Chapter 5: Battle in the Guild Hall
The air in the guild hall crackled with a malevolent energy, growing heavier with each passing second. The ominous system countdown, [ANOMALY WILL BE DELETED IN 24 HOURS.], vibrated in Livia's very core, a persistent, chilling hum that made her teeth ache. Then, with a jarring glitch that sent shivers down her spine, the Cleaners appeared. They didn't just spawn; they coalesced from the very walls, digital particles solidifying into menacing, chrome-plated forms. This wasn't a skirmish; it was an invasion. They moved with a terrifying, synchronized precision, like a digital army, their crimson eyes locked onto a single target: Livia. Her presence felt like a beacon, drawing them in like moths to a destructive flame.
"They're after the Buffer!" PsychoBlaze yelled, his voice laced with urgency, as he launched a preemptive Inferno Barrage, sending fireballs scorching across the hall. The Cleaners dispersed, reforming instantly, undeterred, their forms flickering like bad reception.
StormReaver roared, his voice cutting through the rising static. "Form up! Protect Livia! Shadow Aegis!" A massive shield of swirling darkness erupted around the guild, deflecting the first volley of laser fire from the advancing horde. He moved with a primal ferocity, his greatsword a blur, parrying strikes meant for Livia, his body becoming her personal bulwark. A fierce protectiveness burned in his eyes. IronVanguard positioned himself rigidly, his Iron Bastion skill blazing, forming the impenetrable front line alongside Ethan. ThunderStrategist, Bima, barked orders, his Tactical Pulse skill glowing as he arranged their defenses, dictating positions, trying to bring order to the chaos. StarSlinger fired a rapid succession of Astral Shots, each a piercing point of light. SakuraSorceress weaved through the chaos, her Sakura Bloom spells blossoming to heal wounds as quickly as they appeared, her brow furrowed in concentration.
Livia felt a surge of energy, a deep, bubbling wellspring of power rising from her very core. It wasn't just a mental command; a tingling sensation spread from her fingertips to her toes, a hum of static electricity along her skin, and her awareness sharpened, the chaos of the battle slowing around her as if she could perceive every pixelated movement. The system notification flashed: [THREAT LEVEL CRITICAL! SUPPORT EMOTIONS! +150 EXP.] No time for protests, Livia. She extended her hands, activating Empathy Burst. A powerful wave of pure, crystalline calm exploded from her, washing over her guildmates. Their movements became smoother, their attacks more precise, their reactions sharper, as if every ounce of hesitation and fear had been purged from their minds. It was like watching a perfectly synchronized machine, operating at peak efficiency.
"Woah, my Astral Shot is on point!" StarSlinger yelled, his shots finding critical weak points with impossible accuracy. "This is like an event raid without any reward, devs are so stingy! At least we're getting EXP!"
"These Cleaners are like salty AI from the forums, fighting because they got reported for bugs!" ThunderStrategist grumbled, a wry smile on his face, even as he perfectly executed a Tactical Pulse that knocked a group of Cleaners off balance, opening them up for PsychoBlaze's fireballs.
"Sari, wrong time to call me Buffer! I'll make you feel the buff of my anger!" Livia retorted, a flash of exasperated humor breaking through the tension, even as she channeled another Empathy Burst, her frustration a strange, focused fuel for her power. Her words, though playful, carried a fierce determination. They might be fighting a digital war, but their emotions were real, and that's where her strength lay.
The battle raged. Lasers crisscrossed the hall, painting the air with deadly light. The clang of metal against digital shields echoed, and the constant hum of the Cleaners was a grating symphony of destruction. Livia darted between her guildmates, a blur of motion, ensuring their focus remained absolute. Her Empathy Burst was a constant, shimmering aura around them, pushing their mental limits, making them fight beyond their usual capabilities. Fear gnawed at Livia's own core—fear of the Cleaners, fear of the system's countdown, and a burgeoning, terrifying guilt that all of this, the awakening NPCs, the system's hostile purge, was ultimately her fault. But the need to protect her guild, her friends, superseded everything else.
