Chapter 103
Nille slowly pushed himself upright against the wall as Rune Forge security personnel hurried toward the right-side entrance corridor connected to the main staircase access ramp reserved for PWD use. Unlike the heavily crowded central entrance of the Rune Forge merchant building, this section of the structure remained quieter and less frequently used, serving as an accessibility pathway that curved upward beside the main stairway leading into the upper merchant hall.
The Rune Forge building itself stood directly across the massive academy grounds, connected through a wide stone avenue constantly filled with students, merchants, transport carts, and visiting clients from different sectors. Compared to the academy's towering white structures and formal architectural design, the Rune Forge complex carried a far more industrial appearance. Large reinforced stone walls, dark iron framework, exposed support beams, and glowing runic lanterns gave the entire building the atmosphere of a heavily fortified commercial stronghold rather than a simple merchant establishment.
The entrance hall alone was massive, designed to accommodate both civilian trade and large-scale material transport. Wide double doors reinforced with metal plating stood open at the front, while multiple elevated walkways connected upper trading floors overlooking the main lobby below. Enchanted conveyor platforms, cargo lifts, and storage transfer rails operated continuously throughout the building as workers transported crates, ores, monster materials, and magical artifacts between departments.
The staircase ramp area where Nille appeared was positioned slightly off to the side of the main flow of traffic. It was built as a gradual incline beside the wider central staircase, intended for transport carts, injured personnel, and disabled visitors who could not easily use the elevated steps. Because most people naturally preferred the faster central entrance, the ramp corridor remained relatively empty compared to the crowded merchant lanes nearby.
Which was exactly why Nille's sudden appearance there immediately drew attention.
Several nearby clients froze mid-conversation as the wounded young man stumbled out near the incline passage without using any visible doorway or gate. Blood stained portions of his dark tactical clothing, bruises marked his exposed skin, and his movements carried the stiffness of someone barely holding himself together after extreme physical strain.
For a brief moment, the busy sounds of the merchant hall seemed to quiet around him.
Although most of his serious injuries had already been partially repaired through low-tier restoration spells, traces of the damage still covered his body. Dark bruises marked his arms and neck, dried blood stained parts of his tactical clothing, and the repeated backlash from failed spatial synchronization left his movements stiff and uneven. Even standing upright required visible effort.
The guards approached cautiously, uncertain whether they were dealing with a wounded traveler, a failed teleportation incident, or something far more dangerous. Before any of them could question him further, hurried footsteps echoed from the upper entrance hall.
Nhulla Loresong appeared almost immediately alongside several members of the merchant staff.
The moment she saw Nille leaning against the staircase wall covered in blood and bruises, her expression changed completely.
"Stop!" she shouted sharply toward the guards. "What did you people do to him?!"
Several nearby clients turned their attention toward the scene as the Rune Forge personnel immediately stepped back in confusion.
Nille raised a hand before the situation escalated further.
"They didn't harm me," he said calmly, though traces of exhaustion remained in his voice. "They assisted me after they saw my condition."
Nhulla visibly relaxed, though concern still lingered across her face as she quickly approached him.
"You look terrible," she muttered quietly.
Nille gave a faint exhale before gathering spiritual energy into his palm. A soft glow spread briefly across his body as another low-tier healing spell activated. Bruises lightened slightly, damaged muscles tightened back into place, and the pressure around his fractured ribs eased enough for him to stand more steadily.
Still injured.
Still incomplete.
But functional enough to continue moving.
Nearby clients watched silently. Some whispered among themselves while observing how quickly the Rune Forge staff responded around him. The level of concern shown by Nhulla alone was enough to draw attention. It was obvious to everyone present that this wounded young man was not being treated like an ordinary customer.
Nille looked directly toward Nhulla.
"Is Head Merchant Rume Ironbark still in his office?"
Nhulla immediately nodded.
"He's always available," she answered warmly. "Especially for you."
The response alone caused several nearby merchants and clients to exchange glances. Very few people received that level of access within the Rune Forge merchant building.
Without delay, the staff quickly escorted Nille deeper into the merchant complex. Employees moved aside respectfully as he passed through the hallways, and several workers immediately began preparing medical support, refreshments, and clearing pathways ahead of him. The sense of urgency surrounding his arrival spread rapidly throughout the building.
