Fragments

Ares sat beside the creature’s corpse, his breath still ragged. His hands trembled—not from fear, but from the rush.
The moment Combat Protocol activated. Every attack had been calculated, instinctual—not learned, but applied.
It wasn’t just reflexes. It was like… his body already knew how to fight.
But that wasn’t possible.
A flicker of light. System text glitched across his vision.
System: [Combat Protocol—[ACTIVE][Analyzing Host Response—[ERROR][Data Corruption Detected—[Partial Recovery…]
Ares exhaled, forcing himself to focus."Explain," he muttered, testing the waters.The system responded, text warping and flickering.
System: [Combat Protocol—Adaptive Response [Fragmented].[Activation Parameters—Life Threat Detected.][Host Lacks—Integrated Movement. Database Compensating.]

Ares frowned. That didn’t tell him much. He tried again."Why did I move like that?"The answer came, sluggish and broken:
System: [Combat Data—[Stored] [Host Lacks Prior Training—[Adaptive Override Engaged] [Movement Optimization—[Limited]

Ares narrowed his eyes. The system wasn’t teaching him how to fight.It was… making his body move optimally based on pre-existing combat principles.
He had no muscle memory, no personal experience—but the system bypassed that. It compensated for his lack of skill, triggering reactions his body could execute without conscious thought.
It was assisting, but not perfect.
That meant—if the system was incomplete, so was his ability to fight.Ares clenched his fist.He couldn't rely on this forever.Another flicker of text.
System: [Emergency Life Protocol—PARTIALLY ACTIVE] [Vital Response Augmentation—LIMITED FUNCTIONALITY][Host Recovery—Slow]

Ares inhaled sharply.That was the other function—the one that had kept him alive."Emergency Life Protocol," he muttered.
System: [Priority—Survival][Biological Stabilization—[ACTIVE][Resource Allocation—Host Sustenance Required]

Ares' eyes flicked to the dead creature.The system wanted him to eat.He exhaled through his nose. He already understood what that meant. The system was prioritizing survival, forcing his body to digest food faster to accelerate healing.
It wasn't healing him directly—it was just making his body work more efficiently.
His fingers curled into the fur of the dead beast. The weight of everything settled over him.
His body wasn't his own anymore.It was being optimized. Adjusted.But there was one thing he was sure of now—
This system wasn’t fully functional.It was damaged.And that meant he couldn't trust it completely.Ares exhaled, shaking off the thought. Right now, he needed energy.
And the only thing available was the creature in front of him.