2026-03-31 09:36:58
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 10: The First Alliance
I kicked the heavy iron door until the rusted lock snapped. We were right on the line where the smoke of the Steampunk zone met the trees of the Fantasy wing."This place is a wreck, Arix," Pip said, coughing as he stepped over broken gears."It’s a base, Pip," I said. "It’s high up. We can see anyone coming from the scrap side or the palace.""I don't like it," Brux muttered, dragging a crate of stolen gear into the room. "We’re sitting ducks. If the Fantasy King finds us, he'll turn us into charcoal.""He's too busy fighting a war," I said. "Besides, I have something he wants. Or rather, something his enemies need.""You mean these?" Lyra asked, pointing to the shock-batons we stripped from the guards."Exactly," I said. "Magic is great until you run out of mana. These gadgets don't care about mana. They just need a battery.""Someone is at the door!" Pip hissed, pointing toward the stairs."Get behind the crates," I whispered. I gripped a heavy wrench and waited.A group of three r
Chapter 9: Magic and Mechanism
I held the jagged piece of scrap metal in my hand. It was cold and rusty. I stood right between the downed wyverns and Lyra. The air was thick with the smell of burnt stone and magic."What are you doing, you crazy maggot?" The lead knight yelled from the ground. He was still pinned by the gravity, but his eyes were full of hate."I'm keeping you away from her," I said."With a piece of trash?" The knight laughed. It was a wet, nasty sound. "You have no mana. You are a mundane. A bug. You can't even touch a magic shield with that garbage.""Is that what they told you in knight school?" I asked. I tightened my grip on the metal."Look at him!" Another knight mocked. He was trying to push himself up. "He’s holding a broken pipe. He thinks he’s a warrior.You are a Mundane Maggot, boy. Go back to the dirt where you belong.""Arix, please," Lyra whispered behind me. She was still shaking. "His shield is active. It’s a Level 7 barrier. That scrap metal will just shatter if you hit it.""Th
Chapter 8: The Gate to Eldritch
"The gate is huge, Arix. I’ve never seen anything this big," Pip whispered, his small hand gripping my sleeve as we stood before the wall of shimmering blue energy."It’s not just a door, Pip," I said. "It’s a barrier. It keeps the magic in.""We can't get through this," Brux groaned from behind us. He was still limping. "This is a Mana-Gate. It’s built to vaporize anyone without a Royal Crest. Look at the guards."I looked up. Two massive statues carved from white marble stood on either side of the archway. Their eyes suddenly glowed with a cold, predatory light."Halt, scavengers," a voice boomed. It didn't come from a speaker. It came from the air itself. "None shall pass unless they bear the blood of a Hero.""The blood of a hero?" An inmate shouted from the back. "We’re in a prison! Where are we supposed to find a hero?""Maybe we should kill Brux," another suggested. "Maybe that counts?""Shut up!" Brux barked, spinning around. "I’m a Scavenger King, not a hero. If I touch that
Chapter 7: The Scrap King
"Is that a throne or a pile of junk, Arix?" Pip asked, staring at the heap of broken droids I had stacked in the center of the mess hall."It's both, Pip," I said, leaning back against a dented metal chest plate. "Sit down. The show is about to start.""The inmates are staring," Pip whispered. "They’ve never seen anyone sit in the middle of the hall like this. Not even Brux.""Brux sat at the royal table because he wanted to be a king," I said. "I’m sitting here because I want them to see what happens to the things that try to cage me.""You’re insane, Princey," Brux muttered from the floor. He was still kneeling at the base of my scrap pile, his head bowed. "The Warden won't let this last. You’re occupying the main hub. That’s a death sentence.""He's already tried to kill me three times today, Brux," I said. "He’s running out of ideas.""He isn't out of ideas yet," a voice boomed from the overhead speakers. "Prisoner 9042. Arix Beaumont. You have ten seconds to vacate the mess hall
Chapter 6: Breaking the Boss
"Is it getting harder to breathe, Brux?" I asked. My voice was calm in the dark."What... what did you do?" Brux wheezed. He was clutching his throat. "The air... it’s gone!""I used the Master-Key," I said. "I shut down the oxygen for every sector in this wing except for the three inches around my face.You came here to kill me while I was in chains. Now you can die while you're in the dark."[System Alert: Oxygen Levels at 2%. Life Signs: Critical.]"I can't... see..." the second assassin whispered. I moved through the shadows like a ghost. I reached the third man and tapped his shoulder. He turned, his mouth wide as he tried to scream, but no sound came out. I slammed my palm into his chest. He folded like paper."Two left," I said, looking at Brux and his last guard."Stop! Please!" Brux begged. He fell to his knees. "I can't... breathe!""That's 'Prince Arix' to you," I said, walking right up to him. The last assassin tried to swing a shiv at me. I didn't even blink. I caught h
Chapter 5: Solitary Sovereignty
"Mapping... Mapping..." the voice in my head whispered, matching the golden text in the void."System, is that you?" I croaked, reaching into the blackness.[Warden Signature Detected. Mapping Sub-Sector: Dark Hole.][Area: 400 Square Kilometers. Wing: The Abyss.]"Four hundred kilometers?" I gasped. "This cell isn't just a box. It’s a network.""Talking to yourself already, Star-Born?" A raspy voice laughed from the wall. "Most men wait until the third day to go mad.""I’m not mad," I said, leaning toward the vent. "Who are you?""I’m a fragment," the voice said, sounding mechanical. "A memory. A mistake."[Alert: Data-Log Found. Identity: Warden Silas—Deceased.]"Silas?" I whispered. "The Warden from the Great Collapse?""So, you can read the walls," Silas’s ghost replied. "Impressive. Most just die in the corner.""I need to get out," I said. "Lucian is coming for my eyes at dawn.""Lucian is a child," Silas said. "But the Abyss is a furnace. You want out? Take my memories. See wha
You may also like
My Money Spendrift System
R. AUSTINNITE44.5K viewsWorld System Among Gods
M_jief121.0K viewsThe septillionaire's superstar system
Liam Michael22.3K viewsThe Legendary System
KazuhiroSeijuro43.6K viewsThe Price Of A Sacrifice
rita75419333 viewsDominator System
Ken 9.1K viewsREBIRTH SYSTEM: From Disowned heir to world Dominator
Pauline Maxwell775 viewsZombie Control System
Namazu3.7K views