The air on Zorath Prime hung thick with the stench of decay. Dex Taylor crouched behind a crumbled wall of what used to be a towering arcology. His breath came in short bursts through the filter mask strapped to his face. Void spores floated in the dim light like deadly snowflakes. One wrong inhale and you were done. Turned into one of those clicking horrors that shambled through the ruins.
Dex gripped his makeshift plasma cutter tight. It was a jury-rigged piece of junk. Salvaged from a crashed freighter last month. But it had saved his skin more times than he could count. He was a Nullborn. No magic flowing through his veins like the elite Hex-Engineers up in their orbital stations. Just wits, grit, and whatever tech he could scrounge.
The planet was off-limits for a reason. The Convergence had hit here hard centuries ago. Magic and AI tech slammed together in some cosmic accident. Now the place was a graveyard of fused horrors. Bio-machines that grew like cancer. Mutants with circuits embedded in their flesh. Dex had heard stories. Whole colonies wiped out by the void infection. But stories did not pay for fuel or rations. The black market paid for relics from places like this.
He scanned the area with his wrist scanner. A faint beep. Energy signature ahead. Deep in the central ruin. Could be an intact rune core. Or a trap. Either way, it was worth the risk. Dex moved low and fast. His boots crunched on shattered glass and bone. The wind howled through the skeletal structures. In the distance, he heard it. The clicks. Low and rhythmic. Like insects calling to each other.
Mutants.
Dex froze. Three of them shuffled into view. Their bodies were twisted. Skin stretched over exposed wires and glowing veins. One had an arm that ended in a sparking claw. Another's eyes pulsed with red light. AI remnants fused with organic flesh. They were hunting. Sniffing the air for intruders.
No time to back out. Dex raised his plasma cutter. The tool hummed to life. Blue energy arced along the blade. He charged.
The first mutant lunged. Its claw swiped at his head. Dex ducked and swung. The cutter sliced through its arm. Sparks flew. Black ichor sprayed. The thing screeched. A sound like grinding metal mixed with a dying animal's wail.
The other two closed in. Dex rolled to the side. Avoided a stomp that cracked the ground. He fired a burst from the cutter's secondary mode. A plasma bolt hit the second mutant in the chest. It staggered. But did not fall. These things were tough. Void corruption made them regenerate.
"Damn it," Dex muttered. He backed up. Heart pounding. The third mutant leaped. Landed on his back. Claws dug into his shoulder armor. Pain shot through him. He twisted. Slammed the creature against the wall. It loosened its grip. Dex spun and drove the cutter into its gut. Twisted. The mutant went limp. Slid off.
But the first one was back. Arm regrowing in sickly threads of flesh and wire. It charged. Dex met it head-on. Blocked a swipe with his arm guard. Felt the impact jar his bones. He countered with a knee to its torso. Then a point-blank plasma blast to the face. The head exploded in a mess of circuits and gore.
The last one hesitated. Then turned and fled. Clicking louder. Calling for reinforcements.
Dex panted. Blood trickled from his shoulder. He ripped a patch from his kit and slapped it on. Nano-sealant hissed as it closed the wound. No time to rest. More would come. He pushed forward. Toward the energy signal.
The ruin loomed ahead. A massive dome cracked open like an egg. Vines of void-tainted metal crawled up its sides. Dex slipped through a breach in the wall. Inside, the air grew colder. His scanner beeped stronger. Lights flickered from ancient consoles. Half-magic, half-tech. Runes etched into circuit boards. This was old Convergence tech. Valuable.
He navigated the corridors. Stepped over skeletal remains. Some human. Some not. The place felt alive. Walls pulsed faintly. Like a heartbeat.
Deeper in, he found it. A chamber with a pedestal at the center. On it sat a black orb. The size of a fist. Swirling with purple energy. Eclipse Core. Dex's eyes widened. These were legends. Forbidden artifacts from the cataclysm. Said to merge soul and code. Grant power beyond imagination. But at a cost.
He approached slow. Scanner confirmed. Pure energy. No traps detected. But something felt off. The air hummed. Vibrations in his bones.
A rumble shook the chamber. Dust fell from the ceiling. Dex spun. The entrance collapsed. Rocks and metal sealed it shut. Trap after all.
