Chapter 106: Chapter 101: The Heart Beneath
The ancient roar rolled through the Eternal Archive like a wave that transcended sound itself.
**RRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRR!!**
The fractured chamber shook violently.
Cracks raced across the crystalline floor in every direction, branching like lightning through glass. Towering pillars trembled, shedding glittering fragments that rained onto the battlefield.
The oppressive pressure in the air multiplied.
John instinctively spread his wings.
His dragon instincts screamed.
**Danger.**
Not the danger of a powerful monster.
Not the danger of an impossible battle.
This was something older.
Something that had existed long before kingdoms, races, or even the Eternal Archive itself.
Around him, everyone reacted.
Several dwarven warriors fell to one knee as the overwhelming pressure crashed down upon them.
The scholars clutched their heads, faces pale.
Even Aerion, whose calm demeanor had remained unshaken throughout the expedition, narrowed his eyes.
"...That isn’t mana."
Sylvara slowly lowered her staff.
"No..."
"It feels... older."
Lythriel swallowed.
"For the first time..."
"...I’m actually scared."
John couldn’t disagree.
Even his system remained eerily quiet.
No notifications.
No analysis.
Nothing.
The silence from the usually talkative system disturbed him more than the pressure itself.
---
The Archive Breaker suddenly froze.
Its massive crystal body became perfectly still.
The crimson glow inside its eyes faded.
Golden light returned.
Its gigantic head slowly turned toward the widening chasm beneath the chamber.
Then...
To everyone’s astonishment...
The colossal guardian lowered one knee.
A deep metallic sound echoed throughout the chamber.
**THOOM.**
The construct bowed.
Its mechanical voice resonated through the hall.
"Primary Authority detected."
"Suspending combat protocol."
"Awaiting command."
Silence followed.
Lythriel blinked twice.
"...Did..."
"...Did the giant just bow?"
Thargrum gripped his axe tightly.
"It recognized whoever is beneath us."
Aerion’s expression grew grim.
"And if a guardian of this caliber kneels..."
"...then the one below stands above every defense this Archive possesses."
No one argued.
The implication was obvious.
The Archive Breaker—an enemy powerful enough to overwhelm dozens of elite adventurers—was merely a subordinate.
---
The floor continued collapsing.
The circular platform at the chamber’s center broke apart, revealing an enormous shaft that descended into endless darkness.
Golden light drifted upward from the abyss below.
Not blinding.
Not harsh.
Instead...
Warm.
Gentle.
Ancient.
It carried none of the hostility the expedition had expected.
Instead, it felt strangely... familiar.
John frowned.
His heartbeat accelerated.
The warmth resonated with something deep within his body.
His dragon blood.
The Abyssal Dragon bloodline pulsed once.
Then again.
Dark mana leaked from his scales without his conscious control.
Tiny wisps of black mist coiled around his body.
Sylvara noticed immediately.
"John..."
He looked toward her.
"I know."
"I can’t stop it."
The dark aura continued growing stronger.
For the first time since evolving into an Abyssal Dragon...
His bloodline was reacting on its own.
---
Finally...
The system responded.
**[Ancient Bloodline Resonance detected.]**
**[Unknown Origin.]**
**[Compatibility: Extremely High.]**
**[Resonance: 3%...]**
John’s pupils narrowed.
Resonance?
That was new.
"What does that mean?"
Several seconds passed.
Then...
**[Searching database...]**
**[...]**
**[Ancient records unavailable.]**
**[Insufficient authority.]**
John frowned.
Again.
Something was blocking the system.
Whatever existed beneath the Archive was beyond the knowledge the system currently possessed.
That realization unsettled him.
---
A deep pulse echoed from below.
**BOOM.**
Golden light surged upward.
The pressure increased once more.
Every crystal lining the walls began glowing brilliantly.
Ancient runes awakened one after another.
Symbols no living race could decipher illuminated the chamber.
The scholars stared in amazement.
One elderly elf trembled.
"I’ve..."
"I’ve never seen these inscriptions activate..."
"They were thought to be decorative..."
Another pulse.
**BOOM.**
The light intensified.
Something enormous shifted deep beneath the tower.
Not walking.
Turning.
As though an impossibly massive creature had finally opened its eyes after an age of slumber.
John slowly stepped toward the edge of the chasm.
Aerion immediately reached out.
"Don’t."
John stopped.
"I just want to look."
"So do I."
Aerion’s voice remained calm.
"But not recklessly."
The swordsman approached beside him.
Together, they looked into the depths.
Nothing.
Only endless golden light.
Then...
Two distant points appeared.
Tiny at first.
Growing brighter.
Larger.
Closer.
Lythriel whispered,
"...Eyes."
Everyone’s breathing stopped.
Far below...
Two enormous golden eyes slowly opened.
They dwarfed the Archive Breaker.
Each iris alone appeared larger than a fortress.
Ancient.
Calm.
Watching.
The eyes slowly rose.
Not because the creature was climbing...
But because it was impossibly vast.
The expedition suddenly realized something terrifying.
