NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17: Whispers in the Nexus
The revelations from the Prime System — the ten-year lockdown of Imperial forces within their Nexi, the hundred-year Veiling of Sector 7-Gamma-Prime, the sheer number of hidden opportunities designed to empower natives — re-framed my struggle. It transformed it from a desperate fight for personal survival into a small, almost unwilling participation in a grand, dangerous game with the fate of worlds at stake. My drive to get stronger, already potent, became a burning, all-consuming need.
The following three weeks were a testament to that new, almost terrifying focus. My days settled into a demanding, relentless rhythm: early morning cultivation of the Primal Essence harvested from my hunts, the energy coiling inside me like a living thing; tough physical training with my spear, shortsword, and dagger, their metallic smell a constant presence; and long hours spent in the quiet, cool stillness of [The Veiled Path], digging deeper into the nuanced control offered by my [Mana Manipulation] skill. Kaelen was an ever-present, silent motivator. Our hunting trips evolved into a deadly, synchronized dance of flashing claws, opalescent blurs, and well-aimed spear thrusts, his teleporting feints perfectly complementing my increasingly skilled attacks.
Cultivating Primal Essence wasn't always straightforward. After my Body attribute hit 199, it plateaued for several frustrating days. No matter how much Essence I tried to channel into my physical form, no matter how intensely I visualized it strengthening muscle and bone, the number refused to budge. It felt like hitting an invisible wall, a maddening halt. The System offered no direct guidance, simply stating:
[Corporeal Essence Integration experiencing temporary bottleneck at Tier transition point. Conscious directive, intensified visualization, and focused volitional intent may be required to overcome systemic stagnation.]
It seemed just absorbing the essence wasn't enough anymore. I had to actively will my body to change, to visualize the Essence not just flowing, but actively untangling internal knots of resistance, reinforcing my physical structure at a cellular level, pushing past some internal limit. It took days of intense meditation and focused, almost painful effort — imagining the energy as a tidal wave shattering a dam inside me — before I finally felt a breakthrough. A satisfying, almost audible click deep within my core as my Body attribute ticked over to 200, firmly entering Tier 2. A wave of new vitality flooded me, and the subsequent absorption of Essence felt noticeably more efficient. Similar roadblocks would occur with Mana and Spirit as they approached their own Tier thresholds, each requiring a more conscious and deliberate mental effort to overcome. By the end of the three weeks, through sheer force of will and countless hours of cultivation, I'd pushed my Body to 204, Mana to 189, and Spirit to 235.
My range of mana-based attacks also expanded beyond the simple, if increasingly potent, fireball I'd first developed. Through sheer experimentation, focusing the intent of my [Mana Manipulation], I managed to create a Water Lance — a thin, hyper-pressurized jet of conjured water that hissed as it formed. It was capable of piercing surprisingly tough hides at close range with a wet, percussive impact. Then came a Wind Bolt, a focused gust of concussive air that I could shape with a thought. A silent but forceful impact that, while not overtly damaging, could stagger an opponent, deflect an incoming blow, or clear a space around me — perfect for creating openings in a fight. Weaving these new spells into my spear and dagger work was proving highly effective, adding a new layer of versatility to my combat style.
During one of my extended scouting missions towards Confluence Nexus Delta-7, undertaken while [Glimpse of a Path] was on cooldown, I found myself wishing for better long-range observation. The Prime System, almost as if sensing my need, offered a skill: [Eagle Eye (Uncommon) – Enhances visual acuity, range, and detail perception. Price: 75 QS.] I hesitated, QS being precious. But after confirming with the System that System Skills were permanent, couldn't be removed, but could evolve and, very rarely, be combined if the right requirements were met, I accepted. The immediate sharpening of my vision was remarkable; distant details resolved with crisp clarity. This enhanced vision proved invaluable for observing the sprawling construction site of Delta-7 from afar.
A week later, [Glimpse of a Path] was ready. From my concealed vantage point overlooking the basin, I activated it. This time, knowing a Tier 0 projection was too suspicious and had nearly gotten my visionary self detained, I had my [Prime Axiom's Nullifying Veil] present me as a mundane Tier 1 entity with unremarkable, balanced stats — just enough to avoid immediate scrutiny as an anomaly but not draw undue attention as a potential threat. My visionary self moved like a ghost through the bustling, dusty streets. New structures had risen even since my last distant observation; the city was growing like a metallic organism. My Veil worked flawlessly; unless I directly engaged someone, I was functionally invisible, just another face in the alien crowd.
