A massive wave of golden energy erupted from the Core Guardian.
BOOOOOOM!
The entire forest shook violently.
Leaves spiraled through the air like a raging storm.
Ancient trees cracked under the pressure.
In the distance, the river overflowed its banks.
Several Dominion soldiers were thrown to the ground, while the Nutrition Guardians struggled to stay on their feet.
"Take cover!" Sinta shouted.
The colossal guardian stood at the heart of the ancient forest.
Its body resembled a living mountain, woven from ancient trees, stone, and tangled roots.
Streams of golden light flowed through the cracks in its body like molten energy.
Its blazing eyes swept across everyone standing within its domain.
It saw no allies.
It saw no enemies.
Only intruders.
The man in the hat instinctively stepped back.
For the first time, his calm expression cracked.
"...Its energy output is far beyond our projections."
One of the Dominion soldiers swallowed nervously.
"Sir... should we retreat?"
The man slowly shook his head.
"No."
His eyes remained fixed on the guardian, burning with obsession.
"Power like this is far too valuable to abandon."
Bimo let out a snort.
"This guy could watch the apocalypse happen and still call it 'interesting.'"
The guardian slowly raised one enormous arm.
CRAAACK!
The ground split apart.
Gigantic roots burst from the earth like monstrous wooden serpents.
Ancient trees tilted as the forest itself came alive.
Farhan stared at his monitor in horror.
"It's controlling the entire forest!"
Lila's eyes widened.
"Not just the forest..."
"...the entire ecosystem is connected to it."
A thunderous crash echoed from somewhere downstream.
Rani turned toward the sound.
"What was that?"
Farhan's face turned pale.
"The natural river dam just collapsed."
"If this continues..."
"...a flash flood will hit the village below."
Silence fell over the team.
The stakes had changed.
This wasn't only about surviving anymore.
Innocent people outside the forest were now in danger.
Sinta reacted immediately.
"Everyone! Fall back! Half-circle formation!"
She repositioned the team while calculating the safest route almost instinctively.
Bimo glanced at her as they moved.
"How does your brain work that fast?"
She didn't answer.
But Arga noticed something no one else did.
Her hand trembled for just a split second.
She was afraid.
She always had been.
She simply never allowed herself the luxury of showing it.
Only then did Arga realize why Sinta always looked so fearless.
She carried her fear...
...and kept moving anyway.
Meanwhile, Dominion began unloading large metal devices from their transport cases.
Synthetic energy generators.
Blue lights flared to life.
BZZZZZZ!
Kai stiffened instantly.
"Synthetic energy..."
Arga's eyes narrowed.
"They're provoking the guardian."
The man in the hat raised a compact emitter.
A pulse of blue energy shot toward the Core Guardian.
WHOOOOOM!
The guardian reacted immediately.
Its eyes blazed brighter.
The glowing fissures across its body widened.
It released a deafening roar.
GROOOOOAAARRR!!
The entire forest trembled with renewed fury.
Farhan suddenly froze as archived data flashed across his screen.
"Wait..."
Lila leaned closer.
"What is it?"
He swallowed hard.
"The guardian's energy frequency..."
"...matches the First Guardian's file."
Pak Rahmat's face drained of color.
"That's impossible..."
Lila quickly scanned another report.
"No..."
"It's not the same."
"...it's evolved."
Kai stared at the giant guardian.
His voice was barely a whisper.
"That means..."
"...it isn't just a guardian."
"It used to be human."
Silence.
Arga looked at the towering figure again.
Not a monster.
Not a beast.
Someone...
...who had remained fused with the Core for far too long.
The guardian slammed its fist into the ground once more.
BOOOOOOM!
One enormous root shot straight toward Arga.
Kai yanked him backward just in time.
The root buried itself several meters into the earth.
Arga gasped for air.
But what hurt wasn't how close he'd come to dying.
It was the guardian's face.
Behind its fury...
Behind the overwhelming golden light...
...there was unbearable suffering.
A terrifying thought crept into his mind.
If I fail...
Will this become my future too?
Chosen by the Core...
Only to slowly lose himself.
He tightened his grip on his lunchbox.
His hands trembled.
"...I don't want to become like that."
Kai heard him.
For the first time...
...his voice cracked.
"...I'm afraid of the same thing."
The two who carried the Core's power looked at each other.
And in that silent moment, they both understood.
They were not invincible.
They simply hadn't broken...
...yet.
The giant gorilla guardian that had guided them stepped forward.
It positioned itself between the Core Guardian and the others.
A low growl echoed through the forest.
Not a challenge.
A plea.
As if begging—
Remember who you are.
For a brief moment...
the Core Guardian stopped moving.
Its glowing eyes flickered.
A trace of humanity still remained.
Then—
BZZZZZZ!
Dominion activated the generators again.
The guardian's eyes flared with rage once more.
The man in the hat smiled faintly.
"I finally understand."
His gaze shifted toward Arga.
"The guardian isn't enraged because of us."
He activated a holographic display.
Two energy signatures appeared side by side.
Arga's.
And the Core Guardian's.
They overlapped almost perfectly.
"It reacts..."
"...because of you."
Arga froze.
"...What?"
The man took another step forward.
"You're not a new Guardian."
"...you're the continuation of the First."
"Enough!"
Pak Rahmat's voice exploded across the battlefield.
Everyone turned toward him.
His face had gone completely pale.
A secret...
One he had buried for years...
...was finally beginning to surface.
Arga stared at him, unable to breathe.
"...Pak Rahmat?"
But no answer came.
Because the Core Guardian slowly raised both arms toward the sky.
An enormous sphere of golden energy began gathering above the forest.
The air vibrated violently.
Farhan's voice cracked with panic.
"If that attack is released..."
"...the entire village below the forest will be wiped out!"
Sinta looked at Arga.
Their eyes met.
There was no time left for explanations.
Only a choice.
At the heart of the ancient forest...
Three forces stood facing one another.
The Core Guardian.
Dominion.
The Nutrition Guardians.
But the battle was no longer about who would claim the Third Core.
It had become something far greater.
Could they save thousands of innocent lives...
...before the sun rose?