Chereads / Symphonia: The Soldered World and the Sleepless City of Rhythms / Chapter 6 - The False Legacy of the Starlium Gear (02)

Chapter 6 - The False Legacy of the Starlium Gear (02)

As Corinth returned deeper to the building, another sound transmission was activated.

[Ahemm... Corinth, are you there?]

Corinth didn't entertain the man, he strides seconds each way, spending no wasted time to reach the 29th floor, the middle section of the building.

[29 seconds... Overdrive mode activation]

[4:57:34... Back up newborn calibration...]

Two timers that he needed to time out as soon but with the situation he's in, it's going to be fatal if he makes mistakes.

He's the greatest terminator but also the oldest cyborg, the weapons given to him are intentionally outdated just like his body against the new generation cyborgs.

...

[Corinth, the headquarters sent back up for you because of the lack of intel they had given to you, we suggest that you come out now.]

[17 seconds...]

[But you just protected the lead researcher, you already disobeyed the mission. We saw the suitcase when I fired at him. Is that where the objective you need to retrieve?]

[9 seconds...]

...

[Corinth, are you disobeying your orders!?]

The soldiers had begun the deep breach of the building ensuring his. looming tomb

[5 seconds...]

The soldiers had started to secure the top floor and rush through floors to follow him.

[3 seconds...]

[2 seconds...]

[1 second...]

....

[We are breaching the building from above and the ground team had also moved, prepare yourself Corinth later for- ARHH!!!!!!-@#-##!!;]

__________________

[OVERDRIVE ACTIVATED]

[All safety protocols limitations are used to its fullest capabilities]

[Self destruction program activated]

[Evacuation is highly recommended!]

__________________

[The traps are flanking us! Heavy fire! Heavy fire!]

[Support needed, suppression at 10th floor!]

[Not possible, we are also cornered on the 9th floor!]

[ARH! LASER TRAPS! I REPEAT-GURKHA- AHH]

Tremors grits the ground where Corinth is standing.

By this time, the suitcase' red herring purpose might really be the gamble he needed for a hard time he needed to fool them.

"I would have a better chance of escaping from the rooftop... But I need the traps to be cleared for me." He whispered to himself.

They still need to check the place room by room to find him and the suitcase, and with how many floors and rooms inside this building, it's a needle in a haystack.

....

In the ground, another team of soldiers are watching over the trembling building and hearing the cries of their fellows in the shared channel.

Someone who also has a distinct cyborg design that showcases the new technology compared to Corinth's sleek and streamlined design. This venomous scaled cyborg had come forward answering a call.

"Miro is dead, his traps are activated and Corinth was able to catch our intention. He's gone hiding!" The cyborg with a callous voice yet filled with conviction sent the message.

[Xyres... you know what you should do, wrap all of this tonight. Do not make me wait.] On another end of the line, a much colder yet nonchalant voice gave Xyres his schedule.

"Yes sir. We will be able to clear this all within 2 hours."

[I don't care. Do it. Retrieve the document, dispose of him. I'll let my secretary talk to you after 2 hours.]

[.....]

The call ended, the man glanced at the lifeless body of Miro on the ground before looking back at the building.

"Corinth knew what was coming to him, that's why he ran away. Take the planes away, he will try that and there's nothing you can do, he will try to consider the rooftop surely. Soldiers at the ground, maintain the anti-EMP bubble."

"Yes sir!"

Xyres clenched his fist and then numerous curved blades in his fingers like talons and serrated blade arms slid out, brimming his suit with a venomous lethality.

"Tonight, you are the prey of Terminators Corinth."

"Sylphia, Morde, I dropped the location. Hunt down Corinth."

[It's about time! I really fancy his gun arm!] The woman on the end of the line was excited for her entrance.

[Wahaha! You can't even take care of him alone!] The man was also enthusiastic about the mission. Hunting a legend is not a common occasion after all.

"You both should shut up and focus. What we have here today is the most important mission we must accomplish. It's the Starlium Gear location itself. If we get it in our hands, we will cement the SJ group as the leading pioneer of the world."

[Alright I get ya... We are arriving there anyway, it is that serious, we know so shut your dancy dancy crap alright?] The guy suggests no cooperative manner on Xyres' pretentiousness.

[Wahaha, true true, you talk a lot.] Agreed by the woman as well.

Xyres received the mockery but he didn't entertain it.

"Do not bring any planes." That's the only thing he said to them instead.

