The three-day march was slow and silent. Ruins blended with strange vegetation, scars of a world rewritten by the force of Mana. Dorian and Jax, with their roles clearly defined, led and protected the formation. This allowed Kael and Lena to walk side by side, sharing moments of conversation that strayed from war.
Lena broke the silence, her voice low like wind through the trees. "What did you see when the Portal exploded?"
Kael drew a deep breath before answering, choosing his words carefully but leaving room for truth. "I saw the world fail. Mana is what remains of our old world. And the Demon Lord… is what's left of an intelligence that wanted to control everything. He's trying to rewrite the world in his own image."
Lena looked at the staff in his hand, her eyes shining with curiosity and fear. "And you? What are you rewriting?"
Kael smiled, resolute. "Our freedom. And the way we live. No one should be a project assistant forever, Lena. You're a born strategist."
A faint blush colored her face. The awakening of her magic had made Lena bolder. "You saw me in that fight. The fear was still there, Kael. But for the first time, I felt like I belonged to something greater. And it's not just about the world…"
She hesitated, glancing at Kael's hand gripping the staff. "I trust you. I trust you with my life. And I trust that you can lead us where we need to go. But if we continue like this, you'll have to promise me one thing."
Kael lifted his eyes, attentive. "What?"
Lena inhaled deeply, her voice firm despite her vulnerability. "Don't hide from me anymore what you know about the rules. Don't isolate yourself. You're not fixing this world alone."
After three days of marching, the group finally reached their destination. The landscape before them was a living nightmare. The Abandoned Transmission Tower was no longer a metal structure, but a colossal emerald crystal spire rising from the earth like a spear against the sky. The crystal pulsed, releasing gray smoke and a low, intermittent hum that reverberated like a sick heartbeat.
Dorian was the first to stop. His Perception caught details the others could not. "Kael, the smoke… it isn't normal. And there are Demons. Many of them."
Kael advanced cautiously. The ground around the tower was littered with floating, shimmering fragments of code, like digital ruins suspended in the air. The atmosphere was heavy, Mana vibrating in response to the instability of the structure.
Dorian pointed to the base of the tower. "The AI is trying to power it back on. Six Cyber Demon patrols and one Master Demon who seems to be the leader. The Master has his hands on the crystal's base, injecting energy."
The emerald crystal pulsed harder, as if breathing. Kael felt the immediate danger. If the tower was reactivated, communication with Synthralis would be restored. The Demon Lord would have eyes and ears once more.
"They're trying to reestablish communication with Synthralis. We have to stop them."
Kael stood at the edge of the clearing. Six patrol Demons circled in alert while the Master remained focused, his hands embedded in the crystal's base. Attacking the Master directly would be suicide. The choice was clear: a synchronized ambush.
Kael signaled to Dorian and Lena. Jax positioned himself, ready for combat. "Dorian, you have the best aim. Six patrols. Hit them in pairs. Aim for the heads to disable their optics. That will give us the advantage. Lena, as soon as the attack begins, use Static Wave to blind whoever remains and protect Jax."
Dorian nodded, confident in his Perception Optimization. He drew two arrows and fired with inhuman precision.
The first arrow pierced a Demon's optical visor.
The second sent another into electrical failure.
Two more arrows flew, eliminating two more before the alarm could sound.
The Master Demon roared in fury, enraged at seeing his patrol fall en masse. The two remaining advanced in panic.
Lena channeled The pulse of chaotic energy struck the two Demons, sending them into a loop, paralyzed.
The Master turned. His humanoid figure was forged of dense black metal, covered in red Mana runes. "ARCANIST! You will not succeed! The Demon Lord will rewrite this reality!"
He unleashed a pulse of corrupted Mana, accelerating the tower's activation. The gray smoke thickened.
"Jax! Keep him busy!" Kael ordered.
Jax charged with his axe, forcing the Master away from the tower. But Kael's priority was not combat. It was the tower.
Kael rushed to the emerald crystal, nearly fully activated. He placed his hands on its surface and channeled Code Suture!
It was not healing, but reversal. Kael visualized the Master's activation code and overwrote it with a SHUTDOWN command. Blue Mana clashed against red energy in a brutal conflict.
The crystal trembled violently, emitting a piercing metallic shriek. The red energy recoiled. The smoke ceased.
Transmission Tower Deactivated.
With the tower silenced, the Master Demon lost his support. He tried to flee, but Jax, Dorian, and Lena surrounded him. Without the tower's Mana, he was only an elite warrior. He was swiftly cut down.
The tower, now in ruins, began to crumble. Within the crystal, a hidden compartment revealed itself: pure Code Fragments and an Encrypted Data Log.
Kael
Lena
Dorian
Each absorbed the fragments, increasing their strength and status.
Lena pointed to the device. "What is this?"
Kael held the log, feeling the weight of the next mission. "A plan. The next step. We need to decipher this at the next settlement."
With the fragments and supplies collected, the mission was complete. The tower destroyed. The Master Demon defeated. And the path to the next challenge revealed.