The first pattern was a movement skill instilled inside a modified Arc Crystal—a Skill Crystal. Eon picked the crystal up as the energy pattern inside flowed into him.

[*Ding!* Congratulations! You've obtained a Rare skill! [Void Hunter's Step (F)] - Limited]

[Void Hunter's Step (F) - Dexterity. Enter the void. A single step, lost to time.]

[A teleporting skill already, huh?] D3-V1 said. [Go on, then, let's see it in action. The crystal should have given you an idea of how it works.]

And it had. No longer did he feel a strain on his mind when trying to control his energy. A weight had been lifted, revealing a pattern that flowed through him. [Void Hunter's Step].

Eon read the description a final time, then willed energy into the pattern.

Small spec's of lightning flashed around him, bright blue with faint traces of purple. Then instantly everything went dark, only for his senses to pick up on his new surroundings. He was in the void. Well, a virtual version of it. How accurate the details were, he couldn't tell. Not yet anyway. As the description described, he was transported into the void for the time it would take for a single step. The fleeting breath of a second. But as the light returned, Eon reappeared, standing exactly where he had been before the skill activated.

[You know, I expected you to actually appear somewhere else, right? Don't tell me you have performance anxiety.]

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Eon attempted the skill once more, willing himself to appear two paces to his right.

[There we go. But that's a bit boring, isn't it? Show me what you can really do.]

Very well. Eon accepted the challenge. It was important to learn one's limits to push past them. Wasn't it?

The dark expanse of the void circled Eon as he rushed forward, monitoring the pattern in his body. As he exited the void, D3-V1 clapped. He was a bit under five meters from his original position.

This is as far as I can go? He looked around, measuring the distance.

[Well done! I knew you had it in you. But there's just one small thing…] D3-V1 said when she disappeared, appearing behind Eon with an Orion steel claw on his shoulder. The steel pushed and pulled at his energy, destabilizing the new pattern in his body before it started to drain him.

[Remember that little problem we spoke of? About how your implants are a little funky and are trying to murder you? Well, you need to work on your situational awareness, lest you get critically injured and your mind never recovers. You also want to maintain your energy when using that skill. The void is a hungry place, and it doesn't mind eating you.]

"What does that mean?" Eon asked, rubbing his shoulder as D3-V1 teleported back to her original spot. He wasn't sure if the droid had powers of her own, or if she was using her privilege as a system administrator to control her position in the virtual world.

[It's a joke among void walkers,] she said. [A jab at those who never return, having lost their energy to a plane of nothingness. Don't attempt to ride the void choo choo train if you don't have the fare to pay for it. But of course, if you don't mind getting stranded, ignore everything I said.]

"The void plane siphons energy?" Eon said as a light bulb clicked in his head. He felt foolish for not putting two and two together after seeing his [Vampirism] Trait. However, all this was new to him. He had never heard about such a plane. What else was out there?

[The void siphons everything,] D3-V1 said. A screen appeared in front of her, and she swiped through it mumbling to herself. [Ah there, this should be a good practice mission. Are you ready?]

"What about the other Skill Crystals?" Eon asked. He wanted another pattern to infuse into himself. Performing a psionic ability had been exhilarating. Besides, another ability would help increase his chance to survive.

[You'll unlock the next ability once you level that movement skill of yours to 10 and pass this trial. Now get, off with you. The Artifact won't claim itself.]

"Wait—"

Space pulled at Eon's surroundings until he stood in the middle of a forest. Birds sang as he inhaled the green of nature. Wind swirled, covering the sound of predators in the night. Only the moon illuminated the sky, shining over the house of wolves.

"You could have at least told me where you were sending me," Eon muttered.

[I could have, but that wouldn't have been fun, would it? Now focus, you're being timed,] D3-V1's voice played in the distance, coming from seemingly all areas.

Eon sighed, checking his surroundings. If this is a mock Nexus Realm, the Artifact should be where the energy is most potent.

As Eon spread his awareness, sensing for energy fluctuations, he closed his eyes to strengthen his energy perception. One location caught his attention immediately. It was far out to his right, where two more bright spots showed themselves. Are they decoys?

[Hey! What did I tell you about your surroundings? Pay attention!]

Before Eon could open his eyes, a new bright spot appeared behind him, and it was charging fast. He barely managed to turn, faltering at the sight of a giant wolf when its claws extended, ripping into his flesh.

[You see…] D3-V1 said in an I told you so manner. [That's why awareness is important. It's the first rule.]

"You spawned that there!" Eon yelled, wincing as he flashed back a dozen paces. Between the movement skill and the blood leaking out of his chest, he had started to get light-headed. Fuck… he panted.

[Obviously. Did you think this was going to be easy? You should know better after selecting Ranger. Attacks can come from anywhere,] she finished as five more wolves spawned. They were the size of an SUV with fangs stolen from a sabertooth cat.

[D3-V1's Little Helper - lvl 26]

A full ten levels higher than his own, Eon noticed, fleeing as the name appeared over the beast's head. He barely managed to exit the void when he collapsed from blood loss.

[Wow! That's a new record. Shame, really, I'm honestly not surprised.]

***

Eon woke with sweat dripping down his skin. He was in the forest once, at his original starting spot. D3-V1 had restarted the trial to train his new skill, but could do nothing for the pain he experienced. Fortunately, his wounds had been removed, and he didn't have to feel his organs leaking out.

So, that was the game—survive without taking a single hit.

