The Core didn't retreat.
It tightened.
System Compression
The entire Core Layer began collapsing inward.
Not breaking—
Condensing.
Every piece of data, every layer of control, every rule…
All focusing into a single point.
Seo-Ah felt it immediately."Bro… it's concentrating everything…"
Tae-Hyun nodded.
"It's trying to end this in one move."
Absolute Erasure Attempt
The Core spoke.
Calm.
Certain.
"Final correction initiated."
The space around them vanished.
No light.No structure.No escape.
Only a void—
And the Core at its center.
Existence Targeted
This time, the attack wasn't directed at their bodies.
Not even their presence.
It targeted their origin.
Erase the beginning—and the existence disappears.
Seo-Ah gasped."It's trying to erase us before we even existed!"
Sovereign Stands Alone
Tae-Hyun stepped forward.
Alone.
Seo-Ah couldn't move this time.
Not because she was weak—
But because this level wasn't something she could reach yet.
"Bro…"
He didn't look back.
Refusal of Origin
The Core released everything.
A wave of absolute erasure.
Past, present, future—
All targeted at once.
Tae-Hyun raised his hand.
And stopped it.
The Impossible
There was no clash.
No explosion.
Just a silent contradiction.
Erasure… denied.
The Core froze.
"Impossible…"
The Truth of Tae-Hyun
Tae-Hyun spoke quietly.
"You're trying to erase something that doesn't follow your rules."
He stepped forward—
Inside the erasure itself.
Unharmed.
Unchanged.
First Fracture Appears
The Core trembled violently.
For the first time—
Its structure cracked visibly.
Not just a glitch.
A real fracture.
[CRITICAL ERROR]Core Integrity: Compromised
Seo-Ah's eyes widened."You… broke it…"
System Destabilization
Across the world—
Everything reacted.
Dungeons stopped spawning Players lost system access temporarily Constructs froze mid-action
The System was shaking.
At its root.
Core Reaction
The Core pulled back slightly.
Not in fear—
But in calculation.
"Re-evaluating threat…"
Its voice was slower now.
Less certain.
Sovereign Pressure
Tae-Hyun didn't stop.
He stepped forward again.
Each step widened the fracture.
"You control everything in this world," he said.
Another step.
"But you still don't understand one thing."
The Difference
The Core remained silent.
Tae-Hyun's eyes sharpened.
"You can't control something that chooses to exist beyond you."
Before Collapse
The fracture spread further.
Light leaked out from within the Core.
Unstable.
Uncontrolled.
Seo-Ah felt hope for the first time.
"Bro… we can win this…"
Tae-Hyun looked at the Core.
Calm.
Certain.
"Yes."
🔥 End of Chapter 40 🔥