The alarm goes off, almost simultaneously with repeated doorbell rings. Wyn springs awake, only to butt heads with James, who had been sitting over him and Mira, staring at them jealously. After asking James to wake the others up, Wyn dashes to the tent door. There, he finds Charlotte, looking as impatient as ever. Behind her stands David's entire team, including Fatima and Eugene. Wyn breathes a sigh of relief when he sees that David appears to have gotten the much-needed rest.

  As they make their way to the Nerds’ HQ, an unfamiliar nerd stands waiting. He greets David with a friendly tone, but his demeanor shifts when he turns to Wyn.

  “Who are they? Why are they here?” he asks.

  “We need them. Their team contributed a lot during the defense,” David replies.

  “Normally, I’d need to report this to security, but I trust you, David,” the nerd says. “That said, Steve and Wei aren’t here yet. Let my fellow nerds take you to the meeting room first.”

  Inside the Nerds’ HQ, the group is greeted by a vast open space filled with surprising features. Trees grow throughout the area, with sliders spiraling down from the upper floors. At the center lies a shallow pit resembling a trampoline, which the nerds use to launch themselves to different floors. Overhead, ropes dangle from real yet silent helicopters, offering another unconventional way to ascend or descend. For those preferring something more conventional, sleek glass elevators are also available. However, what catches Wyn’s attention most are the signs displaying images that explicitly ban partying and orgies.

  “The theme changes every now and then. This time, it’s the jungle theme,” a nerd says, greeting the group as they stand before the vast room in awe.

  Despite Yu’s enthusiastic pleas to try the trampoline to ascend, the nerd firmly shakes her head, guiding them toward the elevators instead.

  “There are underground floors?” Wyn asks, noticing the options for levels below the first floor.

  “Not exactly. Those floors are for essence extraction from creatures – we use their essence to fuel most of Hell’s operations.”

  “Creatures? Wouldn’t you need a ton of them to power all the levels here?” Wyn asks.

  “Yes, exactly! That’s why we have a dedicated team of nerds and cats working together to bring strong creatures here through portals.”

  The super-speed ride to the fiftieth floor leaves Wyn’s team clutching each other, their eyes wide with fear. In stark contrast, David’s team remains eerily calm and quiet, their sorrowful expressions making Wyn hesitant to speak to any of them. As the group steps out of the elevator, the jungle-themed floor seamlessly transforms into a modern, professional meeting room. In one corner, white pods begin to beep, a ring of LED light around each device glowing green. The pods follow each member of the group, gently herding them toward the oval meeting table before situating themselves in a neat arrangement. One by one, the pods open from the top, summoning futuristic ergonomic chairs that slide into place for everyone.

  Wyn is seated next to David on one side and Yu on the other. While his team chats with one another, David’s team remains silent.

  “Did you hear about CATOTO, David?” Wyn asks.

  “Huh? Sorry, did you say something?” David replies, his attention momentarily drifting.

  “Cateto said CATOTO didn’t make it, and a couple of other campsite cats didn’t either.”

  “Ah, yes, I’ve heard about that. Such a tragedy, losing so many. I hear Catato will take his place in welcoming souls on level zero.”

  “It’s back in operation now?”

  “Souls still need to come in, so, in a way, yes. The gate to Hell will always be open, though without Cerberus for now.”

  “Cerberus? Oh…did it...?”

  “Lost two heads, and is resting somewhere on the second floor.”

  Wyn is at a loss for words, the rage within him surging uncontrollably. His hatred for both creators intensifies each time the aftermath of invasion flashes through his mind, compounded by the haunting memories of Anish. Unable to mask his expression any longer, he glares as Dark Force and Pete enter the room, arriving at the same time as Steve and his puppeteers.

  “While we wait for Wei, do you mind clearing up the whole intervention thing for me?” Wyn asks, his voice sharp as Dark Force takes the end seat beside Pete, their eyes locked. “Are you telling me my shitty life had nothing to do with bucket?”

  “No, it was all you and those around you,” he answers, his expression once again neutral.

  “Then why should I kill someone who didn’t do anything wrong to me?” Wyn asks, his tone laced with bitterness.

  “I’m sorry to butt in,” Pete interjects smoothly. “Think of it this way, Wyn – that is your name, right? Because there was no intervention, your life wasn’t as good as it could have been. Everyone has talent, but we’re all restricted in ways beyond our control. What we want is to free you from those restrictions and give you the chance to be the best version of yourself – if you choose to take it.”

  He pauses briefly, then adds, “That said, when the time actually comes, there will be more discussion on how to make that happen.”

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  The nerds seem content, and despite their privileges, Pete has yet to encounter one who is overly consumed by them. Their ability to stay in line without causing trouble has given Dark Force and Pete hope that, with divine intervention, the same could be achieved on Earth. In Pete’s mind, he understands that both creators wish to see their prized creations thrive, though their visions for achieving this differ greatly.

  Wyn is momentarily thrown off by Pete’s response, but his skepticism remains. To him, it still feels like both creators are toying with them, sending them to their deaths for the sake of their own entertainment.

  “First off, not a damn one of us here is a nerd – you can’t draw conclusions based on just one sample group. Secondly, we’re the ones risking it all for you, not your beloved nerds,” Wyn mutters.

  “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” Dark Force replies, his tone calm and measured. “We’ve learned from the past that forcing someone to fight doesn’t end well.”

