Inside the vibrant, data-rich matrix of Ash's consciousness, Herja moved. This was her domain: a sprawling, intricate network of glowing lines and geometric constructs, a digital landscape rendered in the stark, luminous style of a Tron universe. Information flowed like liquid light, commands materialized as crystalline structures, and data archives pulsed with contained knowledge.
Her current focus was a holographic schema floating before her—the complete blueprints for the Xun'dral Unit, freshly siphoned from CENO's mainframe. The diagram rotated slowly, emitting soft, blue light, its inner workings laid bare. "CENO's research on the Xun'dral Unit is… primitive," Herja mused, her voice a resonant echo in this digital space. "They perceive only the surface."
She zoomed in on the schematics, highlighting the three known components CENO had identified:
Three Triangular 'Bio-Steel' Clamps: metamorphic, segmented plates that formed the exterior. CENO noted their ability to melt and reform, morphing around the wearer.
Bio-Steel Musculature: 'Red Cords': A dense network of fiber-optic-like tendrils visible beneath the clamps, providing immense strength and speed.
The Silver Orb. Herja mused to herself, CENOS Scientists had no solid understanding of the orb, and everything Herja read was only speculation at best.
"They are correct in their observations," Herja's avatar—a swirling, ethereal form of light—gestured at the components. "But they fail to understand the true importance of the silver orb, and its symbiotic nature."
Herja then initiated a cross-referencing protocol. The Library of the Ancients—a colossal, crystalline structure of data deep within Aegis 7 cyberspace, pulsed to life. Streams of emerald light, representing millennia of lost biotech and genetic knowledge, flowed from its spires and wrapped around the Xun'dral schematics. As the data merged, the Xun'dral blueprint began to shift, revealing hidden layers, unseen connections, and the true, complex process of its creation.
"Eureka!" Herja declared, her tone alight with discovery. She projected the complete, fully understood schematic:
The Element-X Core: "A proper Xun'dral Unit requires an unprogrammed Element-X core—one that actively resonates with the wearer's bio-wave signature, adapting to their unique Orgone frequency." CENO failed to understand this about the units. The ''Silver Orb'' was a living, adaptive matrix. It was a semi-sentient life form that created a direct, symbiotic link with the wearer's nervous system. That adapted in response to psychic intent, through 'resonance' with the wearer. It was this ''Silver Orb'' that guided the entire transformation process.
"The triangular bio-steel clamps and red musculature were all meta morphed by the ''Xun'dral core'' into a living adaptive matrix that grew in response to the Element-X's resonance with the wearer. The clamps were not just for restraint; they were meta morphed by the Xun'Dral orb into self-repairing dermal plating. A direct, symbiotic link with the wearer's nervous system."
"This explains Mothman's instantaneous activation," Herja concluded, watching a data stream detailing Mothman's sudden empowerment. "The suit chose him."
She gazed out at the glowing digital architecture of her inner world, her plan crystallizing. "Ash, we don't just have power now. We have the factory and the blueprints."
Just than Herja heard Ash call on her, "Herja, your quite again. What have you uncovered. "The truth of the Xun'dral units is darker then we thought, Ash," Herja stated, her voice returning to its chilling analytical tone. "The Xun'dral Unit is essentially a dormant, genetically modified Silver Blooded Phage Symbiote. The host—Mothman—is effectively wearing a highly advanced, malleable form of what we now are."
"This simplifies the manufacturing," Herja continued, her digital avatar glowing with cold efficiency. "We don't need delicate crystals. We need to grow the Symbiote using the Element-X as rapid-growth nutrient and then bond them to a host."
She gazed out at the available resources. "We have the nutrient. We have the Forge, which is built to handle bio-steel. We can begin Symbiote Cultivation immediately. The first step is to allocate the Element-X for the Growth Chambers."
I heard what Herja had to say, the full, chilling revelation of the Silver Blooded Phage Symbiote settling deep within my core. The potential—the sheer, terrifying power of instantly creating an army of armored, living weapons—was staggering. I was hesitant to suddenly start mass-producing a Xun'dral bonded army of humans. But the knowledge itself was a supreme victory.
"No, no," I muttered, shaking my head. I was getting ahead of myself again, and I needed to be prudent. I had already behaved rashly with the creation of Sex Pistol and the arena declaration. My classification as a Caster Type meant strategy and preparation, not reckless deployment. Besides. CENO did say they had that cryo laser, I might as well give them a crack at it right? Who knows the damn thing may even work. And if they failed...I still had the Sex Pistol to use.
I accessed my inner system Interface, focusing on the critical data points that defined my power and potential. The chaotic energy of the raid had masked some key information, but with the immediate crisis over, the full picture was now clear.
Stat Value Analysis:
Affinity: Caster Support Type.
"This Confirms my reliance on Orgone and psychic control." I thought to myself.
Level 5 [Exp Bar: 1246/1300] My mind raced, I was close to leveling up!
Health Points: 5,700 "To Low for direct combat."
Orgone 10,800. "I have an exceptional orgone pool for Caster skills."
Strength:8 "Hmm low physical power. Typical for a Caster."
Agility:18 However, I had high speed for flanking and evasion.
Intelligence :14 "Strong tactical aptitude."
Stamina: 9 "Low endurance."
Attack Speed:135 I had medium attack speed.
Defense:120 "Low protection." I was also a glass Canon.
Accuracy :250 Excellent base for psychic caster attacks, and support.
Resistance:90 Low resistance to enemy debuffs and psychic attacks.
Estimated Battle Power: 26,000 Solid for my level and class.
My focus immediately locked onto the interaction between my Accuracy and a target's Resistance.
The memory of the butterfly girl's initial resistance to my Dahkra rod flared to life, and stung my pride and ego. I realized the direct combat implications of my accuracy stat. "If a Target's Resistance is higher than my Accuracy stat, I won't be able to 'sample' them with the Dahkra Rod."
Thankfully I was freakishly gifted in this one area with an outstandingly high Accuracy of 250. But more accuracy would be absolutely necessary to overcome the resistance stat of higher-level genome beast. Like the butterfly girl. She must have had a resistance level of at least 250, to be able to resist the rod like that. If I faced a target with a resistance greater than 250, my attempts to siphon their essence would fail or be severely hampered. Another problem was my own low Resistance of 90, this made me highly vulnerable to enemy psychic attacks and debuffs, like pixie girls Wing Dust.
My eyes then drifted to a new, critical element in my system menu, the ''action point pool"
AP 5.
I facepalmed myself, a sound muffled by my armor. "How did I miss this earlier?!?"
I had been so focused on Skill Points that I had overlooked the most fundamental method of immediate power increase. The Action Points (AP) were the currency I needed to directly upgrade my core attributes. I could now immediately invest these 5 AP to shore up my weaknesses, like Defense or Resistance. Or I could amplify my strengths, like Orgone or Accuracy.
The ability to tailor my stats was a monumental realization, allowing me to bypass the slow grind of natural growth and perfect my build as a Caster Phage type.