Thal, ???
For a country that was not into technology, they sure had some pretty advanced equipment, like the Scout car they were traveling in. Neil had been in plenty of military vehicles before and had even tested some of the latest ones available in Vanderholt, yet this one left him more than impressed. Just like everything built by Noctalis, it was an extraordinary vehicle.
The car was currently cloaked in darkness, and since it was daytime, it appeared as though a dark cloud was moving across the rolling plains. Although he felt uncomfortable from the pressure emanating from the car, the fear-inducing sensation, his father had taught him how to resist it.
The ride toward the city of Isak, two hours away, was surprisingly peaceful. The man he traveled with was very quiet, his eyes focused on the road. They were flying past the beautiful landscape, and Neil could only catch glimpses of Thal's beauty.
He was heading into battle with an enemy he did not know, in unfamiliar territory, equipped with experimental weapons and gear. He also had the Framework, but he did not even know how to summon it. He had tried for a whole week without success.
He still did not understand how it worked, so he had to rely on himself. After all, his equipment could fail him. Staring at the monitor inside the car, he noticed they were close to Isak. Marcellus turned to him.
"Let us see what you are made of, your lordship. Try not to die. It would be a hassle reporting it to the general."
Neil spared him a quick glance and looked away, returning his eyes to the monitor. He had nothing to say. Within two minutes, they arrived outside the city gates. Smoke was rising from the city, indicating that part of it was on fire. Neil had expected to hear screams of terror, but instead he was surprised to hear war cries.
"Let's go," Marcellus said.
Marcellus exited the car, followed by Neil. The towering city gates were wide open, but the smoke blocked their field of vision.
They wore matching gear, except for their weapons. Marcellus had short twin axes strapped to his utility belt. Neil pressed a button on the neck of his suit, and a mask materialized, covering the upper part of his face. The mask had a built-in system interface and AI, but the main reason he wore it was to filter the smoke. The suit used high-grade air filters, ensuring the mask would protect him.
Walking past the gates and entering the city, the smoke was thick. Thanks to the suit, which mapped out the general layout of the outskirts and a few heat signatures, Neil could navigate. The problem was that the Conspiracy had no heat signatures, so tracking them would not be easy in this area.
The temperature dropped sharply. For a moment, he thought he could see his breath visible in the air. The interface of the system built into his suit flickered. The walls seemed to stretch and bend, as though the world itself was holding its breath.
Then there was static.
[Signal Detected…]
[Framework Initialization Sequence — Override Access Granted]
[Calibrating Soul Resonance… 89% Integrity]
[Warning: External corruption detected in local spatial weave]
Today the voice was not entirely mechanical. It sounded like listening to your own thoughts through broken glass.
"Framework?" he whispered hesitantly.
[Framework active]
[Analyzing Stitchpoint proximity…]
[Alert]
[Detected — 67 corrupted entities within a 7.2-kilometer radius]
[Threat Grade: Aberrant-Class]
[Entities categorized as The Conspiracy]
[Casualties: 230]
[User: Neil Thorne]
[Designation: Path Identified — Reality Stitcher]
[Integrity: 50%] [Essence balance: Red 71% / Blue 29%]
[Thread Links: 12 Dormant]
Neil stared at the Framework interface stitched into his vision. He did not understand what the Framework was or how it worked. His focus remained on the essence balance, as he wanted to know what it meant. Of course, he already had a suspicion.
[Framework Directive:]
Survive the convergence.
Exterminate the external corruption detected within local reality.
He took a deep breath and calmed his mind. He did not realize that Marcellus had stopped advancing. The man was looking at him. Neil could not see his expression beneath the mask, but he could guess.
"If you cannot handle it, you can go back to the SC. I will take care of things here," Marcellus said, his tone oozing arrogance. Neil shook his head and walked past him. His eyes focused on the new words that appeared before him.
[Host Unlocked Abilities:
Threadsight (Basic):
Can glimpse faint silver-red lines between people, objects, ideas, and monsters when emotionally heightened. Causes headaches, nosebleeds.
Minor Stitch:
Temporarily binds simple concepts, such as sealing a bleeding wound or linking a flame to a touch. Duration: 10–30 seconds.
