Klaus, the self-proclaimed true heir, stood before Archelius, his Level 75, Rank C power radiating chaos and hostility. The proximity of a rival System Host was unprecedented and immediately triggered a surge of instability in Archelius's own System interface.
[Threat Detected: Klaus (Level 75, Rank C). Anti-System Tactics: Active. Warning: Core Power Instability.]
"You are a Level 75 anomaly," Archelius stated, activating his Anti-Energy Shielding (Rank C). "You are an unstable amalgamation, not a System Host."
"An anomaly that will erase your perfect little hierarchy!" Klaus roared, charging with blinding speed. His serrated blade, crackling with uncontrolled purple energy, aimed directly for Archelius's throat.
"Vanguard! Protect the Support! Do not engage the Host!" Archelius commanded, knowing his subordinates couldn't survive a single blast from a Level 75 Rank C entity.
Archelius met the charge, utilizing his maximum Sprint Burst and the newly acquired Anti-Energy Shielding. He blocked the blade with the War God's Edge.
CLANG! BZZZT!
The impact was immense, forcing Archelius back. The unstable energy from Klaus's blade bypassed a portion of the War God's Vestment mitigation.
[Health: 70/100. Core Power: 90/100 (Slight Instability).]
"Your defenses are inadequate, Core Zero!" Klaus crowed, pressing the attack with a flurry of chaotic, powerful strikes. "Your System is a chain! My power is freedom!"
Klaus unleashed a wave of raw, unstable energy a Chaotic Force Field aimed at overwhelming Archelius.
Archelius countered by channeling the full power of his Anti-Energy Shielding. The shield absorbed 50% of the blast, turning the purple energy gray as it was neutralized.
"Your chaos is predictable," Archelius countered, using the momentum from the blast to propel himself back into offensive range.
He executed a powerful War God's Fist (Rank C), the 10x multiplier aimed at Klaus's less-armored shoulder.
CRACK!
The force of the pure System punch was devastating, shattering Klaus's makeshift Rank C plating and sending him staggering.
[Klaus (Level 75) Health: 85%.]
The Tactical Retreat
Klaus was powerful, but reckless. Archelius was powerful, but still Level 24 and facing a severe level gap. A prolonged fight would be disastrous due to the constant drain and the mental instability caused by the Anti-Host.
"Raji! The grapple!" Archelius commanded.
Raji, observing the fight from a safe distance, instantly fired her Psionic Grapple Gauntlet (Rank E) into the highest, most stable point of a nearby spire.
"Warp!" Archelius yelled, grabbing Raji's extended arm.
Raji yanked hard on the grapple wire, pulling Archelius away from the immediate confrontation zone just as Klaus recovered and unleashed a massive, chaotic energy wave.
Archelius triggered the Warp Function (Minor), spending 50 Core Power.
FLASH!
The five of them warped instantly, reappearing 400 meters away, back at the ruins of the collapsed tower where they had found the cores.
"He's unstable and aggressive, but predictable," Archelius observed, checking the Map Function. Klaus's Level 75 signature was already tracking them. "He will chase."
"We need a place to neutralize his chaotic energy, War God," Bethany suggested, her Focus Lock reading Klaus's signature. "The Citadel nexus might stabilize his anti-System field."
"Correct. We utilize the Citadel," Archelius decided. "But we need a massive Dominance Kill to jump my Level. He is Level 75; a victory will close the gap significantly."
Ambush at the Nexus
Archelius knew he couldn't fight Klaus in the sterile environment of the Citadel nexus it was too exposed. He needed an ambush point.
He quickly warped the squad into a seldom-used service tunnel deep within the Citadel, leading into the main chamber.
"Klaus will assume I'm waiting in the center," Archelius explained, checking his gear. "He's too arrogant to think I'd wait in a cramped tunnel."
Archelius gave his final, critical instructions: "Raji, you are the bait. You will activate your Sprint Burst and race past the tunnel entrance, drawing his attention inward. Theodore, you will brace the tunnel mouth with the Silver Bone Axe. Lisa, Bethany, maximize your Focus Lock and aim every piece of debris you can find at his exposed head once he's trapped."
Archelius activated the full power of his War God's Edge (Rank C) and the System Overload ability.
[System Overload: Ready. Cost: 100 CP.]
He would use the small confines of the tunnel to negate Klaus's movement advantage and the Anti-System Field, then annihilate him with a single, maximal strike.
Klaus, arrogant and consumed by the chase, warped directly into the Citadel nexus.
"Show yourself, coward!" Klaus's distorted voice echoed through the chamber. "The War God is weak! I am the true power!"
Raji executed the bait maneuver perfectly. She sprinted past the service tunnel entrance, drawing Klaus's immediate attention.
"There you are, little rat!" Klaus roared, charging the cramped, dark tunnel.
The Annihilation of the Anti-Host
He slammed into the tunnel mouth, his chaotic energy field instantly suppressed by the tunnel's natural stability and the sheer presence of the War God nexus energy.
Theodore, bracing himself with the massive Silver Bone Axe (Rank D), met the charge, absorbing the initial shock with his full Iron Skin (Rank E).
CRACK!
Theodore staggered, but held the line, buying the critical one second needed.
Lisa and Bethany unleashed a volley of rocks and debris, concentrating fire on Klaus's face, disrupting his unstable Focus Lock.
"Pathetic!" Klaus screamed, swatting away the debris, but the brief disorientation was fatal.
Archelius burst from the darkness, the War God's Edge blazing with a terrifying, absolute silver light.
"You are an unstable variable, Klaus," Archelius stated, aiming the blade directly at Klaus's core. "The War God rejects chaotic factors."
He unleashed the System Overload (Rank C).
FUSION-IMPACT!
The full 100 units of Core Power, compressed into a single, devastating blast of pure System energy, annihilated Klaus instantly. There was no residue, no screaming; Klaus simply ceased to exist, his unstable being utterly purified and erased by the absolute power of the fully-channeled Rank C System.
[Klaus (Level 75, Anti-Host) Defeated. Dominance Kill Achieved!]
[XP Gained: 7500. Total XP: 45410/102400.]
[Core Power: 0/100. Critical Need for Recovery.]
The annihilation was complete. Archelius collapsed, utterly spent, but victorious. He had eliminated the most immediate, personal threat and gained massive XP.
The Path to the Technocracy
Archelius pushed himself up as the students rushed to his side.
"We recover," Archelius ordered, his voice weak. "Bethany, Lisa, initiate recovery protocols. Theodore, Raji, secure the citadel."
The immediate threat was gone, and the path to the Northern Continent was clear. He had secured the Anti-Energy Shielding and eliminated the chaotic Anti-Host.
Archelius opened his System stats. He was still Level 30, but the XP was substantial.
[User: Archelius]
[Level: 30 (XP: 45410/102400)]
The Rank B Ascension required Level 50 and a Level 200 kill. The gap was immense, but the resources were now available.
"We go North," Archelius announced after a brief rest. "The Technocracy is Level 150. That is the next step to bridging the gap. We need the XP, and we need to practice the Anti-Energy Shielding before we face the Leviathan God."
He checked the Map Function. The Northern Continent, radiating cold, crystalline blue light, was ready.
"Prepare for extreme cold, high-volume energy attacks, and precision warfare," Archelius commanded. "The era of brute force ends here. We are entering the age of the machine."