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The Machine Apocalypse: When all Realms Collapse

He was surrounded by darkness. Trapped in a black world with nothing but dark mist, while blaming anyone he once knew since he woke up. But just as he was about to give up, and lose even the last bit of sanity he had left, a voice saved him and changed his live forever.

Archnaphil · Fantasie
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3 Chs

A stroll through Synthrexia

A couple days have passed since I woke up and I learned many things since then.

First, my offspring or rather my race are called Synthrexians. It's a race that fuse with machinery and became a fusion of both, flesh and machine.

Their normal appearance is akin to humans, or what they've been before, but all Synthrexian also possesses another appearance which is referred to as "True-form" or simple as "Leviathan". As the name implies, it's the true form of an Synthrexian and the strongest ability he possesses. Each form is different, but all have one thing in common. They all turn into grotesque and eldritch monsters whose appearance depends on their soul and mana. This form raises one's power to new heights and grants him access to the Abyss-magic, one of the most feared magic arts.

But only few are able to control that form since the user loses the ability to think rational and is devoured by his basic instinct to destroy everything around him. It's the last card one should use if unable to control it, and especially since the transformation makes you unable to use mana for quite a while.

Second, my race is one of the most advanced races in this world but has suffered heavy damage which stopped its progress for quite a while. Its currently a little more advanced than my own world but possesses no resources to create those advanced machines.

And at last, our social standing. In this world my race is seen as an evil that has to be erased to bring peace. We're viewed as a nightmarish and destructive race that embodies corruption, mechanical horror and the pursuit of perfection at any cost.

But that was also the truth. The moment I woken up in this body, I could feel the desire to destroy and perfect myself through countless battles. On top of that, our race mostly reproduces by killing other races and turning them into our own.

Our race is immortal but possesses no ability to reproduces itself in a normal way. For us the only way to reproduce is either by me turning one into our own by infusing my blood into him or by Incubation.

The incubation process is quite simple. The Incubation sac/cocoon, which is filled with my blood, is fed with living beings, or fresh corpses if not available, to be held alive and incubate. The cocoon then absorbs the abilities and characteristics of its food and slowly evolves within the sac until it reached the point to hatch. Once out they will immediately be linked to the Hive mind and forced to obey me, similar to an ant.

"Well, that sound's way more evil than it actually is. The Synthrexians still possess a free will and most still live a normal live like all other races. The only thing that makes us different from the other races is the [Hive mind], which connects all Synthrexians and activates their racial abilities."

But I have to say, the [Hive-mind] is a cheat itself. It allows me to see the current location, stats, abilities and status of all Synthrexians. But that was just the tip of the iceberg.

The [Hive-mind] also enables me to communicate to them, strengthen them individually, use their body as drones to see, feel, and hear what they see, feel, and hear, and grants them the ability to transfer their items, destroyed bodies and even their soul to the [Hive-mind] which then sends it back to the kingdom to repair or collect them, but what one can transfer depends on his status within the [Hive-mind] since this ability consumes massive amounts of energy.

"But all those abilities can only be activated with me as the keystone in place. The [Hive-mind] was designed to only works with the king, since it needs his activated systems and blood to work. That explains why Synthrexia is currently near to extinction..."

I raised my gaze and sighed as I stood up from my throne and walked out, to take a look outside, after finally having the time for that. On my way I was able to take many looks outside, seeing my entire kingdom each and every time I did so.

It was amazing no matter how many times I looked at it. Synthrexia was like a mirage crafted from dreams of ancient Egypt and the cold embrace of mechanization, which blurred the lines between human and machine, truly embodying the perfectness our race strives to achieve.

As I looked outside towards the middle of the kingdom, a sense of awe washed over me. A golden massive statue of myself stood proudly in the middle of the market, holding the head of the old king who tried to sell Synthrexia to its enemies.

