Chapter 33: Storm Kings, Sewer Escapes, and the Neon Thunder God Awakens
The warehouse wasn't just burning — it was crackling.
Every wall, every beam, every scrap of broken tech hummed with raw electricity, a violent storm of blue lightning snapping through the air like an angry god trying to break free.
The god, of course, was Elliot.
His Neural Boost — now fully merged with the Raijin Protocol — wasn't just sparking anymore. It was alive.
Lightning arced off his body, crawling up his arms, coiling around his fingers like living snakes of energy. The air around him was thick with static — so much that loose bolts, screws, and even shattered bits of glass hovered an inch off the floor, caught in the magnetic pulse rippling from his skin.
The Chrome Reapers and Spire Syndicate mercs weren't charging anymore.
They were hesitating.
Because Elliot wasn't a malfunction now.
He was a storm in human form.
Kain grinned from the shadows, his augmented eyes gleaming. "Oh yeah… you're definitely a walking apocalypse."
Nova, still glowing faintly from the broken feedback loop, kept her blade raised, her suit's bioluminescent lines flickering every time another bolt of lightning snapped off Elliot's skin. "We need to go before you fry the entire city."
The System buzzed — louder than ever — now crackling like static in Elliot's head.
---
[New Mission: Shock and Flee]
Objective: Escape the warehouse and head to Nova's secondary hideout.
Bonus: Don't cause a citywide blackout.
Failure: Incineration, capture… or Nova stabbing you.
---
Elliot wiped blood from his lip, electricity still crawling up his arms. "How are we supposed to sneak out when I'm glowing like a human Tesla coil?"
Kain laughed. "You don't sneak, kid."
The System chimed.
---
[Misquote Mode Activated]
Quote: "If you're going through hell… keep going."
— Winston Churchill… or maybe a guy on Reddit.
---
Nova blinked. "Did… did your system just quote Churchill?"
Elliot's eye twitched. "Yes — and I can't turn it off."
Rend — the Chrome Reaper leader — finally snapped out of his hesitation, plasma blade flaring to life. "He's just a glitch — take him down!"
The Reapers charged.
The Spire Syndicate opened fire.
Elliot's Boost snapped.
A wave of blue lightning erupted from his body — an electric pulse so powerful it fried every plasma weapon mid-shot.
The Spire mercs' rifles overloaded, exploding in their hands.
The Chrome Reapers' implants flickered and glitched, their cybernetic limbs spasming uncontrollably.
The warehouse shook.
Kain grinned. "Now that's a power surge."
The System buzzed again.
---
[Achievement Unlocked: Certified Thunder God]
Reward: +4 Combat Reflex.
Penalty: Increased faction aggression. Congratulations — they all want you even more now.
---
Nova grabbed Elliot's arm — sending a violent shock through her suit — causing the glowing lines down her ribs and thighs to flare way too bright again.
Her breath hitched. "Stop frying me, rookie."
"I CAN'T CONTROL IT!"
The System chimed again.
---
[Libido Meter: Thunderstruck]
Warning: Neural Boost is syncing with… questionable impulses.
Solution: Consider running. Immediately.
---
Nova's glare could've melted steel. "If I glitch one more time—"
"BLAME THE SYSTEM!"
Kain kicked open a hidden door in the back of the warehouse, revealing a dark, grimy tunnel leading straight into Nexus-9's underbelly.
"Sewer system," Kain said, still grinning. "Nice, quiet, and less chance of you exploding."
The System buzzed.
---
[New Side Quest: Fast and the Filthy]
Objective: Escape through the Nexus-9 sewer network without getting caught… or electrocuting yourself.
Bonus: Don't fry Nova again.
Hidden Reward: A path to her secret hideout.
---
Nova shoved Elliot toward the tunnel. "Move."
Elliot stumbled through the entrance, static still snapping from his skin and making the metal ladder hiss with every touch. "I feel like a walking hazard sign."
The System chimed.
---
[Pro Tip: When life gives you lightning… run faster.]
— Benjamin Franklin… probably.
---
"I hate this system," Elliot muttered.
Nova slid down the ladder after him, her suit still glitching faintly from the static crawling off Elliot's arms. "I hate you, rookie."
The Reapers and Spire mercs roared behind them, plasma weapons reigniting as they stormed the tunnel entrance.
Kain slammed the hidden door shut, locking it with a flick of his augmented arm. "That won't hold them for long."
Nova didn't stop moving. "We just need to make it to the next sector."
The sewer tunnels stretched on — dark, grimy, and filled with the faint glow of bioluminescent fungi growing along the walls, adding an eerie neon hue to the already glitching air around Elliot.
His Boost crackled again — stray sparks snapping at the tunnel walls.
Nova flinched. "Control it, rookie."
Elliot gritted his teeth. "I don't know how."
The System buzzed.
---
[New Mission: Master the Storm]
Objective: Train with Nova at her hideout to master the Raijin Protocol.
Bonus: Don't cause a blackout.
Hidden Reward: Unlock new abilities.
---
Kain chuckled, jogging ahead. "You need training — unless you want to be a human lightning rod forever."
Elliot wiped more static off his face. "Great — because dying in a sewer was exactly how I pictured my day."
The System chimed.
---
[Misquote Mode Activated]
Quote: "Float like a butterfly, sting like a… sentient electric eel."
— Muhammad Ali… sort of.
---
Nova stared at Elliot. "Your system's getting worse."
Elliot's eye twitched. "It's sentient now. I can't stop it."
The tunnel rumbled — distant explosions echoing as the factions forced their way into the sewer behind them.
Nova didn't stop moving. "We make it to the hideout — then we figure out how to turn you from a human lightning storm into something we can actually control."
Elliot's Boost flared again — the Raijin Protocol sending more arcs of blue electricity spiraling down the tunnel, lighting up the walls.
Kain grinned. "Or you just let him become the storm."
And with factions closing in behind them — and the storm raging inside Elliot's veins —
The only way out was through the lightning.