The wind whispered over broken hills as Yuki and Selene traversed the ruined path toward the Sky Bastion—the next Nexus site looming beyond the ragged horizon. Jagged tower remnants pierced the skyline like forgotten monoliths, and beneath them, ancient debris shifted with every step, as though the land itself remembered what once stood here.
They hadn't spoken much since leaving the fallen prototype.
Yuki's thoughts had grown heavier, thick with half-synced memories and a creeping awareness that something deep within him had changed. Not just awakened—but evolved.
Selene finally broke the silence, her voice low. "You've synced more, haven't you?"
Yuki nodded, eyes still on the terrain ahead. "Yeah. I feel it in my blood. Like... layers unlocking one at a time."
She handed him a recharged data shard. "Then it's time. Check your status. All of it."
With a breath, Yuki flicked his fingers, calling up the interface. A familiar hum echoed in his mind as the status window shimmered into view.
Status Window — Prototype Z (Yuki Kuroda)
Level: 20HP: 1700 / 2100MP: 1180 / 1350
Strength: 91
Agility: 108
Endurance: 102
Intelligence: 129
Perception: 142
Luck: ??? (Error: Overflow Detected)
Skills:• Glitch Pulse (Lv. 4) – Emit a shockwave to destabilize corrupted entities• Phase Drift (Lv. 3) – Temporarily shift into a parallel layer of space• Echo Sight (Lv. 2) – Glimpse echoes of past actions in the environment• Memory Link (Lv. 2) – Connect with memory imprints for knowledge or resonance• Shadow Step (Merged) – Instantly shift a short distance through shadows• Data Sync (Passive) – Interface directly with ancient Nexus systems
Titles:• Heir of the Glitch• Ghostwalker• System Outlier
Traits:• Adaptive Interface – Learn and interface with foreign systems naturally• Code Resilience – Partial immunity to corrupted data effects
Instability: 21%Sync Rate: 32%Neural Thread Integration: 62%
Latent Ability:Unstable Protocol(Locked)Unknown Skill: ???
Equipment:• Fragmented Gauntlet (Modified)• Nexus Band (x1)• Resonant Cloak (Selene's Weave)
Companions:• Kai – Bonded Glitch-Beast Companion (Evolved)
Status: Active | Linked Bond: 85%Passive:Instinctive Guard – Auto-activates to intercept lethal damage once per daySkill:Glitch Howl – Disorients enemies and disrupts magical constructs
• Prototype Knight – Dormant Combat Frame
Status: Awaiting ReactivationCore Integrity: 57%
Selene's eyes scanned the projection, narrowing slightly when they landed on the bottom line.
"That unknown skill is still hiding. It's from the Nullborn, isn't it?"
Yuki nodded. "It slipped in during the surge. But it didn't imprint like the others. It's just... waiting."
They walked on in silence. But the world around them wasn't still.
The sky shimmered with faint static. Glitches webbed along distant rock edges like corrupted veins. And ahead, beyond a narrow cliff pass, a series of floating debris arched upward—like a broken staircase leading into the clouds.
Selene gestured forward. "Sky Bastion is beyond that arc. It's active."
Yuki paused. He could feel it too—a hum in the earth, a strange pull in his spine. Not pain. Not fear. Recognition.
Another prototype?
Or something worse?
He pulled his cloak tighter. "Whatever it is... I'm ready."
But deep inside, something stirred. A flicker. Not his thought. Not his voice.
Reset… Denied.
Yuki froze.
And for the briefest moment, the sky blinked—like a heartbeat of some colossal being overhead. A memory, vivid and sharp, surged behind his eyes:
Needles. Wires. A lab soaked in humming light.
And someone whispering from the shadows:
"This one can't be erased."