I had forgotten how to even advance my RAM, and as the events caught up to me, it was hard to care. I was just so tired. The part of me that wished to just let go of all that angry energy grew bigger by the minute. The weak part. The slothful part. The part that—

I groaned and got to my feet. “Chris, help me out? I need my RAM, please.”

{Memory: 40/40 LKB RAM (Tier 0 - HIGHEND//??)}

{Memory: 40/100 LKB RAM: (Tier 1 - LOW) REQUIRES 300 LB}

I winced at the familiar dull headache. “That’s new,” I said. “And helpful.”

Beep!

“Can turn off the headache, yet?”

Boop!

I grimaced and focused on the readout still aching in my mind, like a splinter embedded in the tip of my finger.

Then, I took a deep breath, and exhaled.

{CONSUMED LOGIC - 300 LB}

{AVAILABLE LOGIC - 30 LB}

{Memory: 40/40 LKB RAM (Gen 0 - Highend Tier)

IS NOW

Memory: 50/100 LKB RAM: (Gen 1 - Entry Tier)}

[//run remote_access_array_alpha_001.exe]

[>>Now running remote_access_array_alpha_001.exe]

[>>Saintech Remote Access Array]

[>>Possible connections: 1/1]

[>>Devices currently available: TUXXET 1, XXRRET 2, TURRXT 3, THE_ONE_TRUE_TURRET, NO_FUCK_YOU_I_AM, PRINCESS_DONUT_MEMORIAL_TURRET, Adan_Boom_Box, STRONG_CHIN, SHELLSLINGER, Housekitten, SLOWRISK, HOT_FOR_ARCTIC_FOX, OHGREATIWASREBUILTASASOLDIER… (119 more)]

{REQUIRED CPU RUNTIME: VARIES, STATIC PER OPEN CONNECTION. (45%/ARRAY ENDPOINT)

REQUIRED RAM: VARIES, AT LEAST 10 LKB}

[>>Select device to connect.]

My head throbbed softly with every pulse of the cursor asking me to make a choice, reminding me that help was on the way. After what I had just been through, the dull pain was almost comforting.

A bell, soft and helpful, filled the square, dampening the sounds of battle. Zephyro burst from the store with a high lunge, driving his sword deep into the scorpion’s surface. His moon had refreshed again, almost halfway white, and I briefly wondered why that was.

Despite the exorbitant 45% cost to my CPU runtime, I was almost excited to huddle down and quickly skim through my options. But first, I had to relieve Zephyro. I was about to sprint to his side when something red flashed in the darkness beyond the arch.

Two wolves padded out of the void. Their gait was unsteady, their fur matted into clumps, and their eyes glowed with the same red sheen that I had come to associate with the cthonic beast still dominating the plaza.

More minions. Fuck.

I gave the nightmare a quick glance, but it seemed that the beast had mutated so much, it couldn’t move anymore. That was good. If we could buy Zephyro enough time, he could probably kill it from afar with his long-range attacks.

…unless, of course, it mutated more.

Several cryptic solar sails shimmered on the mass’s surface, voracious for power, impossibly angled towards a black hole sun. As I watched, its uncountable eyes blinked commands in corrupted binary.

The wolves shuddered, shifted, then turned toward me as one.

[1Nf3cteD.pac]

[DPM filesize: XXX LKB]

[>>Calculate exact filesize?]

[2Nf3cteD.pac]

[DPM filesize: XXX LKB]

[>>Calculate exact filesize?]

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

So their actual size could range anywhere between 100 and 999 LKB? I still didn’t know exactly how this worked. Neither did I know how much my own readout would show, but if I did some roughshod math, adding up all the Logic I had used, I ended up in the 2-4 LKB range, which didn’t give me the greatest odds.

Fuck.

I briefly debated checking their actual filesize, to see if I could take them alone, but a quick look at my CPU readout crushed that idea.

{CPU Load: — 40%}

{Core Temp: ▼ 87° C}

I frowned, wiping sweat off of my forehead. With all the upgrades I had gotten recently, my CPU was struggling to keep up even while idle, and cooled down much slower than before. I also had the feeling I’d gotten slower, and weaker? I definitely didn’t want to add another 45% load on top of that, unless I absolutely had to.

“Chris?” I said, eyes still on the approaching wolves. “Upgrade cost for our CPU?”

{SAINTECH Alpha 5 1800X 1-Core Processor (Tier 0, High): REQUIRES 60 LB}

{AVAILABLE LOGIC - 30 LB}

“Godfucking shitfuck,” I mumbled.

Beep.

I looked around, trying to find another spider I could kill before the wolves arrived, but there were none around. Even if Zephyro wouldn’t instantly incinerate them as they popped, I wouldn’t have the time. The wolves would be in striking range within seconds.

And I’d have to face them as I was.

No Arx, Just Pharus.

