Arcturus, the pulsating core of Battlefield Eternal, shimmered with ambition, its spires casting kaleidoscopic reflections across streets teeming with players. Kael Draven strode through the city's core district, his Nightstalker's Cloak, Guardian's Pauldron, Crimson Overlord's Crest, Warden's Gauntlet, and Founder's Sigil radiating an aura that silenced onlookers. At level 21, his glitched stats—driven by Conceptual Flaw, Fragmented Insight, and Erratic Resonance—surpassed Arcturus's elite, his Void Slash ability crackling with cosmic power. Eleven Fragments of the Eternal glowed in his inventory, synced with the Spire Codex and Citadel Key, pointing to the Origin Crystal—the prize that could ascend humanity. The novice village was a distant memory, Lena and Markus crushed, Joren cowed. Rhea's Arcane Dominion had issued a challenge, and Cassian's Shadow Cabal lurked, their betrayals fueling Kael's resolve. With 721 days until the invasion, Arc 2: City Dominance was his battlefield, and Arcturus would kneel.
Syl and Torren flanked him, their roles critical: Syl's hacking unraveled the game's code, amplifying Kael's glitches, while Torren's hammer smashed any resistance. Trust was a relic, but their skills were indispensable. Kael's Fragmented Insight scanned the plaza: Threat: Arcane Dominion Scouts. Preparing Ambush. Rhea's guild was mobilizing, her arcane archers a threat to rival Markus's fallen Sentinels. A holographic banner flashed above: Eclipse Trials Open. City-Wide Leveling Event. Top Prize: Eclipse Relic. The trials were a gauntlet of arenas, each spawning constructs and rewarding points for kills, with leaderboards tracking progress. Kael saw a chance—not just to level, but to crush Rhea's ambush and cement his legend as the Bug King.
Syl's interface glowed, pulling data. "The trials are brutal," she said. "Level-20 to 25 constructs across five arenas, each tougher than the last. Points scale with kills, and the top earner gets the Eclipse Relic—a founder-crafted item. Rhea's guild is entered, and Cassian's Cabal is watching. You're walking into their trap."
"Let them spring it," Kael replied, his voice ice. He approached the trial NPC, a crystalline construct named Arbiter Lyss. "Solo entry," he said, his Conceptual Flaw subtly warping the NPC's verification. Lyss's eyes flickered, granting access. The crowd murmured, their spectator feeds buzzing. Kael's Fragmented Insight caught Rhea's scouts: Intent: Sabotage. Target Leaderboard. He grinned. They'd regret challenging him.
The portal whisked Kael to the first arena, a coliseum of shifting obsidian platforms. Level-20 constructs spawned—sleek sentinels with plasma blades. Syl and Torren stood at the edge, ready to support. The objective flashed: Eliminate Constructs. Earn Points. Kael gripped his Chieftain's Blade, its Void Slash humming. The sentinels charged, blades flashing. Fragmented Insight revealed: Weak Point: Blade Hubs. Disrupt. Kael's Void Slash struck, Erratic Resonance amplifying the hit into a shockwave. The sentinels shattered, their loot doubling—Obsidian Shards and Plasma Cores—under Conceptual Flaw's influence. Points flooded his leaderboard: Bug King: 500.
The crowd roared via the feeds, but Rhea's scouts moved, their arcane archers firing from hidden platforms. Fragmented Insight flashed: Weakness: Arrow Runes. Deflect. Kael spun, his blade redirecting arrows back at their shooters. Erratic Resonance turned the deflection into a barrage, dropping three archers. Conceptual Flaw warped their stealth runes, exposing them. Kael struck, their health bars zeroing. Loot piled—Arcane Quivers and a Rune of Precision. His points surged: Bug King: 1,200.
The second arena was a maze of void traps and level-21 constructs—hulking brutes with energy hammers. Kael's glitches made short work of them. Conceptual Flaw disabled traps, their beams fizzling. Fragmented Insight pinpointed hammer cores, and Erratic Resonance turned his Void Slash into explosions, clearing waves. Loot tripled—Void Ingots and a Hammer Core (boosting strength). His level hit 22, his stats soaring. Points: Bug King: 2,800. The feeds buzzed: "He's breaking the trials!"
Rhea's Arcane Dominion struck again, a full squad—ten players, levels 18 to 22—led by an elite archer, Veyla, Rhea's lieutenant. "Bug King," she sneered. "Rhea says you're a glitch to be erased." Kael's Fragmented Insight revealed: Weakness: Squad Coordination. Disrupt Veyla. He charged, dodging a volley of arcane arrows. Conceptual Flaw warped their trajectories, arrows striking allies. Veyla's bow glowed, but Kael's Void Slash struck her, Erratic Resonance amplifying the hit. Her health plummeted, and Conceptual Flaw glitched her squad's interface, scattering their formation. Kael's blade swept through, dropping the squad. Loot rained—Arcane Crests and a Starlit Bow. Points: Bug King: 4,500.