Thread Trace (Embryonic):
Can sense the faint presence of recent actions or emotions tied to a place or item.
Costs:
Each use drains Integrity (2–5%). Overuse distorts sight and sound; reality starts whispering to you.]
"Framework, how do I access Threadsight?" he asked, unsure if he would get an answer.
[Command recognized]
[User Query: "How do I access Threadsight?"]
The words echoed in his mind like ripples spreading through dark water. The world around Neil began to distort. Edges bent, and light bled into shadow. The smoke wavered, as if made of liquid glass.
[Directive acknowledged. Initiating baseline synchronization…]
The mechanical voice carried a faint poignancy, not quite mechanical, but alive. His heartbeat faltered for a moment, and then he felt it: something pulling at the back of his eyes, at the base of his skull.
[Warning: Cognitive strain may occur. Proceed?]
He hesitated only for a moment before whispering, "Proceed."
[Confirmed]
The distortion deepened. The air around him thickened like syrup, he could feel it vibrating with unseen frequencies. Every sound around him slowed, the beating of his heart and the faint hum of the world outside.
Then…
[Threadsight initializing…]
For a moment, the world had grown dark. There was nothing but darkness, Then faint lines, red, blue, and gold, appeared across his vision like cracks spreading through glass. Each line pulsed faintly, connecting people, objects, even the air itself. The longer he stared, the more they multiplied, forming a vast network of interwoven filaments that extended far beyond the walls.
He reached out instinctively, and the lines evaded his touch. The golden ones shimmered with warmth, connection, and what he could only explain as trust. The blue ones were brittle, sharp, representing truth perhaps. But the red threads pulsed irregularly, flickering like veins of corruption leading into the void beyond his sight.
[System Notice: 67 anomalous connections detected]
[Warning: Red-thread anomaly cluster approaching cognitive perimeter]
[Directive: Avoid prolonged focus on corrupted threads until synchronization reaches Tier-2 stability]
Neil blinked rapidly. His breathing grew ragged. He could feel the threads tugging at his consciousness, whispering faintly. Some pleaded. Some wept.
He gritted his teeth. "Framework, what are the red threads?"
He asked, hoping the Framework would cooperate just like it had been doing. And to his surprise it did.
[Classification: Corrupted Nodes of *****.
Origin— ****. Classification Level: Abberant.]
"Can I interact with them?"
[Negative.]
"Can I interact with them?"
[Negative]
[Access denied. Thread Manipulation Protocol locked until Tier-3 Awakening]
The lights flickered once, and then the threads vanished, leaving Neil gasping in silence.
[Threadsight disengaged]
[Warning: User cognitive load exceeds 72%. Rest recommended]
He stumbled forward, clutching his head. The afterimage of burning red filaments was still carved into his mind.
"Seventy… two percent," he muttered under his breath, forcing a bitter laugh. "Feels worse."
The Framework's voice came again, softer this time, almost human.
[Do not gaze too long into the unknown for it will gaze back, Neil Thorne]
The sentence made him shudder slightly, but the next one scared him.
[They have noticed your presence]
"Have you gone mad from fear?" Marcellus asked, regarding him with a scowl. "I suggest you go back to the SC, kid."
Neil shook his head and tried to stand up straight. "And let you have all the fun? I don't think so. Let us separate. There are roughly twenty-five monsters that way."
Neil pointed west, toward the town's market square. Marcellus raised a brow.
"And how can you be so sure? The AI built into the suit fails to recognize The Conspiracy."
Neil smiled behind his mask. He shrugged and began walking in the opposite direction.
"Do not forget I am a descendant of war."
Marcellus stood watching Neil disappear into the smoke, scrutinizing him as if trying to pierce the depths of his soul. Yet failing at the hopeless endeavor
"Inquisitor Drake, what's your status?" a voice came from his suit, bringing him out of his thoughts.
It was Noctalis's voice. Marcellus responded, "Code 2. The boy suggested we split up. How do I proceed?"
For a moment, there was no reply, and then an unsettling laughter broke out.
"Ah, that boy. Do not fret. I had prepared a contingency in case he would do something like that."