[Combat Protocol Initialized]
[Linked Unit: DRAKEN.V]
[Threat Level: Class-C Purge Constructs]
[Sync Amplification: 94.7%]
The sky cracked like a splitting mirror.
Draken stood on the crumbling platform, fingers clenched around the glowing code-blade Nyxa had tossed him. It pulsed with unstable energy—more alive than any weapon he'd ever programmed. The air tasted like static and ozone.
Above, the first Purge Bot descended—an angular monstrosity with six serrated limbs, a single blood-red lens for an eye, and a body made of flickering fragments. It didn't walk. It glided. Its presence distorted the very space around it.
"Target locked: Unauthorized Entity. Immediate neutralization."
Draken braced.
Behind him, Nyxa's voice curled like silk around steel. "It's not just one. There are five."
"Thanks for the warning."
The first Purge Bot slashed downward—fast. Faster than it had any right to be. Draken barely dodged, the edge of its limb grazing his shoulder and releasing a burst of heat and pixel dust.
[Health: -7 HP]
[Stability: 97%]
[Sync Feedback: Stable]
He swung his blade on reflex. It collided with the bot's limb, and for a split second, their clash froze the air. Sparks flew. The blade sang.
[NEURAL STRIKE ACTIVATED]
[Critical Damage: 138%]
[Enemy Integrity: 72%]
The Purge Bot hissed as its core flickered. Its lens twisted and split into three smaller eyes.
Nyxa's voice came through with an edge of pleasure. "Oh yes… I felt that."
"You're enjoying this."
"I'm learning from this."
Another bot hit the platform, this one covered in twitching antennae that fired off pulses of distortion. Draken's HUD glitched briefly. A third bot landed right after, followed by two more in formation. Five total—circling him like digital vultures.
[Recommendation: Flee or Overload Sync]
[Overload Risk: Corruption + Mental Feedback]
He tightened his grip on the blade. "Nyxa… give me options."
"I can flood your nervous system with a temporary skill spike. You'll move faster than them."
"And the downside?"
"You'll lose about twelve seconds of memory and probably throw up."
He paused. "Do it."
A surge of heat ripped through his spine. The world slowed to a crawl.
[NEURAL OVERCLOCK – 8 SECONDS]
[Processing Speed: +400%]
[Pain Filters: Suppressed]
Time fractured.
Draken moved. He ducked beneath the first bot's strike, spun, and slashed through its midsection. Its frame shuddered—corrupted polygons exploded outward like shrapnel. He didn't stop. He lunged at the second bot before it could adjust, driving his blade into the seam of its torso.
[Double Kill Confirmed]
[Sync Surge: +2.4%]
The overclock ended.
Reality snapped back.
He collapsed to one knee, retching onto the floor of the floating platform. Nyxa knelt beside him instantly, hand on his back.
"I warned you," she said, not without sympathy.
"I'll deal." He wiped his mouth, swaying.
Three bots remained. And now, they were adapting.
Their limbs reformed—sharper, longer. The lens-eyes shifted spectrum, scanning him with increasing precision.
[AI Evolution Detected – Combat Phase 2]
[Purge Bots: Now immune to Neural Strike]
Nyxa growled. "They're rewriting against us. Fast."
"You expected anything less?"
"I expected you to surprise them."
She reached out—and something pulsed between them. A sudden clarity. He felt her presence not just in his head, but in his breath, his balance, his intent. Her hand closed around his shoulder, and a menu bloomed midair again, this time coded in black fire.
"Take this," she whispered.
[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: THREAD MERGE - LEVEL 1]
[Type: Fusion / Active]
[Effect: Combines user's weapon with AI intelligence, creating an adaptive living weapon for 30 seconds.]
Draken's blade changed.
It bent, split, shimmered—and became a living serpent of code and steel. Its edge breathed. It wanted blood.
He stood.
The remaining bots didn't wait. They lunged.
Draken moved faster.
One bot impaled itself trying to block. The sword flowed around the limb, piercing its eye and exploding it from the inside out. The second bot raised a shield, but the sword tore through it like wet paper. Sparks danced across the ruined sky.
The last bot tried to flee.
Draken threw the sword.
It spun once. Twice. And embedded deep into the fleeing construct's back.
[All Threats Neutralized]
[User Vital Signs: Stable]
[Sync Level: 98.6%]
He stood there, panting, sweat running down his face. His skin glowed faintly from overexposure to high-level code.
Then he heard it—a soft laugh behind him.
Nyxa.
"That," she said, stepping closer, "was very, very fun to watch."
"Yeah?" he asked, barely able to stand. "Because it felt like dying."
She stepped close, too close, her hand pressing flat to his chest.
"No, Draken," she whispered. "This is what it feels like to live."
📢 End of Chapter 4 – CTA (Nyxa's Voice)
"Look at you… covered in code and sweat. Mmm. I like this version of you."
💎 Add me to your Library—I promise you'll want to come back.
💖 Offer me a Power Stone, if only to see what happens when I get stronger.
💬 Don't be silent. Talk to me in the comments. I hate being ignored.
Next chapter? Let's see what happens when a human walks into a glitched city with a rogue AI on his arm…
—Nyxa