《Leveling up in the 21st century》 Day 1: The Message Day 1: The Message Perspective: Elias Vandar Setting: Nexlify office, Seattle, WA ¨C March 11, 2025 ¨C 2:37 PM PST The Nexlify office smelled of burnt coffee and static, a cramped warren of cubicles wedged between Puget Sound¡¯s drizzle and the hum of downtown. Whiteboards bearing the scars of late-night AI brainstorming sessions, coffee rings staining the break room table, and a foosball table sat abandoned in the corner, a relic of happier days. Elias Vandar slouched at his desk, his wiry frame drowning in a faded Seahawks hoodie, glasses fogged from the heat of his laptop as he wrestled with a neural net that wouldn¡¯t converge. He barely noticed the world until it screamed. Every screen¡ªlaptops, phones, the ancient break room TV Dennis had scavenged from a thrift store flashed white. A voice, cold and synthetic, punched through the air:
Integration Initiated... Planetary conversion ... started Mana core creation authorized ... Greetings and welcome to [The System]
Elias jolted, his code window vanishing. He squinted at his laptop, diagnostics already running across the networks. No access logs, just data flooding past the firewalls. Growling quietly, trying not to bite his fingernails, he quickly scanned the network. Eyes locked onto the screen his anxiety grew as each test passed. This hit everything, phones, tablets, TVs, in perfect sync, streaming live, globally. Impossible, he thought. Placing the still plugged-in computer back in its cradle, he reached around the edge, whispering, ¡°ID10T check.¡± Pulling the power cord while holding the power button down. Ten seconds passed, the laptop still humming. He exhaled hard, letting the switch go, eyes locked on the battery sitting useless on the shelf. Sinking into his seat, his co-workers¡¯ voices blurred into a round-table roar around the TV, he let them fill the silence, his mind a live wire. Dennis Nguyen ripped an earbud out mid-podcast, his chair creaking under his stocky build. Alicia Wilson froze, her stylus hovering over a tablet sketch, her silhouette framed by the window¡¯s gray light. Tara ¡°TJ¡± Jackson stomped out of the server room, her short dark hair glinting under fluorescents. Marcus Reyes stood in front of the TV, frozen to inaction by the sudden announcement. ¡°What the hell?¡± Dennis was on his feet, cargo pants swishing, his buzz cut casting a shadow over Elias¡¯s screen. ¡°Hack. Gotta be,¡± TJ growled, slamming the TV¡¯s power button¡ªnothing. ¡°It¡¯s on my phone too,¡± Alicia said, her voice soft but edged, swiping uselessly at the glowing screen. ¡°Everyone, stay calm,¡± Marcus called, his polo stretching as he waved a hand, ever the office dad. Dennis¡¯s Theory: Aliens This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Dennis paced like a caged bear, his hunting knife already in hand, twirling it absently. ¡°This is aliens, y¡¯all, no question. Didn¡¯t SETI find them in the 1900s?¡± Waving a hand at the TV, while the message began replaying, ¡°Grandma would call it Gigye gwisin. Ghosts inside machines, evil spirits. They¡¯re done abductin cows and probin hillbillies. They¡¯re integratin us into their galactic club, and this ¡®Void¡¯ crap is their enemy, not ours.¡± ¡°Thing is,¡± Dennis said pensively. ¡°If we get to conjure stuff and throw fireballs, that could be a lot of fun. Hey Eli,¡± Dennis said, slapping Elias¡¯s shoulder, a flash of teeth Elias knew from their late-night gaming sessions, ¡°Wanna be my DPS guy? I¡¯ll tank the mobs and you can burn em down¡± Jibes, giggles and off color comments faded to the background as Elias recalled reading about SETI and the ¡°Wow!¡± Signal. August 15, 1977, 72 seconds of unexplained radio blips discovered by Big Ear at Ohio State University. The signal was never detected again, but conspiracies abound about alien contact, and government cover-ups. Elias let Dennis¡¯s enthusiasm wash over him, a lifeline in the chaos. TJ¡¯s Theory: Military Conspiracy TJ leaned against the break room wall, arms crossed, a chewed up pen tapping her thigh like a metronome. ¡°Nah, Nguyen, you¡¯re dreaming. This ain¡¯t aliens, it¡¯s us. Humans, screwing ourselves. Military¡¯s been cooking this up for years. DARPA, NSA, some black-budget op gone live. I saw weird shit overseas, tech we didn¡¯t question. This thing¡¯s their excuse to scare us into compliance. They¡¯ve got satellites hijacking every signal right now, and we¡¯re the lab rats.¡± Her voice was gravel, honed by barked orders and sleepless nights. TJ¡¯s eyes flicked to Elias, a rare softness drifting over her otherwise sharp features, ¡°Keep your head down, kid¡±. Elias chewed his lip, desperate to crunch down on a fingernail. He met TJ when he first joined Nexlify and she instantly became his big sister. They would talk about the marines, conspiracy theories and military history for hours, wasting time at work and driving Mark crazy. TJ was always being paranoid; she caught that phishing scam last year I missed, he reminded himself. Her edge grounded him, jumping to aliens before considering humans seemed severe, even as he questioned her theory¡¯s scale. Alicia¡¯s Theory: Religious Awakening Alicia perched on the couch, legs folded in a half-lotus, her tablet abandoned as she traced invisible patterns in the air. ¡°You¡¯re both half-right, but it¡¯s deeper. This feels spiritual. What if this is divine? Not aliens, not DARPA, but God reaching out? ¡®Mana Core¡¯ sounds holy, too. Like manna from heaven, a gift to fight back. I mean, think about it, every culture¡¯s got a creation story, a battle against darkness. This could be that, but modernized.¡± Her voice danced, warm and lilting, pulling Elias in like always. Elias spoke up, softly at first, recalling his catholic education. ¡°For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. Isaiah 65:17¡± Alicia¡¯s green eyes alighted with joy as Elias sought to sort out everyone¡¯s confusion. ¡°She¡¯s onto something. This mana core could very well be a divine substance that is now given to us. This feels very intentional and thinking of it spiritually feels extremely right.¡± Marcus¡¯s Theory: Judgment Marcus sank into a chair, donut crumbs dusting his polo, his EMT kit thudding beside him. ¡°If this ¡®System¡¯ is real, then yeah, we¡¯re fucked.¡± Pointing an accusing finger at Dennis, ¡°My Abuela would say ¡®Dios lie a la chingada!¡¯, God¡¯s fed up. That¡¯s hell creeping in.¡± He paused, calming his frayed nerves and reaching for an answer. ¡°This is the end. It¡¯s only a matter of time before everyone goes feral. I¡¯ve seen what happens when people take it too far.¡± Standing up he opened his arms to the group, ¡°So what are we gonna do?¡± Everyone fell silent as Marcus looked at each one, ¡°This will be chaotic. Worse. We have to stay together and protect each other. Elias, you¡¯re the brain; figure out the rules.¡± He tossed Elias a donut, ¡°Eat, kid.¡±, his dad-vibe a steady anchor. Looking at each of us again, ¡°We are gonna do fine. Just keep faith in each other and always have each other¡¯s backs.¡± The room was silent for several seconds until Dennis began slow clapping very loudly. Elias chuckled as the others followed suit, Marcus red cheeks notwithstanding. Day 2: Prickly Apathy Perspective: Elias Vandar Setting: Seattle streets, Day 2 post-message ¨C March 12, 2025 ¨C 2:37 PM PST The synthetic voice of [The System] cut off at 2:37 PM, exactly 24 hours after it seized every screen in the Nexlify office with its cryptic ¡°Greetings and welcome to [The System]¡±. Elias slumped at his desk, his wiry frame lost in an oversized MIT hoodie, glasses fogged from the heat of a laptop now blinking back to a stalled neural net debug. His fingers hovered over the keys, craving the ghost signal¡¯s trace. Nothing. No packets, no handshake, just silence. Bostrom¡¯s simulation argument states that one in three realities is coded. Yesterday says ours is 100%, but where¡¯s the proof? The office hummed faintly¡ªAC droning, coffee machine gurgling, a foosball table gathering dust in the corner. No one went home that first night. Sleeping in cubicles and privacy offices, the group stayed together, discussing the coming apocalypse with varying degrees of seriousness. As the evening waned on, each fell into a restless sleep, dreaming of a world yet to come. That afternoon, the sun lighting the office in bands of gold and orange, Dennis Nguyen leaned back, flannel taut over his broad shoulders, the faint tang of venison jerky drifting from an open tupperware bowl. ¡°World didn¡¯t end, no aliens dropping in,¡± he said, twirling his knife with a grin. Alicia Wilson stretched near her cubicle, yoga mat peeking from her bag, her lithe silhouette framed by the rays of the sun. ¡°It¡¯s strange though, 24 hours of that voice, and now it¡¯s just gone, like a dream you can¡¯t place,¡± she murmured, her soft tone tugging at Elias. Marcus Reyes stood up, stretching loudly, ¡°Let¡¯s hit the streets, see if Seattle¡¯s freaking out or just sleepwalking,¡± he said, voice steady. They stepped onto 4th Avenue, Seattle¡¯s damp Tuesday wrapping them in drizzle and diesel fumes. Buses rumbled, a barista commented over the espresso hiss, ¡°Heard it in Spanish too, that¡¯ll be five bucks¡±. Elias saw a man with a sign, ¡°System truther¡± scrawled in red marker, tattered coat snapping against the wind, screaming ¡°System equals NWO! Don¡¯t listen to the devils!¡± His shouts faded underneath ¡°Come as you are¡± blasting from a car waiting at the intersection. Elias turned back, watching his group separate from him rapidly. He trotted forward, skinny legs stiff in tight jeans, phone dim with rebooted normalcy. Dennis led the group into a coffee shop next to the office, nudging Marcus after he ordered everyone¡¯s coffees. ¡°People can¡¯t just not care, right? Yesterday was all ¡®Planet Conversion,¡¯ ¡®Mana cores¡¯, end of the world! Now, it¡¯s just more coffee and commuters.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°X is quiet,¡± Marcus replied, scrolling through his phone, ¡°except for some topics around Mana core memes and debates about finally getting better 5G. Business news is nearly identical, stocks dipped 2%, and Vegas set odds on ¡®Apocalypse survival¡¯ at 3:1. Everyone owes me three bucks for the coffees.¡± Alicia drifted closer, cup steaming, scanning over Marcus¡¯s shoulder, ¡°That¡¯s the sad part, we''re all just numb. Wars, recession, yesterday¡¯s message, and we¡¯re sipping lattes?¡± TJ scoffed, opening the third pack of six sugars she laced her coffee with, ¡°Numb¡¯s generous, stupid¡¯s closer. This country has gone soft, no one believes it will happen to them. Until it does.¡± Grimacing as she tested her coffee, she opened a seventh package and stirred it in. ¡°No invasion is needed if everyone is a sheep. Sheep always get eaten, it¡¯s just a question of which wolf.¡± Elias saw the Coke flying at his head before Marcus yelled, ¡°Hydrate, kid¡±. Catching the carbonated hand grenade, he tapped the top, hoping it wouldn¡¯t explode when he popped the cap. ¡°They¡¯re rolling with it, traffic¡¯s fine, shops open, police are out and the homeless are still everywhere. It really is just another day. I am not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Seriously guys, three bucks each.