The "Data-Tunnels" were not built for human lungs. They were narrow, hexagonal conduits of reinforced concrete and lead-shielded fiber optics, stretching for thousands of miles beneath the continental crust. In the Old World, they carried the binary pulse of a civilization's secrets; now, they were the arteries of a dead god, choked with the "sludge" of the Merge.
Kaelen led the way, his Sovereign's Staff emitting a low, rhythmic violet pulse that acted as their only light source. Beside him, Elara's golden circuits flickered, her "Faith-Data" acting as a biological compass.
[STATUS: LEVEL 18]
[HP: 110/180 (Slowly Recovering)]
[MP: 45/115] [ENVIRONMENT: HIGH-DENSITY NOISE ZONE]
"The pressure is increasing," Elara whispered, her voice bouncing off the hexagonal walls. "We're passing directly under the UPG's Central Mana-Grid. The 'Static' is so thick I can taste the ozone."
"Stay close," Kaelen cautioned. "This isn't just static. Look at the walls."
