Oblivion Hunter: Rise Across the Stars.

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The metallic groan of the shelter's outer door dragged Kael back into its choking warmth. Each step felt heavier than the last. His vision blurred, his arm throbbed from the Fang Rat's bite, and broken ribs ground with every ragged breath. Still, his hand gripped the pouch tightly, the warm glow of Nyx's egg fragment pulsing softly against his side.

"Made it... alive," Kael muttered, collapsing onto the nearest crate. His back slid down the cold steel until he sat on the floor, panting.

[SYSTEM NOTICE]

Beast Egg Incubation Progress: 7%

Mutation Risk: Stabilized (2%)

Environmental Requirements Met: Void Crystal Exposure – Initiated.

Remaining Tasks: Thermal Chamber Activation.

Kael chuckled weakly "A thermal chamber... sure, like I've got a high-tech incubator lying around in this rust pile." The Egg pulsed brighter, sensing the Void Crystal's faint energy across the room. Nyx's flickering warmth brushed against Kael's mind again, closer this time. Curious, watching, almost... playful?

"Stop poking my head, egg....I've had enough things in there today," Kael muttered, wincing as he probed the fresh cuts on his arm.

Lira stirred on the cot, moaning softly. Kael crawled to her side.

"Easy, sis... I'm back... got you more time," he whispered, her fever burned hotter than before.

He checked the ration supply, pathetically empty. No meds, no water purifier left, just broken gear, two cracked plasma cells, and half a nutrient bar older than him.

[SYSTEM ALERT]

Upcoming Event: Beast Raid – 19 hours, 03 minutes.

Minimum Defense Rating Required: 3. Current Shelter Rating: 1 (Vulnerable).

Recommended Action: Fortify Shelter / Recruit Allies / Evade Zone.

Kael groaned "Recruit allies? From where? The dead?"

As if mocking him, the comm unit on the wall crackled to life, static fizzing, then a distorted voice.

"...Anyone alive... near Shelter 17... respond. This is Lieutenant Mara Voss... Ascendancy Corps... stranded... repeat... stranded near Sector Delta... require immediate assist..."

Kael's heart skipped

"Ascendancy Corps? Military?" His mind raced. The Corps were trouble, but they had tech, medicine and weapons. Could this be a trap?

Nyx pulsed sharply in his mind danger warning.

[NEW OPTIONAL QUEST]

"Rescue the Lost Soldier"

Objective: Locate and assist Lieutenant Mara Voss (Ascendancy Corps)

Location: Delta Sector Wreckage (3.8 km SW)

Reward: Unknown – Possible Gear/Medicine/Information

Risk: High (Unstable Rift Pockets Detected)

Kael rubbed his aching temples. "I can't... I should fortify, rest... but Lira..."

He glanced at her frail form, eyes fluttering in fevered dreams.

A voice, softer than the system's mechanical tone, whispered in his head....a flicker of Nyx's growing mind.

"Hunt... strong... bring... back..."

Kael blinked. "Did you just talk? Or think? Or... whatever that was?"

Nyx pulsed again....urging him, curious and hungry. It wanted him to go, to grow, to gather strength. Of course it did, the Beast Egg's survival depended on his. And now... so did his sister's.

Kael cursed under his breath and grabbed his bone knife, the cracked flare, and the salvaged Rare Beast Core, the one he'd yanked from the Alpha Fang Rat's corpse.

He hesitated

"System....Can I use this core for myself?"

[SYSTEM OPTION AVAILABLE]

Rare Beast Core (Tier II):

Infuse for Permanent Stat Boost (+2 Random Attributes)

Store for Crafting / Trade

Feed to Beast Egg: +15% Incubation Progress

Kael stared at the screen. Tempting. His ribs burned, his strength fading. He could use the power boost.

But if he gave it to Nyx...

Nyx stirred, its warm presence pressing gently against his mind, expectant.

"Great. Guilt-tripped by an unborn beast," Kael muttered...he sighed, tossing the core into the egg cradle.

[SYSTEM NOTICE]

Beast Egg Infusion Complete: +15% Incubation Progress.

Total: 22%.

Egg Reaction: Strengthening. Neural Imprint Forming.

A faint ripple in his mind, Nyx's faint voice clearer now.

"Feed... grow... protect..."

