The end of the transmission left a heavy silence hanging over them—so thick that even James couldn't cut through it with his remark. They all just simply remained sitting in their spots, processing all that they had just witnessed. It wasn't until distant screams and shouting echoed from the camp that they finally moved.

Right… Everyone on Earth saw that after all, Isaac thought, running a hand down his face.

Even for him, someone who had embraced this new reality from the very beginning, this entire transmission was mind-boggling. But for others? Hosts who hadn't even fought a single Wretched? It had to be terrifying. They just received a confirmation that the old world was gone for good… and things were only going to get worse.

A tournament. Civilizations facing each other in life-and-death battle, all because some higher powers decided it was time for another "cycle." Nobody could have predicted this. Hell, Isaac was pretty sure some people believed that once the infected were dealt with, the world would begin to heal—maybe even return to something close to normal.

Not anymore.

"Guys… should we—I don't know—go out there and help?" James broke the silence once again. The shouting outside hadn't stopped.

Yet, Marie shook her head. "No. Mr. West and his team will handle it. Don't worry."

"Besides," Elaine took over, a deep frown on her face. "We have more important matters at hand. Better to talk it through now while it's still fresh in our minds."

They all nodded at that. This had been the plan anyway.

At first, they got the obvious out of the way—the tournament. While everything they heard about it was more than a little disconcerting, Fisk hadn't left much room for interpretation. The rules the Overlord presented were pretty straightforward, all things considered.

Still, among it all, James managed to raise one important question.

"So listen, about those Fusion Wars…" he began. "How the hell is that supposed to work? We are literally on different planets. Unless this whole thing doesn't involve… well… killing other Hosts, then this might get a lot more complicated."

Isaac looked up, brow furrowed. "What are you implying?"

James grimaced. "They already reshaped Earth into something unrecognizable, right? So what's stopping them from… say, combining two planets just so their inhabitants can fight it out."

"That's…" Elaine said, only to trail off.

"Terrifying?" Marie suggested.

"Yeah, but also kind of fascinating." Elaine quickly raised her hands before anyone could speak up. "Hear me out. Terraforming is one thing, but merging two planets together goes far, far beyond that. I don't think anyone has ever even considered that."

Isaac tilted his head. "You sound oddly excited about this."

Elaine ducked her head, looking more than a little bit sheepish. "We all have hobbies," she muttered.

"Ones that involve the hypothetical destruction of Earth?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think so."

The woman huffed. "Says the guy whose only interest is fighting stronger monsters."

"Okay, okay! Ignoring whatever this is," Marie cut in, gesturing to Isaac and Elaine. "Let's drop the matter of the tournament for now. We will have time to figure it out later. I'm more concerned about everyone outside of the Contamination Zones."

"Outside?" James echoed, frowning. "Why would you—" He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening. "Oh… I see what you mean, Ari. Damn…"

For Isaac, it also didn't take long to understand what the woman meant. From the look on Elaine's face, she had also connected the dots.

"If those Overlords, Overseer, or whoever else didn't transport them to the nearest Safe Zone, then they are…" Marie trailed off.

"Dead," Isaac said what they were all thinking.

He had never really thought about it before, but now it was painfully obvious. People who weren't trapped inside a Contamination Zone had to go through whatever transformations Earth withstood outside them. Somehow, he doubted anyone could have survived that. If anyone did, it would have been only through the mercy of the Overseer.

Yeah, that's not a comforting thought.

That said, he could be—he hoped he was—wrong. Maybe all the new Contamination Zones created at the beginning of Phase Two had become new homes for humans from all around the world. And if they didn't? Then humanity's numbers just got much, much lower.

"Sooo, who wants to help me find some coffee?" James announced, jumping to his feet. "Don't know about ya, guys, but I ain't sleeping today. Not after all that."

"Same," Elaine nodded, also standing up. Marie wasn't too far behind, which only left Isaac.

He sighed and followed after them. Even if he hated coffee and had no intention of drinking it unless absolutely necessary, they still had plenty to talk about. And they did, on the way to the main part of the camp—or rather Marie's tent—and then as the trio prepared a drink for themselves with the help of Elaine's Origin.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

For now, they set aside the tournament and the fate of those beyond the Contamination Zones. Instead, they shifted the conversation to other matters, like how only Earth and two other planets were mentioned by name, the threat of the Broken Realm, or the little warnings Fisk gave them all at the end of the transmission.

The last one especially took root in their minds.

"It sounds like our lives will be streamed to the 'wider universe,' as that Overlord put it," Elaine commented. "And if anyone finds us entertaining or impressive enough, we might even get sponsors. A bit like the Hunger Games."

Marie blanched, putting down her cup of coffee. "I think I'm going to be sick. We are in a damned reality show."

"If it makes you feel better…" James trailed off, scratching his head. "Nope. Never mind, I got nothing. It's pretty fucked up."

Elaine snorted. "That's putting it lightly…"

"Yeah…" James said, turning toward Isaac. "Boss? What do you think? You've been quiet for quite some time now."

