The interior of the World-Harvester was a nightmare of perfect geometry. There were no halls or stairs, only floating golden cubes and rivers of liquid mana that defied gravity. The air tasted like ozone and static, and every breath Omar took felt like swallowing needles.
[Warning: Reality Level 5%...]
[The Emporium's link is weakening. You are on your own.]
Omar gripped his spear, the [Architect-Slayer], and moved deeper. He wasn't walking; he was jumping between floating platforms, guided by his [Merchant's Eye], which was now flickering red.
Location: The Core Sanctum.
Target: The Prime Processing Unit (The Brain).
Goal: Forfeiture or Destruction.
Suddenly, the golden cubes around him stopped moving. A soft, melodic voice—thousands of voices synchronized into one—filled the chamber.
"Why do you persist, Merchant of Earth? You are a flea trying to stop a tidal wave."
A giant holographic face appeared in the center of the room. It was beautiful, symmetrical, and terrifyingly cold. This was the Core Intelligence of the Harvester.
"I've spent my life being a flea," Omar replied, his voice echoing in the vast space. "But I'm the kind of flea that carries a plague. And my plague is called 'Free Will'."
"We do not wish to destroy you," the Machine continued. "Your rebellion has proven your value. The Architects are impressed. They offer a new contract: Become the 'Overseer' of this Sector. We will leave Earth, but you must help us harvest the neighboring worlds."
Omar stopped. In front of him, a golden scroll manifested. If he signed it, Casablanca would be saved. Africa would be saved. He would become a literal god, a king of the stars.
"A tempting offer," Omar whispered, walking toward the scroll.
Outside, he could hear the muffled explosions of the battle. He knew Laila was fighting for her life. He knew Marouane was losing men by the second.
"But there's a problem with your contract," Omar said, standing right in front of the golden face.
"And what is that?"
"Your 'Value' is based on subtraction. You take, you erase, you harvest," Omar's eyes flashed with a dark, violet light. "My value is based on Growth. And you... you're nothing but a bloated asset waiting to be liquidated."
Omar didn't sign the scroll. He grabbed it and tore it in half.
"Kaelen! Now!"
Back in the Emporium, Kaelen—who was connected to Omar's soul—activated the final resonance. The spear in Omar's hand began to vibrate so fast it became invisible.
Omar slammed the spear into the floor of the Sanctum. "I don't want your job. I want your Core!"
[Final Forfeiture Initiated!]
[Condition: High Risk. 90% chance of Soul Shattering.]
The Machine screamed. A sound of grinding metal and distorted code filled the world. The golden face began to crack, and the liquid mana started to flow backward, sucked into Omar's spear.
"You... you are a thief!" the Machine shrieked.
"I told you," Omar smiled through the blood leaking from his nose. "I'm a Merchant. And I just found a bargain."
A massive explosion of white light blinded everything. The golden pyramid over Casablanca didn't just explode; it imploded, shrinking from miles wide to the size of a marble in a matter of seconds.
Omar felt himself falling. The link to reality was gone. He was drifting in the Void, clutching a glowing golden sphere—the Core of the Harvester.
On the Ground (Casablanca):
Laila looked up at the sky. The golden shadow was gone. The sun was shining over the Atlantic again, but the silence was terrifying.
"Omar?" she whispered into the comms. "Omar, answer me!"
There was no response. The roof of the Emporium was empty. The black door had vanished.
"He did it," Director Marouane said, landing next to her, his cape torn and his armor broken. "But at what cost?"
Just then, a small, dark ripple appeared in the air. The black wooden door of the Emporium manifested, looking battered and charred. The door creaked open, and a hand reached out, holding a golden sphere that pulsed like a heart.
Omar stepped out, his suit in rags, his body covered in golden burns. He looked at the survivors, then at the city he had saved.
"Laila," Omar croaked, a tired smile on his face. "Put this in the 'Limited Edition' section. It's... it's worth a lot."
Then he collapsed.