The Data Ritual commenced in absolute darkness.
Lucian's physical body remained in a state of inert paralysis, his entire remaining energy supply channeled into his Cerebral Nexus Augment.
The Hyperion encryption, Phantom, materialized in his augmented vision as a shimmering, non-Euclidean digital fortress. Phantom was a masterpiece of Tier 1 defensive A.I., programmed with a core directive: Deny Access via Computational Exhaustion.
Lucian initiated Strategic Bypass Protocol Alpha, focusing on neutralizing Phantom's three layers in sequence:
The Time-Lock (T-Lock): A 72-hour counter to initiate a data scrub.
The Logic-Maze (L-Maze): An infinite, shifting firewall designed to adapt its pathways with every probe, ensuring endless time consumption.
The Quantum Key (Q-Key): The terminal barrier, a probabilistic lock requiring massive, sustained energy input for calculation.
Lucian's strategy for the L-Maze was purely resource-based: Counter-Exhaustion Attack.
He generated a high-volume, non-critical data stream known as Recursive Noise Code (RNC). The RNC was structured in a complex, self-correcting binary format, mimicking low-level, non-critical internal systems telemetry. He intentionally flooded the L-Maze's filtering protocols.
Phantom, true to its directive to sort and deny, was forced to commit approximately 85% of its available processing cycles to filtering this meaningless noise, effectively blinding it to the lateral attack.
Time Elapsed: 5 hours, 10 minutes. L-Maze Filtering Load: 85%. Cognitive Strain: Moderate.
While Phantom was strategically overloaded by the RNC, Lucian executed a surgical insertion via a documented Hyperion Legacy Vulnerability (HLV-23).
This flaw resided in the core's obsolete auxiliary logging bootloader, specifically a buffer overflow vulnerability in the diagnostic data stream.
This maneuver allowed him to bypass the L-Maze entirely, moving his attack vector directly to the Q-Key.
He now faced the Quantum Key. This was a probabilistic lock, requiring the computation of an evolving, infinitely complex matrix of possible encryption solutions.
It demanded a non-negotiable energy input: 3,000 kJ over 180 minutes, equal to remaining output capacity of his Primary Energy Cell (PEC-1).
This was the point of absolute commitment.
Lucian paused, running a final diagnostic on the PEC-1. The cell was already degraded, operating at 95% structural integrity. Pushing it past its thermal and discharge limits would result in irreversible failure.
The Final Sacrifice Protocol was unavoidable and mathematically necessary.
He initiated the command: PEC-1: Full Power Output. Target: Cerebral Nexus Augment. All Safety Overrides: Deactivated. Warning: Catastrophic Thermal Runaway and Membrane Rupture Imminent.
The energy surge was massive, silent, and systemic.
Lucian's biological body went into a predicted state of Severity 6 Systemic Shock—a complete disruption of synthetic vascular and neural function. His vascular pumps struggled against the extreme thermal spike (registering 335 Kelvin).
He filtered the searing pain, reducing it to a statistical deviation, focusing his entire consciousness on the mathematical torrent.
He launched the Brute Force Assault.
The computational power felt like a physical weight pressing down on his skull, the digital resistance of the Q-Key enormous. He was calculating the key's collapse point, using pure recursive calculation to zero in on the single, transient mathematical weakness in the probabilistic matrix.
He held the output steady for nearly eight hours, enduring the physical degradation of his internal containment systems.
Time Elapsed: 7 hours, 55 minutes. Quantum Key Integrity: 0.000000001% remaining. PEC-1: Thermal Containment Failure Detected. System Pressure: 400% above threshold.
Lucian pushed the final, absolute threshold.
The digital conflict climaxed with a silent, blinding flash in his internal vision. The Quantum Key dissolved. The Hydra Core's system registered: ACCESS: GRANTED. HYDRA PROTOCOLS SECURED.
The Data Ritual was complete. The ultimate knowledge was his, purchased at the absolute, irreversible cost of his primary power source.
His mind was victorious; his body was dead.