Vitality – Deep Quell Ravine, Fragmented Zone B12
Cassian crouched atop a jagged ridge above a fallen leyline, the Veil rippling faintly across his armor. Below, the canyon split into fractured stone and artificial fog. The node was here—buried beneath Synapse encryption and blacklisted terrain.
> "Trace Root Active – Pre-Core Fragment Detected"
"WARNING: SynapseCorp Monitoring Guild Zone Presence – High Probability Interference"
He adjusted the Veil's anchor field and dropped into the mist.
---
The moment his boots hit the ground, crimson sparks burst from four angles. A combat net shimmered into place—Synapse-sponsored guild emblems lighting up one by one: Radiant Chain, Ironclash, and a streamer guild called NovaJump.
One of them shouted, "LIVE FEED IS ROLLING—TARGET LOCKED!"
Cassian didn't answer. Didn't hesitate.
The first swing came from a hammer-wielder using shock runes. Cassian flowed around the arc, blade slipping beneath their guard, scoring a direct strike across the armor joints.
> "Stream connection failed. Recording local only."
He moved without pause, disabling the comm-link of a rogue marksman while absorbing arc-blasts across his shield frame. The Veil blurred his position—only to shatter seconds later under a firewall burst.
Too many. Too fast.
He wasn't here to fight a war. He came for the node.
But they were ready for him.
---
A blast of violet smoke exploded across the ravine. Two of the NovaJump streamers blinked backward—confused, scattering.
Out of the haze came dual daggers flashing in arcs—elegant, brutal, clean.
> StarViper.
She dropped one of the Radiant Chain enforcers with a neural stun, spun beneath a war-axe, and vaulted off the cliff wall to land between Cassian and the final attacker.
They froze.
Not in surrender. In disbelief.
"Not here," she said, voice low.
Cassian stared at her through the flicker of burning mist.
"You're following me now?"
"I'm cleaning up after you."
---
The surviving guild members fled—partially stunned, partially humiliated. Their streams crashed under the Veil's interference field.
Cassian deactivated his blade but didn't sheath it.
"You always show up when it's inconvenient."
StarViper scoffed. "You always cause problems that require cleanup."
They circled each other warily—neither quite allies, neither enemies.
"You didn't have to interfere," Cassian said.
She met his gaze. "If I hadn't, there'd be a dozen more names on your reputation list and three dead streamers. That's not the kind of myth you want to be."
"I'm not interested in being a myth."
"You don't get to choose anymore."
---
She looked at the node scanner still floating behind him.
"What are you after this time?"
He didn't answer.
She nodded slowly, stepped back.
"You keep chasing ghosts, and you're going to find one that doesn't want to be remembered."
Cassian watched her go.
Then he turned back to the node—now partially decrypted.
> [Trace Root Key: Fragment 03-D acquired]
[Encrypted Signature: VOSS_GH01]
He stared at the string of data.
Then whispered, "They're accelerating."
---
End of Chapter Fifteenth.