Dimension returns to the Great Void in 327 hours

  Zaria trudged forward, her TNC map flickering faintly with the next waypoint. The glowing icon pulsed softly, mocking her with its certainty while the world around her shifted unpredictably. Unlike yesterday’s relative calm, the weather had decided to stage an all-out mutiny. Light rain pattered against her face, cold enough to send a shiver down her spine but not enough to soak her completely—yet.

  “Great,” she muttered, flicking a droplet off the tip of her nose. “It’s like this place has a weather setting stuck on ‘mildly annoying.’”

  The terrain beneath her boots oscillated with maddening inconsistency. One moment she was slogging through patches of squishy moss that clung to her soles like sticky glue; the next, her foot would clank against a hard metallic panel sparking faintly with energy. The abrupt shifts made every step an adventure in balance—or, more accurately, a near face-plant.

  “Seriously? Can’t we pick one? Organic jungle or mechanical scrapyard—just make up your mind!” she barked at the ground, as if it might answer her complaints. A thorny vine snagged at her boot, and she kicked it free with a growl. “Oh, of course! Add some grabby vines to the mix. Why not?”

  The faint glow of bioluminescent fungi scattered across the terrain offered an otherworldly beauty, but Zaria wasn’t in the mood to appreciate it. Instead, she squinted up at the sky, now darkening with heavy storm clouds. The drizzle shifted into something more aggressive—fat, cold drops pelting her face like tiny icy missiles.

  “Perfect! Just perfect!” she yelled into the rain, throwing her arms wide in exaggerated frustration. “Why don’t we throw in some hail while we’re at it? Maybe a tornado or two?”

  She stomped onward, her hair plastered to her forehead and water dripping from the edges of her coat. The glowing fungi and tangled vines seemed to mock her misery, their faint luminescence unbothered by the weather.

  “Fantastic,” she muttered through gritted teeth, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’m on a scavenger hunt in the galaxy’s most sadistic theme park, and the prize is probably another cryptic reward I can’t even use yet.”

  The rain intensified, now pouring in earnest. Streams of water rushed down uneven patches of terrain, pooling in the metallic crevices and turning the moss into a slick, muddy trap. Her boots squelched with each step, a sound she was convinced would haunt her dreams forever.

  “Oh, don’t mind me!” she shouted to the alien landscape. “Just a lone scientist wandering through this nightmare obstacle course! No dry socks, no hot coffee—just me and my slowly dissolving sanity!”

  She slipped slightly on a muddy patch, catching herself on a vine that squirmed unnervingly under her grip. “Oh, ew, ew, ew! You’re alive?! Of course, you’re alive!”

  Pushing herself forward, Zaria scowled at the persistent glow of her TNC map. “You’d better be worth it,” she muttered to the sphere, wherever it was. “If this thing turns out to be another glorified glow stick, I’m going to lose it.”

  Despite her complaints, a spark of determination flared beneath her grumbling exterior. Each miserable step forward brought her closer to the sphere, closer to mastering the Nexus Arena. And if that meant wading through endless rain, slippery vines, and a terrain that couldn’t decide what it wanted to be, then so be it.

  But as another vine wrapped around her ankle, causing her to stumble again, she let out a weary sigh. “I swear, the first thing I do when I get out of here is invent a weatherproof lab coat.”

  The hum of technomantic energy surged like an oncoming storm, and Zaria froze mid-step. The air grew taut, buzzing with a tension that made her skin crawl. As she rounded a heap of twisted wreckage, the screech of Scraplings shattered the uneasy silence. Her pulse quickened.

  “Of course. Can’t just enjoy a walk in the rain,” she muttered, spinning on her heel.

  The first Scrapling lunged at her, its jagged limbs slicing through the air like jagged knives. Without hesitation, Zaria raised her hand. The Energy Pulse flared to life, sparking from her palm with a satisfying crackle. A burst of blue light shot out, colliding with the creature mid-air. It exploded in a spectacular shower of gears and sparks.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  “Bang!” she whispered with a smirk, the thrill of the fight cutting through her earlier frustration. It was almost scary how natural this had become. She barely needed to aim anymore—just a look, a thought, and the energy obeyed.

  But there was no time to revel in her newfound skill. More Scraplings emerged from the shadows, their glowing red eyes locking onto her like predators scenting prey.

  “Oh, come on!” Zaria groaned, sidestepping as two of them charged her simultaneously. The metallic clink of their limbs scraping against each other sent a shiver down her spine. She ducked, rolling to the side as they collided in a tangled heap.

