Beyond the room, the crowd roared as the match was finally about to begin. Every angle of their faces was displayed on massive holographic screens above the transparent container, and every sound inside the room echoed across the stadium.
The event was being broadcast across the entire network, though only the locals were truly invested in watching. Yet somewhere in the high-rise buildings overlooking the stadium, a humanoid observed the match with keen interest. "So, this young man carries a high percentage of Alveryn blood?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," replied another voice. "It's confirmed he's one of them. That's why we arranged for him to face a much stronger opponent."
The humanoid muttered, eyes fixed on the screen. "Hmm… Cedrien, huh?"
Far from Silicon Height, in the quiet city of Neon Spire, the home of the Neural Ascenders, a man named Renvard watched closely. He called out, intrigued, "Selina, come here. Look at the new legendary-class player. You won't believe who it is."
The girl approached, confused, but the moment she saw the screen her eyes widened. "Cedrien… is it really him?"
Renvard sighed, his tone mildly irritated. "Thought so. I knew you'd be interested."
While countless eyes were fixed on them, the room itself remained deathly silent. Only the steady hum of the stability meter filled the air. Then Cilian broke the stillness.
"Do you know what the most important element for human function is, beyond the obvious necessities like food and water?" he asked.
Cedrien, caught off guard by the unexpected question, hesitated before replying. "What is it?"
Cilian continued, calm and composed. "It's the self-image we hold of ourselves. If that collapses, we can't function. You can see it clearly in severe depression cases. The brain subconsciously builds defense mechanisms to protect this fragile construct. It's true for everyone, yourself included." He leaned in slightly, a faint smile on his lips.
Cedrien replied, intrigued but cautious. "That includes you too, doesn't it? People bend the truth to fit their own narratives because it's easier to live with. That's what you're trying to say, right?"
Cilian pointed a finger at him. "Exactly."
At that moment, the system's voice echoed through the room: "Five minutes have passed. Proceeding to the next stage."
Immediately, the temperature dropped, the lights began to flicker, and a faint ticking sound filled the air.
Cilian turned his back slightly and continued, "Just like you've built this defensive mechanism, pretending to be detached from everything superficial, claiming to be more in tune with reality than anyone else. That's why you wear that defeated look. But that's not true. At first, I thought you were here for your dead lover, but…" He smirked.
Cedrien's expression tightened, his body visibly tensing. "What do you mean?" he demanded. Suddenly his eyes widened, sweat began to drip down his temples, and his heartbeat quickened. He felt the same surge of negative emotion twice in quick succession.
So that's his ability, Cedrien thought, struggling to remain composed. He can project the same emotions his opponent felt a few seconds earlier.
The system's voice announced, "Cedrien's mental balance has dropped to 50%."
Cilian chuckled softly. "That really got you, huh? Well, as I was saying, your dead lover." He spoke slowly, deliberately, watching Cedrien's reaction. Then he glanced at the display behind him that showed Cedrien's mental balance. "Hmm, only a 2% drop this time. You adapt quickly. But she's not really the reason, is she? Ahhh… she's part of the defensive mechanism you've built."
Stage Three began. The lights dimmed even further, the sound of heartbeats grew louder, and every word echoed hauntingly. Cedrien felt as though Cilian were cutting him open and exposing his insides for the world to see.
"You use her as an excuse," Cilian pressed on, voice rising, "an excuse for your hunger for power, glory, and control! You know she's never coming back, yet you keep pushing forward because, ah, yes, because you want to fool people!" His voice cracked with excitement. "You want them to underestimate you!"
Everything around Cedrien grew heavier. Cilian's voice thundered through his skull like a blunt strike to the head. The world dulled, the sounds around him faded, but the emotions lingered, replaying in a loop. He leaned back, disoriented and gasping.
The system spoke again: "Cedrien's mental balance has dropped to 10%."
"Requesting a break," Cedrien muttered, and the system granted him 2.5 minutes.
Minutes passed. Cedrien leaned back in his seat, still trying to gather his composure. He questioned himself, Could Cilian have been right? Was Selara less valuable to me than I thought?
The break ended, and Stage Four began. Random whispers filled the air, echoing from both of their memories and traumas. Cedrien's mental balance dropped to 5% as he heard familiar voices, his father and mother calling out to him. His eyes fluttered shut, heavy with exhaustion.
Cilian's mental balance dropped from 80% to 65% as he heard haunting whispers urging him on, "Do it. What are you scared of?"
Cedrien muttered weakly, his body trembling, but his tone steady in defeat. "You're right, Cilian… I still have a will to live, and a will to win. I might be selfish, but that's what makes her all the more special. Because she could make someone like me care, even if only partly."
Cilian tried to compose himself, his movements becoming restless. "Sure, Cedrien… but you've already lost. There's nothing waiting for you after death, not your parents, not your lover."
Cilian's mental stability dropped further, from 65% to 40%, and as the next stage began, the room grew almost completely dark. Only a faint light flickered near the players. The heartbeat grew louder, the whispers more intense, and the shadows warped unnaturally.
Cedrien's mental stability dropped to 1% as he accepted his fate, but Cilian's plummeted to 30%. He looked around wildly, paranoia eating him alive.
Cedrien smirked faintly. "That's why you end your matches so quickly, right? Because you're afraid of the darkness. Did you find your sister's hanging body there?"
He activated his ability, Neural Phantom, amplifying every emotion and sensory distortion.
Cilian froze. Before him, the figure of his deceased sister appeared. Her voice grew louder, incomprehensible, until it turned into distorted gibberish. He clutched his head, trembling violently.
"Why don't you follow her steps and do it, coward!" Cedrien shouted.
The system's voice cut through the chaos: "Cilian's mental balance has dropped to 10%."
But the match wasn't over, at least, not yet. With his remaining focus, Cilian triggered his own ability, doubling the oppressive weight in the air.
Cedrien gasped, feeling a sharp pain in his chest. The voices grew louder, crashing into his mind.
"Cedrien's mental balance has dropped to zero. He is now broken. Cilian, open the box on the table. Inside is a gun. You may shoot him. If you don't within twenty seconds, he will be spared."
Panicked, Cilian opened the box, grabbed the gun, and aimed it at Cedrien, only to freeze. What he saw wasn't Cedrien, it was his sister. His body shook violently as tears streamed down his face.
The countdown continued. 7… 8… 9…
Cedrien, barely conscious, lifted his gaze to meet Cilian one last time before darkness consumed him.
The whispers crescendoed as Cilian screamed. "Shoot yourself! I'm waiting for you," his sister's voice taunted.
And then, Bang.
Cilian shot himself, collapsing instantly to the floor.
The room returned to silence. The system said: "Cedrien has won due to the enemy's inability to continue."
Cedrien slowly opened his eyes, tears sliding down his cheeks as the realization hit him, he was alive.
Then came the mechanical voice of the Neural Link:
"Congratulations. You have defeated a Cipher-rank opponent. You have been promoted to Recon Rank (10th Rank).
+300 Perception
+300 Instinct
+300 Consciousness
+100 Willpower.
Neural Phantom has reached Adept Level. Your skill is now more effective and connects more reliably."