The Journey to Argentum Spires
The trio walked along a rocky ridge as the sun dipped behind the horizon, painting the sky in streaks of bronze and violet. The wind tugged at their cloaks, swirling loose stones around their boots. The mountains of Phorashia groaned softly under the shifting air currents, their jagged peaks casting shadows that seemed to crawl toward them. Every ridge they crossed carried a chill that nipped at the skin, and the scent of distant frost and faint mana made the air taste electric.
The Argentum Spires shimmered in the distance—massive silver towers rising from the earth like the bones of ancient titans. Their surfaces reflected the dying light in brilliant shards, scattering into the sky like glimmers of shattered silver. Even from here, they radiated mana, an almost tangible pressure that brushed against the senses. Nova and Kael were ecstatic—buzzing with the excitement of their first Mega Element evolution.
Nova's voice sparkled with joy. "I still can't believe it. Mega Neutrality… I feel so alive. Like the world itself is breathing with me." She paused, taking a deep breath, letting the pulse of her element synchronize with the wind that whistled between the mountains. Tiny halos of gray light clung to her movements, leaving faint ripples in the air like raindrops across still water. Status Null Field subtly hummed in the background, ready to correct any imbalance.
Kael laughed and stretched his arm upward, letting it extend several meters before snapping back into place. "And Mega Rubber? It feels insane. I feel like I could wrestle a dragon on my own now!" His form bent and recoiled, the elasticity of his body catching the fading sunlight, sending sparks of reflection dancing across the rocky terrain. Mega Elastic Body pulsed with potential, storing kinetic energy in anticipation.
"You probably could," Nova teased, her lips curling into a half-smile as she shook her head.
Riven walked a step behind them.
Silent.
Listening.
Smiling when they looked back at him.
Inside?
Nothing but a cold, razor-edged hunger.
He watched their joy with detached curiosity, like observing animals through glass. He remembered—faintly—that he used to feel the same. Their excitement would have made his heart warm. He would have celebrated with them.
He tried to recall that feeling.
But the memory felt… hollow.
"How did I ever find joy in something so trivial—? These emotions… they slowed me down. Power is what matters now. Power above everything."
Another system window flashed.
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTE
Mega Connection Sync: 52%
User Adaptation: Increasing
Emotional Dissociation: Stabilizing
A subtle tremor of pleasure rolled through him.
He hid it behind a friendly smile, letting it settle into the mask he had perfected over years.
"So," he said gently, matching the tone they expected from him, "we should reach the Spires by nightfall. I'm proud of both of you."
Kael grinned, eyes sparkling. "Proud? Man, you carried half the fight!"
Nova nodded. "We couldn't have done it without you."
Riven's smile widened.
"Of course you couldn't. You're nothing without me."
He forced the thought away before it reached his face.
---
Internal Monologue: The Breaking Point
As they crossed a narrow bridge of pale stone, a gust of cold mountain air swept across them. Riven inhaled deeply, letting the chill steady his thoughts. The bridge creaked under their weight, stones trembling slightly as if aware of the power coursing through the party. He could sense the mana currents in the air—tiny pulses of energy left by creatures long gone, residual magic lingering like ghosts.
"They trust me. They're happy. They're blind—I need to grow stronger before they suspect anything."
The hunger throbbed again, a sharp, insistent pulse. His thoughts darted to Kael, bouncing ahead on the ridge, every stretch of his limbs powered by elasticity and overconfidence.
"His Mega Rubber could be dangerous if he turns on me. But he's naive. Predictable. And Nova… she's perceptive. Too perceptive. She'll notice the change eventually."
His hand twitched.
A whisper of power rose in his palm—white-blue light swirling softly, silent and deadly. Soul Link threads tingled, connecting him to both allies, preparing for instantaneous support.
He closed his fist, extinguishing it.
"Not now—If I strike too soon, I lose their usefulness. They still serve a purpose… for now."
---
The Mask of the Old Riven
As they neared the Argentum Spires, Kael's excitement grew uncontrollable.
"Just think about it!" he said, turning around and walking backward so he could face them. "Three Mega Element users walking into the Spires? We're basically legends already!"
Nova laughed lightly, her eyes sparkling. "I can't wait to go to the Sanctuary in Argentum Spires."
Riven chuckled warmly.
