Chapter 109: The Lightning Star and the Glitch
Chapter 109: Chapter 109: The Lightning Star and the Glitch
Chapter 109: The Lightning Star and the Glitch
[Global Timer: 00:00:01]
Vaelith Starbane opened his eyes inside the simulation.
He stood in the center of a ruined, modern city street. The asphalt was cracked and overgrown with digital weeds. From the dark alleys and shattered storefronts, hundreds of glowing red eyes pierced the gloom. The Swarm had arrived. Mechanical Iron-Wolves growled, their metallic claws scraping against the pavement.
Vaelith smirked. He slowly drew a beautiful, silver-hilted longsword from his hip.
’Look at these pathetic toys,’ Vaelith thought arrogantly.
’The entire world is watching me right now. I shall present them with an unforgettable show. A show that will prove my dominance for the whole Humanity.’
Sparks of vibrant blue electricity began to dance along his arms. The air grew heavy with ozone.
"Come here, little dogs," Vaelith taunted loudly, pointing the tip of his blade at the pack leader.
"Let me show you true power!"
The Iron-Wolves lunged.
Vaelith moved. He became a literal flash of light.
ZAP!
He darted through the pack with blinding speed.
SLASH. CLANG.
His lightning-infused sword cut through the thick steel plating of the mechanical wolves like a hot knife through soft cake. Sparks rained down on the asphalt. He spun elegantly, severing three metallic heads in a single, fluid motion.
When the last wolf fell to the ground, Vaelith flicked the oil from his blade. He turned directly toward the invisible simulation camera and struck a perfect, arrogant pose. He held his sword high, letting the lightning arc beautifully around his perfectly styled hair.
[Vaelith Starbane Clear Time: 03:14]
---
Thousands of miles away in Bastion One, the massive crowds watching the holographic screens erupted into a deafening frenzy.
Thousands of girls screamed his name, waving banners with the Starbane family crest.
High up in the broadcast booth, Marcus Sterling was completely losing his mind. He gripped his microphone with white knuckles, sweating profusely from the sheer hype.
"And there he is!" Marcus roared over the global speakers.
"The Lightning Star of Bastion One! The hope of humanity! He clears through the monsters like a thunderbolt! It is a breathtaking record-breaking three minutes!"
Marcus was so excited he grabbed a fresh pastry from his snack tray. It was a thick, custard-filled dessert.
"Oh, I am creaming?!" Marcus screamed in pure ecstasy. He raised the massive creampie in his hand for the cameras to see and took a huge, messy bite.
The crowd in the Capital laughed and cheered even louder. The broadcast was pure perfection. The world belonged to Bastion One.
---
[Global Timer: 00:00:01]
Draven Mordis opened his eyes.
He stood in the exact same ruined city street. The exact same pack of Mechanical Iron-Wolves surrounded him, bearing their steel fangs.
His pitch-black eyes were cold and dead. And he was not going to fuck around here.
’I am going to go all out! No time for theatrics!’ Draven thought.
’I cannot wait anymore by hiding! Now that I have enough power, there’s no need to be afraid.’
Draven activated his [Tactical Radar Skill].
BEEP.
A blue radar grid flashed across his vision. In a fraction of a millisecond, he mapped the exact coordinates, weight, and distance of every single mechanical wolf hidden in the ruins.
Draven raised both of his hands. He extended his fingers, pointing directly at the crumbling buildings around him. He activated his SS-Rank Vector Authority.
He simply hijacked their kinetic gravity. Meaning he lifted them up using his telekinetic powers. The range of his Power has increased far and wide.
WHOOSH!
The iron claws of the wolves violently detached from the pavement. Hundreds of mechanical beasts were suddenly ripped up into the air. They thrashed and whined, completely helpless as they floated twenty feet above the ground.
Draven curled his fingers inward. He forcefully commanded every single kinetic vector to converge on a single point directly in front of him.
The floating wolves were violently dragged through the air. They slammed into each other in a massive, floating sphere of metal.
Draven clenched his fists shut.
CRUNCH!
An immense, terrifying wave of pressure crushed the sphere. The thick mechanical necks of all two hundred wolves snapped simultaneously. Metal twisted, circuits exploded, and the sheer force condensed the entire pack into a giant, mangled cube of scrap iron.
’Well, I could have done it faster! But it’s enough. No need to worthlessly waste my energy doing it too fast!’
Draven dropped his hands. The massive cube of scrap metal slammed into the asphalt.
BOOM.
The exit portal illuminated behind him. Draven walked through it without looking back.
[Draven Mordis Clear Time: 00:08]
---
Back in the Capital broadcast booth, Marcus Sterling was busy wiping the sweet cream off his chin with a silk handkerchief.
"What a stunning performance by our Lightning Star," Marcus chuckled, looking at his monitor.
"Let us take a quick look at the updated global leaderboard before the prodigies reach the second floor."
The massive digital board flashed on the screens across the world.
Rank 1: Draven Mordis
Rank 2: Vaelith Starbane
The roaring crowds in Bastion One instantly fell dead silent. Millions of people stared at the massive floating screen in total confusion.
Marcus blinked. He rubbed his eyes. He looked back at the screen. The number was still there. Eight seconds.
Marcus forced a loud, awkward laugh into his microphone.
"Well, folks!" Marcus chuckled nervously, tapping his earpiece.
"It looks like we have a slight visual glitch in the system! Draven Mordis from Bastion Seven is showing a clear time of eight seconds! Our Vanguard engineers really need to work hard to fix these annoying bugs!"
The crowd in the Capital let out a collective sigh of relief. A glitch. Of course it was a glitch. Nobody clears a floor in eight seconds.
Down in the VIP arena, at the polished Vanguard Judge’s table, a senior engineer in a crisp white lab coat frowned. His fingers flew across his holographic keyboard. He checked the neural dive feedback loops. He checked the physical stress sensors. He checked the server logs.
The engineer pressed the button on his judge’s microphone. His calm, clinical voice echoed across the entire global broadcast, cutting Marcus off completely.
"There is no glitch, Marcus," the senior engineer stated flatly.
"The neural dive servers are functioning perfectly. I just reviewed the playback. That clear time is completely real."
Marcus Sterling dropped his microphone. The look on his face was a work of art.
The Capital was completely paralyzed. High up in their floating lounge, the Vanguard Elders stopped drinking their wine.