The training facility's reinforced alloy walls gleamed under the overhead fluorescent lights. Deep underground, hidden from the world's prying eyes, Lin Chen stood at the center of a massive arena—the System's internal "Experimental Simulation Zone." He exhaled slowly, feeling the surge of power humming through his veins.
A digital voice echoed through the arena.
[System Notification: New Feature Unlocked – Ability Fusion Engine] Combining compatible low-tier abilities may result in emergent combat skills. Initiating beta-phase trial… Abilities selected: [Precision Forcefield Lv.2] + [Kinetic Redirection Lv.1] + [Energy Pulse Lv.1] Fusion Result: Energy Infusion Burst (Prototype Alpha) – Unstable but high-output explosive kinetic skill.
Lin Chen raised an eyebrow. "So it finally begins."
He stretched his arm forward, palm open, as strands of blue-white energy coiled around his fingers like living lightning. The fusion wasn't just technical—it was visceral. His entire body vibrated as if every nerve ending was being reprogrammed to channel raw power.
Boom!
He took one step forward and slammed his foot into the ground. The simulation cityscape before him—concrete buildings, parked AI-controlled vehicles, even artificial civilians—was there to test real-world consequences.
The air thickened. In an instant, Lin Chen's form blurred as he activated Energy Infusion Burst.
He vanished from his starting position.
When he reappeared, it was mid-air, fist crashing into the core of a high-rise tower replica. A blinding surge of kinetic energy detonated from the impact point.
KRRRRRRRRRRRRR-BOOOOOM!
The tower collapsed in slow motion, debris vaporized before hitting the ground. Shockwaves spread like ripples in a storm, leveling adjacent structures within a fifty-meter radius.
Lin Chen landed with a skid, coughing slightly from the energy feedback. His combat suit, laced with smart-fiber adaptive mesh, crackled with residual heat.
[System Notification: Skill Testing Complete] Energy Infusion Burst (Prototype Alpha) effectiveness: 164% Feedback Stability: 62% Side Effects: Elevated heart rate, internal bruising, possible neuro-spike fatigue. Suggestion: Improve synchronization with fused abilities to reduce biological cost.
"Noted," Lin Chen muttered, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. His hand trembled slightly, but the adrenaline masked most of the pain.
"Again," he said.
[Confirmed. Resetting Simulation Environment. Countdown: 10… 9…]
As the destroyed cityscape reassembled itself around him, Lin Chen recalled the memories that pushed him here—the near-death chases, the lies, the blood spilled in back alleys, the trauma written across Li Chu's eyes.
The fusion test wasn't just about power. It was about survival.
And it was becoming clear that only those who evolved with the system—merged with it—would survive the coming war.
Flashback:
Two hours earlier, inside the system's core interface chamber.
"Fusion?" Lin Chen had asked. "You mean I can combine my abilities into something stronger?"
[Correct. Ability Fusion Engine is a hidden module previously locked. Now accessible due to:
Repeated adaptive combat usage.
Host reaching System Synchronization Threshold: 85.1%
Completion of three high-level battles against other hosts]
He remembered his fights vividly: the fire-wielding host, the mental hacker who dragged him into a shared consciousness realm, the time manipulator who nearly rewrote the outcome of an entire battle.
Each victory had come at a cost. But each one had pushed him toward something bigger—something transcendent.
[System Notice: Skill tree convergence analysis complete. Ready to initiate controlled fusion. Proceed?]
Lin Chen had said yes before the voice could finish.
Back to present.
After two more tests, the arena began to overload.
[Warning: Arena Structural Integrity at 19%] Host Power Output exceeds current simulation limits. Recommend immediate termination of test.]
Lin Chen stood among the rubble, steam rising from his body like a soldier stepping off a battlefield.
"That'll do," he said hoarsely.
As he exited the chamber, his system interface flickered, then glowed red for an instant.
[New Passive Detected: Combat Synergy Lv.1 – Slightly boosts efficiency of fused skills during consecutive battles] New Mission Available: "Live Trial – Use Energy Infusion Burst in an actual combat encounter within 48 hours." Reward: ??? Warning: Host body remains in recovery phase. Risk factor: High.
He clenched his fists. "If it's high risk, it means high return."
But just as he passed the threshold into the base corridor, an urgent notification cut through his thoughts.
[Incoming Transmission: Encrypted Message from Unknown Source] Message: "They know what you've fused. They're coming for your prototype."
His eyes narrowed.
A second later, the lights in the corridor flickered.
Far above, on the world's surface, an Erebus sleeper agent inserted a command chip into a console, quietly activating a trace beacon.