The collapsed mountain range south of the Old City was once a bustling tourist hub. Now, it was nothing but a chaotic pile of bricks, corrupted by the frequencies of the apocalypse. The air here felt dense, vibrating as if invisible microwave pulses were being spewed out every second. Dust particles of System Corruption, saturated with raw XP concentrations, rained down on Tyrex.“This is insane, Boss! Looks like a turbo Level Up spot,” Tyrex whistled, though his eyes remained wary behind the gas mask Marsel had rigged from AC filters and ventilation pipes. Slung across his back, his shopping cart overflowed with low-level System crystals intended as reserve ammunition.Marsel held the Mobile Fortress in a hidden crevice. The area appeared quiet and peaceful—too peaceful. The Eternal Palace map identified this as the ‘XP Mining Camp (Omega Zone).’ Clearly, there was something here worth fighting for.“Don’t get greedy, Rex. This isn’t a discount market,” Marsel retorted through the in

In the air, the wheeled dark-brown suitcase—shrouded in Level 1 Panic System layers, an accidental creation of Pak Budi that Marsel had mistakenly identified as actual high-explosive ordnance—descended freely. It headed straight for the hood of the Mobile Fortress, which was already tilted upward by the Alpha Predator’s gravitational System strike."FLOOR IT IN REVERSE, REX! I'm not dying because of Pak Budi’s suitcase! It’s probably just full of explosive expired receipts!" Marsel screamed, lunging for Tyrex’s steering controls, but he was too late.Tyrex reacted not as a System Knight, but as a fed-up gym rat. Using the momentum of the hanging Mobile Fortress, he threw open the door, swung his Shopping Cart V.2.0, and leaped out, completely bypassing any tactical logic."I GOT THE CASE!" Tyrex roared, his massive frame surging forward. He managed to snatch the suitcase mid-air just before it slammed into the roof."GET IT AWAY FROM US!" Marsel ordered, watching the scene in high ten

Marsel spat out a mouthful of corrupted System Slime and Ekorupt plasma onto the floor of the Mobile Fortress. Defeating the Alpha Predator had drained 99% of his Energy and about 75% of his sanity. He wiped blood—or was it System Plasma?—from his ears and stared at the wet, polished steel badge of the Eternal Palace."We just wanted to get some coffee, dammit! Why do we have to deal with this psychopathic human faction?" Marsel grumbled, his voice hoarse.Tyrex had been dragged into the Fortress by Nana, who was herself on the verge of collapsing after spending all her energy healing Marsel’s internal organ damage. Tyrex winced as he was propped up; he had only just regained consciousness after Nana administered a high-grade System fluid infusion that felt like a shot of liquid espresso injected directly into his muscles."Sector Seventy-Seven? Seriously, Boss? That’s the number of the parking lot that's always full for me!" Tyrex complained, cursing in his signature tone."It’s not

The silence that followed General Eamon’s disappearance from the holographic projection felt ten times more lethal than the explosion of the Anti-Logic Tank. It was a silence filled with data—the certainty of a threat.Marsel held Nana’s head as she choked back harrowing sobs amidst the pathetic smoke of the System Core. This was the first time Marsel had seen Nana truly lose control; she had never feared the Ekorupt, but seeing Tyrex treated like an asset—like mere inventory—broke her."Marsel! Tyrex! He said he’d turn him into a tank monster? They have no right!" Nana cried, her voice strained. Her healing energy was no longer gentle; it felt cold and tense, searching for a target.Marsel could only shake his head, his gaze locked on the steel Eternal Palace badge in his hand—the one stolen from the destroyed Alpha Predator."Nana. Calm down. Listen. Eamon isn't threatening him; he’s threatening us with logic," Marsel said, struggling to keep his voice steady. He hated admitting the

The scent of damp, ancient paper, combined with the smell of scorched metal from the explosion of the Eternal Palace Sniper Unit, filled the lobby of the Metropolis Systemic Archive. The moment Marsel and Nana/Mitha's feet touched the dark marble floor, the atmosphere shifted.The marble walls were no longer static. A network of purple System fibers spread rapidly, transforming the archive warehouse into a neon spiderweb, far more corrupt than the Ekorupt nest outside.“Damn it! Nana!” Marsel quickly turned toward the fallen Nana/Mitha.“Nana!” He called, slapping her cheek. The girl was unresponsive, her body rigid, emitting a high System frequency. It was the same corrupt System frequency that emanated from the Beta Ekorupt Unit. This frequency was not the System he knew; this was the sound of the Siren System.Nana jolted, letting out a distorted laugh, unlike a Drone. It was more melodic and terrifying.“L-let go! The old Empress Syst