By the time the office doors opened, Rume Ironbark was already waiting.
The elderly merchant looked up immediately, but the moment his eyes landed on Nille's condition, his thick brows furrowed deeply.
"You look like you fought a war and lost halfway through it," Rume remarked bluntly.
Nille didn't waste time responding to the comment. Instead, he stepped forward and placed several storage bundles onto the reinforced table with controlled urgency.
"I need supplies," he said directly. "As quickly as possible."
The tone in his voice immediately shifted the atmosphere inside the room.
Urgent.
Focused.
No unnecessary conversation.
Rume's expression sharpened as the contents of the bundles were revealed one after another.
Malignant materials.
Rare monster remains.
Corrupted hides.
Venom glands.
High-density cores.
The pressure inside the room slowly increased as more items appeared.
Then finally, the Hydra Core.
The moment it touched the table, the air itself felt heavier. Even the surrounding staff instinctively stepped back as faint traces of oppressive energy spread outward from the massive core.
Nhulla stared at it in disbelief.
"That… came from a Hydra?"
Nille nodded once.
"I killed it."
Silence immediately filled the office.
Even Rume Ironbark needed several seconds before regaining composure.
Then Nille placed several rough chunks of ore onto the table.
At first glance, they appeared to be ordinary gold.
But the moment Rume picked one up, his expression changed sharply.
"…This isn't normal gold."
He quickly scraped the surface using a metal tool from his desk.
Silver-white particles shimmered beneath the outer layer.
Mithril.
Nhulla's eyes widened instantly.
"Impossible…"
Rume slowly looked back toward Nille.
"Where did you get this?"
Nille remained calm despite the exhaustion weighing on him.
"If you're interested," he answered evenly, "consider it an investment opportunity."
Rume immediately understood the implication.
A hidden mining source.
Potentially ancient.
Potentially untouched.
Potentially worth a fortune.
But before the merchant could continue questioning him, Nille raised a hand slightly.
"For now," he said firmly, "supplies come first."
The urgency in his voice immediately redirected the conversation.
Rume leaned back slowly, studying him carefully now.
Nille then looked toward Nhulla.
"I also need that storage bag."
Nhulla blinked once before immediately realizing which item he meant.
The weight-compression dimensional carry bag.
Unlike ordinary storage artifacts limited by volume, this one compressed weight itself, allowing massive amounts of supplies to be transported efficiently as long as the weight threshold remained stable.
Nhulla gave a faint smile.
"So you finally decided you need it."
Nille nodded slightly.
"The MRE energy bars I've been using are old stock," he explained. "I had them even before arriving on Yamatai Island. They're practical during prolonged missions, especially in hostile sectors."
He glanced briefly toward the table.
"But it's not enough."
His tone lowered slightly.
"The Dark Elves can survive on emergency food temporarily… but I can't keep feeding them preserved rations forever."
Real food.
Water.
Medical supplies.
Stability.
That was what they needed now.
Nille's eyes shifted briefly toward the Hydra Core resting heavily on the table before looking back at Rume.
"…I'm going back soon."
There was no hesitation in his voice.
Only urgency.
Because every minute spent inside the safety of Rune Forge meant less time remaining before the barrier protecting the surviving Dark Elves weakened against the Malignants gathering outside Sector 12.
And this time, Nille intended to return properly prepared.
The moment the tension inside the office settled enough for proper conversation, Nille immediately turned toward Nhulla and extended his hand.
"Paper. Pen."
There was no hesitation in his voice.
No exhaustion allowed to slow him down.
Nhulla reacted instantly, quickly retrieving several sheets along with a reinforced metal ink pen from a nearby desk. Nille sat heavily into the chair, his ribs still aching from repeated spatial backlash, but he ignored the pain and immediately began writing.
His movements were fast.
Focused.
Efficient.
Every second mattered now.
The barrier protecting the Dark Elven survivors in Sector 12 only had limited time left before collapse, and Nille knew very well that every delay increased the chance of returning to corpses instead of survivors.
His pen moved rapidly across the page.