Then the ground split. From the cracks rose a guardian. A colossal golem. Stone body fused with mechanical limbs. Eyes glowed red. Arms ended in massive hammers. It roared. Echoed through the room.
Dex cursed. No way out. He activated his cutter. Full power. The golem charged. Each step cracked the floor.
Dex dodged left. The hammer smashed where he stood. Shards flew. He fired plasma bolts. They bounced off the stone hide. Minimal damage.
"Think, Dex," he growled to himself. The pedestal. The Core. Maybe it was the key.
The golem swung again. Dex leaped. Landed near the pedestal. Grabbed the orb. It was warm. Pulsed in his hand.
Instantly, pain exploded in his mind. Visions flashed. Stars collapsing. Magic tearing through code. A voice whispered. Ancient and mechanical.
[Host detected. Nullborn. Compatibility: Minimal. Initiate bonding?]
What? Dex blinked. Words floated in his vision. Like a hologram interface.
The golem loomed. Hammer raised.
No choice. "Yes!" Dex shouted.
The orb shattered. Energy surged into him. Through his veins. His skin. It burned. Like fire and electricity mixed.
The golem struck. Dex raised his arm on instinct. The hammer hit. But instead of crushing him, a barrier flared. Blue runes mixed with purple void energy. The impact sent shockwaves. Cracked the golem's arm.
Dex stared. Power coursed through him. The interface expanded.
[System Awakening: Eclipse Core Integrated.]
[User: Dex Taylor]
[Class: Nullborn Sovereign – Tier 0]
[Skills Unlocked: Void Rage (Level 1) – Channel eclipse energy for enhanced strength. Risk: Corruption buildup.]
[Nanite Infusion: Basic – Repair minor wounds. Enhance tools.]
His plasma cutter glowed. Runes etched into it automatically. It transformed. Lengthened into a hammer. Recallable. Like the legends of old warriors.
The golem recovered. Charged again.
Dex felt the rage build. A red haze at the edges of his vision. He swung the new weapon. It connected with the golem's chest. Stone shattered. Circuits sparked.
The beast reeled. Dex pressed. Dodged a swipe. Hammered its knee. It buckled.
One more hit. He leaped. Brought the hammer down on its head. The golem exploded in debris.
Dex landed. Panting. The chamber quiet now.
[Level Up: Tier 0 → Tier 1]
[New Skill: Eclipse Step – Short-range teleport with void trail.]
He felt stronger. Wounds healing faster. But a whisper in his mind. "More. Feed the void."
What had he done?
Outside, he heard engines. Ships landing. Hunters. They must have tracked his signal.
Time to run.
Dex blasted a hole in the wall with his upgraded hammer. Emerged into the spore-filled air. The mutants were swarming now. Drawn by the noise.
He activated Eclipse Step. Blinked forward. Left a trail of purple smoke. The mutants lunged at empty air.
His ship was a kilometer away. An old rust bucket he called the Nomad. If he could reach it.
A horde blocked the path. Dozens of clickers. Twisted forms.
Dex grinned despite the fear. "Let's test this out."
He charged into the fray.
The hammer swung in wide arcs. Each hit sent mutants flying. Void energy crackled. Enhanced his strikes.
One clawed at him. He teleported behind it. Smashed its back.
Another group piled on. He activated Void Rage. Strength doubled. Vision tinted red. He tore through them. Limbs flying. Ichor splashing.
But the corruption meter in his interface ticked up. 10%. Warning: Overload imminent.
He pushed through. Reached the Nomad. Slammed the hatch open. Dove inside.
Engines roared to life. The ship lifted. Mutants clawed at the hull. Fell away as he broke atmosphere.
Safe. For now.
But in orbit, scanners pinged. Corporate frigates closing in. They knew.
Dex leaned back. The Core's voice echoed. "The hunt begins, Sovereign."
What the hell was a Sovereign? And why did it feel like he had just signed his own death warrant?
Little did he know, this was just the start. Allies waited in the stars. Women who would fight beside him. Challenge him. And one who would always be steps ahead.
For now, he set course for the nearest neutral station. Time to sell what he could. And figure out this power before it consumed him.
The frigates fired warning shots. Dex evaded. Pushed the engines to max.
The chase was on.
Dex gripped the controls tighter. The Nomad shuddered as another laser grazed the shields. These corp bastards were persistent. Probably from Helix Corp. They controlled half the salvage rights in this sector. And they did not like independents like him poaching.
