The Sky Bastion loomed ahead like a dream suspended in twilight—part temple, part machine, part graveyard. Silver veins pulsed along its fractured towers, stretching like artificial roots into the cliffside. The entire structure hovered a few meters off the ground, rotating slowly, almost as if… breathing.
Yuki stared up in awe. "It's alive."
Selene nodded, her eyes narrowed. "Not just alive. Listening."
As they stepped closer, the air grew denser. A soft hum vibrated through their bones—an ancient rhythm not meant for human ears. The entrance—a yawning arch etched with data runes—glowed faintly as they approached.
System Sync Detected. Access Level: PartialPrototype Z… Identified.
A section of the wall unraveled like silk, revealing a spiraling corridor that extended into the dark.
Kai let out a low, rumbling growl beside Yuki. His fur flickered with static. "Not safe in there," the beast said mentally.
"We're going in anyway," Yuki replied, placing a hand on Kai's head. "We don't have time to hesitate."
The interior of the Sky Bastion was a paradox. Rusted technology mixed with floating glyphs, broken staircases hovered in place, while screens displayed garbled memories—flashes of battle, of scientists, of something trying to escape.
Every step they took seemed to trigger faint echoes of the past—whispers, sobs, alarms.
Selene paused near a broken console. "These are logs. Emotional imprints. The Bastion was more than a Nexus hub… it was a testing ground."
Yuki moved toward a shattered chamber, its doors hanging by threads of light. Inside, he saw a containment pod—cracked open. The markings matched his own gauntlet.
[Log Fragment Recovered]"Subject Z synchronization at 62%. Neural instability increasing. Recommend transfer—projected termination imminent.""No. We don't terminate this one. We hide it."
Yuki's breath caught. "This place was part of me."
Behind them, Kai growled sharply.
Something had activated.
The floor shuddered as a soft tick-tick-tick echoed from deep below. From the side hallway, figures emerged—lurching, twisted constructs formed from corrupted armor and exposed Nexus wiring. Not Nullborn. Something… older.
"Defense automatons," Selene cursed. "Still running ancient protocols."
Yuki stepped forward, gauntlet crackling. "Then we test how far I've come."
[Combat Sequence — Initiated]
The first construct launched a tendril—Yuki dodged, but it grazed his shoulder.
Skill Absorbed: Wire Lash (Lv. 1)Use mechanical threads to bind or disarm an enemy.
His eyes narrowed. "That's new."
Kai leapt beside him, his Glitch Howl disorienting the next wave.
Selene danced between enemies with impossible grace, her dagger warping mid-air.
The fight turned desperate. More constructs swarmed from all directions. Yuki punched a construct clean through its core—light burst from the hole.
Enemy Terminated. Skill Package Acquired.
Wire Lash (Lv. 1) - Use mechanical threads to bind or disarm an enemy.
Armor Fold (Lv. 2) – Temporarily increases defense by manipulating material density.
Reactive Spike (Lv. 1) – Emit a burst of energy when struck
He staggered, blinking. "I… got them all."
Selene watched with quiet awe. "You're changing. Fast."
Once the enemies were down, they reached the central chamber. At its heart was a sealed capsule—strange, humming, covered in layered locks.
But above it…
A strange shape hovered. Not quite a cube, and not quite a star. Pulsing with the same energy in Yuki's chest.
Glitch Core Fragment DetectedResonance: 92%
Yuki stepped closer. The system flared—
WARNING: Latent Protocol Fluctuation Detected.Unknown Skill Activity: Suppressed.
He didn't touch it. Not yet.
Instead, he turned to Selene. "This place… It's not just a ruin. It's a message."
She nodded. "And someone left it for you."