"Even gods feared the one sent to delete mistakes."
---
The path ahead was nothing like the rest of Neavo.
Hari stepped into the Core Layer's breach, and the world reshaped around him.
The air was sterile. Cold. Soundless. A white void that flickered with strands of raw system logic flowing like rivers in the sky.
He was no longer in a world.
He was in the skeleton of the system itself.
A console flickered to life before him—its voice sharp, synthetic.
> [Welcome, Reclaimer Access Detected]
Protocol unlocked: Root Command View
Warning: You are now in proximity of system enforcement protocols
Threat Level Detected: REAPER-NODE_00
Hari didn't flinch.
"Let it come," he said. "This time, I'm the one doing the deleting."
---
System's Executioner
Far beneath the base layer, deep in a vault sealed from player access, the Reaper stirred.
Its form was human-shaped—tall, encased in void-black armor, with flowing white code scars carved across its body. A blindfold wrapped around its eyes, but the weapon it carried was awake. A blade not made of steel, but of pure rollback script.
Its voice cracked reality as it awoke.
"Target confirmed. Harindra. Reclaimer Ascendant."
"Violation: Evolution beyond root-level boundaries."
"Punishment: Erasure."
The floor beneath it cracked with digital static.
And then it stepped out of time.
---
Harindra: Reclaimer Ascendant
Hari stood still as the light behind him pulsed. The system was already pressuring him—subtle debuffs laced the air, attempting to suppress his abilities.
He felt it.
A presence far colder than any monster.
Seconds later—space behind him shattered like glass.
The Reaper appeared midair, descending silently with sword drawn.
Hari spun.
Blades clashed.
For a second—nothing moved.
Then—
BOOM
The Core Layer trembled as Hari was thrown back. His blade cracked. The Reaper hadn't used a skill—just a system-level command embedded in each strike.
Hari coughed blood, laughing.
"So... you're the cleanup tool."
The Reaper raised its rollback blade again.
"You are a memory the system regrets. Prepare to be reset."
---
Evolution vs. Deletion
Hari's core flared again. The Reclaimer Form pulsed.
This wasn't just combat—it was a battle of existence versus command.
He activated Mirror Rewrite—reflecting the Reaper's targeting code back at it. For a split second, the Reaper staggered.
Hari dashed in, using Glitchstep to close the gap, and struck its shoulder.
But it wasn't enough.
The Reaper grabbed him mid-strike and drove him into the code-floor, rupturing the environment.
> [System Warning: Core Fragment Integrity 52%]
[Reclaimer Ascendant Form stability dropping]
Hari gritted his teeth.
"I'm not done yet."
He raised his hand—and summoned a new power.
> [New Subsystem Activated: Paradox Chain]
Ability: Anchor your identity beyond rollback commands for 60 seconds
Cost: Severe system corruption
The chains lashed out—wrapping around him like glowing white armor.
Time around him fractured. Reaper commands failed.
And Hari moved again—faster than before.
One strike. Two. Three. Then dozens.
He wasn't just surviving.
He was rewriting the Reaper's patterns in real time.
---
The First Cut
The Reaper staggered.
For the first time in its immortal life—it bled.
Silver code leaked from its torso where Hari's blade found an opening.
Hari didn't smile.
He looked at it, cold and calm.
"You can't erase me. Because I'm not a bug in your system."
"I'm the one who sees the truth beneath it."
---