Eryndor Malakar — Kael — knew he was no action hero. He was an Arcanist, and fighting exhausted, with little Mana, would be a programming error. The best strategy was to recover resources.
He found a relatively clean spot near the stacked logs, away from the warmth of the fire, and lay down. The adrenaline of the day slowly gave way to the accumulated fatigue of ten years of obsession and the shock of rewriting reality.
He closed his eyes, allowing the system to do its work. He felt his Mana Bar replenish, the flow of energy stabilizing after the strain of compilation.
Sleep came, but it was restless: flashes of code, broken lines, and the piercing hum of Cyber Demons echoing in his mind.
The Watch Duty
A rough touch on his shoulder woke him before sunrise. It was Lena.
"Your shift, Kael. East watch. Keep your eyes on the dark forest. If you see anything, blow the alarm horn."
He rose, his body heavy but his mind clear. He checked his Mana Bar mentally:
100/100 Mana. Perfect. Full resources.
Gripping the rudimentary staff, he headed to the eastern section of the fence, facing the densest and darkest part of the Blue River Forest — the same direction where he had reported shadows to Alaric.
The sun had not yet broken the horizon. The dim light cast long, treacherous shadows.
The Hum
An hour passed in silence, until the sound froze him inside. It was no animal's roar.
It was a sharp, metallic hum, like the whine of an overloaded engine, mixed with a rhythmic ticking that seemed to come from the forest's depths.
The sound was approaching fast.
Kael braced himself against the logs of the fence. A Cyber Demon. And it wasn't using the Imperial Road — it was cutting through the dense woods.
Grass and shrubs fifty meters away burst open violently.
The creature emerged.
A man, but with parts replaced by gleaming black metal bolted to flesh. His head was covered by a fiber-optic mask glowing red. Thin, rapid arms held a curved machete forged from a server blade. The ticking came from a device embedded in his chest.
He stopped. Optical eyes locked onto Kael. A robotic voice echoed, laden with static:
"Data Processing Error. Algorithm. Located. Restore. System."
The target was identified. The Demon Lord had sent his minion directly to the camp.
The Alarm
Kael did not hesitate. He dropped the staff and sprinted to the horn hanging from the watchtower. With the Demon less than thirty meters away, he blew with all his strength.
The shrill sound echoed through the forest and the camp.
The Demon changed tactics. Abandoning the charge, it began climbing the fence with disturbing agility, metal scraping against wood.
Kael snatched up the staff again. He had only seconds.
Alaric and several guards, including Lena and Rurik, rushed from the cabins. "To the east fence! Hurry!" Alaric shouted.
The Demon reached the top and leapt into the camp. Dust rose from the impact. It landed before Kael, machete raised.
"Algorithm. Destroy. Source."
The blade swung in a horizontal arc, aimed at his head.
The Shift
Kael focused 15 Mana. "Algorithm Shift!"
The world bent and stretched. His body moved not by muscle, but by a hack in the coordinate system.
He reappeared three meters to the right, beside the fence.
The machete struck only air, tearing earth and dirt. The blue bug-trail dissipated quickly.
The Demon hissed in frustration. "Pattern Error. Spatial Distortion. Target. Confirmed."
The Battle
Alaric and Rurik arrived. "It's a Cyber Demon! Attack!"
Alaric's short sword and Rurik's axe clashed against the creature's metallic limbs, producing a deafening clang. The metal held firm.
Kael saw his chance. He raised the staff, visualizing the Initial Flame as a concentrated error pulse.
"Initial Flame!" — he channeled 5 Mana.
The tip glowed blue. A jet of cold fire struck the Demon's thigh, at the junction of flesh and metal.
The metal screeched. "Error! Heat. Junction Failure!" the robotic voice cried.
Staggering, the Demon loosened its guard. Alaric seized the moment and drove his sword into the exposed flank.
The ticking in its chest accelerated frantically. It shoved the guards back, wounded and enraged.
It turned to Kael. "Magic detected. Priority: Eliminate Arcanist!"
Limping, it advanced. Ten meters separated Kael from the creature.
Alaric shouted: "Kael! He's coming for you! Get away from the fence!"
Eryndor Malakar — Kael — knew the Initial Flame was his only resource. The system error corroding the Cyber Demon was his opening, and pressing it could be the key to disabling the sentient machine.
The staff rose once more. Mana surged, vibrating in his bones, as his focus locked onto the flaw he had triggered in the creature's leg.
"Initial Flame! Again!" Kael cried, consuming another 5 Mana.
The blue flame shot forth, striking the Demon's metallic shoulder. The impact made the monster stagger, its metal smoking, the red mask flickering in desperation.
Cyber Demon: "Critical damage… recalibrating…"
The machete fell with a crash. Instead of attacking, the Demon raised its thin, metallic arms. The ticking in its chest accelerated into a deafening frenzy, accompanied by a piercing whine — the sound of a system collapsing.
Cyber Demon: "Combat system failure… reverting to escape protocol…"
With a chaotic leap, it dug its appendages into the fence and began a frantic climb. Alaric and Rurik charged, alarmed.
"Don't let it escape!" Alaric shouted.
But Kael had already made his decision. If the Demon fled, the camp would be doomed. Panic transformed into determination.
He channeled fifteen Mana. "No! He won't escape! Algorithm Shift!"
The world blinked. In an instant, Kael was atop the fence, above the creature. The Demon froze, shocked by the sudden appearance.
Without a sword, Kael used the staff as a stake. With the weight of gravity and the force of Rewriting, he drove it into the pulsating device in the creature's chest.
