Destiny Among the Stars - Scifi - LitRPG - Adventure

Luca's stomach lurched into his throat as the elevator plummeted like a stone, gravity vanishing in a heartbeat. Red emergency lights painted everyone's faces in blood as they bounced against the ceiling. Ryan's elbow smashed into his ribs, Emily's wild hair whipped across his visor, and somewhere in the chaos, Danny's voice boomed: "Mag boots!"

The clank of Danny's boots anchoring to the floor gave them one point of stability as his massive frame reached out to grab Emily and Chris. The screeching of metal on metal swallowed Luca's curses as something snapped overhead, and they picked up even more speed.

"If we survive this," Chris growled, clinging to a handrail, "I'm filing a formal complaint with the System!"

Twenty-seven hours into this delve, and the System still found new ways to fuck with them.

Then, with zero warning, the elevator slammed to a halt. The force sent a shockwave through his bones and launched him face-first into the floor, his visor bouncing hard against metal. Pain shot up his neck.

"Everyone alive?" he croaked, tasting blood where he'd bitten his cheek.

"Still kicking," Emily muttered from somewhere near his left boot. Even hurt, she managed to sound like she was flirting with the floor itself.

The elevator's overhead lights flickered, then steadied into a dull amber glow. The doors made a half-hearted attempt to open, got stuck, then jerked apart with a reluctant groan.

The way ahead was dark, an intersection of three corridors.

"We're at the barracks," Zoe announced, pointing down the left corridor. "The way forward is that way."

"An armory ahead," Luca confirmed, not bothering to hide the hunger in his voice.

The corridor lay bare before them, branching into pathways lined with what must have once been crew quarters. Through darkened windows to their right, his headlamp lit up row upon row of weapon racks, armor stands, and equipment lockers. To their left sprawled a mess hall, with tables overturned and chairs spilling out.

"Twenty-seven hours of getting our asses kicked," Danny said, his helmet tucked under one massive arm, "and we finally catch a break."

Joey helped Emily to her feet, careful of her injured arm. "Don't jinx it," he warned, but even he couldn't keep the excitement from his voice.

They stepped forward as a group, drawn by the promise of better gear. Luca's muscles ached with every movement, but the prospect of upgrading his pathetic excuse for armor pushed the pain to the background.

Ryan stepped forward, his eyes locked on a workbench visible through one of the armory windows. "I could upgrade all our weapons in one go if we..."

At the last second, Luca saw it: a thin red line cutting across the floor just beyond the elevator threshold. The kind of thing you'd miss if you weren't specifically looking for it.

"Wait!" Luca shouted, lunging forward. "Laser trip!"

But Ryan had already moved, his boot breaking the beam with a soft click.

Their eyes met in that perfect oh shit moment.

"Motherfu--" Ryan's curse was cut short by the wail of alarms. Red lights strobed across the ceiling as metallic shutters slammed down over the armory windows. The mess hall entrance sealed behind a crackling energy barrier. They were trapped.

"Ryan, you idiot!" Emily screamed over the noise.

"How was I supposed to know?" he yelled back.

Danny shoved his helmet on. "Cover! NOW!"

Luca felt it before he heard it: a subtle vibration through the deck plating. The kind that meant something big was powering up.

Panels peeled back from every surface. Turrets emerged from the ceiling, walls, and floor with hydraulic whines, their thick barrels swiveling to create perfect crossfires down all three corridors.

Wall sections retracted, exposing hatches already disgorging combat drones bigger and meaner than anything they'd faced. Their targeting systems blinked to life with malevolent red eyes.

"You had to step on the one thing," Luca muttered to Ryan as they backed toward the elevator. "The one thing."

Ryan gripped his shotgun with white knuckles. "In my defense, this is totally what would have happened anyway."

Chris leveled his assault rifle. "Get ready, guys."

The turrets locked onto them, and the corridor lit up with plasma fire.

"Cover!" Luca repeated, diving behind an overturned table as the first volley of plasma fire scorched the air where he'd been standing. The bolt hit the elevator door, melting a fist-sized hole through the metal like it was butter.

He activated his [Cover Spotting] ability. The headache that had been a dull throb intensified into a sharp spike as his mind was flooded with angles, trajectories, and kill zones. Too many. Far too many.

Emily rolled to his right, her injured arm clutched tight against her chest as her blaster spat fire at the nearest turret. Her face was drawn with pain, but her aim was deadly.

A plasma bolt from the mess hall corridor grazed her shoulder, searing a black line across her armor. Should we have used those nanites on her? he thought, a flash of regret stabbing through him. I hated the idea of injecting her with System crap.

Danny stepped forward, a true giant in his TL9 Juggernaut armor. The suit was a marvel, all gleaming plates and reinforced joints, standing nearly seven feet tall. Plasma bolts splashed against his chest, leaving nothing but scorch marks.

