The plaza was a mess of twisted debris and faint arcs of residual energy, but Kaelen didn't pause. His legs bent, launching him forward like a predator, aura flaring as he moved.
"Multiple threats incoming," the Forge warned, its voice crisp in his mind. "Vectors intersecting. Suggest preemptive strike."
Kaelen's eyes glowed faint blue. "Good. Let's see how fast they can react."
From the horizon, more Fractal units dropped, arcs of silver slicing through Neptune's clouds. This time, they were coordinated, closing in from angles that should have been impossible to cover. But Kaelen didn't hesitate.
He twisted mid-air, phasing slightly out of normal space. When he struck, his fist didn't just hit one unit, it folded through multiple dimensions simultaneously. Each impact ripped a unit apart, energy snapping back into him. The aura around him pulsed violently, feeding his physical strength and reflexes in real-time.
"Aetron absorption rate exceeding predictions. Cortical efficiency optimal," the Forge said. "Shall we escalate?"
Kaelen smirked faintly. "Always."
One unit lunged at him, claws extended, moving faster than his eyes could track. He didn't need to see it fully, his Cortex-Forge integration predicted the strike before it arrived. He twisted, phasing through its attack, and slammed a foot into its chest. It shattered mid-air, its fragments folding back into the Aetronic lattice.
"Optimal energy absorption achieved," the Forge noted. "Aura growth confirmed. Physical enhancement threshold reached."
Kaelen didn't pause to appreciate it. Another wave came. He pivoted, struck, blocked, and phased again, moving fluidly between the physical and partially higher-dimensional planes.
Suddenly, a shimmering figure appeared at the edge of the battlefield, a Fourth-Dimensional being, moving across multiple planes, its form semi-transparent but bristling with intent. It struck at Kaelen from directions that didn't exist in three-dimensional space.
"Intertwining entity detected. Engagement recommended. Phase adjustment required," the Forge said.
Kaelen's body reacted instinctively. He moved along projected threads, his fists and feet striking angles the entity couldn't predict. Each hit fractured space momentarily, sending energy arcs spiraling around him. The being screamed, if it could be called that, its energy feeding directly into Kaelen's aura.
Lyra's voice trembled from the sidelines. "Kaelen… it's… it's feeding you energy!"
Kaelen's eyes glinted coldly. "Good. Let it. I'll take everything it gives."
Above them, Titans shifted subtly. One of their massive forms extended an arm, harmonic pulses brushing against Kaelen. He felt them measure him, weighing his growing power against centuries of experience.
"They observe… cautiously," the Forge said. "Continue. Efficiency and survival prioritized."
Kaelen's hands glowed brighter as he moved, weaving attacks in a dance that was as much mathematical as physical. He struck multiple units simultaneously, phasing through attacks, absorbing energy, and ruthlessly dismantling the attackers.
The Fourth-Dimensional being hesitated, its movements faltering. Kaelen's aura pulsed with raw energy, cold and precise. Each strike, each dodge, each absorbed unit pushed him further into partial-4D mastery.
The last unit fell. Kaelen landed lightly, chest rising and falling, aura shimmering like a storm contained within him. He didn't look triumphant, he looked calculated, ruthless, and entirely aware of the consequences of his actions.
Lyra whispered, awestruck, "Kaelen… they're… they're all gone…"
He didn't answer immediately. His eyes scanned the horizon, focusing on the faint shimmer of the Fourth-Dimensional being. It lingered, observing, measuring, waiting.
"Fulcrum influence stabilizing," the Forge noted. "Aura reservoir expanded. Physical and dimensional synergy peak within current threshold."
Kaelen exhaled slowly. "Good. But this is only the beginning."
Far above, the Titans' shadows stretched across the clouds. Their harmonics pulsed faintly, not in attack, but in calculation. Kaelen had grown. They had noticed.
And somewhere beyond the edges of perception, the Fourth Layer was stirring, aware that the Fulcrum had awakened fully.
Kaelen landed on the plaza, the debris still smoldering from his previous fight. His aura pulsed faintly, threads of Aetron Energy weaving across the ruined stone like veins of cold fire.
"New units approaching from multiple vectors," the Forge noted. Its voice was calm but layered with anticipation. "They've adjusted tactics. Engagement efficiency critical."
Kaelen flexed his fingers. "Good. Let's see if they can keep up."
From the horizon, the Fractal Armada descended, larger this time. They weren't just scouts, they were coordinated squads, slicing through Neptune's clouds with predatory precision. Their metallic forms reflected light, a glinting storm of death.
Kaelen moved first. He didn't run; he phased. Each step bent partially into the Fourth Layer, letting him skirt the first attacks with fluid, impossible motion. A squadron lunged at him, claws extended. He twisted mid-air, striking two units in one motion, phasing a third through a higher-dimensional vector. Each strike fed his aura, coldly, efficiently.
Lyra shouted from the sidelines, "Kaelen… stop! You'll"
"Watch," he said quietly. His voice was calm, but every syllable carried lethal focus.
A new shadow appeared at the edge of the battlefield, a Fourth-Dimensional being, larger than the last, shimmering with energy that twisted across planes Kaelen had only begun to perceive.
"Intertwining detected. They're testing you," the Forge said. "Phase vectors unstable. Adapt or risk backlash."
Kaelen gritted his teeth. He felt the lattice of Aetron Energy respond to the being's presence, threads bending, folding, and snapping back as he moved. He struck, not with brute force, but with calculated precision. Each hit folded the being partially into 3D space, destabilizing it while siphoning energy directly into his aura.
"Cortical adaptation accelerating. Physical enhancement exceeding threshold. Aura reserves optimal," the Forge noted.
A second wave of Armada units landed near the humans. Kaelen's eyes flicked toward them. Without hesitation, he moved again. This time, he didn't just strike the attackers, he manipulated the environment.
Stone slabs rose, bending along higher-dimensional lines, forming swinging barriers and crushing arcs. Units that had coordinated perfectly found themselves ensnared in impossible traps. Kaelen struck, phased, and absorbed energy, moving with ruthless efficiency.
Lyra gasped. "Kaelen… they're… gone!"
He didn't smile. His eyes scanned the battlefield, aura pulsing. "Not gone," he murmured. "Just… out of the way."
Above, the Titans shifted. One extended an arm, harmonic pulses brushing against Kaelen's awareness. He felt centuries of observation, measuring, calculating. They were not intervening, yet, but the weight of their attention pressed against him.
"They're watching more closely now," the Forge said. "Efficiency and ruthlessness noted."
Kaelen flexed, aura flaring. "Good. Let them watch. I'm just getting started."
At the edge of perception, the Fourth-Dimensional being pulsed. Its energy shimmered, almost contemplative. Kaelen felt it adjusting, learning, recognizing the lattice of his power. He didn't hesitate. Every movement, every strike, fed him more energy, more control, more dominance.
The plaza was no longer just a battlefield, it was a testament to his evolving power, a lattice of shadows and light bending around his will.