  “Fine, then we’ll leave,” Wyn retorts, standing abruptly and signaling for his team to follow.

  Before he can take another step, David gently pulls on Wyn’s arm, his gaze steady but difficult to read. Without letting go, he says, “Please, Wyn, let’s end this cycle.”

  Wyn glances at his team. Their smiles are subtle yet telling, even if James’ grin carries its usual unsettling quality. Wyn knows what his team wants. He exhales sharply, sitting back down as the tension in the room lingers.

  “Your mistake, Big D, is that you fail to understand how the brain works,” Steve says, finally breaking his silence after listening intently to Wyn. His words are deliberate, carrying a weight that even the nerds in the room can feel. “You keep calling it evolution, but the human race has always sought to destroy each other to protect their own interests as they become more evolved. Does that mean we’re flawed by design? Or, maybe, this is part of the so-called ‘evolution’ to get us to another stage. If so, should we really intervene?”

  The room falls silent, Steve’s question hanging heavy in the air. But before anyone can respond, the doors open, and Wei enters with his puppeteers, signaling the start of the meeting.

  Pete starts the meeting, directing everyone’s attention to the strategy for approaching Heaven. Dark Force contributes what knowledge he has, explaining that several guardians from before the Heaven and Hell split are still present. However, the specifics of their locations within the levels of Heaven remain unclear.

  “We want the moderators to join us. If Heaven did it, so should we,” Charlotte insists.

  Pete shakes his head slightly. “If we send all at once, Hell will be exposed,” he explains. “If another Heaven army attacks and breaches the seventh floor, then Light Force can step in directly. That could put us in serious trouble.”

  “But we just wiped out tens of thousands of them. You really think they have more?” Charlotte presses.

  “We simply can’t take any risks, sorry. It could be part of their strategy to make us think like that,” Pete replies, his tone steady. “Before you, no Hell army ever had assistance from the moderators.”

  “Yeah? Maybe that’s why they’re all dead?” James cuts in.

  “What about letting Hell’s creatures lead the charge? Oh, and the four horsemen of the apocalypse? Where are they?” someone from Wei’s faction suggests.

  Pete hesitates before responding. “Erm…there’s no guarantee the creatures won’t turn on you guys instead. As for the four horsemen, their reputation is…let’s just say exaggerated. They’re just horses that share a single lower body and don’t have any powers.”

  “How do they look? Like Cerberus but with horses?” Yu asks, enthusiastically.

  “They’re more like a cross – multiple goofy horse heads branching from one shared body,” Pete replies.

  “The green barriers the nerds used at the city center event. We could implement those into our bands, right? Assuming the bands still work up there,” Wyn suggests.

  “Ah, good suggestion. We’ll work on that,” Pete says. “They won’t be able to withstand the guardians but should provide extra protection against lesser creatures.”

  Since Heaven and Hell share the same void space, several band features can function in Heaven just as they do in Hell. This understanding leads Pete to highlight another critical point – the journey to Heaven will be a one-way trip until Dark Force eliminates his counterpart. Pete emphasizes the necessity of resting between each level, which is why the souls will have access to their tents – different from the ones currently pitched behind the square. Once Steve and Wei are fully healed after each battle, that will be the army’s cue to move on.

  The main strategy is to let Steve and Wei take on each guardian and collect the essence left behind to grow stronger. However, this idea is quickly protested by David’s team, claiming it’s too risky to rely on just two souls out of the thousands they have. While Steve stays quiet, Wei doesn’t back down, insisting that he and Steve should grow stronger faster.

  The group comes to an agreement when Steve suggests that he and Wei will share the essence with David. Other souls will also collect any other essence drops on the level equally, ensuring everyone has a chance to grow stronger as they progress.

  Then the meeting comes to an impasse as the souls try to bargain for the moderators’ assistance once more.

  “Okay, I’ll let you use the moderators. Steve’s, Wei’s, and David’s screens will have options to select one moderator at a time. Once summoned, you may not use the same one ever again in Heaven. I need them to recover after battle,” Dark Force says.

  “Only when two out of the three of you select the same moderator will they be summoned through a portal,” Pete chips in.

  “…What if there aren’t three of us anymore?” Steve asks.

  “The army can report to us, and we’ll make some changes – though I don’t know what those will be yet,” Pete replies.

  “Sooo…how did you know your army lost back then?” James asks.

  “We sent reporter cats with the army. They weren’t involved in the fight and were spared by the guardians,” Pete answers.

  “Let me sum this up: you’ll let us use the moderators, but with restrictions, because you care more for them than for us – one of whom will eventually become your counterpart,” Wyn says.

  “I value both offense and defense. I hope you understand,” Dark Force answers, giving him a smile.

  The meeting ends with everyone agreeing to venture out in seven days, allowing the souls time to mentally prepare, strategize, say their goodbyes, or do whatever they need to do.

  Before the group splits, Steve pulls Wyn aside. “I like you. Stay alive until the end with us, alright?” he says, then leaves.

  While David’s team plans to spend the next seven days celebrating their friendship and honoring their fallen comrades, Wyn’s team has something different in mind.

  “Ring my tent door before we attack Heaven, alright?” David demands.

  “Sure, man. Your team’s like brothers and sisters to us now. We’ll fight alongside you!” Wyn replies.

  As the teams bid their temporary farewells, Wyn opens a portal that will lead them back to Hell’s Ride. But just before they step through, Mira’s band vibrates – the nerds have replied to her message.