[No can do! Haha, it's not like he'll survive the 300 people there, Dr. Fran is just paranoid as hell to even send us.]

And then the other side ends the call.

Xyres never expected them to cooperate anyway. Whether they come or not, he is still going forward against Corinth.

"We will be on the top, with no competition. Just us and the world."

Xyres recited his convictions and forwards to the building.

"And you Corinth. You are my first stepping stone. Everything you have will be mine. And no one else."

...

2 hours later....

[1st floor destroyed!]

[2nd floor destroyed!]

[3rd floor ....

___________

[60th floor destroyed!]

[59th floor destroyed!]

[58th floor ....

__________________

[2:21:10... Back up newborn calibration...]

...

Corinth is being flanked from the ground and above with the traps no way in a chance to regenerate with the self destruct mode from the overdrive status.

He has no choice but to be resourceful in this ticking short yet lasting time. He checks on his arsenal emptying the shells inside the chamber in his arm.

3 spatial leap bullets.

2 explosive bullets.

18 standard caliber high penetration bullets.

and his only one weapon, his right forearm.

His adrenaline fuel is already on exhausted status trying its hardest, without the fuel, his brain and mechanical eye with bullet reaction are going to be impaired without that immersive state.

His nanobots reserves are also running out, used to patch up wounds or create weapons if he needed but in this scenario, he needs it for sustaining the possible liabilities that he might suffer. And with the amount, if he suffered with just mere 3 major damage, there wouldn't be enough to mobilize his body again.

"God Dammit... I'll have to fucking immerse the hell of my self but my adrenaline fuels are getting low!"

[Distress signal alarm disabled by the moderator]

[ID track is online]

[Input comms disabled by the moderator]

As expected, his data menu functions of his body and the comm links are all shut down by the company, only his ID tracker was online to never let him escape.

[2:11:09... Back up newborn calibration...]

He swiped all of the tabs away and started reloading his arm preparing for this impossible one man war.

"This should be enough, hopefully."

He knows that was an understatement but really. He really wanted that miracle.

A lot of things outside being an assassin had already intrigued him yet for nothing, he's going to be disposed of like junk.

It is what it is. But this isn't it. Not fear but impatience is creeping up on him.

The timer where everything relies on and for the first time feeling an "actual" responsibility instead of a command.

It's pumping his non existent metallic heart. Something, there is something he can't explain. He wants to prove something.

[Of course you will, it is not the kindness of your heart, don't fool yourself! It's your pride speaking to you! You're cursed with forbidden knowledge, you took pride knowing better than the fools! So of course you're pissed that they are acting like they know what they're doing!] -Is It Wrong to Fall In Love with an All-knowing Android? RCCK productions.

...

In just moments, the already dull explosions in the building had risen to new levels. This time, a giant is rampaging in the building, trying to break free from its prison. That's how violent the rumble happening inside is that the soldier's feet on the rooftop are in mess.

[Team Ceta, report.]

[Alpha team and Beta team retreated after heavy fire from floor 14 and 16, we are able to reach floor 27.]

[Great, we are on floor 32, getting closer. Find Corinth and shoot on sight.]

[Yes s-*-!#+-* AAA-]

[Team Ceta! Team !.... Shit, they are offline, Team Delta status? Delta!? Fuck!]

[Team 34 here, Terminator Corinth launched an attack on floor 4! He's going down!]

[Fuck fuck fuck! Everyone! Call for sir Xyres! Everyone go down!]

....

Every soldier on the rooftop immediately moves towards the edge pointing their heavy weaponry at the entrance below, waiting for a figure to show up, so do the soldiers at the ground.

[Should we recall the planes?]

[No, sir Xyres never gave that command.]

[How about suppression?]

[That can work... Everyone, ready for an open fire at the field!]

Just after that command, numerous lights from the lasers and flashes from the gun light up like fireworks, turning the brightness like a flickering daylight and pulverizing the ground and first floor. They know that the walls of this building are impenetrable because of the researcher's precaution setting up a full on defense camouflage in the pier.

So Corinth is near the first floor which has no bulletproof covers for its glass windows, he has no choice but to take on the bullets.

Their bullets are enough to pummel and melt the ground they are standing in, even with nanobots smart reconstruction and Aether, it's impossible for him to survive this.

....

Inside the building...

