Ash slammed against the rock binding his leg one last time.
Crack.
The stone split apart, shards tumbling to the ground as he pulled himself free.
Nearby, Kael pried a twisted metal beam off Max and hauled him down from the wreckage of the Apex ship. Max staggered, his suit in tatters, broken plating barely hanging onto him. His cracked visor exposed part of his face, but beneath it, his skin was untouched—pristine, unscathed, as if the battle hadn't marked him at all.
He exhaled, rolling his shoulder. "Not bad."
His eyes swept over the battlefield—charred bodies, shattered terrain, the air still warped from the lingering heat. The scent of scorched metal clung to everything.
A low whistle escaped him. "Damn. You really torched the place." His gaze drifted to the blackened corpses. A smirk tugged at his lips. "Didn't think you'd lose it like that. Not for me."
Kael scoffed, crossing his arms. "Lose it? Please. They were just in my way."
Ash strode toward them, dusting off his scorched jacket. He let out a short laugh. "Yeah? Then why did you look ready to chase down the Apex fleet when you thought he was actually dead?"
Kael's eyes snapped to him, sharp.
Ash grinned, looking off to the side like he hadn't said anything.
Kael clicked his tongue, shifting his attention back to Max. "Whatever. More importantly—how the hell are you still breathing?"
Max ran a hand over his torn suit, feeling the dents and scratches. "Beats me."
Then—
Bzzt.
Max's helmet crackled, the damaged A.I. struggling to form coherent words. Glitches warped its voice, turning it into a distorted mess of static and broken syllables.
"[—your... Vein… has... been filled w-with… u—nknown... energy—D-detecting… anomaly—New…change detected—]"
Max's brow furrowed. A faint sensation pulsed beneath his skin, unfamiliar but not unwelcome. "Wait… Are you saying my Vein evolved?"
"[A-affirmative… And—y-you... are not... the only one… All…three of you… have underg—gone… a t-tra-transformation…]"
Kael and Ash locked eyes.
Max flexed his fingers, the strange energy stirring inside him. It wasn't just power—it was something deeper, something woven into his very being. "So what changed?"
The A.I. stuttered. "[Your… b-b-body… exhibits… incre—ased durability… borderline... indestructible—b-but... pain… is still… registered… Th-the fiery… one—has e-experienced... Veinflow... amp—lification… And—the… youngest… exhibits… enhanced... kinetic output—s-s-significantly… i-increased speed—]"
Max's gaze shifted to Ash.
Ash clenched his fists, testing the strength in his arms. The energy hummed inside him, thrumming with potential. He felt… lighter, faster.
Before he could say a word—
"What the hell…"
Kael's voice cut through the air, sharp, unsettled.
Both turned.
Kael exhaled, rolling his shoulders like he was shaking something off. "I just got a message from the system."
Max's fingers twitched. "A message?"
Ash's gaze sharpened. "Yeah… I got something like that right before my ability awakened."
Kael's head snapped toward him. "Ability?"
Max's breath hitched. A dull pulse ran through his veins, the sensation strange—like something had latched onto his core and refused to let go. "Wait… I got the message too. Titan Vein."
Kael's jaw tightened. "So it wasn't just me."
Ash crossed his arms. "Do you have a new skill?"
Max shut his eyes for a moment, reaching inward. His heart thumped—steady, but different. There it was. Something cold and unyielding sat at the edge of his mind, waiting to be acknowledged.
He opened his eyes. "Endless Agony."
Kael and Ash exchanged looks.
Max flexed his fingers, pressing against the torn fabric of his suit. His body felt… whole. Not a single wound remained. Yet when he focused, a memory of pain flickered in his mind—every strike, every impact, every wound that should have torn him apart. It was all there, imprinted in his nerves.
His grip tightened. "I don't take damage anymore." A slow breath left his lips. "But I still feel everything."
Kael's lips curled. "Well, looks like you're our tank now."
Max shot him a glare. "Do I look like I enjoy getting torn apart?"
Kael shrugged. "Since you don't actually take damage, I don't see the issue."
Ash cut in, his gaze steady. "What about you? Did you get a new skill too?"
Kael closed his eyes, searching through his system. A slow hum built in his chest as he traced the change. His breath came out sharper when he found it. "Huh… My Vein shifted. It's Titan Vein now."
Max's brow twitched. "Same here."
Kael kept scrolling. Then, his grin widened. Heat coiled around him, flickering at the edges of his senses like a fire waiting to ignite. "Flare Ascension."
