Kian heard them long before he saw them — the rhythmic thud of marching boots through ash-covered dirt, the occasional jingle of plate buckles and harnesses, and the grating rasp of command steel being drawn.
A full dozen, maybe more. Mercenaries.
And at their head: Ardan Krell, armor polished and pride shining brighter than his sword.
> [Codex Alert – Combat Engagement Imminent]
Threat Count: 12 Confirmed. 3 Mana Signatures Detected.
New System Objective: Survive for 12 Minutes
Secondary: Prevent breach of Bastion Core
Bonus: Repel without activating primary Beacon – Hidden Reward
Kian stood atop the western rampart, behind a stack of hardened stone tiles reinforced with bone-thread mesh. His newest turret hummed faintly beside him, Codex glyphs pulsing in the seams.
"Looks like he brought friends," he muttered.
Below, Veyna crouched beside the sigil battery she'd crafted — ashroot twisted around scavenged conduits, mana pulsing from her fingertips as she whispered incantations.
"I'll hold the charge," she said. "When you say now, I let it go."
Kian nodded. "Only when they commit."
---
The mercs formed up just out of range.
Ardan stepped forward, arms wide. His voice carried.
"Last warning, stranger. You hand over the Bastion, the Codex key, and the witch — and I'll let you crawl out of here with your spine intact."
Kian didn't respond.
A few of the mercenaries laughed, casually checking crossbows and war-spears.
Ardan sighed, theatrically.
"You had your chance."
He raised a hand.
And the battle began.
---
The first wave hit the traps.
Spikes surged from the ground — Codex-made, tuned for flesh. Two mercenaries went down screaming, one impaled through the thigh, the other caught by the collapsing net trap that yanked him skyward into jagged branches.
> [Codex: Trap Efficiency +12%]
Enemy Morale Reduced – 5-second stagger on flanks
Kian dropped to the lower trench and activated the Pulse Relay — a shockwave rippled outward from the stone, knocking two more attackers off their feet. He followed it with a thrown spear — bone-tipped, Predation-enhanced — that pierced through one man's ribs and knocked the next into a wall.
Then came the mage.
Hidden in the second line, she flung an arc of flame toward the Bastion's front.
"Now," Kian said calmly.
Veyna opened the sigil battery.
Blue fire — wild, chaotic, hers — surged from the node, spiraled into a protective arc, and absorbed the incoming spell. The flame twisted, folded inward, then launched backward at triple strength.
It struck the attacking mage full in the chest.
> [Enemy Mana Signature Destroyed]
Veyna XP +24 – Sealed Core Instability Increasing
Kian climbed back to the turret.
Three mercs left on the flank.
He activated the turret manually — gears snapped, Codex metal twisted, and with a loud thunk, a projectile launched from its rotating spine.
The first merc fell with a broken shoulder.
The second stumbled into a snare and disappeared into a trench pit.
The third turned to run.
Kian let him.
---
Then Ardan moved.
Fast. Precise.
The Zarethian noble's blade sang as it sliced through one of his own wounded soldiers — clean, brutal, without hesitation. The man screamed once, then fell.
And Ardan absorbed something from the corpse. His veins lit up gold.
> [Codex Scan: Technique Detected – Blood Sigil Transfer]
Enhances agility and perception for 5 minutes. Origin: Noble Duel Arts (Zarethian School)
Kian narrowed his eyes.
So this is the real fight.
---
Ardan burst forward, crossing the trench with a single enhanced leap. His blade struck — and Kian barely blocked with the bracer-plate he'd forged the night before.
The Codex interface flickered under strain.
> [Warning: Manual Defense – Overload Threshold Approaching]
Kian activated Reactive Masonry — the wall beside him shifted inward, absorbing the next strike and forcing Ardan to fall back a step.
"Clever," Ardan snarled. "But you're still just a builder."
Kian's eyes flicked red.
"Then come see what I've built."
He triggered the Adaptive Stone Maw — a trap he'd crafted by fusing Codex and Protocol design.
The ground beneath Ardan cracked.
Stone spikes erupted from the left, bone-chains from the right.
Too late.
They slammed shut.
> [Hybrid Construct Activated – Result: Target Immobilized (3 seconds)]
Kian leapt down from the turret and drove his spear forward.
Ardan screamed as the blade pierced just below his ribcage.
Not fatal — but deep.
---
The noble rolled free, stumbling back, blood dripping down his armor. His mercs were in retreat — only three remained, and two were dragging a body.
Ardan stood there for a moment, breath ragged, blade shaking.
"You think this ends with me?" he growled.
"No," Kian said.
"It starts."
---
> [System Update – Siege Event Concluded]
Total Enemies Repelled: 12
Named Threat Wounded: Ardan Krell
Codex XP: +84
Predation EP: +61
New Title Unlocked: "Architect of Defense" (Passive: 10% faster blueprint execution under pressure)
New Blueprint: Bloodward Sentinel (Hybrid) – Defensive totem that reacts to hostile intent with force projections.
---
Kian stood at the center of the ash-choked field.
Broken weapons. Crushed helmets. Trails of blood leading into the wastes.
And just beyond the ridge... faint shadows watching. Others. Scouts from factions he didn't recognize.
"I need to build faster," he muttered again.
But inside the Bastion, in a quiet, dim-lit chamber, Veyna knelt before a glowing ember in the center of a stone bowl. Her eyes were wide. Terrified.
Because the fire... had spoken.
> You are no longer sealed.
You are no longer safe.
The one who bound you has felt your return.
---
End of Chapter 6