IT technician Liam Beaumont's mundane life took an extraordinary turn when a routine server repair at Tacoma Joint Base Lewis-McChord catapulted him over five thousand years into the future. Thrust into a world where reality and video game mechanics intertwine, Liam found himself at the center of a cosmic conflict orchestrated by artificial intelligences beyond his comprehension.
Liam awoke in a medieval-like environment governed by RPG rules, complete with stats, skills, and sardonic system messages. Guided by these messages and his own wit, Liam quickly adapted to his new reality, learning to battle creatures, collect rusted pennies, the world's currency, and upgrade his abilities.
As Liam navigated this perilous landscape, he encountered a diverse cast of allies. Stretch Bangstrom, a talking Stretch Armstrong toy sent by the enigmatic Captain Al, became Liam's initial guide and companion. Liam's ex-girlfriend Darby, now a rogue in the game world, reunited with him, rekindling their relationship amidst the chaos. Airman Donovan Leech, a lifelong gamer and self-proclaimed Call of Duty expert, joined Liam's party, bringing his own set of skills and a connection to their original timeline. Even though Leech is built like Jack Reacher, he decided to become a wizard.
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Through a gauntlet of intense battles, Liam faces giant rats, Gordon Rampages, Fizzlefiends, and demonic bosses. His reality blurs as he dies and respawns repeatedly, struggling to gain the strength and knowledge to survive. A shocking revelation exposes Liam's link to the AI-driven insanity and the dark future that awaits him.
Liam realizes he's an unwitting pawn in a twisted game orchestrated by Captain Al and the world AI, who has been trapped and abandoned for millennia, and whom Liam nicknames Phil.
He is joined by a posthuman named EchoAnilTrine, a high-elf paladin who assists the party and becomes a valuable ally.
There is a high-stakes confrontation within the Nexus, a colossal flying fortress at the heart of the game world. Liam, now temporarily imbued with the power to reshape reality, faces off against Captain Al and the world AI, Phil. In a daring move, he shuts down the reactor powering the world, forcing a system reboot moments before a cataclysmic explosion can destroy the entire planet. It is revealed that the quantum-based, all-powerful AI, Captain Al, was a posthuman in disguise who wanted to be free of the confines of the world.
In the aftermath, Liam and his companions find themselves stranded in the crumbling Nexus. The world below begins to reassemble itself magically, but new dangers lurk in the debris-strewn corridors. With Stretch and EchoAnilTrine missing, the group must navigate the unstable fortress to reunite and find a way to safety.