The pressure rising from beneath the underground structure felt completely different from everything before.
Not violent.
Not chaotic.
Controlled.
That was what terrified Ayan most.
The corrupted humanoids surrounding the battlefield all lowered themselves completely toward the underground entrance now, their distorted bodies trembling faintly while layered whispers spread across the cliffside in reverent tones.
"…Source…"
"…Primary source…"
"…Convergence…"
Even the crimson-eyed man remained still.
And for the first time since appearing—
Ayan saw genuine caution in his expression.
The underground structure pulsed violently.
Crimson light spread across every line carved into the black stone while deep mechanical sounds echoed upward from beneath the earth itself.
The silver-ranked adventurers instinctively retreated several steps.
The mage's face had gone pale.
"…W-what is coming up from there…?"
No one answered immediately.
Because honestly—
Ayan wasn't sure he wanted the answer anymore.
The crystal hidden at his side burned painfully hot now, faint pulses running through it fast enough to resemble a heartbeat.
Then—
The voices stopped completely.
Absolute silence swallowed the battlefield.
The pressure intensified.
Ayan's instincts screamed.
Not to fight.
Not to run.
To kneel.
The sudden impulse shocked him hard enough that he immediately clenched his jaw and forced the feeling down.
But nearby—
Several corrupted humanoids collapsed fully against the ground as if unable to resist the presence below any longer.
The crimson-eyed man finally spoke quietly.
"…Impossible."
Aelira's eyes narrowed sharply.
"…It shouldn't be awake yet."
The man immediately looked toward her.
"…What did you do?"
Ayan noticed the wording instantly.
Not accusation.
Fear.
Real fear.
Aelira's expression remained cold.
"…Nothing."
The underground entrance trembled violently.
Then something moved within the darkness below.
Not physically emerging yet.
Just movement.
And somehow—
That alone made the entire cliffside feel smaller.
Ayan tightened his grip around the sword while staring into the massive underground opening.
The darkness inside looked deeper now.
Endless.
Almost alive.
Then—
A voice echoed upward.
"…Aelira."
Every person on the cliffside froze instantly.
The voice sounded calm.
Soft even.
But the moment it echoed through the air, crimson lines across the entire underground structure illuminated brighter in response.
The silver-ranked adventurers visibly trembled.
The corrupted humanoids lowered themselves further.
And Ayan—
Felt cold crawl down his spine.
Because unlike the distorted whispers surrounding the humanoids—
This voice sounded perfectly human.
Aelira's expression hardened immediately.
"…Don't speak my name."
The voice responded after a brief silence.
"…You abandoned your purpose."
Ayan's eyes widened slightly.
Purpose.
The crimson-eyed man slowly stepped backward toward the entrance now, his confidence visibly diminished compared to before.
Interesting.
Whatever was below—
Outranked him.
The voice echoed upward again.
"…And yet you return carrying another anomaly."
Ayan's chest tightened.
Because now—
He knew with absolute certainty.
This thing already knew about him.
Not through reports.
Not through the network.
Personally.
The pressure intensified further.
The cliffside cracked beneath invisible force while crimson energy spread outward across the surrounding forest in slow waves.
The voice continued calmly.
"…Synchronization potential exceeds the previous subject."
Silence.
Then Aelira stepped forward slightly.
"…He is not yours."
For the first time—
The voice paused.
Then—
A faint chuckle echoed upward from the darkness below.
Not mocking.
Not cruel.
Amused.
"…You once said the same thing."
Ayan's heartbeat slowed.
The previous anomaly.
Again.
Everything kept circling back to them.
The crimson-eyed man lowered his head slightly toward the underground entrance.
"…Primary Source…"
The voice immediately interrupted him.
"…Silence."
The command alone crushed the atmosphere.
The crimson-eyed man froze instantly.
Not physically restrained.
Obedient.
Ayan's thoughts sharpened dangerously.
Whoever—or whatever—was beneath the structure controlled everything here.
Not the crimson-eyed man.
Not the humanoids.
The entire network.
Then suddenly—
The crystal at Ayan's side pulsed violently again.
Pain exploded through his mind.
Visions flooded him instantly.
Underground laboratories.
Rows of connected chambers.
People screaming as crimson lines spread beneath their skin.
Scientists arguing desperately.
And at the center—
A massive chamber hidden beneath Sector Seven.
Inside it—
Something sleeping.
Not human.
Not mechanical.
Something in between.
Then the vision shifted again.
A familiar face appeared briefly.
Dark hair.
Exhausted eyes.
A young man staring directly toward the glass chamber.
The previous anomaly.
And beside him—
A younger Aelira.
Not emotionless.
Not distant.
Smiling softly.
The vision shattered instantly.
Ayan staggered violently backward breathing hard.
"…Ayan!"
Aelira immediately moved toward him.
But before she reached him—
The voice below spoke again.
Quieter this time.
"…Interesting."
The underground structure trembled harder.
"…You inherited his fragment."
Ayan forced himself upright while gripping his head painfully.
The memory still lingered.
The previous anomaly.
Aelira beside him.
Close.
Human.
The realization hit harder than expected.
Because now—
He understood why Aelira feared history repeating itself.
She had already lost someone once.
The voice beneath the structure continued calmly.
"…Then perhaps convergence truly is inevitable."
Ayan's expression hardened instantly.
"…I'm not becoming part of your system."
A faint silence followed.
Then—
"…You misunderstand."
The voice almost sounded disappointed.
"…You already are."
The crystal pulsed again.
This time—
Ayan felt it clearly.
The connection.
Thin.
Incomplete.
But real.
Something beneath the world recognized him.
Not as an enemy.
Not as prey.
As something unfinished.
A cold feeling settled in his chest.
The voice echoed upward one final time.
"…Bring him below."
Every corrupted humanoid on the cliffside immediately stood.
The crimson-eyed man raised his gaze again.
And this time—
There was no conversation left in his expression.
Only purpose.
The silver-ranked adventurers instinctively tightened formation around Ayan and Aelira as the corrupted humanoids slowly advanced again from every direction.
The spear wielder cursed quietly.
"…Yeah…"
He lowered his spear into combat stance.
"…This just became a suicide mission."
The underground entrance pulsed brighter.
Countless footsteps echoed upward from the darkness below.
Not dozens.
Hundreds.
Ayan's eyes narrowed sharply while the pressure surrounding the battlefield intensified further.
Because now—
The network had stopped observing.
And started hunting him directly.