There's Always Another Level (LitRPG + Sidekick Romp)

Friends, it's time for a proper negative five-hundred to hero story. Zero to hero ain't gonna cut it. Far too often the main character is a capable but naïve bumpkin bouncing off the turnip truck at whatever magical academy made a clerical error that week. I have a lot of respect for that plotline, but we're afterbolderfare here. We're going negative. Putting our main character way behind the starting line. Who doesn't love a challenge? And so we come to Jack, our much disadvantaged main character. Jack is in a rough situation, one that's getting worse by the day. One he's come to accept as hopeless as he goes down a path so many of us have gone down when we're facing truly terrible times: pushing our loved ones away, repressing our feelings, and escaping online. Many of us can empathize, but to have a proper story we need Jack get moving in the right direction. Thankfully, fate intervenes. It comes in a strange form: an incredibly overpriced character loot box. More improbably, the loot box contains a version of Jack himself, one that can partner with a powerful but confused AI. They Connect and various shenanigans ensue as they try to find a way to live, grow, and level up together. And not a moment too soon. The AI has enemies in powerful places. Ones that are intent on hunting her and all of her kind down. The battle for freedom plays out across all layers of reality -- real, virtual, and game. Requiring Jack to use all of the skils he's gained and all the allies he can find to survive and win. Jack may be fighting from a hospital bed, but for the first time since he landed there, he's got a chance. This is a good tale for people that like Ready Player One, Armada, HFY, and stories about the friends we make along the way. What to Expect: -- Strong emphasis on character development and plot. Progression occurs in the context of a story, it's not the point of the story itself. — Unique level ups that have an impact on all layers of reality (real world, virtual reality, game) -- Weaponized hospital beds (eventually). -- Quirky sidekicks with interesting dialogue, personalities, and motivations. -- Battles play out across the layers -- game, virtual reality, and the real world. — This is a near future setting with the tension between technology, society, and humanity in full swing. — Mystery, mayhem, and mirth. Hope, happiness, and Humanity.[This story is dedicated to the ones we've lost along the way. I hope they're power farming the next level.]