A spark ran up his arm, and his fingertips burned with newfound intensity. "Boosts all my fire moves to the limit." He clenched his fist, heat distorting the air around it. "No wonder my flames felt stronger. This is insane."
Max scoffed, crossing his arms. "Of course. You always get the best upgrades. Even Ash's speed got a huge jump—that's just unfair."
Kael shot him a smug look.
Ash exhaled, rolling his shoulders as a strange energy thrummed beneath his skin. He closed his eyes, reaching inward.
Then, a voice echoed in his mind.
[Vein system awakening…]
A pulse of energy surged through his body. Words burned into his vision, lines of text forming as if etched into his thoughts.
[Status]
Name: Ashley Burns
Vein: Titan [Hybrid]
Vein Energy: 22% (343/400)
Veinflow: [Initiated]
Vitalforce: [5th Tier]
Skills: [8]
Ash's brows furrowed. Everything looks the same… except for the Vein type.
His thoughts shifted, and the skill tab unfolded before him.
[Skills]
Fire:
[Cinderborn]
[Emberheart]
[Scorch Palm]
Lightning:
[Lightning Bane]
[Storm Vein]
[Static Surge]
Dark:
[Nightstalker's Sight]
Titan:
[Phantom's Stride]
His gaze locked onto the last skill. A name unfamiliar yet strangely fitting.
"Phantom's Stride," he muttered.
The moment his mind brushed against it, the system responded.
[Phantom's Stride]
Type: Active Skill
Category: Empowerment
Skill description:
A technique that severs the chains of time, allowing the user to move beyond mortal constraints. The world slows to a dreamlike pace, while the user's body moves with ghostly speed—untouchable, unseen. To those who witness it, the wielder becomes a flickering shadow, striking before their presence is even registered.
Burden:
To walk the path of phantoms is to tread upon fleeting embers. Each use draws upon an unseen thread of vitality—unraveling in ways imperceptible at first, yet inevitable in time. The body, though swift, does not escape the toll, for even shadows fade when stretched too thin.
Ash's frown deepened. 'What the hell does that mean?'
The words felt… old. More like a warning than a skill description. His gaze lingered on the word Burden, unease curling in his chest.
He shook the thought away and flicked back to Status—then froze.
His Vein Energy.
It had always been 300/300. Now the cap had risen to 400, and he already had 343.
His fingers twitched. 'That shouldn't be possible.'
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
Ash let out a slow breath. "Check your Vein Energy." His voice was steady, but his fingers curled slightly. "Mine changed. The cap increased from three hundred to four hundred."
Kael and Max exchanged a glance before closing their eyes.
Silence. Then—
Kael's laughter rang out, sharp and disbelieving. "This is insane! My cap doubled—a thousand to two thousand!"
Max exhaled, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips. "Almost looks like we gained an extra element… just like Ash's hybrid Vein."
Kael's grin faltered. A thought struck him, and his gaze snapped back to Ash. "Wait. If you're already at four hundred in Initiated Stage…" His voice trailed off.
Max's expression darkened. "Yeah. His energy growth is different. With multiple elements, his limit scales harder than ours. If he reaches Master Stage…" He hesitated, then exhaled. "His cap should be around four thousand."
Kael turned fully, staring at Ash like he was seeing him for the first time. "That's insane. But wouldn't it take forever to absorb that much energy? And your Dark element—how are you supposed to learn anything? We don't even have a teacher for it."
Max folded his arms. "He's right. Mom's the only Dark user I know, and she flat-out refuses to teach you."
Ash's gaze flickered. "There's more to this vein energy than you think."
Silence. The weight in his voice made them pause.
Max frowned. "What do you mean?"
Ash's jaw tightened. "My Vein Energy isn't just sitting at three hundred out of four hundred. It's three hundred forty-three." His voice dropped lower. "It grew. And I think I know how."
A pause.
Kael narrowed his eyes. "so how?"
Ash met their gazes, the words heavy as they left his lips.
"Your Titan Vein awakened after the fight. Mine… happened during it. And I noticed something. The Titan Vein grows by killing."
A sharp breath.
Max's body tensed. "What?!"
Kael's expression hardened, but his eyes searched Ash's face, waiting. "How can you be sure?"
Ash exhaled, his voice calm, but a strange edge lurked beneath. "Every time I killed an Apex Trooper… I got the same message. Vein Energy gained."
Max's hands curled into fists. He closed his eyes, reaching inward, trying to draw energy from the surroundings.
Nothing.
His eyes snapped open. "Kael… I think he's right. I don't feel anything in the air."
Kael shut his eyes, concentrating. Seconds passed. The same result.
