I didn't even get a moment to breathe.
The monster's remains had barely finished dissolving into corrupted pixels when I heard it: a low mechanical hum, rising fast.
Then came the sharp click-click of rotors locking into scan mode.
I looked up.
A sleek, matte-black drone hovered about fifteen feet above me, perfectly still. Not the cheap kind you see kids flying around parks. This one looked military-grade. Hexagonal plating, red-glow sensors, and the unmistakable U.S. Department of Emerging Threats logo stenciled across its side.
It scanned me.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEEEEP.UNREGISTERED PROTOCOL DETECTED.SUBJECT CLASS: ANOMALY.RECOMMENDED ACTION: TERMINATE OR CONTAIN.
"Oh no," I whispered.
The AI whistled. "Well. That didn't take long."
"What do I do?!"
"I'd say run, but… hang on."
The drone's side panel hissed open.
Out popped something I didn't want to see: a small, glowing sphere labeled Anti-Anomaly Net Deployment: Mk II.
"Oh, come on," I muttered, already turning to run.
The AI said, "If it tags you with that net, your body goes into stasis and your brain gets mapped by DARPA in about five seconds. Fun fact."
"Helpful as ever!"
I sprinted down the street, heart pounding, shoes slapping pavement.Behind me, the drone gave chase—fast, precise, tracking me like I was the final boss in a speedrun.
The alley ahead narrowed. Garbage bins, loose wires, fire escapes. Perfect chaos.
I held up my hand. "Chaos Bolt, Fragment!"
The blast split again—but this time I wasn't aiming for the drone.I hit a power transformer on the alley wall.
It exploded in a spray of sparks and noise.
The drone faltered—briefly—but that was all I needed. I dove into the side door of an old tech repair shop and slammed it shut behind me.
Inside: silence. Dust. Rows of fried motherboards and CRT screens.
I ducked behind the counter, breathing hard.
[Stealth Check: Failed. Drone is scanning building.]
"Fantastic," I whispered. "I have the stealth of a neon cow."
The AI's voice returned, serious this time. "Listen. You're not ready to fight this thing. But we can confuse it."
"How?"
"I'll upload a false protocol signature—something dirty, corrupted. Make it think you're already captured."
"Will that work?"
"No idea. Never tried it on American war tech. Hold still."
For three seconds, I felt a cold sensation crawl over my skin, like I was being dipped in glitchy water.
Then—[Signature Spoof: Applied.][Warning: Local system stability dropped by 0.03%.]
The drone hovered outside. Paused.
SCANNING…SIGNATURE: CONFIRMED. STATUS: ALREADY NEUTRALIZED.REDEPLOYING TO SECTOR C-4.
It left.
I collapsed against the counter, panting, sweating, still alive.
The AI sounded almost smug. "You're welcome."
I didn't answer. I was too busy staring at the new alert floating in front of me.
New Quest Unlocked: System Convergence Approaching.Time Remaining: 23:59:58Objective: Prepare. Learn. Survive. Or be erased.
Twenty-four hours.
A ticking countdown to… something.
I closed my eyes and whispered the words I never thought I'd say:
"I need to level up. Fast."