Once I finally managed to leave my palace, I found myself wandering through bustling white streets where holographic obelisks stood tall, projecting images of the "Five Titans", the five strongest individuals after me which worked as my Grand marshals and second in command. The Citizens happily wandered through the streets, augmented by mechanical enhancements, as they carried their heavy bags without any problems.

But my trip quickly ended once the same citizens suddenly noticed my existence and surrounded me, asking me many questions which I was unable to hear properly. But in an instant all people were pushed away as five familiar beings resembled around me, immediately apologizing to me.

"You found me pretty quickly this time.", I said as I looked at them.

The first one, Vorix the mad wolf: A being akin to a werewolf clad in ornate obsidian armor, with mechanical eyes that glow like rubies and claws that a ready to pierce through any who dares to approach me.

The second one, Zelara, the Whispering death: A woman wrapped in a shadowy robe, with black hair and eyes which inflicts fears to even the strongest beings.

The third one, Gravax, the Iron Colossus: A giant man with a body made of pure black metal, who embodies the pride of the Synthrexian engineering to its last atom.

The fourth one, Lyria, the iron maiden: A woman embraced in mystic robes, who is a master of forbidden magic and ancient runes that make her a formidable opponent and a trusted guardian.

And at last, Zarael, the Void-devourer: A man imprisoned within a black coffin, which is mostly seen standing vertically and moves on his command, opening the coffin's lower part to reveal eight crab-like legs that would move itself and its host anywhere he wished to go.

All five of them were strange beings with a rather unique personality, but over the last couple days they have grown on me.

"Please punish us for our inability to keep up with you, otherwise we aren't worthy to remain as your guards.", Lyria said as she raised her head a little.

I immediately grabbed her by her chin and raised her face up to mine to look her in her eyes, "Let that be my worry. In the first place, the choice if you are worthy or not is only made by me and me alone."

"We understand!!", They answered loud and clear.

"Now then... I want to continue my stroll a little longer. So just do your job and watch out that nothing happens to me. After all, that's the reason why the five titans have chosen you as my guards."

"As you wish, your majesty.", They answered once again before standing up to surround me once again.

I sighed as I continued my stroll through the city. But no matter how hard I tried, I kept being the center of all attention, making me unable to see the life within the kingdom which forced me to end my stroll and return to my palace.

Standing before it, it amazes me once again. The heart of Synthrexia and one of its three treasures, "The Golden Nexus".

It was a floating golden Pyramid that rose from the tainted earth, with a gleaming surface reflecting the malevolent glow of Synthrexias crimson sky. On top of that a mesmerizing aura enveloped it, as if the very essence of perfection itself courses through its veins. With Golden hieroglyphs of unknown origin adorning every inch of the pyramid.

A glowing rainbow bridge made of pure energy led to the majestic archways, which led into the pyramid. Once inside, I was again met with the air inside, which is charged with an electrifying energy, a palpable manifestation of the pyramid's unfathomable power and perfection.

Inside, a vast chamber unfolded, illuminated by cascading rays of golden light from an enigmatic source above. The chamber itself defied the laws of space, as it stretched infinitely into a seemingly boundless abyss, allowing one to see the realm between worlds. And then as its heart, an immense throne, forged with gilded alloys and pulsating with arcane symbols, as it awaits no other than me the ruler of this twisted domain.

As I kept walking through the palace, I looked at the walls that were adorned with moving tapestries of shimmering gold, depicting Synthrexia's history in surreal and moving forms.

But as we ascended to the next layer, we encountered an interplay of past and future, a convergence of ancient altars entwined with advanced neural networks, with automated sentinels, that formed a fusion of sleek metallic design and ancient statuesque motifs, standing guard in every recess, ever vigilant in their duty to protect the sanctity of this mystic domain.

And once we even went past this layer we arrived at the apex of the palace, a place where all ethereal energy merges, giving birth to countless cosmic auroras which filled the entire kingdom with an otherworldly light, refueling it with endless energy for the next countless millennia.

It was a sight both breathtaking and fascinating, and a testament to the boundless reach of Synthrexia's hunger for perfection.