120

Chapter 120 — The Network Beneath the Earth

By the following morning, the temporary command center had become noticeably busier. The information gathered during the previous day's reconnaissance had changed the way the local authorities viewed the anomaly, and additional monitoring equipment had been brought in overnight. Several teams were positioned around the perimeter, recording mana density, temperature, ground movement and monster activity at regular intervals. The Association had also established a continuous communication channel with the local Awakener Authority so that every change could be reported immediately.

Subin entered the monitoring room shortly after sunrise and found Hae-rin already working. Multiple displays surrounded her, each showing a different portion of the anomaly. She looked exhausted but focused, with several graphs running simultaneously across her main screen.

"You were awake all night," Subin said.

Hae-rin glanced at him. "Not all night. I slept for three hours."

"That's not enough."

"Coming from you, that's almost funny."

Subin ignored the comment and looked at the data. The monitoring network had been expanded considerably. Instead of tracking only the visible crystals, Hae-rin had synchronized readings from twenty-four stations spread across the surrounding region.

The result was immediately interesting.

The black crystals were not behaving independently.

Every ten minutes and forty seconds, approximately, the network experienced a change. The exact interval fluctuated slightly, but the changes occurred across multiple locations almost simultaneously.

Subin studied the display.

"Show me the underground readings."

Hae-rin switched screens.

A three-dimensional model appeared.

The image was incomplete, because the Association's instruments couldn't penetrate the ground deeply enough to map the entire structure. Still, the available information revealed dozens of mana pathways connecting the visible crystal nodes.

Subin stared at it.

"The branches are getting denser toward the northwest."

"Yes."

"And the downward flow?"

Hae-rin highlighted it.

"Still impossible to track completely. The signal disappears beneath the detection range."

Subin remained silent for several seconds.

Yerin entered the room with Min-seok and Ara.

"Any progress?"

Hae-rin nodded. "We know more about the structure, but the deeper section is still unclear."

Min-seok looked at the three-dimensional map.

"So we're basically following underground mana pipes."

Ara shook her head.

"That's an oversimplification."

"Why?"

"Because pipes don't change their own structure."

Min-seok stared at the display again.

"Right. I forgot about that part."

Jae-hyun entered behind them.

"There's another problem."

Everyone turned toward him.

He placed a tablet on the table.

"Monster movement."

The screen showed several red points.

"They've started moving."

Subin examined the pattern.

Yesterday, most of the monsters had remained within relatively small territories. Today, several groups were moving toward the same general region.

"The northwest branch," Subin said.

Jae-hyun nodded.

"Exactly."

Yerin's expression became serious.

"How many?"

"At least twenty confirmed. There may be more."

Min-seok picked up his axe.

"Then we should go."

Yerin looked at him.

"Not yet."

He frowned.

"Why?"

"Because we don't know why they're moving."

Subin nodded.

"The network may be changing their environment."

Ara enlarged the monster movement map.

"The creatures aren't traveling in a straight line. They're following the mana pathways."

Subin watched the pattern.

That was significant.

The monsters weren't simply migrating.

They were responding to something.

"Let's investigate the movement without engaging them."

Min-seok sighed.

"Another reconnaissance mission."

"Yes."

"You really don't like fighting unnecessarily."

"No."

Min-seok smiled.

"Fair enough."

The decision was made quickly.

The same three-person reconnaissance team would enter the area again, but this time Jae-hyun would accompany them. Yerin would lead, while Hae-rin would remain close enough to monitor the network remotely.

Before leaving, Director Kang called Subin aside.

"There's one thing I want you to keep in mind."

Subin looked at him.

"Don't assume this is similar to Greenfall."

"I know."

"Good."

Director Kang glanced toward the map.

"Similarity can be useful, but it can also make you overlook differences."

Subin nodded.

"I'll be careful."

The team departed shortly afterward.

The terrain had changed since yesterday.

Some sections that had been frozen were now covered in shallow water, while other areas had developed thick layers of ice. Small black crystals had appeared in places where there had been none before.

Hae-rin monitored the changes from behind.

"The network expanded overnight."

Yerin looked at Subin.

"How much?"

"I don't know."

Hae-rin answered instead.

"Approximately six percent based on the visible nodes."

Jae-hyun looked at her.

"Six percent in one night?"

"Yes."

Min-seok frowned.

"That's not normal."

"No," Subin said. "It isn't."

They continued northwest.

After nearly an hour, they encountered the first group of monsters.

There were nine creatures, all different species.

A pair of crystal-backed wolves stood near a frozen stream. Several horned beasts grazed nearby, while a large reptilian creature rested beneath a rock formation.

None attacked.

Jae-hyun lowered his sword slightly.

"They're not fighting."

Subin looked at the ground.

The creatures were all standing around the same network branch.

"They're receiving something."

Hae-rin checked her scanner.

"Mana density is unusually stable here."

"Stable?"

"Yes. More stable than the surrounding region."

Subin looked at the monsters.

"They're gathering because the network is creating favorable conditions."

Ara, who had remained at the command center, contacted them through communication.

"That means the anomaly is influencing monster territories."

Subin nodded.

"Probably."

One of the wolves approached a black crystal and lowered its head.

Mana flowed through the crystal.

The wolf's body absorbed a small amount before the excess moved into the surrounding soil.

Subin watched carefully.

"It isn't feeding them directly."

"Then what?"

"Regulating them."

Jae-hyun frowned.

"Regulating?"

"Yes. The network appears to distribute mana according to local conditions."

