The Glitch Sovereign: Neural Forge

Chapter 2: The Nexus-Forge

I slammed into the jagged silt of the Shadow-Wastes. The impact should have shattered my spine, but my chest glowed with a rhythmic, emerald pulse.

"Status check!" I gasped.

[Synthesis Complete: Vein-Rush Stage 1 Active.]

The green screen hovered in the toxic fog.

"What is this?" I yelled. "What did you do to me?"

[The Nexus-Forge has integrated your primary biological function.]

"My breathing?" I wiped blood from my lip. "You used my trash skill?"

[Rhythmic Respiration is now the engine. You are the pilot.]

A low growl echoed through the mist. A Shadow-Stalker emerged. Its teeth were like long needles.

"Stay back!" I shouted.

"Fresh meat," a voice rasped.

A scavenger stepped out behind the beast, holding a bone-shredder.

"Hey! Help me!" I called out.

"Help you?" The scavenger laughed. "That beast is hungry. You are the meal."

"I am a student from the Aurelian Academy!" I snapped.

"You were a student," he sneered. "Now you are a corpse. Your skill-aura is gray. You are a nobody."

"I can fight!" I said, though my legs trembled.

"With what?" He mocked. "Show me your move, little boy. Breathe on me?"

The Shadow-Stalker lunged. It was a blur of black fur.

"Jump!" The system screamed.

I leaped twenty feet into the air.

"What was that?" The scavenger gasped.

"My blood," I whispered. "It is burning."

[Vein-Rush requires constant oxygen input. Breathe, Vaxien!]

"I am breathing!" I shouted.

I landed and hit the ground running. My feet felt like pistons.

"Get him!" The scavenger yelled at the beast. "Do not let the brat escape!"

The stalker was gaining. It was faster than a car.

"System! I need more speed!" I pleaded.

[Warning: Base skills insufficient for sustained flight.]

"Fuse something!" I screamed. "Anything!"

[Analyzing latent instincts...]

[Detected: Primal Fleeing.]

"Use it!" I barked.

[Synthesizing Rhythmic Respiration + Fleeing...]

[New Skill Created: Vein-Rush Stage 1.]

"Again?" I asked. "It is already active!"

[Correction: Optimization complete. Blood pressure stabilized at critical levels.]

My heart gave a massive thud. My veins turned neon green.

"Look at his arms!" The scavenger cried. "What kind of skill is that?"

"The kind that keeps me alive!" I yelled.

I pushed off a rock. The stone disintegrated. I wasn't just running; I was a projectile.

"He is too fast!" The scavenger screamed. "Stalker! Intercept!"

The beast leaped from a cliffside to cut me off. It opened its maw.

"I won't die here!" I roared.

"Die, glitch!" The scavenger threw his bone-shredder.

The blade whistled past my ear. I accelerated.

"Breathe!" I told myself. "Inhale the power!"

I moved so fast the air turned into a wall. I crashed through the Shadow-Stalker. The creature exploded into mist.

"What?" The scavenger fell to his knees. "You killed a Rank-C beast by running through it?"

I skidded to a halt. My boots smoked.

"Who sent you?" I demanded.

"No one!" He stammered. "I just scavenge the falls!"

"Liar!" I stepped toward him. "You knew I was coming!"

"I didn't!" He shrieked. "I saw the green light!"

"Is there a way out of these wastes?" I asked.

"No one leaves!" He laughed. "The Sovereigns sealed the borders!"

"Then I will break the seal," I said.

"You are insane!" He shouted. "You have one skill! You are a freak!"

"I have a forge," I corrected him. "And you have a weapon."

I looked at the bone-shredder on the ground.

"Is that a skill-tool?" I asked.

"It is mine!" He lunged for it.

I was faster. I grabbed his wrist and crushed the bone.

"Agh! Let go!" He screamed.

"System," I muttered. "Can I dismantle tools?"

[Affirmative. Extracting component: Serrated Edge.]

The bone-shredder turned to ash. A yellow orb floated into my palm.

"My weapon!" The scavenger wailed.

"You tried to feed me to a dog," I said. "Consider this a tax."

[Serrated Edge detected. Fuse with Vein-Rush?]

"No," I said. "Save it. I need shelter."

"There is no shelter!" The scavenger spat. "The High-Cleaners are coming!"

"Who?" I asked.

"The Academy enforcers!" He grinned. "They are coming to finish the job."

"Let them come," I said.

"You think you are a god because you can run?" He mocked. "They have Fire-Breathers!"

"I know," I said. "I want their skills."

"You are a monster," he whispered.

"I am a glitch," I replied. "And I am tired of being deleted."

I felt a vibration. The horizon began to glow with a harsh white light.

"They are here," the scavenger hissed. "Hide! They will kill me too!"

"Run then," I said.

"I can't!" He pointed to his wrist. "You broke me!"

"Then stay silent," I commanded.

A massive hover-ship broke through the fog.

"Target sighted," a voice boomed. "Vaxien Valerost. Status: Alive. Objective: Immediate Eradication."

"Is that Malakor's voice?" I asked.

"It is his personal guard," the scavenger whimpered. "The Iron-Wing squad."

Four figures jumped from the ship. They landed with heavy thuds. Their armor was polished chrome. Each held an energy spear.

"Surrender, Glitch," the lead guard said.

"Why?" I asked. "I am already dead to the world."

"The Archon does not like loose ends," the guard replied. "Your existence is an error."

"Try it," I said.

"Look at his veins," another guard whispered. "That isn't Respiration."

"It doesn't matter what it is," the leader said. "Burn him."

The four guards raised their spears. The tips glowed with blue fire.

"Breathe, Vaxien," I whispered.

[Warning: High-Energy output detected.]

[Strategy: Synthesize Movement with Combat Reflexes?]

"Do it," I ordered.

[Processing...]

The first spear of fire shot toward my head. My body moved before I could process the threat. I was a blur.

"He vanished!" A guard screamed.

"I am right here," I said, standing behind him.

I grabbed his spear. The energy burned my hand, but I didn't let go.

"System! Strip the skill!" I roared.

[Extracting: Blue-Flame Strike.]

The guard screamed as his power was sucked out.

"What is happening?" The leader yelled. "Kill him! Now!"

I held the glowing blue orb in my hand. I looked at the remaining guards.

"My turn," I said.

I crushed the orb against my chest.

The explosion of blue and green light blinded the guards.

"I can see the threads," I whispered. "I can see everything."

"Fire!" The leader screamed.

A wall of flame erupted toward me. I opened my mouth and took a deep breath.

"Delicious," I said.

[New Skill Synthesis Available: Dragon-Lung Stage 1.]

I felt the fire settle in my throat. It fueled me.

"He ate the flame?" A guard gasped.

"Next breath is for you," I said.

I stepped forward, and the ground beneath me turned to glass.