Lightning forked across the Core Nexus, carving white scars through the violet sky.
The roar faded into the hum of collapsing terrain as the Compression Field swept forward, eating the valley in waves of blue light.
Leice stood at the crater's edge, Breakam One resting across his shoulder.
Kesha had already vanished into the dust, her laughter echoing faintly before the wind swallowed it.
Yvonne retreated toward the northern ridges, gold aura flickering as she regrouped.
Now only Leice remained in the scorch-marked plain, the ground glowing beneath his boots.
[Compression Phase Four: Active]
[Safe Zone Radius: 11 Kilometers]
[Participants Remaining: 316]
He exhaled. "Time to move."
The weapon in his hand pulsed once—alive, restless.
"Yeah, I know," he muttered. "We're not done yet."
He turned west, toward the ridges where the data wind thinned, and started running.
Smoke thinned as he descended into a ravine choked with twisted metal.
There, crouched behind a fallen beam, was Zack Sillena—same dirt-streaked face, same trembling hands clutching a chipped sword.
The boy jerked up when he saw him.
"Y-You're alive!"
"You sound surprised," Leice replied, scanning the perimeter. "Keep your head down."
He knelt beside Zack, tapping a finger against the air. A transparent grid unfolded around them, showing dozens of red dots closing in.
"Hunters," he said. "Teams pushing inward before the zone shrinks."
Zack swallowed. "W-We can fight them, right?"
Leice gave a small, humorless smile. "You can hide. I'll fight."
Breakam One separated into segments, hovering around him like metallic shards. Each piece hummed with restrained power.
[Adaptive Mode: Fragment Guard Online]
Zack stared, wide-eyed. "You—You can control your weapon like that?"
"Experience," Leice said simply. "And optimization."
The first enemies appeared at the mouth of the ravine—four players, all armored, their insignias from the Velmaire Faction.
They didn't ask questions. Blades flashed, spells ignited.
Leice didn't bother moving from his crouch. The fragments of Breakam One shot forward, intercepting each strike with surgical precision.
Metal met light; energy sheared the air; four bodies dissolved into particles before their feet even touched the ground again.
The weapon returned, reassembling smoothly in his hand.
Zack gawked. "H-How—"
"Don't waste time being impressed," Leice cut in. "Loot them and move. Field's closing."
He turned toward the west tunnel. Behind them, the cliff face disintegrated as the Compression Field advanced—slow, silent, absolute.
Minutes later they reached a plateau overlooking the shrinking plains.
The horizon rippled with heat; the outer zones were collapsing into streams of data.
Leice opened a translucent map, eyes darting over icons.
[Safe Corridors Remaining: Solar Ridge / Core Nexus Perimeter / Cloud Rift Lower Tiers]
"Three exits," he murmured. "Two will be kill-zones. We take the third."
Zack glanced over his shoulder nervously. "Why help me again? You could move faster alone."
Leice didn't look up. "Because bait walks better when it breathes."
Zack blinked. "B-Bait?"
"Relax. You live longer beside me than without."
He marked a route on the map. The system translated it into a trail of faint blue beacons stretching across the terrain.
"Follow those. Don't lag."
Zack hesitated only a moment before nodding. "O-Okay."
They moved through the ruins at a steady pace.
Every few hundred meters, Leice stopped to observe other fights—collecting data, calculating.
He noted weapon types, mana output, and behavioral lag. Each detail stored itself in his system logs.
Breakam One murmured faintly, its core glowing.
"Not now," Leice whispered. "You'll eat later."
[Acknowledged.]
Zack stumbled after him, panting.
"You… don't even sweat, do you?"
"Efficiency," Leice said. "The system compensates."
A sudden tremor cut him off.
From the left ridge, a barrage of light spears screamed toward them.
Leice pushed Zack aside, spinning Breakam One into shield form. The impact shook the ground, shattering stone around them.
He spotted the attackers—five silhouettes cresting the ridge, symbols of Frost Verge glowing on their armor.
"Great," Leice muttered. "Another team that can't read a radar."
He lowered the shield, eyes cold.
"Stay down, Zack."
The fragments detached again, streaking upward like silver comets.
In three breaths, the ridge exploded with light. When it cleared, nothing remained but drifting code.
Breakam One returned to sword form, humming with satisfaction.
Zack stared, speechless.
"Still breathing?" Leice asked.
Zack nodded numbly.
"Then move. Compression's two clicks behind."
They reached the edge of an abandoned transport yard as the warning sirens began to wail.
[Compression Phase Five Countdown: T–00:30:00]
Leice studied the collapsing horizon. "Good. The others will start panicking soon."
Zack frowned. "Others?"
"Yvonne. Kesha. The elites. They'll draw the crowd. We move where the cameras don't."
He crouched behind a rusted carrier, tapping open a hidden panel. Inside, glowing capsules of data—supply caches left by previous players. He tossed one to Zack.
"Energy cell. Increases stamina for ten minutes. Use it."
Zack caught it awkwardly. "Why give it to me?"
Leice sheathed his weapon.
"Because you're about to be the bait again."
Zack blinked. "W-Wait, what?"
Leice stood, eyes fixed on the far end of the yard where motion flickered in the haze.
A scouting team—four strong—was approaching, their scanners sweeping.
"Run," Leice said. "Make noise. Lead them here."
"You'll protect me?"
"I'll protect the plan."
Zack hesitated, then did as told, stumbling into the open, shouting.
Moments later, the scouts chased after him.
Leice exhaled, counting silently.
"Three… two… one."
He raised his hand. Breakam One split into eight fragments, curving through the air like blades of silver light.
The entire yard erupted in silence—no explosion, only a flicker of energy as the scouts vanished into data.
Zack froze mid-run, blinking at the sudden emptiness.
Leice walked past him, retrieving the fragments as they drifted back.
"Next time, don't look surprised," he said. "Surprise gets you killed."
Zack nodded shakily, still processing.
Compression Approaches
Thunder rolled again across the horizon.
The violet wall of energy was close now—visible, humming with static.
Leice glanced at it, then back toward the distant glow of the Core Nexus.
"Phase Five will cut this map in half," he murmured. "The real players will move soon."
Breakam One pulsed in agreement.
Zack looked at him, voice small.
"What are we even fighting for anymore?"
Leice's eyes stayed on the shrinking sky.
"Control. Always control."
He turned away, cloak whipping in the wind.
"Keep up, hero. The next phase decides who stays human."
Behind them, the world folded inward—
and the march toward the Core Nexus began.