Chronicles of the Arcane Engineer

Alex's body froze as the yellow eyes glared at him from beyond the barricades. Unlike the glowing red eyes of the wolves, these carried a sinister intelligence, cold and unfeeling. A low rumble, deeper and more resonant than any growl he'd heard, echoed across the ruins.

The thing stepped into view.

It was massive, nearly twice the size of a man, and grotesque in every way imaginable. Its body was a twisted amalgamation of flesh, bone, and jagged protrusions that seemed to grow like tumors across its frame. Muscles coiled unnaturally beneath its leathery skin, and its claws—each as long as Alex's forearm—scraped the stone with a metallic screech.

But what held Alex's attention was the thing's chest. Its ribcage, cracked and splayed open, revealed a glowing red Core nestled deep within. The light pulsed faintly, almost like a heartbeat, illuminating the sickly veins that ran through the creature's body.

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"Threat Identified: Corrupted Sentinel."

"Classification: Elite. Difficulty: High."

"Weakness: Exposed Core. Target glowing ribcage for maximum damage."

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Alex's breath hitched. "Elite? High difficulty? Oh, that's fantastic," he muttered, gripping his crossbow so tightly his knuckles turned white.

The Sentinel's yellow eyes locked onto him, and it let out a guttural roar that rattled the stones beneath his feet. Then it began to move, each step shaking the ground as it closed the distance between them.

Panic surged in Alex's chest. His barricades, his traps—none of it felt like enough. He was outmatched, and he knew it.

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"Recommendation: Use crafted traps to delay enemy. Target Core for critical damage."

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The calm tone of the System was at odds with the chaos unfolding in front of him. Alex glanced at the crude traps he'd set earlier. Tripwires rigged to release falling debris. Hidden stakes meant to impale anything heavy enough to trigger them. They were primitive, hastily constructed, and designed for wolves—not whatever this monstrosity was.

"Okay," Alex muttered, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Guess we're about to find out how good they are."

---

The Sentinel's claws scraped the ground as it advanced, its glowing Core pulsing brighter with each step. Alex raised the crossbow, his finger hovering over the trigger. The first trap was only a few feet away—he just needed to lure it in.

"Come on, big guy," Alex said, his voice shaking. "Just a little closer."

The Sentinel snarled and lunged.

Alex fired, the bolt striking the ground just in front of the creature. The sudden impact startled it, causing it to step back—right onto the tripwire.

The trap triggered with a loud snap, releasing a cluster of sharpened stakes from the ground. The spikes drove into the Sentinel's leg, eliciting a deafening roar. The creature stumbled, its weight shaking the earth as it tried to pull itself free.

For a brief moment, Alex felt a flicker of hope.

Then the Sentinel ripped the stakes free with a single swipe of its claws. The crude wooden spikes shattered like twigs, and the creature roared again, its yellow eyes blazing with fury.

Alex bolted.

He darted behind a crumbling pillar, his heart pounding as the Sentinel barreled through the ruins. Its massive frame smashed through one of the barricades, sending splinters of wood and shards of metal flying in every direction. Alex ducked, shielding his head as debris rained down around him.

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"Trap effectiveness: Minimal. Additional damage required."

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"No kidding!" Alex shouted, his voice echoing off the stone walls.

The Sentinel turned toward the sound, its glowing Core illuminating the darkness as it lumbered forward. Alex peeked out from behind the pillar, his mind racing. The System had said the Core was its weakness, but getting a clean shot was easier said than done.

He reloaded the crossbow with one of the makeshift bolts he'd crafted earlier. His hands shook as he aimed, lining up the shot with the pulsing Core in the creature's chest.

"Just hold still," Alex whispered, his finger tightening on the trigger.

The Sentinel stopped, its chest turning slightly as if it sensed the danger. For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Then Alex fired.

The bolt flew true, striking the glowing Core dead center.

The Sentinel roared, its body convulsing as the Core flared with bright red light. Cracks spread across its ribcage, and the glow intensified, pulsing faster and faster. Alex's heart leapt into his throat as the creature staggered, its movements jerky and unstable.

"Did I do it?" he whispered.

The Sentinel's yellow eyes snapped to him, and it let out a guttural snarl.

Alex barely had time to react before the creature lunged, its massive claws slamming into the ground where he'd been standing. He rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack, and sprinted toward another section of the ruins.

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"Critical hit achieved. Core destabilized. Target vulnerable. Additional strikes required."

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"Vulnerable?" Alex shouted over his shoulder. "It doesn't look vulnerable!"

The Sentinel moved slower now, its limbs jerking as if the damaged Core was interfering with its control. But it was still coming, each step rattling the ground as it tore through the ruins.

Alex ducked behind another wall, his mind racing. He only had one bolt left, and the Sentinel wasn't going down without a fight. His gaze darted to a pile of debris near the edge of the ruins—sharpened metal shards, broken planks, and jagged stones.

An idea began to form. It was risky—borderline suicidal—but it was all he had.

