118

Chapter 118 — The First Step Into the Anomaly

The team returned to the temporary command center before sunset, carrying far more information than they had possessed when they arrived. The reconnaissance mission had lasted less than three hours, yet the unusual behavior of the black crystals and the creatures connected to them had already forced everyone to reconsider the nature of the anomaly. It wasn't behaving like an ordinary dungeon, and it wasn't simply an area experiencing unusually high mana density. Something beneath the frozen ground was influencing the movement of mana itself.

Yerin stood beside the large digital map while Hae-rin transferred the reconnaissance data into the central system. "The eight creatures didn't attack like a normal pack," she said. "Their movements became coordinated only after they entered the crystal network's range."

Ara nodded while examining the recorded footage. "And when Subin severed the connection between two of them, their coordination immediately weakened. Their individual combat ability didn't change much, but their cooperation collapsed."

"Which means the network is affecting their behavior," Jae-hyun said.

"Or their mana circulation," Subin corrected.

Everyone turned toward him.

He pointed toward the captured readings. "Their movements changed because their internal mana flow changed. The crystals aren't controlling them like puppets. They're modifying the environment around them, and the creatures are adapting to that environment."

Yoo Hae-rin enlarged one of the graphs. "That would explain the sudden change in temperature too. If the network is redirecting mana through different regions, it could be affecting the surrounding energy distribution."

Kim Tae-won looked at the map. "Then how large is the network?"

"We don't know," Yerin answered. "But it's larger than the area we've explored."

Director Kang, who had been listening from the other side of the room, nodded. "That's enough information for today. We won't send another team inside until the analysis is complete."

Min-seok leaned against the table. "So we came all the way to Kazakhstan just to walk around, fight eight wolves and come back?"

Yerin looked at him. "We came here to investigate."

"I know."

"And we found something."

"I know."

"Then stop complaining."

Min-seok smiled. "I wasn't complaining."

Ara looked at him.

"You were."

"Fine. Maybe a little."

The tension in the room eased.

Despite the strange nature of the mission, the team had already begun developing the comfortable rhythm that had been missing during their first meeting. They weren't simply seven powerful Awakeners standing in the same room anymore. They were beginning to understand how the others thought.

That mattered.

Subin had learned during the National A-rank Evaluation that fighting alongside people required a different kind of awareness than fighting monsters. A monster generally responded to instinct, survival and environmental pressure. Humans could make decisions specifically because they knew someone was trying to understand them.

That difference had become increasingly important to his swordsmanship.

But he wasn't thinking about swordsmanship at the moment.

He was thinking about the crystals.

The more he examined the readings, the more certain he became that the visible network was only a surface expression of something much larger.

"Director," Subin said, "I'd like to examine the mana readings from the local stations."

Director Kang looked at him.

"Tonight?"

"Yes."

"You've already spent several hours analyzing the field."

"I want to compare the fluctuations before and after we entered."

Director Kang studied him for a moment before nodding. "Fine. But don't stay awake all night."

Subin returned to the monitoring room.

Yerin followed him.

"You knew I would come."

"I assumed you would."

She pulled a chair beside him.

"Then move over."

Subin shifted slightly.

Yerin sat down and looked at the screen.

For the next hour, they compared hundreds of readings.

The fluctuations were subtle.

At first, nothing appeared unusual.

Then Subin noticed something.

"Here."

Yerin leaned closer.

A graph displayed mana density across several monitoring points.

"What am I looking at?"

"The timing."

She studied it.

The readings from three different monitoring stations had changed almost simultaneously.

"Eleven minutes?"

"No."

Subin enlarged the graph.

"Ten minutes and forty-seven seconds."

Yerin frowned.

"The previous fluctuation was eleven minutes."

"Exactly."

"So the interval is changing."

Subin nodded.

"And the changes aren't random."

He brought up several older measurements.

The interval had started at eleven minutes and twenty-three seconds.

Then eleven minutes and eight seconds.

Then eleven minutes.

Then ten minutes and forty-seven seconds.

Yerin's expression became serious.

"It's accelerating."

"Slowly."

"Could it be because of us?"

"Possibly."