The third arena introduced level-22 constructs—agile drones with laser nets. Kael's Fragmented Insight showed: Weak Point: Net Emitters. Sever. His Void Slash cut through, Erratic Resonance turning strikes into shockwaves. Conceptual Flaw glitched the drones' AI, causing them to entangle each other. Loot quadrupled—Laser Cores and a Net Disruptor (enhancing agility). His level hit 23, and points soared: Bug King: 7,200. Syl whispered, "You're forcing the system to rewrite spawn rates."
The fourth arena was a crucible of level-23 constructs—titan-like machines with void cannons. Traps fired cosmic beams, and platforms collapsed unpredictably. Kael's glitches dominated: Conceptual Flaw warped cannon trajectories, Fragmented Insight revealed weak points, and Erratic Resonance amplified his Void Slash into devastating blasts. Constructs fell, loot piling—Cosmic Shards and a Titan Plate (boosting defense). His level reached 24, points at Bug King: 10,000. The crowd chanted, feeds exploding with awe.
The final arena was a crystalline dome, home to the Eclipse Warden, a level-25 boss—a towering construct with twin void scythes, its body pulsing with founder runes. Arbiter Lyss's voice boomed: "Bug King, face the founders' judgment." Kael's Fragmented Insight flashed: Weak Point: Rune Core. Overload. He dodged scythes, his Void Slash striking the core. Erratic Resonance amplified each hit, and Conceptual Flaw warped the Warden's attacks, scythes freezing mid-swing. The Warden summoned drones, but Kael's glitches cleared them instantly. His final Void Slash shattered the core, the Warden dissolving into static.
Loot flooded: an Eclipse Relic (legendary accessory boosting all abilities), ten Cosmic Shards, and a twelfth Fragment of the Eternal. The system stuttered: Eclipse Trials Complete. Top Contributor: Bug King. Leaderboard Dominated. A hidden vault opened, revealing an Eclipse Codex, its description cryptic: Enhances Founder's Map. Unlocks Cosmic Trials. Kael's level hit 25, his stats unmatched in Arcturus.
The portal returned them to the plaza, the crowd erupting in Bug King chants. Syl's interface buzzed. "The Eclipse Codex syncs with your Spire Codex and Citadel Key," she said. "It's mapping more founder strongholds. The Origin Crystal—it's the key to their cosmic crucible. But Rhea's guild is rallying. They're furious."
Kael equipped the Eclipse Relic, its energy amplifying his glitches. His Fragmented Insight caught Veyla retreating, her interface relaying to Rhea: Threat: Arcane Dominion Mobilizing. Ambush Imminent. Kael strode to the plaza's center, where Rhea's guildhall loomed. Veyla reappeared with twenty archers, their bows glowing. "Rhea's orders," she said. "End the Bug King."
Kael smirked. "Try." The system erected a duel arena, feeds broadcasting city-wide. Veyla's archers fired, arrows blazing with arcane energy. Fragmented Insight revealed: Weakness: Volley Sync. Disrupt. Kael's Void Slash swept, Erratic Resonance turning it into a shockwave. Conceptual Flaw warped the arrows, redirecting them into Veyla's squad. Half fell, their health zeroed. Kael charged Veyla, his blade striking her bow. Erratic Resonance amplified the hit, shattering it. Veyla yielded, her squad broken. Loot rained—Arcane Ingots and a Dominion Crest. The crowd roared, Rhea's guild humiliated.
Syl scanned the feeds. "Rhea's pulling back," she said. "But Cassian's Shadow Cabal is moving. They're targeting a stronghold—the Void Nexus. It's your next move." Torren hefted his hammer. "Let's crush them."
Kael nodded, his twelve Fragments of the Eternal pulsing. The founders' game was unraveling, their strongholds exposed. The Eclipse Codex confirmed more trials, each a step toward the Origin Crystal. An NPC emissary appeared, its runes blazing. "Bug King," it said, its voice glitching. "You surge beyond our design. The Void Nexus will test your limits."
"Then I'll break it," Kael replied. The emissary vanished, leaving: Countdown to Invasion: 720 Days. Rhea's retreat and Cassian's schemes loomed, their guilds a challenge Kael would shatter. Arcturus was his, and the Bug King would dominate its every trial.