The sky cracked like glass.
Aiden's group stared upward as pieces of the blue dome shattered into holographic shards. A blaring system alert rang in every player's wristband:
ZONE STABILITY FAILURE – INITIATING RESTRUCTURE
WARNING: All Safe Zones are terminated. Survival Zones activating. Movement is now required every 24 hours.
Takumi scowled. "What the hell is 'zone restructure'?"
Lila's voice trembled. "I think the map is collapsing."
Aiden's wristband projected a map. The once-stable quadrants—where they could predict traps, rest, or strategize—were now in motion. Paths shifted. Terrain twisted. Entire sectors crumbled like sinking islands. New ones appeared: lava fields, frost zones, and a massive structure called The Core Ring in the center.
They weren't just being hunted anymore.
They were being herded.
---
The group moved fast—what was once familiar ground had turned hostile. Grasslands gave way to quicksand fields. Buildings warped in real-time, stretching like melted plastic, forming tunnels and traps.
A trap nearly killed Lila—what looked like a puddle turned out to be a reflective mimic zone, swallowing her up until Takumi yanked her free.
System Update: Monsters now active. Class: Chimera AIs.
That's when they heard it. A scream. Not human.
The first Chimera AI tore through the treeline—eight limbs, molten eyes, digital chains rattling from its spine. It locked onto Aiden and charged.
They didn't run.
They fought.
---
Rena leapt first, carving a gash into its flank. Takumi went for the legs. Lila fired shock darts into its core. Aiden timed his attack, launching a coordinated overload blast into its head.
The Chimera shrieked—and exploded into code.
Kill Bonus: +3 TP each. Loot: Zone Stabilizer Chip.
"What's this?" Rena asked, picking up the glowing shard.
Aiden studied it. "Maybe we can use it… to stop the collapse."
Lila looked up at the twisted sky. "Or control it."
---
The chapter ended not with a win—but with a choice.
Ahead of them, The Core Ring loomed—pulling every zone inward like a black hole.
Aiden looked at the chip in his hand and whispered, "The game's no longer about surviving each other."
He turned to the others.
"It's about surviving the world itself."
---