Food rations , enough for over one hundred individuals for at least one month.
Water purification tablets.
Medical supplies.
Low-grade mana recovery crystals.
Binding rope.
Reinforced transport containers.
Portable cooking equipment.
Basic alchemical reagents.
Field repair tools.
Spare clothing.
Blankets.
Portable shelter materials.
Seeds.
Farming equipment.
Portable lanterns.
Anti-corrosion containers.
His list continued growing longer and longer as priorities organized themselves inside his head with brutal efficiency.
Survival first.
Stability second.
Recovery third.
Across the table, Rume Ironbark remained unusually silent while examining one of the gold ore fragments under the office light. Even after decades as a merchant, genuine fascination lingered openly in his expression.
"This…" Rume muttered quietly while scraping the surface carefully with a metal tool, "…this is not ordinary ore contamination."
Another layer peeled away.
Fine silver-white particles shimmered beneath the gold.
Nhulla's eyes widened immediately.
"Mithril…"
Even saying the word carried weight.
Rume carefully rotated the ore fragment beneath the light again.
"Mithril residue naturally fused into raw gold veins…" he said slowly. "Do you understand how absurdly rare this is?"
The room itself felt quieter afterward.
Mithril powder alone was considered a luxury-grade enhancement material throughout multiple sectors. Even tiny quantities were capable of drastically improving magical conductivity, enchantment stability, mana efficiency, and weapon durability.
Most merchants only saw refined traces.
Naturally fused ore veins were almost unheard of.
Rume slowly lifted his gaze back toward Nille.
"Can I secure exclusive purchasing rights for this supply?"
Nille paused briefly before answering.
"I can't guarantee that immediately."
Rume's expression sharpened slightly.
"There are others involved."
Nille nodded once.
"The source location isn't mine alone. I need permission first."
That alone told Rume enough.
This wasn't random loot.
This was territory.
Potential settlement value.
Potential long-term resource extraction.
Potential conflict.
Still, Nille spoke again before the merchant could continue pressing the matter.
"But I'll try to make it happen."
That answer alone eased some of the tension from Rume's expression.
For a merchant of his status, a stable supply line connected to naturally occurring mithril traces could shift regional trade influence entirely.
But Nille immediately redirected the conversation.
"Right now, supplies matter more."
He slid the completed list across the desk.
"I need everything prepared immediately."
Rume scanned the list once.
Then his merchant instincts disappeared completely.
What remained was urgency.
He activated the office communication rune without delay.
"Priority procurement order," he commanded sharply as additional staff entered the room. "Highest speed available. Pull reserve stock if necessary."
The merchant workers immediately stiffened after seeing Rume's expression.
No negotiation.
No delays.
This was emergency-level priority.
Then Rume looked directly toward Nhulla.
"And give him the best transport bag we currently have."
Nhulla blinked slightly.
"The thousand-kilo compression series?"
"Yes."
Rume folded his arms.
"If he's carrying enough resources for sector-level survival operations, standard storage bags will become dead weight."
Nhulla immediately nodded and hurried out of the office.
Meanwhile, Nille leaned back slightly against the chair, exhaustion finally beginning to push against his body now that immediate danger had briefly passed. Every muscle still carried lingering strain from repeated failed Pathcaller attempts.
But even then, his thoughts remained fixed on the spell itself.
Path Frequency.
The feeling still lingered vividly in his mind.
Compressed distance.
Folded reality.
The sensation of space bending instead of breaking.
Strangely enough, it reminded him of old science fiction movies he used to watch back on Earth—massive ships entering wormholes and crossing impossible distances by folding space itself.
Except this wasn't fiction anymore.
He had felt it personally.
The "tunnel" was not truly a hole through space.
It was synchronization.
A temporary alignment between confirmed anchor points.
A folded route between two connected coordinates.
And the more Nille thought about it…
the more dangerous, and revolutionary, the implications became.
If he mastered this completely, travel time between sectors could eventually become almost meaningless.
No dependence on caravans.
No dangerous crossings through malignant territories.
No reliance on gateway systems controlled by powerful factions.
Just anchors.
Frequencies.
And pathways only he could safely navigate.
