049 MONTUM COLLAPSE
The lieutenant chuckled, shaking his head. "You really don't do simple, do you? Still, it's a clever setup. Flash Dash gives you instant mobility, the kick delivers impact, and Kinetic Crush maximizes follow-through force."
He paused, then asked curiously, "But why Kinetic Crush for the final phase?"
Dan's grin deepened. "I know a few people who specialize in kinetic manipulation. I'll have plenty of practice partners."
The Veyran family were masters of kinetic ta powers. Dan would probably et them frequently in 'friendly' matches and who knows… his fusion kinetic skill could improve through such exchanges.
Kalr laughed quietly. "Fair enough. Let's get your chip configured, then."
----
It didn't take long before the machine finalized Dan's new ta chip.
Lieutenant Kalr held it up — a sliver of luminous alloy pulsing faintly with blue light — before injecting it into the slot near Dan's neck.
"Chip synchronized. Now, into the chamber," Kalr ordered.
Dan stepped into the liquid integration pod.
A cool, viscous fluid rose around him as the chamber sealed shut. He could feel the ta code seeping into his neural lattice, connecting with his own circuits of strength and energy. For a mont, his vision flickered white — then stabilized.
When the integration process completed, Kalr guided him to the training range.
The walls of the simulator room glowed faintly with containnt fields. A single target sphere hovered in the center, floating like a challenge.
"I've designed this room specifically to activate your fusion skill. Ready when you are," Kalr said through the intercom.
The training was easy- striking a target sphere in the middle of the chamber.
Dan crouched low.
Flash Dash — that part ca easily. But chaining it with a power kick and a kinetic crush finale? That was another story.
He launched forward, blurring through the air and kicked, but missed the follow-through. The kinetic surge dissipated harmlessly.
Despite the initial failure, he tried again. And again.
Each failure brought him back to the start, breathing harder, refining the rhythm between speed, impact, and compression. Until—
The mont clicked.
He dashed. The air cracked. His foot connected with the target dead-center — and a split second later, the target sphere imploded, collapsing inward with a shockwave of compressed kinetic energy.
The room vibrated as fragnts dissolved into light.
"Outstanding!" Kalr exclaid, surrounded by wide-eyed scientists recording the data. "This… this really works. We're standing at the edge of fusion-ta science!"
Dan didn't stop.
Even after success, he kept pushing, and refining his skill. Day after day, he grew more precise — adjusting distance, timing, and strength until the sequence beca seamless.
By the third day, his body moved on instinct. The technique was no longer experintal — it was his.
"What should we call it?" Kalr asked, folding his arms with satisfaction.
Dan thought for a mont, then shrugged. "I'm terrible at nas."
Kalr chuckled. "No need. The AI already generated one — Montum Collapse."
"Montum Collapse," Dan repeated, testing the sound of it. He grinned and gave a thumbs-up. "Perfect."
Before Kalr could respond, alarms blared through the facility. Red lights flashed across the walls.
"Blue Blood incursion — east periter!" an announcent echoed.
Kalr grabbed his gear. "Training's over. We've got another invasion."
Dan was already moving toward the door. "Are the Veyran expedition team still here?"
"Yes," Kalr said, checking his comms. "They're stationed in the west sector."
"Will they join the fight?" Dan pressed.
"They don't have a choice," Kalr replied sharply. "Every ranked E ta and above is required by fortress law to defend when we're under attack."
Dan smirked, his pulse quickening. "That's what I wanted to hear."
He tightened his gloves and followed Kalr out into the roaring chaos of the battlefield.
-----
Dan wasn't obligated to fight. At Rank F, the fortress law didn't compel him to defend against an invasion. But he ca anyway.
That didn't an he was reckless.
The Blue Blood invaders weren't pushovers — most were far above his rank. Charging into the fray head-on would've been suicide.
So, he didn't.
Instead, he found a high vantage point overlooking the battlefield and activated Camouflage. His body shimred, then vanished, blending seamlessly with the walls.
Hidden from sight, he crouched down and pulled out his phone.
Even when invisible, he could still play with his phone.
He watched the chaos unfold.
The Veyran Expedition Team was out there, forced to join the defense. Nobody expected them to be noble — they were rcenaries, bound by law more than loyalty.
Dan knew they'd bolt the mont things turned ugly. But he wasn't expecting them to die defending the fortress. They'll die as long as they join the battle… whether they make effort or not.
Dan would make sure of that.
His eyes narrowed as he zood in on their leader- Fenyl.
Hovering in the air like a self-proclaid god, his jet powered boots propelling him into the sky, Fenyl clapped his hands together.
A roaring cyclone spiraled into existence, tearing through the field and hurling dozens of shadow hounds skyward.
"Cyclone Spears"
"Die, you pests!" Fenyl shouted.
Dan's grip tightened.
The sight dragged up an old mory in the Cavern of Mountain Death. The day he was surrounded by shadow hounds, helpless and bleeding, Fenyl had been there.
One tornado like that would've saved him.
Instead, Fenyl watched. Waiting for him to die.
Dan's jaw clenched. Then, there was movent.
A dark figure rose from the enemy ranks — half-man, half-jackal, cloaked in shadow and gold. Dan's eyes widened.
"A Deacon of Annubis," he muttered before a smile escaped from his lips.
The Deacon raised his scythe-like staff, channeling energy. A blazing beam ripped through the air, but Fenyl darted aside with mocking laughter.
"You're too slow! Your strike would never hit …I'm like the wind," Fenyl taunted.
The Deacon roared angrily after missing the first shot and unleashed another volley.
"You'll miss again!" Fenyl jeered.
Dan's lips curved into a thin smile. "Not this ti."
He tapped his mining app. Acquire: Strength. Acquire: Charm. Acquire: ta. Acquire: Command.
A psychic tremor pulsed outward, latching onto Fenyl's mind.
The arrogant flier froze midair, his concentration shattered for a fraction of a second.
It was enough.
The Deacon's next beam struck him square in the chest. A scream tore from Fenyl's throat as his flight faltered. Before he could recover, the Deacon flashed forward, scythe arcing through the air.
It was a perfect and clean slice through the air. Fenyl's head tumbled from his shoulders.
Dan exhaled slowly, the faintest hint of satisfaction on his face. "Good one," he murmured.
Then his phone chid.
Notification: Your skill [Montum Collapse] has improved.
Dan grinned. "Hell yes… I was waiting for this."
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