2026-01-25 04:32:57Xin stood on the edge of the roof, his heart hammering against the silver mark in his chest. The three Elementals moved closer, their shadow-blades glowing in the dim light.
"I don’t even know how to use this!" Xin yelled, his voice cracking.
"Don't worry," the leader hissed. "The pain will be over quickly."
The leader lunged. Xin closed his eyes and threw a desperate punch. He felt a surge of heat rush from his chest to his fist. CRACK.
Instead of hitting a body, Xin’s fist hit a shield of silver light that appeared out of nowhere. The force sent the Elemental flying backward, crashing through a brick chimney.
"Warning," a calm, female voice echoed inside Xin’s head. "Energy levels at 5%. To survive, please do not die."
"Who said that?!" Xin scrambled back.
"I am the Engine’s Core," the voice said. "You are currently a Level 1 Host. You are very weak. I suggest you run."
"Run where? They're everywhere!"
Suddenly, a metal trash can lid flew through the air like a frisbee, hitting one of the Elementals in the back of the head. It didn't do much damage, but it was enough of a distraction.
"Over here, kid! Unless you want to be an alien’s dinner!"
Xin looked down. Standing in a doorway below was a girl about his age. She wore greasy mechanic’s overalls and held a massive wrench that looked far too heavy for her.
"Jump! Now!" she shouted.
Xin didn't wait. He leaped off the roof. He expected to break his legs, but the silver light cushioned his fall like a pillow. The girl grabbed his arm and yanked him inside a dark garage, slamming the heavy iron door shut.
"Names Mei," the girl said, wiping grease onto her forehead. She looked at the glowing mark on his chest with wide eyes. "And you... you're the guy everyone is looking for. The 'Spark' from the sky."
"I'm Xin. And I’m just a window cleaner," he panted. "Mei, those things outside... they're turning the street into lava."
"I know. They're Elementals," Mei said, walking over to a pile of junk that looked like a half-finished motorcycle. "My grandpa used to tell stories about Earth-6. He said they don't want to live here; they want to use our world as a battery."
Outside, a massive THUD shook the door. The metal began to glow red-hot.
"Listen to me, Window Boy," Mei said, her voice serious. "That thing in your chest? It’s not just a battery. It’s an upgradeable engine. My grandpa left me blueprints for Earth-6 tech. If you can give me enough energy, I can build you things to fight back."
"New Objective," the voice in Xin’s head whispered. "Sync with the Mechanic. Upgrade Path: Level 2 - The Rebounder."
"I have an upgrade path?" Xin asked.
"Everyone has a path," Mei muttered, grabbing her wrench. "Yours just happens to involve not getting turned into ash. Now, hold out your hand and touch this engine."
She pointed to the strange motorcycle. It had no wheels—it looked like it was designed to float.
"What happens if I touch it?" Xin asked.
"Either it starts, or we both blow up," Mei shrugged. "Better than being eaten by a shadow monster, right?"
The door behind them began to melt. The leader of the Elementals was stepping through the liquid metal, his fiery eyes locked on Xin.
Xin looked at Mei, then at the machine, then at the monster. He reached out and pressed his glowing palm against the bike.
The silver light poured out of him. The motorcycle roared to life, its parts shifting and clicking like a puzzle, forming a glowing blue shield around the entire garage.
"Holy... it worked!" Mei cheered. "Xin, get on! We’re going to find the others."
"What others?" Xin asked, hopping onto the floating seat.
"The Resistance," Mei grinned, twisting the throttle. "The world is ending, kid. We might as well enjoy the ride."
As they blasted through the back wall of the garage, Xin looked up at the sky. The golden fortress was opening its massive bay doors. Thousands of smaller ships were pouring out, heading for every major city on Earth.
He felt the power in his chest hum. He was still Level 1. He was still just a guy who cleaned windows. But as he gripped the handlebars, he knew one thing: he wasn't going back to his old life.
"Mei!" Xin shouted over the wind. "How do I get to Level 2?"
Mei pointed to a giant Elemental blocking the road ahead—a beast made of solid rock and lightning. "See that big guy? Hit him really, really hard!"
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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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