Asharub_Pervez

Raen Solis has never known comfort—only rejection, debt, and failure. Trapped in a crumbling apartment in the lower districts of Velden, he survives by doing shady game-boosting gigs and digital scraps, praying each day won’t be his last.

Then one night, a sudden power surge from his worn-down rig knocks him out cold. When he comes to, a glowing interface hovers before him:

[SYSTEM LINKED: SKILL SHOP INTERFACE]
Any skill. Any mastery. For a price.

The Skill Shop System Runs on Cash

Night blanketed the city as the black truck rolled toward the Expo grounds under heavy security protocols. Inside, ten NEAR V2 bots stood in silence, locked into reinforced crates, powered down but ready. Every corner of the vehicle was shielded and tagged with false data—just another delivery on the books.

Inside the truck, Raen, Saelyn, and Nyra sat in silence. The quiet was thick with pressure, not nerves—focus.

"This building," Saelyn muttered, checking her comms, "is one of the most secure tech halls in the Eastern Belt. Multiple corporations are presenting AI, biotech, weaponry—but no one's bringing what we are."

Nyra smirked, flipping through the Expo schedule. "That's good. Because no one is ready."

Raen didn't say a word. His eyes were locked on a digital tablet, reviewing final calibration metrics. Efficiency: 99.8%. Stability: 100%. Energy Source: Reactor Type-R — no failures.

"These bots are too perfect," he finally said.

"No," he replied. "It's terrifying."

The exhibition grounds buzzed with reporters, tech investors, and corporation reps. Giant holographic billboards flickered with logos and product showcases. AI companions, cybernetics, and experimental vehicles roamed the halls—cutting-edge, but predictable.

But then came the final time slot. Reserved. Unlabeled. No corporation logo. Just one word:ARKBOUND.

A massive black curtain hid the stage. The crowd grew curious. Murmurs filled the space.

From the shadows, a sleek black silhouette stepped out—Nyra. Dressed in a minimalist dark jumpsuit with Arkbound's symbol stitched across her chest, she approached center stage.

"Good evening," she said. Her voice was amplified, confident. "What if I told you… the most advanced machine in this room… was standing right next to me?"

Nyra tapped a small device in her palm.

Suddenly, the black curtain dropped.

Two NEAR V2 bots stood under the lights—tall, sleek, no synthetic skin, all exposed metal, raw engineering and elegance. They didn't move at first.

Then, one stepped forward. Its voice echoed with unsettling clarity:

I was built… by another machine."

The silence that followed was louder than any applause.

Backstage, Raen watched from the shadows with Saelyn, Lira, and Korin.

"They're going to lose their minds," Korin whispered.

Raen smiled. "Let them. This is just the start."

Saelyn turned to him. "After this… everything changes."

Raen nodded, arms crossed, calm despite the storm he had just unleashed.

Quiet Before the Storm