The impact was devastating. Blue and black sparks exploded in every direction.
Cyber Demon: "Critical failure… The Book of Code… The… Code… N…o…"
The red light went out. The body collapsed heavily toward the forest. The silence that followed was suffocating.
Kael breathed heavily, but he was unharmed. He descended from the fence cautiously as the guards approached, stunned.
"You… you did this…" murmured Rurik, staring at the corpse.
Alaric, limping, came closer. His eyes scanned the staff, Kael's simple clothes, and finally his face. The disdain was gone, replaced by respect.
"Kael. You are not an office worker. Who or what are you? And what the hell is this 'code'?"
Kael held his gaze, but his voice carried calculated confusion. "I don't know, Captain. I swear I don't. I was just an accountant… an ordinary man. When the world changed, I found this staff. When I touched it, the knowledge of magic simply… entered me. It's like a key. I only know how to conjure the blue flame and move as I did just now. Nothing more."
The explanation was vague, but convincing. The power was real, but the responsibility lay with the artifact.
Alaric drew a deep breath. He looked at Rurik and Lena, who shared the same astonishment. "An artifact… then you are a Mage." He massaged his injured leg, assessing the situation. "Well, Mage Kael. Artifact or not, you saved many lives here."
His eyes turned to the inert body of the Demon. "If the Demon Lord is sending personal assassins, we can no longer ignore the Imperial Road. And you, Kael… you are now a target."
With a firm expression, Alaric gave orders: "Rurik, take men to examine the body. Lena, help me back to my cabin. Kael… we need to talk about defenses."
The Captain limped away as the guards gathered around the fence. The air still carried the smell of burnt metal and magic, but the camp had survived — for now.
The silence after the Cyber Demon's fall still hung heavy over the outpost. The scent of scorched metal and churned earth mingled with the cold dawn air. Every guard looked at Kael with a mix of fear and reverence.
He had survived. More than that: he had won.
But the victory was not his alone. It was also a clear sign that the Demon Lord knew where to look. The attack had not been random. It was a hunt.
The Alliance
In the main cabin, Captain Alaric, limping, traced plans over the leather-scribbled map. His voice was firm, even in pain. "They will come in force. The attack failed, but it is not over. We must act before the next wave destroys us."
Kael, still breathless, gripped the staff tightly. The weight of responsibility crushed him, but also gave him purpose. "Captain, I accept the mission. But we must think like them. The Demon Lord does not act like a warrior, but like a system. He protects strategic points. If we strike those points, we can weaken him."
Alaric nodded, impressed. "Then it will be so. The Imperial Road is our route. Three sites may be crucial: the Data Plant to the North, the Logistics Hub at the Center, and the Transmission Tower to the South. If we destroy them or learn what is happening there, we gain an advantage."
He breathed deeply, fixing his eyes on Kael. "You will lead the reconnaissance team. I will send Lena and Dorian with you."
Eryndor Malakar — Kael — knew Alaric's loyalty depended on usefulness. A wounded leader was a weakness, and healing him now, even with an improvised spell, could consolidate his authority and ensure the camp's safety in his absence.
Ignoring the map, Kael knelt beside the Captain, who was still examining his injured leg. "Captain, the Imperial Road can wait a few minutes. If you cannot move, who will defend the camp?" he said, touching Alaric's leg. "My staff does not only burn. It can… rewrite damage."
He closed his eyes, focusing all his intent. Ten Mana points drained, forcing the compilation of a new line of code: biological reversal to its previous state.
The interface flashed in his mind.
[NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED]
Code Suture (Cost: 10 Mana)
Temporarily rewrites biological code, accelerating tissue repair. Heals minor wounds.
Kael opened his eyes. The spell was ready. He channeled another 10 Mana, and a soft green light emanated from the staff, enveloping Alaric's leg. The swelling vanished, the redness faded. Within seconds, the Captain moved his foot, incredulous.
"My God… What was that?" he murmured, rising and walking across the cabin. "It's as if it never happened."
Lena watched, stunned. "He doesn't just heal, Captain. He restores."
Alaric looked at Kael with reverence and fear. "Kael… you have our full trust."
Regeneration
But Kael knew trust was not enough. The Imperial Road was the enemy's lair, and 40 Mana was a dangerously low reserve. He needed to restore his resources.
He excused himself and returned to the secluded spot near the logs. Sitting down, he closed his eyes and sank into deep meditation. The flow of the simulation pulsed around him, slow but steady.
Time passed. An hour and a half of intense concentration. Mana: 55/100. Not ideal, but better than before.
Preparations
Back in the cabin, he found Lena, Dorian, and Alaric ready. Lena wore reinforced leather armor. Dorian, lean and agile, carried a bow and arrows. Alaric stood firm, restored by the healing.
"Kael, you are the leader of this mission," declared the Captain. "Lena will handle security. Dorian, navigation. The objective: observation. Bring back information about the Cyber Demon's forward camp at the Logistics Hub."
Kael raised the staff, assuming his role. "Let's go. We are not warriors in this mission. We are observers. If we see something too great, we retreat. Mana is limited."
Alaric gestured, serious: "Take water and supplies for three days. Good luck, Kael. Bring Lena and Dorian back."
Departure
The trio left the Blue River Outpost, following the trail westward. The sun was rising, painting the forest in golden hues. The air was heavy, as if reality itself awaited the next move.
Ahead, the dreaded Imperial Road awaited them.
Eryndor Malakar knew: the journey had only just begun. The true test lay beyond the forest.