Prime System Champion [A Multi-System Apocalypse LitRPG]

The image of the distant, sprawling settlement, a testament to organized life amidst the chaos of the Confluence Zone, stayed in my thoughts constantly during the next few days. It was a beacon of the unknown, promising both opportunity and immense danger. With a little over two days remaining on [Glimpse of a Path]'s cooldown, I began my journey south-southeast, timing my arrival at the settlement's outskirts with the reactivation of my Soul Ability. The trek was tough. A two-day passage across vast, shimmering plains of silver-blue grass that whispered secrets to the sighing wind; the blades were sharp enough to cut if you brushed them carelessly. This eventually led to treacherous, sun-baked badlands, a labyrinth of cracked earth, towering rock pillars, and sheer, rust-colored cliffs where the heat of the twin suns baked the very air, making it shimmer and dance. Kaelen, as always, was a silent, watchful presence during my preparations. He accepted his role as Sanctum guardian for this extended solo trip with a soft nudge of his head and a knowing look in his amber eyes. I left him with enough food and water for a week, just in case.

Upon reaching the lip of the vast basin that held the settlement on the third day, just as the familiar hum of my Soul Ability signaled its readiness, I spent hours doing cautious, long-range observation from various hidden spots along the basin's jagged rim. Even without any special binoculars or anything, the settlement was larger and more complex than I'd initially guessed from my first distant sighting. This wasn't a city built over centuries, weathered and ancient; it looked like a boomtown, raw and under rapid, almost frantic construction. From my hidden perches, I could see new metallic prefabs and rough-hewn stone buildings rising with astonishing speed, day by day, seeming to expand outwards like a metallic fungus. The air hummed with a mix of unfamiliar sounds — the distant clang of alien hammers on unknown metals, the faint roar of strange engines, the murmur of countless voices too far to make out, and the occasional, piercing shriek of some unseen machinery.

Yet, most intriguingly, the entire settlement, sprawling for several kilometers, appeared to be encased within a faint, shimmering energy field — an almost invisible dome that pulsed with a subtle, rhythmic blue light, like a giant soap bubble protecting whatever was inside. During my entire time watching, I hadn't seen a single inhabitant go outside this shimmering barrier, not for scouting, hunting, or anything else. They seemed contained, on purpose or otherwise. At its center stood a massive, intricately carved platform, easily a hundred meters across. It pulsed with an internal, vibrant energy. All arrivals and departures seemed to happen from there via instantaneous, blinding light-shows that spoke of sophisticated teleportation technology or powerful magic.

Finally, confident I'd learned what I could from afar, I descended into the basin, the heat radiating from the parched earth. My [Prime Axiom's Nullifying Veil] was active, its passive shroud a comforting reassurance. I had practiced with it extensively during the past weeks, learning how its passive component allowed me to project a modified set of statistics if anyone tried an 'Inspect' or similar System-based ability on me. I mentally set the projection: Body, Mana, and Spirit all around a paltry 50 — Tier 0, pathetically weak, utterly unremarkable, the kind of signature one would dismiss immediately. My actual essence, the System had confirmed, would still power its active component if needed, allowing me to appear "uninteresting."

Then, finding a shadowed crevice near the edge of the shimmering dome, I activated [Glimpse of a Path] with a focused mental command, pouring my focus, my intent, into understanding this new frontier, this city of unknown potential.

The world warped, a familiar lurch in my consciousness. My visionary self stepped out from behind a stack of discarded, alien construction materials — strange, lightweight alloys and blocks of porous, volcanic-looking stone — near the city's shimmering boundary. My stats, my power, were as they truly were within the vision — I felt strong, my Mana ready and responsive, my Spirit sharp and clear — but to any observer with a standard 'Inspect' ability, I would appear as a fragile Tier 0 entity. As my visionary self cautiously approached the energy dome, a section of it rippled like disturbed water, becoming momentarily open, allowing me passage. Confluence Nexus Delta-7 — the settlement's designation flashed briefly in my System interface as I stepped through. The air inside tasted of ozone, dust, and a thousand alien scents.

The variety of species was staggering, a living encyclopedia of galactic life. Towering, reptilian beings with iridescent scales that shifted color with their mood, their heavy footfalls shaking the ground, worked alongside squat, powerfully built creatures whose skin resembled cracked, sun-baked earth. Their four arms were capable of amazing feats of strength as they hoisted massive girders. Smaller, delicate humanoids with large, luminous eyes and gossamer wings that fluttered too quickly to see clearly darted through the crowds on errands, their movements swift and graceful. Hulking, insectoid figures with multiple limbs and clicking mandibles tended to glowing energy conduits that snaked through the streets like luminous pythons. It was a chaotic yet purposeful melting pot, all laboring under the banners of various construction guilds whose symbols were displayed on makeshift signs — a crossed hammer and gear, a stylized depiction of a crystal, a coiled, serpent-like creature. The atmosphere was thick with activity, a sense of urgency and constant motion. No one paid me any particular attention as I navigated the bustling, dusty streets. The active component of my Veil seemed to be deflecting casual observation; their gazes slid right past me as if I were a common rock.

