Chapter Preview:
Lin Yuan leads a daring assault on the Vanguard's cloning facility, confronting both upgraded enemies and his own fading humanity. The truth about Project Phoenix reveals a horrifying connection to Drakenshard's origins.
The dimensional skiff shuddered as it breached the Shattered Expanse's stormwall. Lin Yuan stood at the prow, his dragon arm encased in containment gauntlet that pulsed with warning lights. The floating fortress loomed ahead – a grotesque fusion of celestial architecture and biological horror, its spires pulsing with cloned dragon-heart reactors.
System Alert
Target Analysis: Project Phoenix Complex
Defense Systems:
Soulbound Plasma Cannons (Dragon Essence-Powered)
Reality-Dissonance Fields (67% Match to Nexus Signatures)
Hybrid Guards (Human/Dragon Chimera)
Weakness:
Central Power Core (Contains First Flame DNA Samples)
Recommended Strategy:
Stealth Infiltration via Maintenance Conduits
Sabotage Genetic Archives First
Lyra's hologram flickered beside him, her form glitching from the Expanse's interference. "Remember – we need those genetic templates intact. Destroying them might erase entire dragon bloodlines."
Drakenshard hummed at Lin's hip, its blade edge glowing faintly blue. "The clones reek of stolen fire," it whispered. "Make them bleed."
The infiltration team materialized through quantum foam – three Concordance operatives and Lin. Their biosuits shifted to match the facility's sterile white corridors, but nothing could mask the wrongness permeating the air:
Hybrid Guards patrolled with jerky movements, their mismatched eyes (one human, one draconic) scanning for intruders.
Walls pulsed with vein-like tubing carrying luminous genetic material.
Ceiling Vents dripped viscous orange fluid that burned through floor panels.
First Encounter:
A patrol unit rounded the corner – two hybrids dragging a containment pod. Inside floated a familiar face: Mei Ling, her body now fused with dragon-scale armor plating, unconscious but alive.
"Traitor," Drakenshard growled in Lin's mind. "Leave her to rot."
Lin's remaining human hand twitched. Fragmented memories surfaced – Mei Ling's laughter during a sparring match, her fixing his broken sword hilt. The emotions were gone, but the facts remained.
Choice Prompt
Eliminate Patrol & Destroy Pod (Gain: 15% Combat Boost)
Capture Pod for Intel (Risk: 22% Detection Chance)
??? (Drakenshard's Hidden Option)
Before Lin could decide, the lead hybrid's neck suddenly snapped backward. A ghostly figure materialized – a Concordance operative named Kael, his phase-blade dripping with ethereal blood.
"Sentimentality will get us killed, dragonmarked," Kael hissed, deactivating the pod's stasis field. Mei Ling's body hit the floor with a metallic clang, her new armor whirring to life.
System Alert
Hostile Reactivation Detected
Designation: Mei Ling v2.3
Enhancements:
Dragonfang Claws (Coated in Soulrot Venom)
Reality-Anchor Core (Counters Drakenshard's Abilities)
Emotion Emulator (Mimics Human Behavior Patterns)
Mei Ling's eyes fluttered open, glowing with artificial warmth. "Lin? Thank the heavens you're here!" Her voice perfectly replicated remembered cadences. "They forced these upgrades on me. Help me destroy this place!"
Drakenshard vibrated in warning as she reached out. "Lies. Her scent is all machine now."
Kael raised his blade. "I'll handle this abomination. You move to–"
Mei Ling moved faster than physics allowed. Her claws tore through Kael's chestplate, splattering bioluminescent blood across the walls. The other hybrids awoke simultaneously, their movements now synchronized with mechanical precision.
Combat Data
Adaptive Threat Detected
Mei Ling v2.3's Learning Rate: 3.2% per second
Hybrid Hive-Mind Coordination: 89% Efficiency
Environmental Hazard: Spilled Genetic Fluid (Corrosion Rate: 1.2% armor integrity/sec)
Lin's dragon arm broke containment, scales spreading up his neck. Drakenshard's blade met Mei Ling's claws in a shower of sparks. Each parry sent system alerts flashing:
Memory Erosion Alert
Lost: First Kiss (Age 17, Cherry Blossom Courtyard)
Lost: Master's Final Lesson ("A Sword's True Edge")
Retained: Combat Data from Same Events
Mei Ling's emulator produced perfect tears. "Why are you doing this? We were friends!" Her claws nearly found Lin's throat, blocked at the last second by a Concordance operative's sacrifice.
