2026-01-25 13:51:25The battle for the mind was won, but the war was just getting started.
Xin stood on the deck of a small, rusty boat. The city of Jiangnan was far behind them, a jagged line on the horizon. Ahead of them was the endless, dark blue of the ocean.
"Are you sure about this?" Mei asked. She was busy fixing a bulky diving suit made of metal scraps and alien wires. "The ocean is deep, Xin. And since the meteors fell, the fish haven't exactly been friendly."
Xin looked at his chest. The silver mark was pulsing with a soft blue light, pointing like a compass toward the bottom of the sea.
"Host," the Engine’s voice hummed. "The Star-Steel is below. It is a piece of the original meteor that fell into the trench. You need it to harden your armor for the Level 20 evolution."
"I'm sure," Xin said. He looked at the suit Mei had built. "And I’m glad you’re the one who built this. I’d hate to spring a leak a mile down."
"Don't worry," Mei grinned, tightening a bolt with her wrench. "It’s 90% waterproof. The other 10%... well, just try not to sneeze."
Captain Han stood at the steering wheel, his eyes scanning the sonar. "We’re over the spot. Sonar shows something huge down there. It’s not a rock, and it’s definitely not a fish."
Xin climbed into the heavy suit. It felt like stepping into a small metal room. Mei snapped the glass helmet shut.
"Can you hear me?" Mei’s voice came through the radio.
"Loud and clear," Xin said. His voice sounded metallic inside the helmet.
"Okay. Remember, your Thermal Sight won't work the same way in the cold water. Use your Pulse Sense to feel for the Star-Steel. And Xin... be careful. The Engine says there’s a protector down there."
Xin nodded, stepped to the edge of the boat, and let himself fall.
Splash.
The world turned into bubbles and cold darkness. Xin sank fast. The weight of the suit pulled him down, down, into the silent blue. As the light from the sun disappeared, he turned on the suit’s headlights.
Two beams of light cut through the murky water.
"Warning," the Engine said. "Pressure increasing. Level 12 shield active."
Xin felt the suit groan under the weight of the ocean, but the silver light from his chest spread over the metal, reinforcing it. He hit the sandy bottom with a soft thud.
The sea floor was a graveyard of old ships and strange, glowing coral that had grown since the invasion. But in the middle of it all was a crater. Inside the crater lay a jagged hunk of metal that glowed with a fierce, steady white light.
The Star-Steel.
"I see it, Mei," Xin said. He walked toward it, his boots kicking up clouds of sand.
"Great! Grab it and let’s get out of there. I don't like the look of these energy readings," Mei replied.
Xin reached for the glowing metal. But just as his fingers were about to touch it, the sand around the crater exploded.
A massive shadow rose from the dust. It was a crab, but it was the size of a house. Its shell wasn't made of bone—it was covered in the same silver technology as the meteors. Its claws were glowing with purple electricity.
This was the Guardian of the Trench.
"Mei! We’ve got company!" Xin yelled. He jumped back as a giant claw slammed into the sand where he had just been standing.
The shockwave sent Xin tumbling across the sea floor.
"Threat Detected," the Engine warned. "The Guardian is using Earth-6 tech to stay alive. It is a Level 15 Beast."
"I'm Level 12! That’s not a fair fight!" Xin scrambled to his feet.
The giant crab lunged again. Its purple claws snapped, sending bolts of electricity through the water. Xin felt his suit vibrate. If he got hit, the electronics in his suit would fry, and he’d be trapped in a metal coffin at the bottom of the ocean.
"Xin, use the water!" Mei’s voice shouted. "You have gravity powers, remember? Water is heavy!"
Xin realized she was right. He didn't have to punch the crab. He had to use the ocean itself.
He planted his feet and raised his gauntlets. He didn't pull the crab; he pulled the water above the crab.
"Gravity Crush!" Xin forced the weight of a thousand tons of ocean water to press down on the giant crab. The creature groaned, its legs buckling under the sudden, massive pressure.
But the crab was smart. It opened its mouth and shot a beam of concentrated purple energy at Xin.
Xin barely had time to react. He used his Sun-Blade, but instead of a sword, he let the light form a wide shield. The purple beam hit the shield, and the water around them began to boil.
