Chapter 26: Surface Tension

  Adrian’s boots crunched against the cracked pavement as he stepped back onto the surface. The oppressive heat and pressure from the submerged tunnels had lifted, but the weight of the situation was far from over. The Sub-Core was secured, the Aether-Steel obtained, and the System’s defenses weakened. Yet, something about the surface—about the world above—felt heavier than it had before.

  As he walked toward the makeshift command center the team had set up in the ruins of Mandaue, Adrian couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong. The sky was clouded with a pale, sickly glow that seemed to cling to the landscape like a fog, the city below still battered from the aftermath of the disasters caused by the System’s interference.

  But it wasn’t just the city that had Adrian’s attention—it was the scene before him. He could see it even from a distance: chaos.

  Small groups of survivors had banded together, forming minor guilds scattered across the surface. But instead of working together, they were fighting each other. The clashing sounds of combat echoed in the streets. Adrian’s eyes narrowed as he recognized the source of the conflict: Mana Crystal drops.

  “They’re still fighting over scraps,” Sarah said, her voice cutting through the moment of silence. She had been walking beside him, her eyes scanning the horizon. “They’ve all gone rogue. The System’s influence has corrupted the last remnants of order.”

  Adrian clenched his fists. “They should be working together, not against each other. This isn’t the time for petty squabbles.”

  Sarah’s device beeped as it projected a hologram into the air, showing a grid-like map of the city. Red dots blinked sporadically, marking the locations of guilds as they fought for control over the Mana Crystal drops.

  “The problem is the Wave Meter,” Sarah explained, her brow furrowed. “I’ve been monitoring the energy fluctuations, and the guilds are ignoring it. The Wave Meter is at a critical level, and they’re too busy fighting over resources to realize what’s coming.”

  Adrian glanced up at the hologram, his eyes tracking the Wave Meter as it hovered at 80%. He could feel the air around him vibrate with the surge of energy building in the atmosphere. The system was recalibrating, and it wasn’t going to let them be complacent for long. The minute the Wave Meter hit 100%, something catastrophic was sure to follow.

  “They’re gambling with their lives,” Adrian said, his voice steely. “And the rest of us will pay the price for their ignorance.”

  Mike, who had been standing off to the side, cracking his knuckles, joined the conversation. “So, what do we do? We can’t just let them tear each other apart over this. We need to unite them.”

  Adrian’s gaze hardened, and a new resolve filled his chest. “We don’t have the luxury of waiting for them to figure it out. The System is already pushing us to the brink, and the guilds are just a distraction. We need to show them that there’s more at stake than these petty battles. It’s time to call them to order.”

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  He turned to Sarah. “Can you project the Wave Meter to the surface? Make it visible for everyone to see?”

  Sarah nodded. “Already working on it.” She adjusted her device, and the hologram in the air shifted. A bright red icon of the Wave Meter appeared in the sky, a constant reminder of the escalating danger. “It should be visible to anyone in the area now.”

  Adrian stood tall, taking in the scene before him. He could see the guilds fighting, each one desperate to gain control of the Mana Crystals that would power their own agendas. But he knew the real danger wasn’t in the crystals—it was in the System’s recalibration. And if these factions didn’t wake up, they would all be wiped out.

  “We need to stop them from tearing each other apart,” Adrian said, his voice resolute. “I’m calling a summit. It’s time to bring every leader in the area together.”

  Sarah raised an eyebrow. “A summit? You’re going to gather them?”

  Adrian’s eyes flashed with determination. “We have no choice. The System is going to throw everything it has at us, and we need unity. The guilds need to see that we’re not just fighting for resources anymore. We’re fighting for survival. If they don’t understand that, they’ll be consumed by the chaos.”

  Mike cracked a grin. “And you plan on convincing them how? By laying down the law?”

  “Exactly,” Adrian replied, his voice steady. “I’m not asking for their cooperation. I’m demanding it. This is bigger than petty infighting. We need everyone on the same page, or we’ll lose this fight before it even begins.”

  ---

  Later that day, Adrian stood at the front of Mandaue City Hall, now a battered but functional meeting place. The walls were cracked, the windows shattered, but the structure still held up—much like the city itself, stubborn and refusing to be wiped out.

  The leaders of the various guilds had gathered reluctantly, each one representing a different faction, some with their own ambitions, others simply trying to survive. They were all different, but they had one thing in common—they were all too focused on their own interests to see the bigger picture.

  Adrian stood before them, his arms crossed. The room was tense, filled with murmurs of dissent. Some of the guild leaders looked at him like he was a threat, others like he was just another face in the crowd. But he could see their eyes flicker toward the Wave Meter projection, visible through the broken windows.

  “Enough,” Adrian said, his voice cutting through the chatter. “You all know why you’re here. The Wave Meter is at critical levels, and yet you’ve all decided that fighting over scraps of Mana Crystals is more important than the survival of this city. The System is recalibrating, and unless we act together, we’ll all be wiped out.”

  A murmur ran through the room as Adrian’s words sank in. A tall, imposing man with a jagged scar across his face—leader of a notorious guild known as the “Vanguard of the Broken” stepped forward, his voice loud and defiant.

  “We’ve fought tooth and nail for what we have,” he said, his eyes narrowing. “You think we’re just going to hand over everything we’ve earned? You’re out of your mind if you think we’ll follow you blindly, Admin.”

  Adrian’s eyes locked onto him, unwavering. “You can either fight me, or you can fight the System. But one thing is certain: you won’t survive alone. And if you don’t surrender just 5% of your resources to the planetary shield, none of us will survive.”

  The room fell silent. Adrian could see the resistance in the eyes of the guild leaders, but he also saw the fear. The fear of the unknown. The fear of what was coming next.

  “5% of your energy is a small price to pay to ensure the survival of everyone here,” Adrian continued, his voice steady, his tone unyielding. “We’ll use it to power the planetary shield. This isn’t about control. It’s about survival.”

  A young woman from a smaller guild spoke up. “What guarantee do we have that you won’t just take all the power for yourself? That this isn’t some kind of power grab?”

  Adrian’s gaze softened for a moment, but his resolve never wavered. “The System has already taken enough. This is the last chance we have to stop it. We fight together, or we die alone. That’s the only choice left.”

  The tension in the room was palpable, but Adrian stood his ground. He knew that he was walking a fine line between coercion and unity. But this was war, and the rules had changed. The survival of the city, the survival of all of them, depended on making the hard choices.

  Slowly, one by one, the guild leaders nodded, reluctantly agreeing to the Admin Tax. It wasn’t unanimous, but it was enough.

  Adrian looked around at the assembled leaders. “Then it’s settled. 5% of your resources will go toward the planetary shield, and we’ll work together to survive the first wave. Don’t think of it as a tax—think of it as an investment in your survival.”

  As the guild leaders began to file out of the room, their expressions ranged from grudging acceptance to outright resentment. But Adrian knew that the first step had been taken. Unity, however fragile, had been achieved.

  The real battle was just beginning.

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