GLOBAL AWAKENING: My 10,000x Exp Multiplier-Chapter 1: []The Midnight Patch, Memories of Convergence

Chapter 1: [1]The Midnight Patch, Memories of Convergence

The sky above Sovereign City was bleeding.

Vahn Ryker remembered the crimson clouds and the colossal shadows of the Galactic Market descending upon Earth. He remembered the screams of millions and the crushing despair of fighting a war that had been rigged from the start.

He remembered Pierce Valerius standing atop a mountain of human corpses. That bastard was laughing as he traded the core data of their world to alien overlords for a seat at their table.

And most vividly, Vahn remembered the cold and lifeless hand of his younger sister slipping from his grasp as the final orbital strike shattered the continent.

Vahn’s eyes snapped open!

He lunged upward and grasped at the empty air. His lungs burned as he drew in a ragged breath. He expected the taste of ash and ionized plasma but instead inhaled the familiar scent of cheap instant noodles and damp drywall.

His deep purple eyes darted around the dim room. There was no burning sky and there was no Pierce Valerius. There was only the hum of the old refrigerator and the rhythmic ticking of the digital clock on his bedside table.

11:45 PM. October 14th.

Vahn stared at the glowing red numbers. His mind raced at a speed that bordered on mechanical. He rubbed his temples and pressed his fingers into his skin to ground himself in reality. This was not the end of the world. This was the beginning!

Today was the launch day of Aetheria.

To the rest of the world, Aetheria was just a groundbreaking virtual reality game. But Vahn knew the truth. He carried the memories of the next ten years etched into his mind like scars.

Aetheria was not a game. It was a localized manifestation of the Galactic Market’s integration system. In exactly one month, the Convergence would occur. The boundaries between Earth and Aetheria would collapse, and the digital monsters would become terrifyingly real.

Humanity would be thrust into a cosmic meat grinder completely unprepared.

Vahn threw off his thin blanket and swung his legs over the edge of the mattress. He walked quietly out of his cramped bedroom and down the narrow hallway. The floorboards creaked softly under his bare feet. He instinctively shifted his weight to avoid the loudest spots, which was a habit born from a decade of surviving in war-torn ruins.

He stopped in front of the second bedroom and gently pushed the door open.

The room was small but tidy. Lying in the center of the bed was Hana. Her dark hair was spread across the pillow, framing a face that was far too pale. Even in her sleep, her breathing was shallow and labored. She was physically frail in the real world, battling a chronic autoimmune disease that doctors claimed was incurable.

In his past life, Vahn had failed her. He had not been strong enough to protect her when the Convergence struck.

"Not this time," Vahn whispered. His voice was completely devoid of inflection but carried a heavy weight. He reached out and gently adjusted the blanket over her shoulders.

"I will alter the data of this entire universe before I let them touch you again."

He backed out of the room. His expression hardened into a mask of pure resolve. He was not playing a game tonight. He was building a lifeboat. And to do that, he needed to be the architect of their survival.

Vahn moved to the corner of his living room where a sleek VR pod rested. It had cost him every credit he had to his name, emptying his meager savings account to the absolute zero. He climbed into the padded interior and felt the cold biometric sensors press against his spine and his temples.

11:58 PM.

He closed his eyes. His mind was completely still. There was no fear and no hesitation. Only the cold logic of the task ahead remained.

11:59 PM.

"Initiate neural link," Vahn commanded.

The pod hummed to life. A slight pinching sensation echoed at the base of his neck. The dark apartment dissolved and was replaced by a boundless expanse of pure white light.

[Welcome to Aetheria.]

The voice of the System AI was melodic and designed to soothe new players. It echoed through the endless white void. Before Vahn stood a massive holographic mirror reflecting his current digital avatar. Pitch black hair and deep purple eyes. He stood perfectly straight and completely relaxed.

[Please select your starting class. Will you walk the path of the stalwart Warrior? The arcane Mage? The swift Rogue? Or the devout Priest?]

Holographic representations of the four base classes appeared around him. Any normal player would have been awestruck and eager to analyze the starting bonuses of each path.

Vahn didn’t even look at them.

"Override command," Vahn said. His voice was flat and perfectly even. "Designation: Theory-Crafter Delta-Nine. I reject the standard pathways. Access the foundational root directory."

The white room flickered. The melodic music abruptly cut off and was replaced by a low electronic hum. The holographic projections of the base classes glitched and dissolved into streams of red code.

[Warning. User has initiated a root directory bypass. This action is not recommended. Deviation from standard pathways may result in permanent account stagnation.]

"I acknowledge the risk," Vahn replied instantly. "Initiate the Hidden Protocol: The Brain of Dross. Class selection: Architect."

The void around him shifted from pure white to a deep abyssal black. Glowing strings of golden code cascaded from the unseen ceiling like a digital rainstorm. The System AI’s voice changed. It lost its melodic tone and became synthetic and heavy.

[Request acknowledged. You have requested the Hidden Class: EXP Architect.]

[Warning: The EXP Architect is a foundational anomaly. Should you choose this class, your starting base stats will be set to absolute zero. You will possess the physical attributes of an infant. Furthermore, your leveling threshold will be permanently penalized. You will require one hundred times the normal amount of Experience Points to reach Level 2.]

It was a class designed to be a joke. It was a trap for data-miners who thought they could outsmart the system. Having zero base stats meant that swinging a sword would drain stamina instantly. It meant a Level 1 rat could kill you with a single bite. And needing 100x the EXP to level up meant you would be stuck at Level 1 forever.

But Vahn knew the other half of the equation. The half that was not in the warning.

"Accept," Vahn said.

[Are you certain? This choice is irreversible.]

"I am certain."

A blinding flash of azure light erupted from the digital floor and consumed Vahn entirely. He felt a strange hollow sensation in his chest as the system aggressively stripped away the baseline physical enhancements granted to all new players.

His avatar felt heavier, weaker, and incredibly fragile.

[Class Selected: EXP Architect.]

↳ Base Stats adjusted to 0.

↳ Leveling Requirement adjusted to 100x.

Then, a secondary prompt appeared. It was hidden behind a firewall of golden text that only Vahn could see.

[Hidden Modifier Unlocked: The 10,000x Factor.]

↳ All Experience Points gained from any source will be multiplied by 10,000.

Vahn’s deep purple eyes glowed as faint azure circuit lines briefly flared within his irises. His lips twitched into a microscopic fraction of a smile. The trap was set. The rules of this universe were now his to break.

[Character Creation Complete. Welcome to Aetheria, Vahn Ryker. Transferring to the Tutorial Zone.]

The darkness shattered like glass, and Vahn fell into the new world.