A System Bearer's Microchip?

The encounter was brief but fatal for two of their numbers, their demise swift under the Evo's merciless assault.

It gave the others time to flee as the Evo ripped through the two with its fiery horns.

However, it didn't waste another moment before flinging the corpses away and chasing after the rest.

More slum dwellers were pierced through with their internal organs flaming as they died on the spot. Bodies were dropping left, right, and centre as the Evo mercilessly ripped through their ranks.

In a split-second decision, Atrixus chose to draw the creature away, a sacrifice borne of desperation and a deep-seated resolve to protect those who remained. His plan, as reckless as it was brave, led him and the Evo to an area he had marked as particularly unstable.

"Come on, tiny!" Atrixus shouted, baiting the Evo with a mix of fear and defiance in his voice.

The creature charged, its horn aimed with deadly precision. At the last moment, Atrixus leapt aside as the Evo's momentum carried it forward. Its horn pierced the wall, and the world above came crashing down.

Atrixus watched, breathless, as the rocks entombed the Evo, burying most of its body under the rubble. A fleeting moment of relief washed over him, but it was short-lived.

Another tremor shook the ground, dislodging more rocks behind him, and soon, Atrixus found himself trapped in the confined space with the dying creature.

The realization of his predicament settled in with a heavy finality. The rocks that sealed his fate were massive, immovable by his lone efforts. He slumped to the ground, defeat etching deep lines across his young face. Across from him, the Evo lay breathing shallowly, its life ebbing away.

"Looks like we will both be dying here today," Atrixus spoke aloud, his voice echoing in the cramped space. The words hung between them, a solemn acknowledgement of their shared fate.

In the silence that followed, Atrixus allowed himself a moment of introspection. His thoughts drifted to his mother, to the slums that had been his home, and to the dreams that had brought him to that very moment.

The irony of seeking a better life only to meet his end in a world far off from his own was not lost on him.

As the echoes of the collapsing rocks faded into silence, Jael and Elara found themselves amidst the remaining slum dwellers, their faces etched with concern and disbelief.

The summit was clearing out rapidly, the once bustling site of extraction now a ghost of its former self, as dusk began to paint the sky with strokes of crimson and gold.

"He went in there to save us," Jael's voice broke the growing silence, his words directed at the System Bearers, Corin and Talia, who stood with an air of detachment from the unfolding drama.

"Atrixus is still in there. You have to go back for him!"

With her gaze fixed on the horizon, Talia responded without turning. "He stood no chance against an Evo. No non-System Bearer could. He's gone."

Corin's nod was the only other acknowledgement of Atrixus's sacrifice.

Meanwhile, trapped in the confining darkness with the dying Evo, Atrixus felt the weight of his final moments pressing down upon him.

The passage of time in the alien tomb seemed to mock his fading hopes, each tick echoing the failures and regrets of his short life. Anger and sorrow warred within him as he replayed the choices that had led him to his end, his thoughts inevitably circling back to his father.

"If you had never left us, this wouldn't have happened," he muttered, the bitterness of his fate tasting like ash in his mouth.

The memory of the box, a last memento from his father, sparked within his weary mind. With resignation heavy in his heart, he retrieved the small container from his bag.

"Might as well see what you left me," he spoke to the silence, the words meant for the father who had set him on his current path.

The attempt to open the box was half-hearted, a final gesture in the face of impending death. But as his thumb brushed against a sharp edge, a drop of blood welled up, falling onto the box's surface.

The reaction was instantaneous and unexpected; the blood seeped into the carved lines, causing them to glow with an ethereal light.

Atrixus watched, transfixed, as the box opened, revealing its contents—a golden microchip with intricate crimson lines that pulsed with living light.

"A System Bearer's Microchip?" he whispered, a mix of awe and disbelief in his voice.

In that moment, the weight of his despair lifted, replaced by a surge of clarity and purpose.

"So, this is what you left me, Dad. A chance...?" The realization ignited a spark of defiance within him, the understanding that his story might not be at its end.

He lifted the microchip, studying it in the dim glow of the luminous rocks. It seemed to resonate with his touch, sending a jolt of electricity that coursed through his veins and filling him with a sense of potential; of possibilities yet to be realized.

However, Atrixus paused with a conflicted look.

"They said I was incompatible..." He muttered, wondering what good it was to have the answer right in front of him, yet unable to grasp it.

As if in response to his question, the golden microchip, pulsed with a light that seemed to be in sync with his heartbeat.

As the blood from his thumb mingled with the intricate carvings on the chip's surface, it began to levitate, its glow intensifying until it was a beacon in the darkened space.

"What is...?" Atrixus eyes widened.

Without warning, the chip streaked forward, embedding itself in the centre of Atrixus's forehead. The pain was immediate and overwhelming, a burning sensation that coursed through his veins like fire.

As consciousness slipped from his grasp, Atrixus fell to the ground, his last thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and fear.

■■■

Atop the blue summit, as dusk caressed the landscape of Shunri Paradise, a sinister discussion unfolded, unnoticed by the retreating slum dwellers.

Three figures stood in the shadow of the twilight, their forms outlined against the fading light, engaged in a conversation that would send shivers down the spine of any who overheard.