  “I’m not your junkyard gymnasium!” she barked, firing another pulse. The shot clipped one Scrapling, sending it skittering sideways before it crumpled into a heap. The second lunged at her, its claws outstretched.

  Her instincts kicked in, and she activated her Tech Shield just as it reached her. The translucent barrier flared to life, absorbing the impact with a sharp thud. The Scrapling recoiled, momentarily stunned, and Zaria didn’t hesitate. Another Energy Pulse erupted from her hand, striking the creature’s core. It detonated in a flash of light, scattering debris across the wet ground.

  “That’s two,” she muttered, her breath coming in short bursts as she scanned the wreckage for movement. Her muscles were taut, her senses sharp. The rain pattered against her shield, distorting the glowing blue edges as she caught sight of the last Scrapling.

  The creature stood its ground, its limbs twitching erratically. It let out a sharp, grating cry before rushing her in a suicide charge.

  “Oh no, you don’t!” Zaria snarled, lowering her stance. With a flick of her wrist, she redirected her Energy Pulse to the ground in front of the creature. The force sent shards of debris flying upward, catching the Scrapling mid-charge. It staggered, its glowing core exposed just long enough for Zaria to aim another shot.

  The final blast struck true, and the Scrapling disintegrated in a dazzling eruption of sparks and smoke. Zaria straightened, her chest heaving as she wiped rain from her face.

  “Anyone else?” she called into the now-silent terrain, her voice echoing off the wreckage. She lowered her hand, the faint hum of her TNC fading back to a dull background noise.

  A notification flickered across her vision, the bright text hovering in the air before her eyes:

  “Achievement Unlocked: Scrap Slayer – +10 Problem Solving, +5 Endurance.”

  Zaria let out a breathless laugh, hands on her hips as she surveyed the aftermath. “Scrap Slayer, huh? Has a nice ring to it. Maybe I’ll get business cards.”

  Zaria straightened, hands on her knees as she panted. “Woohoo,” she wheezed. “Look at me, leveling up like a pro.” Her sarcasm was only slightly undercut by the satisfaction of surviving another fight.

  Her gaze dropped to the ground, catching the faint glimmer of shards scattered amidst the Scrapling debris. She crouched, picking up one of the tiny pieces between her fingers. It glinted with an iridescent shimmer, colors shifting in the dim light. She turned it over, squinting. “Pretty… but what am I supposed to do with these? Bedazzle my Tech Shield?”

  Her TNC hummed to life, answering her rhetorical question with a sudden notification:

  Void Shards

  Congratulations! You’ve collected Void Shards, the currency of the Nexus Arena. They can be used to purchase gear, upgrades, or pay for services such as healing, data recovery, or even… bribery.

  Zaria snorted, the corner of her mouth tugging into a grin. “Bribery? Well, thank the cosmic overlords for keeping capitalism alive and kicking in their murder playground. Who needs morality when you’ve got shiny rocks?”

  Before she could revel too much in her newfound wealth, the System AI chimed in, its tone dripping with mockery. “Void Shards are only valuable within the Arena. Outside, they’re just shiny souvenirs. Spend wisely, TechNav!”

  Her eyebrow twitched, and she shot a glare at the empty sky. “Noted, oh wise and benevolent overlord of sarcasm. Maybe I’ll use them to buy myself a sense of direction or—better yet—an exit strategy.” She pocketed the shards, glancing around the wreckage. “But seriously, if these things can buy me coffee, I’m stocking up.”

  The shimmering shards in her pouch clinked faintly as she stood, brushing off her coat. She threw one last look at the wreckage, her smirk returning. “Void Shards: the official currency of getting my butt out of here alive. Let’s see what they’re worth.”

  With a flick of her wrist, she dismissed the notification and stepped forward, the promise of gear upgrades and a little hope tucked into her pocket.

  The notification disappeared, replaced by another: “Sphere Proximity: 10 Meters.”

  “Finally.” Zaria adjusted her coat, her snarky grin returning as she strode forward. “Now let’s see what other delightful surprises this stupid game has in store.”

  Another crack of thunder rolled through the sky, prompting her to glance upward. Another storm threatened to break, but for now, only the rumble echoed around her, like some ominous countdown.

  "Alright, alright, I’m moving," she muttered, stepping forward just as the terrain shifted again. Metallic grass-like growths gave way to tall, alien trees with bioluminescent leaves that pulsed in hues of blue and purple. It was like stepping into a technomantic forest, each tree connected by shimmering vines that arched above her, casting faint lights onto her path.