The metallic plains eventually transformed into towering neon skyscrapers. Floating platforms drifted between them, and holographic billboards displayed rankings of people Riley didn't know.
Crowds filled the luminous streets, their bodies flickering with digital effects. Everyone was tagged with:
• Level
• Rank
• Follower Count
• Class
Everyone except Riley.
His display blinked ERROR in bright red.
People stared.
Riley felt the weight of the crowd's whispers:
"Unregistered…"
"Illegal arrival…"
"Glitched…"
Aeris pulled him into a quieter alley.
"You need a guild before the controllers detect you."
"A guild? Like a club?"
"Like a protection agency," she said. "And a family, if you're lucky."
Before Riley could answer, a small hovering bot zipped toward them. It projected a hologram of a girl with pink hair and star-shaped pupils.
"Hi! I'm Lyria Quill! Influencer Mage, Rank 12!"
She posed with sparkles.
A notification pinged above her—
FOLLOWERS: 9.4 MILLION
Riley's jaw dropped.
"That's more than some countries."
Lyria gasped when she saw him.
"Oh. My. Glitch."
She grabbed Aeris's shoulders. "Aeris, is that him?! The anomaly?!"
Aeris sighed. "Yes. Please stop yelling."
FOLLOWER GAINED: LYRIA QUILL
RILEY'S FOLLOWERS: +37,000 (Lyria posted you)
Riley paled. "S-she posted me?!"
Lyria giggled. "You're viral!"
He wasn't sure he wanted to be.