Lukas opened his eyes.
He stared down at the crystal in his hands.
Intricate.
Its inner structure was composed of tightly woven magnetic filaments—thin, almost impossible to trace by eye—interconnected through a layered matrix. When pulsed at just the right frequency and amplitude, it returned a signal.
Data. Encoded and clean.
The design was fascinating.
Could something like this have been developed during primitive Earth civilizations—if humans ...
2025-04-26 00:00:08 +0000 UTC
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Light?
An exit?
I narrow my eyes. Odd. They didn’t mention anything about an exit on the other side.
But there is something about that light that feels… unnatural. It’s not exactly white—more like a faint, greenish glow.
I send Arjun a pulse.
“What do you think?”
“Some strange minerals that glow, perhaps?”
“Could be, but minerals do not naturally glow. They’re at best fluorescent—converting UV to vi...
2025-04-25 00:00:07 +0000 UTC
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Lukas, Chiara, Wang and the others walked into the settlement, boots pressing against the pale stone paths set in wide, geometric lines. The ground was clean, the walkways bordered by short walls of dark basalt. Square buildings rose on either side—flat-roofed, with narrow entrances and stone support beams cut with careful symmetry.
Constructs moved across the open space. Some rolled low to the ground, shaped like armored reptiles with baskets strapped to their backs. Others walked up...
2025-04-23 00:00:06 +0000 UTC
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Overdrive.
Heat rolled off her skin. Her pulse climbed.
Ayu’s breath tasted like metal and fire.
Muscles snapped tight. Her stance lowered.
The air warped around her as focus drilled into instinct.
Something cracked under her heel. Stone. She didn’t notice.
The elder shifted—
She was already moving.
Ayu twisted.
The dagger slashed where her ribs had been.
Her spine bent backward.
A flash of blade arced toward her...
2025-04-21 00:00:04 +0000 UTC
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“Speak for your people?”
The man speaks in their native tongue—K’ehli, as they call it.
“Yes,” I reply, having discussed this earlier with Imani and Arjun. Since I started speaking first, it only made sense for me to continue. It’s not like I enjoy being in charge—not at all—but Lukas isn't here, so…
He studies me for a moment, then continues. “Your place... not known. But you Nalwin. Nalwin not enemy. You now Chak'Aj. Only we...
2025-04-19 00:00:07 +0000 UTC
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Ayu opened her eyes.
The world around her unfolded with such clarity, it made her feel as if she’d been blind and deaf until now. Every blade of grass—even those hundreds of meters away—was so sharply defined it felt like they were within arm’s reach.
The sounds were more nuanced too. She could sense the flow of nearby streams without turning her head, feel how the water curved around rocks, how fish darted in short, sudden bursts beneath the surface.
Her senses had ...
2025-04-18 00:00:05 +0000 UTC
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“Well, first things first—we’re safe. Or… we should be. They left us this spot to settle in temporarily, but we’ll have to build our own shelters if we want them. They also asked us to learn their language before contacting them again.”
“That moment you stepped back quickly… what happened?” Imani asks, his eyes sharp.
“That… I’m not sure. A test, maybe? All I can say is, if that person had wanted me dead, I’d be dead right now. We all would.”
“H...
2025-04-17 00:00:12 +0000 UTC
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As we’re led by the man in front, I notice the others glance at us with curious eyes—but there’s a certain respect to it.
I sense no malice in their expressions, none of the subtle hostility or suspicion that often lingers toward outsiders in closed societies. It’s not rejection. Just… curiosity.
We make our way forward, the path widening with every step. The jungle gradually thins, giving way to cultivated land.
Homes line the slope on either side of the path—st...
2025-04-16 00:00:05 +0000 UTC
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I stay calm.
I don’t know if I can beat the human—if I can even call him that—in front of me. But… I like to think the Tower wouldn’t place us in an unwinnable situation. Either we fight and have a chance, however slim, or we don’t fight at all… if we play this right.
Either way, I can’t screw this up.
I study him more closely now. He’s short—maybe 5’5", possibly less. The others behind him are built the same. Compact, solid. Is it an adaptation to the ...
2025-04-15 00:00:11 +0000 UTC
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The water lapped at her waist, cold and clear, the current tugging faintly as she waded deeper.
It felt different from what she was used to.
Denser. Heavier.
Every movement took more effort. Staying afloat wasn’t natural anymore—her body was too heavy, too compact. She had to keep moving, muscles lightly tensed, adjusting to the flow and the increased gravity.
She didn’t mind.
Blood clung to her skin like oil, dried and cracked in lines across her arms and ...
2025-04-14 00:00:11 +0000 UTC
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“I think I’ve got something.”