"I'm glad you two are happy," he said softly, letting the words roll off his tongue like practiced warmth.
Kael slung an arm over Riven's shoulders. "Hey, come on. You should be celebrating too! Mega Connection is insane! You probably got the strongest evolution out of all of us."
Nova nodded, smiling with genuine affection. "We're proud of you, Riven."
Riven stopped walking.
For a moment—just a moment—his chest tightened. Like a faint echo of a forgotten emotion trying to claw its way back.
Pride.
Gratitude.
Love.
My family.
My only family…
The feeling flickered—
—and died.
Smothered by the Mega Connection's cold surge of ambition.
He lifted his head and smiled with perfect sincerity.
"Thank you," he said.
But inside?
Inside, the hunger whispered:
"Soon… you'll be proud of me for a very different reason."
---
Approaching the Waterdeep River
They were nearing the Waterdeep River when the air changed.
It wasn't sudden. It wasn't violent.
It was wrong.
The wind slowed, the constant mountain howl fading into an unnatural hush. Even the distant chirping of nocturnal creatures vanished, as if the world itself had drawn a breath and refused to release it.
Nova was the first to feel it.
Her steps slowed, Mega Neutrality humming louder than before, the steady rhythm she'd grown used to turning sharp and alert. The halos of gray light around her feet flickered, distorting slightly. Elemental Nullification Zone subtly activated, preemptively balancing the area.
"…Do you feel that?" she asked quietly.
Kael stopped bouncing. His elastic movements stiffened, muscles tensing beneath flexible skin. "Yeah. It's like something's watching us."
Riven already knew.
The Mega Connection had screamed the warning directly into his mind—threads snapping taut, invisible lines vibrating violently as something ancient brushed against them.
Then—
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[High-Tier Threat Detected]
[Enemy: Fenrir ×2]
[Level: 45]
[Class: Beast]
[Threat Level: High—Coordinated Predators]
[Reward: Exp +50,000 (Total)]
The ground trembled.
From opposite sides of the riverbank, two massive shapes emerged from the shadows. Their paws crushed stone effortlessly, claws biting deep into the earth with every step. Each Fenrir stood as tall as a warhorse, bodies wrapped in frost-blue mana that rippled across their fur like living runes.
Their eyes locked onto the trio.
Not mindless beasts.
Hunters.
The first Fenrir lunged without warning.
The distance vanished in an instant.
"Move!" Riven shouted.
Nova twisted aside, but not fast enough.
The Fenrir's claws grazed her shoulder, ripping through fabric and flesh alike. Pain exploded across her senses as blood sprayed across the stone.
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM ALERT
[User: Nova Aetherwynd]
[HP: 100% → 82%]
[Status: Bleeding — Minor]
[High Neutrality Passive: Equilibrium Stabilized]
She gasped, stumbling back, Mega Neutrality flaring instinctively. The bleeding slowed immediately as her element forced equilibrium upon her body.
"I'm fine!" she called out, even as her heart pounded.
The second Fenrir went for Kael.
It leapt, jaws opening wide enough to crush bone.
Kael reacted on instinct.
His body stretched violently, torso elongating as he twisted midair, barely avoiding the bite. The Fenrir's teeth still caught his arm, pressure crushing down like a vice.
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM ALERT
[User: Kael Elastor]
[HP: 100% → 79%]
[Status: Fracture Risk — Moderate]
[High Rubber Passive: Elastic Body Absorbed Partial Damage]
"Gah—!" Kael snarled, pain ripping through him.
Mega Rubber surged. Impact Reversal prepared automatically, redirecting residual force back toward the Fenrir.
His arm expanded, thickening unnaturally, elasticity turning compression into stored force. With a roar, Kael snapped his body back, ripping free from the Fenrir's jaws and slamming his heel into its skull.
The impact thundered across the riverbank.
The beast staggered—but didn't fall.
Riven moved.
The world seemed to blur as Mega Connection activated fully. Threads of perception wrapped around both Fenrir simultaneously—movement paths, muscle tension, intent. Network Overclock amplified their reactions through shared awareness.
He stepped forward and vanished.
In the next heartbeat, he appeared beside the first Fenrir, palm glowing white-blue. The air warped violently around his hand.
"Disconnect."
He struck.
The Fenrir howled as its mana core shuddered violently.
