The elevator doors hissed open to the sub-level parking garage, a dimly lit expanse of concrete and flickering emergency lights. Kent stepped out first, his legs unsteady from the adrenaline crash. The group of survivors—about a dozen shell-shocked office workers—followed, murmuring in hushed tones. Sirens wailed from above, muffled by layers of steel and earth. Neo-Seoul's rift response teams would be swarming the building by now, cordoning off the area and sweeping for stragglers.
Kent leaned against a pillar, breathing heavily. The system's interface lingered in his peripheral vision, a ghostly overlay he could summon or dismiss with a thought. He'd dumped the new points into Vitality and Intellect—his arm wound had already scabbed over, and his mind felt sharper, piecing together the chaos with unnatural clarity. But questions gnawed at him: Why me? Was this some corporate experiment gone wrong? Nexus Corp dealt in aura tech; maybe he'd been exposed to something classified.
The woman from upstairs—Elara Voss, as her badge confirmed—ushered the last person out. She scanned the group, her datapad glowing in her hand. "Everyone accounted for? Check for injuries."
A few nods, some whimpers. One man clutched a gash on his shoulder, blood seeping through his shirt. Elara knelt beside him, pulling a compact med-kit from her bag. "Hold still. This sealant will sting."
Kent watched her work, efficient and composed. She wasn't like the others—panicked drones in suits. Her movements had purpose, like someone who'd danced with danger before. Archivist, the badge said, but that didn't explain the way she'd handled the extinguisher upstairs, turning it into a weapon.
She caught him staring. "You. The one who took down the alpha. What's your name?"
"Kent. Eldridge. Data entry, third floor." He straightened, trying to sound casual. "You?"
"Elara Voss. Lore division—rift artifacts and histories." She finished bandaging the man and stood, wiping her hands. "That fight... you moved like you'd trained for it. Ex-military?"
He shook his head, a half-laugh escaping. "Nah. Just lucky, I guess." The lie felt heavy. How could he explain the system? It sounded insane.
Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't press. "Luck doesn't crack Resonant armor with a shard. Whatever it was, thanks. You saved us up there."
Before Kent could respond, floodlights pierced the garage as response teams burst in—armored figures in black tactical gear, rifles slung, aura scanners humming. "Nexus Security! Hands where we can see them!"
The group complied, murmurs turning to silence. A lead officer, visor down, approached. "Witness statements. Now. Any exposures?"
Elara stepped forward. "Rift breach in the atrium. Alpha-class Resonant led the pack. We contained it minimally before evac."
The officer nodded, gesturing to medics who began triaging. Kent was pulled aside for a scan, a handheld device waving over him. It beeped erratically.
"Anomaly detected," the tech muttered. "Elevated aura resonance. You harvest anything?"
Kent's pulse spiked. "What? No, I just fought them off."
The tech frowned but waved him through. "Quarantine if symptoms show. Next!"
As the group dispersed—some to ambulances, others to debrief rooms—Kent slipped away toward the street exit. The system pinged again.
[Residual Echo Detected: Minor aura fragment from atrium rift.]
[Harvest? Y/N]
He selected Y mentally, a subtle warmth trickling in. It was smaller than before, but enough to nudge his experience bar.
[Experience Gained: +20]
No level up, but his Aura Resonance ticked up naturally. He needed to understand this thing. Alone.
Outside, the city pulsed with controlled chaos. Barricades ringed the building, drones hovering like watchful eyes. News vans clustered, reporters shouting questions. Kent ducked into an alley, pulling up his hood. His apartment was a few blocks away—a cramped studio in a rift-shadowed district where rents were cheap because no one wanted to live near potential breaches.
The walk cleared his head. Neo-Seoul's streets bustled: vendors hawking aura wards, street performers weaving minor essences into light shows for tips. Billboards advertised Nexus Corp's latest: "Echo Armor—Harvest Safely!" Kent snorted. As if safety was an option for most.
