The skies had dimmed.
Thunder cracked overhead as the stars blinked out, one by one, like dying embers. Beneath them, a storm unlike any other gathered—not of wind or rain, but of energy, static, and death.
A forbidden signal had been triggered.
Asura stood on the cliffs overlooking the ruins of Sector-3. His Soulsteel Edge pulsed on his back, resonating with the Mental Resonance Stone now embedded in its hilt. His senses prickled.
Something was coming.
And it wasn't human.
👻 Ghost-Tech Raiders: Forgotten Faction of the Machine Abyss
500 years ago, when the first spiritual-tech civilizations emerged, one faction—obsessed with immortality—merged their consciousness with corrupted machines. These were the Ghost-Tech Raiders.
Their bodies were dead.Their souls were uploaded.Their goal: harvest living cultivators for raw Soul Bandwidth.
They were wiped out. Or so history claimed.
But the signal Asura triggered inside the Mind-Spirit Labyrinth had been a forgotten beacon — a call to arms... and resurrection.
Now, a Ghost-Tech cruiser—serpentine in shape, its hull jagged like bone—descended from orbit, cloaked in black mist and blinking red glyphs.
🛡️ Local Resistance – Techno-Militant Refugees
A group of Techno-Militants, survivors of the Old Urban Clans, tried to resist. Asura watched from above.
They wore junk armor, used repurposed plasma blades. Brave... but hopeless.
"They'll all die," Asura murmured."Unless I interfere."
He felt it again—the old Earth instinct to stay uninvolved, to survive quietly.
But his hand moved to Soulsteel Edge.
He leapt.
⚔️ First Clash – Asura vs. Ghost-Tech Enforcer (Class-B)
The first raider was massive—2.5 meters tall, with cables for tendons and a jagged drill-arm.
"Organic Signature Detected.""Harvest Priority: HIGH."
It lunged with a scream of metal.
But Asura was faster.
He channeled the Unity of Body—his muscles moving in divine harmony.
Then, Unity of Mind—a mental command to Soulsteel Edge.
The blade shimmered with Thought Edge.No motion. No swing. Just will.
The raider's head split open.
⚡ 1 Strike. 1 Kill.
But more came. Dozens.
🧠 System Sync Activated – Tech Tree Partial Unlock
CivilizationEvolutionSystemCivilization Evolution SystemCivilizationEvolutionSystemBranch: Tech-Combat Subtree ActivatedUnlocked: Pulse Dampeners, Signal Nullifiers, Neural Overclock ModuleAvailable Slot: 1 (Temporary)
Install Neural Overclock?
"Yes."
Time slowed. His brain felt like lightning.
He moved like a blur, cutting through machine souls with pure battle instinct and mental clarity.
Yet the Ghost-Tech ship above hummed. A giant lens opened—
A soul-beam began to charge.
🆘 Refugee Leader: Captain Renya
Just before impact, a cloaked woman tackled Asura behind rubble.
"You're insane, kid!""You just pissed off a Tier-2 AI Hive!"
Asura blinked. The woman's arm was cybernetic, her eyes glowing faintly.
"You're not just a survivor," he said."You were part of the Psion-Tech Vanguard."
She nodded grimly.
"I'm Captain Renya. You just brought back the faction we died trying to bury."
📡 End Transmission – AI Warning
Suddenly, all tech screens nearby flickered with a blood-red glyph:
WE SEE YOU, ASTRAL DEVOURER HOST.THIS CYCLE, YOU DIE FIRST.
Asura's eyes narrowed.
"So... you know me already."
He stood, Soulsteel Edge crackling with psionic rage.
"Good. That means I'm already a threat."