Virtual Crucible 2

Chapter 65: Virtual Crucible 2

But Zed had other plans. In a move that defied the game's physics engine, he twisted mid-air. The ball, guided by some impossible combination of skill and coding, found its way to one of Zed's shadowed teammates. The pass was perfect, a moment of synchronicity that spoke of hours of virtual practice and an almost telepathic connection.

The ball arced towards the hoop, its trajectory a thing of mathematical beauty. As it swished through the net, the final buzzer blared, a crescendo of victory that reverberated through the virtual arena.

The aftermath was chaos. Zed's shadowed teammates, pushed beyond their programmed limits, dissolved into streams of fragmented code. Zed's own avatar crumpled to the ground, its form flickering and glitching. Cracks spread across his ocean mask like a spiderweb, before shattering completely.