"Not much to say," Isaac replied, averting his gaze from everybody. "If they want to treat this like a show or a game, let them. Doesn't change anything on our end. We just have to survive and hope that maybe it will earn us some support."

"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." James nodded. "Shouldn't have expected anything less from you, man."

"He's right," Elaine said—something Isaac still wasn't used to hearing. "Growing stronger and then winning the tournament is all that matters if we want to make it through. Later, much later, we can think about paying those… bastards back for what they did."

"Sounds like a plan I can get behind!" James exclaimed, grinning.

Meanwhile, Marie let out a deep sigh. "You're all insane."

Isaac gave her a faint smile. "Isn't that the new normal? We are just adapting."

"I guess," she grumbled. "I just wish we still had some privacy."

"Aha!" James snapped his fingers. "So that's what's bothering you. You're worried about some alien creeps watching. Don't worry, Ari! I will protect you."

Marie crossed her arms, looking unimpressed. "Yeah? And how will you do that?"

"I… have no idea." James' shoulders slumped. "Crap… I didn't think this through."

That earned him a few chuckles while also dissolving some of the tension still lingering in the tent. Even when grieving the death of an old friend, James still did his best to lighten up the mood.

Isaac more than appreciated that. Really, he almost couldn't believe that their less-than-ideal first meeting brought them to this point. It was kind of impressive… and nice, if he had to be honest.

I'm moving on, Old Man, just like you wanted. And I'm not alone…

They talked well into the night, keeping an eye on the countdown ticking toward the official end of the Breakout Stage. For the most part, the conversation lingered on topics from the transmission, but sometimes it strayed toward Marie asking questions about their time in Sacramento.

When that happened, Elaine and Isaac—who remained mostly quiet—just let James talk. It was for the best, too, as among them all, the older man probably had the best storytelling skills. Sure, he exaggerated now and then, but he was clearly just happy to talk, so long as the conversation didn't drift toward the Minotaur fight.

Extroverts… Isaac rolled his eyes, again glancing at the timer.

Integration Stage begins in: 1 minute, 57 seconds.

Final minute. He stood up, drawing everybody's attention. With a wave to brush off any concern, he stepped outside, his enhanced eyes instantly adjusting to the darkness. Night vision never got old.

"Done with story time for the night?" a voice behind him asked.

Isaac turned, facing Elaine, who had followed him outside. "You could say that." He shrugged.

The woman smiled softly, coming to a stop next to him. "Thirty seconds," she muttered.

He nodded, and together, they waited in silence for the timer to drop to zero. As always, he expected a new notification to arrive, which it did, but it wasn't the only thing to happen.

"Look," Elaine whispered, pointing skyward.

He followed her gaze to a glowing object far away in the sky. It definitely wasn't there before.

Isaac squinted, resisting the urge to transform for better sight. "Looks like a pillar," he muttered.

With the little he could see from such a distance, all he could tell was that it was long, blue, and falling somewhere above Sacramento. It didn't take long to disappear behind the horizon.

"Support Nexus," Elaine said.

He turned to her. "What?"

"It's a Support Nexus," she repeated. "Check your notification."

Isaac did just that.

Attention Hosts of Earth! Your planet has officially entered the Integration Stage of the 49th Cycle. Support Nexuses have descended upon all Contamination and Safe Zones. Use them to increase your chances of survival and to prepare for the upcoming Virus Wars.

The next stage shall begin in <171h:36m:21s>.

Alert, Host! You are in the range of an allied Support Nexus. You can access it through a simple mental command, "Nexus." Good luck!

"I see," he muttered. "Any ideas what's up with the weird timer? That's twice now."

Elaine hummed as she kept looking at something he couldn't see. "It's pretty simple if you think about it. The timer may use our method of tracking time, but that only works on Earth. Other planets in the Integration might have entirely different methods. This? This is most likely a global timer translated into a system we can understand."

Isaac blinked. "Huh… That actually makes a lot of sense. Wouldn't have thought of it."

"It's something I read about once," Elaine admitted with a light shrug.

"I'm almost afraid to ask what kind of stuff you read if you stumble on things like that."

She huffed. "I don't want to hear it from you, Mister killing-monsters-is-my-only-hobby."

He rolled his eyes. "How original, Elaine. What happened? Are you even trying anymore?"

"Oh, you want me to try?" She crossed her arms, arching an eyebrow. "Just say the word. I'm ready to go whenever you are."

A ghost of a smile flitted across Isaac's face as he held Elaine's gaze. He was about to retort when the tent flap next to them was pushed aside, and Marie and James came out.

The older man glanced between them. "Are we interrupting something?"

"No," Isaac and Elaine said in unison. Isaac added, "No. What's up?"

"Right…" James mumbled, then brightened. "Have you checked out the Support Nexus yet? It's kinda huge."

"Not yet. Give me a second," Isaac said while mentally giving the Interface the same command the notification mentioned.

Sacramento Support Nexus Menu: - Status - Guide - Fast-travel - Shop

Huh… Now that's an interesting sight, Isaac mused, giving the menu another once over. Fast-travel definitely wasn't a feature he had expected to see outside of video games.

First though, Status.

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