160 ECHO OF FUSION
The alien horns blared—a sound so strange, yet familiar to Dan.
It was almost comforting.
Dan was back where he belonged: the battlefield.
Here, there were no plots, no hidden daggers, no political traps. Only instinct and survival.
In Fortress Myrone, Dan feared nothing. Among these warriors, there were no sches—only brotherhood and honor.
He activated his Cores—Echo, Mind, and the rest.
He didn't need to take the Annunakin form. Not yet. Even in his human form, he would give the alien beasts a taste of what he had beco.
The shadow hounds poured across the plain like living smoke.
Dan leapt down from the walls to et them head-on.
One of them pounced—he answered with a punch that sucked the air inward like a vortex. The impact rippled through the pack, imploding several more in its wake.
He struck again.
Another vortex ford, and another.
The battlefield beca a storm of invisible shockwaves.
Crushing vortex, lightning blasts and sound eruptions, were all released without reservation. The result was blood from the enemy.
"This feels great," Dan laughed.
It was pure exhilaration for him.
Up on the walls, Liorea watched in disbelief. "Is that… my boss, Dan?" she breathed.
She had known he was powerful but seeing it—seeing this—was sothing else. This was inhuman.
Lord Nicas stood beside her, his eyes bright with admiration. "Yes. That is Dan, my boy. One day, if he wills it, he could take my place defending our world from these wretched creatures."
Liorea smiled faintly. "It's too early to talk about retirent, sir. You still have much to do."
"You are a resourceful one and your powers…one in a million," Nicas replied. "Help him achieve greatness."
She didn't answer.
Deep down, she'd always wanted a purpose—soone worth following and fighting for.
Maybe this was it. Maybe he was it.
"Perhaps he can be my boss," she murmured softly.
On the field, Dan's fury reached its peak.
Hundreds of shadow hounds lay broken at his feet, their black smoke rising into the crimson sky.
From the fortress walls, the soldiers shouted as one:
"The God of War has returned!"
-----
The alien horde retreated faster this ti—much faster than before.
The difference was Dan.
He alone had slaughtered over a thousand shadow hounds and deacons, his na echoing across the fortress walls like legend reborn.
When the dust finally settled, he returned to his bunker.
After washing the blood and soot from his skin, he collapsed onto his bed. His body felt like lead.
Exhausted but curious, he pulled up his stats display.
Blood Rank: BB
He frowned imdiately.
He had killed over a thousand creatures, yet gained barely a third of what he expected. Then it dawned on him—after reaching Rank BB, the weaker shadow hounds yielded far less blood essence.
Greater power demanded stronger prey.
He let the thought fade and fell asleep. He didn't wake up until a full day had passed.
"Wake up, boss," Liorea called from outside.
"Let
sleep," he mumbled into his pillow.
"There's good stuff to pick—don't miss out."
His eyes snapped open. "Good stuff?" That got his attention.
Monts later he was dressed and following her to the fortress supply hall.
The place buzzed with activity.
Rows upon rows of alien remains lined the floor—shadow hound hides, claws, eyes, and crystalline organs still faintly pulsing with energy.
Everything here could be turned into weapons, armor, or potent dicine.
Liorea smiled proudly. "Lord Nicaesa said all of this belongs to you now."
Dan blinked. "Are you sure? There's… too much."
"You earned it. The ta-artillery we gave them is worth far more than this," she said.
He chuckled, patting her shoulder. "You made that possible with the ta-artillery….good job. Take everything."
She laughed as he walked ahead, scanning the spoils. Then his gaze locked onto sothing familiar—two cores glimring faintly among the piles.
Core of Echo ×2.
It was a rare find.
"These two…I want them," he said imdiately.
"Take them. Everything here's yours."
He kept searching.
Core of Electricity ×1.
Core of Kinetics ×2.
Core of Blood ×2.
He grinned, almost childishly. "Jackpot."
Leaving Liorea to manage the rest, he rushed back to his bunker, the cores cradled like treasure. Sitting cross-legged, he began the assimilation process.
One by one, the cores sank into his body, glowing red and blue under his skin.
"Core of Electricity Level 2 activated: 2/2."
"Core of Kinetics Level 2 activated: 2/3."
"Core of Blood Level 3 activated: 4/5."
"Core of Echo Level 2 activated: 2/3."
As the notifications faded, his veins pulsed with raw, surging energy. Sparks of electricity danced across his fingertips; his heartbeat echoed like a war drum.
Dan exhaled slowly. "So, this… is what real power feels like."
-----
Dan returned to the training center.
Lieutenant Kalr was already there waiting for him, his arms crossed, and that familiar knowing smirk on his face.
"Dan," Kalr began, "I've seen you fight. Tell —are you keeping a secret from ?"
Dan froze for a second. "What is he talking about?"
He trusted Kalr, but the idea of exposing his deeper abilities still made him wary.
"What secret?" he asked carefully.
"The Echo effect," Kalr said bluntly. "I saw it during the battle—your Montum Collapse and Thunder Crush kept multiplying outward. You're creating reverberations of your own attacks….how did you do it?"
Dan was lost for words, "I don't really know. It ca naturally."
"It ca naturally? Such a powerful mutation ca naturally to you…you truly are one of a kind," Liutenant Kalrs said before he raised his hands.
"Don't worry, I don't need to know how you did it. I just think it's brilliant. A fusion chanism like that could extend the reach of our soldiers' ta abilities," Kalr added.
Dan relaxed slightly, processing it. "You an you can actually incorporate Echo into a fusion skill?"
"In theory, yes," Kalr replied, "but I'd need a ta chip imbued with the essence of a Core of Echo. There were a few recovered from the battlefield salvage, I think."
Dan's stomach sank. "Those were the ones I absorbed."
He kept his face still. "I think you're mistaken—there weren't any left when I checked."
Kalr sighed. "That's a sha. I could've built a prototype chip to test the concept."
An idea sparked in Dan's mind. "Wait—build the chip anyway. I don't need a Core of Echo. I've already… learned how to Echo. I just need a chip to stabilize its effects."
Kalr blinked. "You what?" Then he grinned. "Alright then. Give
a day."
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