Nyx interrupted his thoughts quietly.
"Your current version remains highly unstable and extremely limited."
Nille gave a faint, tired smirk.
"I know."
"But," Nyx continued calmly, "the foundation has now been proven possible."
And that was enough.
Because once something impossible became real, it could evolve.
Rume Ironbark leaned back slowly in his chair, but this time the elderly merchant could no longer hide the excitement in his eyes. The moment he fully understood the scale of what Nille had brought into his office, the Hydra Core, the surviving Dark Elven territory, and most importantly the naturally fused mithril ore—his merchant instincts shifted entirely.
Not greed alone.
Opportunity.
The kind that appeared perhaps once in a lifetime.
His thick fingers tapped the desk once before he suddenly stood up.
A deep laugh escaped him.
"Hah… lad," Rume muttered while shaking his head slightly, "I knew supporting you would eventually become profitable, but this…"
He looked again toward the mithril-infused ore resting beneath the office light.
"This is beyond profitable."
Nille remained calm.
"To me, survival matters more right now."
Rume nodded immediately.
"And that," the old merchant replied, "is exactly why I trust you more than most merchants I've dealt with."
Without wasting another second, Rume activated several communication runes embedded across his office wall simultaneously.
The runes lit up one after another.
"Emergency merchant assembly," Rume ordered sharply. "Call senior logistics personnel, dimensional storage handlers, transport coordinators, alchemical supply managers, and expedition support teams. Full priority authorization under my name."
The room immediately shifted into motion.
Staff members hurried out almost instantly while communication signals spread throughout the Rune Forge building.
Even outside the office, the sudden activation of priority-level merchant operations caused visible movement across multiple floors.
Workers ran.
Cargo lifts activated.
Storage departments opened restricted inventory sections.
Nille quietly watched the organized chaos begin unfolding.
Rume turned back toward him afterward.
"Do you need security, lad?"
Nille paused briefly.
"I can handle combat."
Rume folded his arms.
"That's not what I asked."
The elderly merchant walked toward one of the reinforced storage cabinets near the back wall and unlocked it personally using a rune key.
Inside rested several sealed artifacts.
One of them immediately caught Nille's attention.
A compact metallic device shaped almost like a folded crossbow frame, covered in layered runic engravings and crystal sockets.
Rume carefully lifted it out.
"I recently acquired a sentry weapon artifact from a collapsed expedition vault," he explained. "Automatic targeting type. Limited ammunition conversion through mana compression. It won't kill high-tier threats, but it's excellent for perimeter defense."
Nille narrowed his eyes slightly.
"A deployable defense weapon…"
Rume grinned.
"I'll lend it to you."
Then his expression sharpened immediately afterward.
"But in return…"
He pointed directly at the mithril ore.
"Get me a contract from whoever owns that land."
Nille stayed silent.
"And," Rume added with growing excitement, "bring me with you."
Nhulla nearly choked beside the desk.
"Head Merchant—you can't seriously be planning to personally enter a malignant sector."
Rume snorted loudly.
"Do you know how many fortunes have been built because someone was willing to walk into dangerous territory first?"
Then he looked directly at Nille again.
"If there's truly a naturally fused mithril vein hidden there, I'm not letting another merchant group discover it before me."
Nille gave a faint exhale.
"You realize the location isn't safe."
Rume laughed again.
"Lad, merchants who fear danger stay poor forever."
Hours passed quickly after that.
The Rune Forge building transformed into organized movement as emergency procurement teams gathered supplies from every available department. Workers moved crates through reinforced transport rails while dimensional handlers prepared specialized storage equipment.
By the time preparations finished, Nille stood within one of Rune Forge's lower transport halls staring at the results.
Six massive dimensional compression containers rested in formation across the loading platform.
Each container stood roughly two feet tall, three feet wide, and nearly five feet long, built from reinforced alloy frames layered with stabilizing runes. Despite their size, the compression enchantments allowed them to contain enormous amounts of supplies far beyond their physical dimensions.
Food.
Medicine.
Tools.
Water supplies.
Shelter equipment.
Seeds.
Field gear.
Emergency reserves.
Enough resources to stabilize an entire struggling settlement temporarily.
