Cherreads

Chapter 7 - The Road to the City

The novice village of Battlefield Eternal lay behind Kael Draven, its stone towers and pulsing runes fading into the digital horizon. At level 13, clad in the Nightstalker's Cloak, Guardian's Pauldron, Crimson Overlord's Crest, and Warden's Gauntlet, he was a walking anomaly, his glitched stats a testament to his talent, Conceptual Flaw, and passive skills, Fragmented Insight and Erratic Resonance. Seven Fragments of the Eternal glowed in his inventory, their connection to the founding races and the Origin Crystal growing clearer with each conquest. The village was his, its challenges shattered, its secrets plundered. Lena's guild was broken, Joren humiliated, and the other betrayers—Rhea, Cassian, Markus—awaited in Arcturus, the first main city. With 726 days until the invasion, Kael's path was clear: dominate the cities, crush his enemies, and claim the battlefield's crown.

The quest Journey to Arcturus pulsed in his interface, directing him to a caravan route through the Iron Wastes, a perilous stretch of desert littered with ruins and hostile creatures. The journey was a level-10 challenge, meant for groups to fend off ambushes. Kael planned to solo it, his glitches turning obstacles into opportunities. Syl, his hacker-turned-healer ally, walked beside him, her interface scanning the wastes. "The route's crawling with bandits and constructs," she said, her voice sharp. "The system's upping the difficulty because of you. It's like it knows you're a glitch."

"It does," Kael replied, his tone cold. "And it can't stop me." His victory in the Eternal Spire had rattled the system, unlocking the Spire Codex—a key to the founders' secrets. The founders, the game's cosmic architects, were watching, their battlefield a test for Earth. Kael would break it, just as he'd broken the village.

The Iron Wastes stretched before them, a sea of cracked earth and twisted metal. A caravan waited, its NPC guards eyeing Kael warily. "Join us or go alone," the lead guard said. "The wastes don't forgive."

"Alone," Kael said, waving Syl to stay back. She nodded, her interface ready to record. The caravan rumbled off, leaving Kael to face the wastes. His Fragmented Insight flickered: Threat: Ambush Ahead. Bandit Scouts. He grinned, gripping his Chieftain's Blade. Let them come.

The first ambush hit minutes later—bandit scouts, level-8 rogues cloaked in dust. Fragmented Insight revealed: Weakness: Stealth Rune. Disrupt. Kael's blade slashed, Erratic Resonance amplifying the strike into a shockwave. The runes shattered, exposing the scouts. Conceptual Flaw warped their movements, their attacks glitching into erratic stumbles. Kael cut them down, loot doubling—Iron Daggers and a Scout's Cloak. His inventory swelled, the system bending to his will.

The wastes grew harsher, constructs emerging from ruins—level-9 sentinels with plasma cannons. Fragmented Insight showed: Weak Point: Cannon Core. Overload. Kael dodged their blasts, his blade striking true. Erratic Resonance turned each hit into an explosion, disabling entire squads. Conceptual Flaw glitched their spawn rate, reducing waves to a trickle. Loot piled up—Plasma Cores and a rare Wasteland Compass, boosting navigation. Kael's level ticked to 14, his stats soaring.

Syl trailed behind, her interface buzzing. "You're rewriting the encounter code," she said, awed. "The system's trying to balance you, but it's failing."

"Good," Kael replied. The wastes were a test, and he was acing it. But then, a new figure appeared on a dune—a hulking warrior, level 12, his armor scarred, wielding a massive warhammer. His interface tag read Torren. Kael's Fragmented Insight flickered: Disposition: Rival. Seeks Strength. Not a betrayer, but a challenge.

"You're the Bug King," Torren said, his voice gruff. "Heard you broke the village. Let's see if you're worth the hype." He raised his hammer, the system erecting a duel arena.

Kael accepted, his blade ready. Torren charged, his hammer swinging with crushing force. Fragmented Insight revealed: Weakness: Hammer Momentum. Redirect. Kael sidestepped, Erratic Resonance amplifying his speed. His blade struck Torren's arm, Conceptual Flaw warping the hammer's trajectory. It slammed into the ground, throwing Torren off balance. Kael struck again, his glitches draining Torren's health. The warrior yielded, panting.

"You're the real deal," Torren said, respect in his eyes. "I'm done with guilds. They're all snakes. Let me join you."

Kael studied him. Torren's strength could bolster his plans, and his distrust of guilds aligned with Kael's own betrayal. "Prove it," Kael said. "Keep up." Torren nodded, falling in beside Syl. Kael's team grew, but trust remained off the table.

The caravan route ended at a massive gate, Arcturus's outer wall looming in the distance. But a final obstacle blocked their path—a Wasteland Behemoth, a level-12 boss, its metal hide bristling with spikes. The system's voice crackled: Warning: Anomaly Response. Behemoth Enhanced. Kael's glitches had forced another escalation, and he welcomed it.

The Behemoth roared, its spikes launching like missiles. Fragmented Insight flashed: Weak Point: Core Reactor. Multiple Strikes. Kael charged, dodging spikes. His blade struck the reactor, Erratic Resonance amplifying each hit into a critical explosion. Conceptual Flaw warped the Behemoth's attacks, its spikes veering into the ground. Torren tanked stray hits, his hammer smashing spikes, while Syl's healing kept him steady. Kael's final strike shattered the reactor, and the Behemoth collapsed, its model glitching into static.

Loot flooded the area: a Behemoth's Core (legendary crafting material), five Iron Spikes, and an eighth Fragment of the Eternal. The system announced: Journey to Arcturus Complete. Solo Contribution Dominant. Kael's level hit 15, his stats now rivaling high-tier city players. The gate opened, revealing Arcturus's towering spires.

Syl scanned the fragment. "It's syncing with the Spire Codex," she said. "The founders hid these to gatekeep the Origin Crystal. You're collecting them faster than they expected."

Kael nodded, his mind on the fragments. Eight now, each a piece of the founders' puzzle. The Origin Crystal, the championship prize, could ascend humanity, and Kael would claim it. But first, Arcturus awaited, where his betrayers—Rhea, Cassian, Markus—were climbing the ranks. Joren and Lena, still in the village, would spread word of his power, sowing fear.

A figure appeared at the gate—an NPC emissary, its robes etched with founder runes. "Bug King," it said, its voice synthetic. "You've breached the village's limits. Arcturus will test you further. The founders watch."

"Then they'll see me break their city too," Kael replied. The emissary's runes flickered, and it vanished, leaving a message: Countdown to Invasion: 725 Days.

Torren grunted. "You talk like you're fighting gods."

"Maybe I am," Kael said, his grin cold. Syl's interface flickered, pulling data. "The emissary's code was layered," she said. "The founders are more than NPCs. They're… something else. Be ready, Kael."

"I'm always ready," he replied, equipping the Behemoth's Core. Arcturus loomed, its arenas and guilds a new battlefield. His betrayers were there, growing stronger, unaware of the storm approaching. The Spire Codex and fragments pulsed, their secrets tied to the founders' game. Kael would unravel them, crush his enemies, and prepare for the invasion. The Bug King had broken the village, and Arcturus was next.

The crowd at the gate chanted Bug King, their voices echoing across the wastes. Kael ignored them, his gaze fixed on the city. The invasion was 725 days away, and he'd tear through every obstacle until he held the Origin Crystal. The founders could watch. The Bug King would make them regret creating him.

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