The Almanac as a bible (metaphor)
Wade writes that in the time between the opening of the contest and the winning of the Copper Key, Anorak's Almanac became his "bible." This metaphor underscores the fanaticism with which Wade approached the contest, as well as the cultural and spiritual importance of the game. The contest came to embody every dream or aspiration Wade had for his future.
Emotional pain as a wooden stake (Simile)
When Art3mis breaks up with Wade, he experiences heartbreak for the first time. He compares this pain to the feeling of a wooden stake through one's chest. This is a testament to the depth of Wade's feelings for Art3mis, even though they had never met in real life.
Spam from the can (Simile)
When Wade plots to be arrested by Sixers and taken into indentured servitude, he knows that they will cut through his double security doors with a welder. He compares this process to spam being cut out of a can, emphasizing the cold, industrial manner in which the Sixers completed their assignments and collected him for slavery.
Gunters as a swarm of metal insects (Simile)
When Wade writes an open letter to all gunters, inviting them to join him in defeating the Sixers, he underestimates the amounts of players that will show up in order to defeat IOI. Before the bomb he planted detonates and takes down the shields around the Third Gate, Wade admires how many gunters have shown up to the battle, vastly outnumbering the Sixers.