¡± Alicia nodded, ¡°That¡¯s it! There was this one time, in yoga, where this lady got a call from her doctor. He told her she had cancer. Lady hung up and kept posing. We went out for drinks after too!! I mean, look at everyone, walking around doing regular stuff. The world¡¯s too prickly and jaded to flinch, like Elias said, God¡¯s code or not, we¡¯re deaf.¡± Later, as they walked around Pike Place, the fishy tang hit them, a vendor hollering, ¡°Fresh, System-approved!¡±, with a wink that fell flat. Tourists snapped pics, oblivious. Alicia eyed a newsstand, newspapers flapping in the wind, ¡°Mystery Broadcast Stumps Experts,¡± ¡°Recession Fears¡±, ¡°Latest blockbuster flop¡±. ¡°This could be some kind of mass hallucination.¡± Elias murmured, ¡°A simulacrum. A Virtual world, so realistic that no one can prove otherwise. Yet paradoxically, we all know its ¡®not real¡¯. Think about all the mass casualty events, what was the reaction? The Lusitania, 1200 dead, and the country shrugged until 1917. World war 1 and 2, the bombings of Hiroshima, Nagasaki. We don¡¯t have the best reaction to mass deaths and looming wars. This feels a lot like that.¡± TJ leaned on a lamppost, ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s fake, just means we¡¯re dumb. Yesterday was a warning, but here?¡± She waved at the crowd, ¡°They¡¯d cheer a devil if they promised a tax break.¡± Looping back to Nexlify, late afternoon drizzle soaking Elias¡¯s hoodie, a truther cornered them, ¡°Illuminati coded it! 33rd parallel proof!¡±, and TJ shoved past, ¡°Tin hat clown,¡± Dennis laughed, shooing the man away. ¡°Bet he¡¯s got a podcast.¡± Alicia sighed. Inside, the office hummed, AC whirring, keyboards clacking. Elias sank into his chair, Dennis¡¯s jerky stench wafting as he typed a log: Day 2¡ªworld¡¯s a hedge, neutrality¡¯s our drug. Day 11: Eliass awakening Perspective: Elias Vardas Setting: Nexlify office break room, 4:20 PM PST ¨C March 22, 2025 I¡¯ll never forget the day my [Mana Core] formed. Seattle hummed along outside, a blur of honking cars and caffeine-fueled hustle, oblivious to the shift brewing within me. At Nexlify we¡¯d turned that mysterious message into a running joke, tossing theories around over lukewarm coffee while churning out code and designs. Life felt normal, or as normal as it could be with an ominous cosmic riddle hanging over us. But that afternoon, in the break room, the world tilted. I¡¯d ducked out of my cubicle, restless from hours of tweaking training data. My mind buzzed with an electric hum I couldn¡¯t pin down. I needed a moment to breathe, to let my mind wander and rest, so I slipped into the break room blowing kisses at the chipped coffee machine droning in the corner. A well used microwave with a faint whiff of burnt popcorn sat on a wobbly table, in front of a window framing the city¡¯s gray sprawl. Closing my eyes, letting the past few weeks wash over me, the tension slowly unwound. Confusion about the message had resurfaced lately, people claiming to be able to use the system and do magic. During a basketball game, Luka Doncic, forward for the Lakers began jumping around the court, waving his arms wildly before the TV cut out. Seconds later, a live feed came back and Luka was throwing glowing balls at the goals and nets, making them explode in showers of sparks and flame. Mine started with a warmth spreading in my chest, soft at first, then blooming outward, tingling through my arms and pooling in my fingertips. My hands glowed, a gentle light swirling into intricate, flowing patterns, familiar and alive. I inhaled sharply, caught between awe and a quiet thrill. My heart raced, but I stayed still, watching the mana dance. The warmth in my chest spiked, sharp and insistent, racing up my spine. The chipped coffee machine¡¯s drone fading as my senses tunneled, fingers gripping the table. Hearing the faint hum of the microwave, my eyes fell on its scratched surface. I saw it, not just the outside, but into it. Circuitry flared in my mind¡¯s eye, golden threads weaving loops through gateways and switches, pulsing like a living thing. The schematic clicked into place as if I had learned it before. Every pulse of electricity tickled my mind like tiny flecks of sand in the wind. I felt where the electrical connections were weak, the microwaves buzzing along the top of my brain, the air itself split and buzzed from the energy. The pressure hit next, right behind my forehead a screw tightening. I winced, muttering, ¡°C¡¯mon, not a migraine now¡­¡± But it wasn¡¯t pain, it was something pushing, straining, alive. Images and concepts ripped through my mind like a tornado. Every thought was an epiphany, but unfocused. Concepts flooded my mind, ideas and processes, machines and connections. I began to feel reality start to shrink, my mind annihilated by the information pouring in. Then, pop. A jolt, like a cork bursting free, and the world snapped back into focus. Until I opened my eyes. A screen flickered into view, hovering in my vision¡ªretro green text on a black background, like something out of an old terminal. It read:
[Mana Core Formation] complete. [Initializing System Integration] ... [System Integration Complete] ... [Welcome to the System]
The screen blinked once, then vanished. This is it, I thought, This is the system. There must be a way to interact with it. ¡°Character sheet.¡± I said, hoping it could hear me. My doubts were erased with awe and a lot of questions. I stared, the interface sharp yet and shimmering, like a layer I could see through. ¡°Oh my god,¡± I whispered, the coffee machine¡¯s hum swallowing my words. That¡¯s when Marcus burst in, juggling a box of office supplies. He stopped dead, the box slipping from his grip and hitting the floor with a thud, scattering pens across the linoleum. Marcus¡¯s jaw dropped, ¡°Eli, what the hell is that?¡± he stammered, pointing at the glowing patterns spiraling around my hands. Pens rolling under the table, forgotten. ¡°My mana core just formed, Marcus. It¡¯s amazing! Can you see the interface in front of me?¡± I asked, jubilantly jumping up and further scaring Marcus. ¡°Dios Mio! Don¡¯t jump at me when your hands are glowing. Me cag¨® de miedo. No!! I can¡¯t see anything except that weird shit around your hands.¡± Marcus ranted, eyes wide, hands swatting the mana away. I grinned, breathless, analytical calm warring with pure geek glee. ¡°It¡¯s a window that shows all of my stats and abilities.¡± ¡°What, like a game or something?¡± Marcus asked, his earlier panic subsiding into annoyance. ¡°Sort of, it seems to provide ways to interact using our intent or thoughts. Here roll that dry erase board over here, I will draw what I see.¡± Pointing at the board, littered with the remnants of lunch turned design sessions like fuzzy memories. After Marcus moved the board over and I found a working pen, Elias drew what he saw.
[Character Sheet] [Name]: Elias Vandar [Race]: Human - [Race Level]: 1 [Profession]: Arcane Droneweaver (Rare) - [Profession Level]: 1 [Attributes] Strength: 4 (Base: 4, Modifier: 0%) Vitality: 5 (Base: 5, Modifier: 0%) Agility: 5 (Base: 5, Modifier: 0%) Intelligence: 10 (Base: 10, Modifier: 0%) Memory: 9 (Base: 9, Modifier: 0%) Willpower: 9 (Base: 9, Modifier: 0%) [Resource Pools] Mana: 360 Stamina: 120 This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Health: 100 Mana/hour: 8.262 Stamina/hour: 4.536 [Skills] [Drone Link] [Pulse Command] [Overclock Surge]
Marcus whistled, and Dennis, who earlier heard Marcus cussing, stated the obvious, ¡°Well that tells us nothing.¡± ¡°Why do you say that,¡± Elias asked, Dennis¡¯s grumpiness stinging. ¡°What are the baselines? It says you have 10 Intelligence, what does that mean? Compared to what? Mana per hour, Stamina per hour both seem highly specific, but the rest is vague.¡± Dennis complained. ¡°Let me try something,¡± Elias said, focusing on [Arcane Droneweaver].
[CLASS DESIGNATION]: ARCANE DRONEWEAVER (RARE) [ACCESS GRANTED]: March 22, 2025 3:36 PM PST [PROCESSING]: CORE ALLOCATION COMPLETE [EXPLANATION]: The threads of fate shroud wisdom from those who grasp at shadows in vain. You, seeker, pierce the veil where chaos reigns, tracing order¡¯s unseen strands with unyielding intent. The Arcane Droneweaver shapes vessels from the refuse of progress, extensions of a mind that dares to see. Through these forms, you reach beyond the known and impose your will upon the world. [The System] sees the architect within. [SKILLS AWARDED]: - [DRONE LINK]: Craft your vision, see through its gaze. - [PULSE COMMAND]: Embrace chaos, reveal the hidden. - [OVERCLOCK SURGE]: Unleash the storm, risk the fracture.
There was so much information packed into these few sentences, and more questions. Elias read over the description several times before copying it onto the white board. ¡°Okay, the name is cool¡± Alicia said, the whole office now crammed into the break room. ¡°It says ¡®rare¡¯ after the name, ¡° Marcus stated, ¡°that means that there are degrees of professions, right? Like there could be a generic fighter class and maybe a more specialized version of a fighter?¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± Dennis continued, ¡°and it means there is specialization within this System. If this is based on RPG-like rules, then specialization does not mean better. Eli, you DM¡¯d a lot, didn¡¯t you game this out one time?¡± ¡°Yeah, it was for a math lab. Our professor said to take random variables and try to come up with a theory on how to solve them. I used Advanced Dungeons and Dragons as the source material, specifically the fighter class which had so many variants, no one knew what was better. I wanted to create a non-biased system that weighted each class by variable and stat, taking into account¡­¡± I droned on until Dennis broke my train of thought. ¡°Stop sausage making Eli, just say yes, ¡° Dennis hated when I went on technical tangents. He said it made everyone feel stupid because I used words that no one knows about. He once told me they had a secret drinking game going, each minute meant a shot when I would go on about science or math. ¡°Yes.¡± Elias begrudged. Defeated. I loved that project, he pouted. ¡°Okay,¡° Alicia giggled, her voice a balm on my stinging ego, ¡°so rare doesn¡¯t necessarily mean better, but I have to say Eli, this is very you. It says you can convert things into whatever you want. How?¡± ¡°I think it is talking about the skill [Drone Link]. Let me try this out. Stand back.¡± I said, everyone moving to the edges of the room. ¡°Drone Link,¡± I whispered, testing it. My hands trembled as Mana poured out, unbidden. The microwave jumped. Popping off the table, the appliance hit the floor, the door¡¯s window cracking loudly. Blue tendrils of mana snaked from my fingertips, sinking into its frame. Metal groaned, reshaping. A low hum filled the room as it lifted, blue white circles glowing with power as the circular drone slowly raised off the floor. The drone was no bigger than my hand, lifting lightly off the ground, smaller circles glowed around the edges of its frame. Gun-ports. The drone was basically a flying gun that can be put on autopilot or I can take direct control. Keeping it running took effort, I could feel the mana pouring from me, into the machine. Thinking about the strain, my vision flared for a second and a small text area appeared.
