The Skatz Partz amphitheater was already packed when Sarah arrived, avatars crowding the stone bleachers, all facing the massive projection screens hovering above the main stage. Contestants, veterans, guild leaders, and independent coders—all gathered for one reason:

  Sarah adjusted the settings on her HUD, taking a seat near Hexa, Byte, and Shiro, who had already claimed a section near the front.

  Hexa: "Dani, you made it! You’re just in time. Skatz is about to start."

  Byte: "Let’s see if he makes this one as entertaining as his last ‘lesson.’"

  Shiro: "Bro, last time he set a prim on fire just to prove a point."

  Hexa: "A damn chair. He burned a chair in the middle of the lesson. And I swear, it screamed."

  Dani: "Well, I was hoping to avoid simulated arson today."

  Before they could continue, Skatz’s avatar materialized on stage, rezzing in with his signature slow spin, a dramatic particle effect swirling around him.

  Show-off.

  He typed into world chat, and his words boomed across the amphitheater.

  Skatz:

  "Alright, listen up. We’re three weeks away from the competition, and that means one thing—gear refinement. If you’re walking in with basic, out-of-the-box loadouts, you’re gonna get wiped off the battlefield in seconds."

  "Now, before we get into the technicals, let’s go over the golden rule of the contest. Repeat after me: You cannot use any rezz channels during competition."

  The audience echoed it in text chat, filling the screen with variations:

  Crowd:

  "You cannot use any rezz channels during competition."

  "No rezzing mid-battle, got it."

  "Basically, don’t be a dumbass and cheat."

  Skatz:

  "Exactly. If you get caught rezzing something directly into the environment, you’re disqualified. That means every weapon, spell, shield, or ability you use must be attached to your avatar."

  "However—"

  He paused, letting the tension hang for a second.

  "—that includes attachments that can generate their own effects. This means you can have items on your person that ‘rez’ within themselves."

  A wave of realization spread through the crowd.

  Crowd:

  "Ohhh, okay, so like spellbooks that generate projectiles?"

  "Weapons that materialize swords instead of just pulling them from a sheath or case?"

  "Basically, anything pre-programmed into our gear?"

  Skatz:

  "Exactly. Your loadout must be submitted in advance so the judges can verify what you’re using isn’t exploiting the system. The trick is optimizing your attachments to give you the best flexibility in combat. And that’s what we’re here to discuss today."

  Skatz: "Let’s get started."

  For the next twenty minutes, the amphitheater buzzed with the rapid-fire exchange of technical knowledge, as Skatz dove into the fundamentals of attachment-based combat builds.

  Skatz: “Here’s another tip—hollowed mesh armor,”

  Skatz: “Why? Because your polygon count matters. The denser the mesh, the heavier the script load. That means slower rendering and lag. And trust me, you don’t want lag in the middle of a fight.”

  A few players avatars nodded in agreement. Everyone had seen combat freeze-ups before—where a crucial move was delayed because someone’s custom armor was too detailed.

  Skatz: “The trick?”

  Skatz: “Hollow out unnecessary surfaces. That means the insides of helmets, the backs of shields—if the camera never sees it, it doesn’t need to exist. Saves you prims and keeps your FPS smooth.”

  He pulled up an interactive display, showing a wireframe model of a combat chestplate.

  Skatz: “See this?”

  He zoomed in, highlighting red zones where unnecessary geometry was bloating the file size.

  Skatz: “If you don’t optimize, your attachments will eat up your personal prim allowance. And since every attachment pulls from your avatar’s limit, you’re hurting yourself.”

  A few players in chat typed their realizations.

  Sketchy Mason: "Wait, so that’s why my jetpack lags in big battles?"

  DDOS Dunlop: "Damn. I thought I was just getting DDOS’d."

  Skatz smirked.

  Skatz: “Next—attachments and load priority.” He rotated the wireframe model, exposing several hidden weapon compartments.

  Skatz: “Best practice? Keep your gear linked. That means your armor, weapons, and accessories all register under one attachment point. Why? Because every additional attachment slot you use creates more server calls, which means more data to process, which means more LAG.”

  He snapped his fingers.

  Skatz: “Ever wonder why high-level players seem to swap weapons faster than you?”

  The audience went silent. Skatz gestured to a separate model, showing a magic gauntlet with energy effects.

  Skatz: “Okay, spellcasters—this one’s for you.”

  He highlighted a glowing orb effect, showing its script execution timeline.

