Zaria’s boots crunched over the uneven terrain as she quickened her pace, muttering under her breath. “Second sphere, here I come. Just another day surviving in a death maze. No big deal.”

  Her TNC map flickered reassuringly, but her focus on it and avoiding the trees of the forest nearly caused her to barrel headfirst into the hulking figure standing in the clearing ahead. She stopped so suddenly her balance wavered, her arms flailing to keep upright. “Oh great,” she whispered, eyes widening as recognition hit her.

  It was him—the Ruxkan warrior she’d seen on Luxor Vael’s ridiculous show, the one who’d had threaten him. Up close, he was even more intimidating. His scaled skin glistened with an oily sheen, his muscles rippling with a casual menace under the glow of the second sphere. His yellow eyes, with their slit pupils, locked onto her like a predator assessing prey.

  Zaria swallowed hard, plastering on a nervous smile that she hoped masked her rising panic. “Well, hello there, Mr. Muscles,” she said, her voice a touch higher than usual. “I don’t suppose you’re just here to sightsee?”

  The warrior tilted his head, his deep voice rolling out like thunder. “Greetings, fellow warrior.”

  Fellow warrior? Oh, that’s rich, she thought, trying not to laugh at the absurdity. Still, she extended her hand, unsure what else to do. “Uh, hi. Zaria Jenkins. Totally unarmed. Not a threat. Nice to meet you.”

  To her surprise, he reached out with what could only be described as a hand-claw hybrid, enveloping her hand in his much larger one. The handshake was firm, deliberate, and just awkward enough to feel like some kind of cultural exchange gone hilariously wrong.

  And then disaster struck.

  Her overstuffed lab coat betrayed her. Void Shards, bits of loot, and random trinkets spilled from her pockets, clattering onto the ground in a noisy avalanche of poor packing choices.

  “Oh, for crying out loud!” Zaria groaned, dropping to her knees to gather the scattered items. “Why not throw my dignity in while we’re at it?”

  The warrior’s head tilted as he watched her scramble, an unreadable expression on his reptilian face. “You appear… disorganized,” he rumbled, the faintest flicker of amusement in his tone.

  “Yeah, well, I’m just trying to keep things interesting,” she quipped, cheeks flushing. She reached for a particularly elusive Void Shard just as her TNC chimed to life.

  VoidSpace?!

  Never worry about overflowing pockets again! With VoidSpace?, you’ll have unlimited storage, right at your fingertips.

  The hologram shimmered, displaying neat rows of inventory slots with glowing labels, the virtual perfection of the Technomantic Wallet mocking her chaos.

  Then came the System AI, its tone dripping with enthusiasm:

  “Brought to you by our sponsor, The Space Storage Store—your ultimate storage solution.”

  Zaria froze mid-reach, staring at the ad in disbelief. “Seriously?” she muttered. “I’m elbow-deep in my own mess, and this is the moment you choose to sell me a storage plan?” She straightened, Void Shards in hand, and gave a pointed glare at the empty air as if the System AI could feel her judgment. “Capitalism, you unrelenting jerk.”

  The warrior let out a low rumble, which she realized belatedly was a laugh. “You are… amusing.”

  “Glad you’re entertained,” she grumbled, finally shoving the last of her belongings back into her pockets, only for another trinket to tumble loose. “Oh, for the love of—” She snapped it up quickly, tucking it away with an exaggerated care before glaring at the Ruxkan. “Not a word.”

  He inclined his head, the faintest trace of a smirk curling at his reptilian lips. “You are resourceful. That will serve you well.”

  She dusted herself off, trying to salvage what was left of her pride. “Resourceful, sure. Let’s go with that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m here for that sphere. You’re not planning to incinerate me, are you?”

  The warrior stepped aside with surprising grace, but instead of gesturing downward as Zaria expected, his clawed hand swept upward, toward the canopy of the towering, gnarled tree. Her eyes followed the motion, narrowing in confusion until they landed on the sphere—a faintly glowing orb, balanced precariously among a cluster of limbs high in the tree’s upper branches.

  “Seriously?” Zaria blurted, tilting her head to get a better view. The sphere pulsed softly, mocking her from its lofty perch like a smug cat on a ledge. She shot a look at the Ruxkan, who stood with his arms crossed, a flicker of amusement playing across his sharp features.

