CHAPTER 1: THE REFLECTION OF THE VOID
In Neo-Veridia, the sky never truly knew darkness. Acid clouds hung low over the city, refracting the neon glare of corporate monoliths into a sickly shade of violet. Ares stood by the window of his 40th-floor apartment, looking down at the people scurrying like ants in the lower sectors. On his face was the light, friendly smile that everyone at school and on the streets had come to expect. But even alone in his room, he didn't let it drop. It wasn't a habit; it was a survival protocol.
Who am I? When people look at me, they see a "good kid." Helpful, always cheerful, a bit clumsy but a reliable friend. But that is merely a reflection of what they want to see. The real me died ten years ago in that subway station, the day my parents left me on a bench with the lie that they were "just going to get some ice cream." I didn't cry. I simply watched the ice cream melt and drip through my fingers, discovering a singular truth: in this world, there are only two types of data—the users and the used. I refused to be the latter.
In Neo-Veridia, emotions are a luxury I grew up too poor to afford. I trained my mind like a processor. I memorized micro-expressions, the way pupils dilate during a lie, which muscles fail to engage during a fake laugh. Now, I would carry this "talent" into the digital heaven—or escape—the entire world was obsessed with: Aeterna.
He touched the Neuro-Link V4 helmet on his desk. The cold metal stung his fingertips. "Link," Ares commanded. His voice was as expressionless as a machine's click echoing in the empty room.
[Establishing Neural Connection...]
[User: Ares-01]
[Soul Scan Complete...]
Suddenly, the smooth blue interface of the system shuddered with a red alarm. Ares watched the stream of data flashing before his eyes. A normal user would have panicked; Ares simply calculated the transfer speed of the error logs.
[CRITICAL ERROR: 'Empathy Layer' not found in User Profile.]
[System cannot categorize User under 'Human Standard'...]
[Forced Adaptation Initiated: 'Hollow' Protocol Active.]
Ares smirked internally. This was a system glitch rare even in Neo-Veridia.
[Unique Skill Awakened: 'Hollow Touch']
[Rank: Unclassifiable (Glitch)]
[Description: You are a parasite in the system. You can copy the skill code of any entity you physically touch. The copied skills are not yours; they are merely temporary reflections filling your void.]
When he opened his eyes, he was in the plaza of Lumina Frontier Village. The sky was painted with clouds of purple and gold. Thousands of players were shouting, celebrating their newly assigned classes. Ares instantly donned his cheerful mask. He slumped his shoulders slightly and added a spark of feigned wonder to his gaze.
"Wow! Look at this!" he shouted, waving at a nearby group of players. "Can we really swing swords here? This is amazing!"
Ares began to drift through the crowd like a ghost. His target was clear: Village Guard Kael, a Level 15 NPC standing in the center of the plaza. Kael was handing out "rabbit hunting" quests. Ares joined the line, and when his turn came, he pretended to be tripped by a player behind him, grabbing onto the guard's armored arm for support.
"Oh! I'm so sorry, sir! I think the floor is a bit slippery!"
[NOTIFICATION: Touch Successful!]
[Skill Copied: 'Unwavering Will' (Passive)]
The guard brushed him off with a grunt. Ares's smile remained, but his inner voice was already deep in analysis.
[Skill: Unwavering Will (Passive)]
[Original Source: Level 15 Guard]
[Description: Increases defense by 50% for 5 seconds when HP drops below 10%. No cooldown, but consumes soul energy.]
Ares tucked this safety net away and headed out of the village. He intended to progress solo, but his body in Aeterna was still Level 1, and the rules of this world were far harsher than the simulations back in Neo-Veridia.
As he entered the depths of the forest, the sunlight gave way to a damp darkness. His first real opponent appeared: a Wild Forest Goblin (Level 4).
A normal player would never attack a creature three levels higher alone. But for Ares, this was a math problem. The goblin snarled, twirling a rusty knife. Ares waved cheerfully. "Hey buddy! You could hurt someone with that knife, be careful!"
The goblin paused, confused by this "stupid" reaction. Ares exploited the gap, lunging forward to touch the creature's wrist.
[NOTIFICATION: 'Swift Strike' (Active) Copied!]
However, there was something he hadn't calculated: data speed and muscle speed were not the same. Though his mind copied the skill, his Level 1 body couldn't react in time. The moment Ares pulled his hand back, the goblin slashed. Ares tried to retreat, but the blade tore through his left arm.
[WARNING: HP 85%. Pain Synchronization: 100%.]
Pain flared through Ares's mind like an electric surge. It was a sensation he had never tasted in the sterile world of Neo-Veridia. He lurched back, his teeth gritted. Sensing the warmth of the blood soaking his sleeve, his inner strategist took over. He couldn't outrun it; this goblin was faster. His only chance was to use the stolen skill at the perfect micro-second.
The goblin lunged again, aiming for Ares's throat. Ares activated 'Swift Strike.'
[Skill: Swift Strike (Active)]
[Description: Increases movement speed by 200% for 1 second. Cooldown: 30 seconds.]
His body blurred forward like a released spring. But it was uncontrolled. The speed was so high that Ares evaded the goblin but lost his balance, slamming into a tree root. He heard the sickening crack of a shoulder bone.
[WARNING: HP 55%. Fracture detected in left shoulder.]
The goblin laughed, a hideous, guttural sound, as it approached its grounded prey. Ares gripped a sharp stone from the dirt. His breath was ragged. His lungs burned. The Hollow skill didn't give him power; it only gave him permission to use the power of others, and his weak body wasn't ready to carry it.
"Come on..." Ares whispered. The fake smile on his lips was trembling with agony. "Dying this early wasn't in my mathematical model."
The goblin leapt for the killing blow. Ares made a radical decision to trigger 'Unwavering Will.' He didn't dodge. He pulled the goblin toward him. The moment the blade sank into Ares's abdomen, the system screamed.
[CRITICAL DAMAGE! HP 9%!]
[UNWAVERING WILL ACTIVATED!]
His body was suddenly enveloped in a dull grey light. His defense skyrocketed. The goblin froze in shock as its blade refused to go deeper into the flesh. This was the five-second window Ares had been waiting for. With his right hand, he drove the sharp stone into the goblin's exposed throat with everything he had, twisting it deep.
The creature fell atop him, gurgling. Seconds later, the goblin's body dissolved into pixels, leaving Ares lying on his back in the mud.
[Target Neutralized.]
[Experience Gained: 40%]
Ares watched the purple clouds above, every breath feeling like a wildfire in his chest. He was covered in blood and grime. The wound in his stomach still throbbed, but Unwavering Will had stemmed the bleeding.
"A draw..." Ares muttered. His voice was a rasp, yet it held that chilling calmness. "For now."
He forced himself up, pressing a rag to his stomach. Despite his shaking legs, he straightened his back. Hearing the voices of a nearby player group, it took him only a second to sew that "cheerful, clumsy kid" mask back onto his face.
"Hey! Anyone there?" he called out, his voice sounding energetic and desperate for help despite the pain. "I think I fell off a rock! I'm a bit clumsy! Can someone help me?"
As the group ran toward him, Ares's eyes sank into a cold calculation. This world offered much more than Neo-Veridia ever could. There were so many more "codes" to steal here. And he would keep smiling until he had them all.