Eon tossed and turned, feeling a fever run its course. Sweat poured down his body as he continued to roll around. Only to stop when A'steri's hand fell upon his shoulder.

"It's only a dream, Eon. Wake up."

His eyes shot open to his old bedroom, frowning.

"I'll meet you in the yard. Don't rush yourself," she said as she exited the room.

A cold draft made its way through the window, forcing him to step from under the cozy blankets. Man did he not want to get up. Mornings were the bane of his existence. Truly, it should be illegal. But that never stopped anyone.

After getting dressed, he grabbed his training sword, walking out into the hallway where smoke from a giant fire billowed around him. The heat burned his eyes as he waved the smoke away, revealing the black void of space.

A lone inhabitant stood in the darkness; the once pale blue dot that was Typhon. No longer a shining blue marble, no longer a beacon of life, it now smoldered a dark red, staring back at Eon as he stood vigil.

At that moment the pain in his eyes was forgotten, transferred to his heart as it burned at the sight before him. Thousands died in a blaze of fire, their screams demanding his attention. It froze him in place, sharing visions of a hundred-meter tall mantises. Insects that swarmed by the thousands. Beetles the size of tanks that crushed armored vehicles under their weight.

Before he knew it, the visions changed, and he saw through the victim's eyes. He was a mother holding her baby. A civilian willing to defend his home, not expecting to defend his home world. A young boy looking for his best friend, only to find a torn and bloody leash.

The visions were chaotic, an endless replay of tragedy, but somewhere in there was remorse. However, as much as he checked, he couldn't find what he was looking for.

Eventually, the visions ended, and he woke up for a second time. Slowly, his eyes opened, finding a droid standing above him. Unlike D3-V1, it was plated in a ceramic white with a red cross over its chest. Its arms ended in scalpels and screws, like an upgraded Edward Scissorhands.

Eon jerked back, turning to find a metallic tray layered with utensils and stained with blood. His blood. His eye… but there was no eye. Only the remains of an organ that once filtered light. It was chopped to mush like dog food.

Anger and disgust rolled over him, fueled by the images in his hallucinated nightmare. A dull ache accompanied the emotions as he tried to stand. Tried to find the fucking bug and crush it under his boot.

[What are you doing?] D3-V1 walked into the medical bay, wiping away reality with a swipe of her hand.

The medical room dissolved into code until Eon found himself back inside his capsule.

[I'm testing the subject's stress response. His hormone levels are healthy. His brain scans don't show unusual activity. But—]

[He's not responding to the safety measures. As if the protocols don't acknowledge him,] D3-V1 finished.

[Correct. I suspect it's a function of his unique energy. Preliminary tests suggest he has a dormant Trait, one the implants can't detect. Although the implant itself hasn't been ruled out. I can cut him open if you'd like.]

[No need for that TT-1,] D3-V1 said. [You'll ruin all the fun. Now get out, I'll take over from here.]

Air flowed out of the capsule as it opened, and Eon blinked, blinded by bright lights. No, there were no lights. Everything from the air he breathed to the feel of soft cotton on his skin was fake. Nothing but lines of code in the virtual world he was imprisoned in. Yet, it felt so real. Losing his eye had felt…

"Where am I?" Eon glared at the droid standing before him. "My real body." He added, in case his meaning was mistaken.

[Aboard the Siren, laying in a capsule much like the one you're in now. You'll be released once we reach the moons of Khafre. But first, how about we bypass the introductions and start the tutorial, huh? After your run in with Krieg back there, I think you'll need it.]

"So that bug was a real person, not some sick, twisted game?" Eon asked.

[No, why on earth would I do that? I have a heart, you know?] Her eyes flashed into a pixelated rendition of a human heart, beating as blood spouted from open valves. [That kerfuffle back there was all your doing. You're an anomaly, a—] her voice faltered. [Ghost in the system.]

