Chapter 76: Scenario VII

Alden noticed that Ryan was still examining the fragment.

"Do you have something in mind?" he asked.

Ryan looked up.

"I was thinking about the expedition. If the fragment was part of a much larger structure, then studying it alone might not be enough. We may need to examine the original facility to understand how everything was connected."

Alden nodded thoughtfully.

"That’s possible. However, reaching the ruins won’t be easy. The entrance has remained sealed for decades, and the surrounding area is still unstable."

"Has anyone attempted to reopen it?"

"Several times. The most recent attempt was about twenty years ago. The expedition team managed to reach the outer chamber, but they encountered unusual spiritual disturbances. Their equipment stopped functioning properly, and they were forced to retreat."

Ryan became interested.

"Did they discover anything?"

"Not much. They confirmed that the ruins were still intact beneath the collapsed entrance, but they couldn’t proceed any further."

Alden picked up another document from the table.

"According to their report, the spiritual energy inside the ruins behaved strangely. Some researchers experienced sudden exhaustion, while others reported hearing voices that weren’t actually there. A few even lost their sense of direction despite using navigation equipment."

Ryan listened carefully.

It sounded like the facility had some kind of spiritual interference.

That wasn’t entirely surprising. If the entire structure had once functioned as a single entity, its remaining network might still be active in some form.

Or perhaps something inside the facility was responsible for the disturbances.

"Is the League planning another expedition?" Ryan asked.

"Not at the moment. The research division has other priorities, and the previous attempts were too costly to justify another investigation without new information."

Alden paused before looking at Ryan.

"Why are you so interested in this particular fragment?"

Ryan had expected the question.

"I noticed something unusual during the evaluation. The fragment doesn’t seem like an independent object. Its spiritual threads have a specific arrangement, almost as if they were designed to connect with something else."

He pointed toward the transparent container.

"If we can understand its original structure, we might be able to determine what kind of network it belonged to."

Alden studied him for a moment.

"That’s a reasonable observation. In fact, it’s similar to one of the theories proposed by the previous researchers. However, none of them managed to prove it."

Ryan nodded.

"Then I’d like to study their research."

"That’s why I asked the research division to prepare the remaining records for you. You’ll be able to access them once the authorization is completed."

"How long will that take?"

"Probably until tomorrow. Some of the documents are stored in the restricted archive, so I’ll need to submit an additional request."

Ryan thanked him.

Alden then gestured toward the shelves.

"For now, you can examine the available reports. There are also several records concerning ancient spiritual constructs. They might help you understand the fragment’s structure."

Ryan spent the next few hours studying the documents.

Most of the reports were technical in nature. They described the fragment’s spiritual energy circulation, its resistance to external interference, and the various methods researchers had used to stabilize it.

One report mentioned that the fragment occasionally produced a faint pulse of spiritual energy.

Another recorded that the pulse became slightly stronger when other spiritual objects were placed nearby.

However, no one had discovered a consistent pattern.

Ryan carefully memorized the important details.

He also compared the surviving diagrams with the structure he had observed during his evaluation.

The fragment had several thin spiritual threads extending from its central core. Most of them were damaged, but a few remained intact.

What caught his attention was that the threads didn’t simply spread outward.

They followed a specific pattern.

Some were connected to the central core, while others appeared to be arranged in pairs. There were even a few tiny connections that seemed unnecessary at first glance.

’If these threads were connected to other constructs, then perhaps each fragment served as a connection point.’

He recalled the expedition report.

Each thread had been connected to a separate spiritual construct.

And the entire structure had functioned as a single entity.

Ryan leaned back slightly.

’Could it have been some kind of enormous spiritual construct?’

That would explain why the researchers had been unable to identify its purpose by examining a single fragment.

If the structure had been designed to function as one entity, then its individual components might not have had any meaningful function on their own.

He continued studying until Alden returned.

"Still working?"

Ryan closed the document.

"Yes. I’ve found a few interesting details, but I don’t think I’ll be able to reach a conclusion without examining the other records."

"That’s understandable. The authorization has been approved."

Alden placed a small document on the table.

"You can access the remaining expedition records in the eastern archive. I’ve also requested permission for you to examine the diagrams recovered from the original facility."

Ryan accepted the document.

"Thank you, Captain."

"Don’t mention it. You’re a Research Guardian now. Studying things like this is part of your responsibility."

Ryan smiled faintly.

Alden then added, "However, I want you to remember something. The northern ruins are not an ordinary research site. Even experienced Guardians have struggled to investigate them. Don’t attempt to visit the location on your own."

"I understand."

