Boundless Chronicles

Chapter 7: The Rogue's Toll, I

High above the ruined transit Station, the floating administrative platforms ground to a Sudden, absolute halt.

Kuuong!

A heavy iron drop-pod slammed into the Concrete directly between Noël and Elara and the registration obelisk. The impact Cracked the pavement, Sending a Shockwave of dust and loose asphalt into the air.

The heavy hatch hissed open.

Clack.

The Cold click of an ether-rifle Safety echoed across the plaza.

"Going somewhere, vagrant?"

Captain Vane Stepped out of the pod. His Silver Syndicate armor gleamed under the harsh light, completely untouched by the soot of the Surface world. Three Vanguard Soldiers fanned out behind him, their rifles raised.

Elara froze right behind Noël, her breath hitching in her throat as she stared at the barrel of the weapon pointed directly at his Chest.

[Sub Trial: The Syndicate's Toll]

Category: Sub

Difficulty: D+

Clear Conditions: Survive Captain Vane's execution protocol or disable his unit.

Time Limit: 5 minutes.

Compensation: 1,500 Tribute.

Failure: Confiscation of all assets and death.

"A Tier 0 bug registering as an independent rogue," Vane's rough, Synthesized voice filtered through his helmet. "You bypassed the tax protocol. That makes you an anomaly, and anomalies get erased."

Noël looked at him and made a slightly Complicated expression.

To be exact, the Syndicate didn't Care about anomalies. They just wanted the massive bounty the Codex placed on rogue entities.

"On your knees," Vane ordered.

Noël didn't kneel. He reached into his pocket, his fingers brushing against the Administrative Disruption Component he had ripped from the Bureau proxy back in the Iron Tomb.

He firmly planted his fingers and Crushed the exposed Copper wiring.

Peeok!

Sparks flared violently through the fabric of his jacket.

[A localized administrative error has occurred.]

[The Syndicate's provisional network in Sector 0 is temporarily Suspended.]

Chiiiik!

The glowing blue energy on Vane's ether-rifle instantly died.

Tiing!

The Safety mechanisms locked automatically. Their weapons were tied directly to the faction's network grid. Without the local network ping, a Tier 3 ether-rifle was just a heavy metal club.

"W-What did you do?!" Vane shouted, tapping his gauntlet frantically.

[The Gallery-being 'The Auditor of Ash' is fascinated by your hardware vandalism.]

[The Gallery-being 'Crowned Ember' demands to see blood.]

[200 Tributes have been granted.]

Vane didn't hesitate for long. He dropped the useless rifle and drew a vibrating Combat knife from his thigh Sheath. The blade hummed with a vicious red light. Analog weapons didn't require a network Connection.

He lunged.

His agility was easily over Lv. 15. Noël's physique was still Lv. 10.

But Noël didn't need to read his Stats to know how he fought. In the fourth timeline Collapse, Vane had hunted him across this very plaza. Noël knew his habits better than Vane did. He relied entirely on the Servo-motors in his heavy armor to compensate for his wide, aggressive Swings.

The red blade aimed directly for Noël's throat in a Sweeping horizontal arc.

Noël didn't backpedal. He dropped his Center of gravity before Vane's shoulder muscles even tensed, Stepping inside his guard as the glowing edge Sheared the empty air inches above his head. The intense heat Singed the tips of his hair.

"Die!" Vane roared, reversing his grip to drive the knife downward into Noël's back.

[Current Tribute: 7,650]

Noël immediately opened his Stat window.

[6,000 Tributes have been Consumed!]

[Your Physique has increased to Lv. 15!]

[Your Agility has increased to Lv. 20!]

[Your Strength has increased to Lv. 15!]

A violent heat tore through Noël's muscle fibers. They broke down and rebuilt themselves in a fraction of a Second. The Crushing pressure of Vane's imposing presence vanished, and his rapid movements suddenly looked as slow as a man Swinging underwater.

Noël gripped the rusted iron pipe in his right hand and Swung it upward to meet Vane's descending blade.

Kakakang!

The rusted iron Clashed against the red Combat knife. Sparks Scattered across the asphalt. Noël's hands Stung fiercely from the impact, but the iron pipe didn't yield.

Vane made a dumbfounded expression behind his visor. "How…?"

How? Noël's overall Stats were now higher than Vane's baseline.

"Your armor is heavy," Noël Said. "Without the network powering your Servo-motors, you are just wearing a metal Coffin."

Before Vane could process his words, Noël hooked his foot behind the Captain's ankle and kicked hard at the joint.

Kwajik!

Without the gyroscopic Stabilizers of his Suit to Correct his posture, the dead weight of the thick Silver plating dragged him down. Vane Crashed onto his back with a deafening metallic thud.

Noël didn't give him a Chance to recover. He drove the blunt end of the iron pipe directly into the exhaust vent of Vane's Chest plate.

Peeok!

Vane groaned, gasping for air as the internal pressure Seals Shattered. He lay pinned against the Cracked asphalt like a flipped turtle, unable to lift his own arms.

[You have Subdued a Syndicate Vanguard Captain.]

[You have Cleared the Sub Trial.]

[1,500 Tributes have been acquired.]

At that moment, a loud mechanical grinding noise echoed across the transit plaza.

Dudududu.

[Local administrative reboot complete.]

[Unregistered Combatants detected in Sector 0.]

The large defense turrets mounted on the Station walls Swiveled around, their red targeting lasers Sweeping the plaza. Because Vane's network Signature was still Scrambled from Noël's disruption Component, the System Classified him and his Squad as unauthorized hostiles.

Kwaang! Kwaaaaang!

Blue energy blasts rained down on the plaza. Vane's Squad Scrambled for Cover, pinned down by the Station's automated defenses.

Noël grabbed Elara's wrist.

"Run."

They sprinted away from the Chaos, diving past the registration obelisk. The asphalt beneath the obelisk had completely Cracked open from the drop-pod's impact, revealing a dark, downward-sloping tunnel.

[Main Trial #3: The Underground City has begun.]

Category: Main

Difficulty: C-

Clear Conditions: Navigate the descent tunnel and reach the subterranean ruins.

"Noël, down there?!" Elara shouted over the explosions.

"The Surface is for people who want to pay taxes," Noël Said.

He didn't wait for her. He Stepped onto the descending ramp. The darkness Swallowed the light from the plaza, but the freezing air drifting up from the abyss felt Strangely welcoming. It was the exact Scent of the fourth timeline's graveyard.

They walked down the tunnel in total Silence for Several minutes. The Sounds of the Surface faded into a muffled hum.

Suddenly, Noël Stopped.

Click.

A Sharp, metallic Sound echoed under his boot.

Elara froze behind him. "W-What is that?"

Noël looked down at the floor plate. To be exact, it wasn't just one. He pushed a Small amount of energy into his eyes. Faint, Crisscrossing red lasers appeared in the dark tunnel ahead.

A Hegemony plasma minefield.

"I wouldn't Step off that plate if I were you," a voice rang out from the Shadows.

A young woman Sat on a Collapsed piece of rebar just beyond the lasers, tossing a hydro-spanner into the air. She wore grease-Stained overalls, and a pair of heavy welding goggles rested on her forehead.

Lyra Thorne.

Noël looked at her and made a slightly Complicated expression.