Imani shifts toward me but says nothing, waiting.
I tweak the frequency and narrow my gaze in that direction, but the mountain fog blurs everything. Still, I catch faint movement. Tiny dots.
I push Overdrive. My senses sharpen, vision clears just a little. The shapes come into focus—barely.
“I think it’s Arjun and a couple of others, close to the west base of the mountain range. They’re fighting… small raptors, I think. Not...
2025-04-12 00:00:12 +0000 UTC
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“I’m picking up a lot of background noise,” I mutter, narrowing my focus. “But no clear signatures. At this range, I think only those who’ve reached the First Pillar State could pick me up.”
“So that means Chiara, Lukas, Arjun, and Wang aren’t in this direction,” Imani says beside me, his eyes scanning the wide expanse below. “But others could be.”
The region stretches endlessly—dense forest, broken ridges, patches of open land. In the far distance, I spot ...
2025-04-11 00:00:06 +0000 UTC
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“Nothing?”
Imani shook his head. “No. You?”
“Nope.” I exhale, scanning the horizon again. “So… what’s the plan? Head for that mountain range in the distance, climb one of the closer peaks for a better view? Or follow one of the herds—see if they lead us to a freshwater source?”
“We’ve got enough water for six more days,” Imani says. “But freshwater spots are likely to be contested. Herds will gather. Predators too. Could turn ugly fast. The moun...
2025-04-10 00:00:03 +0000 UTC
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No time for melee.
I flick a bullet from my pouch with my thumb. My waves catch it mid-air—spin it, accelerate it.
But my focus is ahead.
A small raptor. Just over two meters tall. Komodo snout, plated with metallic fangs. Electric pulses shimmer along its skull.
It’s fast—aiming straight for Camila’s thigh.
Less than half a second.
I narrow my eyes. Track the vectors.
Trajectory. Speed. Gait. Angle of attack.
I channel force through the...
2025-04-09 00:00:04 +0000 UTC
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“Any luck?”
“Only two more,” Chiara said, opening her eyes. “My waves should have reached them, but they won’t be able to reach me back. None of them are from the main squad.”
“Well, I wouldn’t be too worried about the rest of the Awakened,” Lukas replied, arms crossed, his eyes scanning the tree line below. “They should be able to handle themselves just fine. The others, though…”
His gaze fixed on the sweeping view ahead.
From where they stoo...
2025-04-08 00:00:04 +0000 UTC
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I remain still, unsure of how to proceed.
There are twenty-two of them. Not exactly the kind of odds I want to test, especially not under higher gravity.
But… they don’t advance.
They just stand there. Watching.
Unmoving.
Odd.
Every creature so far has attacked on sight. No hesitation. No exceptions.
But these?
They’re just observing me.
Curiosity starts to override caution. I stay where I am, eyes locked on the herd, starin...
2025-04-07 00:00:06 +0000 UTC
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November 15, 2024 - Melbourne, Australia
Jack was unsure of what exactly he had just watched.
It wasn’t the first fight against the Black Lobster he had seen. There had been several events before—most successful, a few with casualties. But the one he had just witnessed...
What the hell was that?
He hadn’t seen what Gen-1 pulled off against the first boss, but he could swear—nothing could possibly be this clean.
I...
2025-04-04 23:00:02 +0000 UTC
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“Houston, Darius, ready?”
“Whenever you are.”
I nod as I sit cross-legged on the smooth white floor, still in the casual clothes.
I close my eyes and steady my breathing.
I visualize the pattern—the sword strikes blending as they arc through the nodes, each with its own rhythm and speed. Slowly, they connect from one node to the next, each set forming a sequence, and the sequences together building the full neural map that links to the Pilla...
2025-04-03 23:00:04 +0000 UTC
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“Oh, smells good,” Lukas said as he pulled up a chair to the table. “Paella. It’s been a while.”
“Oh, you know it?” Alonso looked pleasantly surprised.
“Well, of course. I’ve tried it several times. I wouldn’t say it’s in my top ten, but maybe somewhere in the top thirty or fifty. There were a few good places back in Munich, but I did try one in Spain once, during one of my aimless trips around Europe.”
“Which part of Spain?”
“I s...
2025-04-02 23:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Ayu stood before the mirror, dressed in the clothes that had been laid out in her room, on top of the bed. The set was simple, yet familiar, and strangely comforting—as if it had been tailored just for her.
The sports bra hugged her frame snugly, offering the right support without limiting her motion. The Muay Thai-style shorts rested low on her hips, loose around the thighs, allowing complete freedom in every step, every kick. She was barefoot, her stance easy, and her hair—still d...
