The air outside the maze was thick with the scent of ozone and blood, a grim reminder of the horrors they'd just survived. Liam's hands trembled slightly as he wiped sweat from his brow, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. His drone, the "Eye of the Apocalypse," hovered close, its lens capturing every ragged breath, every flicker of exhaustion in his team's eyes.
[Audience Engagement: 98%]
[Fan Gifts: Pending...]
Aria leaned against a crumbling wall, her chest rising and falling steadily. Her upgraded [Shadow Step] had saved them more than once in the maze, but even she looked drained. "We can't stay here," she muttered, her ice-blue eyes scanning the horizon. "The next trial won't wait."
Marcus checked his crossbow, the homing bolts now gleaming with an eerie, predatory light. "Yeah, well, I'd like a damn break before the next death trap."
Rita twirled her sword, the blade igniting with a fiery burst every third rotation. "At least we got upgrades. That thing in the maze... it knew things. Private things."
Priya shuddered, her [Healing Mist] swirling nervously around her fingers. "It was like it reached into my head and pulled out my worst memories."
Liam clenched his fists. The maze had forced them to confront their fears, but it had also revealed something else—strength.
A notification flashed across his vision:
[Tutorial Update: Safe Zone Breach Imminent]
[Defend the Central Hub or face elimination.]
Liam's stomach dropped. "We need to move. Now!."
The Central Hub was a massive, dome-like structure, its walls lined with glowing runes that pulsed like a heartbeat. Other survivors—some bloodied, some missing limbs—staggered inside, their eyes wide with terror. The air buzzed with frantic energy.
Aria's grip on her staff tightened. "This is a last stand. The system's testing who's worthy to ascend."
Liam's drone panned across the room, capturing the desperation. His **[Cameraman Never Dies]** skill was the only thing keeping him alive, but if the Safe Zone fell, even that might not save the others.
A loudspeaker crackled to life:
[Final Trial: Safe Zone Defense]
[Monster Horde Incoming: 120 seconds]
Marcus cursed. "We're supposed to hold this place with what? Sticks and prayers?"
Liam's mind raced. The Hub had no barricades, no weapons—just people. Then his eyes landed on the runes.
"Those symbols... they're not just decoration," he said, stepping closer. The runes shimmered under his touch, reacting to his presence.
[Discovered: Defensive Rune Matrix]
[Usage: Channel energy to activate turrets.]
Aria was already moving. "Priya, Marcus—help me rally the others. Liam, figure out how to turn these things on."
Liam nodded, pressing his palm against the rune. Nothing happened.
[Error: Insufficient Energy]
"Damn it," he muttered. Then it hit him. Energy. The system ran on it. So did skills.
"Rita, give me your hand," he said.
She hesitated but obeyed. The moment their skin touched, Liam focused on channeling the residual energy from her [Bloodthirst Edge] into the rune.
The symbol flared to life, and a section of the wall shifted, revealing a hidden turret.
"It works!" Liam grinned. "Everyone—pair up! If you've got a combat skill, link with someone who doesn't. We need to power these runes!"
Chaos turned to coordination as survivors scrambled to follow his lead. Aria and Marcus activated a second turret. Priya's healing energy, combined with a stranger's fire skill, ignited a third.
The countdown hit zero.
The ground trembled as the monsters surged forward—a grotesque tide of fangs and claws. Some scuttled like insects, others lumbered like giants, their hides thick and scarred.
The turrets roared to life, slicing through the front lines with beams of concentrated energy.
"Hold the line!" Aria shouted, darting into the fray with her staff. Her [Shadow Step] left afterimages, confusing the beasts as she struck from all angles.
Marcus's homing bolts rained down, each explosion carving craters into the horde. Rita's flaming sword cleaved through anything that got too close.
Liam stayed at the center, his drone capturing every moment. His [Improvised Arsenal] turned debris into weapons—a shattered pipe became a spear, a chunk of concrete morphed into a grenade.
But the horde was endless.
A turret overloaded, its rune burning out. Then another. Survivors screamed as monsters broke through.
Priya's mist couldn't heal fast enough. A man went down, his leg torn off. A woman was dragged into the swarm, her cries was cut short.
Liam's breath came in sharp gasps. They were losing.
Then—a chime.
[Fan Gift Activated: [Overdrive Surge] (B Rank)]
[Effect: Temporarily supercharge all active skills in range.]
A golden light erupted from Liam's drone, washing over the battlefield.
Aria's [Shadow Step] became a blur—she was everywhere at once, her staff cracking skulls with impossible speed. Marcus's bolts multiplied, becoming a storm of explosions. Rita's sword blazed like a sun, igniting everything it touched.
The tide turned.
Monsters fell by the dozens. The survivors rallied, pushing forward with renewed fury.
The horde broke.
Silence.
The Hub was a graveyard of corpses—monster and human alike. The survivors stood in stunned disbelief, their bodies trembling with exhaustion.
[Tutorial Complete: Safe Zone Defense]
[Rewards Distributed]
Aria slumped against a wall, her arms streaked with blood. Marcus collapsed to his knees, his crossbow smoking. Rita's sword finally dimmed, its hunger sated.
Liam's drone hovered low, its lens focusing on the survivors' faces—grief, relief, determination.
[Audience Engagement: 100%]
[New Subscribers: +5,000 Astral Viewers]
[Fan Gifts: [Emergency Beacon] (A Rank), [Skill Analyzer] (D Rank)]
Aria pushed off the wall, her gaze locked onto Liam. "You saved us."
He shook his head. "We saved us."
A notification blinked urgently:
[Warning: Astral Observer Detected]
[Location: Rooftop, East Sector]
Liam's blood ran cold. High above, a figure cloaked in silver watched them, its eyes glowing with alien interest. Then, in a flash of light, it vanished.
Aria's voice was a blade. "We're not just players in this game. We're prey."
Liam met her gaze. "Then let's turn the tables."