Chapter 14: Spawn Protocol — Creating My First Smash Subordinate
POV: Zai
It was Sunday morning. Still early.
My dad wouldn't be back from the airport job until afternoon, and the whole house was wrapped in that kind of still silence that only happens when you're truly alone.
Perfect time to do something crazy.
I sat cross-legged in the center of my room, blinds pulled, door locked, phone on silent.
System," I whispered, "engage": Subordinate Creation."
[COMMAND RECOGNIZED]
[SUBORDINATE CREATION — LEVEL 1 PROTOCOL INITIATING…]
Warning: Subordinate will not exceed 80% of your current power level.
Limit: 1 subordinate until Level 10.
Do you want to proceed?
Yes.
The air in front of me distorted like heat on asphalt. Then a glittering panel burst open, showing a layout similar to a create-a-character screen from a fighting game.
Only this time… it was real.
[Subordinate Class Selection – RANDOMIZED BY CPU BASELINE AI LOGIC]
Compatible fighting style initializing.
MATCH FOUND: LITTLE MAC (HUMAN-COMPATIBLE BUILD)
"No way… "
A digital character materialized in front of me—shorter than me, maybe 5'6", dark-skinned, lean but stocky, with fingerless gloves and a green tank top.
His eyes flickered open, glowing dimly at first, before taking on a casual, alert appearance.
He blinked. Then looked at me.
[SUBORDINATE #001 – ACTIVE]
Name: MAC-ZERO (auto-assigned, editable)
Class: Boxer-Type Melee Subordinate
Level: 4 (CPU Core AI Synced)
Loyalty: 100% (System Bound)
Specialty: High-Speed Melee, Counter Reactions, Close-Combat Sparring
"…You're real?" I asked, standing up slowly.
The figure cracked his neck and smiled.
"Yes, I exist for you," he said simply, voice at ease but focused. "Orders?
My heart beat once—firm. The way he moved, the way he looked at me… He felt real. Not like an NPC in a game. Like a person created by my will, crafted by the system.
This wasn't a summon.
This was a teammate.
"System, can he train with me?" I asked.
[CONFIRMED]
Subordinates are sparring-compatible. Training sessions with them accelerate stat and skill growth by 15% when activated.
"Can he fight with me in real-world combat?"
[YES. But civilian exposure will engage system cloaking protocols.]
I grinned, stepping back and lifting my fists.
"Okay, Mac-Zero. Let's do this."
He inclined his head, dropping into stance.
"No holding back, then."
We clashed.
Fists blurred. Dodges slid by in millimeters. With every punch I dodged, I could feel the technique sharpen. With every blow I blocked, I could feel the strength push back.
I wasn't fighting a CPU—I was fighting a living system construct programmed to push me past my limit.
And I was enjoying it.
When we were done, sweating and gasping, a familiar prompt flashed in front of my eyes.
[TRAINING COMPLETE — STATS INCREASED SLIGHTLY]
[SKILL USAGE LOGGED — PUNCH LV. UP TO 2 | COOLDOWN REDUCTION +0.2]
[SYNC BOND WITH MAC-ZERO: 12%]
Mac-Zero wiped his forehead on his wrist, then smiled again.
"You'll be strong," he said. "strong enough to lead."
I stared at him.
And I knew it.