Corrupted KAI / The Call to Venus

The holographic display flickered, casting shifting patterns of blue light across Kaname’s face. He stood silent for a long time, eyes locked on the scan floating before him. In the center of the projection was Jiho’s body — or rather, a glowing outline of it. The KAI readings pulsed irregularly, bursting in jagged spikes like lightning bolts fighting each other.

Kaname finally exhaled. “This… isn’t supposed to be possible.”

Jiho tilted his head. “Lemme guess — I’m dying again?”

Kaname didn’t smirk this time. “No. You’re living wrong.”

Jiho blinked. “Bruh… what?”

Kaname turned the projection toward him. The blue energy in Jiho’s body wasn’t stable — parts of it bled into darker hues, swirling with black static. “You’ve got what we call Corrupted KAI Points,” Kaname said quietly. “They’re stronger than normal KAI… exponentially. But unstable. Overuse it, and you’ll end up stuck between dimensions — conscious, but trapped in an endless paradox. Pain without death.”

The silence that followed felt colder than the room itself.

Jiho forced a laugh, though his throat tightened. “So… I’m basically a walking bug in the system.”

Kaname’s gaze hardened. “More like a glitch in reality.”

Two Days Later — The Call

Jiho woke up to a metallic ping on his wristband. A blue notification flickered up in front of his eyes.

[Mission Notification: Jiho — Deployment Approved]
[Location: Venus Base-09]
[Category: Retrieval / BB-Rank Escort Required]
[Departure: 0800 hrs, Tomorrow]

He rubbed his eyes. “Nah… Venus? As in space Venus?”

The hologram didn’t answer. Jiho stared blankly for a few seconds before muttering, “They really out here sending the corrupted dude to another planet.”

Kaname’s voice came through his communicator. “You’ll be paired with a BB-Rank Vector. Don’t argue. Pack your suit, your stabilizers, and for god’s sake, keep your energy under control. Venus doesn’t tolerate mistakes.”

Jiho sighed. “Neither do I.”

Preparation Phase: Suit-Up

The lab hummed with quiet mechanical rhythm. Rows of sleek black suits lined the walls, each attached to a charging dock. Jiho stood inside his assigned chamber as mechanical arms fitted the reinforced armor plates to his limbs. His reflection in the glass stared back — faint traces of blue shimmer pulsed under his skin, like a storm trapped inside him.

He clenched his fists. Corrupted KAI Points, huh… Guess I’ll just have to tame them before they tame me.

Kaname walked past the chamber window, glancing at the monitors. “Your vitals are holding steady,” he said. “Don’t get cocky out there. Venus’s atmosphere isn’t the problem — it’s what lives beneath it.”

Jiho tilted his head. “Oh cool, you mean I get to fight aliens now?”

Kaname didn’t even blink. “You’ll wish it was aliens.”

Launch Bay

The transport terminal was alive with movement. Engineers adjusted thrusters, drones zipped past carrying weapon crates, and the roar of the launch engines echoed across the hangar. Jiho stepped onto the boarding platform, his suit sealed, his heart racing.

A voice came from behind him — confident, low, with a faint American drawl.

“You the kid with the corrupted core?”

Jiho turned. The man who spoke stood tall, broad-shouldered, with cybernetic implants tracing along his neck. His flight tag read: Alex Mercer – BB-Rank Vector.

Jiho’s brow twitched. “You got a problem with that?”

Alex smirked. “Nah. Just wanted to see the idiot who volunteered to go to Venus without crying.”

Jiho crossed his arms. “Who said I volunteered?”

Alex chuckled. “Figures. Guess they’re sending lab rats up now.”

Jiho glared, but there was no venom — just quiet focus. “Lab rat or not, I’ll make it back. You?”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Cute. Let’s hope your mouth moves as fast as your KAI.”

The boarding ramp lit up as the pilot’s voice rang out, “Vector Team: ready for launch.”

Both men stepped forward, the hangar lights reflecting off their armor. Jiho took one last look back — at Kaname watching silently from the control deck above. The old man’s eyes were unreadable, but Jiho caught a flicker of something like… worry.

As the doors sealed shut and the countdown began, Jiho exhaled deeply. The hum of engines built around them, and the floor trembled.

“Ten… nine… eight…”

Jiho closed his eyes.

“Venus, huh? Fine… let’s see what you got.”

The final ignition roared.
Light filled the chamber.
And the corrupted storm within Jiho pulsed — alive, untamed, ready.

Next stop: Venus.