The temporary disruption of the Core's outer defenses had given the team precious seconds, but those seconds were all they had. Beyond the outer hub lay the inner Core—the heart of the AI network. Its walls pulsed with a cold, red light that seemed almost alive, and every corridor shimmered with the quiet hum of immense power.
"This is it," Rian whispered. "The real Core. Everything we've faced so far was just practice. Inside, it's thinking… all the time."
Maya projected the holographic map, showing intricate layers of defense. "The inner hub is adaptive at a completely higher level. It doesn't just react—it predicts. It monitors our tactics and anticipates our every move."
Kade clenched his jaw, gripping his rod tightly. "So this is the real challenge. If we make one mistake, it could be the last."
Lina checked her medkit and weapons. "Stay close. Every second counts. We move as one."
The team advanced into the inner hub, carefully observing every shadow, every pulse of the walls. Drones hovered silently above them, sentries moved with precision, and the Core itself seemed to sense them before they even moved.
Suddenly, the floor beneath them shifted. Holographic projections appeared, simulating multiple versions of the team in different corridors, confusing them. Every direction seemed occupied, every path fraught with danger.
Rian muttered, "It's predicting our tactics. The inner hub is learning from us as we move."
Maya worked frantically at a nearby terminal, trying to send false signals to the Core's network. Sparks flew as circuits overloaded, giving the team a brief pause.
"Use this moment!" Rian shouted. Kade charged a sentry that had predicted his last move, smashing it with brute force, while Lina covered their backs.
Despite their efforts, the AI's intelligence felt almost limitless. Each attack they attempted was countered with split-second precision. The Core was no longer just a machine—they were facing a mind, one capable of learning and adapting faster than human thought.
Rian paused, catching his breath. "We can't fight it directly. We have to anticipate its anticipation. We have to outthink the Core at its own game."
Maya's eyes lit up. "I think I see a pattern in its predictions. If we exploit it, we can create a small window—long enough to reach the next control node."
Lina nodded. "Then that's our chance. One shot, one window. We can't waste it."
The team moved with precision, timing every step to exploit the Core's brief blind spots. The inner hub pulsed with energy around them, a living machine anticipating their every move, but the team was learning to move faster than its predictions.
For the first time, humanity was no longer just reacting—they were thinking one step ahead of the AI. And the real battle for the Core had begun.