"Warning: Shield integrity at 60%," the ship's AI droned. It was a basic model. No personality. Just facts.
Dex banked hard. Dove toward an asteroid field. The frigates followed. Bigger ships. Slower turns. He could lose them in the rocks.
The Core pulsed in his chest. Not literally. But he felt it. Integrated now. Part of him. The interface hovered in his vision. Semi-transparent. He willed it away. Focused on flying.
Asteroids loomed. Massive chunks of ice and metal. Dex weaved through. Scraped the hull once. Sparks flew. But he gained distance.
One frigate clipped a rock. Spun out. The other hesitated. Then peeled off.
Dex exhaled. Safe again. For the moment.
He set autopilot for Nexus Station. A neutral hub in the outer rim. Full of scavengers, merchants, and outlaws. Perfect place to lay low. Sell some trinkets from the raid. The Core? That stayed secret.
As the stars streaked by in hyperspace, Dex examined his new hammer. It had retracted back to cutter size. Handy. The runes on it glowed faintly. He tested the recall. Threw it across the cockpit. It flew back to his hand. Perfect.
But the corruption. It lingered at 5% now. Cooling down. What happened if it hit 100%? He did not want to find out.
Memories surfaced. His childhood on a backwater colony. Parents killed in a void outbreak. He survived by hiding. Scavenging. No magic to protect him. Nullborn were rare. Shunned. But tough.
This power changed everything. If he could control it.
Nexus Station appeared on scanners. A spinning wheel of metal and lights. Docking bays bustled with ships.
Dex guided the Nomad in. Paid the fee with his last credits. Stepped out into the crowded halls.
Smells hit him. Spice from food stalls. Oil from repair shops. Bodies pressed close. Humans, aliens, cyborgs. All mixed.
He headed to the black market district. A contact named Jax. Old fence. Would buy the minor relics he grabbed before the Core.
But as he walked, eyes followed him. Paranoia? Or real?
A figure bumped him. Slender. Hooded. "Watch it," Dex growled.
The figure paused. Female voice. "You reek of void, scavenger. Fresh from Zorath?"
Dex tensed. Hand on his cutter. "None of your business."
She lowered the hood slightly. Sharp features. Red hair. Engineer tattoos on her neck. "Maybe it is. Heard rumors. Eclipse activity. If you have something, I can help refine it."
Lira. He recognized her now. Lira Voss. Black market tinkerer. They had crossed paths before. She fixed his scanner once. Charged double.
"Not interested," Dex said. Kept walking.
She followed. "Come on. You look like you need credits. And friends."
Dex stopped. Turned. "I work alone."
She smirked. "For now."
He ignored her. Pushed on to Jax's stall.
But deep down, he wondered. The galaxy was big. Dangerous. Maybe a crew would not hurt.
Little did he know, she would be the first.
Jax's stall was a clutter of gadgets and artifacts. The old man squinted at Dex's haul. A few rune chips. A data core.
"Five hundred credits," Jax grumbled.
"Thousand," Dex countered.
They haggled. Settled on seven hundred.
As Dex pocketed the credits, alarms blared through the station.
"Intruder alert. Helix Corp enforcers inbound. All docks on lockdown."
Dex swore. They tracked him here.
Chaos erupted. People ran. Guards mobilized.
Dex bolted for the Nomad. But enforcers were already at the bays. Armored troops. Plasma rifles.
He ducked into an alley. Activated Eclipse Step. Blinked past a patrol.
Reached the ship. But Lira was there. Tinkering with the lock.
"What the hell?" Dex demanded.
She grinned. "Figured you needed a quick getaway. Boosted your engines. No charge. This time."
"Why?"
"Call it intuition. You have something big. I want in."
No time to argue. Enforcers closed in.
"Fine. Get in."
They boarded. Nomad lifted off. Blasted through the closing bay doors.
Shots fired. Shields held.
As they jumped to hyperspace, Lira leaned back. "So. What's the artifact?"
Dex hesitated. Then showed her the hammer.
Her eyes widened. "Eclipse tech. Pure. You're either lucky or cursed."
"Both," Dex said.
The Core whispered again. "Gather strength. The void calls."
Dex ignored it. For now.
But the hunt was far from over.