That possibility changed the situation.

If their presence had altered the anomaly, then simply sending more people inside could accelerate the process further.

Yerin immediately contacted Director Kang.

Within minutes, the command center was active again.

Director Kang entered the monitoring room with several local officials.

"What did you find?"

Subin displayed the graph.

"The interval between mana surges is shortening."

One of the local officials frowned. "By how much?"

"Not enough to cause an immediate problem," Subin said, "but the trend is consistent."

Director Kang looked at the data.

"Could our team have caused it?"

"We don't know."

"Can you determine that?"

Subin shook his head.

"Not from these readings."

The room became quiet.

Nobody panicked.

That was important.

The anomaly was strange, but strange didn't automatically mean dangerous.

Director Kang turned toward the local officials.

"We need continuous monitoring tonight."

Arman nodded.

"I'll arrange additional stations."

"And tomorrow?"

Yerin looked at Subin.

Subin stared at the map.

"We should investigate one of the network branches."

Director Kang raised an eyebrow.

"You just said our presence may be affecting it."

"We can enter with a smaller team."

"How small?"

"Three people."

Yerin immediately spoke.

"Me, Subin and one support member."

Min-seok appeared in the doorway.

"Why wasn't I invited?"

Yerin looked at him.

"Because you would turn a reconnaissance mission into a battle."

Min-seok placed a hand over his chest.

"That's unfair."

Ara appeared behind him.

"She's right."

"You're supposed to support me."

"I support accurate statements."

Jae-hyun walked in behind them.

"If you're going in, I'll go too."

Yerin shook her head.

"We don't need four combatants."

Jae-hyun looked toward Subin.

"What do you think?"

Subin considered the situation.

"Three people would be enough."

Jae-hyun nodded.

"Then I'll stay here."

There was no resentment in his voice.

That surprised Min-seok.

"You didn't argue."

"I'm learning."

Subin looked at him.

Jae-hyun smiled.

"Don't look so surprised."

The decision was made.

Tomorrow morning, Subin, Yerin and Hae-rin would conduct a short reconnaissance mission along one of the northern branches. Their objective would be to determine where the transferred mana was going.

No deeper exploration.

No attempt to conquer the anomaly.

No unnecessary fighting.

The mission was simple.

Find the direction of the flow.

That night, the team ate together at the temporary base.

The meal was nothing special, but the atmosphere was relaxed.

Min-seok complained about the food.

Tae-won told him to stop complaining.

Ara asked Hae-rin about her archery.

Jae-hyun and Tae-won discussed defensive formations.

Yerin occasionally joined the conversations while Subin mostly listened.

Eventually, Ara turned toward him.

"You really don't talk much."

Subin looked at her.

"I talk when I have something to say."

"That's a convenient excuse."

Min-seok laughed.

"He's always been like that."

Yerin looked at Subin.

"He's getting better."

Subin raised an eyebrow.

"At talking?"

"Yes."

Ara smiled.

"Yerin is right."

Subin decided there was no point arguing.

After dinner, everyone returned to their rooms.

Yerin found Subin outside the command building.

The night was cold, and the sky was remarkably clear.

"You can't sleep either?"

"I'm thinking."

"About the anomaly?"

"Yes."

Yerin leaned against the railing beside him.

"You always think about the next problem."

Subin looked toward the distant darkness.

"If we understand the system, we can avoid damaging it."

"You've changed."

"Again?"

She smiled.

"You used to say you wanted to become stronger."

"I still do."

"But now you also care about what happens around you."

Subin was quiet.

Perhaps she was right.

Strength had once been the simplest answer.

If something was dangerous, become stronger.

If something was blocking the path, cut through it.

If an opponent was stronger, surpass them.

But Greenfall had shown him that some things could not simply be conquered.

A dungeon could be valuable without being something to plunder.

A monster could be powerful without being an enemy.

And sometimes the strongest choice was to leave something untouched.

Yerin looked at him.

"Do you regret anything?"

Subin thought for a while.

"No."

"Not even the tournament?"

"No."

"You defeated me."

"You asked me not to defeat you too quickly."

"And you didn't."

Subin smiled faintly.