Yerin understood.

"So stronger creatures don't simply take everything."

"Exactly."

Subin looked around.

The creatures weren't competing.

They were sharing the same mana-rich territory without fighting.

That was unusual.

In most high-level monster territories, powerful creatures naturally dominated weaker ones.

Yet here, several species were coexisting.

The network appeared to be preventing excessive competition.

Jae-hyun looked at the creatures.

"That's actually impressive."

Subin nodded.

"It may be why the ecosystem hasn't collapsed despite the rapidly increasing mana density."

They continued along the branch.

The deeper they went, the more pronounced the environmental changes became.

The ground gradually stopped being frozen.

Small plants emerged between the rocks despite the cold air.

Several crystal formations had developed around their roots.

Hae-rin stopped.

"These plants weren't here yesterday."

Subin crouched beside one.

The plant had translucent leaves with faint blue veins.

Mana moved through its roots and into the black crystal beneath it.

Subin carefully observed the cycle.

"Plants are using the network too."

Yerin looked around.

"So the entire ecosystem is adapting."

"Yes."

Jae-hyun looked toward the distant mountains.

"Then what happens if the network keeps expanding?"

Subin stood.

"That's what we need to find out."

A sudden tremor interrupted them.

The ground shook for several seconds.

The monsters nearby immediately moved away from the crystals.

Hae-rin checked her scanner.

"Mana surge."

"How strong?" Yerin asked.

"Much stronger than yesterday."

Subin watched the crystals.

One by one, they began glowing.

Mana rushed through the ground.

The plants bent as the energy passed beneath them.

The shallow stream beside the team suddenly reversed direction.

Yerin stepped backward.

"That's not natural."

"No," Subin agreed.

The surge lasted approximately thirty seconds.

Then everything became quiet again.

Hae-rin looked at the readings.

"The network just redirected a massive amount of mana toward the northwest."

Subin looked in that direction.

"We follow it."

They moved quickly.

The further they went, the fewer monsters they encountered.

Eventually, they reached a narrow canyon.

A large crack ran through the center of the ground.

Black crystals lined both sides.

Subin approached the edge.

Mana was rising from below.

He could feel it without touching the ground.

The flow was enormous.

Jae-hyun looked down.

"How deep?"

"Very."

Yerin examined the surroundings.

"There must be a way down."

Subin looked around.

Then he noticed something.

The crystals on the left side were angled downward.

Those on the right were angled upward.

Together, they formed a spiral.

"The network isn't just spreading horizontally."

Yerin understood.

"It's going down."

Subin nodded.

A narrow passage opened between the rocks.

It was not a natural cave.

The walls were lined with smooth black stone, and small crystals had grown along the edges.

Jae-hyun drew his sword.

"That wasn't here before."

"No," Subin said.

The passage had probably opened because of the recent mana surge.

They entered.

The temperature changed almost immediately.

The cold disappeared.

Warm air flowed upward from the depths.

The deeper they descended, the stronger the mana became.

Hae-rin's scanner began warning her.

"Mana density is exceeding the safe range."

Yerin stopped.

"How much?"

"Three hundred percent above the surface average."

Jae-hyun looked at Subin.

"Should we continue?"

Subin looked ahead.

The passage was wide enough for several people to walk side by side.

There were no monsters.

No traps.

No signs of aggression.

Only the continuous movement of mana.

"We continue until the readings become unstable."

They descended another several hundred meters.

Then the passage opened.

The four stood at the edge of a massive underground chamber.

Nobody spoke.

Below them was an enormous network of black crystal formations spreading across the cavern floor.

Thousands of crystals were connected by glowing channels.

Mana flowed through the entire structure like an underground river.

Some branches descended farther.

Others rose toward the surface.

The entire network appeared to breathe.

Hae-rin stared at her scanner.

"I can't measure the whole thing."

Yerin looked at Subin.

"Is this the center?"

Subin shook his head.

"No."

"How do you know?"

He pointed toward the far side of the chamber.

A massive mana current disappeared through another opening.

The network continued beyond it.

"This is only a junction."

Jae-hyun looked around.

"Then how large is the actual system?"

Subin didn't answer.

He couldn't.

For the first time since entering the anomaly, even his ability to perceive the mana flow was reaching its limit.

The system was simply too large.

Then a low vibration passed through the cavern.

The crystals brightened.

Mana began flowing toward the deepest opening.

Hae-rin checked her readings.

"Something is drawing the mana."

Yerin raised her spear.

"Monster?"

Subin watched the flow.

"No."

The vibration came again.

This time, the entire cavern responded.

The crystals illuminated one after another, creating a path toward the darkness below.

Subin slowly tightened his grip around Simple Edge.

Whatever was beneath the network, it wasn't something they had encountered yet.

But they had not come this far to turn back because they lacked an answer.

Yerin looked at him.

"Do we continue?"

Subin looked at the enormous underground network.

Then at the path illuminated by the flowing mana.

"Not today."

Jae-hyun looked surprised.

Subin continued, "We have enough information. If we go farther without preparing, we're turning investigation into recklessness."

Yerin nodded.

"Agreed."

They began their return.

None of them realized that, several hundred meters below the chamber, another crystal had begun forming.

It was different from the others.

Smaller.

Darker.

And unlike the rest of the network, its mana wasn't flowing outward.

It was drawing mana inward.

The change was subtle enough that none of the monitoring stations detected it.

For now, the anomaly continued evolving beneath the frozen land.

And humanity was only beginning to understand what had appeared beneath its feet.