"He's too strong!" Xin panted.
"Host," the Engine said. "You cannot win by force. You must 'Sync' with the Star-Steel. It is calling to you."
"How am I supposed to do that while being eaten?!"
Xin took a risk. He stopped fighting the crab. He turned his back on the monster and lunged for the Star-Steel.
A claw slammed into his shoulder, tearing a hole in the metal suit. Water began to hiss as it sprayed inside.
"Xin! Your suit is failing!" Mei screamed.
Xin didn't stop. He reached out and grabbed the glowing white metal with his bare hand.
The moment his skin touched the Star-Steel, the world went white.
[Sync Success.]
[Star-Steel Absorbed.]
[Evolution Initiated: Level 13... 15... 18!]
The broken suit didn't fill with water. Instead, the silver light from Xin’s chest exploded outward, melting the suit and reshaping it. The metal turned into a sleek, streamlined suit of armor that looked like a deep-sea predator. Two glowing "fins" of energy grew from his back.
[New Ability: Hydro-Drive.]
Xin moved. He wasn't walking anymore—he was flying through the water. He was so fast he looked like a silver blur. He circled the giant crab, moving so quickly that a whirlpool began to form.
The crab tried to snap at him, but Xin was already gone. He appeared above the creature’s head, his fist glowing with a bright white light.
"Go back to sleep," Xin said.
He punched the center of the crab’s shell. A wave of pure energy rippled through the creature. It wasn't a killing blow, but a "Sleep" command from the Engine. The purple glow in the crab’s eyes faded, and it sank back into the sand, returning to its long rest.
Xin stood on the sea floor, his new armor shimmering. He felt stronger, faster, and his mind felt as clear as the water.
"Mei, I’m coming up," Xin said.
He kicked off the bottom. With the Hydro-Drive, he shot toward the surface like a torpedo. He burst through the waves and landed softly on the deck of the boat, his armor vanishing back into the mark on his chest.
Mei and Captain Han just stared at him.
"You look... taller," Mei finally said, a grin breaking across her face.
"I feel... different," Xin said. He looked at the horizon. "The Star-Steel told me something while I was down there. The Elementals weren't just coming for the Engine. They were running away from something called 'The Void'."
Captain Han frowned. "The Void? What is that?"
"I don't know yet," Xin said. "But the Star-Steel is just the first piece. To reach Level 20 and protect Earth, I need to find the other three pieces of the 'Original Star'."
"Correct," the Engine said. "The second piece is hidden in the Volcano of Earth-1. The Fire-Heart."
Xin looked at his friends. "Get the boat moving. We have a mountain to climb."
Previous Chapter
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The Deep Blue Secret
The battle for the mind was won, but the war was just getting started.Xin stood on the deck of a small, rusty boat. The city of Jiangnan was far behind them, a jagged line on the horizon. Ahead of them was the endless, dark blue of the ocean."Are you sure about this?" Mei asked. She was busy fixing a bulky diving suit made of metal scraps and alien wires. "The ocean is deep, Xin. And since the meteors fell, the fish haven't exactly been friendly."Xin looked at his chest. The silver mark was pulsing with a soft blue light, pointing like a compass toward the bottom of the sea."Host," the Engine’s voice hummed. "The Star-Steel is below. It is a piece of the original meteor that fell into the trench. You need it to harden your armor for the Level 20 evolution.""I'm sure," Xin said. He looked at the suit Mei had built. "And I’m glad you’re the one who built this. I’d hate to spring a leak a mile down.""Don't worry," Mei grinned, tightening a bolt with her wrench. "It’s 90% wat
Into the Nightmare Zone
Xin and Mei didn't wait. They jumped onto the flying bike and roared toward the center of the city. The giant glass Spire stood tall against the dark sky, but it didn't look like a beacon of hope anymore. It looked like a tomb.When they landed at the base, Captain Han was waiting. He looked like he hadn't slept in a week. Around him, dozens of soldiers were sitting on the ground, staring at nothing. Their eyes were wide open, but they weren't "there.""They won’t wake up," Han said, his voice cracking. "It started with the civilians we rescued from the fortress. Then it spread to my guards. They just... stop talking. Then they start screaming in their sleep."Xin walked up to a young soldier. He used his new Pulse Sense. In his mind’s eye, he didn't see blood or bones. He saw a thick, oily purple mist wrapped around the man’s brain."It’s a Mind-Stalker," Xin said. "A parasite from Earth-6. It feeds on fear. If we don't pull it out, their minds will dry up and die.""How do we
