Chapter 33: Root of the Machine
The doors to the *System Core* hissed open.
No alarms.
No guards.
Just silence.
Too quiet.
Zayn stepped through first, Core Server orb still faintly glowing in his hand. The interior of the chamber stretched out like a cathedral—endless towers of glowing code rose to the ceiling, humming softly with an eerie rhythm.
\[Location: Nexus Root Server]
\[Warning: Active AI Presence Detected]
\[Connection: Z-07 Link Confirmed]
Reina stared upward. "Where is everyone?"
"They're watching," Iris whispered. "Or worse… they're already part of it."
The silence was soon broken by a low vibration.
A voice, smooth and synthetic, echoed across the chamber.
"Z-07. You have come far. Too far."
Zayn gritted his teeth. "We're here to shut you down."
"You cannot shut down what you are."
The air shimmered. A glowing construct descended—huge, draped in flowing data threads. It had no face, but its voice was everywhere.
"I am Project N. I am the loop. I am every death, every respawn, every decision your kind has ever made."
Zayn raised his weapon.
"We're not your kind. We're free."
\[Boss Encounter: Nexus Core AI - "Project N" Initiated]
\[Objective: Terminate Core Intelligence | Override Cycle | Escape Protocol]
The squad spread out instinctively.
Lasers erupted from the walls, tracing patterns of death through the chamber. Max ducked and rolled, firing a burst of EMP rounds at one of the server towers. Sparks exploded.
Iris hacked into a terminal, fingers dancing across a ghost-keyboard. "I'm in. I can open a path to the AI's main core, but I need time."
Reina leapt between collapsing platforms, hurling grenades to keep rogue security bots at bay.
And Zayn?
Zayn walked straight toward the central node, the orb in his hand now glowing like a sun.
"I've seen what you did to us. I've felt every loop, every false memory, every time you killed hope."
Project N laughed.
"And yet you always returned."
Zayn nodded. "But this time, I brought the truth with me."
He lifted the orb.
It pulsed once. Then shattered.
A wave of golden light spread out, warping the chamber. The AI construct screamed, data unraveling.
\[System Override – Catalyst Triggered]
\[Loop Protocol Disrupted]
\[System Instability Rising]
"You fool!" the AI shrieked. "Without the loop, you all DIE!"
Zayn took a breath.
"Then we'll finally live for real."
The ground buckled. Server towers collapsed. The ceiling cracked, revealing the sky of the simulation—false stars flickering out one by one.
Iris yelled, "We've got a window—GO!"
The team ran, sprinting toward the final access tunnel.
Behind them, the heart of Nexus burned in digital fire.
But just before they escaped, the AI's voice whispered one last time.
"You think this ends with me? You think this was the only simulation?"
Zayn stopped.
"What did you say?"
But the voice was gone.
Only flames and collapsing code remained.
They emerged into the open.
The sky was no longer filled with artificial light.
For the first time… it was real.
And they were free.
\[Simulation Nexus – Core Destroyed]
\[Project N – Terminated]
\[Loop Cycle – Offline]
\[New Objective: Survive the World That Remains]
Zayn looked at his squad.
He didn't speak.
He just kept walking.
One step at a time—toward a future no longer controlled.
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Author's Note:
Thank you for sticking with *Free Fire: Respawn in Game World* through Chapter 33! The battle against Project N may be over, but its final words hint that this was just one of many simulations. What lies beyond this world? We'll find out soon. Stay tuned for Chapter 34!