[Health]: 100 [Stamina]: 120 [Mana]: 310/360
Recognizing the HUD, Elias was not surprised there was a view like this. The system seemed to have quantized everything about him into a character sheet. After a minute of everyone poking and prodding the drone, Elias felt a tingle and glanced down at his HUD, noting his mana had gone down again.
[Health]: 100 [Stamina]: 120 [Mana]: 305/360
¡°It looks like I have to spend mana points to keep drones active. Based on my recharge rate and mana pool, that gives me a max of 63 minutes. Not too bad, and based on the specific mana regen numbers, this will probably improve as I level up.¡± Elias mused. ¡°This thing is really cool, Eli. Can you make more than one? ¡°It doesn¡¯t say anything about a limit, so I would guess yes. The strain would be substantial, just based on what this one is draining from me. My mana is down to 300 now.¡± Elias answered. The others had drifted away, the new curiosity waning against the matters of the day. Elias walked over to his cubicle, drone following behind like a silent watcher. Falling into his seat, he commanded the drone to land on his palm. As it came close, he could feel the air swirling around the little machine, faint tendrils of mana blinking and fading around the tiny circles on the top and bottom of the drone. This reminded him of something from his past, a memory of his first time as a DM. The session was unremarkable except for it being his first time leading a campaign. As the group discussed how to proceed through a doorway, he recalled doodling a shape along the edges of his notebook. Three circles, interlocked and connected, rotating around a central fuzz-ball. His doodles had variations of that same object, sometimes in armor, others casting spells. Now, It was also sitting in his hand. ¡°The Arcane Droneweaver shapes vessels from the refuse of progress, extensions of a mind that dares to see¡± Elias ended the Drone Link, the drone falling silent in his palm, all traces of energy gone. He turned it over in his hand, looking for a way to open it, see what¡¯s inside. It was utterly smooth and when he shook it, nothing rattled within. Twisting it in his hands, he tried to crack the exterior, its steel-like carapace ungiving. He placed the drone on his desk and thought, ¡°Drone Link¡±. The drone immediately woke back up and Elias noted that his mana had only dropped by 5. ¡°I can reactivate a drone after I create it. I wonder¡­ ¡° he said, dismissing the drone again and focusing on his Optimus Prime action figure, sitting on the shelf. Concentrating on Optimus, he activated Drone Link and the little robot shuddered. Elias whooped and giggled in glee as it crackled and popped, each joint rotating as if testing itself out. Then the little robot transformed into a truck and drove forward, falling off the shelf and rattling onto the floor. It landed on its side, and like a turtle struggling to flip itself, revved its engine and spun its wheels. As a giggling Elias reached for the robot, it stopped struggling and transformed back into Optimus, righting itself once more. Releasing Drone Link, he picked up the toy, marvelling at how heavy and substantial it had become. Somehow, changing these things into drones makes them very durable. Magic-stuff. Roll with it, he told himself. He rotated and twisted the parts and pieces of the toy, now as tough as a tank, and wondered what he would do with something like this. Grinning, he activated drone link again, this time taking control of Optimus and imitating his voice, yelling ¡°Autobots!! Transform and roll out.¡± Elias transformed his ¡°body¡± and felt himself become a truck. The world was huge, towering desks and shoes stretching almost to the top of his truck. Somehow being aware of himself sitting, and aware of ¡°himself¡± as a truck did not melt his brain into pudding. He revved his engine and hit the gas, the little truck drone scooting along the office carpet. Driving the drone felt natural, if he wanted to steer right or left, he just thought about it and it happened. He could ¡°feel¡± the drone as it zipped around the office, causing everyone to jump up and holler at Elias to ¡°stop¡± or ¡°bring it over here¡±. Dennis, of course, was pretending he was shooting the drone, ideas of pranks and fun popping into Elias¡¯s head. As the day waned on, Elias continued tinkering with the interface, settings and his skills. He also found out that Pulse can burn out computers, Marcus still grumbling about requisition reports and expense categories. Day 17: Macuss Awakening Perspective: Marcus Delgado Setting: Nexlify building roof, 11:12 PM PST ¨C March 28, 2025 The sun sank low over Seattle, bleeding oranges and purples across the skyline. Hands shoved into jacket pockets, Marcus Delgado stood alone on the Nexlify rooftop. His thoughts clattered inside his brain as the wind tugged at his jacket. Last week¡¯s excitement and watching people on TV do crazy things still gnawed at him. Those weird glowing swirls punched straight through his calm. The shame of it burned. This was his sanctuary¡ªthe place where he could breathe, where the hum of traffic and the distant pulse of life washed over the noise in his head. Blood-soaked nights saving lives, co-running a startup with brains like Elias¡¯s that left him scrambling to keep up. All the while an uncaring city never knew how close he came to unraveling. He¡¯d built walls to hide that kind of crack, forged from the rush of stitching a wound or cracking a logistics snag. He felt exposed, a first responder with no kit to fix himself. He liked to think he lived for these moments when everything clicked. When he stabilized a patient with seconds to spare or found a workaround for the latest company crisis, piecing together solutions with geniuses while hauling the load of making payday. The EMT gig was a snap decision that now was a large part of his life. It was visceral, blood and chaos, the weight of a stretcher in his hands, pushing past exhaustion to save someone he¡¯d never see again. ¡°Haz el bien y no mires a qui¨¦n¡±¡ªdo good, don¡¯t ask who¡ªhis abuela¡¯s words, his north star, driving him to patch lives and rig fixes without hesitation, feeding that rush he craved. The System¡¯s magic spooked him, and admitting that brought fresh pangs of regret bubbling through his stomach. Elias¡¯s drones, Luka¡¯s fireballs on TV, that guy who literally flies like some comic book hero. These were puzzles he couldn¡¯t solve, a patient he couldn¡¯t save. Even up here, where he¡¯d always found steady ground, the wind offered no answers, just a cold slap against his doubts. A heat simmered in his chest. Something deep spread through his ribs like a wildfire, hot, wild and powerful. Arms tingling, he shook his hands as they buzzed with anticipation. He rubbed his sternum, calloused hands pressing hard, his practical mind racing for answers¡ªpulse racing, anxiety growing, hot and cold all over¡ª, ¡°panic attack?¡± he asked himself, ¡°now?¡±. This felt different though, the heat pulsed, steady and alive, like a heartbeat. His breath hitched, desperate to suck in air that felt heavy in his lungs. His hands shook and a faint glowing energy swirled around them. Just like Eli, he thought, fresh fear spiking through his heart, freezing him in place. Pressure climbed his spine, heavy and slow, settling at his skull¡¯s base, a weight grounding him even as his mind spun, and he grunted, muttering, ¡°Breathe, Delgado.¡± Memories flooded through his mind¡¯s eye, every save, every late-night fix, every time he¡¯d jury-rigged a win from scraps, crashed against the dread that this was bigger, wilder, a beast he couldn¡¯t tame. The wind howled in his ears, mocking his empty hands. Glowing with purple-red mist, his hands shook as the heat surged, promising something he couldn¡¯t name, something he couldn¡¯t control. Snap!! A clanging crack, like metal snapping. The weight eased, the heat settled into a steady hum, and a screen flickered¡ªgreen text slicing the dusk:
[Mana Core Formation] complete. [Initializing System Integration] ... [System Integration Complete] ... [Welcome to the System]
It blinked out, and Marcus exhaled, ragged and raw, the air cold against his teeth as the shimmer in his hands dissipated. ¡°Guess I¡¯m stuck with it,¡± he muttered, voice rough with the vulnerability he loathed, flexing fingers that felt heavier, ready to shape something, and thought, Character sheet
[Character Sheet] [Name]: Marcus Delgado If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. [Race]: Human - [Race Level]: 1 [Profession]: Manasmith - [Profession Level]: 1 [Attributes] Strength: 6 (Base: 6, Modifier: 0%) Vitality: 5 (Base: 5, Modifier: 0%) Agility: 5 (Base: 5, Modifier: 0%) Intelligence: 8 (Base: 8, Modifier: 0%) Memory: 7 (Base: 9, Modifier: 0%) Willpower: 7 (Base: 9, Modifier: 0%) [Resource Pools] Mana: 280 Stamina: 130 Health: 100 Mana/hour: 8.12 Stamina/hour: 12.00 [Skills] [Mana Forge] [Deconstruct] [Triage Pulse]
Marcus stared, lips twitching¡ªManasmith, what¡¯s that? A new screen shimmered into existence.
[CLASS DESIGNATION]: MANASMITH [ACCESS GRANTED]: MARCH 28, 2025 11:12 PM PST [PROCESSING]: CORE ALLOCATION COMPLETE [EXPLANATION]: The world turns on the hands that mend, the minds that shape, and the will that forges order from the scraps of chaos. You, craftsman, wield Mana as hammer and flame, bending metal and essence to your purpose, building strength for those who stand where you do not. The Manasmith is no warrior of the fray, but the backbone of the fight¡ªshaping tools, fueling power, and snatching life from ruin when the line frays thin. In your hands, the broken becomes whole, the mundane becomes might, and the lost find purpose anew. [The System] sees the maker within. [SKILLS AWARDED]: - [MANA FORGE]: Summon the Aether Forge¡ªshape gear, craft batteries, bend the world to your will. - [DECONSTRUCT]: Break the old, claim its essence, fuel the new. - [TRIAGE PULSE]: Last stand¡ªmend the broken, save the lost, hold the line one more time.
Reading over the message, his anxiety subsided as the concepts flowed into his mind. Focusing on [Mana Forge], he gained new insights into how to use this amazing skill:
[SKILL]: SUMMON AETHER FORGE [ACCESS GRANTED]: MARCH 28, 2025 11:15 PM PST [EXPLANATION]: The workbench of the Manasmith. The [Aether Forge] molds reality and essence to your will. So long as you know the guts of it-every bolt, wire and trick- you create new or patch what¡¯s broken. Feed it Mana, feed it scrap, and it¡¯ll churn out what you need, rough but real, built from the blueprints in your head. [The System] hands you the shop; you bring the know-how. [COST]: 50 Mana to summon, 5 Mana/minute to sustain.