Kael shook his head "You're starting to sound like me, little monster."

He checked his old wrist compass. Southwest, (3.8km) three-point-eight kilometers of nightmare terrain between him and Delta Sector. Plenty of things would want to eat him before he'd ever find this soldier.

But maybe Mara Voss had medicine

Maybe this was the break he needed

Maybe

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Wastelands of Veyra-7 – Delta Sector Ruins

The wastes were worse than Kael remembered.

Rift Storms flickered above, their jagged blue cracks stabbing the sky. Mutant plants, black and glassy, hissed when he brushed past them. Every shadow, every broken building whispered threat.

[WARNING]

Rift Energy Field Detected, Dimensional Stability: 74%

Unstable Zone: Anomalous Rift Beasts Possible, Proceed with Caution.

Kael ducked low, slipping into the burned-out remains of a crawler transport. The trail of debris led deeper, signs of a crash.

Boot marks, Blood.

Then the faint sound of someone struggling, metal scraping.

He peeked over twisted bulkheads.

A blonde woman, armored in cracked Ascendancy gear pinned beneath a wrecked support strut. Her pulse rifle lay inches out of reach....she twisted, face pale, cursing softly.

"Great," Kael muttered. "She's real... not a trap... or already dead."

He crept closer, blade drawn.

Her head snapped up, pistol raised.

"Back off, scav," she rasped. "Or I fry you."

Kael raised his free hand. "Relax, I heard your call, I'm here to help."

Her gaze flicked over him, dirty, bleeding, barely standing. She frowned.

"You're... what....an Oblivion Host?"

Kael froze.

"What did you say?"

She narrowed her eyes. "That glow, that aura and System. I've seen it before. You're one of them, aren't you? A Shard Awakened." She coughed, wincing. "Damn it.....figures... the galaxy's next monster shows up when I'm dying in the dirt..."

Kael's stomach twisted

"I'm not a monster."

She smirked bitterly "Not yet."

A loud screech echoed from behind them.

Kael turned sharply, shadows shifted. Multiple shapes slithered through the rubble, glass-skinned serpent-like Rift Beasts. Their bodies shimmered, phasing between reality and the Rift plane.

[WARNING]

New Threat Detected: Rift Wraith Serpents (x3) – Tier II

Status: Aggressive

Ability: Phase Strike, Rift Blink

Recommendation: High Alert, Combat Inevitable.

Kael swore under his breath, gripping his knife tighter.

Mara smirked weakly. "If you really want to help... grab that rifle and kill these bastards."

Kael cursed softly, no time to drag her free. No time to run.

The first serpent blinked into view.....striking.

Kael ducked, slashing across it's glassy skin, his blade scraped its glassy skin, sparks flying. The serpent recoiled, hissing.

Mara fired wildly from the ground, one shot struck, shattering a fragment of the beast's face.

Two more circled, flanking.

"Nyx... now would be a great time to lend me something," Kael muttered.

The Egg pulsed sharply in response.

[PROTOTYPE BEAST LINK – EMERGENCY BOOST AVAILABLE]

Limited Duration – Activate? [Y/N]

"Yes!"

Energy surged, Kael's reflexes sharpened, pain fading as instincts flooded in. He spun, driving his knife into the throat of the second serpent, its body convulsed, fading into Rift light.

[ENEMY ELIMINATED]

Beast Core Acquired (Common-Tier)

A third serpent lashed toward Mara.

"Move!" Kael lunged, grabbing the pulse rifle firing instantly.

BOOM. A blast of blue plasma struck the serpent's chest, vaporizing it.

Silence returned.

[SYSTEM NOTICE]

Threat Neutralized. Beast Cores Acquired: 2.

Host Status: Fatigued. Injuries: Stable. Beast Egg Reactivity: Strengthening (30%).

Kael staggered to Mara's side, yanking the beam off her leg. She gasped, pulling herself upright.

"You really are Oblivion... but different..." she muttered, eyeing him strangely.

Kael grimaced. "I'm just trying to survive."

Her gaze softened, slightly.

"Then maybe... we can help each other."

Kael frowned, the Egg pulsed warmly, warning him of danger... but also opportunity.

Somewhere behind them, in the distant sky, the Rift crackled wider.

New horrors awaited.

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