Kai leaned against the cold metallic wall, his chest rising and falling with each labored breath. His HP bar remained dangerously low, flickering ominously in the corner of his vision. The eerie silence of the Glitchborn Nexus pressed on him like a weight, broken only by the occasional hum of the glowing runes etched into the chamber walls.
His mind raced as he stared at the shimmering Core Fragment in his inventory. It pulsated faintly, emitting a rhythmic hum. It felt alive, almost sentient.
"What the hell was that thing?" Kai muttered, recalling the Corrupted Beast's grotesque form. He flexed his fingers, the soreness from gripping his sword reminding him of how close he'd come to being defeated.
As he debated his next move, a system notification blinked into view.
System Notification:
Tutorial Complete.
Warning: Synchronization with the main server remains compromised.
New Quest Unlocked: Escape the Glitchborn Nexus.
"Tutorial? That was just the tutorial?" Kai groaned, rubbing his temples. "I barely survived, and now they want me to escape this place?"
The glowing runes on the walls began to shift and rearrange themselves. They formed an arrow pointing deeper into the chamber as if guiding him. Kai frowned. He didn't trust this place, but he had no other options.
"Alright, lead the way, creepy glowing runes," he muttered, gripping his sword tightly as he followed the markings.
The corridor stretched endlessly, the metallic floor reflecting Kai's faint silhouette as he walked. He noticed the walls subtly vibrating, almost as if the Nexus itself was alive. Occasionally, distorted whispers echoed through the space—fragmented phrases and words that sent chills down his spine.
"...fragment… tethered…"
"...save them… corruption spreads…"
"...run…"
Kai shook his head, trying to block out the voices. He wasn't sure if they were real or just the Nexus playing tricks on him. He paused when the path opened into a massive chamber, its ceiling disappearing into an infinite void.
At the center of the room stood a pedestal, and hovering above it was an object that glowed with an intense light. Kai's HUD immediately tagged it:
Object Identified:
Prototype Data Sphere
Kai narrowed his eyes. "Prototype Data Sphere? That sounds... important."
He approached cautiously, his steps echoing in the vast chamber. The closer he got, the louder the whispers became, now overlapping in a cacophony of fragmented words.
Suddenly, a voice boomed, cutting through the noise like a blade.
"Who dares approach the core of the Nexus?"
Kai froze, spinning around to locate the source of the voice. A figure materialized behind the pedestal, emerging from a swirl of corrupted code. It was humanoid but featureless, its form shifting and glitching like the Corrupted Beast he had fought earlier.
"I'm just... passing through," Kai said, raising his sword defensively. "No need to get all dramatic."
The figure let out a distorted laugh. "You are no mere wanderer. The corruption marks you and binds you. And now, you seek to claim the Sphere? Foolish mortal."
The figure raised an arm, and the air in the chamber seemed to ripple. Kai barely had time to react before a wave of energy surged toward him. He dove to the side, rolling to his feet just as the blast struck the ground where he had been standing.
"Guess we're doing this the hard way," Kai muttered, activating Adaptive Strike.
The battle was unlike anything Kai had faced before. The figure moved with an unnatural speed, its attacks warping the space around them. Kai relied on every ounce of his reflexes and the insights from his newly acquired skill to dodge and counter. Each time he landed a hit, fragments of corrupted code scattered from the figure, but it showed no signs of slowing down.
"You are persistent," the figure said, its voice dripping with disdain. "But persistence alone will not save you."
As the fight dragged on, Kai's stamina began to wane. His HP bar was dangerously low again, and his sword felt heavier with each swing. Just when he thought he couldn't keep going, a new notification appeared:
Skill Unlocked: Overclock Level 1
Description: Temporarily push your abilities beyond their limits. Increases speed, strength, and reaction time for 30 seconds.
Kai grinned despite himself. "Perfect timing."
Activating Overclock, he felt a surge of energy flood his body. His movements became a blur, and his strikes hit with a precision and force that caught the figure off guard. For the first time, the entity staggered, its form flickering erratically.
"You… are… an anomaly," it hissed, its voice breaking. "This world… will consume you."
With one final, powerful strike, Kai drove his sword into the figure's core. The entity let out a distorted scream before disintegrating into a cloud of fragmented code.
The chamber fell silent. Kai collapsed to his knees, his breathing ragged. His HUD displayed a slew of notifications, but he ignored them for the moment, too exhausted to care.
Eventually, he forced himself to his feet and approached the pedestal. The Prototype Data Sphere hovered before him, its light pulsing faintly.
"Alright," he said, reaching out to grab it. "Let's see what all the fuss is about."
The moment his fingers touched the Sphere, a surge of energy coursed through him. His HUD exploded with new information, and a voice echoed in his mind.
"Bearer of the Sphere, you have taken the first step. The corruption seeks to unmake this world, but you have the power to rewrite its fate. Seek the Anchors. Restore balance. And beware… the one who watches."
Kai stumbled back, clutching his head as the voice faded. He barely had time to process what had happened before another notification appeared:
Quest Update:
Locate the Corruption Anchors (0/3).
Kai sighed, staring at the glowing Sphere in his hand. "Anchors? Rewriting fate? And who the hell is 'the one who watches'?"
He shook his head, pocketing the Sphere as the glowing runes on the walls shifted again, pointing toward an exit.
"Guess I've got my work cut out for me," he muttered, trudging forward.
Little did he know, the real game was only just beginning.