The Glitch Sovereign: Neural Forge

Chapter 5: The Skill-Market Betrayal

I walked into the "Shattered Core" trade den. The air was thick with the smell of cheap grease and illegal coolant. I held a pouch of synthesized Low-Tier crystals in my hand.

"I have goods to move," I said, slamming the pouch onto the scarred metal counter.

The merchant, a man named Grendel with a flickering cybernetic eye, peered at the stones.

"Where did a stray like you get these?" Grendel asked. "The clarity is too high for the Wastes. These look like Academy grade."

"That is not your business," I replied. "Give me the credits."

"You have an attitude, boy," Grendel sneered. "These look stolen. I should call the Enforcers right now."

"They are mine," I said. "Three thousand credits. Now."

"Three thousand?" Grendel laughed, looking at the shadows behind me. "I think the price just went down to zero. Boys, show him our exchange rate."

Six thugs stepped out from behind the rusted partitions. They held thermal-maces and jagged vibro-blades. They circled me like vultures.

"Is this a setup, Grendel?" I asked.

"It is a business lesson," Grendel said. "Hand over the rest of the pouch and maybe I will let you keep your tongue."

"You made a mistake," I said.

"The only mistake is you being alive!" The lead thug roared. "Grab him!"

I didn't move. I didn't reach for a weapon. I simply adjusted my stance and opened my mouth slightly.

"System," I whispered. "Initialize Vacuum-Lung."

[Vacuum-Lung Active. Atmospheric extraction beginning.]

"What are you whispering about?" the thug yelled. He lunged at me with a mace.

Suddenly, he stopped mid-swing. He dropped his weapon and clutched his throat. His face turned a deep shade of red.

"I... I can't..." he wheezed.

"What is happening?" Grendel shouted from behind the counter. "Kill him! Why are you standing there?"

"There is no air, Grendel," I said. "I am taking it all. Every last molecule."

The other five thugs fell to their knees. Their faces turned a sickly purple. They clawed at the air, their eyes bulging from their sockets as their lungs collapsed.

"Stop!" Grendel screamed. He was gasping for breath now, his cybernetic eye flickering wildly. "You are killing them! You are killing us all!"

"They wanted a lesson," I said. "This is the first page. How does it feel to empty out? How does it feel to be the one who can't breathe?"

"Please!" A thug choked out, collapsing onto the floor.

"You were so brave a minute ago," I said. "Why aren't you fighting? Stand up and take the crystals."

"Give... give it back!" Grendel fell off his stool. He scrambled toward the door, but his legs failed him.

"The room is a sealed circuit now," I said. "And I am the only one with the key."

[Oxygen Levels: 2%. Target Vitals: Critical.]

"Vaxien, stop!" A voice cried from the entrance.

Nyxra stood in the doorway, her face pale. She was holding a cloth over her mouth, her eyes wide with horror.

"They are just thieves!" She yelled. "You don't have to do this! You're becoming like them!"

"They are obstacles, Nyxra," I said. "They would have sold us to Malakor for a handful of silver. They don't deserve the air I'm using."

"Not like this!" She pleaded. "Look at them! They're begging!"

I exhaled sharply. The pressure in the room shifted instantly. A rush of stale air flooded back into the lungs of the dying men. They slumped over, gasping and vomiting on the floor.

"You... you monster," Grendel wheezed, shivering as he gripped the edge of the counter.

"I want my credits, Grendel," I said. "And I want the location of the Black-Site warehouse where the Academy stores its cores."

"I don't know anything!" Grendel lied, his voice trembling.

"Do you want me to turn the room back into a void?" I asked.

"No! No!" Grendel shrieked. "It's in the Industrial Zone! Sector Four! Behind the old refinery! Please, just take the credits and go!"

He threw a credit-chip at me. I caught it in mid-air without looking.

"Vaxien, we have to go," Nyxra whispered, pulling on my arm. "The Enforcers will detect the pressure drop. They have sensors everywhere."

"Let them detect it," I said. "Let them know I'm not hiding in the shadows anymore. Let them know the glitch is back."

"You're scaring me," Nyxra said, looking at the unconscious thugs. "This isn't just survival. You're changing into something terrifying."

"The world changed when they threw me off the platform," I said. "I'm just catching up to the reality they created."

We stepped out into the rainy alleyway. The neon signs blurred in the downpour.

"Where are we going now?" Nyxra asked.

"To Sector Four," I said. "Grendel was lying about one thing."

"What?" she asked.

"He signaled someone before we left," I said. "A silent alarm. He thinks he's clever."

"Who did he call?" Nyxra asked.

I looked at the rooftop across the street. A red laser dot settled on my chest, perfectly centered over my heart.

"The man who taught Zeryth how to kill," I replied.

"The Silent Blade?" Nyxra gasped. "He's an S-Rank assassin! No one survives his first strike!"

"Good," I said. "I've been looking for an upgrade for my reflexes. My current speed is reaching its limit."

"Vaxien, he has a 100% kill rate!" She screamed. "We need to run! Now!"

"Records are made to be broken," I said.

A shimmer of steel flashed from the roof. A throwing star sliced through the rain, heading straight for my throat with impossible speed. I didn't flinch. I opened my mouth and breathed in a sharp, localized burst.

The star froze in mid-air, caught in a localized gravity pocket created by my lungs. It spun uselessly for a second before falling to the wet pavement.

"My turn," I whispered.

The assassin stepped into the light, his mask reflecting the neon glow. He didn't speak. He just drew a blade that hummed with high-frequency energy.

"Nyxra, run to the end of the alley," I commanded.

"I won't leave you!" She cried.

"You aren't leaving me," I said. "You're getting out of the blast zone. This is going to get loud."

[New Component Detected: High-Frequency Core. Analyze?]

"Analyze later," I told the system. "Right now, I want to see if he can breathe in a vacuum while being hunted."

The assassin leaped, his blade descending like a bolt of lightning, cutting through the very rain.