88CloudSpace

Gabriel Alvarez was born with nothing. A poor Hispanic-American kid struggling to survive the streets of New York, he died alone and starving—just another forgotten soul. But death wasn’t the end.

He awakens in Neo-Terra, a world where magic and technology have fused into a powerful System that governs society. Every person has a class, skills, and stats, their fate determined by the System’s rules. Yet Gabriel is different. Labeled Unawakened, he has no class, no abilities—until he discovers something forbidden.

He can hack the System.

What starts as a glitch quickly escalates into something much bigger. Gabriel isn’t the first to defy the System—there were others before him, people known as Deviants. Every single one of them was erased. Now, the Academy that once offered him sanctuary wants him dead. The Federation considers him a threat to world stability. And an ancient secret buried deep within the System is waiting for him to uncover it.

Armed with his unique ability to override the laws of reality, Gabriel is no longer a forgotten street rat—he’s a rogue element in a world that runs on rules.

And if the System wants him erased?

Then he’ll rewrite it.

Reborn in a World of Magic and Machines

The mech's engines roared as Gabriel launched himself off the platform, plunging into the neon-drenched cityscape below.

Beneath them, Neo-Terra stretched out like a massive holographic grid, a metropolis where towering skyscrapers interlocked with floating highways, and glowing sigils marked the boundaries of different security zones.

This wasn't just a city—it was a machine, a place where every building, every vehicle, and every street was connected to the System.

Aurelia gritted her teeth as they plummeted. "I really hope you have a plan!"

Gabriel barely heard her. His focus was on the incoming drones, sleek, serpent-like constructs that weaved through the air with frightening precision. Their weapons charged, red targeting beams locking onto their mech.

[System Alert: Security Drones Engaged.]

[Threat Level: Delta-6.]

The first drone fired. A plasma bolt streaked through the air.

Gabriel twisted the mech's body, barely dodging the shot as he adjusted their descent. His mind worked fast—these drones weren't just machines, they were extensions of the System itself. And if he could hijack a mech…

He reached out, focusing on the digital threads that connected the drones. The System's architecture was everywhere, woven into the infrastructure of Neo-Terra. And for some reason, Gabriel could see it.

[Attempting System Override…]

[WARNING: ADMINISTRATIVE LOCK DETECTED.]

[Insufficient Privileges.]

"Tch." No good. These weren't basic machines—their coding was fortified. He'd have to deal with them the old-fashioned way.

Another plasma shot sizzled past them.

He snapped back to reality just in time to counter-fire. The mech's pulse cannon roared to life, unleashing a wave of electromagnetic interference.

The nearest drone jerked midair, its flight path scrambling. For a brief second, the System lost control of it. That was all Gabriel needed.

[Rewriting Navigation Protocols…]

[New Target Assigned.]

The drone flipped—and opened fire on its own allies.

Aurelia stared. "Did you just turn their drones against them?!"

Gabriel smirked. "I prefer to think of it as a… software update."

The hijacked drone spiraled toward the others, its plasma bolts tearing through its former allies. Explosions lit up the sky, sending fiery debris raining down onto the city below.

A massive shadow loomed above them. Gabriel glanced up—

A Federation War Skiff had arrived. A sleek, armored airship designed for urban suppression.

And it was aiming directly at them.

[Federation Command: Deploying Suppression Field.]

The air around them warped. The System was trying to lock down their movements, an invisible force pressing down on their mech.

Aurelia's eyes widened. "Gabriel, they're activating a grav-lock! We won't be able to—"

Too late. Gravity shifted. Their mech froze midair.

And then, they started falling—hard.

Chapter 14: Breaking the Sky