After winning the Holliday contest, Wade Watts and his friends become a billionaire and owner of GSS. And that's not all! Holliday inherited his secret invention - the original neural interface headset, which allows OASIS users to experience a full range of sensations - feel in the simulation with all senses, as well as record their feelings in life and view others. Holliday believed that the new owner of the superheadset is free to decide whether humanity is worthy of this new technology. Despite the objections of friends, Wade nevertheless releases the headset into the world. And the previously close-knit team breaks up.

After a while, a new mystery appears on Holliday's website, and Wade joins the hunt for prizes. But, as it soon turns out, the doubts of the former Great Five were not in vain. A powerful enemy with great power threatens the whole world with destruction...