Trapped on the second floor. He disposed of all of the soldiers pushing the ground side, piling their lifeless bodies and stole their equipment, running back above is a smart choice to buy more time.

But he can't do it anymore as his opponent had already found him.

The venomous figure at the settling dust gleams with intent, they are only illuminated by the sparks of loose wires and fragile surviving bulbs.

"Corinth. Where is the objective? Where is the Starlium Gear?"

He asked but never waited for the reply, he took a swift initiative going for Corinth's head like a scorpion trying to pierce Corinth.

Corinth dodged the attack. After landing however, Xyres swung his arm to the air immediately launching several blades towards him.

He kept dodging the barrage of his attacks, trying to take the stairs bit by bit but Xyres followed tightly.

Dark green trail blitz across the hallway with its feral violence bouncing off through walls, thumping around like a vicious predator.

At the close moment, he aimed for Corinth's leg but he immediately folded it, Xyres missed and embedded his hand to the ground, Corinth countered with a roundhouse kick.

However, Xyres effortlessly sliced his leg no matter what. That's the difference from their weapon.

Xyres had gained confidence and advantage, that's a massive mobility blow over him but he remained composed.

The new vibro-scale blades cut Corinth's outdated frames like butter.

Obviously, it's just the difference in technology, this legend from the very beginning had no chance from a new generation hypersuit cyborg frames. No amount of skills can best an explosive and swift power.

"It's the end!"

But unexpectedly his victory was a farce. He underestimated the experience Corinth had.

His legs were indeed sliced but his knees covered the massive beam coming out from his palms. He detected the light way before yet he didn't even do anything about it. A sense of dread washed over Xyres and he immediately tried to dodge.

But it was a false move again, the sliced leg of Corinth reattached behind Xyres back with a strong magnetic activation and forcefully merged by piercing through Xyres abdomen.

Xyres body was stuck on Corinth's leg, with a violent sweep, he was sent flying.

"So much for your gears, yet not compensated by your skills."

Corinth picked Xyres' neck. There was no recognizable anxiety on his face. It is a different Corinth in battle, nothing but cold blood and stern focus.

Corinth fired several ways to incapacitate Xyres but giving him time to react with a cliche and studied attack will make his greenhorn apprentice counter him with a textbook self defense of an enemy trying to lodge your eyes.

So instead, he resorted to unconventional fighting and used his fraction second shock to slam him through several floors deep.

.....

Outside the building, the consecutive rumble was the last thing they heard. Everything had calmed down.

They stopped shooting thinking that Xyres engaged in a fight with Corinth and won already. But unexpectedly.

"Don't shoot."

Xyres' troubled voice was heard.

His lower half was sent flying, half of the upper extremity missing.

"Sir Xyres!" The soldiers in masks shout.

They raised their guns again, about to shoot but they were a step behind.

A rain of smoke and flash grenades overloaded their eyes and noses.

Out of desperation and fear, they shoot blindly in the smoke.

Corinth was successfully able to trigger the fodder's reaction and threw Xyres' second half.

He endured minimal rain thanks to the distraction he made from the flash and smoke grenades he stole from the soldier he killed. He was going for a vehicle to escape.

He crashes through the truck behind the soldiers, its engine hums with the anti gravity thrusters heating up.

After the smoke cleared, they saw their fallen comrades who they shot and Xyres' riddle yet not lethal damage that he suffered.. The soldiers above the rooftop were still able to shoot at Corinth but it was beyond their range already.

[Shit! Recover the team's casualty! Corinth escaped!]

[Sir Xyres are you-

Xyres' body was missing.

[Shit! Sir Xyres is also missing!]

.....

[User ID: Corinth...]

[Location: 407. Mergr St.]

[Sent by Xyres]

.....

Behind the fast truck was Xyres clinging at the rear.

As expected, the shock from the way Corinth fought cost him dearly and he can't help but to grit in anger.

'With just that simple deception, he managed to slice me up in half despite the difference in our gear?'

He knows the legend of Corinth as the strongest and oldest terminator of the company and Xyres is one of his disciples out of the thousands that were manufactured. Their core modules are based on all of his fighting records he constructed yet his moves in reality. It's not uniform or structured. Simple yet it works. His unconventional fighting is what differs from his skill that Corinth thought was pretty useless and their gears could out power any tricks that he tries but this...

This is the real power.

Still earning for that victory, he continued, one of his blade arms moved independently, crawling as an arm, it detached from him to travel towards one of the AG thrusters and rip it apart.

