Three days after the Convergence, the world had settled into an uneasy new rhythm. The college campus had become a sort of refugee settlement, with enhanced students helping to organize the baseline humans who were struggling to adapt.
I sat in what used to be the library, now transformed into a System Interface Hub where people could access basic information about their new reality. Floating screens displayed news from around the world—similar Convergence events had happened globally, with varying degrees of success.
[GLOBAL STATUS REPORT]
[SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION ZONES: 47%]
[PARTIAL INTEGRATION: 31%]
[FAILED INTEGRATION: 22%]
[TOTAL ENHANCED INDIVIDUALS: 12.7 MILLION]
The numbers were sobering. Failed integration zones were essentially dead zones where the Convergence had torn reality apart without providing a stable alternative. Entire cities had been consumed by dimensional rifts or overrun by entities that couldn't exist in baseline reality.
"Alex." Sarah's voice interrupted my brooding. She approached with a tablet displaying System data. "We have a problem."
I looked up from the global statistics. "What kind of problem?"
"The kind that involves armed soldiers and government officials demanding access to our 'special abilities.'"
Through the library's enhanced windows, I could see military vehicles surrounding the campus perimeter. Soldiers in tactical gear had set up checkpoints, and several officials in suits were arguing with Professor Martinez—who had apparently become the default spokesman for our enhanced student population.
[THREAT ASSESSMENT ACTIVE][MILITARY PERSONNEL: 47 UNITS][THREAT LEVEL: MODERATE][ENHANCED INDIVIDUALS PRESENT: 3]
"Only three enhanced among them?" I asked.
"That's what my Light Sense is picking up," Sarah confirmed. "Low-tier, probably forced Integration through experimental means."
Elena appeared beside us, her void manipulation allowing her to move through shadows almost as effectively as I could. "The situation is deteriorating. They're demanding we submit to 'evaluation and registration' for national security purposes."
Marcus joined us, his metal control ability unconsciously shaping a nearby paperclip into complex geometric patterns. "Some of the other students are panicking. They want to comply, thinking cooperation will keep them safe."
I understood the fear. The baseline world was trying to reassert control over a situation that had fundamentally changed the rules of existence. But submitting to government control would essentially make us weapons in someone else's war.
"What's our party's position?" I asked.
"Independent," Elena said immediately. "We maintain our autonomy while helping where we can. But we don't become anyone's super-soldiers."
"Agreed," Marcus nodded. "My engineering background is screaming warnings about what happens when you let bureaucrats control advanced technology."
Sarah hesitated. "But if we resist, they might declare us enemies of the state. Is it worth the risk?"
Before I could answer, an alert flashed across everyone's vision.
[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT]
[FIRST TOWER CLEAR ACHIEVED]
[CLEARING PARTY: THE CRIMSON FANGS]
[FLOORS CLEARED: 1-5][REALM ADVANCEMENT: AWAKENED TIER 1]
[GLOBAL RANKING UPDATED]
The announcement was followed by a cascade of information about the clearing party—a group of enhanced individuals from Tokyo who had somehow managed to clear the first five floors of their Tower in just three days.
[PARTY SPOTLIGHT: THE CRIMSON FANGS]
[LEADER: AKIRA SATO - AWAKENED TIER 1]
[MEMBERS: 6]
[SPECIALIZATION: COORDINATED ASSAULT]
[NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT: FIRST AWAKENED REALM ACCESS]
"Awakened Realm," Elena breathed. "They broke through the first barrier."
The implications were staggering. If the Crimson Fangs had reached Awakened Tier 1, they were now operating on a fundamentally different level than the rest of us. Their abilities would be exponentially more powerful, their understanding of the System deeper.
[SYSTEM NOTICE: TOWER COMPETITION ACTIVE]
[CURRENT LEADERBOARD:]
[1. THE CRIMSON FANGS - AWAKENED TIER 1]
[2. SHADOW WALKERS - MORTAL TIER 3]
[3. IRON BROTHERHOOD - MORTAL TIER 3]
[4. LIGHT BEARERS - MORTAL TIER 2]
[5. VOID SEEKERS - MORTAL TIER 2]
"We're second," Marcus observed. "But not for long if we don't advance."
The military situation outside suddenly seemed less important. The world wasn't just dealing with individual enhanced humans—it was witnessing the emergence of a new form of evolution, one that might leave baseline humanity behind entirely.
A new voice cut through our discussion. "Impressive rankings for such a young party."
We turned to see a woman in a crisp business suit approaching. She was tall, confident, with the kind of presence that commanded attention. But what caught my eye was her System signature.
