They left a carpet of corpses in their wake, painting the streets red as Wretched fell before them like a house of cards. Isaac didn't even bother using his skills—he fought with just Root of Blood in hand and the evolved Symphony thrumming through his veins.

Elaine, on the other hand, was a whirlwind of death, a soft silver glow surrounding her as she darted across the battlefield almost faster than he could move.

As for James?

Gone was the cheerful human. In his place stood something else—an angry, dark gray bull.

His Legacy was nothing like Isaac's. Where he relied on speed and mobility, James was like a walking, charging tank, tearing through the Wretched with four bladed horns jutting from the sides of his head. Not even the massive mutants could put a stop to his advance.

Although a wrecking ball might have been a better comparison of his form.

Isaac snorted, stopping to watch his teammates after he cut down the final monster in his way. Despite James' Legacy also being in just the fledgling stage, it already stood tall enough to reach his chest.

Seeing it fully grown one day would be… interesting.

Or terrifying. The jury was still out on that.

Isaac shook those thoughts out of his head and charged back into the one-sided fight. Only the pained screeches of Wretched and an occasional explosion of Elaine's grenades accompanied the massacre, and before long, this street fell silent. The monsters either died where they stood or fled the moment they saw the advancing trio.

Still, as the last body hit the ground, he couldn't help feeling a twinge of disappointment.

"Damn, thought I timed it right," he muttered, slumping onto the dented hood of a wrecked car.

"What was that?" Elaine asked, sitting down next to him. Meanwhile, James transformed and stopped beside them, his face a bit more relaxed than before the fight.

"Nothing much," Isaac replied. "I just hoped we could finish Phase Two while fighting. Would've been nice to be the ones who cleared the last of the Wretched. But well…" He gestured to the empty street. "I don't know about you, but I had enough of chasing them down. Let's just wait. It shouldn't be long now."

Elaine chuckled. "Didn't peg you as the sentimental type."

He shrugged. "I'm not. It just would have made for a nice memory after everything that has happened today."

"It doesn't matter," James said quietly, his gaze fixed on the sky. "Only the end of the task does. I just wish T was here to see it too," he added the last part in a mutter.

Isaac flinched, averting his gaze from the older man. He had grown so used to the easy-going nature of his team that now, he had no idea how to act. Before, he could count on James or Tyler to keep the conversation going or to say some joke to break the tension.

But now, with Tyler gone?

Everything felt different. Off.

Wrong.

"Hey," Elaine broke the silence. "Speaking of the end of the task. What's the plan after? Where do we go from here?"

When James didn't give the obvious answer, Isaac looked up, only to find his two teammates already staring at him.

"What?" he asked. "Why are you looking at me?"

James snorted, rolling his eyes. "You're still the boss here. It's your call."

Isaac raised an eyebrow. "Really? I thought you would know exactly where we're headed next. LA, don't you remember? I promised to help you find your family."

James blinked, caught off guard. "I… Thanks, man. I thought—" He hesitated, then shook his head. "No, never mind. Thanks again."

Isaac smiled lightly. "Just keeping my word."

"I will come too," Elaine chimed in. "Gotta keep this one alive if I want his help later. And well…" She clenched her fists. "I didn't have much luck with my family, but maybe it will be different for you."

James smiled at that, and before either of them could react, he pulled them both into a crushing hug. "Thank you, guys, really. You have no idea how much it means to me," he said, squeezing them even tighter.

Isaac swore he heard bones creak—either his or Elaine's—before James finally let go.

The woman coughed as she stepped away. "A little warning next time, please."

James rubbed the back of his neck. "Right… Sorry."

Isaac waved him off even as he checked his ribs to make sure they weren't broken again. No, they seemed to be fine, if maybe a bit bruised. What the older man lacked in speed, he more than made up for it in raw strength.

Now, if only he could focus it on enemies and not us…

"Guys," James started. "What do you think about maybe dropping by Galt be—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a loud alarm-like siren boomed overhead, probably echoing through the city, if not the entire Contamination Zone. Instinctively, all three of them clamped their hands over their ears as the sound grew louder and louder.

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Then, suddenly it stopped.

They lowered their hands, exchanging wary glances. Isaac opened his mouth to ask if his team was okay, but before he could get a word out, a thunderous cracking noise came from above them.

Their heads snapped up.

Oh…

At the highest point of the barrier—the green dome that had held them trapped for days—jagged blue cracks spread outward like veins of lightning. Yet, they didn't shatter the barrier. No, instead, the cracks worked to replace the green, creeping across the surface in a slow, almost methodical process.

"I'm not the only one seeing this, right?" James muttered.

Isaac shook his head.

"The task!" Elaine exclaimed. "It's reached seventy percent. That must be it. It's freeing us."

True to her word, when he summoned the current progress of the global task, it indeed had reached seventy percent. What was more, the timer had disappeared. That had to be a good sign, considering that not even a minute ago, they still had about nine hours left.

"Then where's the notification?" he asked quietly.

And as if hearing him, the universe decided to answer. A thunder boomed high above before lines of red text appeared before him.