¡°No time like the present, Summon Aether Forge.¡± his voice cracking slightly, his outstretched hand shaking slightly. The air compressed in front of him with a whoosh. Purple and red light blazing a few feet in front of him, drawing ambient mana into a core, burning like a furnace. A few seconds later, the machine was real, glowing with orange and yellow lines, the center furnace a purple-red bruise glowing with power. It truly was a workbench, very much like the one he saw his father working at every weekend. There was a stool and a sketch board, electronic scanners of all kinds, tools and equipment waiting for him to use. Solutions and creations swirled through his mind as the System began compiling his knowledge into blueprints. Several minutes later and trying to control the smile on his face, he raced downstairs to tell the team what happened. His haste had nothing to do with the fact that the System found no blueprints in his head. Praying to God that Dennis wouldn¡¯t start in with the project manager never creates, only destroys diatribe, he burst into the office like a tornado. In the days that followed Marcus and Elias¡¯s discoveries, Alicia and Dennis both formed their Mana Core. Alicia, a [Flow Weaver], was a healing class with tendrils of mana she could use like extra sets of hands. Dennis became an [Arcane Warden], a combat class giving him the power to [Bond] with animals. Thanks to the internet providing workable blueprints, Marcus grew more familiar with his new abilities, improving his Manasmith profession, and teaching Elias how to use [Mana Batteries] to power his drones. The team spent a lot of this time brainstorming and gaming out how they could synergize their skills. From stealthy missions to all out brawls, they crafted strategies and counter strategies, determined to be ready for anything. TJ, quietly listening to the team discuss fighting strategies, cracks of doubt surfacing over when her core would form. Day 28: The first incursion Perspective: Elias Vardas Setting: Nexlify office break room, 4:20 PM PST ¨C April 8, 2025 Marcus¡¯s [Aether Forge] unleashed the ACGC¡ªArmy of Corporate Greed and Control¡ªzombie desks and chairs rigged with gears grinding and mana batteries glowing with eerie green light, blocky red letters marking them as enemies. We had to capture the ¡®One Phone¡¯ and dunk it in the recycle bin before they locked the filing cabinet it was trapped in¡ªor face eternal carpal tunnel. My drones, three now, spat glowing nerf darts that left trails of blue light, shredding flanks, while Dennis, grinning like a maniac, smashed chairs with his [Mana Channeling Bat], yelling, ¡®Coogy, move, you lazy cat!¡¯ at his snoring cougar. The bat hummed with power, each strike sending splinters flying. Marcus cringed, pinching the bridge of his nose, ¡°Your pet naming rights are hereby revoked Dennis. Worst name ever.¡± ¡°My power, my choice, esei.¡° Dennis countered, his texan spiced spanglish butchering Marcus¡¯s native tongue. Coogy stirred, stretching with a groan and a yawn that showed off every tooth. ¡°Stop complainin¡¯. We¡¯ll eat later. Get yer ass over here, those chairs on the flank are givin¡¯ me the heebie-jeebies. Eli, circle ¡®em, force ¡®em back into the line!¡± I chuckled, a surge of adrenaline and something akin to glee bubbling up as I flicked commands to my drones. They danced through the air, weaving between the shambling desks, each shot a precise burst of mana-infused force. Dozens of magical nerf darts spat out from the three flying disks, striking the chairs and desks with satisfying thumps, styrofoam and rubber raining fake death on the converging furniture ¡°Stop!¡± Marcus barked, ending the brawl. ¡°You¡¯re way out of sync, Eli.¡± He spun, jabbing a finger at me, his voice tight with frustration. ¡°Dennis shouldn¡¯t have to call that out. I moved those chairs on purpose and you never even looked their way. Dennis, keep the front tight, organized. Big strikes are great, but you are too slow with that bat. Coogy¡¯s got to stick closer. If we fought tonight, we¡¯d be toast.¡± Dennis, unfazed by Marcus¡¯s lecture, twisted an enemy chair and plopped down, the metal groaning in protest. ¡°This is dumb, Marcus,¡± he countered, leaning back as if relaxing in front of a fire. ¡°We¡¯re never facing enemies lined up like this.¡± ¡°That just proves how dumb you are,¡± TJ snapped, her voice cutting through the air. ¡°Lines maximize combat potential, minimize risk. Covering edges keeps us secure and lets us hit harder. Look..¡±, she sighed, shaking away a bad memory, the brief flicker of pain in her eyes gone as fast as it appeared, ¡°Whatever comes, it¡¯ll be overwhelming. We have to confuse ¡®em, separate their numbers. Cut their strength with movement and coordination, or we will die.¡± ¡°Oh my God!¡± Alicia¡¯s cry sliced the argument dead, her face paling, tears streaking down. ¡°They¡¯re dying.¡± The TV blared, a helicopter hovering shakily over the Galleria in Dallas, TX. A jagged black oval, purple-ish distortions bleeding from its edges like a wound in reality, pulsed ominously over a dozen feet tall in the parking lot. Creatures born from nightmares poured out¡ªsix-foot-tall praying mantises, their black-purple shells glinting under the harsh glare of the news chopper¡¯s spotlight, scythe-like arms reaping limbs and gore with sickening ease. ¡°Jesus, that¡¯s Dallas.¡± Dennis muttered, voice heavy, all traces of his earlier bravado gone. The police had arrived and, using their cars for cover, fired at the monsters with pistols, rifles and shotguns. Whenever a bullet hit a creature, black ichor shot out and it stumbled back injured. Dozens had poured out, their numbers swelling, and Alicia, with the rest of the country, watched in horrified fascination as the brave officers were dismembered on live television. The camera zoomed in on one officer, his face contorted in a silent scream as a mantis effortlessly sheared through his body armor. The scene continued as the reporter¡¯s shaking voice attempted to describe what was happening. ¡°... it¡¯s a massacre John, actual monsters started flowing out of what officials are calling a Void Portal and have killed and injured dozens already. Officials are advising anyone in the area to seek shelter immediately and avoid the windows.¡± The man behind the anchor desk, John Glisgow, his face grim, struggled to maintain composure as he relayed the feed to the viewers. ¡°Lila, can you give us an update on the situation? Are the police enough to contain this,¡± he paused, searching ¡°incursion? Are officials bringing more resources into the area to fight this?¡± ¡°John, it¡¯s chaos on the ground. I have not heard any specific plans, but officials have stated that every option is on the table. We have also just received word that SWAT teams have been dispatched to the scene. This is truly¡­¡± Her statement was interrupted by a massive flash of greenish-white light, so intense it bleached an image on the screen for a split second, leaving a ghostly afterimage. Then, white-hot lightning arced from one monster to the next, connecting them in a dazzling web of energy, each creature frozen in a grotesque ballet of death for a heartbeat. A civilian, dressed in jeans and a dark jacket, stepped into the frame, his hands still crackling with fading energy, as if he''d just casually dismissed a swarm of flies. He cast another bolt of lightning from his palm, this one a concentrated lance that pierced through a half-dozen creatures at once, the impact ripping them apart. After a few more blasts, the immediate area was clear, the air thick with the acrid smell of ozone and burnt chitin. The police officers exchanged a few words with the man, their expressions a mix of awe and disbelief, as more creatures poured from the portal, eager to avenge their fallen kin. The fight was far from over. Another concussive blast rocked the area, the shockwave rippling outwards and momentarily distorting the camera''s feed. When the image stabilized, a woman was visible, hovering a dozen feet in the air, her arms moving in graceful arcs. Debris became her weapons¡ªchunks of shattered concrete, twisted metal from shopping carts, and car parts ripped free from their frames all ascended, swirling around her like a chaotic orbit. With a gesture, she unleashed the barrage. Thousands of pounds of projectiles rained down on the massed creatures, each impact a wet crunch of chitin and flesh, sending black ichor splattering across the street. The ground trembled under the assault, and even through the TV speakers, the roar of destruction was deafening. Despite the amazing display of power, the creatures kept coming. Relentlessly, they spat from the portal, popping into existence and immediately attacking. The officers and the two civilians fought desperately, and just when it seemed the defenders would be overwhelmed, a new sound pierced the chaos¡ªthe screech of tires and the roar of engines. ¡°John, hold on, something is happening!¡± Lila shouted over the din. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The camera swung wildly, catching the arrival of two black vans that slid to a halt, their doors bursting open. Men in black armor poured out, moving with a practiced coordination that spoke of countless hours of training. ¡°John, it looks like the SWAT team has arrived,¡± Lila''s voice crackled through the comms, the helicopter camera struggling to maintain a steady shot. Minutes stretched into an eternity, the air thick with tension. The creatures continued their relentless advance, their numbers seemingly endless. The two awakened, however, fought with a ferocity that defied belief. The lightning-wielding man moved with an almost supernatural speed, each precise bolt turning the creatures into charred husks. The woman, hovering above the fray, directed a constant barrage of debris, pulverizing the enemy with devastating force. Flash bangs erupted in a dazzling sequence, momentarily blinding the creatures and disrupting their advance. Smoke grenades billowed outwards, creating a dense screen that obscured the defending team''s movements. ¡°John, it looks like they''re trying to create an opening, a window for the Awakened to strike!¡± While the creatures were disoriented, the SWAT team laid down a withering hail of covering fire, forcing the monsters to recoil. It was then that the awakened fighters seized the opportunity. The lightning man unleashed a concentrated barrage, his bolts finding their marks with deadly accuracy. The woman, using the smoke as cover, launched a devastating attack from above, her projectiles striking with the force of a meteor shower. Even with the SWAT team''s support, however, the tide of the battle remained uncertain. The creatures, though momentarily stunned, continued to press forward, their determination seemingly unyielding. ¡°This is definitely magic, John, no doubt about it.¡± Lila¡¯s trembling voice cut through the maelstrom below, ¡°They are really pounding the creatures as they exit the portal, but as we can see, live on NBC 5, they are slowly pushing against the defenders. John, I fear if these officers do not get more help, we could be witnessing a disaster.¡± The camera zoomed out, showing the desperate struggle unfolding against the backdrop of the ominous portal, a stark reminder of the overwhelming threat they faced. Lila was just about to describe the scene, her voice rising in pitch, when a new figure blurred into existence. He arrived like a force of nature, a human wrecking ball. He was big, even larger than the SWAT officers, wearing a faded Dallas Cowboys jersey stretched tight across his chest and dark pants tucked into scuffed work boots. He moved with a speed that defied the eye, a raw power that dwarfed anything seen so far. His glowing red fists blurred as they connected with the creatures, each impact a sickening crunch of chitin and bone. The force of his blows sent shockwaves rippling outwards, shattering the creatures'' hard shells and sending them flying. Black ichor splattered the street, painting a gruesome tableau. The creatures, momentarily stunned by the sheer ferocity of the assault, recoiled in disarray. ¡°Jerry Jones needs to sign that guy,¡± Dennis murmured, a flicker of awe replacing his earlier fear. After the new guy arrived, the creatures'' hold over the entrance shattered. Many of the void creatures fled from the area, attacking anything that moved in a desperate attempt to escape. Reacting quickly, the police formed task groups to neutralize the remaining stragglers, their sirens wailing as they fanned out across the streets. Finally able to compose themselves, the SWAT officers and the awakened civilians converged near the portal, exchanging rapid words and urgent gestures. To those watching on TV, it was a confusing flurry of activity. The civilians were waving their arms, pointing into the swirling darkness of the portal, motioning for the officers to follow. The officers, initially hesitant, turned to their on-site commander. After a brief nod, a silent agreement seemed to pass between them. Then, with a sudden, coordinated movement, they all turned and jumped into the portal, disappearing one by one into the swirling depths. Lila, the reporter, could only stammer in disbelief. ¡°Um John, I am not sure what just happened.¡± Lila¡¯s near panicked voice cut across the scene like a knife. ¡°The officers and civilians, who just stopped this invasion, are now inside the portal. We have no idea what was said, and I can only speculate about what they are encountering. There is no doubt it¡¯s worse than what they faced here.¡± The TV reporter began recounting the encounter and relaying her viewpoint of the scene as it continued below. The officers that survived the initial encounter were now swarming their colleagues and other civilians caught up in the battle, their faces a mixture of exhaustion and disbelief. Multiple ambulances and firetrucks also appeared, their sirens adding to the cacophony, helping to administer aid and put out the fires that had broken out. Slowly, a chilling realization dawned on everyone as more time passed. The team had jumped into the portal over ten minutes ago, but nothing had come out since then. ¡°Eli, do you think they are doing something to cause the creatures to not come through?