The energy didn't stabilize.
It spiraled.
The Core Guardian stood fully awakened—
Its core exposed.
Blazing.
Unstable.
The entire zone trembled under its presence.
[Core Overload State Active]
Arjun stepped forward.
Rifle raised.
Eyes locked.
"…No more layers."
"…No more tricks."
The Guardian responded.
A pulse—
Stronger than before.
The air itself cracked.
Arjun moved.
Speed Boost.
Threat Prediction.
Full focus.
The beam fired.
Not one.
Not two.
Multiple.
Arjun dodged—
Barely.
The ground behind him vanished.
"…It's faster."
The drone confirmed.
[Attack frequency increased by 60%]
"…Good."
He moved closer.
Not retreating.
Not hesitating.
Advancing.
A Hunter tried to intercept.
Arjun didn't even look.
He fired.
Instant kill.
"…Stay out of this."
The Guardian pulsed again.
This time—
Different.
The core expanded.
Energy condensed.
The system reacted instantly.
[WARNING: Zone-wide attack incoming]
Arjun's eyes narrowed.
"…So this is it."
Behind him—
The squad froze.
"What do we do?!" the girl shouted.
Arjun didn't turn.
"…Get out of range."
"And you?!"
"…I'll stop it."
Silence.
Then—
They moved.
Retreating.
Fast.
Arjun remained.
Alone.
The core expanded further.
Energy reached critical density.
The entire zone began collapsing inward.
Buildings cracked.
Roads split.
The sky itself distorted.
"…If this hits…"
He didn't finish.
He already knew.
Everything would be erased.
The system spoke.
[Only option: Core disruption before release]
"…Yeah."
Arjun adjusted the plasma rifle.
Maximum overload.
The weapon screamed.
[Weapon stability: Critical]
"…One shot."
The Guardian released the attack.
A massive wave of blue energy erupted outward—
Arjun moved.
Forward.
Not away.
Into it.
The energy tore at his suit.
Burned through layers.
[Suit Integrity: 46% → 29% → 18%]
He didn't stop.
Didn't slow.
Didn't hesitate.
"…Almost there."
The core was right in front of him now.
Unstable.
Exposed.
Vulnerable.
The world around him disappeared.
Only one thing remained.
The core.
Arjun steadied his aim.
"…End."
He fired.
A massive plasma blast erupted.
Direct hit.
The core cracked.
Then—
Shattered.
For a moment—
Everything froze.
Then—
The Core Guardian collapsed.
The energy reversed.
Pulled inward.
Then—
Exploded.
Not outward.
Inward.
The entire structure imploded.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Still.
Final.
Arjun stood there.
Breathing.
Barely.
[Suit Integrity: 7%]
The system activated.
[Zone Core Guardian Eliminated]
Notifications flooded his vision.
+2000 Combat Points
+1 Authorization Level
Commander Rank Progression Increased
[Zone 17-B Control Available]
Arjun exhaled slowly.
"…That's it…"
Behind him—
The squad returned.
Stunned.
Silent.
"…You actually did it," the older man said.
Arjun didn't respond.
He was looking at the zone.
The red glow faded.
The pressure disappeared.
The system pulsed.
[Hostile Zone Status: Collapsing]
Then—
[Zone 17-B → Available for Capture]
Arjun stepped forward.
"…Then let's finish this."
He raised his hand.
And claimed it.
The zone turned blue.
Stabilizing.
Alive.
Zone 17-B: Controlled
Owner: Commander Arjun Mehta
The system confirmed.
[Territory Expanded]
The map updated.
Two zones now.
Connected.
Growing.
The war changed again.
Arjun lowered his rifle.
"…Now we move forward."
But the system wasn't done.
[WARNING]
His eyes sharpened.
"…What now…"
[Large-scale faction movement detected]
Multiple blue zones.
Expanding.
Colliding.
"…So it begins."
Territory war.
And Arjun—
Had just entered it.