Driven by the cold fear of his imminent death, Kaelen forged documents to gain access to the Archives' perimeter. His corrupt contact demanded a favor: retrieve a sample from a deep cavern—a death trap known to be the lair of a huge monster, the Gloomscale Terror. Kaelen agreed, viewing the mission as a necessary sacrifice for access.
Risk: Almost certain death. Action: Use calculation to defeat brute instinct.
The fight in the humid, dark cavern was a nightmare. The Gloomscale Terror was enormous; its thick scales shrugged off his feeble attack spells. Kaelen dodged, his exhausted muscles screaming, using his intellect only to predict the beast's clumsy movements.
He used his final burst of mana to try and blind the beast. But the thick Chaos Mana in the cave instantly skewed the spell, making it explode harmlessly on the ceiling.
The Gloomscale Terror roared and slammed its massive head into Kaelen's side.
Blinding pain consumed him. He heard the sickening snap of his ribs. His magic core screamed, on the brink of collapse. He crumpled to the floor, coughing blood. The beast was approaching. Prediction: Death is certain. Survival: zero.
No! Kaelen's mind, sharper than ever, raged against the inevitable. I refuse to be ruled by chance!
As the Terror lunged for the killing bite, an impossible event occurred. A massive, crystalline surge of pure, computational energy slammed into his awareness, bypassing his physical body entirely.
A voice—cold, calm, and utterly detached—spoke in the silence of his mind.
[ERROR. LIFE SIGNS: LOST. INTERVENTION INITIATED.]
[HOST BODY IS FAILING. AMBIENT CHAOS MAGIC IS CORRUPTING SYSTEM. URGENT ADAPTATION REQUIRED.]
[SOLUTION: IMMEDIATE COMA INDUCTION. CORE WILL BE MAINTAINED BY EXTERNAL PROCESSING FIELD.]
[WELCOME, KAELEN. I AM THE LEXICON OF ASCENT. THE CALCULATION STARTS NOW.]
The crystalline energy poured into Kaelen, forcing his body into a deep, immediate coma and sealing his most severe wounds. The Gloomscale Terror, sensing the sudden loss of life force, sniffed at the inert body, confused, and eventually retreated.
Kaelen Nox had just gained the ultimate power: absolute, perfect logic.