Unexpected Suprise

A sudden tremor reverberated through the Colossus, violently shaking the mammoth ship. Kai, barely used to his towering metallic form, stumbled and fell.

The Evo System screen flared crimson, accompanied by a blaring siren.

[Warning! Colossus outer hull compromised. Heavy damage from asteroid collision. Air-locking collision area. Repairs recommended.]

Fear jolted through Kai. Another window popped up with a new announcement.

[Initiating first mission. Extra reward and 2x points earned on each kill.]

[Mission: Survival]

[Description: Starship Colossus mainframe A.I. compromised by alien life forms, Tentaculi Umbrae, present on the lower decks. These creatures likely caused the asteroid collision.]

[As this is your first mission you will be given a hint.]

[Further analysis reveals these creatures are parasitic life forms known to infest technological systems. They are adaptable and possess regenerative abilities. Target their central nervous nodes for maximum damage.]

[Goal: Eliminate the alien life forms, 0 / 176]

[Reward: 150 Evo Points, extra reward]

Kai stared at the screen, overwhelmed. "I knew there would be quests, but seriously? And those things compromised the A.I.?" His voice echoed in the empty chamber.

A flicker of doubt crossed his mind. Could he really take on these creatures and survive?

Then, a surge of determination replaced fear. Because there is no option of, if he will be able to do but he has to do it he was given a second chance even though not as human but as Xerion, The System had provided its assessment, and now it was his turn.

[The Colossus is approximately the size of your previous life Earth's moon, powered by a captured dwarf star in its core. The main A.I. has transferred command authority to the host. However, the starship has been stranded in dark matter clouds for over 2500 years, causing extensive damage. The dwarf star at its core is losing energy for unknown reasons, putting the ship's systems and your survival at risk.]

"Great," Kai sighed, releasing a puff of steam. "So, I'm basically a fantasy prince and looks like Transformers cousin... but my kingdom is a crumbling starship, and dragons are hungry space parasites. How am I supposed to fight that many barehanded?." A hint of his old humor re-emerged despite the dire situation.

[You are in command of the Colossus. Order it.]

Remembering the authority grant from the ship's damaged A.I., Kai tried to focus. "But how? The mainframe A.I. is chewed up! Do I just yell 'Open up the armory or arsenal?'"

Almost instantly, a section of the wall, a few meters wide, hissed and jutted outward before stopping abruptly in front of Kai. Steam billowed from its edges as it revealed an arsenal within. Making Kai's jaw sensors locked open with surprise.

"Whoa, that actually worked." A flustered laugh escaped him. "Of course, it's not like there's anyone else here to hear me."

He approached the glowing white wall, awash with holographic displays and an assortment of weaponry – sleek guns, grenade-like canisters, and several metallic cubes.

His gaze landed on a massive pulse cannon."Now, that's a bad boy." Kai reached out, but a shimmering force field blocked his way.

"Energy scans will determine the optimal weapon," a disembodied voice announced. A soft blue beam scanned him from below. "Energy levels dangerously low. Recommend the use of a plasma melee weapon for efficiency and to avoid the risk of total shutdown."

The force field around one of the metallic cubes vanished.

"Guess the refill the system gave me really wasn't much... but at least I got something" Kai picked up the cube. "Okay, but how am I supposed to use this?"

[Register yourself by pouring a portion of your core energy into the cube. Channel it from your core to your fingertips.]

Kai closed his eyes. "Like directing the water's flow through channels, huh?" He focused on the core deep within his metallic form. With a surge of instinct, energy flowed through him, tendrils of light shimmering beneath his metal skin.

As the energy reached his fingertips and poured into the cube, glowing blue lines traced intricate patterns on its surface. The cube began to shift and flow, morphing with a liquid grace.

In seconds, it reshaped itself in his hand – a black hilt, a sleek curving shaft, and crackling blue plasma forming the blade of a katana.

Kai's eyes snapped open. "Woah, that's some serious Star Trek stuff right here!" The childlike excitement was quickly replaced by harsh reality. "No time for geeking out! I need to get moving."

"Open a map and scan for life forms other than me. Mark them," he commanded, his voice echoing in the vast chamber.

A tingling sensation spread across his back wrists, the metallic skin there flexing slightly. He glanced down, his optical sensors widening as a section of metal seamlessly unfolded and With a soft hum, a detailed map of the Colossus materialized in the air before him, shimmering with an ethereal blue light.

A green arrow pulsed in the center, denoting his location. Scattered across the lower decks, dozens of red blips pulsed ominously.

 Kai's breath hitched. "Now, open a path to the nearest one."

A wall section slid away, seamlessly dissolving into the surrounding metal. Kai hesitated, a cold shiver running down his metallic spine. He tightened his grip on the plasma sword, the blue glow reflected on his black body.

"Hope this plasma cuts through whatever those alien beasties are made of," he muttered. Then, with forced determination, he stepped into the shadowed corridor beyond.

The passageway was dimly lit, Warning signs flashed along the metal walls, some in languages Kai didn't recognize. A trail of viscous, iridescent slime marred the floor.

Kai's footsteps echoed hollowly as he followed the slimy path, the plasma sword casting an eerie blue glow."Where in all the galaxies did these things come from?" he whispered, more to himself than anyone else.

Ahead, the passage twisted, and a low, guttural growl reached his ears. Kai froze every sensor in his metallic body on high alert.

His gaze locked on the bend in the corridor."Alright, here goes nothing," he steeled himself, his grip on the sword tightening.

The Evo System screen flickered in his vision, but Kai ignored it. His full attention was on the shadowy form emerging from around the corner. Tentacles writhed, tipped with razor-sharp claws. Multiple eyes, gleaming like oily glass, tracked his movements.

"shit alien octopus! " Kai shouted, recoiling himself back.The grotesque creature skittered closer, a guttural snarl rising from its maw – a maw ringed with razor-sharp teeth.

He had no time for a plan. Kai lunged, the plasma sword humming as he swung. The tentacle aimed for him snapped back as the blade slashed through it, emitting a sickly sweet burning smell. The creature screeched an unearthly sound that grated on Kai's sensors.

More tentacles lashed out, trying to entangle him. Kai whirled, deflecting them with a series of desperate swings, the plasma sizzling against alien flesh.

The creature was fast, scuttling along the walls and ceiling with unnatural speed. Kai felt a sense of overwhelming claustrophobia in the confined passage.

"Think, Kai, think!" he thought frantically. "I need more reach, something to keep this thing at a distance…"

A surge of energy shot through the hand gripping the sword as he poured a surge of concentration into the weapon. The humming of the blade deepened, and the blue plasma flickered, then stretched, reshaping. In seconds, the katana transformed into a spear, the plasma now crackling on its tip.

He tightened his grip on the plasma spear, a shiver rippling across his metal spine plating.

Kai lunging forward, thrusted his spear with the full strength of his new body. It pierced the creature, pinning it against the wall with a spray of foul-smelling fluid.

"Just die you ugly and smelly alien octopus" The beast thrashed and shrieked, then went limp, a smoking hole in its torso.

The Evo System pinged.

[Goal: Eliminate the alien life forms, 1/176]

Kai slumped against the wall, his internal systems working to stabilize. Steam hissed from the joins in his armor, and a strange thrill coursed through him - not quite adrenaline, but a similar surge of energy.