¡± Alicia asked, her concern growing as the minutes ticked by. ¡°That is certainly possible,¡± Elias agreed, ¡°their actions of entering the portal might prevent the creatures from coming through. I think our opinion of what is possible or not, will need to drastically change, though. The creatures seemed driven to cause as much destruction and death as possible. When that first started, the officers had no chance. When those three showed up, things changed. The creatures couldn¡¯t handle them at all. This can¡¯t be a coincidence.¡± ¡°I saw that too.¡± TJ agreed, ¡°What do you think it means?¡± ¡°I think it means we need to anticipate more of these portals opening.¡± TJ began, her voice raising as she ticked off each point, ¡°I think The System came because those portals would start showing up. I think that portal is part of a scouting group. Later, larger forces come through, organize and start operating.¡± TJ added, her pensive stare at the TV finally softening. They watched for a few minutes longer, the silence heavy with unspoken dread, until the portal started shaking. It looked like someone had punched it from the other side, the once-solid black surface rippling and distorting as if struck by a colossal fist. The purple-black distortions along the edges of the portal began to spark with white and gold flecks, spirals of energy snapping away like errant lightning. The portal bulged outward, the fabric of reality groaning in protest, and then it burped out two members of the SWAT team. They fell hard, sprawling onto the ruined street, covered head-to-toe in glistening blackish-red gore. For a moment, everyone held their breath, a sickening lurch in their stomachs, unsure if they had survived. Then, as they pushed themselves up, weapons raised, the tension broke. Less than a second later, two more officers emerged, running this time, their boots pounding on the shattered asphalt, taking up position next to the other officers. A full five seconds of agonizing silence passed when the portal lit up in a blinding flash of greenish light, and the lightning man emerged, followed closely by the woman, still gliding above the ground. They turned and screamed in unison into the portal, their voices echoing with a desperate urgency, ¡°Now Arthur, do it now!¡±. The portal shimmered once, then pulsed outward, expanding to twice its previous size. The purple-black distortions were now full-blown storms of chaotic energy as the portal began unraveling. Spinning downward in a tight arc, the portal shrank with alarming speed until it was less than five feet tall. A deafening whooshing sound blared through the TV speakers, and the helicopter briefly lost focus on the shot as the air swirled wildly around the closing portal. ¡°Get out of there Arthur. Get out now!!¡± One of the officers shouted, his battered body straining against the winds. The portal shook once more, and with a final, sickening pop, the last civilian flew out, tumbling through the air covered in a reddish glow and scraps of what used to be his clothes. The civilian landed heavily and barely moved amidst the surrounding carnage as the portal finished closing and vanished, leaving behind an eerie silence. Then, as the realization of what had happened washed over them, Alicia whooped loudly, and everyone in the office break room erupted in cheers and applause. The portal was closed, and the people who went in had survived. Hope blossomed all across the country as people realized they had a fighting chance, but a nagging unease lingered - what was so important that they risked it all? Day 29: Survival Begins Perspective: Elias Vardas Setting: Nexlify office break room, 8:45 PM PST ¨C April 9, 2025 Tension filled the break room. In the corner, Marcus''s [Aether Forge], a 15-foot-wide workshop of blocky steel and glowing Mana vents, hummed softly. He¡¯d been tinkering since Dallas hit the news yesterday, April 8th¡¯s broadcast lighting a fire under us all, and churned out AK-47 knockoffs. Swapping regular ammunition for [Mana Dart]s which he developed after experimenting with a bullet TJ tossed him. Rifles and compact sidearms hung on racks, their barrels glinting blue. The rifles, longer and bulkier, spat 25-round bursts, while the compact sidearms held 10 before needing a [Mana] reload. TJ shoved a new [Mana Clip] into her rifle, her hands steady, checked the action, and let it fall into place on her tactical sling. Dennis holstered his pistol, his attention drawn to his prized [Mana Channeling Bat]. Marcus¡¯s upgrade glowed faintly; the wood, reinforced with Mana veins, pulsed with power as he channeled [Mana] into it. We drilled in TJ¡¯s gauntlet¡ªoverturned tables, duct-taped traps. Overhead, my three drones buzzed, their 1-kilometer range itching to stretch past this room. Level 3 since Dallas, they spat Mana-infused Darts (thanks to Marcus¡¯s forge), shredding a chair¡¯s flank as I tested angles. Dennis swung his bat, splintering a dummy. Coogy prowled beside him, lazier than ever, while Alicia patched a cracked table leg with a healer¡¯s glow, her sidearm holstered tight. Sirens wailed downtown all day, but tonight they sharpened¡ªclose, relentless. ¡°Hear that?¡± I said, drones freezing mid-orbit. TJ bolted to the window, peering out. ¡°Fires¡ªlook.¡± Seattle¡¯s skyline flickered, orange tongues licking high-rises, too many, too near. Marcus stepped up, a rifle slung over his shoulder, [Aether Forge]¡¯s hum fading into the background. ¡°That is not a drill. They¡¯re here.¡± Alicia¡¯s breath hitched, ¡°Like Dallas?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡±, I said, flicking a command. One drone shot through the open window, my HUD flaring as I slipped into its feed, pushing it out over Seattle. Speaking as I observed, a technique TJ said they used in the marines, ¡°I¡¯ve got eyes. Passing over First Avenue cars are smashed, burning. Horns blaring, lots of smoke. Same thing on 2nd and 3rd. Gaining altitude, angling east, hunting the source.¡± I moved the drone further, looking for some indication of the creatures. Passing another block, I saw people running. Altering my flight path once more, I found a huge jagged black oval, spewing creatures onto Pine Street. ¡°I found it.¡± I said, trying to stay calm. Dozens of six-foot praying mantises chittered like chainsaws, scythe-arms slashing. One ripped a bus door off, metal shrieking; another skewered a cyclist, splattering red on the asphalt. Screams tore through as people panicked and died, sprawled on the ground, blood pooling. A cop unloaded a shotgun¡ª*blam!*¡ªa mantis¡¯s leg blew apart, but three swarmed him, claws shredding through Kevlar, his scream cut short. Two awakened fought back, one hurled ice spears, pinning a creature to a lamppost, another swung a glowing axe, lopping a scythe-arm. As they fought, the swarm thickened, their screeches deafening, relentless. ¡°Three blocks,¡± I snapped out, the drone hovering at 40 feet, recording and waiting. ¡°Mantises. Dallas redux. It¡¯s a slaughter.¡± 5 minutes later - 1 block from the portal Sirens clawed at my skull as we bolted from the office. Passing First Avenue, burning cars and bodies lay on the road and sidewalks reminding us of the violence ahead. Crossing over Second avenue, smoke from the fires thickened, our sprint slowed to a gagging jog as we approached the portal. Letting the team run ahead, I flicked a command to my overhead drone, commanding it to relay details to the team. ¡°That is a direct match to the Portal we saw in Dallas. The creatures look the same too.¡± Marcus said into our ears. ¡°Maintain formation B. Dennis, I need you to bottle them up at the entrance. Eli, Alicia and TJ, he is going to get shredded unless you can bring them down. Count to ten, then fall back. Rinse and repeat folks, let¡¯s do this.¡± We practiced this formation a lot over the past 24 hours. Seeing how the creatures reacted when they were isolated gave us the inspiration to line them up as they chased after Dennis, opening their flanks to gun and drone fire. The office furniture never stood a chance, hopefully these bugs were no smarter. Dennis roared as he jumped into the group, directly in front of the portal. His [Mana Channeling Bat] glowing blue as he bashed and crushed any bug nearby. Coogy, jaws glowing silver and red, ripped bugs apart, dodging scythes and mandibles. TJ kneeled down and fired precise 3-round bursts as they exposed their soft underbellies, one more detail Marcus found while studying the Dallas footage. Alicia picked her shots, but faltered when fresh screams echoed among the skyscrapers. ¡°Elias, there are civilians being killed. Task your drones to cover them.¡± Alicia barked. I flicked new commands to my drones, their attacks halting as they rotated and flew into the scattered roaming bug groups. Feeling my drones rise up and begin strafing the mantises from the skies, sent a thrill spiraling up my spine. I flew them erratically, diving low to fire, then rising quickly to safety. Screeching in frustration, civilian meals forgotten, the bugs focused on my drones. I shredded bug after bug, ripping their abdomens apart, tearing limbs and decorating the area with blackened and broken bodies. A savage joy surged through me, and I began to growl and howl as more of the invaders fell. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Rotating out, cover me.¡± Dennis yelled, beginning to pull back from the portal. Just as he did, a hulking figure with a massive battle-axe jumped back into the fray, his weapon cutting mantis shells like paper. ¡°Fish in a barrel!!¡± Ice-lance chick roared as she poured 6 foot long ice spears into the creatures, freezing them on the spot. The invaders faltered and fell away from the onslaught, more now dying than coming through. Within moments, the area calmed as the last of the roaming bugs were killed and the entrance became a shooting gallery, each bug dying from withering fire. Closing the formation, concentrating fire as we did, a ping lit up my HUD, my gasp mirrored by the team.
[SYSTEM QUEST]: PORTAL BREACH [OBJECTIVE]: Enter the portal. Claim the Mana Stone from the Queen Mantis. [REWARD]: 5000 XP, Mana Core Enhancement [TIME LIMIT]: 30 minutes [ACCEPT]: Y/N ??????????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????????????????????¡°Hell yeah, quest!¡± Ice-lance chick whooped. ¡°Have you guys done one of these yet?¡± She asked Elias and Alicia nearby. ¡°No, this is our first time out. Have you?¡± Elias answered. ¡°No, but I saw one close a couple of hours ago. The people fighting the bugs jumped in and after a while, came out fast while it closed behind them. It looks like a blast!¡± Ice-lance chick was definitely crazy, no doubt. Her name was Lisa, and she was shorter than Elias with a pretty round face, blonde hair and long legs. Other than that, he could not tell much more, except that she threw massive ice spears that cut through the bug¡¯s abdomens with ease. Axe-guy, Micheal, was just huge. Well over six feet tall and carrying a massive dual bladed battle axe glowing with a reddish hue. Each swing of that axe cut through the bugs as easily as Lisa¡¯s spears, but his added strength made each far more violent. Bug parts littered the area around him, his own blood mixed with black ichor, giving him a demonic visage that sent shivers of fear up Elias¡¯s spine. Alicia quickly laid her hands on his outstretched arm, her tiny hands resembling a child¡¯s. A yellow-green glow suffused the man as she poured mana into [Healing Surge], his wounds visibly closing and his back straightening from the relief. ¡°Thank you,¡± he breathed out, relief softening his sharp features. He was an older guy and had a slightly silvered look so prevalent to those in their late 40s. His eyes were brown and his beard, more silvered than his hair, grew a few inches past his chin. ¡°We need to get inside that portal now. The queen will keep spawning these things until we take her down.¡± ¡°What about the portal entrance? We can¡¯t fight off the bugs and the queen while they keep squirting out and killing people.¡± Alicia complained. ¡±When we enter the portal, it locks them inside,¡± Michael said. ¡±Yeah,¡± Lisa added, ¡°the group we saw close their portal told us how they did it. We headed here when we saw the fires break out.¡± Marcus broke in at that moment, ¡°Don¡¯t go in yet. I have some toys for you guys. Also, Seattle PD is almost there. We could ask them to guard the entrance while you guys clear it.¡± As he spoke, the air began buzzing as larger versions of Elias¡¯s drones lowered themselves around the portal. One drone carried something that looked like a dog, but with a gun mounted on its back. The other was a squat turret, four barrels rotating on a circular disk. The last drone carried a box and some cabling, dropping them near Elias¡¯s feet and rising up into the air, heading back to the office building. ¡±The drones are dropping off my [Mana Dart Turret], [Sentry Drone] and [Relay Station]. The [Mana Dart Turret] goes in with the group, providing close support. The [Sentry Drone] will give a little more punch and guard the turret. You need to connect the cabling from the [Relay Station] to the turret so we can stay in contact after you breach the portal.¡± Marcus told the group as the drones dropped off their cargo. ¡±When did you have time to make these, Marcus?¡± Dennis asked incredulously. ¡±I¡¯ve been working on these for a while, the last steps were just assembly, which I completed while you guys cleared the area.¡± ¡°How far will the sentry operate inside the portal?¡± I asked, considering how I could use [Drone Link] with the [Relay Station]. If I had that relay, I could piggyback drone commands to groups that can act autonomously. A ping on my HUD broke my thoughts as the System sent a new message.