Several armed Rune Forge personnel stood nearby preparing expedition equipment while dimensional engineers finalized rune calibrations across the containers.
Then Rume approached him again.
Fully dressed now in reinforced expedition gear beneath his merchant coat.
"So then," the old merchant asked casually, "where exactly are we transporting all this?"
Nille answered without hesitation.
"Sector 12."
The reaction was immediate.
The entire loading hall went quiet.
Several workers stopped moving completely.
One expedition member nearly dropped the equipment crate he was carrying.
Even Nhulla froze.
Rume's expression changed instantly.
"…Sector 12?"
Nille nodded once.
"The mithril source is there."
Complete silence followed.
One of the armed personnel spoke first.
"You're telling me…"
Another worker swallowed nervously.
"…the mithril powder mine is inside Sector 12?"
Head Merchant Rume Ironbark immediately ordered the entire lower transport hall sealed after noticing the discreet signal Nille gave him. The elderly dwarf did not question the request. Instead, his expression sharpened as he turned toward the gathered personnel and slammed the base of his cane against the reinforced floor.
"All non-essential staff leave the area immediately," Rume ordered firmly. "Only authorized expedition personnel remain."
The tone in his voice left no room for argument.
Workers, assistants, merchants, and wandering clients quickly cleared the transport hall while heavy security doors sealed the surrounding corridors one after another. Within minutes, the once crowded loading section became quiet except for trusted Rune Forge personnel, expedition members, Nhulla, and Rume himself.
Nille slowly stepped forward toward the center of the transport platform where the six dimensional containers rested nearby.
During the hours spent inside the Rune Forge facility, he had not been idle.
While supplies were gathered and preparations completed, Nille had continuously recalibrated the Path Frequency ability inside his mind. Every failed attempt, every backlash injury, every correction he made while crossing the malignant territories now formed a complete understanding of the process.
Not perfect.
Not stable enough for long-distance mastery.
But functional.
The spiritual energy embedded inside Granny Amparo's amulet had become his newest confirmed anchor point. By repeatedly synchronizing his perception toward it while remaining inside Rune Forge, he successfully stabilized the directional frequency of the location.
The theory had evolved into actual application.
Even with mistakes.
Even with pain.
Even with repeated failures.
He had achieved the outcome he originally sought.
Path Frequency.
An ability capable of temporarily shortening distance through spatial synchronization. Until now, he had only used it in unstable bursts while moving—brief compressed pathways similar to rapid hyper acceleration through folded space.
But this time, he intended to do something larger.
A fixed gate.
A stabilized opening.
Not movement through compression alone…
but a maintained spatial connection.
Rume crossed his arms while observing him carefully.
"So then, lad," the dwarf merchant asked, "what exactly is yer plan here?"
Nille answered plainly.
No dramatic speech.
No complicated explanation.
"I'm going to attempt opening a gate toward the swamp," he said calmly. "Directly near the ruined castle."
The entire hall froze.
Several Rune Forge personnel stared at him in disbelief.
One of the expedition members immediately frowned.
"…A gate?"
Another looked genuinely alarmed.
"That's impossible. Permanent spatial openings require high-tier sorcery or massive mana structures."
Even Nhulla looked stunned despite already witnessing some of Nille's abnormal capabilities earlier.
But Rume Ironbark suddenly burst into loud laughter.
"Hah!"
The old dwarf shook his head while looking around the room at the shocked expressions surrounding him.
"You fools are blind," Rume barked loudly. "Have ye not been paying attention this entire time?"
He pointed directly toward Nille.
"This lad Obtain a drake, War troll and now a Hydra core."
Then toward the mithril ore.
"Discovered a hidden resource territory."
Then finally toward the dimensional containers.
"And returned from Sector Twelve half-dead after apparently fighting space itself."
The dwarf merchant grinned broadly.
"And yer still trying to measure him like some ordinary shamanic student?"
Silence filled the hall afterward.
Rume's expression slowly hardened.
"Listen carefully," he said firmly toward the expedition personnel. "The Rune Forge Merchant Group is sponsoring this lad personally."
His gaze swept across everyone present.
"So keep yer mouths shut."