D3-V1 straightened, looking at Eon in a new light. [As you've already heard, your implants show no signs of malfunctioning, yet half of the systems affect you. First you awoke out of a sleep induced state. But most importantly, the safety measures don't apply to you. If it wasn't for TT-1, you would have gone into shock. A cyber coma we could not wake you from. All damage you receive here will be considered as real to your body. So, we'll have to keep you from making friends. For now at least. Until we get that issue under control. In the meantime, you'll enter the tutorial. And please, try not to die on me, will you? I don't know how many times you'll be able to come back.]

Eon rolled his eyes. "What tutorial?"

[Combat of course. Why else do you think I'm here? The Arena on Ilos will make you a lot of money—er, will make us a lot of money.]

The Arena, Eon paled. That's where they are taking me, to the Shattered Planes?

Ilos, the broken twin of Khafre, commonly known as the Shattered Planes of the Immortals, was a notable hub in the lawless expanse of the Outer Rim. Destroyed by a collapsing Nexus Realm, the planet fractured into an asteroid belt and was later claimed for its resources by a faction of psionics known as the Immortals.

Eon was unclear of where the Immortals ranked as a superpower. But their favor among the psionic factions were unmatched, placing them in the top factions based on reputation alone.

Seen as God's, immortals that bestowed the wealth of heavens, the Immortals summoned millions to Ilos to partake in illicit trades of cyberware and Artifacts. The very Artifacts they claimed after a century of slaughter, washing the Shattered Planes in blood on the mere chance a Nexus Seed would be reborn from the death of its realm.

Such a seed would one day evolve, and it would need someone to properly cultivate it. Transforming it into a customized Nexus Realm that generated customized Artifacts.

In hopes to form this seed, the Immortals created the Arena. A series of tournaments that psionics competed in, seeking to claim Artifacts for themselves, as well as personal invitations to higher tiered Nexus Realms.

The competing psionics kept the ambient Arc Energy of the asteroid belt in flux, allowing the Immortals to increase their chances at successfully creating a Nexus Seed without spending vast amounts of their own energy.

Only now could Eon appreciate the genius, yet nevertheless he was heading into the lion's den. A world where power ruled above all, and those at the bottom clawed and ate their way to the top.

But wasn't this something he already knew? Estera wasn't much different. Only the field changed, the game remained the same. Kill or be eaten. Steal or be stolen from. Saul said he wasn't ready for the major leagues, yet here he was. And here he would learn.

[Are you ready?]

As Eon nodded, his surroundings changed. Arcade music played in the background, and blue boxes appeared in front of him, displaying difficulty settings and various game modes over a backdrop of mountains and dragons.

Is this how they train psionics? Hell, I could get used to this if my life wasn't in question.

[We'll start with the basics,] D3-V1 said as a new set of boxes appeared.

[Class selection: F-grade, Common]

[Warrior] [Mage] [Ranger] [Mystic]

[If you've been wondering about the upgrade to your status screen, these are the reasons behind it. Your implants give a comprehensive breakdown of your energy composition, allowing us to organize it under The Class System. A training program that generates unique skills and helps allocate your energy into specific attributes. It's the most popular augment in the Outer Rim for that reason. Choose wisely.]

As a psionic binder, Eon's energy had an innate affinity and the Classes would offer skills that expressed his energy in various ways. But which should he choose?

[Warrior (F) - First to stand before the hoard, whether beast or man, living or undead. The Warrior's courage finds refuge in his blade. Bonus stats per level: +2 Strength, +1 Power, +1 Dexterity. +1 Energy Point.]

Undead, huh? Eon scoffed. Was he seriously going to find viable skills here?

Eon looked at the avatar of a warrior who appeared. Garbed in telekinetic armor, it was the typical image of a psionic enforcer.

Around the avatar floated an unattuned shield, cycling between various weapons. This Class would offer abilities he was most accustomed to, and it held three of the attribute focuses he had in mind. Unfortunately, the focus distribution was backwards, granting priority to Strength over Dexterity.

