It started with whispers.
Liam was heading back from the medical bay after checking his infection status—Sienna's bond had held strong, slowing the spread nearly to zero.
But it was what he overheard near the west gate barracks that stopped him.
Two scavengers in tattered armor leaned against the wall, talking low.
"—Price went up since that new shipment came in."
"Depends on her traits. Virgin ones always attract more attention."
"And system-bonded?"
"Triple value. Especially if unclaimed."
The second man chuckled. "Wonder how many the Commander's got caged downstairs."
Liam stopped walking.
Something ice-cold sank into his gut.
"Caged?"
He turned to look at them—but they were already gone, disappearing around a corner with cigarettes in hand and filth in their smiles.
He didn't tell Maya.
Didn't even tell Artemis.
Instead, he waited until the sky went dark and the outer lights began their nightly rotation.
Then, silent as breath, he snuck toward the east corridor—near the old quarantine wing.
The one marked off-limits.
He wasn't the only one watching Sanctuary's cracks.
The system had noticed too.
[Side Quest Activated – "The Market of the Marked"]
> Objective: Infiltrate Sanctuary Nine's restricted lower wing
Optional: Identify source of captive system-bonded females
Warning: System Overlap Zone – Other Harem Hosts may be active
Reward: Female Rescue Paths, Morality Tier Bonus, Potential Cure Fragment 2
The lower wing smelled like iron and bleach.
A guard stood at the elevator. Armed. Silent.
But Liam wasn't unarmed either.
He waited until the patrol light rotated away, then sprinted across the open corridor and slid behind the maintenance racks.
There—a security panel. Half-corroded.
He hacked it with a jury-rigged access tool Sienna had given him for emergencies.
The elevator doors slid open with a painful screech.
Darkness.
He stepped in.
Down.
The lower level was nothing like the rest of Sanctuary.
Concrete walls. No lights. Just glowing rune-like marks burned into the floor—some familiar. Others alien.
Voices murmured beyond a steel grate.
Liam crept forward, every step echoing.
And then he saw them.
Cages.
Ten of them.
Each holding a girl.
Young. Healthy. Some unconscious. Some wide-eyed with terror.
And standing beside them—three men.
Dressed like Liam. System interfaces glowing across their vision.
One of them leaned toward a cage, inspecting the girl inside.
"Rank 1. Untouched. Psychic compatibility: moderate."
"Price?" asked the second.
"Two vials of stabilizer. Or an affection extractor if we've got it."
Liam's blood froze.
They were trading women like resources.
Not just any women.
System-marked females.
He stepped out of the shadow.
"Let her go."
The three turned slowly.
One was older—scar across his face, missing a few fingers.
He squinted. "You're the kid Sera keeps on a leash."
"I said let her go."
They laughed.
Then, the oldest one's interface blinked.
He flinched.
"The system recognizes you," he muttered. "Tier 1 Harem Core. Emotional resonance threshold... rising."
The other two shifted uneasily.
"You have a bond core active?" one asked.
"Yeah," Liam said. "And it's pissed."
[Battle Triggered – System Host Combat: "The Caged Deal"]
> Opponents: Tier 0 Harem Hosts × 3
Objective: Defeat or Disarm
Temporary Buffs:
Lust Control 32% – Mental clarity in combat
Emotional Sync (Maya + Artemis + Sienna): Reflex Boost +12%
Victory: Liberate bonded females
Failure: Permanent reputation loss, morality decay
They moved first.
Liam ducked the first strike, rolled into cover, and flung a blade into one host's thigh.
He screamed.
Another came from the side—Liam's system flared.
[Sync Trigger – Artemis: Prophetic Echo]
A half-second warning flashed in Liam's head—he turned just in time, catching the man's arm and slamming him into the cage bars.
One down.
The last pulled a stun rod—aiming for Liam's ribs.
[Sync Trigger – Maya: Shared Rage Activated]
> +10% speed
+10% critical strike chance
Liam lashed out and cracked the man's jaw.
Three down.
Breathing hard.
Shaking.
Alive.
The girls inside the cages stared at him.
One was crying softly.
Another pressed her face to the bars. "You… you're like them?"
He shook his head.
"No. I'm not like them."
He smashed the locks one by one.
Freed them all.
Then turned to the terminal.
And hit upload.
Footage. Voice recordings. Inventory logs.
Sent straight to Sera's desk.
[Side Quest Completed – Market of the Marked]
> Reward:
5 System-Bondable Females Rescued
Cure Fragment 2: Emotional Extraction Source
Morality Tier Up: +2
Optional Paths Unlocked:
> Junia – Bonded Prisoner (Empath Type)
Naomi – Former Cultist (Psychic Type)
System Reputation Updated:
> You have opposed your kind. Noted.
Back in the light, Liam stood with the five girls in the courtyard.
Two clung to each other. One wouldn't stop shaking.
Maya arrived first.
She saw them.
Saw him.
Then saw the bruises and blood.
"What happened?"
He looked at her.
"I found hell," he said. "And dragged five girls out of it."
Maya walked forward, pulled him into a hard embrace.
"You're still you," she whispered.
But Liam wasn't so sure.