2026-01-25 04:36:09The wind screamed in Xin’s ears as Mei’s floating bike zoomed through the ruined streets. Behind them, the rock monster—a giant beast of stone and sparking electricity—let out a roar that shattered the windows of nearby shops.
"He’s gaining on us!" Xin yelled, looking over his shoulder. Each time the monster stepped, the ground cracked. "What do I do?"
"You've got the Engine in your chest, Window Boy! Give it some gas!" Mei shouted back, steering the bike through a narrow alleyway.
"Warning," the voice in Xin’s head spoke again. "Host heartbeat is too high. Level 1 energy is unstable. To reach Level 2, you must synchronize with the threat."
"Synchronize? You want me to be friends with that thing?" Xin asked.
"No. You must absorb its impact to unlock the 'Kinetic Burst' path."
Xin looked at the monster. It was lifting a massive chunk of a fallen bus, ready to throw it at them. "Mei, stop the bike!"
"Are you crazy? We’re finally making distance!"
"Just do it! I have an idea, and if it doesn't work, well... at least you have a cool bike!"
Mei slammed on the brakes, the bike sliding sideways in a cloud of dust. Xin jumped off before it even stopped. He stood in the middle of the road, his legs shaking. He felt small. The monster towered over him, its body made of jagged granite and pulsing yellow lightning.
The beast threw the bus.
"Xin, move!" Mei screamed.
Xin didn't move. He planted his feet. He focused all his thoughts on the silver mark on his chest. Don't let me die. Don't let me die.
The bus slammed into him. But instead of crushing him into a pancake, a shimmering silver dome flickered into existence. The bus hit the shield and stopped dead in mid-air, held by a ripple of gravity.
[Absorption: 40%... 70%... 100%]
[Energy Overflow Detected. Upgrading Host...]
[Level 2 Unlocked: The Rebounder.]
The silver mark on Xin’s chest expanded. The light turned from a soft glow into a brilliant, electric blue. He felt a rush of power so strong it made his hair stand on end. He felt like he could jump over the moon.
"My turn," Xin whispered.
He pushed his hands forward. The energy he had absorbed from the bus's impact didn't just disappear—it shot back out. A wave of blue force hit the rock monster like a physical wall. The beast’s stone chest shattered into dust, and the lightning inside it fizzled out. The monster collapsed into a pile of ordinary rocks.
Xin fell to his knees, gasping for air. His arms felt like they were on fire.
Mei ran over, her heavy wrench still in hand. She stared at the pile of rocks, then at Xin. "Okay... that was actually pretty impressive for a guy who usually just uses a squeegee."
"I think... I'm going to throw up," Xin panted.
"Save it for later," Mei said, her face suddenly turning pale. She pointed toward the city center.
The golden fortress in the sky was no longer just floating. It had lowered a massive, glowing spire that touched the roof of the tallest building—the same building Xin had fallen from. The air around the spire was turning purple, and people were being lifted off the streets by strange beams of light.
"They're harvesting," Mei whispered, her voice trembling for the first time. "They aren't just looking for the Engine. They’re taking people back to Earth-6."
Xin looked at the silver mark on his arm. It was pulsing slowly now, like a heartbeat. He thought of Old Chen. He hadn't seen Chen since the fall. Was he being pulled up into that ship?
The realization hit him hard. He wasn't just a survivor anymore. He was the reason these monsters were here. If he hadn't been on that scaffolding, maybe the meteor would have just hit an empty park.
"It's my fault," Xin said, his voice low.
Mei grabbed his shoulder. Her hand was greasy and rough, but her grip was firm. "Listen to me, Xin. You didn't ask for that rock to hit you. But you're the only one who can stop them. Look at your hand."
Xin looked. Small blue sparks were still dancing between his fingers.
"You just took down a Level 1 Sentinel," Mei said. "My grandpa’s notes say the Engine grows by fighting. If you get to Level 5, you might be able to shut down that spire. But we need help. We need the Resistance."
"Where are they?"
"In the old subway tunnels. But to get there, we have to cross the 'Gray Zone'—the part of the city the Elementals have already terraformed."
Xin looked toward the downtown area. It didn't look like his city anymore. Giant, crystalline trees were growing out of the asphalt, and the air was filled with a thick, glowing fog. The world was being rewritten right in front of his eyes.
"Then let's go," Xin said, standing up. He felt a new weight on his shoulders—not the weight of the debris, but the weight of every life in Jiangnan. "I need to get stronger. Fast."
They hopped back on the bike and sped toward the fog. As they entered the Gray Zone, the temperature dropped. The buildings were covered in a weird, silver moss that seemed to be breathing.
"Stay quiet," Mei cautioned. "The 'Sound-Eaters' hunt in the fog."
Just as she said it, a long, thin shadow darted across the road. It looked like a spider made of glass, its legs clicking on the pavement.
"Host Caution," the voice in Xin’s head warned. "New Enemy Type detected: Stealth Class. Level 2 energy may not be enough for a direct hit."
"Great," Xin muttered. "Any suggestions?"
"Unlock Level 3: 'Thermal Vision.' Requirement: Defeat an enemy without using your eyes."
Xin froze. "You want me to do what?"
Suddenly, the bike was jerked sideways. An invisible force had grabbed the back wheel. Mei screamed as they were dragged into a dark, moss-covered parking garage.
The bike flipped, throwing them onto the cold concrete. In the darkness, Xin could hear something crawling on the ceiling—something fast, something invisible, and something very hungry.
"Xin! I can't see it!" Mei cried out, swinging her wrench at the shadows.
Xin stood in the dark, his heart racing. He closed his eyes. He remembered what the voice said. He had to stop looking with his eyes and start feeling the Engine.
Click. Click. Click.
The Sound-Eater was right above his head
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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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