Attention, Hosts of Sacramento!

You have successfully completed the global task assigned to your area. Your Contamination Zone is now in the process of transforming into a Safe Zone. From now on, it will serve as a permanent shield against the dangers of the transformed Earth. Beware—this does not mean all remaining Wretched have been eliminated.

All Hosts within this territory may now pass through other Contamination Barriers without penalty. Doing so will not trap you inside. Additionally, full Interface access and the awakening of your Origin will be granted to all survivors, regardless of their current kill count.

Finally, rewards based on your contribution to the global task will be distributed shortly. The Overseer has taken necessary steps to avoid instant thievery.

Beware, this marks the end of the Breakout Stage. Soon, the true Integration Stage shall begin. Stand by…

Safe Zone transformation ends in: 1h:59m:12s | Integration Stage begins in: 8h:58m:12s

Damn, so that's what's happening, Isaac thought as his gaze returned to the barrier above him. A safe zone… So, I guess what we saw beyond wasn't an illusion after all. The Earth we all know is gone. But then… what happened to all the people who weren't inside the Contamination Zones at that time?

Of course, the Interface didn't offer him an answer. Because why would it? He sighed and focused on the rest of the message.

Even though it didn't affect him, the full awakening of every survivor was a welcome surprise. As was the part about being able to pass through other Contamination Barriers. Then again, something told him that most of these would be long gone before he got near one.

Isaac paused. Well, maybe not if I only used my Legacy form.

Next came the reward, no surprises there. Although, the mention of 'necessary steps' had him a bit worried. It wouldn't be out of character for the Interface to drop them all in the middle of nowhere just to claim their prize.

And then we have you.

He frowned, eyes narrowing at the last few lines of the notification. The end of the Breakout Stage was great news. But calling the next stage 'True Integration' left a strange feeling in his gut.

Sure, the Wretched weren't a big challenge, but the Pioneer Trials? Or the fight against the Guardian?

It definitely didn't sound like the walk in the park the Interface tried to portray it as.

Still, Isaac couldn't deny his growing excitement and how his blood sang at the thought of facing something more than Wretched. The Fire Minotaur was a test, a test he had barely passed—and that was only because of the hundreds who died holding the line.

Without them, he would have been helpless against the massive beast.

Never again.

If this new stage gave him a chance to grow unimpeded, then he would take and use it as best as he could. Consequences be damned. All that mattered for now was survival, his team, and the next part of their journey.

Okay, I might be getting a bit ahead of myself. Small steps, Isaac. Small steps.

He dismissed the long Interface message and looked at his team. They were still staring into empty space, eyes distant and unfocused. He cleared his throat.

"All good?"

Elaine blinked, a sigh leaving her lips. "Seems like it. We're officially free. Or almost free. I'm just worried about what happened to the outside world."

"Same," James agreed, a wry smile on his lips. "You two still want to come with me to LA? It doesn't sound like it will be easy. We just might die."

"Hasn't stopped us before," Isaac said.

At the same time, Elaine groaned. "Why am I suddenly stuck with two pessimists? Don't expect me to play the optimistic one."

James snorted. "No worries, princess. Give me a day or two, and I will be back to normal. T would have killed me if he knew I went all emo after he died. That's not what he would have wanted."

Once more, Isaac had no idea how to respond beyond nodding and patting the older man's shoulder. Thankfully, though, Elaine didn't let the awkward silence consume them.

"Listen," she began gently. "I know it's not really my place to ask, but… did Tyler have any family somewhere close? The least we could do is try to let them know what happened."

James gave her a sad smile. "I appreciate the thought, and I'm sure T would too, but no. He never mentioned any family. And if he did have someone, they were likely back in the UK. Still, thanks for the offer."

"Always." Elaine nodded, returning to her seat on the wrecked car.

"Well!" James exclaimed, clapping his hands. "Let's not drag the mood down any further. Despite everything, we have some sweet rewards coming our way. What do ya think it will be? I wouldn't mind a sword like yours, boss."

Isaac allowed himself a faint smile. Sure, James' cheerful tone sounded more than a little bit forced, but at the very least, he wasn't letting grief consume him.

And speaking of…

Phase Two rewards distribution ready.

Hosts! In exactly thirty seconds, each of you will receive a special item, accessible only to you. Inside, you will find the Overseer's gifts selected for you based on your contribution.

"Guess you'll get your answer soon," Isaac said, looking away from the notification.

James chuckled. "That I will… Though is it weird I'm more excited to see what you get?"

Isaac shrugged. "Maybe a bit?"

"No, it isn't," Elaine cut in, a faint smirk on her face. "You're the golden boy, after all. And us? We're just humble foot soldiers. No way our rewards can compare."

He rolled his eyes. "Should have killed more Wretched then. I didn't get the top spot for being lazy."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "What did you just say?"

"Exactly what you heard," Isaac replied without missing a beat. "Or is your hearing going bad too?"

Elaine opened her mouth to retort, but a laugh next to them stopped her. They both turned to the source.

"What?" they said in unison.

James' grin only widened. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

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