Back home, he locked the door and collapsed onto his bed. The system bloomed fully in his vision.
[User: Kent Eldridge]
[Level: 3]
[Stats:]
- Strength: 11
- Agility: 12
- Vitality: 12
- Intellect: 12
- Aura Resonance: 11
[Attribute Points: 4] // He'd saved some
[Skills: Echo Harvest (Basic) - Extract low-tier auras from defeated entities.]
What else could it do? He focused on the skills tab, willing more info.
[System Query: Available Upgrades?]
A new prompt appeared: [Upgrade Echo Harvest to Intermediate? Cost: 5 Attribute Points. Benefits: Increased yield, minor essence weaving.]
Tempting, but he held off. Better to test basics.
He paced the room, experimenting. Boosting Strength let him lift his heavy desk one-handed—impossible before. Agility made his reflexes cat-like; he dodged imaginary attacks with ease. But pushing too hard drained him, a fatigue bar appearing in the HUD.
[Stamina Depleted: Rest required.]
This wasn't a game. It was real, altering his body. Excitement mixed with fear. What if it backfired? Overloaded?
A knock at the door jolted him. He dismissed the interface, peeking through the peephole. Elara?
She stood there, datapad in hand, looking impatient. "Kent? It's Elara—from the office. Open up."
How'd she find him? He cracked the door. "Uh, hey. What's up?"
"I pulled your address from employee records. We need to talk." She pushed past him without waiting, scanning the sparse room. "That anomaly the scanners picked up? It's not normal. And the way you fought... I've seen hunters, pros. You're not one, but you handled an alpha like it was nothing."
Kent closed the door, mind racing. Deny? "Adrenaline. Anyone could've—"
"Bull." She set her datapad down, pulling up a holo-feed. Grainy footage from office cams showed him dodging, striking—movements too precise. "This went viral on underground forums already. 'Mystery Novice Slays Alpha.' If Nexus sees this, they'll drag you in for tests."
His stomach dropped. "Why tell me?"
"Because I don't trust them. I'm an archivist, but I've dug into rifts deeper than most. Anomalies like yours? They tie to old lore—primordial echoes, energies from before the breaches." She hesitated, vulnerability flickering. "And... you saved my life up there. I owe you."
Kent weighed his options. Trust her? The system felt personal, secret. But isolation gnawed at him already.
"Fine. But this stays between us." He summoned the interface mentally, describing it aloud. Stats, points, harvest. Her eyes widened as he demonstrated—lifting a chair effortlessly.
"A system? Exclusive to you?" Elara paced, excited. "This matches ancient texts—'The Primordial Gift,' a legend of a chosen vessel weaving auras to ascend. If it's real..."
They talked for hours. She shared rift knowledge: How Resonants were echoes of lost worlds, auras as fragmented souls. Kent absorbed it, Intellect stat helping him connect dots. For the first time since his parents' death, he felt seen—not pitied, but understood.
As night fell, Elara stood to leave. "We should test this. Tomorrow, a low-risk rift on the outskirts. I know a safe entry."
Kent nodded, a spark of purpose igniting. "Deal."
She smiled faintly—genuine, warm. "Get some rest. You're not alone in this anymore."
After she left, Kent lay awake, system humming. A new notification blinked.
[System Evolution Detected: Bond Formed. Unlock: Aura Share (Trial) - Temporarily lend minor stats to allies.]
He grinned. Progress.
But as sleep crept in, the dreams returned—vaster voids, a voice whispering: "Awaken, vessel. The hunt begins."
He jolted awake to a tremor. The building shook. Alarms blared city-wide.
[Rift Alert: Major Breach Imminent. Proximity: 0.5 km.]
Kent rushed to the window. In the street below, the ground cracked open, a massive rift tearing through pavement. Resonants swarmed—dozens, led by something colossal, its aura blotting out streetlights.
And in the chaos, a figure in Nexus gear watched from afar, scanner locked on Kent's building.
The colossal Resonant roared, charging straight toward him.