194 - The Golden Current

The cavern shook hard enough to send fragments of stone falling from the ceiling, but Subin remained focused on the Abyssal River Dragon rather than the disturbance itself. The creature was no longer simply watching them. Its enormous golden eyes were fixed on the far wall where the newly formed crack continued widening, and the change in its posture made one thing clear: whatever was happening beneath the lake threatened the creature as much as it threatened the mana network.

"Get away from the water!" Subin called.

The expedition moved toward the cavern wall while Rafael raised his shield to protect Ara and the others from the wave that followed. The dragon's tail had displaced enough water to create a surge several meters high, but it wasn't attacking them. Its movement had been an instinctive reaction to the disturbance below, and the distinction mattered because Subin could now see the golden light beneath the lake gathering around a particular point.

Ara struggled to keep her scanner stable. "The mana consumption is still increasing. Something below the lake is drawing energy directly from the eastern channel."

"Can we shut it off?"

"Not from here. The channel is part of the regulator network. If we close it abruptly, the pressure will build upstream."

Subin looked toward the dragon. "And if we leave it open?"

"The entire eastern network could be drained faster than the regulators can compensate."

The answer left little room for hesitation. They couldn't simply seal the channel, and they couldn't allow the underground flow to continue unchecked. Subin watched the golden current moving beneath the lake and noticed that it wasn't spreading randomly. It was following a narrow path through the water before disappearing into the deepest section of the cavern.

"The flow has a direction," he said.

Ara nodded. "Toward the eastern side."

"Then there has to be another regulator."

She checked the readings again. "Possibly, but the structure isn't artificial. The mana is moving through natural rock."

Subin looked at the crack in the far wall. "Then we find where the natural channel leads."

The Abyssal River Dragon suddenly moved.

Its enormous body slipped beneath the surface, and the lake became turbulent as the creature swam toward the far side of the cavern. A moment later, its head emerged beside the cracked wall. It struck the rock with the side of its jaw, not attempting to break through but forcing loose several unstable sections. Water poured into the newly opened gap, revealing a submerged tunnel beyond.

Yerin understood immediately. "It's showing us the route."

"Or opening its own escape path," Jae-hyun replied.

"Either way, we're going through."

Subin secured the equipment and moved toward the opening. The passage beyond was partially flooded, but the current was strong enough to indicate that the golden mana flow was traveling through it. The expedition entered carefully, with Rafael and Liu Wei protecting the rear while Yerin remained near Subin. The Abyssal River Dragon followed them at a distance, its massive body moving silently through the water.

The tunnel continued for several hundred meters before gradually rising. The artificial crystal veins returned, but they were different from those around the eastern regulator. Instead of blue or red light, they carried a faint golden glow that pulsed in rhythm with the current.

Ara stopped beside one of the formations.

"This isn't part of the original eastern channel."

Subin examined it. "What is it?"

"I think it's a natural mana conduit that has been reinforced over time. The network didn't build this passage. It adapted to it."

That distinction explained why the eastern route behaved differently from the regulated channels near Cinder Crown. The ancient infrastructure had not replaced the natural geography; it had been constructed around existing mana currents and gradually connected them into a larger system.

The tunnel opened into another cavern.

This one was enormous.

A circular underground basin occupied its center, surrounded by six stone platforms. Each platform contained an old crystalline structure, and all six were connected to the same golden current. At the center of the basin stood a column of translucent stone extending from the floor to the ceiling.

Ara stared at the arrangement.

"This is a distribution chamber."

"How important?"

"Very."

She moved from one platform to another, scanning each structure. "The eastern channel isn't losing mana because of damage. This chamber is intentionally drawing part of the flow away."

Subin looked at the central column.

"Where is it sending it?"

Ara checked her device, then looked toward the floor.

"Down."

Again.

Subin walked around the central column. Its surface was covered with narrow lines that descended into the stone and disappeared beneath the chamber.

"The same pattern as the regulator above."

Ara nodded. "But this one is much larger."

Kael looked uneasy. "If this chamber is drawing mana away from Eastwatch, shutting it down would restore the eastern flow."

"It would," Ara said, "but there's a problem."

She pointed toward the six platforms.

"These aren't just receiving structures. They're stabilizing the natural current. If we shut the chamber down completely, the underground pressure will move back into the eastern channel."

"Which could damage Eastwatch."

"Exactly."

Subin considered the chamber for several seconds.

The problem was becoming familiar. Every time they encountered a damaged or abnormal section of the network, destroying the troublesome structure was the easiest solution and usually the wrong one.

The system was interconnected.

Changing one part affected another.

"We don't shut it down," he said. "We reduce the flow."

Ara looked at him.

"How?"

Subin pointed toward the six platforms.

"How many are active?"

"Four."

"Then the other two are inactive."

"Yes."

"Can we activate them?"

Ara's eyes widened slightly as she understood.