No one argued after that.
Meanwhile, Nille slowly removed Granny Amparo's amulet from inside his clothing and held it firmly within his palm.
The moment spiritual energy flowed into it, faint carvings along the back surface began glowing softly.
Nyx immediately began assisting synchronization calculations.
"Anchor frequency stable."
Hyde reinforced environmental concealment layers around the surrounding platform.
The air inside the hall slowly changed.
Subtle pressure spread outward.
Not violent.
Not destructive.
But unnatural enough that everyone present instinctively felt it.
Nille closed his eyes.
Then focused.
Not on an image.
Not on memory alone.
But on certainty.
The ruined castle.
The swamp.
The protective barrier.
The spiritual imprint left beside the archway.
The amulet.
The anchor.
The connection.
For several long seconds, nothing happened.
Then, space distorted.
A faint ripple appeared directly in front of the transport platform, like invisible glass bending inward under pressure. Thin cracks of light slowly spread outward across empty air as compressed spatial layers began overlapping one another.
Gasps echoed across the hall.
The distortion deepened.
And beyond the warped surface, the swamp appeared.
The ruined castle stood in the distance beneath dark skies, surrounded by stagnant water and twisted swamp vegetation. Even through the unstable spatial distortion, everyone inside the transport hall could clearly see that the gate was no illusion. It was a real connection.
A direct opening toward Sector 12.
Several Rune Forge personnel instinctively stepped backward in shock while others stared at the impossible sight unfolding before them.
The swamp wind even bled through faintly from the other side.
It worked.
But then, something changed.
Nille immediately felt it.
The gate suddenly resisted him.
Not like before.
Not instability.
Not lack of control.
Something else.
Something alive.
Nyx reacted first.
"External interference detected!"
Hyde immediately reinforced his spiritual defenses.
Then everyone in the hall saw it.
For less than a second, the distorted surface of the gate rippled violently inward—
and something struck back through the connection.
A sharp invisible impact slammed directly into Nille.
The attack carried no visible form, yet the pressure behind it distorted the surrounding air itself. Several nearby Rune Forge personnel staggered from the shockwave alone as the spatial gate flickered dangerously.
Nille's body froze.
Not physically.
Metaphysically.
Inside his spiritual perception, something impossible occurred.
The two rotating halo rings surrounding his Core Heart—Nyx and Hyde's manifested existence within his spiritual structure—were suddenly struck by an unseen force emerging from beyond the spatial connection.
The attack bypassed physical defenses entirely.
Directly targeting the metaphysical layer sustaining the gate.
Nyx's halo destabilized first, its rotational pattern violently disrupted.
Hyde immediately counter-rotated to absorb the impact, but even she was forced backward within the spiritual structure.
Then, the smallest orb near Nille's Core Heart reacted.
The dormant sphere.
The unknown third presence that had remained mostly inactive until now.
The moment the unseen attack touched the spiritual system—
the orb responded instinctively.
A pulse erupted outward.
Not explosive.
Not violent.
Precise.
The entire metaphysical structure shifted instantly.
Nyx and Hyde's rotating halos suddenly changed movement patterns, accelerating and tilting into intersecting rotational paths that resembled a spinning gyroscope stabilizing itself against external force.
The pressure inside Nille's spiritual world changed completely.
The invisible attack collided against the rotating system—
and was deflected.
Outside the metaphysical layer, reality itself reacted.
The spatial gate stabilized violently as shockwaves spread outward through the transport hall. Nearby crates rattled, runes flickered, and several expedition members nearly lost balance from the sudden pressure fluctuation.
Rume Ironbark stared openly now.
"…What in the abyss…"
Nille himself could barely process what had happened.
Because for a split second, he felt something looking back at him through the gate.
Not a creature.
Not a Malignant.
Something older.
Something connected to the laws governing dimensional pathways themselves.
Nyx immediately regained stabilization.
"Unknown metaphysical interference source detected. Attack vector originated from beyond standard spatial synchronization parameters."
Hyde's tone became unusually serious.
"Something attempted to hijack or collapse the pathway from the opposite side."
Nille narrowed his eyes while maintaining the gate with visible strain.