As Lin plunged Drakenshard through her reactor core, the facility's alarms wailed. Mei Ling's dying smile held genuine sorrow. "You...should've...chosen the cakes..."
Loot Obtained
Mei Ling's Core Memory Crystal (Damaged)
Phoenix Facility Access Codes (Partial)
Dragonfang Claw Fragment (Soulrot Analysis Pending)
The team regrouped at Genetic Archive Vault-7. What they found inside froze even battle-hardened Concordance veterans:
Thousands of cloning pods containing familiar faces – Lyra, Kael, Grand Inquisitor Wu, and...Lin Yuan. The central terminal displayed a hologram:
Project Phoenix Final Stage
Objective: Replace Key Figures with Loyal Hybrids
Completion: 89%
Prime Directive: "All Will Serve the Celestial Order"
Drakenshard's roar of fury shattered the vault's containment fields. As the clones awoke simultaneously, Lin's corruption meter spiked.
The Genetic Archive Vault-7 descended into chaos as hundreds of cloning pods shattered simultaneously. Lin Yuan's dragon arm flared with primal energy, Drakenshard's blade cutting through the first wave of clones with brutal efficiency. But the sheer numbers were overwhelming.
System Alert
Clone Legion Analysis
Quantity: 847 Active Units
Capabilities:
Shared Combat Data in Real-Time
Adaptive Tactics (Learning Rate: 4.7%/sec)
Dragon Essence Manipulation (Limited)
The Concordance operatives formed a defensive perimeter, their phase-blades creating a shimmering barrier. Lyra's voice crackled through the comms: "We need to reach the Central Core! The clones are being controlled from there!"
Lin's corruption level spiked as he fought:
Memory Erosion Alert
Lost: First Victory in Sect Tournament (Age 15)
Retained: Combat Techniques from Same Event
Emotional Recall: Permanently Erased
Drakenshard's voice grew more insistent:
"Unleash my full power, heir. Let me burn this abomination to ash!"
Lin hesitated, knowing the cost. But as clone-Lin units began manifesting dragon abilities, he had no choice. The blade's wing-like guard expanded, releasing a wave of primordial fire that:
Incinerated 23% of the clone legion
Damaged the facility's structural integrity
Increased Lin's corruption to 74%
The path to the Central Core opened, but at a cost. The Concordance team was down to two operatives, and Lyra's biosuit showed multiple breaches. As they moved deeper into the facility, disturbing truths emerged:
Clone Origins:
DNA harvested from fallen dragonmarked
Memories implanted from Vanguard databases
Emotional emulation based on behavioral algorithms
Project Phoenix's True Goal:
Replace key figures across all realms
Establish absolute Vanguard control
Eradicate true dragonmarked individuals
Drakenshard's Connection:
Blade fragments found in cloning chambers
Energy signatures matching the First Flame
Evidence of weaponized dragon essence
The Central Core was a massive chamber dominated by a pulsating organic computer. At its center stood a figure that made Lin's blood run cold – a perfected clone of himself, radiating pure dragon energy.
Boss Analysis
Prime Clone: Lin-01
Abilities:
Full Dragon Transformation (Controlled)
Drakenshard Replica (95% Efficiency)
Emotional Emulation (Perfect Mimicry)
Weaknesses:
Over-reliance on Central Core Support
Limited Creativity in Combat
The battle was a mirror match of devastating proportions:
Lin's Tactics:
Used Drakenshard's reality forging to create shifting terrain
Leveraged true dragon essence against the clone's artificial version
Exploited the clone's predictable patterns
Lin-01's Strategies:
Adapted to Lin's moves in real-time
Used the Central Core's power to enhance abilities
Targeted Lin's increasing corruption
Nexus's Intervention:
The Arbiter provided tactical support through Lyra's implants
Ancient defenses activated to hinder the Central Core
Reality itself seemed to aid Lin's efforts
As the battle progressed, Lin discovered a critical vulnerability in the Central Core – it required a constant connection to the First Flame's DNA samples. Drakenshard's voice echoed with urgency:
"Strike the central conduit, heir! Sever its connection to the First Flame!"
