[System Log – 03:44:08]
Sector: Danton
Current Threat: Unknown Infiltration
Author Status: Noah Cross (ACTIVE)
Author Text Cooldown: 19:32:44
Noah sat at the Dominion Core chamber, arms folded over a half-unrolled tactical map. Seraphine had marked each barrier point, and Talia's blades had carved new red lines over every route with reduced visibility.
But none of it mattered if the enemy didn't walk through gates.
"Every trap we've made assumes a frontal attack," Seraphine said grimly.
"I know," Noah muttered. "We didn't plan for a system-native assassin."
Talia tapped the map with her blade hilt. "He's here. Not approaching. Here. Inside the story. That's the difference."
[Infiltration Risk Level: Red]
Estimated Time to Sabotage Attempt: Unknown
Suggested Action: Scan for Retconned Entries
Noah activated the Core Scanner.
[Scanning Population Records…]
Population: 117 Named Survivors
Discrepancy: Detected
One entry has conflicting memory anchors and registration time.
Elias.
Kitchen worker. Registered two days ago. Joined after the Seeker fight.
But that wasn't possible.
There were no survivors after the Seeker fight. No rescue teams. No active transfer events.
Noah stared at the entry.
"He wasn't here," he whispered. "He never was."
[System View: Elias / Delta_Zero]
Elias (Delta_Zero) stirred the ration pot slowly, surrounded by civilians. His eyes scanned lines of hidden script.
Over each survivor's head floated a line of anchor text—the sentence that tied them to this story.
"Lin survived the collapse and rebuilt the outer fence."
"Mira swore to protect her little brother."
"Jennie lost her father, but never her hope."
Each one had weight. Memory. A foothold in the story.
Elias had none.
No anchor. No past.
Just a permission slip to destroy.
He reached toward the control glyph embedded near the ration line—the one Noah used to auto-feed nutritional rations through the system.
His hand passed over the script.
[Targeting Anchor Point: Food Distribution Logic – Event Subroutine 14]
Status: Stable
Override Method: Entropy Injection
A flick of his finger.
A line changed.
The new text read:
"For reasons unexplained, food stopped regenerating."
Back in the Core Hall
[System Alert: Anomaly Detected]
Narrative Inconsistency: Supply Logic Fragmented
Warning: Internal anchor weakening
Possible Result: Reality Drift
Noah's HUD blinked red.
"Food generation script just broke," he said.
Seraphine cursed. "Glitch?"
"No." Noah opened the map again. "Sabotage."
Talia narrowed her eyes.
"Anchor Points. He's trying to unwrite us one sentence at a time."
System-Based Infiltration Map: Danton Sector
[Legend]
🟥 = Compromised (Anchor Point altered or injected)
🟨 = Monitored but stable
🟩 = Secured (Reinforced by Author Text)
⚫ = Unknown Activity
Zone Status Notes
Upper Rail Tower 🟩
Core protected; all entries monitored.
Central Training Deck 🟨
Survivors currently training. No anomalies yet.
Kitchen Storage 🟥
Food logic compromised; first sabotage confirmed.
East Barricade Fence ⚫
Data missing. Possible erasure of surveillance logs.
Golem Repair Room 🟨
Energy drain spike detected. Pending system scan.
Core Room 🟩
Narrative Reinforcement active. Author Text in effect.
Dormitory A ⚫
Survivor records missing for 2 beds. Memory mismatch.
Medical Chamber 🟩
Locked and script-reinforced manually.
Delta_Zero Influence: 2 Anchor Points compromised
If 5 or more points collapse: Sector Logic Integrity Fails
Back at Kitchen – Elias (Delta_Zero)
He watched as two children tried to take rations from a dispenser.
The machine blinked red.
"No food today," it chirped flatly.
The boy cried. The girl pulled him close.
And the narrative weakened around them.
[Emotional Disruption Achieved]
Anchor Point #2 destabilized
+5% Infiltration Integrity
Delta_Zero closed his eyes.
Soon, the story itself would forget they existed.
Atop the Core Tower – Nightfall
Noah stood with Talia.
"I can't catch him with logic. He isn't following it."
"No," she said. "But if he's targeting the story… maybe you should stop playing the hero."
He turned.
"You want me to act like a villain?"
"I want you to act like the Author."
[Trait Update: Author's Voice – Passive Triggered]
You may now detect false characters inserted within your dominion
Range: 50 meters
Accuracy: 60%
Cooldown: 2h
Noah focused.
The system shimmered.
And within the mess hall, the name Elias began to glitch.
Then shatter.
Revealing the glowing red title beneath:
DELTA_ZERO – SYSTEM ENFORCER