  Skatz: “This? This is prim-weighted particle rendering. It’s smooth, but it costs you memory. If you stack too many on one attachment, your spells will start to stutter. Instead, use pre-loaded animations and ‘fake’ particle scripts that don’t require real-time rendering.”

  A few people gasped in realization.

  Blazing Caine: "You mean I don’t have to use a real fire effect for my fireball?"

  Skatz: "Correct. You can use a simple animated texture. Looks the same, loads ten times faster."

  The chat exploded.

  When he reached the topic of importing custom mesh, he finally gestured toward a massive vendor panel off to the side.

  Skatz: “Now, for those of you using the Skatz Builder, here’s the good part. If you’re designing gear, you need to be using Blend Master—Auracron Prime’s 3D modeling suite. This is where you optimize your base shapes, UV maps, and material weights before you even bring them into Another Life.”

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  He pulled up an import tutorial, showing how a fully-rigged model from Blend Master transitioned directly into the Skatz Builder. The crowd went dead silent watching the process.

  Hexa (to Dani): This? This is game-changing.

  Skatz: "Now, for those of you using the Skatz Builder, I’ve got good news. A release candidate update is rolling out for all testers. Free of charge."

  Crowd:

  "Wait, free?"

  "What’s the catch?"

  "There’s always a catch."

  Skatz: "No catch—just a thank you for helping me refine it. But if you don’t already have one, it’s now 500,000 $ALVR. That’s 50% off, bringing it to 5,000 $US. After the competition, it’ll retail for $10,000."

  Viper Gaines: "The Skatz Codez device is at $7,000 now, right?"

  Skatz: "Yep. And the Builder integrates with Skatz Partz, Skatz Matz, Skatz Codez, and the new multi-builder with VR Mesh Tech—Skatz Mesh. It’s an all-in-one system."

  Leica Silver: "Damn. So you basically turned it into a whole dev suite."

  Skatz: "Exactly. And thanks to my contract with Auracron Prime, it integrates directly with their Blend Master software for 3D modeling."

  Midway through the session, Mackiaveli’s name blinked onto the attendee list.

  Alert: Mackiaveli has arrived.

  Sarah’s breath hitched. She hadn’t seen him in days.

  His avatar materialized near the edge of the crowd—his signature dark, streamlined clothing making him stand out from the other competitors. She watched as he immediately pulled Skatz aside, their avatars locking into an idle stance. The silent exchange of private messages was obvious to anyone paying attention.

  Sarah frowned and opened a private chat with Hexa.

  Dani: "Why does Mackiaveli only have one name?"

  Hexa: "Oh, that? He’s a mentor. They’re technically volunteer employees for Auracron Prime."

  Dani: "Wait—so he’s partnered with the company?"

  Hexa: "Not exactly. It’s complicated. Mentors don’t get paid, but they get privileges—like the no-last-name status. Moderators and staff have it too, but staff use ‘Prime’ as a last name."

  Dani: "So Auracron Prime is more involved in this game than they let on."

  Hexa: "You have no idea."

  Sarah’s stomach twisted. Every time she thought she was starting to understand this world, another layer revealed itself. By the time Skatz returned to the stage, their private chat had ended, and Mackiaveli was gone.

  Skatz cracked his knuckles.

  Skatz: "Alright. Now that we’ve finished the lesson, it’s time for the Pièce de Résistance, but before I do that I have an announcement."

  A ripple of curiosity spread through the crowd. Direct announcements in Another Life were rare. Outside of official contest updates, most major events spread through word-of-mouth, guild channels, or Skatz’s group chat.

  Skatz paused dramatically, then dropped the bombshell.

  Skatz: "Mackiaveli just met with Zeus. They’re inviting all contest participants to a private event tonight—The Party on Mount Olympus."

  World chat exploded.

  Jaxon Wilds: "Wait. THE Zeus? As in, the guy who owns Mount Olympus?"

  Allixia Collins: "This is an exclusive event, right?!"

  Dante Crowe: "That’s not just an event. That’s THE event."

  Sarah blinked.

  Mount Olympus.

  Even Sarah had heard of Mount Olympus. It wasn’t just some trendy nightclub—it was a digital fortress of exclusivity, whispered about in gaming circles and rumored to be controlled by high-tier developers, tech moguls, and the elite of Another Life.

  If Mackiaveli had managed to secure an invite for every contestant…

  Was this the major deal he had hinted at? Or was it something more?