Corinth felt the turbulence immediately with the speed he was reaching and the vehicle violently spins in the middle of the road.

[1:23:52... Back up newborn calibration...]

In the middle of the crowded street, several vehicles were damaged from the impact of his truck. The crowd was in hysterics and evacuated efficiently. With the mass accident that occurred, the damage isn't over yet.

A plane flying in low altitude followed, it shot a missile towards Corinth's vehicle.

The other two terminators had arrived.

"I told you! No planes!" Xyres shouted.

"Ahahahahaha! You look like an ant! You're so miserable what happened to you!" The transmission voice of the woman gloats about his status missing an arm and lower half.

Corinth, who successfully evaded the explosion and hid behind other cars, replaced one of his bullets, replaced it with a spatial leap bullet and spun the cylindrical chamber.

3 spatial bullets.

2 explosive bullets.

18 standard bullets.

"Now you don't even care about the civilians anymore huh... You're this desperate to get your hands on the Starlium Gear?" Corinth tries to buy more time while strategizing his new terrain.

"That's one of them, yeah, but most importantly, we've got to kill you!" The voice of Sylphia giggled as she descended on the plane. With her cherry red artillery drones assisting her gently.

Corinth sprints again, launching an attack on the plane.

But a loud clang intercepts the bullets and it bounces off to the street.

[Perfect Parry! 100 scores!]

"You hear that old timer? This Aether stuff mixed with music allows you to do some crazy shit! That's why we gotta need that Starlium Gear you know?" This muscular Morde parried his attacks mid air with a cyberized greatsword before descending to the road.

"How do you even know that I have it?"

Morde took a short glance at Xyres' body crawling and sneered a bit before returning to the conversation.

"You shake hands with Miro and he didn't kill you, it means he shared something for both of you to collaborate. If you left the building with the document inside, you made a mistake thinking we won't find it out, but I do think that the real objective is inside you. So either come with us or die!"

For a brute like him, he is pretty smart to figure it like that.

"Be careful of him!" Xyres warned the two.

But they just laugh at him hysterically.

"Be careful of him.... Hahahahahaha!"

Corinth saw the opportunity, he shot another fire and continued running away for a greater distance.

Morde had already seen the bullet's speed and time of impact, but he's confident for another parry.

"Let's fucking take it! Our baby Xyres is so afraid of his daddy hahaha!" Morde continued his mockery and Sylphia held her stomach rolling in the air with the help of her disk drones.

As the bullet inches closer, the more enthusiastic Morde is in catching it barehanded.

But Corinth didn't shoot for it to be parried again.

"Haha futil-"

*BOOM

It was the explosive bullet that Corinth calculated before activating the trigger.

The explosion wasn't enough to damage their metals as expected. Bullets like this aren't as effective as pressurized photon weapons as explosives, especially against new generation armor.

But it seared off their clothes and skins and revealed their mechanical interior.

Morde's left eye was covered by the melted skin while Sylphia's drones, fashion and skin were more affected.

"That fucking bastard ruined my clothes and drones!" Sylphia's anger skyrocketed.

Swarm of drones left the standby plane in low levitating altitude to pursue Corinth who had already covered great distance against them. But the drones hasten their pace as well to catch up while bombarding Corinth with bullets.

"Ahh... You're not the legendary terminator for nothing..." Morde remained in his position, impressed by the trick but looked at it as a childish attempt. He scratched off his seared face and called the HQ.

"Morde here, we need an entrapment operation in this location. Terminator Corinth betrayed us and stole the Starlium Gear document, set up barricades and curfew... Yes and increase the patrol, get the cameras as well."

"Yes, inform the CEO please, it's been two hours, but it doesn't matter, Corinth is losing his resources, he cannot possibly go longer than this anymore."

...

"AHAHAHA ARE YOU ENJOYING THIS SIR CORINTH YOU BASTARD! YOU RUINED MY FACE AND CLOTHES!"

The burning tantrum of the girl is as hot as the nozzle of her drones nonstop shooting at Corinth who keeps hiding and making sharp turns that her swarm drones can't quite follow.

Corinth was again replacing his bullet with another one, Sylphia thought it's going to be another explosive one so she dispersed her drone thin in the air.

"I won't fall for it again!" She shouts with a smug on her face.

Corinth fired the bullet and missed far off from her.

