Chapter 3
The transition from Sector 12 to the Neon Heights was like traveling through time—and through a filter of gold. As the gravity-lift ascended, the grime, the rust, and the smell of burning plastic faded, replaced by the scent of synthetic cherry blossoms and the humming silence of high-end anti-gravity tech.
Kael adjusted the collar of his stolen Enforcer jacket. Beside him, Vex looked perfectly at home, her tactical suit now shimmering with a soft, expensive-looking gold finish to mimic the socialites of the upper spire.
"Remember, rookie," Vex whispered, her eyes glowing violet as she scanned the security grids. "In the Heights, they don't look for criminals. They look for 'irregularities.' If you walk like you don't belong here, the floor sensors will flag your gait and the turrets will turn you into swiss cheese before you can say 'delivery'."
[MISSION STATUS: THE PHANTOM RUN]
•Objective: Infiltrate the 'Aurelius Vault'.
•Time Remaining: 04:15:22.
•Stealth Meter: 100% (Hidden).
•Current Risk Level: Extreme.
Kael looked at his HUD. The 5 points he had dumped into Agility were making his movements feel fluid, almost feline. Every step felt calculated.
"How do we get into the Vault ?" Kael asked, keeping his voice low.
"We don't," Vex smirked. "You do. I'm the distraction. My signature is already flagged as a 'Bounty Hunter on duty.' I'll trigger a false alarm in the West Wing. When the security droids swarm me, you have exactly ninety seconds to slide through the air filtration system."
[NEW SUB-QUEST: THE 90-SECOND SPRINT]
•Goal: Reach the Vault before the lockdown resets.
•Reward: +200 XP / Skill Unlock: 'Phase Step'.
"Ninety seconds? That's two floors of vents and a laser-grid corridor," Kael calculated, his heart beginning to drum against his ribs.
"Then you better use that Luck of yours," Vex said. She suddenly grabbed his collar and pulled him close, her face inches from his. For a second, Kael thought she was going to kiss him, but she was just attaching a micro-transmitter to his ear. "Don't die, Kael. If you die, I don't get my cut."
With a sudden burst of speed, Vex vaulted over a decorative marble railing and fired a blinding flare into the center of the lobby.
BOOM!
"Intruder! Sector 4! Deploying Pacification Units !" the automated system roared.
[TIMER STARTED: 00:90... 00:89...]
"Go!" Vex's voice echoed in his ear.
Kael didn't hesitate. He sprinted toward a maintenance hatch hidden behind a holographic waterfall.
Pshhhh-KTANG!
He activated his Pneumatic Dampeners not to land, but to launch. He kicked off the wall, his increased Agility allowing him to twist mid-air and grab the edge of the vent. He pulled himself in, the cold metal scraping his shoulders.
[STAMINA: 85% / 84%...]
The vent was narrow and filled with spinning fans. Normally, they would shred a human in seconds, but Kael's Luck stat flickered.
[LUCK TRIGGERED: MECHANICAL GLITCH]
The fan in vent shaft 4B has a 0.5% chance of stalling due to lack of maintenance.
Result: SUCCESS.
The massive blades groaned and stopped just as Kael slid through. He felt the wind of the motor on his back.
"Forty seconds left !" Kael hissed to himself.
He dropped out of the vent into a corridor of pure light. The floor was made of glass, showing the clouds floating miles below. Across the hallway was the Vault—a massive sphere of floating obsidian. But between him and the door was a shifting web of red lasers.
[WARNING: VOLUMETRIC LASER GRID DETECTED]
[Detection = Instant Death]
"Vex, I'm at the grid. It's moving too fast !"
"I can't help you, Kael! I've got six drones and a Captain on my tail! Use your points !"
Kael looked at the grid. He had 4 points left in his 'bank' that he hadn't spent yet. He didn't think twice. He dumped all 4 into Perception (New Stat).
[STAT INCREASE: PERCEPTION 4 -> 8]
[Senses Overloaded: Time Dilation Effect Activated]
The world slowed. The lasers, which were flickering at high speed, now looked like slow-moving ribbons of red light. Kael could see the patterns, the gaps, the rhythm of the security AI.
He began to move. It was a dance of desperation. He bent his body in ways he didn't know were possible, sliding under a beam, leaping over a double-cross, and spinning through a gap no wider than a coin.
[TIMER: 00:05... 00:04...]
He reached the Vault's interface. He jammed the data-shard into the port.
[UPLOADING... 20%... 60%... 100%]
[LOCKDOWN OVERRIDDEN]
The obsidian sphere hissed open, revealing not gold, not credits, but a single, ancient-looking physical book inside a vacuum seal.
"A book?" Kael whispered, stunned. "All this for paper?"
[ALERT: HIGH-RANK PRESENCE DETECTED]
Kael turned around. Standing at the other end of the laser hall wasn't a droid. It was a man in a white suit, holding a cane made of pure light. His Level was hidden by a wall of question marks.
"A Night Rider in my private collection ?" the man said, his voice smooth and terrifyingly calm. "Tell me, little thief... do you even know how to read the world you are trying to break ?"