  A deal with Zeus, or a personal connection?

  Either way, Mack wasn’t just some high-level player—he was woven into the fabric of this world in ways she still didn’t understand.

  Sarah's private group chat with Hexa, Byte, and Shiro lit up.

  Hexa: "Okay, WHAT just happened??"

  Byte: "Did Mack just casually get us all a VIP invite??"

  Shiro: "Mount Olympus. Bro. Do you even understand how hard it is to get in there?!"

  Sarah hesitated before typing.

  Dani: "I mean… what kind of event is this?"

  A pause. Then, Byte answered.

  Byte: "It’s a metaverse gala, basically. Formal wear. Luxury aesthetics. All the biggest names show up. It’s the kind of place where companies do private deals behind the scenes."

  Hexa: "Yeah. And Zeus? That guy is basically royalty in Another Life. He owns multiple high-tier assets across different metaverse spaces. The fact that Mackiaveli has a direct invite from him? That means something."

  Shiro: "Means what?"

  Sarah stared at the chat, heart pounding.

  What does this mean?

  Hexa: "Means Mack has some serious influence. Or he’s in deeper than we thought."

  Sarah swallowed, her mind racing.

  Mackiaveli had connections. Enough to pull strings with one of the most powerful figures in the game.

  But why? What did he get out of this?

  Before she could type anything, Skatz continued.

  Skatz: "So, if you don’t have formal wear, now’s the time to get some. My friend Amyki Taka has agreed to give all contest participants a 50% discount on all clothing until the end of the competition. I’d take her up on it—she never offers discounts over 10%."

  Kota Strix: "Okay, but what’s the music lineup? If I’m dressing up, I want a reason."

  Skatz: "Ah, see, this is why I like you guys. Priorities."

  Skatz: "Mount Olympus will have a full setlist, but the confirmed lineup includes:"

  EON NOIR (Neo-Orchestral Electronica) – The headlining act, known for massive cinematic soundscapes blended with AI-driven synth harmonies.

  VXN-8 (Vixen Eight) – A hyper-pop cyberpunk girl group with a holographic stage show.

  DRAKOS – A Viking-metal infused DJ who turns war chants into EDM festival anthems.

  ECHO-NYX – A solo singer with AI-modulated vocals, creating a live echo effect of her own voice.

  AZ-REAL – A spoken-word meets hip-hop futurist—fans call him "the Shakespeare of the cyber age."

  World Chat exploded again.

  Riley Fenrir: "Holy. Shit."

  Dax Kepler: "That lineup is insane."

  Mira Lux: "EON NOIR live? I NEED to be there."

  Sarah sat back in shock. A VIP invite to the biggest exclusive event in Another Life—secured by Mackiaveli. For all of them. She glanced at the world chat, then back at her private group chat.

  Byte: "Yo, Dani. You okay? You went quiet."

  Sarah hesitated before typing.

  Dani: "Yeah. Just thinking."

  But in reality? She was spiraling.

  Mackiaveli just pulled off something impossible.

  And I don’t even know who he really is.

  She clenched her fists. This was too much to be a coincidence. And if Mackiaveli was really someone important, she needed to find out who. Now.

  Skatzcleared his throat and lifted a hand—and in a seamless transition, his avatar rezzed a combat suit directly onto his body. The crowd fell silent. The design was immaculate—a sleek yet menacing armored exosuit, its mesh structure flawless. Dark metallic plating formed over his shoulders and chest, accented with neon circuitry lines that pulsed subtly.

  Even more impressive? His attachments. At his command, a compartment in his arm slid open, revealing a deployable plasma blade that extended into his hand before the panel sealed perfectly—as if it had never been there.

  He repeated the motion with a shoulder-mounted drone, a holo-shield generator, and a wrist-mounted spell injector.

  Byte: "Holy shit."

  Shiro: "No one’s gear is gonna look this clean."

  Byte: "Dude, even with a Builder, people’s armor always turns out kinda... janky."

  Hexa: "Yeah. There's still a design learning curve."

  Sarah stared at the flawless execution, her thoughts slipping somewhere else entirely.

  I wonder what Mack’s suit looks like. Wait! Where is Steve?

  This is part of a series of stories that have lived solely in my head for many years, and I’ve finally started writing them as serialized fiction books. If you think the story sucks, feel free to tell me—it’s all part of the process. That said, I’m also looking for constructive criticism, so any suggestions are welcome and will be considered as I work to improve the series.