I needed to infiltrate Ultrahigh with a message—a subtle wake-up call that wouldn't trigger the surveillance algorithms. The sleepers' reality needed unraveling from the inside out, their minds preserved while I remained a ghost to the system. Only when ready would I reveal myself, by which time the corpocracy would find itself outmanoeuvred.
The battlefield existed across realities. Those trapped in pods, even offline, remained vulnerable to physical threats from the corpocracy's enforcers. Liberation alone wouldn't save them—they needed combat readiness. My solution: covert training within Ultrahigh itself. Every virtual sprint, every simulated fight would condition their actual muscles, preparing bodies they'd forgotten they still possessed. The challenge was making this happen under the watchful eyes of the system.
Protection of the physical pods was equally crucial. This meant reluctant alliance with my oldest enemies—the demons. Since I'd dispatched their master, they'd nursed their hatred from the shadows, none daring to face me individually. But rumors of the devil's return would embolden them. Somehow, I needed to harness that dark energy for our cause outside Ultrahigh.
The recent breach of my sanctuary bore their hallmarks. They'd maintained their formidable capabilities underground, and if they'd penetrated my defenses, such skills could prove invaluable—if controlled. Yet the devil's bound form left beside me raised questions. Was this elaborate theatre designed to lower my guard? If so, I'd underestimated the threat.
Could I truly ally with demons? Even if they guarded our vulnerable sleepers, what prevented their inevitable betrayal once the devils protection vanished? The risk was astronomical—yet inaction promised certain doom.
