Amon's eyes fluttered open. His body felt heavy, but not in the same way it had after the operation. This time, it wasn't drowsiness—it was more like every limb had been wrapped in invisible chains. He sat up slowly, glancing around. Somehow, he was back in his room.
'Odd...' he thought, squinting. 'I thought I was still with Helios and the others.'
His memories blurred together when he tried to recall what happened after entering the chamber. All he remembered was the faint hum of machinery and the warmth of something coursing through his veins. The rest felt like a half-dream that evaporated the moment he woke.
He sighed and collapsed backward onto his bed, his gaze wandering to the ceiling.
'System...'
[Yes, host?]
The familiar voice echoed inside his head, calm yet mechanical.
'Mind telling me what happened after the surgery?'
[As you wish.]
The panel blinked to life before his eyes. He skimmed through the data streaming across the translucent screen, eyes widening as the system narrated everything that had occurred while he was unconscious. Apparently, two hours had passed since he was extracted from the Temporal Accelerated Healing Chamber—TAHC for short.
He blinked in disbelief. "Only two hours?"
Considering the chamber was supposed to simulate a week's worth of recovery, it made sense. But still—he hadn't expected time to move that fast.
[Would the host like to see the result of the surgery?]
"Uh—yes!"
The display shifted, revealing his updated information.
[Name: Amon]
[Age: 18]
[Race: Pseudo-Human]
[Fame: —]
[NEXUS Type: Hexacaust]
[NEXUS Lvl. 0 – Requires activation]
Amon's jaw practically dropped. "Woah! I'm a Hexacaust!?"
Excitement bubbled in his chest. His imagination began to run wild almost instantly—visions of him controlling fleets of ships from miles away, manipulating combat mechs with his mind, orchestrating entire battles from a single thought. His inner strategist was practically screaming.
Then—
[The Host is incapable of any acts that he is dreaming of at the moment. Possibly, highly probable, never.]
His face froze. "…Excuse me?"
[Clarification: Your current NEXUS Level is 0. The feats you are imagining are beyond the capacity of your biological and neural limitations.]
Amon groaned and rolled over, burying his face into his pillow. "UAGH! At least... let me daydream..."
The system, unamused, stayed silent.
After a moment of sulking, he sat back up, rubbing his messy hair. The panels still floated in front of him, data shimmering like faint blue light.
"How do I even level this thing up?" he muttered. "It says it requires activation, but... how?"
The thought nagged at him. If his system was as advanced as it sounded, there had to be a method to start unlocking its potential.
[The host is required to undergo the basic training for NEXUS usage.]
[Operative Helios is currently approaching your room to initiate training.]
[From there, you will learn everything necessary regarding the NEXUS system.]
"Ah... I see," Amon said, nodding slowly. Then curiosity crept into his tone. "But why not you? You are the Dark NEXUS System, aren't you?"
[Affirmative.]
[However, the Dark NEXUS System functions only after the host fully understands standard NEXUS protocols.]
[Until then, the Dark NEXUS System remains in limited operational state.]
[Other than that, nothing else.]
"...Right. So basically, I have homework before I get the cool stuff."
No answer.
Before Amon could sulk again—
PFFF—
The sealed door slid open with a faint hiss. Helios stepped inside, calm and composed as always.
"Amon. Are you well?"
Amon blinked and straightened. "Yeah. Just a bit sore on some parts of my body, but fine nonetheless."
Helios nodded, satisfied. "Can you stand and walk?"
"I can try."
Amon swung his legs off the bed and pushed himself up. His knees wobbled, his body still sluggish from the strain of neural synchronization, but after a few shaky breaths, he managed to stand on his own.
"Follow," Helios ordered, his tone clipped yet not unkind.
Amon complied, though his pace lagged a bit. The difference between their strides made it look like a soldier escorting a toddler, but he kept up well enough.
They soon reached the Evanguade OHA Headquarters' armory—or more accurately, the technology division. The room hummed faintly with the energy of countless machines, lined with racks of modular equipment, data terminals, and glowing blue panels that responded to biometric access.
Helios turned toward him. "What's your NEXUS Type?"
"Eh?" Amon blinked. "Uh... how do I find that again?"
He scratched his head, suddenly worried that his system might not match the standard one. What if his Dark NEXUS interface didn't display the same data? Would that look suspicious?
Helios sighed faintly. "Just imagine you're opening a system window in your mind. It should appear. Look for the label beneath [Fame]. That's where your NEXUS Type is listed."
Relieved, Amon mentally summoned his interface. The familiar panel appeared instantly. "Ah—found it. It says... Hexacaust."
Helios raised an eyebrow, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Hexacaust, hmm? Let's see..."
He approached a long table and placed his palm on a sleek, black suitcase embedded with circuitry. The surface lit up at his touch. A large holographic interface materialized above it, visible to both of them. Helios typed in several commands with deft precision, his expression focused.
After a brief hum, the panel vanished. The suitcase folded into itself, reshaping into a smaller cube. Seconds later, it opened again with a faint hiss. Inside rested three hand-sized metallic spikes—intricately designed, sharp-edged yet polished, humming faintly with pale blue light.
"This," Helios said, lifting one of them, "is a training-grade Hexacaust NEXUS gear. Not combat-modified—strictly for training purposes."
Amon leaned closer, eyes gleaming. "Whoa..."
"You might be confused about what a Hexacaust is," Helios continued. "So let me explain."
With a snap of his fingers, the three spikes lifted into the air, floating effortlessly around him.
"There are three primary NEXUS types: Caustal, Hexacaust, and Oxtem. Each category carries distinct traits and advantages. You and I, for example, are Hexacaust users. Our strength lies in psionic control through telekinetic force."
The spikes rotated in the air, circling Amon in elegant motion.
"But what we lack," Helios added, "is held weaponized psionic output. We don't channel psionic control directly through tech held by us like Caustals or Oxtems do. Instead, we rely on control, precision, and synchronization."
Amon blinked. "Wait—what's a psionic control exactly?"
Helios chuckled softly at the question, as if he'd expected it. "Psionic control is the invisible link between your mind and your NEXUS. It's what allows you to command, perceive, and interact with your tech as though it were part of your own body."
He motioned with his hand. The floating spikes shifted formation, spiraling gracefully before tightening their orbit around his wrist.
"This, for instance, is psionic control in practice. It's difficult to explain logically—since it doesn't obey normal data exchange or biological feedback systems—but once a NEXUS is embedded into your neural cortex, your consciousness learns to interpret the control intuitively. You feel it more than you understand it."
Amon watched, mesmerized. The spikes responded to Helios's every gesture as if tethered by invisible strings.
"The stronger your psionic pulse, the more advanced your control becomes," Helios continued. "That's also why the implantation leaves you exhausted. The NEXUS feeds on both your physical and mental capacity to strengthen your psionic pulse."
He paused briefly, folding his arms. "Normally, it takes a week for the average recruit's mind and body to adapt. The chamber accelerated that process, but your system still needs refinement. Physically, you're not at full strength. Mentally, however, you're ready to begin."
Amon nodded slowly, trying to absorb everything. The more Helios explained, the more his fascination grew. The universe of Honor Till Death—which focused more on the ntr content the farther you progressed—was suddenly revealing its hidden layers. The science, the structure, the intricacy... it was brilliant.
He grinned faintly. Why didn't the game ever talk about this stuff? This lore is amazing!