  “It is yours, fellow warrior,” he rumbled, his tone dripping with mock generosity. “For now.”

  Zaria pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering, “Of course. Why would it ever be easy? I bet the next sphere is on top of a mountain surrounded by lava sharks.”

  Zaria’s TNC pinged, a tiny icon flashing in the corner of her display. She tapped it cautiously, watching in fascination as her scattered loot shimmered and vanished into her newly unlocked VoidSpace? inventory. “Well, look at that. I’ve got a digital black hole for my junk,” she muttered, swiping through the interface with glee.

  Behind her, the Ruxkan stood, arms crossed, his scaled chest puffed out as he watched her with an amused smirk. The glow of the sphere reflected off his sharp teeth, making him look like a smug gargoyle come to life. “You fight adequately, human, but your reliance on external tools is amusing. Your pockets were as unprepared as your form.”

  Zaria scratched her head, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, thanks for the fashion critique, Project Runway.” Under her breath, she muttered, “Your momma.”

  She busied herself with her inventory, hoping the distraction would give her a moment to steady her nerves. Her grandmother’s advice surfaced in her mind: Never let them see you sweat. Right now, that advice was doing a full aerobics routine in her brain. She straightened her posture and threw him a side-eye glance. “So… uh, thanks for not, you know, smashing me into the ground earlier. What’s your name, anyway?”

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  The warrior chuckled, the sound low and gravelly, vibrating like distant thunder. “You don’t need to know the name of someone you could never hope to defeat.”

  “Okay, that’s… not terrifying at all,” she muttered to herself. Her grandmother’s voice came through loud and clear again, this time with extra steel: Stand tall, Zaria. You’re a Jenkins.

  She folded her arms and cocked an eyebrow. “Humor me. I can’t go around calling you ‘Big Scaly Guy Who Didn’t Squash Me.’ Doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.”

  His grin widened, his sharp teeth catching the sphere’s glow. “Thalorn Zorruk of the Ruxkan. Remember it, human. Perhaps you’ll live long enough for it to matter.”

  Zaria nodded, feigning nonchalance while her pulse hammered. “Dr. Zaria Jenkins. You know, in case you’re taking notes for your list of people not to crush.”

  Thalorn’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, his yellow eyes narrowing as if weighing her worth. Then, with an exaggerated sweep of his arm, he gestured toward the sphere. “Take it. These trials will test us all, and even I may need allies. If you prove yourself worthy.”

  She hesitated, her nerves still on edge. “Wow, generous and condescending. You’re the total package.”

  He rumbled a laugh, stepping aside with the grace of someone who knew they were unbeatable. “We’ll see if your wit serves you as well as your technomancy, Dr. Zaria Jenkins.”

  Zaria smirked back, masking her relief. “Oh, it will. My charm is legendary.”

  Thalorn’s deep chuckle reverberated through the clearing. “The Nexus Arena does not favor the weak,” he said, gesturing toward the tree with a faint smirk. “Perhaps it tests your climbing prowess.”

  “Oh, I’ll show you climbing prowess,” Zaria shot back, rolling her eyes. She approached the tree and placed a cautious hand on the bark. It was slick with rain, its ridges coated in a strange, glowing moss that made her fingers tingle. “Great. Wet, slimy, and probably full of bugs. Just my luck.”

  As she sized up her path, she muttered under her breath, “Why couldn’t it be a ground-level test? Or a ‘who-can-walk-in-a-straight-line’ test? No, it has to be a ‘let’s-make-the-scientist-scale-a-dang-tree’ test.”

  Thalorn leaned casually against a nearby boulder, clearly enjoying the show. “I would offer assistance,” he said with a lazy grin, “but where would the lesson be in that?”

  “Thanks, big guy,” Zaria replied dryly. “I feel so supported.”

  Gripping a low branch, she pulled herself up, the bark slick beneath her palms. The tree’s strange technomantic energy buzzed faintly under her touch, sending vibrations up her arms. “Oh, great,” she muttered as she scrambled onto the next limb. “It’s alive. Just what I needed. If you start talking, tree, I’m out.”

  She climbed higher, her foot slipping slightly on a mossy branch. “Whoa!” She clung to the trunk, heart pounding. “I’m fine. Totally fine. No big deal. Just testing the limits of gravity.”

