The substation's entrance, a massive steel door half-buried, was sealed. But Elara's Data Stream Comprehension had highlighted a faint energy signature on a smaller, emergency access panel above it. This wasn't a lock she could pick, but a system that needed a nudge. Her Mana was low, at [20/50], after her desperate escape from the Glitch Hulk, but a minor Glitch Shift was all she had left.
She reached up, her fingers tracing the defunct panel. She focused, visualizing the severed power conduit within flickering back to life, just for a moment. It was a gamble. Too much, and she might overload it, sealing the door permanently. Too little, and nothing would happen.
[Glitch Shift (Active) – Lv.1. Cost: 10 Mana.]
[Mana: 10/50.]
A subtle hum, almost a sigh, emanated from the panel. A single, dull red light flickered green, then solidified. With a groan of ancient machinery, the massive steel door began to slowly, agonizingly, rise. A wave of stale, metallic-scented air wafted out, carrying with it the faint, constant hum she now associated with strong System energies.
[Minor Environmental Hazard Overcome! +10 XP]
Elara slipped through the opening as soon as it was wide enough, the grinding machinery still struggling to lift the heavy door fully. The interior was a cavernous space, dimly lit by emergency lights that pulsed erratically, casting long, dancing shadows. Massive, rusted generators stood like sleeping giants, their conduits a tangled, decaying web. The air was thick with ozone and the undeniable presence of the System.
[Current XP: 80/100.]
Almost there. A level up seemed imminent.
Her Data Stream Comprehension flared, making the energy flows almost visible. They converged deep within the substation, towards a central chamber. That had to be it—the Data Nexus Point. And hopefully, the emergency power cells Kael spoke of.
She moved deeper into the substation, navigating a maze of disused control panels and sparking circuit boards. The humming grew stronger, a low thrum that resonated in her teeth. It was a living sound, the fragmented consciousness of the System itself.
Suddenly, a sharp, piercing whine erupted, echoing off the metal walls. Elara dropped into a crouch, her eyes darting around. From a shadowed corner, a new enemy emerged.
It was a System Wraith. Unlike the brute force of the Glitch Hulk, this creature was a spectral, translucent form, composed of swirling data streams and shimmering, corrupted code. It floated silently, its form flickering as if struggling to maintain cohesion. Its eyes were twin points of pure, malevolent red light. It wasn't physical; it was an entity of pure Glitch energy, likely a sentry or a corrupted program of the substation's old systems.
[Threat Detected: System Wraith (Non-Physical Entity)]
[Warning: Evasive Maneuvers Recommended. Physical Attacks Ineffective.]
Elara's heart hammered. A non-physical entity. Her multi-tool was useless. Her agility, normally her greatest asset, seemed moot against something that could pass through walls. She only had 10 Mana left. Not enough for a significant Glitch Shift to create a major distraction.
The Wraith drifted closer, its form solidifying slightly, an ethereal hand reaching out. A freezing cold washed over Elara as it passed through a nearby console, causing it to spark violently before dying. Direct contact would likely drain her Mana, or worse, corrupt her further.
Think, Elara, think! What was the System Wraith? A corrupted entity. A program. It was a glitch.
She remembered Kael's words: "Sometimes they harnessed the glitches, sometimes the glitches consumed them." And her own Unique Trait: "[System Anomalous Connection]: Your connection to the System is unconventional, leading to unpredictable, yet potentially powerful, 'glitches.'"
Could she use her Glitch Shift not on the environment, but on the Wraith itself? Or on the System that was sustaining it? It was a wild, desperate thought.
She closed her eyes for a split second, focusing all her remaining Mana, not on moving an object, but on creating an error in the Wraith's very existence. She pictured its shimmering form flickering out of control, its chaotic data streams collapsing.
[Glitch Shift (Active) – Lv.1. Cost: 10 Mana.]
[Mana: 0/50.]
The Wraith recoiled as if struck by an invisible force. Its form began to flicker violently, its red eyes widening with what looked like confusion. It let out a high-pitched, digital shriek, and for a terrifying moment, it seemed to unravel, dissolving into pure static before re-coalescing. It was still there, but it was disoriented. Its movements became jerky, less purposeful.
Elara didn't wait. This was her chance. She darted past the confused Wraith, ignoring the chilling aura it emitted. She sprinted through the remaining corridors, following the intensifying hum of the Data Nexus. She could feel the pressure building, the presence of the fractured System growing stronger.
The Wraith shrieked again, recovering its senses, but Elara was already gone, disappearing into the maze of the substation.
[Major Encounter Evaded! +25 XP]
[Current XP: 105/100.]
A new, startling chime resonated directly in her mind, louder and clearer than any before.
[LEVEL UP! Elara has reached Level 2!]
Elara skidded to a halt in a large, circular chamber, filled with the loud, thrumming hum. Her vision was momentarily filled with a dazzling array of new information. She had leveled up! The System was working. She had pushed herself, risked everything, and it had paid off. A surge of exhilaration, raw and potent, coursed through her. This wasn't just survival anymore. This was growth. This was power.
She looked around the chamber. In the center, beneath a shattered dome, a massive, crystalline structure pulsed with an unstable blue light. This was it. The Data Nexus Point. It was larger and more volatile than she could have imagined, radiating raw System energy. And scattered around its base, among piles of ancient, corroded equipment, were what looked like glowing, cylindrical objects.
Emergency power cells.