"Good. Once you’ve finished studying the records, we can discuss whether another expedition is necessary."

Ryan nodded.

He had no intention of rushing into an unfamiliar ruin without understanding what he was dealing with.

For now, gathering information was the most important step.

The following morning, Ryan arrived at the eastern archive.

Unlike the ordinary research library, this section was considerably quieter. Several rooms were protected by formations, and each entrance required an identification token.

After showing his membership card and authorization document, Ryan was allowed inside.

A staff member led him to a small reading room.

"These are the records related to the northern underground facility. Some documents are incomplete, so please handle them carefully."

Ryan thanked the staff member.

Once he was alone, he began examining the available materials.

There were expedition reports, old maps, research notes, and several diagrams recovered from the facility.

The earliest records were particularly interesting.

According to them, the underground ruins had been discovered accidentally by a group of explorers searching for ancient spiritual minerals.

At first, they believed it was an abandoned temple.

However, after entering the structure, they discovered that its walls were covered with countless thin silver threads.

The threads extended through the corridors and connected to various rooms.

Some were attached to stone pillars, while others disappeared into the walls and floors.

The explorers had initially assumed that the threads were decorative formations.

That assumption changed when one of the explorers accidentally damaged a small section.

The entire facility responded.

Several spiritual constructs activated simultaneously, and the silver threads began glowing throughout the corridors.

The expedition team retreated shortly afterward.

Ryan stopped reading.

’So the facility was still functioning when it was discovered?’

He continued through the report.

The explorers had returned several days later with additional equipment and researchers. They managed to enter the central chamber, where they discovered the remains of an enormous spiritual structure.

Unfortunately, the facility began collapsing during their investigation.

Most of the expedition team escaped, but several researchers were trapped inside.

The surviving members eventually sealed the entrance.

Ryan turned to the accompanying diagram.

It showed a circular chamber with a large structure in the center. Numerous silver lines extended from it, connecting to smaller structures scattered throughout the facility.

There were also several symbols that he couldn’t identify.

He examined the diagram for a while before moving to the next document.

It was a map showing the general layout of the underground ruins.

Although incomplete, it revealed that the facility was much larger than he had initially imagined.

There were at least seven major chambers, dozens of smaller rooms, and several passages extending deeper underground.

The central chamber was located near the middle of the structure.

Ryan compared the map with the expedition report.

Something didn’t match.

According to the report, the explorers had reached the central chamber before the facility began collapsing. However, the map showed that several corridors leading to it had been completely blocked.

Perhaps the structure had changed after the initial discovery.

Or maybe the map was incomplete.

Ryan carefully copied the relevant information into his notebook.

He then examined another document, this one containing observations made during the most recent expedition twenty years ago.

One particular passage caught his attention.

[The spiritual disturbances appear to originate from the deeper sections of the facility.]

[Several damaged constructs were discovered along the western corridor.]

[Despite their deteriorated condition, the constructs continued receiving spiritual energy from an unknown source.]

[The source of this energy remains unidentified.]

Ryan read the passage twice.

’An unknown source?’

He looked at the map again.

If the facility was still receiving spiritual energy after all those years, then something must have remained active.

And if the spiritual network was still functioning, the fragment in the storage laboratory might be one of its disconnected components.

Ryan closed the document and leaned back.

He now had a much clearer idea of what he needed to investigate.

The first step would be identifying the source of the spiritual energy.

The second would be determining how the different constructs were connected.

And finally, he needed to understand the purpose of the entire network.

Ryan opened his system interface.

[Inheritance Trial Progress: 95%]

[Current Position: Junior Research Guardian]

[New Objective: Investigate the Ancient Spiritual Network]

[Objective Description: Discover the original purpose of the mysterious spiritual fragment and uncover the knowledge behind its creation.]

[Reward: Soul Weaver Inheritance Completion]

The objective remained unchanged.

Ryan looked at the map once more.

’It seems I’ll have to visit those ruins eventually.’

However, before making any arrangements, he wanted to examine the fragment again.

This time, he would pay closer attention to the connections between its spiritual threads.

If he could identify even a small part of its original structure, it might give him an important clue about the entire network.

Ryan gathered the documents and returned them to their proper places.

He had only recently joined the League, and he didn’t want to create unnecessary trouble by requesting an expedition immediately.

Instead, he decided to spend the next few days studying the fragment and comparing it with the recovered diagrams.

Once he had enough information, he would approach Captain Alden with a proper investigation proposal.

After all, if the Ancient Spiritual Network was still active, there might be far more waiting beneath those mountains than the League currently understood.