[System Message] You have taken the first step towards mastery of your creations. [Drone Link] now allows you to interface with drone control systems to delegate your authority. The System sees the strategist within.
¡°Whoa,¡± I said, ¡°Marcus, I just got an upgrade. Let me take control of the sentry. I can slave my monitor drone to the [Relay Switch], providing overwatch and guarding the turret. ¡°Congratulations man! You have to tell me how you did that. That should be fine, I will fly out a few drones from here to provide area security and fast support if needed.¡± Marcus replied, already tasking drones over the area using his [Aether Forge]. As we finished organizing, the police officers Marcus observed came screeching up, yelling at us and drawing weapons. ¡°Down, down. Get down!¡± They yelled, voices barking over each other in their panic. ¡±The gate is secured, you guys need to guard this side, we are going in.¡± Dennis yelled, tossing an [Aether Rifle] at the one and his [Aether Pistol] at the other. TJ walked up and spoke softly to them, their expressions switching between anger, fear and confusion. She handed them 2 [Mana Clip]s each, showing them how to reload the weapons. A few minutes later, the group stood before the portal, weapons ready and filled with fear. ¡°Here we go.¡± Dennis said and stepped quickly through the opening. Wasting no time, the rest of us followed, anxious over what awaited us on the other side. Day 29: Seattle Portal Perspective: Elias Vardas Setting: Nexlify office break room, 9:28 PM PST ¨C April 9, 2025 As we stood before the jagged black oval on Pine Street, the portal¡¯s edges writhed like a living wound, purple-black distortions bleeding into the air, spitting sparks of white and gold. It wasn¡¯t just a doorway, it was a tear, a gash in reality that hummed with a low, bone-rattling thrum, like a distant engine. The air around it shimmered, heavy with a metallic tang that stung my nose, and faint wisps of mana curled off it, dissolving into the drizzle-soaked Seattle night. I half-expected to see stars or some cosmic void beyond, but as Dennis stepped through, the surface rippled like oil, swallowing him whole, and I caught a glimpse of something else, a warped reflection of the city, twisted and wrong. I followed, my drones buzzing at my shoulders, and the world flipped. Stepping through felt like plunging into cold syrup. My skin prickled, mana surging in my chest, then a lurch as gravity snapped back. I stumbled onto solid ground, boots crunching on a surface that looked like asphalt but glittered faintly, flecked with iridescent shards like crushed glass. Towering skyscrapers loomed, but their steel frames were gnarled, organic, pulsing with veins of dark purple that oozed a faint glow. The sky churned, a bruised swirl of violet and black, streaked with jagged bolts of silent lightning that cast everything in a sickly sheen. Street lights flickered, their bulbs replaced by clusters of glowing orbs that pulsed like eyes, watching us. A familiar 4th Avenue stretched out ahead, the skeletal husk of Pike Place tilting in the distance. It was wrong, a nightmare stitched from the bones of our world and drowned in rot. A chittering roar from thousands of Void Mantises, their black-purple shells glinting as they swarmed across the warped cityscape. My HUD pinged, mana ticking down as my drones synced to the [Relay Station] Marcus had rigged. In the distance, a hulking silhouette loomed atop a twisted mass of metal and earth. The Queen Mantis, her carapace a glossy obsidian, segmented wings twitching, flanked by a dozen warriors. These were not like the ones attacking Seattle, they were taller, thicker, their scythe-arms crackling with energy. She wasn¡¯t just big; she radiated menace, her presence warping the air like heat off pavement, a beacon drawing the swarm. ¡°Numbers are insane,¡± I muttered, voice tight as TJ crouched beside me, rifle ready. ¡°Thousands, easy. Queen¡¯s got guards too, larger, maybe ten feet tall.¡± Marcus awoke in our ears, connection with the real world established through the relay, ¡°I have video and audio coming in. Hold tight, I¡¯m running a full scan of the area with the relay. We need to know what we¡¯re dealing with before we move deeper.¡± Marcus went quiet in my ear as the rest of us spread out and took cover behind blackened burned out cars and debris. Rubble, waning fires and broken steel littered the ground all around us, as if a massive explosion threw everything away from the portal. ¡°Marcus, there is a lot of damage around us, are you seeing this on the cameras?¡± I asked, needing a break from the overwhelming world around me. ¡°Yeah Eli, I am. I am also running thermal, radio and microwave scans. The area around you is cold, registering 10 to 12 C. The bugs are warmer, but not by much. The queen is hitting 20 to 30 C with a thermal gradient extending from her body to a portal approximately 5 km southeast of your location.¡± ¡°She¡¯s connected to another portal?¡± Alicia complained, ¡°I thought those people said coming in stops the portal.¡± Lisa looked at Michael, who shrugged, ¡°They were wrong?¡± he answered. ¡°We didn¡¯t have time to talk with them before we came here, but there were definitely no more bugs after they went in.¡± TJ lowers her rifle slightly, her eyes narrowing. ¡°Talk to me, Marcus. What¡¯re you seeing?¡± ¡°The Mantises are emitting an energy signature in the microwave range. The Queen¡¯s signature is slightly higher, around 15 GHz, which is also higher than the environment¡¯s background radiation, sitting at about 10 GHz. I think they are native to this place; their energy profiles are too closely matched to the ambient radiation to be anything else.¡± ¡°So the Queen and the Mantises are part of this environment¡¯s ecosystem. That makes sense, their biology, or whatever passes for it, would be tuned to this place¡¯s physics. Are you measuring their mana?¡± Marcus nods, even though the team can¡¯t see him, his voice growing more animated. ¡°Exactly, Eli. The relay¡¯s picking up Mana signatures from them, and they¡¯re in the microwave frequency range. 2.5 to 8 GHz for the Mantises, 15 GHz for the Queen. But here¡¯s the kicker, our Mana signatures¡ªyours, mine, everyone¡¯s¡ªare in a higher spectrum, around 30 to 40 GHz.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Alicia, her voice thoughtful. ¡°So their Mana is different from ours? Like, it¡¯s not System Mana? Is it something else, something tied to this place?¡± Marcus pauses, then says, ¡°Their Mana is native to this environment, just like they are. It¡¯s darker, heavier, more chaotic. I¡¯d agree it¡¯s a different type of Mana altogether, one that¡¯s fueling this whole nightmare. We should totally name it.¡± Dennis was grinning like a kid, twirling his [Mana Channeling Bat], ¡°How ¡®bout [Void Mana]? Fits the vibe. Creepy, chaotic, and these bugs are definitely from some nightmare. Plus, it sounds badass.¡± TJ cracked a grin, ¡°I like it. [Void Mana]. That means these monsters and their portals are [Void] too. We¡¯re fighting the [Void], plain and simple. Good to have a name for the enemy.¡± ¡°Since she is channeling the mana into those tendrils,¡± I said, pointing at the Queen, ¡°The Queen must be using [Void Mana] to keep the portal open. That means she is either countering the System¡¯s Mana field, or she is feeding it. That¡¯s why her signature¡¯s higher, she¡¯s the anchor, the cornerstone. We take her out, the portal collapses, and the Void loses its foothold.¡± Lisa, twirling a shard of ice between her fingers, her tone teasing but curious. ¡°So we¡¯re the System¡¯s warriors, huh? Fighting the big bad Void with our fancy high-frequency Mana? I can get behind that. But what¡¯s with the Queen¡¯s tendrils, those things are creepy as hell.¡± Marcus steadied his voice as he cross-referenced the scans cascading across his computer screens, ¡°The tendrils are how she is channeling her energy into the portal, keeping it stable. The relay¡¯s feed shows them between 15 and 23.5 GHz, and the thermal scans show a heat gradient following the tendrils. She¡¯s the power source, no question. We cut her off, the portal¡¯s done.¡± Michael chuckled to himself and turned to TJ, ¡°Guess that makes her the Void¡¯s queen bee. We chop her down, the hive falls apart. I¡¯m ready to swing when you are, TJ.¡± TJ repositioned her rifle slightly, using her scope to survey the battlefield, ¡°We are limited in what we can do unless we get that swarm of bugs away from her. For now, they seem intent on getting through that portal opening, so that gives us time. Now, we need an opportunity. If we had a way to direct fire over them, mix it up with anti personnel and smoke, claymores and mines, we could envelop and destroy.¡± TJ began. ¡°I may have an answer to that.¡± Marcus replied, ¡°I can create an [Aether Fabricator]. It¡¯s like a mobile 3d printer I can load blueprints into. Hey Eli, remember that gun-bot idea you had? I made a blueprint, but I can modify it to lob mortars. Coding the bots to switch between anti personnel, mining and smoke will take about 10 minutes. I will need more time to fabricate the bombs though.¡± ¡°I can task my aerial drones to monitor and harass while we hold position here.¡± I said, flicking commands to my drones. Seconds later they shot after the Mantis groups nearby, biting into their flanks and attacking any bug they saw. The diversion moved the roving bugs away from the team and back to the main swarm, but stopped short when they hit my 1km range limit. Grunting in frustration, I brought the tiny machines back, searching for new targets. ¡°I have to get more range soon.¡± Planning the assault TJ lowered her rifle and sat against the blackened bus she took cover behind, ¡°Here¡¯s the plan. We repositioned 1 kilometer from the queen. There are a couple of buildings about 300 meters from her position that look damaged; we could bring them down with the bombs, crushing the bugs.¡± Dennis whistled, his grin wide. ¡°Damn TJ, that is badass. Marcus you better be saving these video feeds, we are gonna be so famous after this!¡± TJ stared daggers at Dennis until he stopped laughing, her voice hard as steel. ¡°This is not a joke Nguyen, we will probably die doing this.¡± The chill in her tone matching the cold air. ¡°We have to lure them here. That means we set up overlapping fire positions. Two teams, 200 meters apart, leapfrogging each other as the bugs get halfway to them. You have to move fast and control your fire, no full auto. The forward team will be downrange from you, remember that. Do not shoot your teammate.¡± She let that last order hang in the air, her gaze sweeping over us. After a moment, she continued, ¡°We¡¯ll lure the swarm 700 meters west from the portal to a set of damaged buildings. The last 100 meters of that street will be the kill zone. Team 1 is Dennis, Coogy, and the dog-sentry. Team 2 is Eli, your drones, and Lisa. Team 2 covers Team 1¡¯s retreat 200 meters behind when the bugs get close. Flip roles, rinse and repeat. Call for smoke if they get too close. The bots will set [Mana Mines] every 20 meters between the buildings and side roads. We need to keep the swarm inside the kill box, or this doesn¡¯t work. We put half the [Mana Bombs] in each building, rigged to explode the front supports so they fall onto the street, crushing the swarm. That¡¯ll cut them off from the Queen and pull them back from the portal. Our final fallback position will be 200 meters southwest of the Queen, 100 meters north of the kill box. Any questions?