"If the inactive platforms are still functional, they could distribute some of the excess pressure."

"Find out."

Ara and Liu Wei examined the structures while Jae-hyun helped clear the stone covering the inactive platforms. Within minutes, they uncovered crystalline cores beneath layers of dust and mineral deposits.

Ara connected her equipment.

"They're damaged, but functional."

"Then repair them."

"We don't have the right components."

Subin looked at the exposed cores.

"We don't need to repair everything."

He drew Simple Edge.

Yerin immediately recognized what he intended.

"You're going to cut the damaged sections away."

"Only the parts blocking the flow."

Subin approached the first inactive platform and carefully examined its crystalline pathways. The structure was old, but its purpose was clear. Several channels had been clogged by mineral growth, while others had fractured under pressure. He didn't attempt to rebuild the platform. Instead, he followed the original design and removed only the sections that no longer belonged to the flow.

His sword moved slowly and precisely, each cut separating dead material from the active crystal without disturbing the underlying structure. When the final obstruction fell away, golden mana entered the platform for the first time in decades.

The chamber reacted immediately.

The current flowing through the central column weakened.

Ara checked her readings.

"It worked."

The second platform was more damaged, requiring Jae-hyun and Liu Wei to stabilize the surrounding stone while Subin cleared the central channel. Once it activated, the chamber's pressure dropped further, and the golden light beneath the cavern became noticeably calmer.

Then the Abyssal River Dragon entered the chamber.

Its enormous head rose above the water channel, and the six platforms reflected across its golden eyes. The creature slowly moved toward the central basin and lowered its head into the water.

The mana flow stabilized.

Ara stared at the readings.

"The dragon was compensating for the imbalance."

Subin nodded.

"It was using the lake to absorb part of the pressure."

"Which means the recent increase was hurting it."

The dragon gave a deep rumble, but it made no hostile movement.

Subin looked toward the eastern channel.

The flow was returning to normal.

Not completely, but enough.

"How much did we restore?"

Ara checked the readings.

"About sixty percent of the lost flow."

"Enough for now?"

"Yes. Eastwatch should be safe."

Kael finally relaxed.

But Subin wasn't finished.

He walked toward the central column.

The golden mana still descended through it.

"Where does the remaining flow go?"

Ara followed his gaze.

"We can't determine that from this chamber."

"Then we don't need to."

He looked toward the dragon.

The creature had already turned toward the underground lake.

The immediate problem had been solved.

There was no reason to force another expedition deeper simply because a new route existed.

They had learned something more useful instead.

The eastern network wasn't being drained by a monster or a hidden mechanism. It was connected to a natural underground mana system that extended far beyond the territories known to Eastwatch. The distribution chamber had been diverting energy through that system, and the recent instability had increased the demand enough to threaten the surface settlements.

The solution wasn't destruction.

It was balance.

The expedition returned through the flooded tunnel with the Abyssal River Dragon following them until they reached the lake. There, the creature stopped and watched as they prepared to leave.

Subin looked back at it.

"You should have more stable mana now."

The dragon remained motionless.

Then it slowly submerged.

The golden glow beneath the lake faded until only a few faint lines remained visible in the darkness.

By the time the expedition reached the upper regulator, Ara had already confirmed that the eastern flow had stabilized.

They returned to Eastwatch the following afternoon.

Seraphine met them at the gate.

"How bad was it?"

"Bad enough," Subin replied, "but the network is stable now."

Ara handed her the updated map.

"There is a natural distribution system beneath the eastern territory. It connects to the main mana network and was drawing more energy than expected. We've restored the balance without shutting it down."

Seraphine studied the map carefully.

"So the eastern route continues beyond our territory."

"Yes."

"How far?"

"We don't know."

She looked toward Subin.

"Will you continue?"

Subin glanced toward the eastern horizon.

The answer came easily.

"Eventually."

Yerin smiled.

"Eventually?"

"We need to return to Crossroads first."

Jae-hyun laughed.

"Finally, something sensible."

The expedition had entered the eastern territory expecting to investigate a damaged mana route. Instead, they had discovered Eastwatch, repaired another section of the network, encountered an A+ dragon, and confirmed that the underground system extended far beyond every existing map.

But the expedition's original mission still remained.

They needed to map the World Dungeon's major regions and establish safe routes between Earth's entrances and the interior.

Crossroads was the logical next destination.

From there, they could report everything they had learned and decide whether the eastern route deserved a larger expedition.

As the team prepared to leave Eastwatch, Subin looked once more toward the distant horizon.

The World Dungeon was larger than Earth had imagined.

That no longer surprised him.

What mattered was how much of it they could explore.

And somewhere beyond the eastern territories, the ancient mana network continued beneath the land, connecting regions that had never appeared on a human map.

For now, Subin turned away from it.

There were still other roads to walk.

The expedition began its journey back toward Crossroads.