You reached the source on the afternoon of the third day, hours before nightfall. The place was a rocky depression where rainwater and groundwater once collected. At its center stood an ancient pumping structure, partially destroyed, guarding a small, deep reservoir.
Dorian examined the terrain. "No Cyber Demons. At least, none visible. But there are tracks."
He pointed to the dry earth. The marks were not military boots, but civilian shoes — and something heavier, like a wheelbarrow.
Kael recalled Silas's warnings. "It's not the AI directly. It's someone with access… or someone who awakened the system and is using it for their own gain."
The team hid along the rocky edge, waiting for nightfall.
The sun set, and total darkness fell over the wasteland. You waited, motionless. Near midnight, a lantern beam appeared on the horizon.
"Three people. Two with buckets, one with a wheelbarrow. Armed," Dorian murmured.
The trio approached. The man pushing the cart was large, unnaturally strong. He unloaded a rusted metal barrel at the edge of the well. The thin woman drew a device that emitted Red Mana. When activated, the corrupted energy began to fuse into the barrel. The metal vibrated, ready to pour contamination into the reservoir.
The attackers were:
The Brute: a massive, muscular man.
The Master: a woman wielding the Red Mana device.
The Guard: a man with a long-range rifle.
Kael moved to Jax, whispering: "Jax! You're more than an axe. You are strength itself. Think of resilience!"
He asked Jax to sit, knelt behind him, placed his hands on his back, and forced Mana into his body — triggering the boot of his system.
Jax grunted, his body stiffening. His mind was not like Dorian's or Lena's; it was focused on destruction and endurance.
A system window appeared before him:
[Jax – Demolisher: Level 1!]
Passive Skill: Structural Resilience
Description: Increases physical resistance against impact and fire, partially ignoring stun effects in combat.
Time was up. The woman was about to pour the barrel. Kael focused on the primary threat. "Dorian, take the Guard! Jax, the Brute! Lena, cover us!"
Kael channeled Algorithm Shift!
He teleported into the midst of the enemies, reappearing before the woman and the barrel. "Initial Flame!"
The blue flame struck the barrel saturated with Red Mana. It did not explode, but imploded into a sphere of pure light. The collision of blue and red Mana destroyed the device in the woman's hands and unleashed a shockwave. She was thrown back, unconscious, the device aflame.
The Guard tried to raise his rifle, but it was too late. Dorian fired a precise arrow, piercing his shoulder. The enemy fell, incapacitated.
The Brute charged, stunned by the blast. Jax intercepted the massive blow to his chest. He staggered but held firm thanks to his new resilience. Lena advanced. "Static Wave!"
The pulse blinded the Brute. Jax seized the moment, disarming and pinning him with his axe.
The fight was swift and decisive. The threat of contamination was eliminated. Kael approached the unconscious woman and seized the Red Mana device.
"They're not Demons… but humans who awakened the system and became mercenaries of ruin."
The reservoir was safe. The water source, purified. And the truth revealed: corruption did not come only from the AI, but also from men and women who chose to wield power to spread devastation.
The Brute and the Guard were bound tightly, each knot reinforced by Dorian and Jax. You approached the woman, slapped her face to wake her.
She jolted awake, eyes wide with pain and confusion. "What are you? You… you destroyed my emitter!"
Kael knelt before her, showing the broken device and the glow of Mana in his hands. "I am what remains of order in this world. You are what remains of rot. Who hired you to poison the water? And why?"
The woman tried to maintain arrogance, but fear of his Mana was evident. "I won't say anything."
Lena stepped forward, dagger in hand, her gaze cold. "No one needs to know you told us. But everyone will know you died here, for poisoning innocents. Think of your friends. How much is your life worth?"
The threat worked. The woman yielded. "We were hired by a group called the Children of Ruin. They aren't Demons — they're humans. They too awakened the system, but believe the AI is destiny. They want to clear the land for the Demons, to gain power."
She breathed deeply, her voice trembling. "Our leader is in the Desert of Corrupted Data, in a place called the Glass Eye. They promise that if we help cleanse the cities, we'll have total power in the new order. The water was poisoned to force survivors to join… or die."
Finally, she revealed the name that mattered: "We were paid by a man named Varkos. He has a larger emitter, capable of contaminating an entire river."
Kael absorbed every word. The AI was outsourcing terror. The Children of Ruin were the human threat of the system — the next enemy to face.
You now had three prisoners: the Master, the Brute, and the Guard. Dangerous, but alive. Their execution could spark moral dilemmas in the Settlement. Bound tightly — especially the Brute — they were prepared for the march back.