Standing, he spat on the floor. "Can I at least have some water?"

A glass jar spawned in front of him.

[I'll put it on your tab. Now, get ready.]

And so, he did, drinking like a madman dying of thirst. The water was cool and refreshing, but he had another idea in mind for the jar.

Leaving a few sips remaining just in case it despawned, Eon got ready for the wolves, intending to crack open their skulls. But as the beasts arrived, he sensed them too late. They had spawned in the sky, falling directly on top of him.

"You're fucking cheating!"

***

"Not as impressive as before," Drexel said to Carl.

"No. But I suspect his talents will manifest soon. D3-V1 has a way with new recruits. Look what she has done with you," Carl said.

"Nonsense," Drexel laughed. "The droid is old with a few screws loose. You need to get a new one before her chip is fried."

"Is that right?" Carl said, looking between Eon and Drexel. The krell enforcer had grabbed an unattuned Arc Crystal when his tattoos flared. Streaks of bright energy ran down his bald head, flowing down his muscular neck to land on the ebony blue skin of his corded chest muscles. With his black eyes underneath a pronounced brow, he looked like a radiant devil and nearly fought like one.

[We're all criminals,] said D3-V1 as she entered the dining chamber. [But truly, you are one of a kind for letting your nipples show like that. Put those away or I'll twist them off.]

The ex-master, ex-student eyes locked. Waves of psionic pressure flowed from Drexel, while D3-V1's eyes played pictures of him getting spanked.

[Don't remember what happens when you fail to obey, hmm? I guess you haven't been punished in a while. Come here.]

"Stop you two!"

The implant in Drexel's head warned him, and D3-V1 paused all the same. Her code—her very DNA, written to follow the man before her. If only he wasn't such an imp.

Carl jumped down from his stool, walking to the head of his starship, occasionally watching Eon as a screen floated alongside him. "How are the others, did anyone besides him wake up?"

[No,] D3-V1 said, following behind Carl.

"Good. We have a long way to go before we break out of hyperspace, and I want to put as much distance away from the Order as possible."

[We should have left when I told you to,] D3-V1 blurted out.

Carl paused, turning to glare at her.

[Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to say that out loud.]

Flustered, Carl spun on his heels. "Maybe Drexel was right. We ought to check that chip of yours."

A loud clank caused Carl to turn for a second time. He frowned, looking at D3-V1, who had covered her mouth.

[What? I didn't say anything.]

"Keep it that way. For a battle droid, you talk too much."

They reached the helm when Carl spoke again. "I found a buyer for the coffin. A psionic Prince who is a member of the Imperial Gateway. We'll make contact at the Arena. Think you can handle it?"

[A Prince? You expect him to cause a stir?]

"Of course, once he witnesses the coffin, there's no telling what he will do. Psionics are mad dogs, hungry for their next scrap of meat. They'll chew their arm off to taste a new treat."

D3-V1 opened a floating screen that displayed the lower section of the ship. A treasure trove of psionic Artifacts pilfered throughout her years running with Carl. Their stock had gotten dangerously low, but Vorn's vault had proved a boon, replenishing their riches. She estimated the Artifacts at 105,000,000 credits, and 100,000,000 of that alone was for the dark coffin. An Artifact that gave her tremendous worry. Could she handle a Prince with his eyes set on such a weapon?

[No. We'll need backup. You'll have to split the profits,] she finally said, unsure of whom they could trust not to turn on them for the Artifact. Once leveled, there was no telling what abilities the Artifact would bestow. She had searched a thousand times and yet still had no luck finding information on psionics that wielded the corrupt essence.

Arc Energy manifested itself in innumerable ways, becoming more intricate once it melded with a psionic and their Traits. The runes on Artifacts were a testament to that, but they didn't typically form until after an awakening. And definitely not to the extent of the runes on the coffin. Even the highest grade Artifacts in their sector didn't have a quarter of what the coffin bore.

Convinced she was looking at something ancient, something from deep within the Strings of the multiverse that spoke to the origins of the System, D3-V1 closed the display.

"Hmm, perhaps we can get one of the Immortals to oversee this exchange. I'll make a call," Carl said as he sat in his chair, looking at Eon slipping through the void. His energy trailed in an arc as he teleported, zapping the great wolves around him. "In the meantime I want to see him shit gold. That'll make up for the money I'm about to lose."

***

[*Ding!* Congratulations! Void Hunter's Step (F) has reached level 3 - Limited!]

"I think I'm getting the hang of this," Eon said as he exited the void, his senses on high alert.

Three on the left, two on my right. I can do this. Once I push the skill up to level 5 I'll head further into the forest. A few more levels should help with my efficiency. Until then… Eon paled as he sensed twenty wolves spawn around him, lunging all at once.

Without thinking, he teleported into the air twice, soaring at a height of twelve meters.

[Oh wow, I didn't expect that,] D3-V1's voice had returned after disappearing for a few hours. [For surviving that ambush, I'll give you a chance to relax.]

Not believing a single word she said, Eon spent half his energy getting far away from the pack of wolves. Now twenty-five beasts in total, each level 26 with fangs ten times larger than their claws.

But as he landed, without a single wolf in his vicinity, the ground opened to a maw of fangs.

[Oops. I lied,] D3-V1 said as Eon was swallowed whole. [You really are too naive. If I were you, I wouldn't trust the ground I walk on.]

[*Ding!* Congratulations! [Void Hunter's Step (F)] has been reset! New skill level: 0 - Limited!]