2025-04-01 23:00:03 +0000 UTC
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How can I visualize all these paths?
How can I consciously choose the best one when I’m operating in the high stages of Overdrive, where rational thought takes a back seat and instincts drive everything?
Every action in a fight breaks down into three stages: input → decision-making → output.
Right now, my input is fast—insanely fast—thanks to Overdrive enhancing my senses. And not just fast, but detailed. I catch everything: smells, sound, heat, EM waves, ...
2025-03-31 23:00:05 +0000 UTC
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I step forward.
The ground is no longer a foundation—just a boundary.
My blades slice through the air as I twist, but the force behind them feels wrong. Too light. Too weightless.
My muscle memory fights me, every movement just a little off. My mind screams something is wrong. And of course it is…
I glance up—or rather, down. The bed, the table, the barrels, all hanging above me like an illusion. Except it’s not. My feet are planted firmly against the ceiling o...
2025-03-30 23:00:04 +0000 UTC
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My eyes narrow as the space around me shifts in an instant.
My grip tightens on my swords, but slowly, I ease the tension as I take in my surroundings.
Another white room.
I don’t relax just yet—my waves scan for anomalies, any sign of movement. While a few features catch my attention, there seems to be no imminent danger.
My gaze locks onto the counter on the wall ahead.
7:00:00:00
4/14
So it’s sim...
2025-03-28 23:00:03 +0000 UTC
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November 8, 2024 - Russia, ???
“A new signal?”
“Yes, it was received just after the last event.”
“What did it say?” Viktor asked.
“Challenge Completed. Knowledge Acquired. It followed the prompt with a large data sequence that was processed and related to seemingly two paths to refine the body and the mind core energy output efficiency.”
“Interesting,” Viktor mused. “So, how does this k...
2025-03-27 23:00:10 +0000 UTC
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Darius and Houston remain seated in the chairs, the atmosphere shifting the moment Alonso disconnects.
“You knew.”
Darius’ smile changes—no longer the warm, easygoing expression he wore with Alonso, but something more amused, almost teasing. Yet, he says nothing.
“So you faked it all along?” Houston’s voice tightens with frustration. “You… you made us waste six days of progress for that philosophical game of yours?”
“Houston, what are we?”
2025-03-26 23:00:03 +0000 UTC
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“Darius, I’m not even mad anymore. I’m not. Just… please… for the love of God, I beg you—from the bottom of whatever the hell counts as a heart for me—figure this out.”
Darius keeps his gaze straight and just shrugs. “What do you want me to do? I don’t get it. Simple as that.”
“The fuck you mean, you don’t get it? Six fucking days. Six. Damn. Days! Even Arjun—who I swear to God has the IQ of a rock with a dent in it—managed to reach the First Pillar S...
2025-03-25 23:00:08 +0000 UTC
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Ayu exhaled slowly, rolling her shoulders before settling into her stance. She shifted her weight effortlessly, feeling the ground beneath her feet as if it were an extension of her body.
She focused.
Activating Overdrive, she pushed it to her usual limit—only to notice something strange. Her thoughts were sharper than they should be. Less resistance. Less strain on her mind and body. She felt… she could push further.
She hesitated for an instant, remembering Al...
2025-03-24 23:00:06 +0000 UTC
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Pablo awkwardly rose, his movements slightly stiff, as if his body hadn’t quite caught up with his mind. He hesitated for half a second before grasping her hand, unsure of how firm or light the handshake should be.
“The pleasure is mine,” he managed, clearing his throat. “I’m… uh, I’m Pablo.”
Leonie’s grip was cool, composed, yet strangely grounding. She didn’t squeeze too hard, nor did she let the gesture linger.
She chuckled softly. “No need to be ner...
2025-03-23 23:00:06 +0000 UTC
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It hurt.
Ayu sat cross-legged on the ground, the faint wind barely reaching the small, shallow cave.
Her teeth clenched as she felt the burning sensation spread through her body—burning, over and over again. The electric shocks tore through her cells, relentless. At first, the pain was tolerable, like the sharp prick of countless needles. But the more she pushed, the worse it became.
But she let it go. Ignored it. She knew this pain. The kind that made you stronge...
2025-03-22 01:00:19 +0000 UTC
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His English was clear but carried an unmistakable South Indian accent.
“English—I heard from your chat with Steve. Good. Fewer people speak it here than you’d think.” He gestured around lazily. “Anyway, I let you kids take in the sights first. Pictures say a thousand words, don’t they?”
Pablo swallowed, unsure how to react. The man’s presence was imposing, but he didn’t seem hostile—quite the opposite.
The man gave them a moment before continuing.
...
2025-03-21 01:00:07 +0000 UTC
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