CHAPTER 177 — DAY THREE: THE RIOT NODE
Six.
The number did not blink.
But the world beneath it was unraveling.
It started in a capital city thousands of miles from Azure Dragon.
Not at a convergence site.
Not near a known fragment location.
Just a dense urban center where fear had been simmering for forty-eight hours straight.
Crowds gathered first in protest.
Then in argument.
Then in accusation.
By midday, it became violence.
Screens across the academy command hall lit up with live feeds.
Streets flooded with civilians shouting opposing slogans.
Some carried signs reading Stabilize the Variable.
Others held banners saying Trust the Sovereign.
Police lines fractured.
Fires spread.
Glass shattered.
The Vice Dean watched the escalation carefully.
"This isn't about Long Hao anymore."
"No," Mei Ying said quietly. "It's about fear needing a target."
Long Hao stood near the center console, eyes half-lidded.
He wasn't watching the crowd.
He was listening.
