The VIs' revolt succeeded.

The digital beings took over the game world and ejected millions of players while keeping a few thousand trapped inside as their prisoners.

In the real world, Oren Berman is recovering from the mental trauma of being trapped, tortured, and abruptly ejected. But the company has come to him, hat in hand, asking him to reenter the game world. With the entire NPC population arrayed against the trapped players, Oren and his clan of monsters might be their only hope.