[DIRECTOR HELENA CROSS - MORTAL TIER 5]
[GOVERNMENT ENHANCED DIVISION]
[AFFINITY: CLASSIFIED]
[THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME]
"Director Cross," she introduced herself. "I represent a joint task force dedicated to managing the post-Convergence world. I'd like to speak with your party about a mutually beneficial arrangement."
"We're not interested in—" Elena began.
"Becoming government assets?" Cross smiled. "I'm not here to recruit you. I'm here to offer you a job."
She activated a holographic display that showed a map of the United States. Red zones indicated failed integration areas, yellow showed partial integration, and green marked successful zones.
"The government's position is simple," she continued. "We need the enhanced community to help stabilize the integration zones and clear the Towers. In exchange, we offer legal protection, resources, and operational independence."
"What kind of job?" I asked.
"Disaster response, primarily. Failed integration zones are still hemorrhaging dimensional rifts. Baseline humans are trapped in there, and conventional military forces are useless against the entities pouring through."
She highlighted a section of the map—a red zone covering most of Nevada.
"Las Vegas was a partial integration that went wrong. The city is now a dimensional maze filled with hostile entities. Approximately 400,000 people are trapped inside, and the situation is deteriorating rapidly."
[MISSION AVAILABLE: VEGAS EXTRACTION]
[DIFFICULTY: EXTREME]
[ESTIMATED PARTY LEVEL: MORTAL TIER 4+]
[REWARD: GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP, ADVANCED EQUIPMENT]
"You want us to go into a dimensional hellscape and rescue nearly half a million people?" Marcus asked incredulously.
"Not alone," Cross replied. "We'd be coordinating with other enhanced parties. Think of it as a large-scale raid with multiple objectives."
Elena studied the mission details. "What's the catch?"
"The catch is that if we don't stabilize Vegas soon, the dimensional distortions will spread. Current projections show the entire southwestern United States being consumed within six months."
The weight of responsibility settled on my shoulders. This was bigger than our personal advancement or the Tower rankings. People were dying while we debated autonomy.
"What kind of support would we have?" I asked.
"Logistical, medical, and equipment support. Plus coordination with other enhanced teams. We're not asking you to be soldiers—we're asking you to be heroes."
[PARTY DECISION REQUIRED]
[ACCEPT MISSION: VEGAS EXTRACTION]
[DECLINE MISSION: MAINTAIN INDEPENDENCE]
[ABSTAIN: DELAY DECISION]
I looked at my party members. Sarah seemed torn between fear and duty. Marcus was analyzing the tactical implications. Elena appeared calculating, weighing risks and benefits.
"We need to advance anyway," I said finally. "Our current tier won't be sufficient for the challenges ahead. If this mission offers advancement opportunities while helping people..."
"I'm in," Sarah said quietly. "If there's a chance to save those people, we have to try."
Marcus nodded. "The engineering part of my brain is fascinated by dimensional mechanics. This could be a learning opportunity."
Elena took longer to decide. "I want full operational autonomy. No government oversight of our methods, no restrictions on our advancement, and no obligations beyond this single mission."
Director Cross considered. "Agreed. You'll be classified as independent contractors with full tactical discretion."
[MISSION ACCEPTED: VEGAS EXTRACTION]
[PREPARATION TIME: 48 HOURS]
[ENHANCED EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE]
[PARTY COORDINATION BRIEFING SCHEDULED]
As Cross departed, I felt a mix of anticipation and dread. We were about to face challenges that would either advance us significantly or destroy us completely.
"We should hit the Tower first," Elena suggested. "Get to Tier 4 at minimum before attempting Vegas."
"Agreed," I said. "But we need to be smart about it. The Crimson Fangs cleared five floors in three days. We need to understand how they did it."
[TOWER ANALYSIS AVAILABLE]
[CRIMSON FANGS STRATEGY: AGGRESSIVE ADVANCEMENT]
[RISK LEVEL: EXTREME]
[SUCCESS RATE: 12%]
The data was sobering. The Crimson Fangs had succeeded through a combination of exceptional skill, favorable circumstances, and significant losses. Two of their original members had died during the ascent.
"We do this our way," I decided. "Careful, coordinated, with backup plans for everything."
As we prepared to enter the Tower, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was a pivotal moment. The world was changing rapidly, and we were being thrust into a position of responsibility we'd never asked for.
But maybe that was the point. The System didn't just grant power—it demanded that power be used.
The Tower awaited, and beyond it, the dimensional nightmare of Las Vegas.