The Shadows that Watch(2)

The battlefield was chaotic—energy blasts tore through the air, and blades clashed with metallic roars. Liam tightened his grip on his sword, his mind racing. The Black Armor leader stood before him, unreadable behind their helmet. Their presence was overwhelming, but Liam wasn't the type to back down.

"Override—Deploy!"

A glitching blue aura surged around him as he activated his ability. The pack of shadow wolves he had tamed earlier emerged,snarling as they formed a protective line between him and the leader. But just as they lunged—

"Override—Cancel."

A chilling voice rang out.

In an instant, Liam's wolves froze in place, glitching violently before disappearing in bursts of blue code. Liam's eyes widened.

What the hell just happened?!

The Leader's Power – System Manipulation Liam barely dodged as a pulse of energy shot toward him. The leader hadn't moved, but something was hijacking the system itself.

"Confused?" the leader asked mockingly. "You thought you were the only one who could bend the rules?"

Liam's mind raced. Override was his unique ability—granted by a glitch, not the system! So how had this guy just canceled it?

Kai, who had been hiding behind cover, finally stepped forward. "Liam, don't tell me this guy can mess with abilities too?"

"Not just mess with them," Liam muttered. "He rewrote the rules for a second."

Battle Breaks Out As the leader advanced, more members of the Black Armor Guild charged in. Players from different factions started fighting back.

A fire-wielding player shot blazing arrows at an incoming enemy.A shadow assassin flickered in and out of visibility, taking down enemies before vanishing.A defensive tank player activated a golden barrier, blocking a series of energy bullets.The arena was now a warzone.

Liam was forced to fight without his Override, relying purely on skill. But as he clashed swords with the leader, his mind was already working on a counter-strategy.Liam's Counterattack – Learning the Rules of the Game"Override is still my ability," Liam thought. "If I can't use it the normal way, then maybe…"

He smirked.

Liam grabbed a piece of broken terrain and hurled it at the leader—not as a weapon, but as a distraction. As the leader instinctively dodged, Liam moved his hand toward one of the enemy soldiers instead.

"Override—Deploy!"

A shockwave of code burst out, and instead of summoning wolves—

One of the enemy's robotic guards turned against its own allies.

The Black Armor leader stiffened.

"You adapted already?"

Liam grinned. "What can I say? I'm a fast learner."

A Shadow Watching from AfarAs the battle raged on, a figure stood on the edge of a ruined building, observing from the shadows.

A familiar voice murmured, "He's improving fast… Maybe it won't be long now."

The camera panned to reveal—ECHO.