The void energy completely enveloped the explosion, compressing it continuously until it finally disappeared entirely.
"They're..."
Everyone stared in shock at where the explosion had been. The man who had taught them to fight, with his rough demeanor and fierce tactics, had vanished along with the blast.
In his final moment, he had somehow contained the explosion, successfully protecting them all.
"Heh, didn't you say you were going to retire?" Logan muttered, clenching his fists.
He and Marcus had known each other for three years, yet he never imagined that in this final mission, Marcus would sacrifice himself alongside their enemy.
A profound silence fell over the beach. Even the mutants who had followed Shaw ceased fighting, gazing quietly at the massive crater left by the explosion.
...
Void Dimension
An energy bubble floated in the emptiness. As time passed, countless meridians and blood vessels gradually materialized within it.
Void energy circulated through these forming vessels, and as they continued to develop, they gradually coalesced into a human figure.
"RIS..."
A low voice emanated from the human silhouette as countless streams of void energy gathered around the forming meridians, creating a vortex.
"LOHK..."
Gradually, the figure condensing from the void became more substantial, its features growing increasingly distinct.
"XATA..."
With the final utterance, the figure fully materialized—it was Marcus, who had been annihilated by the explosion.
Although his physical body had been destroyed by Shaw's death blast, his consciousness had somehow reached the void dimension, where it continued to exist.
With the resonance of the void whispers complete, Marcus finally opened his eyes, awakening in this strange realm.
"Where am I?"
Looking at the nothingness surrounding him, Marcus appeared disoriented.
Suddenly, a searing pain shot through his head as disconnected images flashed through his mind.
"Ugh... ARGH!!!"
Void energy erupted from his body, disturbing the surrounding emptiness.
"XAKU!!!"
A strange word escaped Marcus's lips. Countless streams of void energy converged upon him as his form began to transform.
The flesh and blood of his body gradually dissipated, leaving behind a skeletal frame interwoven with luminous energy vessels. The void energy gathering around him coalesced into fragmented armor plates that attached to his frame.
When the transformation completed, Marcus stared down at his broken, armored hands. A name surfaced in his consciousness:
Xaku [Resonance of the Void]
"Is this... my armor?"
The appearance of this armor caught Marcus completely off guard. Before he could even determine his location, he had acquired his own battle suit.
Though Xaku appeared tattered and incomplete, Marcus instinctively understood its immense combat potential.
On any battlefield, this armor would become the enemy's nightmare.
"What's happening? Wasn't I killed in the explosion? How did I resurrect in this place? And why do I have the Resonance of the Void?"
Questions multiplied in Marcus's mind. He couldn't comprehend what had occurred after his apparent death.
Suddenly, his head throbbed again, though less intensely than before. The images that had flashed through his mind earlier reappeared.
"Is this... the method for constructing a Warframe?"
The content of these visions stunned Marcus. He was astonished by the revealed process for building a Warframe.
Beyond Xaku, which had formed from his own essence and the explosion's energy, building other Warframes would require obtaining Aya Star.
Though Marcus had farmed Aya as game resources before his dimensional transition, that had been merely a game. Reality offered no such convenient quests for gathering these components. Was he limited to using only this Warframe?
Just as he resigned himself to using only Xaku, the vision in his mind shifted, revealing the method for obtaining Aya Stars that will be convert into Aya star when enough is collected.
The Aya was produced by absorbing powerful energies and fusing them with void energy, creating materials for constructing various powerful items.
To build a new Warframe, Marcus would need to locate various powerful artifacts and use void energy to extract Aya Stars from them.
Though a Warframe required only four Aya Stars to complete, this still presented a significant challenge. Marcus had no idea where to find such powerful items.
"Seems my future will be busy, but where exactly am I?" he wondered.
Examining the empty environment around him, Marcus looked around curiously. This place felt strangely familiar.
After reverting to his human form, Marcus floated through the void dimension, assessing his surroundings.
"This place feels familiar... Wait!" Marcus had a sudden realization as void energy quickly gathered in his palm. "Of course—this is the void dimension!"
He had always drawn knowledge and power from the void dimension, but this was his first time physically entering it. So this was how it appeared—empty and seemingly lifeless.
"Heh, no wonder I didn't die. I've essentially become the 'void demon' from the game!"
He now shared a profound connection with the void dimension and possessed the same abilities as his game counterpart.
Beyond using void energy for combat and invisibility, he had gained the soul transfer and void dash abilities mastered by the game's characters.
"This is fascinating!"
He had never fully mastered soul transfer or void dash before, yet dying alongside Shaw had somehow granted him these powers.
Not only had his void abilities become more potent, but he'd also acquired the battle armor he had always desired—a development that thrilled him.
After experimenting with his new abilities and armor for a while, Marcus turned his attention to the void surrounding him.
"I may have been reborn, but how do I leave this place?"
While resurrection was certainly worth celebrating, remaining trapped here would defeat the purpose.
As he contemplated how to exit, inexplicable knowledge appeared in his mind—information imparted by the void dimension itself, revealing how to freely enter and exit this realm.
"Use void energy to open a rift? Isn't that Limbo's ability?" Marcus considered carefully. "Yes, Limbo [Rift Prison] can travel between different planes. Traversing the void dimension must be similar!"
Though he understood the concept, Limbo was still a specialized Warframe. Marcus couldn't guarantee he could replicate its abilities perfectly.
Following the method revealed by the void dimension, Marcus gathered void energy in his hands. As the energy accumulated, he made a decisive gesture, projecting the concentrated power outward.
The two streams of void energy collided violently, creating a localized explosion. A circular rift appeared before him, revealing sparkling waves on the other side.
"It worked!"
Gazing at the ocean waves visible through the rift, Marcus stepped through without hesitation, emerging onto the beach.
Feeling the sea breeze against his face and hearing the rhythmic sound of the tide, Marcus closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.
"Finally back!"