The hallway leading to the stairs felt narrow.
Too narrow.
The red emergency lights flickered slowly—
unstable.
Their footsteps echoed loudly through the corridor.
Sharp.
Empty.
Behind them—
the sounds of fighting slowly faded away.
But Arga already knew—
that wasn't what mattered anymore.
What mattered—
was below.
Sinta pushed the door open.
CREAAAK.
A spiral staircase stretched downward—
with no visible end.
The air changed instantly.
Colder.
Heavier.
And that sound—
WHRRRRRRRRRR—
was clearer now.
Closer.
Bimo looked down into the darkness.
"…how many floors is this?"
Farhan answered immediately.
"Two."
Lila added quietly,
"The main server is at the bottom."
Arga didn't move right away.
He stared into the darkness.
His lunch box—
warm in his hands.
The nine rice grains pulsed softly.
Not randomly.
Almost like—
they were pointing somewhere.
"…down there."
They descended.
Step by step.
The deeper they went—
the colder the air became.
Yet somehow—
the pressure only increased.
As if something—
was waiting for them.
The sound of the machine grew louder.
Not like equipment anymore.
More like—
breathing.
Finally—
they arrived.
A massive metal door stood before them.
MAIN SERVER
A red light glowed above it.
Silent.
Watching.
Farhan immediately moved forward.
Laptop open.
Cables connected.
"The lock is active."
Lila scanned the system quickly.
"Dominion already took control."
Bimo exhaled slowly.
"…so we just stand here until they finish destroying everything?"
Farhan didn't answer.
His hands moved faster across the keyboard.
Seconds suddenly felt—
longer than they should.
Then—
BEEP.
The red light turned green.
The door unlocked.
SSSSHHHH—
Cold air rushed outward.
As if—
the room itself had just opened its eyes.
They stepped inside.
And instantly—
froze.
The room was enormous.
Rows of towering servers stretched endlessly into the distance.
Blue lights blinked rhythmically.
Constantly.
WHRRRRRRRRRR.
But—
that wasn't what stopped them.
At the center of the room—
a massive screen.
And—
them.
Dominion agents were already standing there.
And at the front—
the man in the hat.
He slowly turned toward them.
"…finally."
Bimo let out a long sigh.
"…seriously, this guy is always here first."
Too late.
The man in the hat pointed toward the screen.
The routes were changing.
Red lines—
multiplying.
Farhan looked at his laptop.
His face instantly went pale.
"…forty percent."
Lila almost whispered,
"…if it reaches one hundred…"
"…everything stops."
Sinta stepped forward.
"Then we stop it now."
The man smiled faintly.
Then stepped aside.
"Go ahead."
Behind him—
something stood in the darkness.
Massive.
Wrong.
A giant metal machine—
connected to the entire room.
Thick cables spread outward like roots—
piercing into the servers.
Binding everything together.
Red lights pulsed slowly across its surface.
But somehow—
it felt alive.
Arga immediately stopped moving.
His body stiffened.
His lunch box—
glowed brightly.
The nine rice grains pulsed rapidly.
Not because of him.
Because of—
the machine.
"…that."
Farhan swallowed hard.
"The control engine…"
Lila read the panel beside it.
"…Dominion Core."
Bimo shook his head slowly.
"…that name is way too honest."
The man in the hat looked directly at Arga.
"This isn't about routes anymore."
A thin smile appeared.
"…this is about energy."
Silence.
Sinta understood instantly.
"…it's a larger version of the harbor machine."
The man nodded.
"Much larger."
The machine's lights suddenly intensified.
WHRRRRRRRRRRRRRR—
Arga flinched.
The pull—
came back.
Stronger this time.
His lunch box dimmed slightly.
Farhan stared at the screen.
"…no…"
"…this isn't local…"
Bimo frowned.
"…what does that mean?"
Farhan slowly looked up.
"…it's drawing energy from the network."
Silence.
Rani's voice was barely audible.
"…all Nutrition Guardians…"
Lila stared at the map.
And her expression changed.
"…they're all…"
"…connected."
Across the country—
the green dots on the screen slowly began fading.
One.
Two.
Dozens.
Like stars—
slowly dying out.
The man in the hat spread his arms calmly.
"Their energy…"
A pause.
"…will become ours."
Arga stepped forward.
The machine pulled at him.
But—
he kept moving.
His lunch box flared brightly again.
Stronger.
The nine rice grains—
refused to retreat.
They were—
fighting back.
He stared directly at the machine.
And for the first time—
there was no hesitation in his eyes.
"…if this is the center…"
A pause.
"…then we destroy it here."
The entire room seemed to hold its breath.
Servers hummed endlessly.
The machine pulsed like a living heart.
And between them—
Arga stood.
Connected to everything.
Or—
about to destroy everything.
Their greatest battle—
wouldn't decide who wins.
Only—
who would still remain afterward.