Chapter 8 data resonance absorption

WARNING: SYSTEM CORRUPTION IN PROGRESS. UNKNOWN LOGIC DETECTED. PREPARE FOR INTEGRATION.]

That pitch-black notification was the last thing my eyes caught before total darkness swallowed me whole. In the same instant the metal gate behind me collapsed with a deafening crash, sealing me inside with something far more terrifying than Nexus, overwhelming fear clamped around my chest. I thought it was the end of everything. I thought I was going to die, trapped in a digital void.

But the darkness did not last long.

Without warning, the dense blackness inside the crack in the wall was torn apart. An incredibly brilliant golden light burst from a data record in front of me, enveloping my entire body. Warmth spread through me and exploded inside my chest, soothing beyond words, like Father's embrace when I was a child frightened by the dark.

The weakness in my nerves, tortured by the high-frequency distortion, slowly faded away. The excruciating pain in my muscles subsided rapidly. Golden energy from the system filled every empty space, strengthening every inch of my biological body that had been teetering on the edge of collapse. I could feel the energy seeping into the pores of my skin, not as a brutal force imposing itself upon me, but as nourishment desperately needed by a system that had nearly shut down completely.

[DATA NODE ABSORBED: 100% UTILITY VALUE.]

[XP GAINED: 300]

[WDS LEVEL INCREASED: LEVEL 2 (590/500 XP) --> LEVEL 3 (90/1000 XP)]

[NEW PASSIVE SKILL UNLOCKED: DATA RESONANCE ABSORPTION]

[ENERGY CORE RECHARGED: 80% CAPACITY.]

Level 3. Data Resonance Absorption.

A faint smile crossed my lips as I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead, my breathing still ragged.

"This system is completely insane..." I whispered hoarsely.

My chest felt lighter now. The system had an almost miraculous way of granting new abilities.

I turned around and looked at the remains of the Annihilator Beast scattered across the ground. The creature's horrifying form was gone, dissolved into digital dust that slowly dispersed into the air and merged with the darkness of the corridor. Only the slightly damp concrete floor and the distinct scent of rusted iron remained.

Yet somehow, all of it seemed to be getting "eaten" much faster by the White Dragon System. The remnants gradually vanished without a trace.

That raspy laugh echoed again from beyond the ruins of the collapsed metal gate. This time, the tone sounded much more cheerful, bouncing between the narrow cracks.

The purple mist was still there, drifting among the rubble, and for some reason, its presence no longer felt intimidating.

"Hey," I said, stepping closer to the gap in the gate and returning the gaze of the eyes hidden behind the mist with a sincere smile. "I owe you one. If it weren't for that energy blast earlier, I'd be scrap metal in the hands of a Nexus drone by now."

"I need to go now," I continued, my expression turning serious again as thoughts of Alessa, still imprisoned inside the Nexus fortress, resurfaced. I pointed toward a deeper passage beyond the crack in the wall that Source Identifier Beta had shown me. "Looks like there's more food for my system in there. I have to keep moving."

The purple mist rolled slowly toward the opening I had indicated. Its dimly glowing eyes narrowed, as if it were smiling back at me.

It seemed to understand my role and had chosen to stay there, standing guard at the entrance like it wanted to ensure no predators or Nexus patrol units would interfere with my path. More importantly, it was letting me "eat" in peace.

I dashed into the passage.

There, hidden far beyond the reach of Nexus drone sensors, was the food the system had promised.

This time, it wasn't a filthy clump of random data or some disgusting insect. It was beautiful, a cluster of transparent crystals stacked neatly together, radiating a calming pale-blue glow. It was about the size of my fist, its patterns shimmering like fragments of pure diamond.

[DETECTING DATA CRYSTAL FORMATION: BETA CLASS SOURCE.]

[DATA MASS: MODERATE. PURITY: HIGH.]

[RECOMMENDED ACTION: EXTENDED DATA INGESTION FOR SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION.]

I immediately reached out and touched it.

The crystal felt icy cold against my skin. Its surface was slightly jagged in places, but not enough to hurt. Just as the White Dragon System had warned, this absorption process would take longer.

The system began its work, drawing pure energy from the crystal in a slow, rhythmic flow.

Through my HUD, I could see data particles streaming like a bright-blue river. They flowed from the crystal's surface, seeped into my palm, and traveled smoothly through my entire nervous system. With every pulse of data transfer, the XP counter in the corner of my vision continued to rise, and my energy bar steadily filled.

[DATA CRYSTAL ABSORBED: 65%]

[XP GAINED: 75]

[ENERGY CORE RECHARGED: 88% CAPACITY.]

"These particles... flow so smoothly," I murmured, closing my eyes and savoring the comforting sensation spreading through my body.

I desperately needed energy this efficient if I wanted to survive and keep fighting in the depths of the underground district.

Near the entrance, the purple mist remained silent, simply watching me.

I opened my eyes and stared directly at it.

"You're supposed to be keeping watch for me!" I said to the mist, not really expecting the strange creature to understand human language. "Please tell me if any other Nexus units come close...!"

To my complete surprise, the mass of mist gave a small nod, a clear up-and-down motion.

I was genuinely stunned.

A selfish warmth stirred in my heart.

It turned out that it wasn't just the advanced algorithm inside my head granting me new abilities. Even a strange anomaly, a creature without a human body wandering this decaying place, possessed its own way of communicating and showing empathy.

This world was becoming stranger by the day.

[DATA CRYSTAL ABSORBED: 100%]

[XP GAINED: 100]

[WDS LEVEL INCREASED: LEVEL 3 (690/1000 XP)]

[PASSIVE SKILL UPGRADE: DATA RESONANCE ABSORPTION (LEVEL 2) - EFFECTIVENESS INCREASED BY 15%.]

[ENERGY CORE RECHARGED: 95% CAPACITY.]

One final notification appeared.

My Energy Core was nearly full again, sitting at ninety-five percent.

For the first time, I truly began using my head and carefully considering my next move.

How could I break through Nexus's tight security and reach Alessa without triggering their radar systems?

Suddenly, the lighting inside the chamber began to change.

The pale-blue glow from the crystal gradually dimmed until it vanished completely, leaving behind only fine digital dust that slowly blended into the damp air around me.

And just as darkness reclaimed the space, I noticed something strange behind the stone wall where the crystal had been resting.

A structural gap.

It had been completely invisible to ordinary human eyes before, but now, with the upgraded scanning capabilities of the White Dragon System, it stood out clearly.

It was another hidden passage, deliberately concealed behind an encrypted wall illusion that appeared empty from the outside.

[NEW PATHWAY DETECTED: ENTRANCE HIDDEN. SECURITY LEVEL: UNKNOWN.]

I didn't hesitate.

Without wasting another second, I rose to my feet and prepared to follow the newly discovered route.

I needed information, coordinates, and perhaps an even stronger source of "food" to prepare myself for the battles ahead.

But just as I took a single step toward the hidden opening, I felt something stop me.

A touch.

Gentle and delicate, tugging lightly at the end of my sleeve.

Startled, I spun around.

The purple mist was swirling in place.

Its movements were no longer stable. It expanded and contracted rapidly, trying to block my path into the hidden passage. The pair of dimly glowing eyes now radiated unmistakable anxiety.

[ENTITY SIGNS OF DISTRESS DETECTED. CAUSE: UNKNOWN. BEHAVIOR PATTERN: OBSTINATE.]

I stopped.

My brows furrowed.

"What's wrong?" I asked again, overwhelmed by confusion. "Why are you stopping me? Is there something dangerous in there that I should know about?"