Arcturus, the unyielding heart of Battlefield Eternal, thrummed with a restless energy, its crystalline spires piercing a sky fractured by digital auroras. Kael Draven moved through the city's undercity like a shadow, his Nightstalker's Cloak, Guardian's Pauldron, Crimson Overlord's Crest, Warden's Gauntlet, Founder's Sigil, Eclipse Relic, and Astral Crown marking him as a force beyond mortal limits. At level 34, his glitched stats—driven by Conceptual Flaw, Fragmented Insight, and Erratic Resonance—outstripped Arcturus's elite, his Void Slash ability pulsing with cosmic power. Fifteen Fragments of the Eternal glowed in his inventory, synced with the Spire Codex, Citadel Key, Eclipse Codex, Nexus Codex, Astral Codex, and Cosmic Codex, each a piece of the founding races' puzzle leading to the Origin Crystal—the prize that could ascend humanity. The novice village was a distant ruin, Lena's guild shattered, Markus's Iron Sentinels broken, Joren cowed, and Rhea's Arcane Dominion humbled in the Cosmic Vault. Cassian's Shadow Cabal, though weakened, remained a thorn, its leader's cunning a lingering threat from Kael's past life. With 717 days until the invasion, Arc 2: City Dominance was Kael's crucible, and Cassian's ambition would be his next target.
Syl and Torren followed, their roles sharpened by battle: Syl's hacking tore through the game's code, amplifying Kael's glitches, while Torren's hammer crushed any who stood in his way. Trust was a wound Kael refused to reopen, but their skills were his weapons. His Fragmented Insight scanned the undercity: Threat: Shadow Cabal Operatives. Securing Hidden Stronghold. Cassian, the rogue who'd orchestrated Kael's death for the Heart of Varkis, had rallied his guild for a secret operation. Syl's hacks, boosted by the Cosmic Codex, had uncovered their target: a hidden founder vault, the Abyssal Cache, containing a Founder's Pulse—a data core tied to the invasion's protocols. Kael would infiltrate, sabotage, and break Cassian's ambition.
Syl's interface glowed, pulling data from Arcturus's darknet. "The Abyssal Cache is a founder black site," she said, her voice low. "Level-30 to 35 constructs, void traps, and a guardian—the Abyssal Warden. Cassian's Cabal has 30 operatives, levels 25 to 30, specializing in stealth and sabotage. They're after the Founder's Pulse to gain founder favor. My hacks show it's a control node for the Sentinel's Call. You're walking into a snake pit, Kael."
"Then I'll burn it down," Kael replied, his tone steel. The Cosmic Codex pulsed, its runes syncing with his fragments, confirming the Abyssal Cache as a step toward the Origin Crystal. Cassian's ambition was a desperate bid to regain power after his defeat in the Cosmic Vault. Kael's Fragmented Insight flickered: Target: Cassian. Ruthless. Vulnerable to Overexposure. He'd shatter the Cabal and its leader, cementing his dominance in Arcturus.
The Abyssal Cache was buried deep in the undercity, its entrance a concealed portal behind a shattered spire. Syl's hacking, amplified by the Nexus Codex, cracked the lock, the portal flaring open. A crowd of players gathered, their spectator feeds buzzing with anticipation. Kael's Fragmented Insight caught Cassian's operatives: Intent: Secure Cache. Ambush Intruders. He smirked. They'd face the Bug King's wrath.
The portal transported Kael, Syl, and Torren to a labyrinth of dark crystal corridors, their walls pulsing with void runes that whispered founder code. Level-30 constructs patrolled—sleek rogues with cloaking blades and plasma daggers. The objective flashed: Reach the Abyssal Warden. Secure the Founder's Pulse. Kael gripped his Chieftain's Blade, its Void Slash humming. "Support only," he told Syl and Torren, stepping into the fray. The first corridor held a squad of constructs. Fragmented Insight revealed: Weak Point: Cloak Generators. Disrupt. Kael's Void Slash struck, Erratic Resonance amplifying the hit into a shockwave. The constructs decloaked, shattering into static. Loot doubled—Abyssal Daggers and Void Shards—under Conceptual Flaw's influence. Points flooded his interface, a remnant of prior trials: Bug King: 1,200.
The crowd's cheers echoed through the feeds, but Cassian's operatives struck—eight rogues, level 27, their blades poisoned. Fragmented Insight flashed: Weakness: Stealth Sync. Break. Kael's Void Slash swept, Erratic Resonance turning it into a blast. Conceptual Flaw warped their cloaking, exposing them. The rogues fell, their loot tripling—Shadow Cloaks and Poison Vials. Points: Bug King: 2,800. Syl whispered, "You're glitching their respawn logic again."