His fists clenched. A slow breath, then a quiet murmur.
"So… we only grow by killing?"
Max's fists clenched. His breathing was steady, but tension rolled off him. "I don't want to kill just to get stronger."
Ash stared at the cracked ground beneath his feet, then let out a slow breath. "Sometimes, I wonder if this change is a blessing or a curse."
Kael scoffed, his jaw tight. "It's a curse. No question." His gaze lifted to the endless sky, frustration simmering in his voice. "How the hell am I supposed to surpass Dad if the only way to grow my Vein Energy is through killing?"
Max glanced between them, then smirked, a weak attempt at humor. "You? Surpass Dad? Come on. That's impossible. He's already at the Ascendant Stage—the only one at that level."
Kael's expression darkened, humor slipping away. "Yeah… and now, thanks to this curse, I never will. I'll get stronger as a Master, sure—but if the only way forward is killing?" He exhaled sharply. "That's insane."
Max crossed his arms. "We'll figure it out. I'll check the archives when we get back to the base. There has to be another way."
Kael barely heard him. His eyes had started scanning the ruins around them, his brows furrowing. Then—he froze.
"Wait… this place—"
Max followed his gaze, something shifting in his expression. "Yeah. Hard to believe, right?" His voice dropped, almost a whisper. "The blast reached all the way here. Just goes to show how terrifying Dad really is."
Ash turned, taking in the jagged remains of the battlefield. His pulse quickened. "If you recognize this place, then there's a way back, right?"
Both Kael and Ash turned to Max.
Max rubbed his temple, frustration clear in his eyes. "Yeah… but the explosion was massive. I don't know exactly where we landed. After the incident, villages were built on this land. The landscape isn't the same anymore."
Ash exhaled. Heat pulsed from the scorched earth beneath them. "Good. I'd rather not waste time roasting under this damn sun."
Max nodded. "If we find a village fast enough, we won't have to. This is the Dancing Fire Region—our base should be somewhere around here."
Kael scoffed. "Yeah, imagine if we landed in some far-off region. That would suck."
Max didn't respond. His gaze lingered on the endless wasteland stretching before them.
"We better move." His voice was quieter now, unreadable. "If we find a settlement, getting back will be much easier."
Ash exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Yeah. Let's go."
Max suddenly raised a hand, stopping them in their tracks. "Wait."
Ash and Kael turned to him.
Max's gaze swept across the wreckage. "There's a lot of scrap here. We should scavenge a bit."
Kael huffed, shaking his head. "You and your weird habits."
Ash glanced down at their tattered suits—ripped, barely holding together. Useless.
He sighed. "Fine. Might as well grab some new clothes while we're at it."
They split up, moving through the ruins, searching for anything useful.
Then, Max stopped.
A faint glow pulsed beneath a pile of twisted steel, barely noticeable amid the wreckage. His eyes narrowed. Stepping closer, he crouched, brushing away layers of dust and debris. Cold metal met his fingertips—a circular plate, smooth and unblemished despite the chaos around it.
He lifted it carefully. Lighter than it looked. The surface gleamed with intricate patterns, glowing softly with an eerie light.
Max's breath slowed. "A portal device?" The words barely left his lips.
He turned it over in his hands, the patterns shifting slightly in response to his touch. It wasn't just intact—it was functional. Advanced beyond anything he had seen before.
He muttered to himself, almost in awe. "The brains behind Apex must be seriously smart… maybe even smarter than me."
Kael scoffed. "That's not exactly a high bar."
Max's gaze flicked up, unimpressed. He let the jab slide, but his grip on the device tightened.
Whatever this was—it wasn't normal.
————
Two Days passed.
The wasteland stretched endlessly before them—scorched earth, jagged rock, and a sky that offered no mercy. The sun blazed high, unrelenting, searing their skin and draining what little strength they had left.
Max stumbled, then collapsed face-first into the dirt. A muffled groan escaped him.
"That's it… I'm done. Just leave me here to rot."
Ash stopped, glancing over his shoulder. His dark shirt clung to his skin, sleeves rolled up to reveal faint scars. The small bag slung across his chest jingled with scavenged Apex tech, parts clinking together.
Kael turned too, standing a few steps ahead. Dust clung to his gray vest, his boots scuffed from hours of trekking. Arms crossed, he stared down at Max, unimpressed.
"You're the one who insisted we carry all this junk. Now look at you." He smirked. "Slowing us down. This is your fault."
Max groaned, peeling himself off the ground. His loose brown shirt hung off his shoulders, damp with sweat. A strange device clung to his ear, thin wires running down his back, flickering occasionally with faint pulses of energy.
