Factory Reset: Divine Corruption

Chapter Sixty-Nine

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Overclocked Gravity

The air turned stale and cold, the wrapping frigidness allowing Mason and Ja'Kle to see their own breath. Ahead of them stood that protogen, illuminated in that faint green light. They hid in the shadows, their body obstructed even by the light itself. As if putting on a dramatic flair.

The green light grew as the light that reflected off of the protogen's visors and their metal faded. Mason and Ja'Kle squinted, saving their eyes from minor damage as they appeared on towards the green protogen. One that was approaching slowly, each paw-step a methodical precise action.

"They look... familiar." Render noted, seemingly squinting as his visor deformed a little, "They are not one of my employees, but I recognize that model. Mason?" The licentious protogen asked, turning on his heel to ask Mason. Ja'Kle produced two glasses for both himself and Mason, allowing both to see the majesty of their opponent.

The protogen was tall and lanky, with limbs a bit too long, paws a bit too large. Their ears were almost as large as their torso, flared and ragged, almost knotted in certain cases. Their fingers, or claws, were a bright neon green. Triple jointed, they curled into a fist. Ja'Kle could feel energy radiate off of them, and it was obvious what kind.

"Damnit. Boson-Energy." Mason reported, already feeling the line around his neck burn. It was a different sensation than the others, he could feel the strain of that much just existing on reality. A burning green color too meant it was obvious. The Green Boson-Energy of time was being used.

"How... How are we supposed to beat that... that thing?" Northern asked from the back, crossbow trained on the opposite protogen, alongside every ranged protogen. Despite Mason not verbalizing what kind of Boson-Energy it was, they all knew. Time. What made it worse was that The Federation was just beginning to really dive into it. They knew next to nothing about time powers.

"Meaty-Things. Enemy-Opponent to myself-I." The thing spoke, it's voice like a thousand individually different voices layered above one another. Their voice was harsh, a language accustomed to any electronic meddling. The Raspartisians, where most words were repeated with a synonym in their language.

A very hard language to translate, especially with how gutturally different the sounds were.

The protogen moved with refined movement despite the language it spoke. Each step was dignified, accompanied with that thunderous echoing boom. It's tail was long and sharp, with numerous spikes around the smooth skin of the thing. It ended with a small ball, most likely made from bone, with hundreds of tiny spikes dotting its spherical surface.

It's visor was completely black, with thin shimmering green outlines, almost like electricity, crackling across the nanites to form an expression. One of nervous enjoyment and stunted laughter. Each movement of it's glowing hands left an afterimage, as if it were moving too fast and too slow at the exact same time.

"Meaty-Things must die-kai." The thing, much more creature than operational protogen, announced. The word kai means supreme death, erasure of conscience thought, as taught by their religion. There is death, and then there's Kaieth.

In a flash of light electric green bursts of energy blasted forth from the protogen's claws, the electricity speeding up the age of the walls and the floor that it touched, reducing the sturdy concrete into mere dust in seconds.

As Mason saw the burst come so close to him that he swore he could feel his fur erupt in sensations, Render's hard-light wall construct appeared around them once again. It appeared faster than the lightning, and as it was a concept-construct it would not age. Giving Mason and them some ample time.