The cache's corridors grew perilous: void traps fired beams that could erase avatars, platforms collapsed into digital voids, and level-31 constructs—hulking sentinels with energy lances—spawned in coordinated waves. Kael's glitches dominated. Conceptual Flaw warped trap triggers, beams fizzling into harmless pixels. Fragmented Insight pinpointed lance cores, and Erratic Resonance turned his Void Slash into explosions, clearing squads. Loot piled—Abyssal Circuits and a Void Lance (boosting attack speed). His level hit 35, points at Bug King: 5,500. Torren grunted, his hammer ready. "You're tearing through their defenses."
Cassian's Cabal struck again, a larger force—fifteen operatives, level 28, led by an elite assassin, Zethra, Cassian's second-in-command. "Bug King," Zethra hissed, her daggers glowing. "Cassian will bury you." Kael's Fragmented Insight revealed: Weakness: Squad Reliance. Isolate Leader. He dodged a flurry of poisoned blades, his Void Slash striking Zethra. Erratic Resonance amplified the hit, and Conceptual Flaw warped the squad's coordination, their attacks colliding. Zethra's health plummeted, and the operatives scattered. Kael finished them, loot quadrupling—Shadow Ingots and a Cabal Crest. Points: Bug King: 8,900. Syl's interface buzzed. "You're forcing the system to escalate. The guardian's spawning early."
The cache's core was a vast chamber, its walls etched with founder code that pulsed like a dying star. The Abyssal Warden emerged—a level-35 colossus, its crystalline body radiating void energy, wielding twin cosmic flails. Its voice boomed: "Bug King, you seek the Founder's Pulse. It will consume you." A low hum—the Sentinel's Call—echoed, shaking the chamber. Kael's Fragmented Insight flashed: Weak Point: Void Core. Overload. He charged, dodging flails that cratered the floor. His Void Slash struck the core, Erratic Resonance amplifying each hit into a critical explosion. Conceptual Flaw warped the Warden's flails, freezing them mid-swing. It summoned drones, but Kael's glitches cleared them instantly. The Sentinel's Call intensified, a founder command pulsing: Eliminate Anomaly. Kael's final Void Slash shattered the core, the Warden dissolving into a cascade of static.
Loot flooded the chamber: a Founder's Pulse (legendary data core), ten Cosmic Shards, and a sixteenth Fragment of the Eternal. The system stuttered: Abyssal Cache Complete. Solo Clear. Founder's Pulse Secured. A hidden vault opened, revealing an Abyssal Codex, its description cryptic: Decodes Sentinel Commands. Unlocks Final Founder Vaults. Kael's level hit 36, his stats unrivaled in Arcturus.
Before he could claim the codex, Cassian appeared, his level-30 rogue avatar cloaked in shadow, flanked by ten elite operatives, levels 28 to 30. "Bug King," Cassian said, his voice dripping with malice. "The Founder's Pulse is mine. You're a glitch I'll erase." Kael's Fragmented Insight flickered: Weakness: Overambition. Expose. He remembered Cassian's betrayal, his cunning sealing Kael's death in his past life. "You've already lost," Kael replied.
The system erected a duel arena within the cache, feeds broadcasting city-wide. Cassian's operatives struck, their daggers a blur of poison and shadow. Kael's Void Slash swept, Erratic Resonance turning it into a shockwave. Conceptual Flaw warped their stealth, exposing them. Half fell, their health zeroed. Cassian lunged, his daggers glowing with void energy. Kael dodged, his Fragmented Insight predicting each strike. His Void Slash struck Cassian's arm, Erratic Resonance draining his health. Conceptual Flaw glitched Cassian's interface, dropping his level to 15 temporarily. The crowd gasped, the Cabal faltering. Cassian retreated, his operatives covering him. Loot rained—Shadow Cores and a Cabal Sigil. Points: Bug King: 12,500.
The portal returned them to Arcturus's plaza, the crowd erupting in Bug King chants. Syl's interface analyzed the Abyssal Codex. "It's a master decoder," she said. "The Sentinel's Call is a founder protocol, activating the Origin Crystal to trigger the invasion. The Abyssal Codex maps their final vault—the Eternal Sanctum. It's beyond Arcturus, Kael." Kael equipped the Founder's Pulse, its energy amplifying his glitches. His sixteen Fragments of the Eternal pulsed, syncing with the codices and key, pointing to the sanctum.
Cassian's retreat was a city-wide humiliation, his Cabal crippled. Kael's Fragmented Insight caught Rhea's signal: Threat: Arcane Dominion Regrouping. Seeking Founder Artifacts. An NPC emissary appeared, its runes blazing. "Bug King," it said. "You've claimed the Pulse, but the Eternal Sanctum awaits. The founders will not yield."
"Then I'll break them," Kael replied. The emissary vanished, leaving: Countdown to Invasion: 716 Days. Arcturus was his, but the Eternal Sanctum loomed. Kael would crush Rhea's remnants and any founder allies, claiming the Origin Crystal for humanity.