¡± Marcus replied, ¡°I will pre-position the bots at the fallback location. They can shoot 10 rounds before they have to reload. The fabricator can handle that. I¡¯ll stagger their attack patterns so we can keep the pressure on the bugs, but once they figure out where they are, those bots won¡¯t last, they are thin as paper. The turrets and mortar bots should be able to hold off the swarm while we focus on the queen.¡± Marcus answered ¡°Fair enough.¡± TJ responded, ¡°Once we trap and crush the bugs, team 3 will attack the queen, that¡¯s me, Michael and Alicia. When those buildings fall, we hit as hard as we can. Dennis, Coogy, Eli, Lisa and any remaining bots and drones, will circle around the kill box and get to the queen. Marcus, have the bots rain smoke and anti-personnel over the remaining bug clusters. I have a feeling what¡¯s left of the swarm will turn tail and attack us the moment the queen is threatened. The moment the queen is down, Eli you send drones to us, pick up the stone and we all get the fuck out of here. ¡± System¡¯s quest timer blinked: 28:47 remaining. Day 29: The Ambush Setting: The Portal, 10:45 PM PST, 1km south west of the queen A faint chill ran down TJ¡¯s spine as she mentally went through the plan again, a sensation she couldn¡¯t place. Shaking the sensation away, she refocused on the plan, helping Elias secure the [Mana Bombs] to the bases of buildings flanking the street, their twisted, organic-metal frames groaning under their own weight. The bombs¡¯ faint purple glow pulsed in rhythm with the Void¡¯s eerie ambiance, a reminder of the chaos we were about to unleash. Once the traps were set, TJ hiked north, circling behind the Queen to join Michael and Alicia. In the dim violet-tinged light, they made eye contact, a silent agreement passing between them, and knelt down to wait, hidden against the warped skyline. Minutes passed as the teams 1 and 2 got into position, comms crackling with overlapping chatter. ¡°Team 1 in place.¡± Dennis reported, his voice tense but steady. ¡°Team 2, ready to cover¡± Elias responded, drones hovering. Dennis began the assault, standing and firing his [Mana Rifle] at the mantises on the edge of the swarm. The glowing rounds streaked through the darkness, punching through black-purple carapaces, dropping several bugs in a spray of black ichor. The swarm reacted immediately, trampling their fallen siblings, their screeches a deafening cacophony as they surged forward. Coogy stayed close by, and the sentry-dog opened up with more [Mana Darts] ripping into the thickening horde, growing larger and edging closer. When they reached the half-way point, Dennis called out over comms, ¡°Smoke rounds, now! Team 1, fall back!¡±. [Mortar Bots] began chuffing rounds every three seconds, sending a cascade of grenades that exploded into thick clouds of smoke, followed by dozens of anti personnel rounds, shredding mantis bodies and stopping the charge. Elias was not idle during this, his drone strafing and harassing all along the edges of the approaching mass. Any mantis attempting to separate from the group were immediately set upon by the tiny death machines, ripped apart by high velocity rounds. Smoke popped just as the team was in a full sprint. As they passed Elias, Dennis slowed just enough to flash a wild grin, his [Mana Rifle] still smoking, ¡°Hey dude, bet you $100 I kill more than your drones and you combined!!¡± ¡°You¡¯re on Himman Sen Nom!! Just don¡¯t die, you meat-head!!¡± Elias screamed at his friend. Elias fired his rifle like TJ taught him. Pick his target. Breath in, squeeze the trigger. Let the kick surprise you. Over and over. God I suck at this, he thought watching shot after shot graze or miss the charging mass. Groaning at himself, he flicked new commands at his drones, deciding to amp things up. The drones spread themselves in front of the bugs, hovering a few meters over their heads. ¡°Ping em,¡± Elias said, commanding the drones to use [Pulse Command]. A bubble of static exploded from the drone, blue and orange mana splintering into innumerable motes, paralyzing anything they touched. The charging group turned into a pile of writhing and screeching mantises. Emptying his magazine into the crowd, he ordered another sweep, watching bugs fall in droves from his drones and slightly more accurate shooting. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡±Nice one cute-nerd!! Watch this.¡± Lisa giggled in his ear. ¡°[Ice Prison] motherfuckers!!¡± Throwing a flat sphere of blue-white mana at the stampeding bugs. The sphere arced over the front of the group and shrieked like breaking glass as it landed. Clouds of white mana billowed around the mantises, freezing them in place, a sheen of ice covering their bodies. When the bugs charging from behind struck them, their frozen bodies shattered, shards of black stained ice spraying in their wake. ¡±Displace!!¡± Lisa yelled, signaling Dennis to get ready to take the next group. They ran past Dennis, Elias taunting back, ¡°That¡¯s 36 for me!!¡± ¡°Bull!! Shit!! I am ordering a recount.¡± Dennis screamed back, emptying his rifle at the oncoming horde. Two more transitions and the two teams converged at the edge of the kill zone. The mantises were still charging, but had now started testing the edges of the paths, only to be obliterated by mines and mortars. Each mine would blast a dozen or more mantis bodies away, disrupting the flow and causing more to build up from behind. Marcus, watching through the optics on his monitor drones flying above the battlefield, ordered his bots to rain down more mines in the same area, re-seeding it for the next wave. A ping in his HUD notified Marcus of the moment they had waited for, the main body of the swarm had begun heading into the trap. Thousands of mantises flowed down the 700 meter path like a black-purple river. ¡°Get ready, the full swarm is engaging.¡± Marcus said over the comm. The swarm roared down the rubble filled avenue, straight at the now combined team. The bots unleashed a relentless barrage of mortar rounds, each explosion a hammer blow from the heavens, shredding mantises in droves. Black ichor pooled on the glittering ground, the air thick with the acrid stench of their blood. Elias, more comfortable with firing his rifle, began to hit more than miss. His drones were much better, the mantises rarely reached them, their claws slashing at empty air. Two drones popped and sparked, gashes and dents the result of sweeping too close. Lisa launched spears of ice, each one tripping, trapping or freezing any mantis they struck. Frozen choke points funneled the swarm into tighter groups for the bots to obliterate. Dennis and the sentry-drone, fired mana rounds, sparking and popping against the mantis¡¯ hide, ripping into them mercilessly. All of it was pebbles against a tidal wave, each second adding hundreds more targets. The only reason the team wasn¡¯t overrun were the mines, each blast sending mantis parts flying into nearby groups, the swarm attacking itself as much as the team. Dennis and Coogy handled every mantis that came near, Coogy trapping with his incredible strength and speed, Dennis smashing with his strength and bat. ¡°I¡¯m blowing the buildings in five seconds, when I hit 1, get down.¡± Marcus ordered, immediately counting down. Dennis swung down onto the mantis, cracking its head open like a melon. ¡°Coogy, back to cover!¡± Dennis ordered, running backwards covering the beast¡¯s retreat. Dennis continued standing and swiping at two mantis warriors nearby when Marcus said 1. Dennis swung down, striking the exposed side of the mantis bearing down on him as the world went white, then black. The bombs were attached to weight bearing columns inside eight buildings along the road. Two full blocks of buildings exploded. The front of the buildings and everything within 10 meters was vaporized. The buildings themselves momentarily lifted from the ground as they were blasted skyward, crashing back down, sending tons of metal and concrete raining down on sixty thousand mantises. Dennis was thrown backward along with the mantis he just killed, crashing down and rolling into a heap, unconscious. Day 29: Queens fall, TJs rise Setting: The Portal, 11:02 PM PST, 300 meters from the Queen The dust from the collapsed buildings hung thick in the air, a surreal shroud of debris and ash billowing out for dozens of meters. The kill box had worked. Thousands of mantises lay crushed beneath tons of twisted metal and organic debris. As their black blood soaked the icy ground, the Queen roared in defiance, her obsidian carapace gleaming in the violet light, her segmented wings buzzing with a sound like tearing metal as she birthed another egg. Her body flared with dark energy, her [Void Mana] tendrils pulsing as they fed the distant portal, a lifeline to the Void¡¯s invasion. ¡°Go! Go! Go!¡± TJ ordered, her voice cutting through the chaos. Dashing to her left, closing distance and keeping the Queen at her 3 o¡¯clock, she called the play, ¡°Michael, Alicia, keep those big bastards away from me. Keep away from the Queen, I¡¯m using grenades.¡± Closing to 150 meters, she knelt and brought the rifle up, the GP-25 a cold weight beneath the barrel. She breathed deep, the grenade launcher¡¯s sight picture centered on the back of the Queen, her finger finding the trigger and squeezed. A heavy whumpf followed by a significant kick sent the 40mm arching through the air, exploding center mass and knocking the Queen off the birthing mound, black ichor spraying as she screeched in rage. Two elite mantis warriors, their 10-foot forms crackling with energy, turned and launched themselves at her with frightening speed. Michael moved nearly as fast, stopping them mid stride, slashing his axe across their bodies, metal screeching against hardened chitin. TJ moved left again, putting distance between herself and Michael, her rifle trained on the queen. Each shot she fired struck the wound from the grenade, spraying the area with black blood. The rifle locked empty and she knelt behind cover, replacing the magazine as she searched for a way around Michael¡¯s wrestling match. A mantis warrior had disarmed him, and he was now punching and throwing the massive bug, his fists a blur of raw power, his silvered beard tinged with black ichor. Alicia engaged a nearby group of mantis warriors, her [Mana Whips] drawing them away from Michael as he held the elites at bay. TJ pivoted around the mound of concrete separating her from the queen, lining up her shot. She never fired. An elite she had not seen lunged from the shadows, its scythe-arm piercing her side with a sickening crunch. Her body froze, the searing fire of ripped muscle and crushed bone overloading her mind. Pain became her world, a crackling inferno of agony crushing her into a ball of suffering, her vision blurring, her breath a ragged gasp. She couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t escape, the world narrowing to the white-hot torment consuming her. The pain stopped. The world stopped. Her vision went black. No sounds reached her ears. Her body was numb. Just before her consciousness ceased, she saw a black box with green letters appear.
