exactly what it was at first, but when we pooled our points together and the shop revealed hidden cameras and wires, I knew."

Her golden eyes scan the monitors. "Some of them are even outside at this moment."

Outside the room, a competitor stands at the door, attempting to force it open. But the moment he touches the entrance, a data barrier pulses outward, knocking him back. A glowing text display materializes on the door:

PRIVATE ROOM – RESTRICTED ACCESS

The competitor clicks his tongue in frustration, chuckling bitterly before walking away.

Inside, Gaia crosses her arms, her confidence unwavering. 

As the guide exits the room, Gaia sits on a chair with her legs crossed, her eyes fixed on the many screens displaying different competitors' views. She taps her headset, opening a private channel with Ortis.

"Ortis, are you and the team ready?" she asks.

"Yes, Lady Gaia, we are in position," Ortis replies.

Gaia glances at the screen showing Ortis's POV at the front of the asylum. She spends some of her points to unlock additional screens on the side of the room, now displaying all fifteen camera feeds based on the knowledge she gathered earlier. One of the screens shows Ortis and her nine teammates standing in front of the asylum.

"Before the team goes in, based on what I've learned from the others, there are two out of the four ghosts that are known inside," Gaia explains. "Both are territorial. The first one is located on the front right side of the asylum, where the patient rooms are. This ghost can toss objects—or even people—killing them. Let's call this one Packer. It's also invisible to the naked eye, so use your EMF readers to track its presence and avoid it. According to the information I gathered, Packer's origins are in Room B-14. We couldn't obtain it because the other competitors wouldn't give it up, but at least they told us where it is. So go in, avoid Packer, and retrieve its origins."

Ortis takes a deep breath and complies. As the team steps inside, they move toward the right side of the eerie asylum. Distant screams from other competitors echo through the halls as they walk down a long corridor lined with office rooms. Eventually, they reach another path marked with a sign that reads "D1-D20." Ignoring it, they continue forward, encountering another path with a damaged sign.

Gaia's voice comes through their headsets. "Park, Sam, Fey, and Luna, search this area. The rest will continue ahead."

The four chosen teammates branch off while Ortis leads the others down the hallway. They come across yet another damaged sign, prompting Gaia to assign three more teammates to search that section. Finally, Ortis and the remaining two reach the last area, where the sign is also broken.

As they advance down the corridor, they notice the room numbers are damaged. Gaia's voice comes through once again. "Search the fourteenth room. This area starts with Room One and goes up to the twenties."

Ortis takes out the EMF reader as it glows at level one. As they approach near the fourteenth room, the EMF reader spikes to level two. Suddenly, a competitor comes running out of the room in a panic. The EMF reader jumps to level three just as the fleeing competitor is grabbed from behind and lifted into the air.

She screams for help, but before anyone can react, she is slammed against the wall—then again, smashed into the opposite side. Again and again, her body is thrown violently until it bursts into blood data.

Ortis and the other teammates break into a sprint as Gaia's voice comes through their headsets. "I can see it from here! It's coming for you, Ortis!"

Before he can react, Ortis is suddenly lifted off the ground as a ghostly magic palm appears on his chest. In an instant, he is hurled into a nearby room. Gaia watches from the security feed as the Packer ghost abruptly teleports away.

Gaia quickly orders the remaining two teammates to continue ahead, assuring them that the Packer has vanished. Though shaken, they push forward, following the path until they reach the room Ortis was thrown into—only to find it empty. Confused, they glance at each other, unsure of what just happened.

Just then, Park and Sam step out of the fourteenth room. The two teammates freeze in shock, their confusion growing. "What is happening?" one of them mutters.

Gaia's voice crackles in through their earpieces. "The Packer can teleport players... and the room!"

She shifts her focus to Ortis's POV on the screen, watching as he gets up and steps out of the room. A moment later, his voice comes through the headset. "I'm in room D-8. The Packer can actually teleport us!" 

Gaia then says, "From what I saw, that girl had a ghost hand print on her chest. Ortis, do you also have a ghost hand on your chest?"

Ortis looks down and sees the ghostly handprint imprinted on him. "Yes, I do!" he replies.

Gaia exhales sharply. "Looks like if the Packer touches you twice, you're dead. Ortis, next time, don't just—"

She suddenly stops as another screen catches her attention. The Packer ghost appears, grabbing Fey and Luna. Before they can react, they are hurled into a room, vanishing as the ghost teleports them away. Moments later, Ortis watches in disbelief as Fey and Luna step out of Room D-12 with ghost hand prints on their chest too.

Gaia takes a deep breath, recalculating. "Okay, regroup. I've got a plan to get this origin."

Moments later, after finalizing their plan, Ortis walks down the hallway with Park and Sam. Suddenly, Gaia's voice comes through their headsets.

"I can see its hand coming out of the fourteenth room! Stay calm and remember the plan!"

Ortis takes a deep breath as the Packer ghost lunges toward them. Without hesitation, he dashes into a nearby room and slams the door shut behind him. The Packer smashes against the door, trying to force its way inside.

Nearby, Park yells out, "Over here, you dumb ghost!"

The Packer immediately turns and charges at him. Park quickly slips into another room, shutting the door just in time. Further down the hall, Sam calls out, "Hey! Forget them, I'm better tasting!"

The Packer snarls and redirects its chase toward Sam, who sprints into a different room.

With the ghost distracted, Ortis slips out of his hiding spot and rushes toward the fourteenth room. His eyes scan the area frantically until he spots the origin book resting on a table. Wasting no time, he runs toward it and grabs it.

Suddenly, the Packer races back into the room, sensing something off. It pauses, listening, then turns toward the sound of a high-pitched ringing from a locker. The ghost yanks the door open, finding an EMF reader flashing at level five. Its sharp wails fill the air.

Unbeknownst to the Packer, Ortis is hiding in the locker right beside it, holding his breath.

Then, the rest of Gaia's team yells in unison, "PACKER!"

The ghost immediately turns and charges out of the room after them. As its presence disappears down the hall, Ortis cautiously steps out of his hiding spot. His pulse is racing, but as he bolts for the exit, relief washes over him.