đč Part I: The Priority Algorithm
Kael Varis emerged from the dark, damp labyrinth of the fragmented Underground. His Data Archive Slot 1 was full of [Log Data: Ghoul_Vibration_Response], and his Mental Energy, regenerated, pulsed with sharp clarity. He had his methodâexploiting systemsâbut now he needed a long-term strategy.
He found himself near Charing Cross, or rather, what was left of it. The facades of the buildings were shredded, opening the view to a landscape of layered chaos. In the distance, where the National Gallery once stood, the silent threat of a section of the Obsidian Pyramid loomed, its volcanic walls stretching across blocks. The sky above was a mosaic of unstable code.
Kael listened, not with his ears, but with his mind. He sensed the resolution, the way the System was attempting to stabilize the Fragments. His next move, calculated with the cold logic of an optimization algorithm, was a High-Level Variable. Killing Ghouls provided Data, but a powerful ally was a better investment for survival.
"If the world is a game, I need to recruit the strongest character, even if she has a critical debuff," Kael muttered, his target fixed on a Balancing Error that only the Archivist could solve.
đ» Part II: Hacking the Closed Circuit
To search for his Level 15 anomaly, Kael needed a surveillance network. He found an ideal spot: a CCTV camera mounted on a pole near a ruined red telephone box. The camera was physically damaged, but the Wi-Fi transmission hub, once dedicated to the municipal security circuit, still pulsed with a weak signal, stubbornly trying to communicate.
[Kael uses: Scan Entity]
[CCTV TRANSMISSION HUB: Level 10 (Corrupt Frame). Log: Continuous System Query Attempt (QUERY: Searching for Life Signs (NON-HOSTILE)). Status: VULNERABLE. Weakness (80%): Legacy TCP/IP Protocol.]
It was perfect. The city's surveillance system was trying to do its job but didn't recognize anything in the new world. It was a useless search loop.
Kael placed his hand on the metal pole, concentrating on the old protocol's code. This time, the use of [Deconstruct Interface] was more focused, less painful. He wasn't forcing reality; he was hijacking a failing system for his own ends.
[Kael uses: Deconstruct Interface] (Focus: Query Hijack).
> CCTV_QUERY.Target = HIGH_LEVEL_ENTITY > CCTV_QUERY.Filter = STATS_DEX_OVER_20 OR CLASS_HIDDEN > CCTV_QUERY.Output = DISPLAY_COORDINATES_TO_LOCAL_ARCHIVIST
The camera flickered. The small transmission hub began emitting a high-pitched whine, and after several seconds of glitching, a pointer appeared in Kael's peripheral vision, overlaid on a distorted holographic map of London.
TARGET ACQUIRED:Coordinates: 51.5074° N, 0.1278° W (Westminster/Buckingham Palace Area) Entity: Elara (ID N/A) Level: 15 Class: Demon Hunter (Elite) Stats: DEX 30, STR 25 (MAXED) Current Stats: (75% Attack/Speed Reduction) Bug/Debuff: [CURSE: STATS LOCKED - Permanently Active.]
"Level 15, Hidden Elite Class, and Agility 30," Kael hissed with a mix of excitement and apprehension. This woman was the key to long-term survival. The bug was his entry ticket.
đĄïž Part III: The Paralyzed Hunter
The distance was about a mile. Kael ran, navigating between abandoned cars the System had labeled as [Common Obstacle]. He headed west, toward the most massive, highest-Level Fragment: the area around Buckingham Palace, now a dungeon themed around dark, ruined royalty.
When he reached the scene, the contrast was brutal. The Fragment was not a swamp or a pyramid, but the ruin of an ancient, sick gray stone fortress, its boundary cutting the asphalt street in half.
At the center of the scene, surrounded by four Briar Wraiths (Lv. 10)âskeletal creatures wrapped in thorny vines that drained Health Points on contactâstood Elara.
She was a tall, lean, and muscular woman, wearing light, practical black plate armour. Her bastard sword, long and sharp, moved with a grace that Kael, though no fighter, recognized as pure martial artistry. It was the grace of speed, of Agility 30, but her movements were forcibly slow, and her strikes lacked decisive impact.
Click. Kael scanned her again, just to be sure.
Status: Under the effect of [CURSE: STATS LOCKED - 75% Damage and Speed Reduction. Remaining Time: PERMANENT.]Debug:Curse code requires an [Archivist Class Override] or higher for removal.
Elara was clearly frustrated. A Wraith grazed her, and her health bar slightly dipped, confirming the draining effect of the thorns. She was a war machine, but with the systemic parking brake engaged.
"I don't have time for these games!" Elara yelled, her voice sharp with anger and desperation. She delivered a perfect slash that should have cleaved the Wraith in two, but the monster merely stepped back, taking minimal damage on its interface.
đ€ Part IV: The Archivist's Proposal
Kael saw his opening. The Wraiths were focused on Elara. He stepped out of his cover, hands raised in a non-combat gesture.
"Hey! Demon Hunter!" Kael shouted, trying to overcome the noise of the fight.
Elara sharply turned, her sword lowered, her green eyes cold with fury. Her gaze judged Kaelâan unarmed, Level 1 man in tech office clothesâand immediately dismissed him.
"Get out, recruit! I don't have time for civilians," Elara hissed, parrying a Wraith's attack without resolving the fight.
"I'm Kael Varis, Archivist Level 1! And I found your bug! You have a [CURSE: STATS LOCKED] active that cuts your damage by 75%!" Kael yelled.
Elara froze for a moment. Despite the pain and the urgency, the mention of the word "bug" and the exact damage reduction number forced her to hesitate.
"What did you say? Archivist?" Elara demanded, her voice now filled with urgent hope.
Kael seized the moment. "It's a bug in your Hidden Tier fusion code. The System generated you too powerful and put a permanent balancing flag on you! I can use my [Deconstruct Interface] ability to patch that code. But I need your protection. And access to your data."
Elara assessed the situation: her health bar was slowly draining, her attacks were useless. It was a slow death sentence. And this civilian was talking about code.
Elara shoved a Wraith away with a swift kick, her eyes locked on Kael. Then, the battle grimace returned. "If you are lying, I will tear you apart myself. But if you're telling the truth... What exactly do you want, Archivist?"
Kael was direct, his mind cold and analytical. "The Contract is clear: I fix your bug, you protect me and allow me to analyze the code you generate. I want access to [Scan] every rare item you find. Knowledge is my currency. Do you accept?"
Elara raised her sword in a cold, determined gesture of acceptance. "I accept. But I don't have time. I need the patch now. Can you do it? You don't look ready for another exploit."
Kael raised a hand. He could do it. His recharge loop had prepared him.
"Yes," Kael said. "But hold still. Don't move, or I might crash your interface."