It was in a smoky, crowded tavern on the city's outskirts — a noisy, dimly lit place filled with off-duty guild workers of various species (hulking, four-armed Brachions sharing potent-smelling drinks with wiry, scaled Saurians, while delicate, winged Sylphs flitted above, their laughter like wind chimes) — that I gathered crucial intelligence. Conversations, subtly translated by the Prime System into understandable concepts, were full of speculation and complaints. The general feeling was that the city's rapid construction was primarily to welcome the influx of "initiates" — the Terrans and other newly integrated species graduating from their respective tutorials. These initiates, it was rumored, would be offered residence, basic comforts, and guild contracts. But the underlying current was less kind; the established Nexus inhabitants, the off-worlders, were confined, unable to leave the city's protective dome by Edict. They needed the incoming initiates, the "natives" who could venture out into the dangerous Confluence Zone, to scavenge resources, explore, and bring back vital materials and Primal Essence. The guilds, of course, planned to "manage" this exchange, ensuring a hefty profit for themselves by controlling supply and demand. It was a gilded cage being prepared, with the natives as the unwitting, expendable fetchers. It was also within this tavern, amidst the boasting and complaining, that I overheard hushed, fearful mentions of the Site Overseer — "the Obsidian Hand," "the Will of the Core" — a being of immense power whispered to be at least Tier 6, perhaps even higher, capable of crushing dissent with a mere thought.
The Glimpse ended, leaving me with a clearer, if more cynical and disturbing, understanding of the Nexus' purpose and its inherent dangers. The knowledge of the Overseer's true power was a chilling contrast to the city's calculated, almost predatory welcome.
Another week of relentless training, hunting, and Essence cultivation passed. My spear became a blur in my hands. My fireball was now a searing orb of plasma. My Water Lance, a deadly stiletto of liquid force. And my Wind Bolt, a reliable defensive tool I could summon almost instantly.
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Then, [Glimpse of a Path] was ready for its third activation aimed at the city.
The familiar displacement, the shift from the rugged badlands to the bustling, alien streets of Confluence Nexus Delta-7. This time, I moved with purpose, my path already mapped out from previous visionary scouting. My Veil projected its mundane Tier 1 aura, making me just another insignificant cog. I located the administrative block where the jade-skinned, golden-eyed official I'd scouted previously had their office — a mid-level bureaucrat in charge of resource allocation and inter-guild logistics. There were two guards outside, their attention divided, more concerned with the flow of guild representatives than a lone, seemingly harmless Tier 1 individual.
This vision was not for passive observation; it was for action. A rehearsal for an audacious, high-risk plan. My true, higher-Tier capabilities hummed beneath my projected Tier 1 shell, a coiled spring of hidden power.
I moved. My approach was silent, using the crowds as cover. I conjured my fireball, not as a destructive orb this time, but as a focused point of silent, searing heat directed at the electronic lock mechanism of a nearby maintenance access panel I'd noted on my last Glimpse. It glowed cherry red, smoked, then slumped, compromised with a soft click. Slipping through into the narrow, dusty passage, I bypassed the guards entirely via a cramped utility tunnel, emerging into a small, cluttered storage closet next to the administrator's office. One swift, precise kick to the flimsy interior door shattered its lock.
The jade-skinned official looked up from a glowing data slate, startled, golden eyes widening as I stepped into their office, closing the broken door behind me. They opened their mouth to shout, to summon aid, but I was already across the room. A swift, disabling blow with the butt of my spear to their temple, aimed with all my Tier 2 Body's precision. The official slumped forward onto their desk, unconscious within the vision. Their data slate clattered to the floor.
Without wasting a moment, I secured the official to a sturdy chair using lengths of strong cord I had mentally brought for this purpose into the Glimpse. Then, the visionary interrogation began. After bringing them back to a state of groggy, terrified consciousness with a splash of conjured water, my questions were sharp, direct, my voice calm but unyielding.
"I have some specific questions for an Imperial functionary," I stated. My [Prime Axiom's Nullifying Veil] ensured my true power remained hidden; my projected Tier 1 status perhaps made my actions seem even more bewildering to my captive. "First, are you aware of any Imperial designations like 'Errant Soul' or specific protocols for 'Anomaly Candidate number one'?"
