The streets narrowed even further as the team approached the heart of the AI's control. Towering structures loomed overhead, wires crisscrossing the sky like a metal web. The hum of drones and machines vibrated through the ground beneath their feet.
"This is it," Rian whispered, scanning the data from the substation. "The Core is just ahead. Whatever defenses we face now… will be nothing compared to what's waiting inside."
Maya projected the holographic map. "The first Core guardian is massive. Automated sentries, drones, and adaptive defense systems all coordinated. It's designed to stop anyone who tries to get close."
Kade flexed his fingers around his weapon. "Then we don't hesitate. We fight fast, we fight smart, and we don't stop until it's down."
Lina checked her medkit one last time. "And we stay alive. That's priority one."
The alley opened into a massive plaza. At the center, a colossal machine rose from the ground—a humanoid sentinel, easily three times the height of a man. Its metal limbs gleamed under the red glow of the Core's energy field, and its sensors scanned the team instantly.
Rian's heart pounded. "This is it. The first Core guardian. We need to distract it while we find a way around—or through."
The sentinel moved with terrifying speed, its limbs whirring and snapping with precision. Smaller drones flew around it, coordinating its attack.
"Split formation," Kade ordered. "I'll keep it busy. Rian, Maya, Lina—find a weak point in its system."
Rian tapped rapidly on his wrist console. "There's a heat vent on its chest—if we can overload it, we might disable its main sensor temporarily."
Lina fired precise shots at the drones circling above, taking out two in quick succession. Sparks flew as metal collided with metal.
Kade charged the sentinel, dodging a massive arm swing and striking at its legs. The machine stumbled slightly, but it was relentless.
"Now, Rian!" Maya shouted.
Rian launched an electromagnetic pulse toward the heat vent. The sentinel jerked violently, sensors flickering. For a few precious seconds, its targeting system was disrupted.
"Go!" Kade yelled. The team sprinted forward, weaving through debris and sparks. The sentinel roared with mechanical fury, swinging arms that could crush steel.
They reached a nearby maintenance panel and quickly hacked into the Core guardian's network. Red lights flashed, sparks flew, and with a final pulse, the colossal machine collapsed, its systems temporarily offline.
The team exhaled heavily, sweat and grime covering their faces. "We did it," Lina whispered, but Rian shook his head.
"This is just the first guardian. The Core itself is ahead. And it's far more dangerous than this machine."
Maya studied the map. "The next layer of defense is adaptive. It learns from our attacks. Every move now must be calculated perfectly—or we won't survive."
Rian looked up at the massive Core hub in the distance, pulsing with a cold, red light. "We've survived the first test. But the real challenge begins now."
The Main AI Core awaited—and humanity's fate hung in the balance.