2025-03-13 13:00:59A Ghost from the Past
The knock came at an odd hour.I wasn’t expecting anyone. The estate was secured—tightly. No one could just walk up to my door, not unless they had a damn good reason.I set my glass down, the amber liquid swirling as I rose from the leather chair. The fire crackled, casting flickering shadows against the high ceilings. Whoever it was, they’d bypassed my guards or, worse, been let through.I opened the door.She stood there, framed by the dim glow of the porch lights—long dark hair and deep green eyes that felt like a whisper from the past. A past I wasn’t sure I even remembered.“Hello, Caden.” Her voice was steady, but there was something beneath it, a hesitation like she was testing the waters.My grip tightened on the door. “Who are you?”A small smile tugged at her lips, sad and knowing. “I wondered if you’d recognize me.”I didn’t. And yet, something in me did. A pull deep in
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
CHAPTER 54
The Guardian's Special TrickThe System Destroyer's main gun fired, sending a bright blast of energy at the Vault. On our ship's control deck, it was deadly quiet before the hit, broken only by the loud whine of the gun. Rylan got ready, holding onto his controls. I stood firm, watching the coming destruction. I felt a cold certainty: this was the end.But then, a voice, clearer and stronger than before, spoke in my mind. It came not just from the guardian, but from the very heart of the Vault: Turn on the time-bending shield. Full power."Time-bending shield?" I gasped, and the words slipped out. "Rylan, did you hear that? The guardian… it wants us to turn on the time-bending shield!"Rylan's eyes were wide as he stared at me. "What? We don't have a time-bending shield! That's just an old idea, from the Anomaly time! It's not even built into the Vault!"It is always built into the Vault, Shadow. It's for a real purpose. Turn it on, or we are lost, the guardian urged, its voice now ve
CHAPTER 53
The Echo's SourceThe Vault of Creation shook and screamed as it was hit again and again. Loud alarms blared, a noisy mix of red warning lights. The System Destroyer's energy blasts hit our shields hard, each blow shaking the ship."Shields at sixty percent and falling fast!" Rylan yelled, fighting his controls. "Their weapons are for bigger ships! We can't take this much longer!"My mind raced, trying to grasp the impossible. "How did they find us, Rylan? How did they break our cloaking?" The guardian was silent in my mind, which was more unnerving than any answer. It was also searching, figuring things out."I… I don't know!" Rylan’s voice broke under the stress. "There's no signal, no sign of a scan that could have found us. It's like they just knew."Another hard hit, and the Vault's lights flickered badly. Sparks flew from a broken computer nearby. We were like a ghost, a whisper in space, yet this raw power was tearing us apart."Move away! Full power to engines!" I ordered, but
CHAPTER 52
Echoes in the MachineThe Vault of Creation jumped to Praxus-7, quiet as before. We settled into space around the data hub, hidden and unseen. Unlike the wild gas near Xylos-9, here, space felt empty and clean. Praxus-7 itself was a giant metal ball, twinkling with lights from its data lines and computers."Praxus-7 is a data fortress," Rylan whispered, his face lit by the screen. "Their defenses are thick, and their alarm systems are supposed to be the best." He looked at me, a hint of a challenge in his eyes. "Ready to get inside?""We're not breaking in with force, Rylan," I reminded him, a small smile on my face. "It's about what they believe. We're not trying to smash their systems, but to quietly plant lies in their most trusted friend: their own data."The guardian agreed with my thoughts. They trust their data completely, and that's their weak spot. We'll use it against them.Rylan nodded, already busy. "The 'ghost' program is ready. It's made to act like a small glitch in a d
CHAPTER 51
The Shadow PlayThe Vault of Creation drifted silently and unseen, a patient predator within the nebula's churning depths. Outside, the cosmic ballet of gas and dust continued, its wild energy a perfect shield. Our success on Xylos-9 filled the bridge with a quiet sense of triumph, but it was a victory of cunning, not force. The System was stumbling, and we needed to keep them off balance."They're still focused on internal problems," Rylan reported, his fingers flying across the console. The holographic display showed Xylos-9, now marked by a growing web of red lines indicating logistical snarls and rerouted traffic. "Their 'fast-response' team of technicians just arrived. They're scanning everything, looking for a software bug or a hardware failure.""Good," I responded, watching the System's frantic efforts. "Every minute they spend looking inward is a minute they're not looking for us. They believe in their own infallibility too much to consider an external threat like this."The
CHAPTER 50
Small Problems Grow BigAfter our hidden attack on Xylos-9, no big explosions or alarms were going off everywhere. Instead, it was a quiet, growing worry for the System. On our main screen, which showed the System's messages, we saw the first signs of their confusion."They're not finding us at all," Rylan whispered, his eyes wide as he watched the data. "They're blaming problems inside their own system. Their auto-check programs are going wild trying to find out what's wrong. Important messages are still going through, but more and more places are getting frustrated."I watched as reports, usually sent perfectly, started to be a little late. Then those small delays became much bigger. Supply lists from Xylos-9, meant for shipyards far away, suddenly arrived incomplete or with wrong amounts. Orders for special minerals were confirmed, but the actual shipments were stuck in fake waiting lines, or worse, sent to completely different, unimportant places."It's like they're trying to put
CHAPTER 49
Ghost in the MachineThe Vault of Creation moved through the dark, cold space. It was like a silent hunter, hidden by the wild energy of the nebula. Outside the main window, gas and dust swirled like a colorful, angry ocean. Its wild energy kept any System ships from coming too close. We were like a tiny needle in a huge pile of hay, unseen and unheard."Getting close to Xylos-9," Rylan said, breaking the quiet. His fingers flew across his computer. A bright, floating picture of the planet appeared, showing all its mining tunnels and paths. "Putting us at the edge of the nebula's jamming field now, Caden. Their long-range sensors won't see us at all."I felt the Vault gently move, a deep, living shake going through its old body. My link to it grew stronger, a direct connection to the First Architects' amazing technology. This wasn't just about flying a ship; it was about becoming one with it, using its hidden power."Good," I answered, my eyes on the floating map. "Start looking for t
You may also like
System for you Darling!
CrazeNovel19.5K viewsMy Money Spendrift System
R. AUSTINNITE39.3K viewsMy Sniper System
kuhaku_sora21.7K viewsRise of the Revenge System
Qin Li19.3K viewsReincarnated as a Gun in Another World with a System!
Bob Genji3.8K viewsDefeat the Megant Invasion using System Overpower
Riezka Karisha547 viewsDecstemic
Elriccen1.0K viewsSkill Invoker System
ALPHA-PEN ORIGINALS4.0K views