THE RISE OF THE SYSTEM OVERLORD

CHAPTER 7

Trial by Fire

Chaos.

The explosion sent a shockwave through the facility, the floor trembling beneath me. The man in the suit cursed, his sharp composure cracking for the first time as he stood swiftly.

I took my chance.

I yanked against the cuffs, every muscle in my arms straining. Something inside me shifted—hot and electric. My vision pulsed, the edges flickering like static.

[Strength Stat Boost Activated]

Metal groaned—then snapped.

I was free.

The man turned just as I drove my fist into his jaw. His head snapped sideways, his smirk erased by the impact. He staggered, blinking through the pain. A drop of blood trailed from his split lip.

“Impressive,” he muttered, running his thumb over the wound like it fascinated him.

I didn’t stick around for compliments.

I ran.

Alarms screamed, red emergency lights casting jagged shadows along the walls. The corridor ahead flickered in and out of darkness, smoke curling from cracks in the ceiling. The air was thick with the acrid bite of burning metal.

My body felt different—stronger, faster. The system was still running through me, the aftermath of the strength boost humming beneath my skin. My movements were sharper and more precise.

But there was no time to figure it out.

Footsteps pounded behind me.

I turned a corner—and nearly collided with someone.

“Caden!”

The voice stopped me cold.

Stella.

She stood against the wall, eyes wide, her blonde hair matted with sweat and soot. She was breathing hard, her gun clutched tight in her grip.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded.

"Saving you," she shot back. "Now move!"

We sprinted side by side, dodging debris as the facility continued to collapse around us. The air was filled with the sound of gunfire in the distance—whoever had attacked this place wasn’t done yet.

"Who are these guys?" I asked, my voice barely audible over the alarms.

"No idea, but they’re not friendly," she said, her fingers tightening around the gun. "We need to get out before they find you."

I should’ve known she’d get herself involved. Stella wasn’t the type to sit on the sidelines. But I hadn’t seen her in months. How the hell did she know I was here?

I pushed the questions aside. Survival first.

We didn’t make it ten feet before a figure stepped into our path.

And I knew instantly—he wasn’t human.

He was tall, unnaturally so. His frame was broad, encased in sleek black armor that shimmered in the flickering light. His eyes—if they could be called that—glowed a deep, pulsating blue.

A chill ran down my spine.

The system flared in my vision.

[Threat Level: UNKNOWN]

I gritted my teeth. Not helpful.

Stella raised her gun without hesitation and fired.

The bullets slammed into his chest—and did nothing.

The thing barely flinched.

Then, it moved.

Fast. Too fast.

A blur of motion—then Stella was airborne.

She crashed into the wall with a sickening crack and crumpled to the ground.

"Stella!"

She groaned, but she didn’t get up.

My heartbeat pounded like a war drum in my ears.

The thing—whatever it was—turned to me. The blue glow of its eyes seemed to study me like it recognized something familiar.

Then, in a voice that wasn’t quite human, it spoke.

"You are not ready."

A surge of cold fear gripped me, but I shoved it down.

"Yeah?" I shot back. "Ready for what?"

It didn’t answer.

It lunged.

I barely dodged, rolling just as its fist obliterated the ground where I had been standing. The impact sent cracks spider-webbing through the floor.

Too strong. Too fast.

I was dead if I didn’t figure something out.

The system flared again.

[Adrenaline Surge Activated]

My veins felt like they ignited.

Time slowed.

The thing swung again—I ducked, my reflexes sharper than I thought possible. I moved before I could even process it, twisting around and driving my elbow into its ribs.

A dull thud.

It barely reacted.

I backed up fast, breathing hard. "Okay, that’s just unfair."

The thing tilted its head, almost like it was analyzing me.

Then, its hand opened.

A flash of blue light crackled in its palm, building—growing—until it fired.

Instinct kicked in.

I dove, the energy blast exploding against the wall behind me. The shockwave sent me sprawling.

Shit.

I scrambled to my feet, my mind racing. I couldn’t beat this thing head-on.

But maybe I didn’t have to.

The ceiling above it was weak—already splintered from the earlier explosions.

An idea formed. A stupid, reckless idea.

I darted forward, making sure it followed me.

It took the bait.

As soon as it moved, I planted my foot and launched myself upward, grabbing onto an exposed pipe above. The second my weight hit it, the metal groaned—then collapsed.

The ceiling caved in, rubble crashing down. The thing barely had time to react before it was buried beneath concrete and steel.

Dust and debris clouded the air. I hit the ground hard, coughing, my arms aching from the impact.

Silence.

Then—a faint glow beneath the rubble.

I didn’t wait to see if it got back up.

I staggered to my feet and ran to Stella, grabbing her arm. "Come on, we need to move."

She winced but nodded, gripping my shoulder for support.

We stumbled down the corridor, the alarms still wailing. The facility was falling apart, the structure barely holding together.

"We need an exit," I said. "Now."

She nodded toward a door up ahead. "Service tunnels. Leads outside."

A glimmer of hope.

We sprinted toward it—just as a voice echoed from behind us.

"Leaving so soon?"

I knew that voice.

I turned—and my stomach dropped.

The man in the suit.

He stood at the end of the hall, wiping the last of the blood from his mouth. His suit was torn, but his composure was intact.

And he wasn’t alone.

Behind him, more figures emerged from the shadows. Some human. Some not.

His smirk returned. "I told you, Caden. You’re an anomaly."

I swallowed hard, shifting my stance.

This wasn’t over.

Not even close.