[Mage (F) - Energy revolves around your palm, following a boundless path. Construction of truth shapes the Mage. Bonus stats per level: +2 Power, +1 Spirit, +1 Perception. +1 Energy Point.]

A small fire birthed in the new avatars' palms, cycling through elements until they blended into one another and fire couldn't be differentiated between ice. With this Class his energy manipulation would see improvement, and Void Lightning would become one of the many elements in his arsenal. The attributes weren't bad either. A perfect distribution for a psionic binder.

[Ranger (F) - The frontier has no lines, you strike from wherever necessary. The Ranger controls the field, controls their fear. Bonus stats per level: +2 Dexterity, +1 Perception, +1 Spirit. +1 Energy Point.]

With each description, Eon became more interested in the game's lore than he did the abilities they would offer. But then a new avatar appeared, detonating psionic traps that it controlled from a distance. With this Class he'd gain maneuverability and skills that maintained their power over long distances. The attributes were also in line with his ideal distribution, offering Dexterity and Spirit.

[Mystic (F) - Your seed buds from within, growing into a root system that can grasp the world. The soul's struggle births the Mystic. Bonus stats per level: +2 Spirit, +1 Perception, +1 Power. +1 Energy Point.]

This time a Mystic avatar formed, a blend of all three classes. A jack of all trades, yet master of none. However, that didn't mean the Class didn't have its own specialty.

The description hinted at the variable Traits of a psionic's energy. Even the unattuned energy of enforcers contained Traits, sharpening their blades and hardening their armor. But with this Class his [Vampirism] Trait would go far, becoming the focus of his abilities. The Class also held the same attribute distribution as a Mage, making him second guess himself.

Eon assessed D3-V1, the battle droid outfitted head to toe in Orion steel plates. Along with the enforcer that captured him in the vault, she would be one of the obstacles that barred his freedom. Likely tasked with his retrieval if he managed to escape.

With that in mind, his choice became more practical. He would need a Class that enhanced his current abilities and offered a method to defend himself. What better option than Ranger? He could hit them without ever revealing his location.

*Achoo!* D3-V1 sneezed. [I think someone is thinking bad thoughts about me. Have you made up your mind yet?]

"Ranger," Eon said.

[Class selected: Ranger (F-grade, Common) - Ability types available.]

- Dexterity

- Perception

- Spirit

[Accessing affinity. Generating core abilities…]

[Class upgraded to Rare!]

[New Class available: Hunter (F-grade, Rare)]

[Hunter (F) - A single focus, their demise. Insatiable hunger drives the Hunter. Bonus stats per level: +3 Dexterity, +2 Power, +2 Strength, +1 Spirit. +2 Energy Points.]

[Oh, I haven't seen that in a while,] D3-V1 said.

"What happened? Why'd the selection change?" Eon asked.

[For you? If I had to take a guess, it's due to your Artifact. By enhancing your bloodline, your energy has gotten stronger. Now you're able to handle more powerful abilities, and have received a rare archetype as a result.]

"Bloodline?" Eon asked, recalling the ball of electrified plasma. "What does the Artifact do, and who is Sylvia Stormlight?"

[Beats me,] the droid said. [You'll awaken the blood soon enough. By then, the quests will have answered all your questions. Until then, let's have some fun.]

Eon looked at the new Class. His selection had received an upgrade, leading him to question his choice. Should he select a different Class? Perhaps a rare version of Mage would fit him better with its enhanced abilities. An advanced Mystic would attain upgrades in its specialty as well. But in the end, that fact applied to all the Classes, including the new Hunter variant. He was in the same spot as before. No. Better.

As he reread the description, he realized the Hunter Class was designed for him. For his desire to escape, adding much needed power to the evasiveness of the Ranger. The description also hinted at a connection to his psionic Trait: [Vampirism].

Tailor made, he couldn't have asked for anything better.

Finally, Eon accepted the new Class and the training system generated new skill patterns; four rare abilities dedicated to his attributes.