He swayed as a concentrated barrage slammed into the shimmering shield around his armor. Since when did his armor have a shield?

"I got this," he growled, the external speakers making his voice sound like Robocop. His energy warhammer crackled to life, blue lightning dancing along its massive head as he swung it in a perfect arc. The nearest drone didn't stand a chance, crushed against the wall in a satisfying crunch of metal.

"Left side!" Chris called out, his assault rifle chattering as he tore through two flanking drones, sending them spiraling to the deck.

Beside Luca, Zoe's form shimmered as she activated her active camouflage. Her eyes met his through her visor for a split second. No time for games now.

"Going ghost," she said, her voice already fading as [Ghost Protocol] engaged. "I'll find the controls."

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

And then she was gone, a slight distortion in the air slipping past the enemy lines. He envied her that suit more than he cared to admit.

"Cover Zoe's exit!" Ryan ordered, sending a volley of shots toward the turrets to draw their fire. He even managed to hit one. Attaboy.

Luca huddled behind his makeshift cover, feeling supremely out of his depth. The others were all engaged, their upgraded gear giving them a fighting chance. Hands shaking, he pressed against the table's edge. From across the corridor, a turret head swiveled toward him, red eye locking on.

He activated [Steady Aim] and fired: three precise blasts ripped through the turret's targeting lens, and it collapsed in a smoking heap.

"Nice shot!" Emily shouted over the roar. Even injured and under fire, she managed to make it sound like she was cheering him on. God, I love her.

But another turret swung to fill the gap. He didn't hesitate. [Target Lock Assist] engaged, his HUD highlighting the next barrel in bright red, its predicted arc traced on screen. He squeezed the trigger again, punching a plasma bolt straight through its core. A second later, its carcass crashed to the floor.

He darted three steps to his left as a drone swooped down the corridor. He spun, aimed, and fired before the machine could even level its weapon. The drone's plasma coil fizzed out, and it crashed to the ground.

"Three down!" Luca yelled, adrenaline surging through him.

Another turret roared to life, plasma crackling at its barrel. He crouched lower, panting, lined up his shot, and unleashed one last plasma blast. The turret exploded in a blaze of ionized gas, its death echoing in the silent aftermath.

A metallic hum behind him caught him off guard. He spun just in time to see a lone combat drone rise up behind their line, its plasma cannon charging. It was aiming for Emily. Before she could react, Luca was moving, sprinting forward and launching himself onto the drone's flank.

The drone whirled upward, wobbling as it tried to shake him. Legs wrapped around its chassis, he held on for dear life. His Energy Tomahawk hissed to life. "Hold still!" he snarled, swinging the glowing blade at its hull.

Clang!

The tomahawk bounced off, sparks flaring. Goddamnit, he thought, I should have used my upgrade cube. His ability, [Weak Point Focus], was highlighting a dozen places to strike, but his tomahawk just didn't have the power. The drone suddenly accelerated, slamming him against the crackling energy barrier. His head rang like a bell, black spots dancing across his vision.

Silence fell across the corridor. All eyes were on him, hanging fifteen feet above the deck, uselessly smacking the drone's armor.

Below, Emily cupped her hands around her mouth. "You got this, Luca! Smash it!" Her voice carried that breathless excitement she got when watching him do something dangerous.

"Hey, Rossi!" Ryan called out with a grin. "Nice ride!"

Danny pointed a massive gauntlet at him. "Dude, I can see your wedgie from here!"

Great. Humiliation mid-fight. But he realized the drone couldn't fly steady while he clung to it. He dug in with both hands, teeth gritted, and slammed the tomahawk downward in a desperate, two-handed blow. The blade bit deeper this time.

"Give... me... something!" he gasped.

The drone's lights winked out. It slowed into a gentle spin, floating down with unexpected grace. Luca clung to its side, his chest heaving, sweat stinging his eyes. His forearms burned, every muscle trembling from that last, desperate swing.

The drone settled on the floor with a final, metallic thump, and he sagged against its hull, shaking like a leaf. His vision swam as he blinked away the sweat. A pair of boots appeared in his line of sight, planting themselves on the drone's casing. He followed them up to see Emily approaching, favoring her injured arm but moving with that familiar confident stride.

Emily stood over him, good hand on her hip, that smile spreading across her face like sunshine after a storm. "Well, well," she said, her voice carrying that teasing lilt that made his pulse skip. "Look what the drone dragged in."

He cleared his throat, his heart thumping so hard he worried she'd see the vibration through his visor. "Yeah... just... enjoying the ride," he managed, his voice hoarse.

"Sure you are," she drawled, extending her good hand to help him up. Her green eyes sparkled with mischief. "Come on, cowboy. Time to get off your mechanical bull."

He looked past her and saw Danny's face, caught in the lift's emergency strobe, had gone a brilliant shade of red from holding his breath or laughing. Behind him, Chris and Joey were hooting, their laughter rippling through the corridor like relief incarnate. Even Ryan's grin was impossibly wide under his visor.