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM ALERT
[Skill Activated: Partial Connection Severance]
[Enemy HP Decreased: - 14%]
[Effect: Mana Core Severed — Minor]
The second Fenrir reacted instantly.
It abandoned Kael and turned on Riven, claws slicing through the air in a savage cross. Riven barely twisted aside—too slow to escape completely.
Claws raked across his ribs.
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM ALERT
[User: Riven Nexusborn]
[HP: 100% → 88%]
[Status Effect: Mana Disruption — Minor]
[Mega Connection Passive: Damage Distribution Ready]
Pain registered. Logged. Dismissed.
Riven's eyes burned brighter.
So aggressive. So alive.
Good.
Nova raised both hands.
Mega Neutrality erupted outward, not as raw force, but as correction. The ground beneath the Fenrir's paws shifted, balance turning against it. Stone cracked unevenly, forcing the beast's weight off-center.
The Fenrir stumbled.
"Kael—now!" she shouted.
Kael answered with laughter.
He launched himself forward like a living projectile, body compressing and releasing all stored force at once. His fist collided with the Fenrir's jaw, snapping its head sideways with a sickening crack. Snap Execution subtly enhanced impact by concentrating stored elasticity.
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM ALERT
[Enemy Stunned: 1.2 Seconds]
Riven didn't waste the opening.
Mega Connection flared violently.
Invisible threads wrapped around the second Fenrir's heart.
He clenched his fist.
The heart ruptured.
The beast collapsed mid-stride, crashing into the riverbank in a spray of blood and frost.
The first Fenrir roared.
It lunged blindly, rage overriding strategy, jaws snapping toward Nova.
Riven was already there.
He stepped between them, white-blue energy flooding his arm.
"End."
The final strike was silent.
The Fenrir froze—then shattered as its mana core collapsed inward, imploding into light and dust.
The riverbank fell silent.
Blood steamed against cold stone.
For a long moment, none of them moved.
Then—
DING!
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[You Have Defeated: Fenrir ×2]
[Level: 45]
[Class: Beast]
[Reward: Exp +50,000 (Total)]
[Exp Distributed]
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Party Member: Nova Aetherwynd]
[Enemy Defeated: HP and Mana Restored]
[Exp Gained: +25,000]
DING!
[Level Up! Lv. 85 → Lv. 86]
[Level Up! Lv. 86 → Lv. 87]
[Level Up! Lv. 87 → Lv. 88]
[Mana Increased: +1,360]
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Party Member: Kael Elastor]
[Enemy Defeated: HP and Mana Restored]
[Exp Gained: +25,000]
DING!
[Level Up! Lv. 86 → Lv. 87]
[Level Up! Lv. 87 → Lv. 88]
[Level Up! Lv. 88 → Lv. 89]
[Mana Increased: +1,380]
⟢ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Party Member: Riven Nexusborn]
[Enemy Defeated: HP and Mana Restored]
[Exp Gained: +25,000]
DING!
[Level Up! Lv. 86 → Lv. 87]
[Level Up! Lv. 87 → Lv. 88]
[Level Up! Lv. 88 → Lv. 89]
[Mana Increased: +1,380]
Kael collapsed onto his back, chest heaving. "Okay… Mythic is officially terrifying."
Nova exhaled slowly, Mega Neutrality settling back into its steady rhythm. "We survived."
Riven stood over the corpses, blood drying on his hands.
"So much power… and still not enough."
---
Arrival at the Argentum Spires
As the trio reached the base of the colossal towers, the world seemed to change.
The ground shimmered with silver dust that clung faintly to their boots. Marble staircases spiraled upward, impossibly smooth, lined with banners of pale blue flame that burned without heat or smoke. The air was thick with sanctified mana—ancient, refined, watching.
Above them, dozens of bells chimed softly, their tones overlapping into a haunting melody that resonated deep within the soul.
Nova stopped, awe flooding her expression. "Every time I see this place... it feels unreal."
Kael whistled low, craning his neck. "Where's the Sanctuary? I can't see it anywhere."
Riven's gaze drifted upward.
The Argentum Spires weren't beautiful to him.
They were opportunity.
Power incarnate.
Waiting.
His heart thumped as the Mega Connection whispered eagerly, threads stretching toward the towers, yearning. World Connection hummed faintly, sensing every life within the Spires.
"Soon… these towers will kneel to me."