Chapter 14: Execution of the Tax Evader

  The warlord's lifeless body lay crumpled on the cold floor of the control room, his once-mighty form reduced to a mere shadow of its former self. The energy from his body had been siphoned into the Genesis Ring, and the air around Adrian hummed with the raw power now at his disposal. But Adrian’s expression was far from triumphant. His mind was already on the next step.

  "His arrogance will be his undoing," Adrian muttered, his voice cold as he turned to the console. The screen flickered to life, displaying the data streams that the Iron Tusk had been manipulating. The Boss Cores had been hoarded, siphoning energy from the System at an alarming rate, further destabilizing the region’s Nodes. The imbalance was enough to cause a catastrophic collapse if left unchecked.

  Mike stood by the door, his arms crossed, his face set in grim determination. "So, what do we do now? We take him out, but the damage is already done. The System’s recalibration is going to get worse before it gets better."

  Adrian looked over his shoulder at Mike, his eyes sharp. "We stop the bleeding. We’ve taken control of the energy flow from the Boss Cores, but we need to ensure this doesn’t happen again. The System taxes those who abuse its power, and this warlord thought he was untouchable."

  Mike raised an eyebrow. "Tax evasion? You’re really going to bring the full wrath of the System down on him?"

  Adrian turned back to the console, his fingers moving over the controls with practiced precision. "The System works in mysterious ways, Mike. It has its rules, and it enforces them, even if we don’t fully understand the reasoning. The warlord has hoarded energy without proper distribution, without venting the excess. And the System doesn’t let that kind of imbalance slide. If we don’t correct it, it will spiral out of control."

  Mike let out a breath. "You’re going to execute him. For what? Breaking the System’s rules?"

  Adrian didn’t respond immediately. His focus was entirely on the task at hand—redirecting the flow of energy, recalibrating the Node, and making sure that the warlord’s actions wouldn’t trigger a worse catastrophe. The system’s interface blinked a few times, and a notification appeared on the screen.

  Penalty: Tax Evader Detected

  Action Required: Correct Energy Redistribution to Maintain Node Stability.

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  Adrian’s fingers paused. The words on the screen were stark, clear, and they confirmed what he already knew. The System had set its sights on the warlord. The penalties for hoarding energy were severe. His execution was inevitable.

  "You’re right," Adrian said, turning toward Mike. "But the System doesn’t work like a judge. It doesn’t just punish those who break the rules—it cleanses them. The penalty is the only way to restore balance."

  Mike walked over, glancing at the warlord’s body, now a mere husk of its former power. “So, you’re going to let the System handle it?”

  Adrian nodded. "The Genesis Ring allows me to manipulate the energy within him. If we don’t act now, the instability he caused will spread throughout the region, and we’ll be dealing with a full-scale collapse of the Mandaue Node. This is the quickest way to restore balance."

  Mike looked at Adrian, a mix of disbelief and resignation in his eyes. “This is how it works now, huh? We don’t just fight monsters. We fight the System itself.”

  Adrian’s eyes were hard, focused. “We do what we must to survive.”

  With a deliberate motion, Adrian raised his hand, his fingers hovering over the Genesis Ring. The device hummed with energy, and the room grew quiet. A single command flowed through Adrian’s mind as he initiated the System’s penalty.

  The warlord’s body shuddered, the remaining energy inside him pulsing erratically. Adrian’s hand clenched into a fist as he directed the energy, sending a powerful pulse of force through the warlord’s body. The energy was drained in an instant, the residual power siphoned directly into the Genesis Ring.

  For a moment, there was only silence. Then, the warlord’s body began to collapse in on itself, his physical form disintegrating as the energy was completely extracted, leaving nothing behind but a pile of ash and debris.

  A notification popped up in the air in front of Adrian.

  Penalty Enforced: Tax Evader Executed.

  Energy Redistribution Complete.

  Node Stability Restored. Local Energy Bank Balanced.

  Mike watched as the message flashed before them, the weight of it settling into the room like a thick fog. There was no joy in the execution, no sense of victory. The System had taken its tax, and balance had been restored. But at what cost?

  “That’s it?” Mike asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Just like that?"

  Adrian exhaled slowly, his eyes lingering on the empty space where the warlord had fallen. “The System doesn’t make exceptions. It doesn’t care about what we want. It only cares about maintaining order. It doesn’t see a person, Mike. It sees energy, balance, and consequences.”

  Mike shook his head, still processing. “This is just getting weirder. You’re telling me we’ve just executed a guy to balance the energy of the world?”

  Adrian didn’t respond right away. Instead, he turned back to the control console, tapping a few keys to confirm the changes. The local Node’s energy levels had stabilized, and the immediate threat of a catastrophic collapse was gone.

  “We did what we had to do,” Adrian said quietly, his voice steely. “The System won’t let anyone stand in the way of its order. But that doesn’t mean we can’t use it to our advantage.”

  Mike frowned, still uneasy. “So, what now? Do we just keep using it?”

  Adrian turned away from the console, his expression unreadable. “Now, we move. The Iron Tusk won’t stop with just one warlord. We have to make sure the next phase of their operations doesn’t destabilize everything again. We can’t let them take control of the Boss Cores.”

  Mike nodded, a newfound resolve in his eyes. “Got it. So, we’re taking them down, one by one.”

  Adrian’s gaze hardened. “Yes. We’re going to stop them before they can do any more damage.”

  As the room settled into silence, Adrian felt the weight of their mission ahead. The Iron Tusk was a serious threat, and if they didn’t act quickly, they could undo everything they had fought for. The System had shown its hand, and now, it was time for them to play the game.

  But Adrian knew one thing for certain: The fight was far from over.

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