Zaria’s eyes stayed fixed on Xyros, her brows furrowed in doubt. Her lips parted as if to voice another protest, but she caught herself, exhaling a long, sharp breath instead. Her gaze darted toward the glowing glyphs etched into the Guild walls, their alien shapes shifting as though alive under her scrutiny. “It still doesn’t explain how I can read these words,” she muttered, her voice tinged with both irritation and unease.

  Xyros raised a hand, the faint hum of technomantic energy sparking at his fingertips. “Hold still,” he said softly, the calm in his tone failing to mask the authority beneath it. The light danced along his fingers as he reached toward her.

  Zaria flinched slightly, but curiosity kept her rooted in place. Warmth bloomed at her brow the moment his fingers made contact, the tingling sensation spreading across her skin like a ripple in still water. Her breath hitched as a shimmering display materialized in front of her eyes, alien symbols flashing before her vision before melting into recognizable text.

  “What… what is this?” she stammered, her hand instinctively reaching toward the holographic projection as if touching it might solidify its existence.

  “Your Technomancy Console—or TNC for short,” Xyros replied, his fingers still hovering near her forehead as he adjusted unseen settings. “It’s accessing your ancestral memory. The glyphics you see? They’re being translated by the TNC into words your brain can process.”

  Zaria blinked, her mind reeling. “Ancestral memory? Are you telling me this—this translation is already inside me?”

  Xyros nodded, his tone matter-of-fact as his hands moved with precision. “The Ancients visited countless worlds across numerous galaxies, including yours. They left fragments of their language embedded in the genetic makeup of the species they encountered. A common thread, if you will, to foster communication when the time came for those species to meet.”

  Her eyes flicked back to the glowing text, now perfectly legible. “They… just left it behind? Like breadcrumbs?”

  “To teach and observe,” Xyros replied, his attention still focused on the air in front of her face, as if fine-tuning an invisible mechanism. “Some called them gods, but their intentions were simpler. They were guides, not rulers.”

  Zaria watched as the display shifted rapidly, lines of text and glyphs flowing across her vision with dizzying speed. “And this?” she asked, gesturing vaguely at the display. “This just… appeared because I connected to the System AI?”

  “Exactly,” Xyros confirmed, stepping back and letting the glow at his fingertips fade. “Once your user interface synced with the Arena’s system, it began providing essential information in a form you could comprehend. It’s a tool—a bridge between what was left behind and what you’re capable of understanding.”

  Zaria stared at the shifting display, her skepticism warring with a burgeoning awe. The weight of the explanation settled over her as she muttered under her breath, “A bridge, huh? Feels more like a leash.”

  Zaria’s lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes darting between Xyros and the glowing interface projected before her. The swirling glyphs shifted and pulsed, their movements almost hypnotic. For all her skepticism, she couldn’t deny the allure of the mysterious system unraveling before her. Her gaze flicked to Xyros, who stood with his usual air of unflappable authority.

  “You might think it’s overwhelming now,” he said, his voice smooth and steady, “but as your skills develop, you’ll find it indispensable.”

  Without waiting for a response, the TNC projection brightened, and new information streamed into view. Zaria’s eyes widened as colorful bars and stats materialized. Strength. Agility. Intelligence. Her gaze lingered on a peculiar field labeled Technomantic Potential (TNP), its digits faintly glowing with untapped potential. In the corner of her vision, a green Health Bar hovered, unwavering, while a pulsing Cooldown Bar shifted in rhythmic waves.

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  A quiet gasp slipped from her lips. “Whoa…” Her voice barely above a whisper, her fingers twitched instinctively as if to touch the glowing display. “This is… epic.”

  Xyros’ faint smirk betrayed his satisfaction. “You’re a TechNav now. This TNC will be your guide, tracking your health, skills, abilities, and much more. Learn to use it well—it may save your life.”

  Before Zaria could fully process his words, a faint hum traveled through her body. Her muscles tingled, and warmth spread across her skin as if some dormant energy had sparked to life. She shivered involuntarily, her senses sharpening, the air suddenly alive with every sound and shift.

  “Let’s begin,” Xyros said, his tone shifting to something more instructive. A small icon blinked into existence on the interface, labeled Energy Pulse. “This is your basic offensive ability. Focus on a target, channel the pulse, and let it go.”

  Zaria’s gaze locked on a jagged rock sitting a few feet away. The interface pulsed faintly, as if urging her forward. She raised her hand hesitantly, her fingers trembling with anticipation. “Like this?” she asked, her voice barely steady.

  “Focus,” Xyros instructed. “Feel the energy. Command it.”

  Taking a steadying breath, she narrowed her eyes and concentrated. A surge of heat coiled in her chest, traveling through her arm and pooling in her palm. She exhaled sharply, releasing the energy in a single motion. A glowing streak of blue light shot from her hand, the pulse cutting through the air with a soft hum before striking the rock. It exploded into a cloud of dust and debris.

  Zaria’s breath hitched, her hand trembling slightly as she stared at the shattered remains of the target. Dust swirled in the air, lit faintly by the pulsing glow that still lingered on her palm. Her heart hammered in her chest, each beat a drumroll of disbelief and exhilaration. She flexed her fingers, her skin tingling with a strange warmth. “Did I just… do that?” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Xyros leaned casually against a nearby stone, his arms crossed, watching her with a faint smirk. “You did,” he confirmed, his tone smooth and slightly smug. “Not bad for your first attempt, especially since you are at Level 1. But don’t let it go to your head. Miss your mark, and it could just as easily cost you.”

  Zaria barely heard him. Her gaze locked on her hand. The faint glow flickered like a heartbeat before fading, leaving her skin tingling. The weight of what had just happened crashed over her, and a grin tugged at her lips despite herself. “This is… unreal,” she breathed, her words breaking into a laugh, half disbelieving, half euphoric.

  She turned toward Xyros, her wide eyes gleaming. “Did you see that? I mean, you did see it, obviously, but I—I made that happen. I felt it, like something building inside me, and then… bam!” She mimicked the motion, her voice rising with excitement.

  Xyros’s amused expression softened slightly, a glimmer of pride in his glowing eyes. “And that, Zaria, is only the beginning. With time and practice, your Energy Pulse will grow—stronger, more precise. Eventually, you won’t even need to move your hand. A single thought, and the energy will bend to your will.”

  Zaria’s excitement froze, replaced with a stunned silence as she processed his words. “You mean,” she began, her voice shaking with a mixture of awe and disbelief, “I’ll just… think it, and it’ll happen?”

  Xyros nodded, his calm demeanor steady against the whirlwind of her reaction. “Exactly.”

  Her mind reeled, and she turned back to the fragments of her target. Her fingers brushed the edges of the pulverized debris, her touch delicate, as if confirming it was real. This wasn’t some theoretical hypothesis or a simulation. She had done this—her own strength, her own will.

  A bubbling laugh escaped her throat, bright and unexpected. “This is insane,” she said, shaking her head. “I’ve mapped stars, discovered uncharted systems, and decoded signals light-years away, but this…” She held up her hand, her fingers trembling with the memory of the energy. “This is something else entirely.”

  Xyros’s voice cut through her thoughts, steady but firm. “It is something, yes. But remember, Zaria, power without control is just chaos waiting to happen. You’ve taken your first step. Now, let’s see if you can keep moving forward.”

  Her excitement flared into determination, her grin widening. For the first time since entering the Nexus Trials, she felt more than survival instincts—she felt power, possibility, and something she hadn’t expected: hope.

  He inclined his head slightly, his smirk returning. “With effort, skill, and time. But first, you need to stop gawking and practice.”