Yerin noticed.

"There it is again."

"What?"

"That smile."

Subin looked away.

Yerin laughed softly.

The next morning, the three-person reconnaissance team prepared before sunrise.

Hae-rin carried her bow and several specialized arrows designed for mana detection. Yerin carried her spear, while Subin carried Simple Edge.

The three left the command center with a small support vehicle and traveled toward the northern branch of the network.

The temperature had fallen overnight.

Frost covered the ground.

Yet the black crystals were warmer than the surrounding soil.

Hae-rin checked her scanner.

"Mana density is increasing."

Subin looked ahead.

"How much?"

"Twenty percent since yesterday."

Yerin frowned.

"That fast?"

Hae-rin nodded.

They continued.

The number of crystals increased as they moved farther from the command center.

Eventually, they reached a narrow valley.

Dozens of black crystals protruded from the ground.

Mana flowed through them.

Subin crouched and placed his hand near the soil.

He could sense the movement beneath them.

The network was deeper than he had expected.

"There's a large flow underneath us."

Hae-rin checked her scanner.

"I can detect it."

"Direction?"

She looked at the readings.

"Northwest."

Subin stood.

"Then we follow it."

They moved deeper into the valley.

After several hundred meters, the terrain changed.

The frozen ground became damp.

Then completely wet.

A thin stream emerged from beneath the ice.

Yerin crouched beside it.

"The temperature changed again."

Subin watched the water.

It wasn't flowing downhill.

It was moving sideways.

Toward the northwest.

He followed it with his eyes.

"There."

A large black crystal stood several meters ahead.

Unlike the smaller crystals they had encountered earlier, this one was nearly two meters tall.

Mana entered it from beneath the ground.

Then disappeared toward the northwest.

Hae-rin stared at her scanner.

"That's the strongest transfer point we've found."

Subin approached it.

He didn't touch the crystal.

Instead, he watched the mana.

There was something unusual about its movement.

The crystal wasn't merely transferring energy.

It was changing the flow.

Subin's eyes narrowed.

"Wait."

Yerin immediately stopped.

"What?"

"The mana is splitting."

Hae-rin looked at her scanner.

"Two directions?"

"Three."

Subin pointed toward the ground.

"One branch continues northwest. One goes downward. The third returns toward the area we came from."

Yerin looked around.

"Why would it return?"

Subin didn't answer immediately.

He watched the flow carefully.

Then he realized something.

"It's not a simple network."

"What is it?"

Subin looked toward the massive crystal.

"It's a circulation system."

The crystal pulsed.

Mana rushed through the ground.

The surrounding temperature suddenly dropped.

Ice spread across the stream.

Hae-rin stepped backward.

"Something just changed."

Subin drew Simple Edge.

Not because he intended to attack, but because the environment had shifted too quickly.

The ground beneath them trembled.

A crack opened several meters away.

Something moved beneath the frozen soil.

Yerin raised her spear.

Subin watched the crack widen.

A creature emerged.

It was larger than the wolves they had encountered the previous day, with four powerful legs, dark crystalline armor covering its shoulders, and pale blue mana flowing through its body.

Hae-rin checked its level.

"One hundred and six."

Yerin tightened her grip.

"A-rank."

The creature stared at them.

But it didn't attack immediately.

Instead, its head turned toward the large crystal.

Subin noticed the connection.

The creature wasn't guarding the crystal.

It was receiving mana from it.

Then the flow changed.

The monster's body became covered in additional crystalline growths.

Its level began rising.

106.

107.

108.

Hae-rin's expression changed.

"It's evolving."

Subin looked at the crystal.

The circulation system wasn't merely moving mana.

It was supplying the surrounding ecosystem according to changing conditions.

The creature roared.

The valley shook.

Yerin stepped forward.

"Subin."

"I know."

The three of them prepared themselves.

The reconnaissance mission had just become a combat operation.

But this time, Subin wasn't interested in simply defeating the monster.

He wanted to understand what was happening between the creature, the crystal and the flowing mana.

Because if he was right, then the monster wasn't the real problem.

The real question was what would happen if the entire circulation system began accelerating.