A holographic panel floated before them, its surface flickering with the image of a man whose eyes glowed with a cold ambition. This was the mastermind behind the expedition, the orchestrator of a ruthless plan.

"The extraction was not just a mission; it was a necessary sacrifice," the man's voice emanated from the panel, smooth and calculating.

"The stones you've been collecting are far more than mere rocks; they are the eggs of the Sacred Revilcorn Evo. It isn't very powerful, but it is incredibly rare, and I've been in search of it for quite some time."

His words hung in the air, a confession of deceit so grand it had placed the lives of the slum dwellers in peril for the sake of a monstrous ambition.

"The expendability of those from the slums made them the perfect pawns. Their lives, in the grand scheme, are a small price to pay to lure out the Revilcorn."

The two System Bearers, Corin and Talia, listened with a mixture of resignation and determination. Their complicity in his dark plot, a secret burden they bore, weighed heavily upon them, yet the promise of power was a siren call too tempting to ignore.

"The Revilcorn is now trapped, probably weakened since the slum rats claimed to have witnessed rocks collapsing onto it. Its body is of immense value to me," the man continued, his gaze piercing through the holographic interface.

"I need to consume its flesh, gather its Evo Points, and with luck, assimilate its abilities. The power to drill through any substance would be mine, which is crucial to my plans."

Corin nodded, his expression grim. "We understand. The slum dwellers have served their purpose. We'll retrieve the Evo's body and ensure its powers become yours."

With her face masked with focused intent, Talia added, "The Revilcorn's ability would be a significant asset. We'll not let its corpse slip through our fingers."

The man on the panel smiled, a chilling display of satisfaction.

"Excellent. Remember, the Sacred Revilcorn Evo's offspring must not hatch before you deliver them to me. Time is of the essence."

As the communication ended, the holographic panel dissolved into the air, leaving the two System Bearers to contemplate the task ahead.

The summit, once a place of natural majesty, now bore the stain of a dark conspiracy, its beauty marred by the greed of those who sought to exploit the secrets of Shunri Paradise.

Below, in the depths of the cave, Atrixus lay unconscious, unaware of the ongoing plans of descent.

As the night deepened, Corin and Talia prepared to descend into the cave, their mission clear—the retrieval of the Revilcorn's corpse. Intact.

■■■

In the shadowy realm of unconsciousness, Atrixus found himself adrift in a void, a place where darkness and light melded together in an endless expanse.

"Kikikikiki," the sound of a baby giggling rang in his ears as a playback appeared before him.

In his view, he could see a baby being held by strong masculine hands, being thrown into the sky. But as the footage played on, Atrixus noticed that the skies were the same shade as that in Shunri Paradise.

The face of the person throwing the baby up playfully was that of his father.

'A dream? Or a memory? I've never been to Shunri Paradise before, so this can't be a memory... so who is the kid? Or am I dead?'

While Atrixus was pondering, the space suddenly turned dark as the footage vanished.

All of a sudden, notification panels began appearing before his mind's eye with a clarity that was almost tangible.

<< Synchronizing With Bearer >>

The first panel announced, its letters glowing with a soft luminescence.

Atrixus felt a tugging at the edges of his consciousness as if the chip was reaching into the deepest parts of his being, intertwining with his very essence.

'Oh, yes, that's what happened... the chip, it entered my head...' Atrixus recalled.

<< Successfully Synchronized >>

A sense of completion washed over Atrixus, a feeling of being whole for the first time in his life. It was as if the missing pieces of his soul had been found and put back into place.

<< Boosting Immune System >>

The panels continued, each message heralding a transformation taking place within his body. Atrixus could feel his cells vibrating with newfound energy.

<< Restructuring Cells >>

<< Adapting Bearer's Body To Foreign Ecosystem >>

The chip ensured Atrixus's survival in Shunri Paradise, modifying his physiology to thrive in an environment that was not his own. He could sense the changes, an intrinsic understanding of the land and its dangers embedding itself into his consciousness.

<< Boosting Strength >>

<< Boosting Agility >>

<< Unlocking Levels >>

<< Unlocking Consumption And Assimilation >>

<< Unlocking Evo Points >>

As the last of the notifications faded into the darkness, Atrixus felt a pulling sensation, a gentle tug that beckoned him back to the realm of the living.

The void began to recede, the darkness giving way to the dim light of the cave.

When he opened his eyes, the world seemed different, sharper and filled with a depth of colour he had never noticed before. He rose to his feet, his body moving with a grace and strength that felt unfamiliar yet distinctly his own.

Standing in the cave, surrounded by the glowing rocks and the remains of the Evo, Atrixus knew that he had been irrevocably changed. The System Bearer's Microchip had not only saved his life but had also set him on a path that was fraught with danger and ripe with possibility.

As he stepped forward, each movement filled with a newfound power, Atrixus ripped the suit and hazmat-like helmet off his body.

The weak groan of the Evo behind him attracted his attention.

"Oh, you're still alive?" Atrixus voiced in bewilderment.

His eyes suddenly squinted as he noticed a bar floating above the head of the Evo.