For Gareth, this was a first. He had never faced such a brazen usurpation of his authority before.

He stood frozen, the pouch of Cores heavy in his hand. The Dire Wolves might be a joke of a guild—small, under-equipped, and barely surviving—but it was his guild. Or at least, it had been.

Gareth looked at the closed door where Jax had disappeared. A heavy sigh escaped him, deflating his posture. He looked down at the Cores Jax had tossed on the table—a bribe, a gift, or perhaps severance pay?

He silently scooped them up and shoved them deep into his pocket.

Night deepened over The Sprawl. In the rental house, Jax and Barnaby were the only ones sleeping soundly. The rest of the crew tossed and turned, staring at the ceiling.

Gareth sat in the dark for a long time, wrestling with his pride. Finally, he made a decision. He crept out of his room and knocked softly on the others’ doors, signaling for a meeting downstairs.

A few minutes later, the motley crew of The Dire Wolves gathered in a secluded corner of the courtyard, shadows clinging to their faces.

Gareth scanned the group, his eyes landing on Silas.

“Silas,” Gareth whispered. “Give it to us straight. What happened out there? How did you really get those Cores?”

Silas squatted on his heels, picking dirt out from under his fingernails. He didn’t look up. “What’s there to say? We killed Sandworms. We got paid.”

Viper, leaning against a pillar, let out a cold, mocking laugh. “Who do you think you’re fooling? You’re not even on our side anymore, are you? Have you forgotten who took you in when you were starving? Now you’re acting like an ungrateful dog, wagging your tail for an outsider. Impressive.”

Silas snapped. He shot to his feet, eyes blazing as he got in Viper’s face.

“Viper, don’t start with me. I’m telling you right now—I follow Jax. He’s my Boss. I listen to him, and only him. You got a problem with that?”

Silas couldn’t explain it himself. Ever since Jax had placed a hand on his shoulder and granted him that surge of power, his loyalty felt wired into his nerves. It wasn’t just gratitude; it was an instinct, a compulsion to serve.

The air between the two men crackled with violence.

“Enough,” Gareth intervened, stepping between them. “Silas, if you don’t want to talk, fine. But I have something to say.”

The group turned their attention to the guild leader.

“I went to see Jax this afternoon,” Gareth admitted, his voice low. “Look around. We have no presence here. No decent weapons, no Defense Towers. Hunting outside the walls is a death sentence for us.”

He paused, letting the reality sink in.

“So I asked Jax if he would take me along next time. He said yes—on the condition that I follow his orders. I’m going to do it. The man is a powerhouse. You saw the haul. Taking down that many Sandworms alone? It’s impossible for normal people. If we stick with him, our lives might actually change.”

Gareth turned to the siblings. “Kaleb, Annie. You two always talk about moving to Redrock Bastion, right?”

He looked at Silas. “And you. You’ve been dreaming of the high-end clubs in the Bastion for years.”

Silas remained silent for a long moment. Finally, he looked up, his expression serious.

“I’ll say this once: If you follow Boss Jax, you will never go hungry again. You’ll have more wealth than you know what to do with. That’s a promise. Whether you listen is up to you.”

Silas squatted back down, retreating into his shell.

Gareth nodded slowly. “I’ve made my choice. I’m stepping down as field commander. I’ll follow Jax. Even though I’m the Guild Leader on paper, we need someone with actual strength to lead us. What do you say?”

Silas nodded immediately.

Annie opened her mouth to agree, but Kaleb put a hand on her arm. He narrowed his eyes at Gareth.

“Does he have any other conditions?”

Kaleb wasn’t naive. In the wasteland, power always came with a price.

“Just that one,” Gareth assured him. “Absolute obedience in the field. Nothing else.”

Kaleb looked at his sister, saw the hope in her eyes, and sighed. “Alright. We’re in.”

That left Viper.

The older man stood with his arms crossed, chewing his lip. He was a survivor, a slippery opportunist who trusted no one. Jax was a mystery—a dangerous variable with no background and too much power.

But Viper was also greedy. He had seen the Cores. They had made a killing this week.

“Fine,” Viper grunted, forcing a casual shrug. “I’ll tag along. See how it goes. If it turns sour, I’m out.”

Later that night, Jax woke up thirsty. He padded downstairs to the kitchen for a drink.

As the sound of water gurgling into a cup broke the silence, four heads snapped up from the corner of the room.

Jax lowered the cup and met Gareth’s gaze. He didn’t look surprised.

Gareth stood up, clearing his throat awkwardly. A nervous grin split his face.

“Jax… we agreed. We’re in.”

Jax took a sip of water, his expression unreadable.

“Oh. Alright then.”

With that simple confirmation, The Dire Wolves were effectively annexed.

Jax turned and walked back upstairs, his mind already working. He didn’t trust them—not really. Gareth was weak-willed. The siblings were young and hot-headed, though manageable.

But Viper…

Jax’s eyes narrowed in the darkness of the stairwell. He had watched Viper from day one. The man was a parasite. He wouldn’t last. Jax decided then and there that Viper wouldn’t be returning from their next expedition. He needed to be removed from the equation before he caused real damage.

The next few days were a blur of logistics. Jax spent his time in the markets of The Sprawl, upgrading his gear.

His first priority was a watch. In the wasteland, timing was life.

He browsed the stalls, grimacing at the prices. Mechanical watches—prized because they didn’t need batteries—were outrageously expensive. A decent self-winding model cost 50,000 Credits. Fifty Cores.

Jax had the money, but spending that much on a timepiece felt reckless when he needed to fund construction.

“Batteries are rare,” the merchant whined, tapping the glass case. “But for you? I have this electronic model. Fresh cell installed. Ten thousand.”

Ten Cores. Jax could live with that. He bought the digital watch and strapped it on.

Next stop: The Guild Hub.

Jax walked up to the counter and paid the tax for the Sector 33 lease. The clerk looked surprised; most scavenger teams tried to dodge the fees or delay payment until the bounty hunters came knocking. By paying upfront, Jax solidified his legal claim to the territory.

With the administrative tasks done, Jax turned to his most sensitive mission.

He couldn’t return to Redrock Bastion yet. His face was still on a wanted poster there. But he needed to establish a foothold, and he needed to check on an ally.

He pulled Silas aside in a quiet alley.

“I have a job for you,” Jax said, handing over a heavy pouch. “There are a hundred Cores in there.”

Silas’s eyes widened, his hands trembling as he took the bag. It was a fortune.

“Go to Redrock Bastion,” Jax instructed. “Find Elena. She’s stuck working at a club—I’ll give you the location. Give her the Cores. Tell her I’m making moves, and I’ll be coming for her soon.”

“You want me to just… give her the money?” Silas asked, stunned.

“Every shard,” Jax said, his voice hard. “And use some of your own share to grease some wheels. We need connections in the city. You’re my envoy, Silas. Don’t let me down.”

Silas straightened up, clutching the bag like a holy relic. “I won’t, Boss. I swear.”