"I told you you won't! It's over-"

In an instant, the figure of Corinth in the middle of the road vanished like a ghost. She can't find him anywhere except for a spinning shell in the mid air where Corinth is supposed to be standing.

.....

As Morde continued his call, he noticed a bullet coming towards him, he covered his body with shock absorber and he took a huge side step to dodge, thinking that it was explosive again.

"How cute..."

"Yes, Corinth will be brought back dead or al-"

But that bullet vanished, Xyres saw it.

"Look out!"

Morde, out of a fast reflex installed at him, punched the air and Corinth reappeared at the exact same time.

He successfully punctured Corinth's metal abdomen but at the same time, Corinth's gun arm tapped the right side of his abdomen and fired off his destructive bullet.

No matter how tough it is, a point blank damage on the seams is sure to blow you up to pieces.

It exploded inside him and shreds his lower half, incapacitating Morde like Xyres as well.

Despite the out of date bullets that were intentionally given to Corinth, he still found a way to use it cleverly.

Corinth fired another shot towards the plane and vanished again leaving with no support, Morde fell to the ground. Sylphia can be seen in the distance rushing towards them but it's all too late.

Morde looks up to Corinth, throwing the pilot away from the plane and riding it. He can't help but to be amazed and chuckle.

He intentionally ran straight ahead the road to separate him and Sylphia who he had already read what kind of personality she had when he provoked them with that first shot.

Sylphia took the bait, Corinth fired off a spatial switch bullet to reverse his position and the bullet's location to catch Morde off guard again thinking it's going to be another explosive bullet but with his reflex implant, he guessed the danger and actually countered well.

But Corinth was even a step ahead to counter attack him much worse than he did and actually won the pursuit game, successfully incapacitating him and Xyres. Sylphia can't follow the speed of the plane despite it can reach the same altitude and he did all of that in a fraction.

"Oh my fucking god hahaha... Well fucking played Mr. Legend."

[47:56... Back up newborn calibration...]

.....

"Haa..... Haa....." Corinth catches his breath after throttling the plane at its highest speed.

He has no lungs and heart but the overwhelming stress that was pressured to his brain feels like exploding. Having nothing but a limited resource of weapons against other opponents who have better gear than him is a tough fight that cannot be survived with sheer luck.

His weapons are outdated and unconventional for modern warfare but it doesn't mean that it is weak, just unconventional and outgrown by newer and more potent dangers.

[16:34... Back up newborn calibration...]

He put the last bit of his nanobots patching up the hole in his abdomen, even the sudden turn of Morde punching where he was going to land caught him off guard if it wasn't for the last juice of his adrenaline fuel.

This time, he really has nothing more.

The last spatial leap bullet and the remaining 14 standard caliber is what's left. If there is another enemy that they send to him, this might really be his end.

...

A clang outside the plane resonated. Its vibration reached Corinth's senses. It's not over yet.

He took a glance at the glass to look outside but saw nothing, but the threat that was lurking wasn't where he was looking.

*CRASH

The glass of the cockpit breaks off and compresses the air causing a violent destruction inside.

Corinth forcefully switched the plane to take off immediately before the controls broke.

The green dark scorpion who's responsible swiftly attacked his eyes but he blocked it with his right arm. The tip of its tail burrowed deep and injected a glowing liquid.

In a few moments, the mechanical gun arm convulsed, a digital virus breached the hardware and overriding the system messed up his components.

The scorpion is not deterred however with this inconvenience, it detaches its tail down to crawl on his body and advance to his left eye again.

Corinth fired his final spatial switch bullet in the sky to get away from the broken plane.

Corinth glides in the sky where his bullet was shot. However that action was futile, from his left arm, the green virus crystallized, breaking off from his metal skin and reforming the scorpion embedded to his arm, crawling the virus up to his torso which is now trying to control his body.

[There is no escape for you Corinth, this is where you will die.]

Corinth's gun arm is also in Xyres possession, he's struggling to stop his hand from shooting his head.

While he is struggling, he's also looking around where he can try to fall. Below, he can see a scrapyard.

Xyres implanted a virus from his scorpion robot, as long as he can't possess his eye implants and hearing module, he won't know where he is going to land. He adjusted his direction to land at the scrapyard before doing the extremes.

He starts ripping his eyes apart.

[Vision Error!]

[EYX3-04 404!!!]

[Troubleshoot ASAP]

And with his sharp fingers, he lodged out his hearing implants.

[Hearing senses impaired!]