  “Careful, human,” Thalorn called from below, his voice tinged with amusement. “You wouldn’t want to become a lesson for the next warrior.”

  Zaria threw a glare over her shoulder, gritting her teeth as she pulled herself up onto another branch. “You know, for a guy who talks about lessons, you sure aren’t teaching me anything useful.”

  Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she reached the limb where the sphere rested. It glowed softly, nestled in a natural cradle formed by the tree’s twisting branches. “Gotcha,” she breathed, carefully reaching for it. Her fingers brushed the surface, and the sphere pulsed warmly in response.

  “Victory!” Zaria yelled triumphantly, holding the glowing sphere aloft like she’d just won an intergalactic talent show. Her moment of glory, however, was short-lived. The branch beneath her gave a loud, ominous crack.

  “Oh, no. Nope. Nope nope nope!” she shouted as gravity claimed her with zero hesitation.

  The world blurred around her as she plummeted, clutching the sphere to her chest like it might magically soften the impact. Bracing for the inevitable, she squeezed her eyes shut and let out a shriek that would have made a holovid heroine proud as she encountered the intergalactic serial killer just as he was about to stab her twelve times.

  Instead of slamming into the ground, Zaria found herself caught mid-air, suspended by a pair of strong, clawed hands. She blinked, dazed, as Thalorn’s sharp-toothed smirk hovered inches from her face.

  “Do you feel supported now?” he asked, his gravelly voice dripping with smug amusement.

  Her jaw worked silently for a moment before she managed to stammer, “I—I hate you.”

  Thalorn let out a deep, rumbling laugh that resonated through his chest as he gently set her back on solid ground. Zaria stumbled slightly, still clutching the sphere, her cheeks burning as red as a nova.

  “I’ve got it handled,” she muttered, brushing imaginary dirt from her coat and avoiding his amused gaze.

  “Clearly,” Thalorn replied, folding his arms as he watched her with a glint of satisfaction in his yellow, slitted eyes.

  Zaria huffed, lifting the sphere in mock triumph. “Second sphere acquired! And hey—still alive. Barely. Thanks to me,” she added quickly, throwing a glare his way.

  “You’re welcome,” Thalorn said with a slight bow, his smirk widening. “Though next time, perhaps less shouting and more climbing.”

  “Oh, don’t worry, big guy,” she shot back. “Next time, I’ll aim to fall on you.”

  He laughed again, the sound deep and unshaken, as Zaria adjusted her gear and stomped off toward the next waypoint. Behind her, Thalorn called out as he walked away into the shadows and rain, “Until we meet again, Dr. Jenkins.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” she muttered, tossing a hand in the air as a dismissive wave. “Try not to miss me while I’m not falling out of trees!”

  Her TNC pinged, lighting up with a new notification:

  TNC Update:

  Second Sphere Acquired!

  “Congratulations, TechNav! Intelligence +10, +5 increase to Technomancy Potential (TNP). Caution: You are now visible to higher-level Arena inhabitants.”

  Her heart sank as she read the fine print. “Oh, come on. Why does everything here come with a catch?” She groaned.

  “Alright, still more to go. Let’s hope it doesn’t involve bungee jumping into a volcano.”

  Congratulations, TechNav! Sphere Two of Four Acquired.

  Remaining Time: 325 hours.

  She stowed the second sphere in VoidSpace with a swift gesture, satisfied by the faint shimmer as it disappeared into her inventory. “Two down, two to go,” she muttered, then glanced at the faint icon of the mysterious fifth sphere. “And you, my little enigma. Just sit tight. I’ll deal with you when I’m good and ready.”

  She squared her shoulders, her stride quickening as she focused on the pulsing waypoint ahead moving in the opposite direction than the one Thalorn took. The terrain began to shift again, the hard metallic panels fading into rolling, moss-covered hills that glistened faintly under the soft technomantic glow. The air carried a sharp tang, the mingling scents of wet soil and sizzling energy as the rain finally stopped.

  “Alright, Zaria,” she said, her voice steady despite the knot of nerves forming in her stomach. “Third sphere, here I come. And if I run into another lizard—or not lizard—I’m ready.”

  The fading sunlight painted the horizon with streaks of crimson and gold, and the soft hum of the Nexus Arena grew louder, as if anticipating her next move. Determined, Zaria pressed onward, the looming trials ahead both daunting and exhilarating in equal measure.