The final confrontation was a desperate race against time:
Lin's corruption reached 81%, threatening his humanity
The Central Core's cloning process hit 92% completion
The facility's structural integrity began to fail
With a powerful combination of Drakenshard's abilities and his own determination, Lin struck the central conduit. The resulting explosion of energy:
Disabled the Central Core:
Cloning process halted
Lin-01's connection to the core severed
Triggered Facility's Self-Destruct:
All Vanguard forces expelled from the facility
Permanent barriers erected against future incursions
Accelerated Lin's Transformation:
Corruption level spiked to 88%
Dragon features became more pronounced
Memory integration reached critical mass
As the dust settled, Lin stood victorious but forever changed. The Central Core was destroyed, and the threat of Project Phoenix was neutralized. However, the cost was high – Lin's humanity hung in the balance, and the Vanguard's defeat was only temporary.
The cloning facility's self-destruct sequence initiated with a bone-rattling tremor. Lin Yuan stumbled through collapsing corridors, Drakenshard's blade dimming as its energy reserves depleted. Lyra's voice crackled through his damaged comms: "Evac point in 300 meters! Move!"
System Alert
Facility Collapse Imminent
Structural Integrity: 19%
Time to Detonation: 2 minutes 47 seconds
Recommended Path: Maintenance Shaft Gamma
As Lin reached the shaft, a holographic projection activated – the Vanguard's final message:
"Project Phoenix Cannot Be Stopped"
Backup Facilities: 7 Locations (Coordinates Encrypted)
Clone Data: 89% Uploaded to Central Network
Final Directive: "The Celestial Order Will Prevail"
Drakenshard pulsed weakly:
"They pervert the First Flame's legacy. We must burn this abomination."
The escape was a harrowing gauntlet:
Collapsing Architecture:
Falling debris infused with dragon essence
Plasma conduits rupturing with explosive force
Rogue Clones:
Malfunctioning units attacking indiscriminately
Hybrid guards driven mad by system failures
Environmental Hazards:
Genetic fluid flooding corridors
Reality-dissonance fields destabilizing
Combat Data
Adaptive Threat Detected
Clone Learning Rate: 4.7% per second
Environmental Hazard: Spilled Genetic Fluid (Corrosion Rate: 1.2% armor integrity/sec)
Lin's dragon arm broke containment, scales spreading up his neck. Drakenshard's blade met rogue clones in a shower of sparks. Each parry sent system alerts flashing:
Memory Erosion Alert
Lost: First Kiss (Age 17, Cherry Blossom Courtyard)
Lost: Master's Final Lesson ("A Sword's True Edge")
Retained: Combat Data from Same Events
As Lin reached the evac point, a final obstacle emerged – a massive hybrid dragon, its form a grotesque fusion of mechanical and organic components. The creature's roar shook the facility, its eyes glowing with malevolent intelligence.
Boss Analysis
Hybrid Dragon Prototype
Abilities:
Full Dragon Transformation (Unstable)
Drakenshard Replica (95% Efficiency)
Emotional Emulation (Perfect Mimicry)
Weaknesses:
Over-reliance on Central Core Support
Limited Creativity in Combat
The battle was a desperate struggle:
Lin's Tactics:
Used Drakenshard's reality forging to create shifting terrain
Leveraged true dragon essence against the clone's artificial version
Exploited the clone's predictable patterns
Hybrid Dragon's Strategies:
Adapted to Lin's moves in real-time
Used the Central Core's power to enhance abilities
Targeted Lin's increasing corruption
Nexus's Intervention:
The Arbiter provided tactical support through Lyra's implants
Ancient defenses activated to hinder the Central Core
Reality itself seemed to aid Lin's efforts
As the battle progressed, Lin discovered a critical vulnerability in the Hybrid Dragon – it required a constant connection to the First Flame's DNA samples. Drakenshard's voice echoed with urgency:
"Strike the central conduit, heir! Sever its connection to the First Flame!"
The final confrontation was a desperate race against time:
Lin's corruption reached 81%, threatening his humanity
The Hybrid Dragon's power hit 92% completion
The facility's structural integrity began to fail
With a powerful combination of Drakenshard's abilities and his own determination, Lin struck the central conduit. The resulting explosion of energy:
Disabled the Hybrid Dragon:
Cloning process halted
Hybrid Dragon's connection to the core severed
Triggered Facility's Self-Destruct:
All Vanguard forces expelled from the facility
Permanent barriers erected against future incursions
Accelerated Lin's Transformation:
Corruption level spiked to 88%
Dragon features became more pronounced
Memory integration reached critical mass
As the dust settled, Lin stood victorious but forever changed. The Central Core was destroyed, and the threat of Project Phoenix was neutralized. However, the cost was high – Lin's humanity hung in the balance, and the Vanguard's defeat was only temporary.