One month on the home world.
The ruins became our headquarters. The Curator opened chambers we'd never seen—training rooms, libraries, armories filled with weapons from a dead civilization. Ancient magic met modern determination.
I stood before my team on Day 1.
"Webb talked. Sarah sent everything." I spread files across a stone table. "There are others. A network of immortals harvesting dying worlds. They have machines like Webb's on at least twelve worlds. Maybe more."
Darius studied the maps. "Twelve worlds. Twelve machines. Each one draining magic, summoning creatures, opening doors."
"Correct."
"And we're supposed to stop them all?"
"Eventually." I looked at each of them. "But first, we train. Level up. Get stronger. One world at a time."
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "How long?"
"However long it takes. A month. Two months. A year." I met her eyes. "We're not just fighting machines anymore. We're fighting a Network. And they've been at this for centuries."
Silence.
Then Theo spoke. "So we get strong enough to make centuries not matter."
I smiled. "Exactly."
---
Month 1: Training Arc
The Curator designed the program.
"You have faced corrupted. Nobles. Shadow wielders. Creatures from beyond." It looked at each of us. "Now you face yourselves."
Week 1-2: Individual Limits
Each of us trained alone.
Darius in fire chambers, heat so intense his skin blistered. He emerged stronger.
Mira in healing gardens, plants that cut as often as they cured. Her magic deepened.
Theo in obstacle courses designed to break the confident. He broke. Rebuilt. Grew.
Lyra in information warfare—ancient puzzles, coded messages, traps of the mind. She emerged sharper.
Mei Lian in Eastern Consortium techniques, refined by Curator knowledge. Deadlier than ever.
Me in everything. Fire. Water. Steam. World Walker abilities. The Curator pushed until I couldn't stand, then pushed more.
By Week 2, we were all Level 35+.
Week 3-4: Team Synergy
Together again.
The Curator threw everything at us—monsters, puzzles, traps, illusions. We learned to fight as one mind.
Darius and Theo became an unstoppable duo—power and speed combined.
Mira kept everyone alive, her healing almost instinctive now.
Lyra coordinated from shadows, feeding information, predicting enemy moves.
Mei Lian and I fought as one. Romantic, yes, but also tactical. We knew each other's next move before it happened.
By Week 4, we were ready.
---
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Training Complete
· Team Levels: 35-38
· Synergy: Maximum
· New Abilities: Multiple
· Next: First Network target
---
The First Target – World of Ash
The Curator opened a door.
"This world is called Ash. Once beautiful. Now dying. The Network has a machine here, deep in the capital ruins."
I looked at my team. "Same plan as Earth. In, hit hard, destroy machine, capture leader."
Darius grinned. "Finally."
We stepped through.
---
Ash was exactly what its name suggested.
Gray skies. Dead ground. Cities crumbling. Air that tasted of soot and despair.
The machine sat in what was once a palace. Guarded by creatures—different from Webb's, but same energy. Same wrongness.
We hit fast.
Darius and Theo cleared the perimeter. Mira kept us healed. Lyra guided us through traps. Mei Lian and I fought our way to the heart.
The leader was a woman. Old. Tired. Surprised to see us.
"You're not from this world."
"No." I raised my hands. "Your machine ends now."
She laughed. "You think destroying one machine matters? There are dozens. The Network—"
"I know about the Network. You're going to tell us everything."
She fought. Hard. Experienced. But we were faster. Stronger. Together.
When she fell, we bound her. Sarah's techniques—restraints that suppressed magic.
Then we destroyed the machine.
The sky above Ash flickered. For the first time in decades, sunlight broke through.
---
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Mission Complete: World of Ash
· Machine: Destroyed
· Leader: Captured
· New Information: Gained (three more world locations)
· Reward: 5000 EXP (team)
[Team Levels Increased]
All members now Level 40+
---
The Strategy Evolves
Back at the ruins, we debriefed.
"One world at a time works," Darius said. "But at this rate, it'll take years."
Lyra nodded. "We need to move faster."
I looked at the captured leader. She'd talked—threats of pain worked, combined with promises of mercy. We had locations for three more machines.
"We split," I said. "Two teams. Hit multiple targets simultaneously."
Mei Lian raised an eyebrow. "Who leads the second team?"
"Darius. With Theo and Mira. Lyra coordinates both remotely. Curator provides support."
Darius's eyes lit up. "Finally. My own command."
"You ready?"
He cracked his neck. "Born ready."
---
Two Teams. Three Worlds. One Month.
Team Ren: Ren, Mei Lian, Curator support
· Target: World of Glass (advanced civilization, frozen in time)
· Strategy: Stealth + precision
Team Darius: Darius, Theo, Mira, Lyra (remote)
· Target: World of Echoes (sound-based magic, dangerous)
· Strategy: Power + endurance
Combined Target: World of Chains (prison world, Network stronghold)
· To be hit simultaneously after first two fall
We trained for one week on coordination. Split operations. Emergency protocols.
Then we stepped through separate doors.
---
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
New Phase: THE NETWORK CAMPAIGN
· Team Ren: World of Glass
· Team Darius: World of Echoes
· Combined Target: World of Chains (after)
· Timeline: 1 month