The rodeo was over. Heart still pounding, sweat pooling inside his scout suit and making it cling uncomfortably, Luca took Emily's hand and let her pull him to his feet. Her grip was warm and steady, even with her injury, and she didn't let go immediately when he was upright.

"Nice flying, hotshot," she said quietly, squeezing his hand once before releasing it.

[+245,199 XP]

[+87,750 credits]

[LEVEL UP! Level 66 +10 ATTRIBUTE POINTS]

[COMBAT PATH UPGRADE AVAILABLE]

A notification chimed in his ear, a welcome distraction from his shaking legs and the lingering humiliation of the drone rodeo. He absently pulled at his wedgie.

"I just hit level 66," he said, the words coming out in a near-daze as he stared into the middle distance. "It's offering me a combat path upgrade."

[System Prompt: SELECT YOUR COMBAT PATH UPGRADE]

[Hacker] (Tech Specialist)
Primary Attribute: Memory +2 per level
Secondary Attribute: Willpower +1 per level
A digital ghost in the machine, capable of cracking any security layer, from sealed bulkhead controls to remote drone command. With a few deft keystrokes they can blind sensors, reroute patrol drones into kill-zones, or feed enemy systems a fatal logic bomb. When circuits scream and defenses collapse, you know a Hacker's been at work.

[Shadow] (Stealth Specialist)
Primary Attribute: Charisma +2 per level
Secondary Attribute: Intelligence +1 per level
Master of invisibility and supreme agility, the Shadow melds seamlessly into the dark, slipping into the realm of obscurity. They specialize in intimate, personal attacks, long-term infiltration, befriending targets, gaining trust, then striking from hidden vantage points to make their targets vanish without a trace.

[Infiltrator] (Stealth DPS)
Primary Attribute: Perception +2 per level
Secondary Attribute: Memory +1 per level
A lethal fusion of covert saboteur and digital ghost. Infiltrators slip through security nets with silent steps, bypass alarms, then execute flawless, up-close takedowns before the nearest sensor ever blinks. They move in shadows and code alike, leaving both systems and sentries undone in the blink of an eye.

"Fuck it," Luca said, focusing on the Infiltrator option. "Going with this one."

The familiar warmth of a system upgrade washed through him, starting at his fingertips and spreading up his arms. His vision blurred momentarily as new neural pathways formed, knowledge downloading directly into his brain.

[Combat Path Upgrade Complete: Infiltrator]

[New Skill Unlocked: Lethal Precision - TL9]
[New Skill Unlocked: Silent Takedowns - TL9]
[New Skill Unlocked: Hacking Efficiency - TL9]
[New Skill Unlocked: System Override - TL9]
[New Skill Unlocked: Data Breach - TL9]
[New Skill Unlocked: Execution - TL9]

[Skill Distribution XP Mode Unlocked]

What's that? The new option let him funnel XP directly to up to five skills, whether he used them or not. Choice felt good.

"Oh, Emily," he called, but when he looked around, the entire team was frozen, their eyes glazed over. Zoe was staring into nothing, Chris was slumped against a wall, and Ryan's mouth was open, drooling a little. Shit.

They had all leveled up at the same time. This was a vulnerability, a huge one. He kept his blaster ready, scanning the corridor while the rest of his team was lost in their upgrades.

The seconds stretched into an agonizing minute. The new skills hummed in his mind, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the System was just giving them a breather before the next wave of bullshit.

Movement caught his eye. Emily's fingers twitched, then her shoulders straightened. Her eyes snapped open, bright and alert. "Gunslinger," she declared. "A mix of handguns and blade work."

"Seriously?" he couldn't hide his surprise. "Sounds awesome."

One by one, they all returned. Zoe announced "Assassin" with satisfaction. Danny flexed his gauntlets and grinned: "Juggernaut." Chris had gone Thermal Reaper, Joey picked Combat Surgeon.

Ryan was the last to snap out of it, wiping his mouth hastily. "Guardian," he said with a proud smirk. "Team support with actual combat proficiency. Protective skills and direct damage boosts for the whole squad."

"Great," Luca muttered, rolling his eyes. "You're finally useful."

Emily snorted and shoved his shoulder with her good arm. "Be nice. He's saved your ass at least twice today."

Luca couldn't argue with that, so he just adjusted his gear. The new Infiltrator skills hummed in his mind like half-remembered songs. The Combat Path upgrade felt different, more substantial, like he'd crossed a threshold he couldn't uncross.

"We should move," Joey said, checking his med scanner. "Radiation readings are ticking up again."

Chris groaned as he hauled himself to his feet. "Anyone else starving? I could eat a whole Nullmaw right now."

"That's disgusting," Zoe replied, but her stomach growled loudly enough for them all to hear.