Final answer:
If Wade did not accept IOI's terms in 'Ready Player One', IOI would likely continue to use unethical tactics to try to win the contest and gain control of the OASIS.
Step-by-step explanation:
The novel Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. IOI, or Innovative Online Industries, is the antagonist corporation within the story. If protagonist Wade Watts, known in the OASIS as Parzival, did not accept IOI's terms, it is implied that they would continue to resort to underhanded tactics to win the contest and take control of the OASIS. These actions might include sabotage, blackmail, or even outright harm to his real-world wellbeing. As depicted in the book and the film, IOI's determination to control the OASIS is their top priority, and they are willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve this goal.