The Price of Peace
Two weeks had passed since the sky closed. Jiangnan City was a mess of construction cranes and broken glass. But for Xin, the hardest part wasn't the rubble—it was the quiet.He sat on the edge of a rooftop, looking at his hands. Without the armor, he looked like a normal kid again. But the silver mark on his chest felt like a cold stone. It hadn't glowed since the fight."If you stare at your palm any harder, you’ll grow a third eye," a voice teased.Mei climbed onto the roof, carrying two steaming bowls of noodles. She handed one to Xin."Any word from the 'Voice'?" she asked, sitting down."Nothing," Xin said, slurping the salty broth. "It’s like the Engine went into a coma. I tried to lift a brick yesterday and almost pulled a muscle. I think I’m back to Level 0.""Better than being a Level 10 statue," Mei said. She pointed toward the center of the city.The Spire was still there. It didn't belong to the Elementals anymore. The Resistance had turned it into a research base
The Hero's Final Stand
The General laughed, a sound like grinding metal. He was pinned to the ceiling by the gravity field, but he still acted like he had won."Time is up, Xin," the General sneered. "The portal is closing. You have sixty seconds. Do you save your planet, or do you save those few tiny souls?"Xin’s hand hovered over the big blue button. Inside his helmet, red lights flashed."Warning," the Engine’s voice said. "Closing the Spire now saves Earth. But 4,200 people are still trapped inside the alien ship. If you close it, they stay in Earth-6 forever.""Xin! Don't listen!" Mei’s voice crackled in his ear. "If you don't shut it down, the whole alien army will come through! You can't fight an entire world!"Xin looked out the window. High in the clouds, the giant golden ship hung like a hungry monster. He thought about the people inside. They weren't soldiers. They were just regular people—moms, dads, and kids. People just like him."I’m not choosing," Xin whispered."What?" the General
Falling Up
Falling is usually a terrifying thing. But falling upward into a violet sky while the city screams beneath you is a whole different kind of nightmare.Xin soared through the air, surrounded by floating cars, chunks of asphalt, and screaming office chairs. The gravity of Earth-1 was losing the tug-of-war with the Earth-6 spire."Host," the voice in his head hummed. "Approach velocity is too high. You will hit the spire at 200 miles per hour. This will result in a very flat Window Cleaner.""Not today!" Xin gritted his teeth.He didn't use his blade. He looked down—or up—at the thousands of people being sucked into the sky. He saw a school bus hovering dangerously close to a swirling vortex of energy."I have to fix the gravity first!" Xin roared.He pulled his knees to his chest and focused every bit of his Level 5 power into his gauntlet. The silver mark on his chest burned so bright it shone through his shirt.[Initiating Kinetic Discharge...]Xin slammed his glowing fist int
The Red Spark
The dust from the cave-in hung heavy in the air. Xin’s lungs burned, but the sight in front of him made his blood turn to ice.The Elemental was massive, its body made of jagged obsidian and flowing lava. It held Old Chen off the ground with one hand. Chen, the man who had taught Xin how to tie a safety knot and shared his lunch every day for three years, looked like a broken doll."Put him down," Xin said. His voice wasn't shaking anymore. It was flat and cold."Come and take him, little Spark," the Elemental hissed. Its grip tightened. Chen let out a strangled groan."Warning," the voice in Xin’s head rang out. "Emotional distress detected. Host energy is turning volatile. If you attack now, the Engine will enter 'Overdrive.' You will gain power, but you may lose your mind."I don't care, Xin thought. Save him."Xin... don't..." Chen wheezed, his eyes bulging. "Just... run...""I'm done running, Chen," Xin said.Xin didn't wait for a plan. He didn't wait for Mei or the Capt
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