He wiped his brow. "You two are monsters. I was born with a Tier 2 Vitalforce, and you guys got Tier 5 and Tier 6. How is that fair?"
Kael rolled his eyes. "Maybe you traded your power for brains."
Max scowled. "And you traded your brain for that ridiculous firepower."
Kael's smirk vanished.
"You know," he said, voice flat, "I was trying to make you feel better. Now I regret it."
Max grinned. "So you do have a heart, after all."
Kael scoffed. "Shut up before I drop-kick you."
Ash chuckled, stretching his arms behind his head. "Man, if someone saw us now, they'd never believe we're the same people who tore through an Apex ship two days ago."
Kael snorted. "Yeah, look at us. One genius barely holding himself together, one guy hoarding junk, and one who thinks running fast makes him special."
Max pushed himself upright, grumbling. "If we don't find civilization soon, I swear I'm trading one of you for a horse."
Ash squinted at the horizon.
Then he stopped. His entire body stilled.
A distant shape broke the monotony of the wasteland. A settlement.
"…I think I see—"
The air shifted.
Pressure slammed against them, thick and suffocating. The ground trembled, sending a dull vibration through their feet. A low, guttural rumble rippled through the earth, deep enough to rattle their bones.
Kael's eyes darted around. "Huh? What the hell was that?"
Max's breath hitched. A memory clawed its way to the surface. His pulse quickened.
"Guys…" His voice barely broke above a whisper. "I think I know where we are."
Ash and Kael turned to him, tension thick between them.
Max swallowed hard. "We're in the Valley of the Sand Worms."
Their voices overlapped in alarm. "What?!"
The ground beneath them lurched. A fissure cracked open nearby, sand spilling into the depths. Another tremor rolled through the wasteland, the noise growing—a deep, alien growl vibrating through the air.
Then, silence.
Max didn't wait. He turned on his heel and sprinted.
"Run. Now!"
Kael's gaze darkened. "Where the hell do you think you're going?! You'll lead those things straight to them!"
Max didn't stop. His breaths came ragged, but his feet never slowed. "That place is still standing. That means someone strong is in there!"
Kael cursed under his breath. He hated that Max had a point. He turned sharply to Ash.
"Run, you idiot!"
Ash didn't move.
Something in the distance held his gaze. A weight settled in his gut, cold and heavy.
Then—movement.
The sand shifted. Waves rippled across the dunes, something massive stirring beneath the surface. And then they emerged.
A sea of writhing, serpentine bodies surged forward, slithering just beneath the sand, their forms cutting through the earth like sharks in water. They dove, resurfaced, then vanished again—hunting, stalking.
Then they rose.
Jagged, armor-plated behemoths erupted from the ground, their stone-like bodies grinding together with a terrible, grating sound. Sand poured from the cracks in their segmented exoskeletons, a dry whisper against the air. Their mouths gaped open, spirals of obsidian teeth gleaming in the harsh light. A guttural hiss rumbled through their throats, low and deep, like a landslide about to break loose.
They weren't just hunting.
They were swarming.
Ash's pulse thundered in his ears. He snapped his head toward his brothers. Max and Kael were running, but the worms were faster. They weren't going to make it.
No choice.
The world slowed.
The roar of shifting sands faded into a distant hum. The creatures' movements stretched—every grain of sand suspended mid-air, every ripple of muscle under hardened plates frozen in sharp clarity.
Ash moved.
His fingers locked around Max's collar. His arm hooked around Kael's waist.
Then—time snapped back.
Wind screamed past his ears. The dunes blurred. The sand worms lunged—jaws wide, teeth spiraling inward.
Ash crossed the barrier.
The shift was instant.
His boots hit solid ground. The heat of the desert vanished, replaced by a strange stillness. Max and Kael stumbled beside him, gasping for breath.
But behind them—
The sand worms stopped.
A dozen monstrous heads loomed just beyond the settlement's boundary, their grotesque faces frozen in eerie stillness. Their massive, plated bodies twitched slightly, grains of sand spilling from the cracks in their armor.
But they didn't attack.
They just… watched.
Ash's fingers curled into fists. Something felt wrong. Their bodies tensed, coiled like springs, yet they didn't strike. Their hollow, pit-like eyes bore into him, unblinking.
Then, without warning, they twisted their massive forms and slid back beneath the dunes.
The tremors faded.
The desert fell silent.
Ash exhaled slowly, his chest rising and falling. His voice came low, edged with unease.
"…What the hell was that?"