The air in the Olympus Tower Penthouse was thin, not from altitude, but from the sheer, cold potential of the Apex Core. Kellan Thorne, master of his city, felt the weight of the Prime Directive—the new, terrifying command that stretched far beyond finance and vengeance. Inter-Dimensional Entities. It sounded like B-movie nonsense, yet the System's blue script held the weight of absolute truth.
He stood before the massive holographic display, watching the ghostly outline of the Apex Core. His path to Level 4 was clear: Fully optimize a sentient being.
He had two immediate candidates, both loyal, powerful, and deeply flawed in their own ways.
[Target: Seraphina Vane (Sentient Being). Sub-Optimal Point: Emotional Restraint (Fear of Risk). Optimal Action: Optimization would grant perfect logical immunity, but yield sub-optimal synergy for Dimension Defense.]
[Target: Lady Lyra Volkov (Sentient Being). Sub-Optimal Point: Ruthless Ambition (Self-serving). Optimal Action: Optimization would grant supreme power mastery, but requires emotional vulnerability to unlock True Apex Potential.]
Kellan dismissed Seraphina. She was a perfect anchor for the current world, but lacked the intrinsic chaos needed to fight the unknown. Lyra, however, was a dangerous variable. Her ambition was a flaw, but also a limitless fuel. The Apex needed a will as strong as its algorithm.
Kellan activated the comms. "Lyra. Meet me in the main lab. Bring the subject from the Aethel Black-Site—the one you claimed was 'too unpredictable' for Level 3."
Lyra arrived quickly, her usual charcoal suit replaced by sleek, black combat wear, confirming her readiness for the unorthodox.
"Too unpredictable, Kellan?" Lyra scoffed, a trace of annoyance in her voice. "It's a proto-crystal being. It possesses nascent sentience, yes, but its energy pulses are erratic. It's an unstable power source, not a partner."
[Target: Proto-Crystal Being. Optimal Insight: The subject's unpredictability is the key. Its consciousness is a natural counter to rigid dimensional structures. Optimal Action: Use Lyra to stabilize the core emotional flaw before Optimization.]
"The Crystal is the catalyst," Kellan corrected, his eyes fixed on Lyra. "You are the tool. Before I optimize anything, I need to know you are truly in this."
He walked towards her, the atmosphere crackling with anticipation. "You deal in power, Lyra. But what do you truly fear losing? To face what's coming, we can't have sub-optimal anchors. If I optimize you, every flaw, every fear, will be amplified until it's perfectly resolved."
Lyra's carefully constructed poker face finally fractured. Her grey eyes, always burning with ambition, held a flicker of deep-seated loneliness. "I fear relevance, Kellan. Becoming a sub-optimal player in a grand game. You are offering me Apex Relevance."
"Good," Kellan nodded. "Then let's start with the Crystal. You stabilize its emotional flaw—a deep-seated sense of abandonment—and I will use the Apex to perform the Level 4 upgrade."
As they began setting up the complex equipment, the holographic display of the Apex Core suddenly turned a sickly, pulsating purple.
[System Warning: Inter-Dimensional Energy Ripple Detected!]
[Threat Manifestation: Low-level spatial anomaly opening at Nova Prime Central Park. Energy signature is Sub-Optimal and highly destructive.]
[Optimal Action: Immediate Investigation. Utilize Biological Optimization on self for Evasion and Stealth. Time is critical.]
"What was that?" Lyra demanded, her hand instinctively reaching for a hidden weapon.
"That," Kellan said, grabbing his specialized Apex toolkit, "was a warning. The game has begun, Lyra. And Apex says the first move must be mine, alone."
He swiftly applied a small amount of residual Optimization Energy to his own legs. A brief surge of icy power coursed through him.
[Biological Optimization: Enhanced Agility and Evasion (Duration: 30 minutes).]
With a speed that blurred, Kellan was gone, leaving Lyra staring at the throbbing purple screen, a look of thrilling terror mixed with excitement on her face. The Apex had chosen its first battlefield.