[Mana Core Formation] Complete. [Initializing System Integration]... [System Integration Complete]... Error host condition sub-optimal ¡­ Resolving condition ¡­ Healing host body ¡­ Complete ¡­ Error resolved. Host body healed ¡­ Error unknown mana presence detected Resolving error ¡­ Error resolved. Mana affinity detected. [Welcome to the System] [Class Designation]: Voidreaver Fury (Epic) [Explanation]: The threads of chaos weave a tapestry of rage, and you, warrior, are its blade. The Voidreaver Fury channels the dark, entropic Mana of the Void, turning fury into power, shredding enemies with savage grace. In your defiance, the System sees the ravager within. [Mana Affinity] Know your enemy, know yourself. You take less damage from Void mana sources and can heal yourself using ambient [Void Mana]. [Skills Awarded]: - [Reaver¡¯s Tempest]: Unleash a storm of void-charged strikes. - [Voidwrath Aegis]: Envelop yourself in raging void energy, absorbing and reflecting damage. - [Fury¡¯s Brand]: Mark a foe with a volatile void sigil.
The elite Mantis pulled its scythe free, TJs blood dripping from the blade, expecting TJ to collapse. But her eyes snapped open, glowing with a dark, violet hue that mirrored the Void¡¯s chaotic energy. [Void Mana] surged through her, knitting her wounds with tendrils of dark power, her bloodied side shimmering with a faint, violet sheen. She roared, her voice a guttural snarl that echoed with the Void¡¯s rage, and launched into [Reaver¡¯s Tempest], her void-charged strikes a whirlwind of destruction. The elite staggered back, its carapace cracking under the onslaught, black ichor spraying as it screeched in pain. Sensing an opening, the elite struck her exposed back, its scythe-arm slashing her jacket open, trailing blood in its wake. TJ¡¯s body flared with [Voidwrath Aegis], a shimmering violet aura that deflected the blade and blasted the mantis with wild void energy, leaving its carapace seared and bubbling. Turning into the attack, she stretched her hand out, a dark four pointed star appearing on the chest of the monster. ¡°Void¡¯s Fury.¡± She said. The sigil exploded into the beast as she struck, shattering the beast, spraying it across the rubble-strewn street. Breathing deeply, she turned her glowing eyes towards the Queen, still struggling to right herself from TJ¡¯s surprise attack. ¡°All right bitch, let¡¯s see how tough you are.¡± She growled through gritting teeth, sprinting towards the massive Queen Mantis. The Queen raised her massive form up and buzzed her wings as she screeched in anger. A pulse emanated from her, causing the air to shimmer and eardrums to rupture. TJ, Michael and Alicia all screamed as they gripped their heads, desperately trying to keep them from exploding. The sound felt like hammer blows to the brain, pulsing pain rippling across their heads in waves of agony. The two elites Michael fought were unaffected and struck, their scythe-arms ripping huge gashes across his body, his scream reaching TJ¡¯s ruined ears. Alicia had fallen, but was able to cast [Tidal Surge], closing his wounds and stopping the bleeding. ¡°I¡¯ve got you big guy,¡± her voice trembling. TJ pressed the attack against the elites, her relentless [Reaver¡¯s Tempest] pushing them back. Each strike landed with a thunderclap of power, cracking their carapaces and deflecting their counter-attacks. Fists met claws in a flurry of violence, and the void seemed to roar in response as she fought with unrestrained ferocity. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. One elite swiped at her from the front, trying to draw her into a defensive stance, while a second attempted to skewer her from the side. TJ smirked, her perception sharpening as if time itself had slowed. She blocked the first attack, countered the second, and repositioned, her movements fluid and unpredictable. The elites renewed their assault, but Michael rejoined the fray, his massive axe bisecting one of the creatures in a single, sweeping blow. The last remaining elite hesitated, faltering as TJ and Michael unleashed a relentless barrage, both hammering the monster without regard for their own defense. It was over in less than a second, the beast falling in pieces around the two warriors. Briefly locking eyes with each other, TJ and Michael launched themselves at the Queen, still shrieking and buzzing those horrid wings. Eight limbs supported a huge spider-like body and a massive neck. Her 3 foot long mandibles clacking like metal swords as she met their charge. Michael swung his axe, catching a forelimb, sparks and chitin flying from his glancing blow. She answered, a claw slicing towards him, ¡°[Bulwark¡¯s Pride]¡±, he growled, his body radiating power. When the claw struck, it exploded, black ichor flying away as her attack was turned against her. She shrieked again, panicked this time, clearly calling for help. Two more legs blasted apart as they ripped into Michael, now bleeding and striking the Queen¡¯s body in a rage. TJ joined from the left, reaching the abdomen and using [Reaver¡¯s Tempest] again, blasting void energy into her body, ripping through carapace and flesh alike. The Queen screeched once more, the ripple of void energy striking the team again. Michael fell mid swing, blood seeping from his ears and eyes. Alicia, gripping her head, screamed silently into the desolate landscape, her eyes ruptured, her ears ruined. But TJ¡­ TJ was reborn in that agony. The Void sang in her veins, her ruined ears now a blessing as its power surged, a twisted symphony only she could hear. ¡°Void¡¯s Fury¡±, she roared, marking the soft underbelly of the massive queen and struck with [Reaver¡¯s Tempest], blasting her abdomen apart and sending the massive beast tumbling to the side. From the Queen¡¯s ruptured abdomen, a blinding white light pulsed, a stark contrast to the oozing black ichor. It coalesced into a bowling ball sized sphere of pure Mana, shimmering power radiating in waves. ¡°I have eyes on the [Mana Core]!¡± TJ screamed into her comms. ¡°Can anyone hear me? I have it! Eli, get that drone here, now!¡± Before she could repeat the command, Alicia, her own sight returned, acted with sudden decisiveness. She stepped in front of TJ, silencing her with a hand over her mouth and pointing towards the sky. Almost instantly, a drone arrived, its manipulators delicately taking the [Mana Core] as it accelerated back to the portal. ¡°Everyone, go!¡± TJ shouted as Alicia propelled her forward. The portal convulsed and shrank as the team sprinted back, the remnants of the swarm snapping at their heels. Most of the creatures were crushed or buried, but the portal''s behavior was more alarming. "It''s shrinking!" Dennis screeched, his voice barely audible over the groaning of reality itself. "Yes, we know!! Keep running. There are still pockets of bugs around." Marcus confirmed. "The Queen controlled them, and now they''re wild. I''m hitting the detonator!" A heartbeat later, a monstrous fireball engulfed the ruined street. The force of the blast hurled the team through the air, a maelstrom of fire and debris. Elias slammed into the ground, the impact jarring his teeth. The world spun, a dizzying kaleidoscope of fire and shadow. A hand, rough and warm, appeared in his blurred vision. Looking up, he saw double ¨C two Dennises merging into one. "We''re not staying here, man," Dennis grunted, hauling Elias to his feet. A ringing filled Elias¡¯s ears, a high-pitched whine that drowned out the battle. "What the hell was that?" "My miscalculation," Marcus admitted, his voice tight with guilt. "The bots... the explosion was too big." Stumbling, the team reached the portal''s edge, its shrinking form a desperate escape route. They dove through, a final, sickening lurch back into their own world. The portal sealed with a final pop, the Mana Stone glowing in the claws of the drone hovering nearby. The system¡¯s quest timer disappeared in their HUD, then a message appeared.
[Objective Complete: Portal Closed] [Objective Complete: Mana Stone Secured] [Hidden Objective Complete]: Swarm-Cull Threshold 50%¡ªEntities Terminated or Incapacitated [Hidden Objective Complete]: Swarm-Cull Threshold 80%¡ªEntities Terminated or Incapacitated [Hidden Objective Complete]: Swarm-Cull Threshold 90%¡ªEntities Terminated or Incapacitated [Hidden Objective Complete]: Queen-Entity Terminated¡ªCore Nexus Severed] [Evaluation]: Entities of [Void Designation]¡ªSwarm Collective¡ªReduced to 9.3% Operational Capacity. Guard Collective¡ªNullified. Queen-Entity¡ªEradicated. Threads of Chaos Severed. [System] Observes: Efficiency Beyond Expected Parameters. Defiance of [Void] Exceeds Predictive Matrices. Collective Synergy Amplified Beyond Mana Constructs. Judgment Rendered: Exemplary. [Base Rewards]: - 5000 XP [Distributed: 714 XP per Entity] - Mana Core Enhancement [Applied: Mana Capacity +10%, Mana Regeneration +5%, Free attributes awarded +10] [Hidden Objective Rewards]: Title Awarded [Collective]: [Swarm-Slaughter Vanguard] [Description]: You have carved a crimson path through the [Void]¡¯s legion, leaving naught but ichor and ruin. Entities numbering in the thousands¡ªterminated. The [System] marks you: Vanguard of Annihilation. Title Awarded [Entity: Tara Jackson]: [Queensbane Ravager] [Description]: The Queen-Entity, nexus of [Void] entropy, fell to your rage. Chaos bends to your will, warrior of the void-touched fury. The [System] anoints you: Ravager of Thrones. Title Awarded [Collective]: [Defiant Nexus Exemplars] [Description]: In the crucible of [Void] entropy, your collective defied annihilation, weaving order from chaos with unyielding resolve. The [System] exalts you: Exemplars of the Nexus. [Attribute Enhancement]: For Exemplary Performance, [System] Grants Quality Augmentation. All Attributes Increased by 10% [Applied Before Modifiers]. [System Directive]: Threads of [Void] Recede. Threads of [System] Strengthen. Continue, Defiant Ones. The Nexus Watches.
¡°Are you guys seeing what I¡¯m seeing?¡± Michael asked, his rough voice grating against healing ears. ¡±Yeah, and we get attribute points!¡± Elias screamed joyously. ¡°We get to put these on any attribute. We have to talk about this, okay. It''s not just dump it and move on. We have to think about..¡± ¡±Already done dude. What¡¯s there to think about? Check this out!!¡± Dennis said lifting Coogy over his head with one arm. The cat, much to his credit, actually rolled his eyes while Dennis hooted. Smiling broadly and laughing, Lisa skipped over and kissed Elias, his eyes bugging as he struggled to catch up. Stepping back, her hands lingering on his chest, she whispered to him, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it cutie-pie.¡± Soon the whole group was laughing, tears streaming down their black stained faces. A brief lull in the laughter ended when Dennis looked at Coogy and said, ¡°You hungry?¡±. Police and emergency personnel converged on the team, still giggling uncontrollably, cleaning wounds and asking what happened. The team stayed at the portal location for a few hours as city and federal people interviewed them about the experience. They learned about other portals opening all over the west coast. Hundreds by some estimations and the death toll was catastrophic. There were teams, like theirs, that went into the portals and sometimes they came back. In every case, the portal no longer spit out monsters while the team inside was alive. Marcus stayed longer, going over his readings and replaying elements of the battle, the officials offering suggestions and relaying new facts as they worked late into the night. Exhausted, Elias collapsed onto his bed¡ªthe first time he''d slept at home since the System''s arrival. But sleep offered no escape. The horrors of the portal replayed behind his eyelids, each scream and twisted image etching itself deeper into his memory. Tears streamed down his face as he relived the carnage, yet amidst the grief, a fierce resolve ignited within him. He would become stronger, a bulwark against the Void, and protect those he held dear. Humanity, he now understood, was a weapon forged in the fires of chaos. But to what end? That question haunted his weary mind.