The Safe Zone's ceiling flickered red.
Not alarm red. Not fire red.
This was a deeper shade—like old blood under cracked glass.
*-------------------------------------*
[DAY 4: SYSTEM EVENT ACTIVE]
[NEW MAIN MISSION: INITIATED]
[BLOCK ZONE: 7R, RED ZONE INFILTRATION]
Required Squad: 6
Estimated Threat Level: HIGH
Objective: Activate System Beacon in Red Zone Sector 7R.
Reward: +100 EXP, Beacon Fragment, +2 Stat Points
Hidden Objective: ???
*--------------------------------------*
A hush spread among the survivors as the message scrolled above them in jagged crimson letters.
Greg muttered, "The red zone. That's suicide."
Aron stared at the screen, already dreading what was next.
"Squad candidates will be chosen based on compatibility with existing system assets…"
[Participant Selected: Aron (Map Chip Holder, Zone 7 Access Key Registered)]
[Reason: Has Navigational Asset. PER stat above threshold.]
Of course.
Aron exhaled slowly and rubbed his forehead.
Dan, still recovering from his injuries, placed a hand on his shoulder. "You'll be okay. Just… don't be a hero."
"I never planned to be."
30 Minutes Later, North Gate Deployment Zone
Aron stood with five others, wearing mismatched scavenged gear.
Sarah was calm and steady beside him.
Orochi sharpened his blade as if the mission didn't matter.
Juno, a new face with ink-black eyes and pale skin—clearly enhanced. Rumors swirled that she'd signed a constellation contract, and she didn't deny it.
Marcus, the heavyset tank, wielded a makeshift shield made from a steel door.
And finally, Rael—a twitchy guy with long fingers who whispered to himself every few seconds.
The gate hissed open, and they moved into Zone 7R, swallowed by red mist.
Red Zone, Sector 7R
Aron's map glitched with static every few seconds, but it still guided them through a cracked street lined with crooked buildings. Everything shimmered faintly, like it was rendered by a broken graphics engine.
Then came the system's warning.
*----------------------------------------*
[WARNING: Corruption Field Detected]
[Corruption Threshold: 3%, Visual distortion may occur]
*----------------------------------------*
"What does that mean?" Marcus asked.
"It means don't trust your eyes," Juno answered. "Or your interface."
They passed a mural that stretched across the wall of an abandoned clinic. It depicted them—all six members—staring out from paint that had not dried for long.
Rael whispered, "It's watching us already."
System Beacon Complex, Entry
The beacon tower stood out from the ruins like a thorn through flesh. At its base were shattered data terminals, bent steel doors, and a central pillar with a flickering blue core.
[System Beacon Offline, Restart Required]
Activation Protocol: 3 Access Nodes
Orochi cursed. "Split up?"
"No," Sarah said. "Pairs. We stay in twos."
Aron was stuck with Juno.
North Node, Node 2 Access Corridor
They descended through a stairwell, the walls smeared with red-glitched vines pulsing with sick energy.
Something moved below.
*--------------------------------------*
[ENEMY DETECTED: ROOT VULTURE]
Class: Corrupted
Threat: Medium
Behavior: Nest-Guarding, Tunnel Movement, Swarm Response
*------------------------------------*
A shape leapt from the ceiling.
Aron slipped, but Juno moved like a blur.
Her hand glowed red. Glyphs flared across her forearm.
[Skill Activated: BLOOD FORGE, Nail of Ruin]
She speared the creature's head with a glowing claw before it could even touch the ground.
It dissolved, leaving behind twitching black fluid.
Aron stared. "That… constellation gave you that?"
She smirked. "You could've had a contract by now, you know."
He said nothing.
*------------------------------------------------------*
Minutes Later, All Nodes Online
[BEACON ACTIVATION: 94%]
[WARNING: DISTORTION SURGE APPROACHING]
[Corruption Field Spike: 22%]
[!! BOSS SIGNATURE DETECTED !!]
*------------------------------------------------------*
The building shook.
Aron's HUD trembled with static, the timer unreadable.
Then it appeared.
Dragging itself from the southern tunnel—a tall humanoid figure stitched from machinery and flesh, with eyes replaced by grinding clock gears.
*---------------------------------------------*
[ENEMY: FRACTURE WARDEN, Boss Class]
Threat: EXTREME
Weakness: Perception Distortion
*---------------------------------------------*
The group scattered.
Orochi struck first, his blade flashing across the thing's leg.
It didn't react. It rewound.
The creature jerked back in time half a second—undoing the slash.
"What the—?!"
Aron saw it.
It was using local time loops to defend itself.
But its "rewind" only triggered when it was being watched.
"I have an idea!" Aron shouted. "Everyone look away!"
"What?!"
"Trust me! Blink, duck, turn—just don't look!"
Sarah nodded first. "Do it!"
Everyone turned.
For three full seconds, no one looked at the Warden.
It froze.
Locked in time.
Orochi moved again—this time from behind—and severed the creature's spinal joint before it could react.
[ENEMY DISABLED]
[HOSTILE RETREAT INITIATED, ENTITY NOT FULLY PURGED]
[Beacon Sync: 100%]
*----------------------------------------------------------*
System Rewards
[MISSION COMPLETE: Red Zone Beacon Activated]
+100 EXP
+2 Stat Points
+Loot: Beacon Fragment (Tier C, Corrupted Data Key)
[Hidden Objective: Exploited Temporal Instability]
+30 EXP
[Aron: EXP 375/500]
[Points Available: 3 ]
*---------------------------------------------------------*
Back at Safe Zone
Aron sat alone, staring at the Beacon Fragment in his hand.
In his inventory, the fragment pulsed like a dying heartbeat.
And then…
*---------------------------------------------------*
[PRIVATE MESSAGE: CONSTELLATION: "The Masked Archivist"]
"Not all archives remain sealed. Ask why you were not erased."
*---------------------------------------------------*
He swallowed.
Far above, the system shifted.
Other constellations were watching now.
Some whispered.
Some argued.
And one reached forward… but was denied.
*---------------------------------------------------*
[Constellation: "Thorn-Eyed Judge" attempted a Contract with Variable_07, Blocked by Archive Lock]
[Constellation: "The Masked Archivist" has preserved observation rights]
[Constellation: "Mirror Watcher" is quietly amused.]
*----------------------------------------------------*