The road narrowed. Thunder cracked above. In the distance, the heart of Carcera Exile loomed—a twisted fortress of steel and engine parts, endlessly grinding, belching steam and sparks into the sky.
Every part of the world screamed "turn back."
But Lian, Demist, and Jayce only pressed harder on their accelerators.
[ Quest Progress: 98% — Core Approach Detected ]
[ Warden Autoscourge – Awakening in 2 minutes ]
"Okay, here's what we know," Jayce said, swerving past collapsing wreckage. "The Warden is the prison. His core is bound to the center. We take that out, the road resets, and we escape."
"And if we fail?" Demist asked.
Jayce shrugged. "No refunds. Also, our bones get turned into traffic signs."
As they neared the fortress, the road split open. A massive mechanical monstrosity emerged—at least 50 feet tall, with smokestack shoulders and limbs made of crushed prison buses and riot turrets.
Its face: a screen displaying cycling mugshots.
Its voice: engine roars mixed with sirens.
[ Boss Encounter Initiated – Warden Autoscourge ]
> Tier: 3
Core Weakness: Exposed after Overheat Phase
Passive: World Law Amplifier – "Motion Equals Life" triggers at 5 seconds
Special: System Jammer – No status windows or healing mid-fight
Jayce blinked. "Oh cool. He brought cheat codes."
Lian gritted his teeth. "No system. No regen. We end this fast."
---
Phase 1: Riot Protocol
Autoscourge unleashed massive prison bots. They clanked toward the group, equipped with shock batons and flamethrowers.
Jayce shouted, "Leave the minions to me!"
He did a donut in his ice cream truck, blasting clown music at max volume. The bots hesitated—then started dancing. Mid-glitch.
"Never underestimate a good beat," Jayce winked, then launched a freeze-cream bomb from his turret. It detonated into sticky ice sludge, locking half the bots in place.
Demist dashed in, his axe cutting clean through exposed wiring.
Lian activated his Fate Diver passive—time slowed for just a moment, and he saw the Warden's attack arc before it happened.
He veered left, scaled debris with the Walker's legs, and landed on the Warden's shoulder.
"Now!" Lian yelled. "Hit him while he's shifting stance!"
---
Phase 2: Core Exposure
The Warden overheated—vents burst open on its back, revealing a glowing red chamber.
"That's our shot!" Lian threw a charged coin directly into the vent.
[ Coin Skill Triggered – Jackpot Charge ]
[ Coin Multiplier Active – Damage x2 ]
The explosion sent a ripple through the prison landscape. The Warden howled in mechanical fury.
"Jayce!" Lian yelled. "Got any dumb ideas left?"
Jayce grinned and pulled out what looked like a glowing popsicle stick.
"This is a prototype... Reality Disruptor. Makes no sense. Might delete us or delete him. Wanna bet?"
Demist: "DO IT."
Jayce licked it like a popsicle. The world glitched. For a second, Warden Autoscourge turned into a toaster.
Then the core cracked.
Lian jumped, drove his fist—still glowing with coin energy—into the broken chamber.
The Warden exploded.
---
[ BOSS DEFEATED – WARDEN AUTOSCOURGE TERMINATED ]
> Coins Earned: 12,000 (Multiplied!)
Party Bonus: +1,200
Fate Triggered: Rare Item Drop
[ Talent Item Acquired: "Coin Battery – Stores excess coins as kinetic energy" ]
[ World Escape: Portal Unlocked ]
---
They stood outside the crumbling fortress, watching as the world of Carcera folded inward like a collapsing junk drawer.
Jayce looked at them. "Alright, friends. One prison broken, one Warden down."
He raised a finger. "Only, like, a hundred more cursed worlds to go."
Lian smiled. "Let's survive the next one."
Demist: "And maybe get a normal teammate next time."
Jayce gasped. "Rude. I bring flavor."
---
.