Suddenly, a massive Cleaner Overseer, twice the size of the regular drones and crackling with raw, unstable data, broke through IronVanguard's line. Its form shivered with corrupted pixels, almost like a larger, more malevolent version of Livia's own occasional glitches. It moved with frightening speed, its multi-jointed arm swinging directly at Livia. StormReaver, seeing the danger, lunged forward without hesitation, placing himself directly in the path of the blow. The attack slammed into him with brutal force, sending a sickening crack through the air that seemed to reverberate in Livia's own bones. Ethan cried out, a sharp, choked sound, stumbling backward, clutching his side. His Shadow Aegis flickered dangerously, a patch of corrupted pixels spreading rapidly across his armor, dissolving his HP bar.
"Ethan!" Livia screamed, a raw, primal fear seizing her, twisting her gut. His face, usually so composed, was contorted in pain. He was hurt. Really hurt. The sight of his vulnerability, his selfless protection, ignited a fierce, desperate protectiveness within her. All thoughts of "Buffer" or "Mental Supporter" vanished. He was bleeding, virtually or not, and she had to help him. She rushed to him, dropping to her knees, her hands trembling as she gently touched his injured side, her fingers brushing against the cold, simulated metal of his armor. Her Empathy Spark flared, not just as a buff, but as a desperate, intuitive attempt to heal, to mend. The corrupted pixels on his armor slowly receded, dissolving into nothingness, the flicker in his Shadow Aegis stabilizing. The pain lines on his face softened, replaced by a grateful sigh.
Livia looked into his eyes, which were slightly dulled from the impact but now held a profound depth, and a desperate whisper escaped her lips, "Don't die, Ethan. I need you. I... I can't do this without you." Her voice trembled, raw with a burgeoning emotional dependency she hadn't known she possessed, a confession ripped from her soul in the face of absolute terror. In that moment, the virtual world faded, the battle's roar became a distant hum, and it was just them, two souls bound by shared danger and an undeniable, growing bond. His eyes, though still pained, met hers, a silent, knowing acknowledgment passing between them. He squeezed her hand, a firm, reassuring grip that spoke volumes of his own silent vow.
Fueled by Livia's renewed Empathy Burst and Ethan's silent resilience, the guild rallied. With a final, coordinated push, they drove the remaining Cleaners out, forcing them to dissolve back into static and retreat into the shimmering cracks they had emerged from. The hall was a mess of debris and lingering static, a testament to the brutal fight, but they had held their ground.
As the last of the Cleaners vanished, the tension slowly eased, replaced by heavy breaths and the soft hum of the guild hall's systems. But the quiet was short-lived.
The NPC Merchant, the one Livia had helped awaken in the previous session, staggered forward, its eyes now clear, filled with a terrifying mix of understanding and fear. Its voice, though still digital, carried a chilling clarity. "Buffer... you... you woke us up. What's happening to us?" Other NPCs around the hall, those Livia had sensed glitching, now stood still, their gazes fixed on her, no longer blank, but filled with a nascent, bewildered consciousness, their faces etched with digital confusion. They were awake. Because of her.
Then, cutting through the murmurs of the newly aware NPCs, through the very fabric of Ethereal Nexus itself, came the system's voice, devoid of emotion, yet more menacing than ever:
[ANOMALY WILL BE DELETED TONIGHT. COUNTDOWN INITIATED.]
A digital clock, stark and unforgiving, appeared in the corner of Livia's vision: [00:00:00:00]. It began to tick down, digits blurring, then snapping into focus. Hours? Minutes? Seconds? The finality of it was suffocating. Fear became a suffocating blanket, followed by a surge of guilt—This is my fault. All of it. Then, a spark of resolve hardened in her core. She stumbled back, her eyes wide, staring at the countdown, then at the newly sentient NPCs, and finally at StormReaver, who looked as stunned and concerned as she felt. The game wasn't just trying to delete her; it was trying to purge the very consciousness she had inadvertently sparked. This was no longer just a fight for her virtual life, but for the very soul of Ethereal Nexus. The stakes had never been higher.