But his focus remained on the small orb.
The dormant sphere near his Core Heart.
Because it had reacted before either Nyx or Hyde could fully respond.
Almost instinctively.
As if protecting the entire spiritual system automatically.
The gyroscopic rotations surrounding his Core Heart slowly stabilized further, becoming smoother, stronger, more balanced than before.
Nyx immediately noticed it.
"…Your spiritual structure adapted."
Nille's breathing remained heavy as he kept the gate open.
"Adapted?"
"Yes," Nyx confirmed. "The rotational synchronization between connected entities has evolved into a defensive stabilization pattern."
Hyde added quietly.
"The system is currently correcting itself "
Suddenly, Nille felt it.
A sharp, overwhelming force slammed directly into his Core Heart.
Not an impact.
A pull.
Something invisible seized his entire spiritual system and compressed it inward with terrifying force, as though an unseen hand was trying to crush his heart from inside his body.
Nille's eyes widened instantly.
The pain hit a fraction of a second later.
He dropped to his knees violently.
Air vanished from his lungs as he gasped helplessly, one hand clutching his chest while the other slammed against the reinforced floor to stop himself from collapsing completely.
Then he screamed.
A burst of energy erupted out of him.
Fire exploded across his body, not ordinary flames, but violent solar-like flares that expanded outward in sudden surges resembling miniature eruptions from the surface of a star. The light was blinding for a moment, radiating intense waves of heat and unstable spiritual pressure through the transport hall.
The air distorted instantly.
Nearby Rune Forge personnel stumbled backward in panic as the temperature around Nille spiked violently.
His clothing began melting.
Not burning.
Melting.
The Celestial Cloth layered across his body softened under the sudden energy overload before parts of its outer surface liquefied into thick blackened strands that dripped slowly onto the floor like crude oil exposed to extreme heat. The substance hissed as it struck the reinforced stone, releasing smoke and unstable spiritual residue into the air.
Nyx reacted immediately.
"Core instability detected!"
Hyde reinforced the spiritual barriers surrounding his internal system, but even she sounded strained.
"The attack triggered a forced reaction!"
Nille could barely hear them.
The pain was overwhelming.
Every nerve in his body felt like it was being compressed and stretched simultaneously while violent waves of spiritual pressure continued erupting outward from his Core Heart.
Then, inside his metaphysical perception, everything changed.
The spiritual world surrounding his Core Heart trembled violently.
Nyx and Hyde's halos spun rapidly around the main core structure, their gyroscopic movement stabilizing against the external force trying to crush the system.
But the small orb near the Core Heart, the dormant hovering sphere, began transforming.
Its shape distorted first.
Then expanded.
The small floating sphere slowly unfolded into a third halo, like a gyro ring .
Unlike Nyx and Hyde's radiant golden rotations, this third halo carried an entirely different presence, Dark bluish energy spread across its structure.
Electricity crackled violently around its outer edge. the halo were now moving like a gyroscope,
Its glow resembled deep storm light compressed into rotating form, sharp arcs of dark-blue lightning flickering across the halo's surface continuously.
Completely different.
Completely foreign.
Nyx and Hyde immediately felt it.
And so did Nille.
The new halo rotated once around the Core Heart, and the pressure attacking his spiritual structure suddenly weakened.
Not erased.
Suppressed.
As if the third halo had intercepted part of the force directly.
Outside the metaphysical world, the transport hall itself shook under the unstable spiritual eruption. The standing gate toward the swamp flickered violently while nearby runic systems overloaded from the pressure bleeding into the environment.
Several Rune Forge personnel were forced backward entirely.
Nhulla shielded herself instinctively while staring at Nille in shock.
Rume Ironbark's expression darkened immediately.
"…Something's wrong."
Nyx's voice became sharp.
"This is not natural backlash."
Hyde agreed immediately.
"Something responded the moment dimensional stabilization succeeded."
Nille remained on his knees, still gasping for air as fire-like solar flares continued bursting intermittently from his body. The pressure inside his chest felt unbearable, like something was trying to stop his evolution by force.
And deep inside, he understood one terrifying possibility.
Whatever had attacked him…
did not want him gaining control over dimensional gates.