The crimson pathway continued glowing across the cliffside like veins spreading beneath the world itself.
Every corrupted humanoid had stopped advancing now.
Not because they lost interest.
Because they were waiting.
The distorted creatures stood silently around the battlefield, their eyeless faces and malformed bodies turned toward Ayan while the underground entrance pulsed steadily beneath the crimson light.
Watching.
Expecting.
The silver-ranked adventurers slowly regrouped together near the broken pillars, breathing heavily after the brutal clash.
The shield user collapsed onto one knee, exhausted.
The mage's hands trembled from overusing barriers.
Even the red-haired archer had nearly exhausted her arrows.
And through all of it—
The pathway remained illuminated directly toward the underground darkness.
Ayan stared at it silently.
Because he understood something now.
The network wasn't forcing him anymore.
It was inviting him.
And somehow—
That felt infinitely more dangerous.
Aelira stepped directly in front of him.
"…No."
Her crimson eyes locked onto his firmly.
"…You are not going below."
Ayan exhaled slowly.
"…You already know I'm thinking about it."
"…Yes."
Her answer came instantly.
"…Which is exactly why I'm stopping you."
The crimson-eyed man observed them quietly from near the underground entrance, black metallic structures still partially covering his arms from the earlier battle.
"…Interesting."
His gaze remained fixed on Ayan.
"…The invitation bypassed normal convergence protocols entirely."
The surrounding corrupted humanoids whispered softly together.
"…Direct invitation…"
"…Recognition…"
"…Primary synchronization…"
The words echoed unnaturally through the cliffside.
Ayan's thoughts sharpened.
"…What exactly is this invitation?"
The crimson-eyed man smiled faintly.
"…An opportunity."
Aelira immediately interrupted coldly.
"…A trap."
The man looked toward her calmly.
"…Those are not mutually exclusive."
Ayan almost grimaced.
Honestly—
That answer sounded way too believable.
The pressure beneath the underground structure pulsed again.
Then the voice below echoed upward softly.
"…You seek answers."
Ayan's chest tightened slightly.
Because yes—
He did.
More than ever now.
The voice continued calmly.
"…About your arrival."
"…About the previous anomaly."
"…About the network."
The crimson pathway illuminated brighter with each sentence.
"…Descend."
A long silence followed.
Ayan's thoughts raced violently.
Every instinct told him this was dangerous.
Maybe suicidal.
But another part of him—
The same part that kept pushing deeper into every mystery—
Knew opportunities like this wouldn't appear twice.
The network itself was opening its doors directly for him.
Aelira stepped closer suddenly.
"…Ayan."
Her voice softened slightly.
Different from before.
Not commanding.
Almost pleading.
"…Do not go."
Ayan froze briefly.
Because he had never heard her sound like that before.
The crimson-eyed man noticed too.
And for the first time since appearing—
His expression shifted into genuine curiosity.
"…You truly became attached."
Aelira's gaze sharpened instantly toward him.
"…Be silent."
But the man's eyes remained thoughtful now.
"…Fascinating."
The pressure beneath the structure intensified faintly again.
The voice below interrupted calmly.
"…Aelira fears repetition."
Silence.
Heavy.
The silver-ranked adventurers exchanged uneasy glances immediately, clearly realizing there was history here far beyond their understanding.
Ayan slowly looked toward Aelira.
Her expression remained controlled.
But her hands—
Were clenched tightly.
"…The previous anomaly went below too."
Not a question.
Aelira remained silent.
The voice beneath the structure answered instead.
"…Yes."
The crimson light across the underground entrance pulsed slowly.
"…And he reached the Core."
Ayan's heartbeat slowed slightly.
Core.
Not a metaphor.
Something real existed beneath Sector Seven.
The voice continued calmly.
"…But unlike you…"
A brief pause followed.
"…He entered alone."
Aelira's eyes darkened immediately.
"…Stop talking."
The pressure surrounding the cliffside sharpened slightly in response.
Then the voice softened again.
"…You already know the outcome."
Ayan looked toward Aelira carefully now.
Because suddenly—
Several things became obvious.
The previous anomaly had descended underground.
Aelira had gone with him.
And somehow—
Only she returned.
A cold feeling settled in his chest.
The crimson-eyed man finally spoke again quietly.
"…The previous anomaly resisted synchronization longer than expected."
"…But eventually…"
His glowing eyes shifted toward Ayan.
"…Curiosity overcame fear."
Ayan's grip tightened around the sword unconsciously.
Because that sounded dangerously accurate.
The crimson-eyed man tilted his head slightly.
"…You resemble him more than projected."
The crystal at Ayan's side pulsed painfully hot again.
Another fragmented image flashed through his thoughts.
A dark underground chamber.
A younger Aelira reaching toward someone disappearing beneath crimson light.
Then—
Screaming.
The vision vanished instantly.
Ayan staggered slightly before steadying himself again.
"…Ayan."
Aelira moved immediately beside him.
Concern.
Real concern.
Not cold calculation.
Not distant observation.
Fear.
And somehow—
That affected him more than the underground voice itself.
The spear wielder suddenly stepped forward.
"…Alright."
Everyone looked toward him.
The man rested his spear against his shoulder while glancing between Ayan, the underground entrance, and the endless corrupted creatures surrounding them.
"…From what I understand…"
He let out a tired breath.
"…If the kid goes below, things get worse."
The crimson-eyed man answered calmly.
"…Things change."
The spear wielder narrowed his eyes.
"…That's usually what people say right before everything becomes a disaster."
Ayan almost smiled slightly despite the tension.
The red-haired archer spoke next.
"…We should leave."
Simple.
Direct.
Honestly reasonable.
But Ayan's eyes drifted back toward the underground pathway again.
Still glowing.
Still waiting.
The voice beneath Sector Seven echoed upward one final time.
"…The truth you seek exists below."
The entire underground structure pulsed violently afterward.
And for the first time—
Ayan realized something else.
The network wasn't trying to lure him with power.
Not directly.
It understood him too well for that.
Instead—
It offered answers.
Because somehow—
It already knew curiosity would eventually pull him downward stronger than fear ever could.
Ayan slowly closed his eyes.
Then exhaled quietly.
"…I hate how effective that is."
Aelira immediately grabbed his arm.
"…Ayan."
He looked toward her calmly.
And saw it clearly now.
The reason she feared this place.
The reason she kept hiding truths.
The reason she stayed beside him from the beginning.
She wasn't afraid of the network.
She was afraid of losing him the same way she lost the previous anomaly.
Ayan's expression softened slightly for just a moment.
Then he looked back toward the underground entrance.
Toward the darkness beneath the world.
Toward the answers waiting below.
And quietly—
He made his decision.