The medical bay's dim light flickered as Arin stood silently beside Elira's recovery pod. Her breathing had stabilized, but faint energy fluctuations still rippled from the fractured Dark Core within her chest.
> [System Notification: Vital Recovery Stabilized – Subject Elira at 56%] [Warning: Dark Core Residue Detected — Unstable Condition Persists]
Arin clenched his fists.
"She shouldn't have to fight like this," he murmured.
A soft beep echoed in his earpiece.
Rhea: "Arin… Director Nyros has called an emergency council meeting. All key units are being mobilized."
Arin: "What's the objective?"
Rhea: "Project Xeno-Soul's command center… they've gone silent. Something's wrong at the Nexus Lab."
Arin's pulse quickened.
He glanced at Elira's unconscious form. "If they're cleaning house, she's next."
Rhea's voice lowered. "There's more… they've activated Unit Theta."
Arin stiffened. "The executioner."
> [Main Quest Updated] Objective: Infiltrate Nexus Lab
Secondary: Prevent Elira's Termination
Time Limit: 4 hours
Xyro's voice broke through:
"Arin, the Nexus holds data on every Core experiment—yours, Elira's… and even units they've terminated. If we get it, we control the truth."
He nodded. "Then let's move."
---
Stormgate Tunnels, Beneath NovaCore
Arin slipped through the auxiliary tunnels beneath the academy, his footsteps silent over metal grates.
> [Stealth Mode Activated]
Visibility: Low
Detection Risk: Minimal
Ahead, a security checkpoint flickered erratically.
Arin's eyes narrowed.
[System Scan]
> 3 Hostiles Detected
Class: Enhanced Operative – Rank B
Status: Patrolling
He exhaled slowly, shifting his stance.
Arin: "Xyro, options."
Xyro: "Silent takedown protocol — Pulse Echo Disruption."
Arin surged forward, movements blurred by Pulse acceleration.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Three guards collapsed, systems short-circuited.
> [Enemies Neutralized]
[Pulse Flow Stable]
He continued deeper.
---
The Nexus Access Hall
The hall shimmered with blue light, crisscrossed by Pulse beams acting as laser barriers.
A figure stepped from the shadows.
Unit Theta.
Clad in sleek black armor, face covered, the figure radiated deadly calm. Two blood-red cores pulsed on their gauntlets.
"Arin Verma," a cold synthetic voice spoke. "Subject Elira is to be terminated. Stand down."
Arin raised his fists. "Not happening."
> [Combat Initiated]
Enemy: Unit Theta
Class: A+
Known Skills: Pulse Sever, Zero Phase Strike, Bio-Core Extraction
Xyro: "Danger level: Critical. Engaging defensive grid."
> [Xyro Defense Mode: Active]
[Mutation: Pulse Resonance Boost – Engaged]
Theta moved first — a blur of light and shadow.
Arin barely countered a Zero Phase Strike, his defensive Pulse field absorbing a glancing hit.
> [Vitals: 78%]
[System Strain: Medium]
Arin retaliated, using Echo Step to flank, landing a strike against Theta's armor. The impact pulsed — but Theta absorbed it, dispersing the energy.
Arin: "They're adapting too fast."
Xyro: "Switch to Resonant Pulse Chains."
He unleashed a burst of Pulse Chain strikes — rapid, overlapping blows aimed at destabilizing Theta's internal feedback.
Theta staggered for a fraction of a second.
It was enough.
Arin surged forward, landing a Focused Strike to Theta's side.
Crack.
The armor fractured.
> [Armor Integrity: 64%]
Theta hissed. "Impressive. But futile."
The assassin activated Pulse Sever, slashing the surrounding space with invisible energy blades.
One cut grazed Arin's shoulder.
> [Damage: 13%]
[Bleeding: Controlled]
He gritted his teeth, shifting to defensive stances.
Xyro: "Arin — now! Tap into the Forbidden Core!"
> [Mutation: Phase Shift Pulse – Unlocked]
Effect: Temporarily distort physical form, reducing impact of high-velocity strikes by 60%.
Arin's form blurred.
Theta's strikes passed through, partially phased.
Arin struck back, each hit resonating deeper.
Pulse-Strike. Pulse-Strike. Pulse-Strike.
> [Enemy Vitals: 44%]
[System Overload Threshold Reached]
Theta faltered.
Arin: "Surrender."
But Theta's hands sparked — a desperate move.
Self-Destruct Sequence: Initiated
Xyro: "Arin! He's triggering a Pulse Core detonation!"
Without hesitation, Arin activated Pulse Suppression Field.
> [Energy Output: 130%]
[Core Stabilization Attempt: Engaged]
He forced the unstable core down, the field containing the explosion.
Boom.
A muffled shockwave rocked the tunnel.
When the smoke cleared, Theta lay unconscious, armor cracked.
Arin staggered, panting.
> [Vitals: 52%]
[System Load: Critical]
Rhea's voice returned.
"Arin… status?"
Arin: "Theta's down. Moving on."
---
Nexus Lab: Core Control Room
The sealed door hissed open under Arin's override.
Banks of servers and flickering holo-screens lined the walls.
In the center — the Project Xeno-Soul Nexus Core.
> [Objective: Secure Data]
Estimated Transfer Time: 3 Minutes
Arin set the system to work.
Suddenly—
Nyros' hologram flickered to life.
"I underestimated you, Arin Verma."
Arin's eyes hardened. "Your project ends now."
Nyros smiled coldly. "Do you think a file will end this? You've seen nothing."
System Alert: Hostile Override Attempt Detected
Xyro: "Arin! He's hijacking the Nexus Core remotely!"
> [Countermeasure: Forbidden Core Overdrive – Authorized]
Arin fed raw Forbidden Core energy into the system.
The core flickered, resisting the override.
> [Data Transfer: 72%… 85%… 100%]
Download Complete.
Xyro: "We've got it!"
Nyros' hologram crackled. "You've doomed yourself, boy."
Arin disconnected, the Nexus Core going dark.
Rhea: "Arin, security's converging. Evacuate!"
---
Escape
Arin sprinted through the side tunnels, carrying a portable drive containing everything — Xeno-Soul's secrets, Elira's origin, and perhaps his own.
Alarms blared. Lights flickered.
Xyro: "Extraction point: Platform Sigma. ETA: 3 minutes."
Arin didn't slow.
---
End of Episode 30
> [Main Quest Progress Updated]
Nexus Data Secured
Next Objective: Expose Project Xeno-Soul to the outside world
New Threat Level: S-Rank
Time Limit: 24 hours
To Be Continued…