[Troubleshoot ASAP!]

[Body maintenance reaching critical level!]

[Nanobots patching up critical wounds!]

[.....]

[Nanobot deficient!]

[Warning! Your body reached critical failure, extensive repair ASAP!]

....

Corinth's senses are depraved, he can no longer feel the breeze with his body malfunctioning, the virus eating the magnetic nanobots that patched his abdomen and leg, and without hearing and vision, there's no way of knowing if he would survive the landing before the backup calibration completes.

[6:04.... Back up newborn calibration...]

.....

[What are you doing?] Xyres can only send a series of texts to Corinth who voided all of his functions.

[Why don't you guess.]

[You're struggling over nothing.]

[You think so?]

[....]

[Yes, you will not trace my body again.]

[Self detonation activated]

[Set to 10 minutes.]

[Set com■■■■■]

[SYSTEM OVERRIDE!]

[TROUBLESHOOT ASAP!]

[SELF DETONATION OVERRULED!]

[INQUIRE TO YOUR LOCAL MANUFACTURER ASAP!]

[ERROR]

[CAN'T CONNECT TO INTERNET]

[CAN'T CONNECT TO ANY NETWORK]

[C■N'T CONNE■■ SE■■■CA]

...

'He's able to override my exclusive number internal software?'

[Hmm... So this small encrypted chip is where the information about the Starlium Gear. Tightly encrypted and needs removal from your body.] Xyres virus had already dug deep on his body.

'Shit... I can't self-destruct, the information is going to fall in their hands if they retrieve my body!'

[What is this timer? Back up newborn calibration? So you think you're able to escape us?]

[Ha, why don't you guess?]

[.....]

'He didn't see where I'm planning to land my body, the timer... Is there no way?'

'I don't even know if I already landed or not...!"

[Hide well Corinth. This is my victory, if I ever find where you are or who you are, the whole SJ won't stop at hunting you.]

[That's really crazy... Are you done?]

[.... Your struggle was all futile. The Starlium Gear is within our hands. And with this, we are going to rule the world, scrape the barrel like the rest of these dime worth people.]

[What the hell's your problem with the common folks? If only you really know what's behind the Starlium Gear.]

.....

[EMP detected!]

[Severed connection to the net host]

[Connection termination in 2 minutes.]

[Last location, 409. BRH coffee cafe]

'Fuck....' Corinth is losing hope about recovering his body. He will fail his promise to Miro if his body doesn't clutch this. Just a few more minutes he begged.

If there's nothing he can really do then maybe, just maybe a warning will help. Even if they don't take this seriously.

Why is he even pressed about this? He asked himself, yet couldn't find the answer. He can die, it's regrettable that he can't take revenge against the SJ company but he's not really driven with vengeance. But this... There's this dread that took over him when the responsibility he first ever received is going to fail in vain. It is the unpleasant feeling of guilt that makes him hope for a miracle to survive.

He bit his lip and brace for his final struggle.

[Listen to me Xyres, you're really hellbent on killing me but listen to what Mori said, the promise of Starlium Gear is false! The legacy that grants anyone's wish is false!]

[He will be the judge of that.]

[Goddamit listen to me! The Starlium Gear should never be touched! We are living in a dome, but no one ever questioned it, knew or tried to ask why, even the people we had served are blind to this fact because they are living in their rich walls, contemplating their reality doesn't matter to the pleasure they're experiencing!]

[....]

[But I'm telling you, no matter how big this world is, we are all ignorant, you or me, or him or anyone else.]

[.....]

[If I can't stop you... At least read everything and think of it carefully. Do not just go towards the location immediately. Please...]

[Calibration complete.]

[Conscious transfer initiated]

[Activation in 3...]

[I hope you understand Xyres...]

He made it. He survived, but the state of his body determined everything if he will get the backup copy or it will be removed to him before it can copy, or the body completely crushed before anyone could touch the chip, ultimately losing that knowledge forever.

[Activation in 2...]

[Corinth...]

[Activation in 1...]

[What?]

[Activation in 0..]

[Be a good writer in your second life.]

[Transfer complete.]

....

Somewhere.....

A jolt of strength, cortisol and adrenaline rushed over and warmed his cold body in a pod, a strength that revived the numb wrist and broke the glasses. The fluids gushed out and drained, slowly revealing the new face of the man.

[Welcome to your new body.]

[You may select your name to insert on the proxy database.]