The flames had died.
Ash floated like snowflakes in the still air, settling over the shattered bones of the beast. Kael stood over it, panting, his makeshift weapon slick with blackened blood.
> [Level: 5]
[Status: Stable]
[New Perk: Adaptive Hide – Minor physical damage resistance added.]
He glanced at the wound on his side. Already, the bleeding had slowed, the edges hardening like scorched armor.
His thoughts were a storm—flashes of Lyra's voice, the memory uploads, the System's warning…
> "External Observation Detected."
Someone, or something, had seen his awakening.
But who?
Kael turned away from the corpse, stepping into what remained of the collapsed spire. His boots crunched over debris—twisted steel, shattered stone, charred bones. A forgotten warzone.
Then, faintly—beneath his feet—he felt it.
A vibration.
Subtle. Repeating.
He crouched, brushing away debris until his fingers hit something cold and smooth: metal, embedded into the foundation.
A panel.
He pried it open with the rod, revealing a glassy black surface lit by faint hexagon pulses—dormant tech.
But not dead.
The HUD chimed.
> [Hidden Terminal Detected: Reclaimer Archive Node 014-B]
[Status: Locked. Energy Source Required.]
[Compatible Power Signature Nearby.]
He didn't hesitate. He dragged the beast's steaming corpse over with a grunt, forced its claw onto the panel, and the terminal lit up.
The machine whirred. The interface blinked alive, scrolling ancient code and runes across the screen.
> [Welcome, Reclaimer: UNKNOWN.]
[ERROR: User ID corrupted. Reassigning…]
[System Key: Riven-K.A.E.L. Assigned]
[Accessing Level Zero Archives…]
Kael's breath caught.
A hologram unfolded from the panel—images, maps, blueprints, and… something else.
A humanoid figure in dark armor, eyes glowing violet, surrounded by twelve floating shards.
> "The Reclaimer System was never designed to save humanity," a synthetic voice echoed, emotionless.
"It was designed to prepare it."
Kael stepped closer, eyes wide.
The hologram shifted, showing a massive black sphere—like a miniature planet—floating in space. Beneath it: Earth. Above it: a gate shaped like an eye.
> "Project: Oblivion Seed. Origin: Unknown Galaxy. Status: Dormant."
"Seed carriers selected: Twelve. One remains—unclaimed."
"You are now connected to the root protocol."
"All others will hunt you for it."
The panel vibrated violently. Sparks burst from its side.
> [Memory Sync Complete: 4%]
[Skill Gained: System Pulse – Allows brief scan of surroundings for active tech or threats.]
[Warning: Data Ping Detected. Beacon Signal Emitted.]
Kael's eyes widened.
> "I was traced?"
The hologram vanished.
And then he heard it.
A distant screech.
Mechanical. Not beast.
Something had heard the signal.
Something old.
Kael stood, body tense.
> [System Alert: Unknown Entity Approaching – Estimated Time: 04:32 minutes]
He looked at the rubble, then at the open street outside.
> "I need weapons," he muttered. "And answers."
But first, he needed to survive the next five minutes.