The official, blinking in confusion and raw fear, their golden eyes darting around the room, shook their head frantically. "N-no… I have never heard such terms. My clearance deals with resource manifests and inter-guild logistics, not… high-level security designations or esoteric anomalies. Please, I don't know anything about that!" Their voice was thin, reedy with terror.
"Interesting," I mused, filing that away. "Tell me about Soul Strength. How is it quantified within the Kyorian Empire's system? What's considered average, or exceptional?"
They looked utterly bewildered, their jade skin paling to a sickly green. "Soul Strength? I… I am not familiar with that exact term as a primary metric. Perhaps you mean 'Soul Affinity'? That is a quantifiable attribute recorded by the Imperial System Module upon an individual's initial integration. It indicates a soul's natural resonance towards a specific elemental or conceptual Essence type — fire, water, vital, kinetic, psionic, and so on. This affinity then determines the efficiency with which they can manipulate that specific Essence, with other, non-aligned elements typically being significantly less effective, perhaps half potency or requiring vastly more effort to control. But a general 'Soul Strength' apart from one's Tier and specific affinities… no, that is not something commonly tracked or emphasized at my level."
This was revealing. The Kyorian Empire, or at least its standard personnel and System Modules, seemed to focus on specific types of soul expression, categorizing and channeling them, rather than acknowledging an overarching inherent power metric like the 'Soul Strength S+' my Prime System interface so prominently displayed. My unique connection was granting me a different, perhaps more fundamental, view on these cosmic forces.
My questions continued. I probed their knowledge of Kyorian Empire protocols regarding unaligned natives, the Nexus' true operational plans for the incoming tutorial initiates, known details about the Site Overseer, and any information about unusual human sightings or activities. The official, under the duress of my focused visionary pressure and the implied threat of further harm, revealed what they knew about supply chains, internal guild politics, and the general anticipation within the Nexus for the "naive" initiates who would soon be graduating from their tutorials, ripe for exploitation and indentured servitude through carefully crafted contracts. They confirmed the Nexus' main purpose was to become a reception and control hub for these new populations, to funnel their efforts and resources towards Imperial interests. Regarding the Overseer, they offered only fear and vague pronouncements of immense power — "a will that can shatter minds," "a force of nature given form" — their terror obvious even within the vision.
I pushed harder, trying to extract more specific information, particularly about any internal security measures or surveillance focused on independent entities operating outside the Nexi, or any knowledge of other "anomalies" like myself. As my mental pressure intensified, demanding details that were clearly beyond their clearance or deeply ingrained Imperial indoctrination, a strange and disturbing thing began to happen. The official's breathing grew shallow and ragged. A tremor started in their hands, then spread through their body like a raging fever. Their jade skin took on a waxy, unhealthy sheen, and their eyes glazed over. They gasped, clutching their chest, their golden eyes rolling back slightly as if they were having a seizure.
"I… I cannot… forbidden knowledge… core overrides… mental safeguards… system… collapsing…" they choked out, each word an agonizing, gargling effort.
A visible, dark stain spread across the front of their tunic in the vision — not blood, but something more like internal systemic failure. An oily, black ichor, as if their very being was rupturing under the stress of forced revelation against deeply implanted Kyorian protocols. It seemed even within the Glimpse, a sufficiently realistic simulation of a mind bound by Imperial constraints would eventually break if pushed too far. Its constructs failing catastrophically, its "safeguards" turning lethal. The official gave a final, shuddering gasp. Their head lolled forward. Their body slumped lifelessly in the chair. Dead. Even in this future I was merely observing, their life had been forfeit to protect Imperial secrets. The ruthlessness of it was chilling.
My hour was almost up. I'd gained critical insights into the mindset and operational plans within Confluence Nexus Delta-7. I understood their predatory anticipation for the "naive" tutorial graduates and the mechanisms of their exploitation. The deepest secrets about the Site Overseer, however, remained shrouded in fear and high-level clearance, beyond what this mid-level functionary knew or could safely reveal. The method of obtaining the information was unsettling; pushing a mind to the point of terminal collapse against its own safeguards spoke volumes about the Kyorian Empire's absolute control over its people.
With a final, dispassionate look at the slumped, lifeless form in the chair, the information extracted, the [Glimpse of a Path] concluded. It plunged me back into the harsh reality of the sun-baked badlands, the knowledge I'd gained heavy and bitter in my mind.