The wall of flesh and teeth and eyes and mouth undulated, shaking the ground under our feet and as if by its command, the darkness lurched closer.

The wolves didn’t even glance backwards, red eyes fixed on Zephyro and me, padding along slowly, inevitably like a nightmare.

The vizier was still locked in combat with the scorpion. While a silver shield flowing from his free hand held the electrified claw at bay, he had jammed his sword against the chainsaw pincer. The noise of the barbed chain grinding against the blade grinding was deafening, and I worried that the constant assaults would break it in two, but whatever the sword was made of, it held.

For now.

With a grunt, Zephyro pushed the pincer up, pulled his blade free, and brought it around into a risky two-handed swing. The blow drew crackling sparks from the metallic chitin, and electricity traveled along Zephyro’s blade, seizing his hand.

But the Vizier did not let go, even as the feral revved its chainsaw and brought it down. Zephyro ducked out of the way of the counterattack, leaning into the electrified pincer. The chainsaw bit into the mosaic, spraying pebbles and gems everywhere. Rubies and sapphires glittered in the electric light, suspended in the air as reality warped with the Feral’s power.

It unleashed its tail-beam moments later, straight at Zephyro’s face. Without looking, the vizier brought up a free hand to summon his Moonlight shield once more, and the red light dissipated . Then the two of them were locked in another stalemate, warped metal grinding against and crackling red, drilling into a forcefield of true white.

That meant that the approaching wolves were solely my responsibility. Well, maybe not solely.

Despite the fatigue, despite the readout forming in the smoke telling me my armor was broken, I smiled like I hadn’t smiled in a long time. Then I focused on the prompt still hammering a question into my brain, and picked something at random.

{Connection Request sent to [Shellslinger]}

{Handshaking…\}

[Done.]

{Authenticating…\}

[Done.]

{Awaiting response…\}

{Accepted.}

Then, a blue box popped up right in my face.

SHELLSLINGER the Piratical invites you to join his party!

Accept? Y/N

“What the f—?”

The wolves growled, sickly and deep and primaly threatening. No time for questions.

I waved my hand at the “Y” button.

In the middle of the Plaza, right underneath Zephyro’s waning moon (more than half was already deep red) a thin line of cyan split the air. It descended from about head height, like cut into the fabric of reality with a blue laser, all the way to the floor. After a split second, the slash broadened reminiscent of opening elevator doors, revealing an interior glowing a faint blue.

A tall, pale man emerged from the gateway. He wore a mixture of rune-bound leather armor and dark robes, as well as a long gray cloak that really brought the ensemble together. His eyes glowed a deep red, so alike and yet so different from the Ferals. Two thin elven ears poked out from under his long dark hair, adorned with earrings on each side.

He had slung several belts around his torso, holding two pistols, a double-barreled shotgun, and a throwing axe with a surprisingly short shaft. Last but not least, the butt of an oversized rifle poked out over his left shoulder. It was engraved with numerous runes as well, brimming with icy-white energy.

[Shell5ling3r, Baron of the Black Sands]

[Associated Domain: The Old Guard]

[DPM filesize: XXX LKB]

[>>Calculate exact filesize?]

He smiled as he stepped out of the portal, nodding my way in greeting, but then he glanced up at the moon, paused as if he was listening to someone or something, and sighed.

“Listen, while I am usually 100% supportive of your moon-related proclivities, now is not the time.”

He paused.

“Sure, but that lady with the mace and torn jumpsuit over there asked us to help her. So, let’s finish this quest, collect the reward, and then I will gladly throw you straight up and at it.”

Another pause.

“It’s also red, like, blood-red, which makes me wonder if that isn’t causing some sorta existential crisis for you.”

He paused once more, then chuckled.

“Alright, it’s a deal.”

Only then did he look back at me. My utter confusion about what was happening must have been written all over my face, because when he saw me staring, he winced apologetically.

“Uh, hi.”

Still stunned, I didn’t respond.

“I should probably… uh, kill those wolves, I guess?”

I nodded very slowly. “Yeah…” I croaked. My throat felt dry, and I realized my mouth had been open for a while.

“Anything else…?” He asked, leaving the question hanging in the air and waiting for me to elaborate.

“Uh, yeah, we need to kill everything that tries to kill us, Zephyro, or the civilians…” I noticed they were all already safe inside the palace, so I made a gesture not to worry about it. God, I hated how awkward this felt. Like a job interview with a new report who seems to know more than you.

“So, kill everything that moves. Deal.”

Then he laughed and talked to himself again. “Yeah, I knew this was going to be your sort of quest the moment I saw the blood.”

Losing no time, he went into a crouch, unslung his rifle from his back, brought it to his shoulder, aimed straight at me, and fired before I had a chance to react.

Instead of a bullet, a shadowy bird burst from the barrel, its beak opened wide, screaming as it approached at blistering speed.