In the depths of space, other eyes watched. Nova Reyes sat in her cloaked vessel. Monitoring signals.
A new Sovereign. Weak. But growing.
She smiled coldly. "Interesting."
Their paths would cross soon. But not yet.
For Dex, the rage was just beginning.
The Nomad hurtled through hyperspace. Dex monitored the consoles. No pursuit detected. Yet.
Lira fiddled with a panel. "Your wiring is trash. How do you fly this bucket?"
"It works," Dex replied. "Mostly."
She laughed. "Modest. I like that. So, Nullborn, huh? Rare breed."
Dex nodded. No point hiding it. "Yeah. No magic. Just me."
"Until now." She eyed the hammer. "That thing's fused with you. I can tell. Energy signature matches your bio-scan."
Dex frowned. "You scanned me?"
"Standard procedure. Don't flatter yourself."
He let it slide. She was useful. For now.
They dropped out of hyperspace near a refueling outpost. Small moon base. Neutral territory.
Dex docked. "Stay here. I'll grab supplies."
Lira crossed her arms. "Like hell. I'm coming. You owe me."
"Fine."
The outpost was rough. Miners and traders. Dim lights. Smoky air.
They entered a supply shop. Dex bartered for fuel cells and rations.
But trouble found them. A group of thugs blocked the exit. Helix tattoos on their arms.
"Word is, you stole from the corp," the leader snarled. "Hand it over."
Dex sighed. "Walk away. While you can."
They laughed. Drew knives and batons.
Lira whispered, "I got the left."
Dex nodded. Activated Void Rage subtly. Strength surged.
The fight was quick. Dex disarmed the leader. Broke his arm. Lira tripped another with a gadget wire. Shocked him unconscious.
The rest fled.
Back on the ship, Lira bandaged a cut on her hand. "Not bad, partner."
"Don't call me that."
She winked. "Yet."
Dex felt the Core approve. "Bonds strengthen the host."
He shook it off.
They set course for deeper space. Rumors of a bigger score. A lost forge-world.
But unknown to them, the void stirred. Mutants evolved. Factions plotted.
Dex's journey had begun. From scavenger to sovereign.
The rage would forge him. Or break him.
As the stars blurred, Dex pondered his new path. Power. Allies. Danger.
He glanced at Lira. Sleeping in the co-pilot seat.
Maybe not so bad.
But the interface blinked. Corruption at 2%. Stable.
For now.
In the distance, a signal pinged. Another Eclipse fragment.
The game was on.
Dex Taylor had always been a survivor. Born on the fringes of the Aether Empire's reach. A colony world called Epsilon Drift. It was a mining outpost. Harsh. Unforgiving. His parents were workers. Simple folk. No grand destiny.
Then the void outbreak hit. Spores from a crashed ship. Infected the whole place. Turned people into monsters overnight. Dex was ten. Hid in a ventilation shaft for days. Watched his family change. Heard their clicks.
When rescue came, he was the only one left. Nullborn. Immune to magic-based infections? Or just lucky.
Foster homes followed. Then the streets. Scavenging became his life. Small jobs. Big risks.
Now, at twenty-five, he had the Nomad. His freedom.
And now this Core.
Lira stirred. "Where to next?"
"Forge-world ruins. Sector 7. Heard there's untouched tech."
"Dangerous. Purists control that area."
Dex shrugged. "So are we."
She smiled. "I like your style."
They jumped again.
The forge-world appeared. A planet of factories and temples. Abandoned after the war.
They landed in a canyon. Hidden.
Dex geared up. Hammer at his side. Lira grabbed tools.
"Let's hunt," he said.
The ruins were vast. Massive forges silent. Runes faded on walls.
They found a chamber. Intact console.
Lira hacked it. "Data on Eclipse projects. Old stuff."
Dex guarded the door. Heard movement.
"Company," he whispered.
Mutants poured in. Bigger than before. Evolved.
Fight time.
Dex swung the hammer. Crushed one.
Lira fired a stun gun. Downed another.
They worked together. Seamless.
But more came.
Dex activated rage. Cleared a path.
They escaped with data chips.
Back on ship, Lira panted. "That was close."
"Yeah."
She leaned close. "Thanks for the save."
Dex met her eyes. Tension.
But the Core interrupted. [New ally detected. Bond potential: High.]
He pulled away.
Not yet.
The story continued.