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He sprinted toward the debris, the Sentinel roaring behind him. His hands worked quickly, grabbing a long metal rod and a strip of fabric. Using the crude knife from his belt, he cut the fabric into strips and wrapped them around the rod's base.

The Sentinel's footsteps grew louder, each one sending tremors through the ground. Alex struck the rod against a nearby stone, sparks flying as the fabric ignited. The makeshift torch flared to life, its flames casting flickering shadows across the ruins.

Alex turned to face the Sentinel, his jaw clenched. "Come on, you ugly bastard."

The Sentinel paused for a moment, its yellow eyes narrowing as it regarded the torch in Alex's hands. The flickering flames reflected off its jagged claws and exposed ribcage, casting eerie shadows across its grotesque frame. Then it roared—a deafening, guttural sound that sent shivers down Alex's spine—and charged.

Alex gritted his teeth, his grip tightening on the torch. His legs screamed in protest as he bolted to the side, narrowly avoiding the creature's claws as they smashed into the ground where he'd been standing. He pivoted, swinging the torch upward.

The flames licked at the Sentinel's Core, and the creature howled in agony. Its movements became even more erratic, its limbs jerking violently as cracks spread further across its ribcage. The red glow of the Core pulsed brighter, illuminating the veins running through the creature's twisted body.

Alex didn't wait for it to recover. He sprinted toward the debris pile, grabbing a jagged piece of metal and another strip of fabric. He wrapped the cloth around the shard's base, creating a second torch. His hands worked frantically, sweat dripping down his face as the Sentinel staggered behind him.

The creature slammed its claws into a nearby wall, the force of the impact sending chunks of stone flying in every direction. Alex ducked, shielding his head as debris rained down around him.

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"Core destabilization at 75%. Enemy aggression increasing. Caution advised."

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"No kidding!" Alex shouted, his voice hoarse.

He struck the second torch against the stone, igniting it. The Sentinel roared again, its yellow eyes locking onto him. It charged, its massive frame barreling through the ruins like a freight train.

Alex darted to the side, tossing the second torch at the creature's chest. The flames struck the Core directly, and the Sentinel screamed, its body convulsing as the light within it flared dangerously.

The cracks in its ribcage widened, the pulsing red glow growing brighter and more erratic. Alex's heart pounded as he realized the Core was nearing its breaking point.

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"Core destabilization at 90%. Recommend immediate evacuation."

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"Evacuation?!" Alex shouted, his eyes darting around the ruins. "Where the hell am I supposed to go?"

The Sentinel lunged again, its claws swiping through the air. Alex rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack, and scrambled to his feet. He grabbed his crossbow, loading the final bolt with shaking hands.

"This has to work," he muttered, raising the weapon.

The Sentinel turned, its glowing Core fully exposed. Alex aimed carefully, his breath steadying as he focused. The world seemed to slow as his finger tightened on the trigger.

The bolt flew, striking the Core dead center.

---

The explosion was instantaneous.

The Sentinel let out an earth-shattering roar as its body convulsed violently. The cracks in its ribcage expanded, the glowing light spilling out like liquid fire. Alex turned and ran, the heat of the blast scorching his back as the Core detonated.

A shockwave rippled through the ruins, sending Alex sprawling to the ground. He hit the floor hard, the air knocked out of his lungs as debris rained down around him. The heat was overwhelming, and for a moment, all Alex could do was lie there, gasping for breath.

When the noise finally subsided, Alex dared to lift his head.

The Sentinel was gone.

In its place was a smoldering crater, the edges glowing faintly with residual energy. The air was thick with the smell of burnt flesh and ash, and the ground was littered with shards of the creature's shattered body.

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"Threat neutralized. Reward: 200 Resource Points."

"Item acquired: Fragmented Mana Core."

---

Alex blinked, his gaze shifting to the glowing object lying in the center of the crater. It pulsed faintly, its light warm and inviting despite the destruction around it.

He staggered to his feet, every muscle in his body screaming in protest. His hands shook as he approached the crater, his boots crunching against the charred stone.

The Mana Core was small, about the size of his fist, and radiated a gentle warmth. Alex picked it up carefully, half-expecting it to burn him, but it felt… safe.

"A Mana Core," Alex murmured, turning it over in his hands. "So this is what I needed."

The System chimed again, its voice calm and matter-of-fact.

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"Objective updated: Use Fragmented Mana Core to construct Basic Turret."

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Alex exhaled slowly, the weight of everything that had just happened settling on his shoulders. He was alive—for now. The Sentinel was dead, and he had the Mana Core he needed to strengthen his defenses.

But as he looked out at the ruined barricades and the dark forest beyond, Alex knew this was just the beginning.

This world wasn't going to stop trying to kill him. If he wanted to survive, he'd have to be smarter, faster, and stronger than whatever came next.

He tightened his grip on the Mana Core, a spark of determination igniting in his chest.

"All right," he said, his voice steady despite the exhaustion weighing him down. "Let's build something that'll make them think twice next time."

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