I moved deeper, absorbing it all, a ghost in the machine. Then, I saw a smaller, more secluded alleyway, a brief break from the overwhelming sensory input. A lone figure was leaning against a grimy wall, meticulously cleaning a set of complex-looking tools — energy calipers that hummed faintly, micro-sonic welders that hissed with escaping gas, phase-alignment jigs covered in tiny, glowing runes. It was one of the vaguely human-like individuals I'd noticed. This one had skin the color of pale jade and eyes like molten gold. Their features were sharp and intelligent, dressed in practical, well-worn work clothes. They looked competent, focused, perhaps a technician or an engineer. My Soul Strength gave me an unshakeable internal focus, that "cognitive streamlining" that made direct interaction feel like a logical, calculated next step to gather information.

I approached, my footsteps making little sound on the dusty ground. "Excuse me," I said, my voice calm and even, just loud enough to carry.

The jade-skinned individual looked up, their movements economical. Their golden eyes, which had previously slid past my general direction without registering me, now fixed on me with an abrupt, startling clarity. The subtle sensation of my Veil's active "uninteresting" aura wavered for a microsecond and then, with a faint internal snap I felt even in the vision, collapsed like a pricked balloon. Direct address, direct interaction with clear intent — it had pierced that particular layer of misdirection. Their eyes widened, not in alarm, but in pure, unadulterated confusion. They frowned, looking directly at me now, their gaze sharp and analytical.

"From… where did you appear, human?" they asked. Their voice was a low, resonant baritone that seemed to vibrate in the air. Their eyes flicked around as if expecting to see my transport vehicle or the shimmer of a personal teleport effect. "The arrival platform logged no incoming short-range transits in the last cycle, and long-range manifests are clear for this entire sector for the past three rotations. Or did you bypass the perimeter resonance field? Unauthorized passage through the dome is impossible…" They paused, their gaze sharpening further, undoubtedly registering my Tier 0 energy signature. A look of utter bewilderment crossed their features. "Which guild are you contracted with? And who authorized your unscheduled arrival? There are no unaugmented humans cleared for independent operation or manual labor at Delta-7 construction sites."

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

They straightened up from the wall. Their lithe form was surprisingly imposing. Their hand moved towards a communication device on their belt. "Your presence here is an unregistered anomaly. By Sectorial mandate 7.3.4, I am required to report this incursion to the Site Overseer immediately. Stay where you are. This will require… clarification."

My Veil's primary passive ability — concealing my true stats and Soul Ability — should still be working, projecting my fabricated Tier 0 weakness. But direct scrutiny was now on me, and the questions about how I got here were pointed, unanswerable without revealing too much. The vision was a sandbox, a place to test boundaries. It was time for a bold play, one born of my confident, focused state of mind, a gamble to see how this system reacted to the unexpected.

I took a step back, letting an air of deliberate challenge, almost arrogance, settle over me. My voice, when I spoke, resonated with a clarity that surprised even my visionary self, cutting through the background noise of the Nexus.

"I wish to test the strength of this Nexus! Take me to your Site Overseer. If they are in charge, then they are who I wish to see! I, Cyberius Niferious, have business with the one who leads this endeavor!"

The jade-skinned individual blinked slowly, their golden eyes narrowing. Then a low chuckle rumbled in their chest, a dry, humorless sound. "A Tier 0 human, materializing from nowhere, demanding to see the Overseer to 'test the strength of this Nexus'?" Their lips curved into a smile that was more predatory than amused, revealing slightly pointed teeth. "Your audacity, human, is… quite something. Very well. Some… irregularities… are best handled directly by higher authorities. I shall escort you." They gestured down the alley with a wave of their tool-laden hand. "This way. The Overseer is often appreciative of novelties, especially those that provide a break in the monotony."

The Glimpse showed me following the jade-skinned individual through a series of bustling construction sites, past half-finished structures and temporary administrative offices. The path was clear, the destination precise, my guide moving with an easy confidence. Finally, we arrived at a larger, more permanent-looking structure made of dark, fused rock. Its architecture was severe and imposing. It was guarded by two heavily armored beings whose forms were a disturbing blend of gleaming organic armor that looked like polished obsidian and whirring, clicking mechanical components that hissed with escaping steam. Their eyes were multifaceted red lenses. My escort spoke a few quiet words to them in a clipped, guttural language, then gestured me inside.

