The early morning hours at the Genesis Studio were anything but idle.
While Kaito reviewed a final check on the logistical lists, the rest of the people had been mobilized. Under his direction, Aika and his cousins had taken charge of transforming the multi-purpose hall into a fully functional conference chamber. Chairs were dragged into place, tables aligned to the projection walls, and cables tucked neatly into concealed outlets. Mei Rin and her friends moved with precision, helping arrange intake tablets and setting up entry lines for later onboarding.
The studio had always been structurally sound—but today, it began to breathe like a living system.
Just then, Kaito's holo-tab lit up.
[Message – Second Uncle: Server installation complete. Training equipment has arrived. Installation in progress.]
Perfect timing.
He tapped back: [Understood. One more thing Uncle—can you head to my room. Check the lower drawer of the oak cabinet. You'll find the AI core module.]
A moment later: [Confirmed. Found it.]
The Origin Book—the true artifact that told the history of Glory—had been carefully hidden away days ago, tucked into a different vault. What Kaito left in his drawer was only the AI access node, primed to be hooked into their internal systems.
[Message – Kaito: Connect it to the central rack once you're done with the training gear.]
[Message – Second Uncle: On it.]
Ten minutes passed.
Then, a new ping appeared on his tab.
> [Genesis AI Active – Server Root Access Established. Capabilities Expanded.]
A slow grin spread across Kaito's face.
The system's reach had just evolved.
A message bar flickered to life.
> "Welcome back, Administrator. New processing tier online."
He paused for a second, then typed into the interface:
[Assign Core Designation: KIA]
> "Acknowledged. System core now operating under codename: KIA."
Then Kaito went towards the central server room of the dome.
Kaito stood near the central console, the gentle hum of the newly installed server racks vibrating through the floor below him. The Genesis Studio was no longer just a private training ground. It was a headquarters. A future command center.
He brought up the AI interface once more. KIA's neutral blue interface shimmered to life.
> "System ready, Administrator."
Kaito's fingers moved swiftly across the holo-tab keyboard.
[Command: Link and assert control over all internal systems: security feeds, training pods, simulation units, and sensory arrays across Genesis Dome.]
> "Acknowledged. Mapping dome layout… syncing 132 connected devices… Integration complete."
A moment later, every screen flickered in unison. Motion sensors activated. Temperature regulators adjusted themselves by a single degree. Lights across the dome flickered once—then stabilized into uniform brightness.
> "Genesis Dome under full AI governance. Awaiting task directives."
Kaito exhaled slowly. "Good. Let's see what the future feels like with a spine of pure code."
Just then, another message arrived—this one marked [PRIORITY LEVEL 3].
> [KIA: Entry sensors triggered. First wave of visitors approaching the front gate.]
Perfect.
Kaito opened his comms tab.
[Voice Channel – Meirin]
Meirin's voice chimed through instantly. "Yes, Brother?"
"They've started arriving," he said. "Assign the cousins to the main gate. I want a proper welcome. Direct them to the prep corridor. We won't be doing full onboarding today—just facility orientation."
"Understood. I'll handle it." She said.
"Good," Kaito replied.
---
Outside, the morning sun bathed the Genesis Dome's angular facade in gold. It wasn't the sleek, chrome-like exterior of corporate towers—but something different. Something more grounded. Like a hidden fortress, waiting to open its gates.
The visitors began to gather—one by one, two by two.
Mei Rin stood at the entrance with Aika and two of Kaito's cousins—Hiroto and Kaede—helping manage flow and guiding players toward the main orientation space.
They came in dressed in all manners of clothing. Some wore casual jackets. Others had clearly rushed here after pulling an all-nighter in-game. The youngest looked about seventeen. The oldest—mid-twenties, with heavy bags under his eyes and a curious glint that reminded Meirin of her brother.
She greeted each one with a calm nod and directed them inside. "Welcome to Genesis Studio. Please follow the corridor on the right. You'll be given temporary access tags. No photos. No streaming. Questions will be handled in the hall."
More came—almost fifty by the first fifteen minutes. Most had heard the rumors about Genesis's in the game that's why they came. A few still looked skeptical.
Then came the larger packs—mini groups who had formed friend circles even before this meetup.
By the time the last few registered, Mei Rin tapped her wrist module.
[Message to Kaito: 82 inside. Remaining 18 coming shortly.]
---
Kaito waited in the observation balcony above the main conference room. He watched the room begin to fill—rows of seats taken, side murmurs bubbling under the high ceiling.
Just then he saw Ravenblade and his sister Nina entering. His expression was unreadable, but his steps firm. When he noticed Kaito he just gave him a single upward glance before settling at the back.
Kaito took a breath, stepped toward the railing, and signalled to KIA.
> [Microphone online. Audio stream opened.]
Kaito stepped forward to the edge of the platform, voice steady and unshaken.
He began.
"Welcome," Kaito said, his voice calm but firm. "Some of you may know me by my player name—Raen."
A faint murmur ran through the seated crowd.
He paced slowly along the upper railing, each step deliberate.
Then a voice called out from the audience—young, curious, just loud enough to carry.
"Is this the same Genesis that cleared the King-level difficulty of Echoing Deep?"
The hall went quiet.
Kaito stopped walking. His eyes scanned the crowd until they found the speaker—a player with silver-framed glasses and an unmistakable spark of hope behind the question.
He gave a faint nod.
"Yes," Kaito said simply. "That Genesis."
A subtle shift swept through the room. Whispers turned into awe. The name Echoing Deep wasn't unfamiliar and Genesis—it was legend because clearing a King-level just after three days of game opening wasn't just hard—it was suicidal.
He paused.
"I'll get straight to the point."
A few heads tilted, unsure of what was coming.
"I want to recruit every single one of you into Genesis Studio."
The room stirred—some excited, others surprised. A voice from the crowd raised the inevitable question.
"Why us? I mean, we're not big names… Why would Genesis come looking for us?"
Kaito's gaze didn't waver.
"Because I've already studied your instincts. Every one of you. In Glory. In other games. In combat simulations. I've watched how you move, how you react—not just to victory, but to pressure."
He pointed lightly toward the crowd.
"If you're sitting here today, it means I've already run that analysis. You're not here by chance. You're here because I'm certain you're capable."
A hush fell again.
Kaito paused, letting the hum of the AI core fade into silence. Then he spoke again—this time, with a quiet force that carried conviction rather than command.
"I know some of you may still feel unsure—unsure about joining a guild that isn't at the top of the rankings, or you don't know much about it, unsure about committing to something that feels larger than the games we've known."
He looked out at them, eyes steady.
"But let me make this clear: Glory isn't just another game. It's a new world. A frontier. One where instincts, awareness, and discipline will matter more than flashy gear or follower counts."
His voice deepened.
"This is not a game where the meta stays still. This is a battlefield still in its infancy—untamed, evolving. And we," he gestured toward the hall, "we have the chance to be its first true vanguard. To carve paths through uncharted systems, to lay foundations others will walk upon."