Chapter 42: Territory War
The clash began not with a roar, but a ripple—a subtle quake that vibrated through the cracked streets of the Dead Zone. Dust curled off the buildings like dead skin shedding from a corpse, and the once silent air hummed with raw tension. Above the skyline, digital glyphs shimmered into view—symbols of territorial claim and system authority, now glitching violently in red.
Ryo Kazen stood at the frontline, eyes narrowed beneath his hood. The black tendrils of shadow that curled around his limbs danced with the wind, responding to the surge of tension in his chest. He could see them—dozens of Protocol Users and Guild Hunters gathering like wolves around a carcass. But this wasn't just any land—it was the largest energy nexus outside the Capital, and whoever claimed it… would gain command over half of the Dead Zone's resources.
He couldn't afford to lose.
Beside him stood Kira Vale, her phantom blade humming softly, and Jin Solari, whose mechanical eye scanned the terrain for weaknesses. Behind them, the remnants of the Protocol Hunter Squad waited, silent, battle-hardened. Ryo glanced over his shoulder.
"Ready yourselves," he said, voice steady. "They'll come at us with everything."
Kira smirked. "Let them. I haven't cut loose in weeks."
Jin's eye flashed. "Three Guilds have formed a coalition. They're coming in from the north, east, and southwest. Tactics suggest a pincer formation—standard war grid strategy. They'll try to force us into retreat."
Ryo shook his head. "We hold. No matter what."
A tremor split the ground as the first Guild attacked.
Boom!
Fire roared from the rooftops as Project Blaze, a fire-specialist unit from the Crimson Guild, descended. Flaming swords rained from above, detonating upon impact. Shadows surged instinctively from Ryo's form, shielding his allies as he leapt into the air and countered with a burst of void energy. The resulting shockwave erased three attackers mid-flight.
Kira vanished, her form flickering through space like a ghost in glitch. Moments later, screams erupted from the Blaze ranks—limbs severed, Protocols disabled. She reappeared behind Ryo, blood spraying from her blade.
Jin tapped his wrist gear. "Deploying nanite field."
From his suit, a swarm of silver particles shot out, forming a protective dome around their rear flank just as a barrage of bullets whizzed from the east. The Midnight Serpents had arrived.
More enemies poured in—teleporting, flying, merging with summoned beasts—and all of them wanted one thing: the central obelisk that marked territory control. A single touch could reroute the Shadow Grid's power to their system.
But Ryo had plans of his own.
"Shadow Protocol: Domain Expansion—Oblivion Mark."
A pulse of obsidian light spread from his chest, cracking the very air. A dome of darkness enveloped the battlefield within a 500-meter radius. Inside it, shadows answered only to Ryo.
Screams echoed as enemy users found their skills nullified, their limbs tangled by sentient shade, their commands overwritten by an unfamiliar, forbidden code.
Ryo descended like a god of death, landing with enough force to shatter the stone beneath him.
"You stepped into my territory," he whispered.
And then chaos erupted.
Elsewhere: Guild War Room
On a floating server island just outside the Dead Zone, Guild Masters watched the conflict unfold via shimmering data screens.
"This wasn't in the projections," said Master Rei of the Azure Guild, clenching her jaw. "His control over the Protocol Grid is beyond anticipated limits."
"Impossible," muttered another. "No one should have that kind of authority unless…"
"Unless he's syncing with the original Shadow Protocol Core," Rei finished grimly.
A quiet realization settled in the room.
Kael wasn't just fighting for land.
He was rewriting the balance of power.
Back on the Battlefield
Hours passed like minutes. The sky above the war-torn district turned orange with sunset, though most of it was now hidden beneath the expanding cloud of darkness that marked Ryo's domain. Broken drones, shattered constructs, and disarmed enemies littered the ground. Only a few Guild warriors still stood—bloodied, shaken, and surrounded.
"Call it," Jin said, panting, armor cracked.
"They won't," Kira replied, stepping over a twitching body. "Pride runs deeper than reason in this game."
But Ryo ignored them both. He walked to the obelisk, placing his hand on its surface. A pulse of energy surged into him. Code flooded his vision.
[TERRITORY ACQUIRED][SHADOW GRID UPLOADED: NODE 3 UNLOCKED]
Suddenly, Ryo staggered—images flashing through his mind: a hidden vault beneath the Capital, a forgotten room marked with the sigil of the original Creator, and a phrase whispered through corrupted data.
"The next phase begins with the fall of kings."
He clenched his fists. The war had been a distraction.
Someone was moving behind the scenes—someone who wanted him to win this.
End of Chapter 42