Dawn was bleeding into the sky as they stumbled back toward the Safe Zone dome, their silhouettes long and ragged against the ruined cityscape. They were a mess. Lucas had a burn on his palm from the Codex. Mem's porcelain was cracked across the chest. Volt limped on a damaged actuator. Eleanor leaned heavily on Mark, who had run out to meet them at the perimeter, his face pale with relief and fear.
But they had it. The [Codex of Subjugated Will] was wrapped in a scrap of cloth and tucked under Lucas's arm, humming with a soft, insistent power that echoed the thrum of his own chains.
The guard at the west post—a different one this time—eyed them with suspicion as they passed through the energy field. "Heavy night?"
"Scouting run," Lucas grunted, not breaking stride.
News traveled fast in the fishbowl. By the time they reached their muddy plot in Sector 7, a crowd had begun to gather at a respectful distance. Whispers chased them. *They went out. They came back beat up. He's carrying something.*
Kai was waiting, a rare, genuine smile on his sharp face. "I'll be damned. You actually did it."
Before Lucas could respond, a familiar, stern voice cut through the murmuring. "Lucas Rowan."
Sergeant Hale, the gate officer, stood with two other guards. Her expression was unreadable. "Captain Rourke requests your presence. Immediately." Her eyes flicked to the cloth-wrapped bundle. "Bring your acquisition."
So. No time to clean up, no time to plan. The Vanguard's intelligence network was good.
"Eleanor, see to the Thralls. Mark, help her," Lucas said quietly. He met Eleanor's worried gaze and gave a small, confident nod he didn't feel. Then he turned and followed Hale, the Codex heavy in his hands.
The command tent felt different this time. The map was still there, but Rourke wasn't alone. Sera stood at his shoulder, and two other high-level Vanguard members flanked the entrance. The air was thick with tension and suppressed ambition.
Rourke's eyes went straight to the bundle. "You neutralized the Archive."
"We did," Lucas said, not offering the Codex.
"And you retrieved the core." It wasn't a question.
"I did."
Rourke leaned back, steepling his fingers. "That was a Vanguard-targeted asset. Cleared by our scouts. Claimed by our guild."
Lucas felt a cold trickle down his spine but held his ground. "Your notice board says 'recruiting for dungeon rights.' It doesn't say you own every dungeon in the city. We took the risk. We paid the price." He lifted his burned hand slightly. "The loot is ours."
Sera took a half-step forward, but Rourke waved her back. His gaze was calculating. "It is. By the unwritten rules, it is. But this isn't about rules, Lucas. It's about power. And that Codex represents a specific kind of power. One that complements your own a little too well." He paused. "My offer still stands. Join the Vanguard. Bring the Codex into the guild treasury. In return, you get all the previous benefits, plus a lieutenant's share and my personal guarantee of your team's safety."
It was a better offer. Much better. It was also a trap. Once the Codex was in the "guild treasury," it would be Rourke's. Lucas would just be the one allowed to use it, at Rourke's discretion.
Lucas's mind raced. He had one card to play. The synergy notification.
"I can't give it to you," Lucas said, his voice steady.
Rourke's expression darkened. "That's a dangerous choice."
"Not because I won't. Because I *can't*." Lucas unwrapped the cloth, revealing the leather-bound Codex. The glass dome was cracked, and inside, ink swirled like a storm. "It's bound to me. System lock. [Codex of Subjugated Will]. It triggered a class evolution path the moment I touched it." He was bluffing, weaving half-truths. The notification had said *'Evolution Path Unlocked'*, not that it was bound. But Rourke wouldn't know that.
The Shield Captain's eyes narrowed. He couldn't see System notifications that weren't his own. "What evolution?"
"[Chainlord] to [Overlord]," Lucas said, picking the most obvious, intimidating progression. "The Codex is the key. It's not an item to be stored. It's a catalyst. If you take it from me, it's just a weird book. With me… it's the thing that might secure this Safe Zone permanently."
The lie hung in the air. He was betting everything on Rourke's ambition outweighing his greed.
Rourke stared at him, then at the Codex, his mind visibly working. He wanted the power, but he needed it to be usable. If Lucas was telling the truth, killing him and taking the book was pointless. Forcing him into the guild was still the best move, but now Lucas had just increased his value—and his potential threat.
"You've put me in a difficult position, Chainlord," Rourke said finally, his voice low. "You've acquired a guild-targeted asset you claim you alone can use. You've demonstrated significant independent capability. This makes you an unpredictable variable."
"Or," Lucas countered, "it makes me the only person who can unlock the next tier of power for this entire Safe Zone. I'm not your enemy, Rourke. But I'm not your soldier either. I'm a specialist. You want a weapon? Fine. But you rent the weapon, you don't own it."
The room was dead silent. Sera looked like she wanted to run Lucas through. The other Vanguard members were tense.
Rourke's face broke into a slow, cold smile. It was more frightening than his scowl. "A contractor. Not a member. You and your team operate independently, but you give the Vanguard first right of refusal on your services. You share any major finds from your… evolution path. And in return, you get your larger plot, standard rations—not double—and the Vanguard's *non-interference*. We won't protect you, but we won't hinder you either. And we'll pay standard rates for any contracted work."
It was a compromise. It was Lucas's way out of the ultimatum. He wasn't safe, but he was free. And he had a path forward.
"Deal," Lucas said.
"Good." Rourke's smile vanished. "The Codex stays with you. But remember, you've just traded a potential enemy in front of you for potential enemies on all sides. The Vanguard will watch you. Others will covet what you have. Your healer is still a target. Your… creations are still freaks. You bought time, Lucas. Not safety."
"I know," Lucas said. He rewrapped the Codex.
As he left the tent, the weight of it had changed. It was no longer just loot. It was a promise. And a target painted squarely on his back.
He returned to Sector 7. Eleanor had patched up Mem and Volt as best she could. Mark had boiled some water. They looked at him, desperate for hope.
"We're moving," Lucas announced. "To a better plot. We're not joining the Vanguard. We're… independent contractors." He managed a tired, Lloyd-esque grin. "Turns out, my weirdness is a niche market."
For the first time in days, Eleanor's shoulders relaxed. Mark let out a shaky breath.
Lucas sat down with the Codex in his lap. He focused on the synergy notification.
[Integrate [Codex of Subjugated Will]? This action is permanent and will alter your Class progression. Y/N]
He looked at his Thralls—his strange, loyal family. He looked at the dome, and the crumbling world beyond.
He chose **Yes**.
A chain of pure, dark light erupted from the Codex and wrapped around his heart. Not to bind him, but to unlock something deep within.
The real grind was just beginning.