The air within was cool and still, a stark contrast to the bustling heat outside. The chamber was large, sparsely furnished, dominated by a massive desk of polished black stone. I found myself standing before a much larger, more imposing figure seated behind it. This individual — their species unidentifiable to me, a two-legged form clad in dark, segmented armor that seemed to absorb light — radiated an aura of immense power. Their eyes were like chips of obsidian, cold and ancient. They seemed to see right through my fabricated weakness, to peer into the very core of my being. Their mere presence seemed to press down on the air in the room, making it feel heavy, difficult to breathe, as if I were at the bottom of a deep ocean. This, undoubtedly, was the Site Overseer.

"So, this is the anomaly," the Overseer rumbled. Their voice was like stones grinding together, a sound that vibrated in my bones and made the floor tremble slightly. "Bypassed the perimeter field, unaccounted for transit, negligible energy signature, and a… bold request, I hear." They tilted their massive head, a gesture that was anything but inquisitive, more like a predator assessing unfamiliar, potentially irritating prey. "Tell me, human, what makes you believe you have any standing to 'test' anything here, let alone make demands of me?"

Before I could utter a single word, before I could even form a response, the Overseer acted. There was no warning, no visible movement, no obvious sign of attack — just a sudden, overwhelming pressure that seemed to warp the very air around me. A crushing wave of dominating mental force. It felt as if my mind were being squeezed in an invisible vise, a psychic scream tearing through my consciousness, my senses blurring. It was a sheer exertion of will, a psychic hammer blow intended to pin me, to assess me, to utterly control me within the vision, to peel back my layers like an onion. I felt my defenses shatter instantly, like glass under a sledgehammer, under that immense, focused pressure.

But then, something deeper, something rooted in my Soul and my Tier 2 Spirit, instinctively pushed back. It wasn't a conscious act of defiance, more like an unbreakable core within me, an unyielding point of self, resisting total obliteration. I couldn't move, couldn't speak, could barely think. A roaring static filled my head. But I didn't crumple. I remained standing, visionary eyes locked with theirs, even as the pressure threatened to extinguish my consciousness, my vision graying at the edges as if all light were being sucked away.

The Overseer's obsidian eyes widened, just fractionally, but on that unmovable, powerful face, it was a significant break in their demeanor. A flicker of something — surprise? Disbelief? Utter shock? — crossed their features. They had expected instantaneous surrender, complete mental dominance over what their senses, and my projected weakness via [Prime Axiom's Nullifying Veil], told them was a Tier 0 bug. For me to withstand it, even for a moment, was an impossibility.

"Impossible…" the Overseer murmured. Their voice lost some of its grinding certainty, now laced with a thread of genuine, profound shock. The oppressive mental pressure intensified tenfold. I felt my own inner resistance begin to strain, to crack, fissures appearing in my mental defenses as if my very soul were splintering. "To withstand even a sliver of my focused will… your projected readings are a complete and utter falsehood. You must be at least Tier 4, to endure this for even a moment. And yet… my deepest scans are still showing nothing. An utter void where your true power signature should be. What manner of veil conceals you so perfectly, human, that even I cannot pierce it? It is a shame that you have displayed such insolence, for now fate has decided your doom."

Their focus sharpened. The pressure redoubled, now tinged with a dangerous, almost obsessive curiosity. My resistance, that unyielding core of my true spirit, buckled. The [Glimpse of a Path] didn't just end; it was snuffed out like a candle in a hurricane. The visionary world around me shattered into a million pieces of agonizing mental force and bewildered, primal terror.

I was violently thrown back to my physical body, collapsing to the ground in the dusty, sun-baked badlands. Gasping, clutching my head where the phantom pressure still throbbed with excruciating intensity. A wave of nausea washed over me, and the world spun. My heart hammered against my ribs, not with the exertion of a physical fight, but from the sheer, overwhelming mental assault and the terrifying implications of what had just happened. I hadn't just been dismissed; I had, however briefly and unintentionally, resisted and utterly bewildered a being of immense power. And my Veil, my Mythic skill, had held. Its core passive function concealed my true strength even under such direct, potent scrutiny. But I had also, very clearly, found a limit to its active misdirection and learned vital information regarding its vulnerabilities. Direct confrontation seems to be a weakness, I can't simply have conversations with people and assume they'll forget all about it, nor can I simply assassinate an enemy by approaching them with my veil since direct intent also seems to break it.

The Overseer's immense power and his final words echoed in my mind: "...fate has decided your doom." He was not a threat I could afford to simply ignore. I needed to find out more.