00:16:47
The timer ticked lower as the tunnel lights dimmed, one by one, like candles being snuffed out.
"Do not panic," Elya said, pulling a cloak from the wall and slipping a chrome ring over her wrist. "The Purity Directive wants control, not corpses."
"What's the Directive?"
"A government-sanctioned cult," she said flatly. "Tech-enhanced fanatics who believe all magic is a virus infecting reality. Their solution? Burn it. Or worse…"
I didn't have time to ask what "worse" meant.
Because the wall screeched.
Steel peeled inward, not from explosives—but from a clean white orb floating silently, slicing through metal with surgical beams of light.
Behind it: soldiers. Six of them, dressed in polished white armor laced with micro-reactive symbols. Their helmets glowed with code.
One of them stepped forward and spoke in a voice amplified by some unholy blend of speaker and psalm.
"Subject Ren Ishikawa. Unauthorized Protocol Detected. You are in possession of CHAOS-TYPE anomalies and a corrupted skill tree. Surrender. Now."
I raised my hand. "Funny story—this is all a misunderstanding—"
The white orb scanned me.
[MAGIC-ABSORPTION UNIT ONLINE]Warning: All spells cast within 30 meters will be consumed.Current Drain Rate: 12%/sec
My glowing palm dimmed instantly.
"It's eating my magic," I whispered.
"It's a DeSync Engine," Elya said grimly. "You can't use standard spells inside its field. Unless..."
"Unless?"
She grinned and threw me a data-sigil. "You bend the rules."
FUSION SLOT ACTIVATED.Combining CHAOS BOLT Lv.2 + CHRONO-FANG Lv.1Initiating fusion...
[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: CHAOS SNAP]Description: A fractured instant-cast spell that delays impact by 2 seconds, bypassing reality filters.Effect: Bypasses absorption fields. Explosion triggers after detonation is forgotten.Cooldown: 90s
I ducked behind a pillar as two Purifiers advanced.
Elya bought time—launching non-magical grenades enchanted with magnetic pulses.
"Use your new toy," she said, ducking beside me. "Aim at the orb."
I peeked around the rubble. The orb hovered, absorbing ambient magic like a vacuum cleaner in a temple.
I raised my hand. Focused.
And snapped.
Nothing happened.
Then, two seconds later, the air behind the orb fractured—time rippled like cracked glass—and a void implosion detonated inside the machine's shell.
The orb spasmed. Lights went red. It screamed like metal dying.
"NOW!" Elya shouted. "Hit the soldiers while the field's down!"
I cast Chaos Bolt—this time infused with soul-debt charge. It surged violet and black.
Three soldiers were thrown across the tunnel. The rest regrouped fast.
Elya used the distraction to pull us through a back corridor, slamming a firewall barrier behind us.
"Congratulations," she panted. "You just made their most-wanted list."
"Awesome," I said. "Do I get a badge?"
"No," she said, "you get hunted until you either join them... or stop breathing."
[FUSION UNLOCK SUCCESSFUL]New Trait Gained: Reality Residue – Spells now leave trace echoes. May attract unwanted attention.Reputation Update: Purity Directive – HOSTILECountdown Resumed: 00:15:06
I looked down at my hand—still smoking from the cast.Power surged through me.
But something else did too: a lingering echo of the DeSync Engine.A chill.
A reminder.
The more I broke the rules…
…the more reality tried to break me back.