The being beneath them wasn’t inside the shaft.
The shaft had been built above it.
The Eternal Archive...
Had never been merely a library.
It had been a seal.
John felt his bloodline pulse violently.
The golden eyes shifted.
Ignoring everyone else.
Looking only at him.
Then a voice echoed—not through the air, but directly into every mind present.
"...An Abyssal Dragon..."
The words carried no hostility.
Only surprise.
"...After all these ages..."
"...one still remains."
John’s heart skipped a beat.
He had never met another of his kind.
Could this ancient being know the origins of his bloodline?
Before he could respond, the entire Archive shook once more.
A violent tremor rippled through the foundations, and this time, the golden light flickered with streaks of black.
Aerion’s expression changed instantly.
"...That’s not right."
Sylvara’s face paled.
"The mana..."
"It’s being contaminated."
Thin black veins spread through the glowing crystal walls like cracks in ice.
The peaceful golden radiance began to dim.
Far below, the ancient eyes narrowed.
For the first time, emotion appeared within them.
Not anger.
Not fear.
Concern.
A deep, sorrowful voice echoed through every mind.
"...It has found me."
The temperature throughout the chamber dropped sharply.
John’s system finally reacted.
**[WARNING!]**
**[Void Corruption Detected.]**
**[Emergency Protocol Initiated.]**
Before anyone could ask what that meant, a deafening crack split the chamber.
One of the Archive Breaker’s glowing eyes flashed from gold... to crimson.
Its kneeling body began to tremble.
The battle...
...was not over.
The ancient voice echoed through every mind.
> "...It has found me."
The words were calm.
Yet every person in the chamber felt the weight behind them.
Not panic.
Not despair.
Resignation.
As though the being beneath the Archive had known this day would eventually arrive.
John tightened his claws.
"It?"
The colossal golden eyes remained fixed on him.
For several long seconds, the ancient being did not answer.
Instead, the entire Eternal Archive shook again.
**BOOOOOOM!**
Another section of the chamber collapsed.
Massive crystal pillars cracked apart, crashing into the widening abyss.
The surviving scholars stumbled backward.
Several dwarves rushed forward, catching falling debris with their enchanted shields before it could crush the injured.
Thargrum barked orders immediately.
"Form defensive lines!"
"No one gets separated!"
The dwarven warriors answered with disciplined precision.
Even after everything they had endured since entering the Archive, their resolve remained unbroken.
John couldn’t help but admire them.
They were exhausted.
Many were wounded.
Yet none abandoned their comrades.
---
Far below...
Golden light surged upward once again.
This time it carried countless glowing motes.
Tiny particles floated through the chamber like stars drifting through the night sky.
As one landed upon a fractured crystal tile—
The broken floor repaired itself.
The cracks disappeared.
Crystal reformed as though time itself had reversed.
Lythriel blinked.
"...Did everyone just see that?"
Sylvara slowly knelt beside another damaged section.
She gently touched the restored crystal.
Her emerald eyes widened.
"It isn’t healing."
"It’s..."
She hesitated.
"...Reconstructing."
"There isn’t even residual mana."
"It’s simply returning everything to its original state."
Aerion frowned.
"Restoration on that scale shouldn’t exist."
"It violates every known magical principle."
John silently agreed.
Even high-tier restoration magic required enormous mana and a reference point.
This...
This simply happened.
Without incantations.
Without visible effort.
Without cost.
---
The system finally spoke.
**[Analyzing unknown phenomenon...]**
Several seconds passed.
**[Analysis Failed.]**
**[Concept exceeds available database.]**
John exhaled slowly.
Again.
The system had failed.
Whatever power they were witnessing lay beyond its current knowledge.
---
The ancient being spoke once more.
"...These fragments..."
"...still obey me."
Its voice resonated gently inside everyone’s minds.
"...Though not for much longer."
The golden particles gradually faded.
The repaired crystal stopped glowing.
Silence returned.
John stared into the abyss.
"Who are you?"
The massive eyes blinked slowly.
"...Names..."
"...lose meaning after enough ages."
Another pause.
"...Long ago..."
"...they called me..."
"...The Heart Beneath."
The title echoed through the chamber.
No one recognized it.
Except...
The Archive Breaker.
The colossal guardian immediately lowered both knees.
Its head bowed completely.
Its mechanical voice rang throughout the hall.
"Supreme Authority acknowledged."
"Awaiting command."
Lythriel whispered,
"So..."
"The giant wasn’t guarding the Archive."
Aerion finished her sentence.
"It was guarding him."
---
John frowned.
"No."
Everyone looked toward him.
He slowly shook his head.
"If it were simply guarding him..."
"It wouldn’t have attacked us."
"It was protecting something."
"The Core."
Sylvara’s eyes widened.
"The Archive Core..."
John nodded.
"The giant never said it was protecting the Archive."
"It specifically repeated..."
"’Protect the Core.’"
He looked toward the abyss.
"The Core and the being below aren’t necessarily the same."
The ancient eyes remained silent.
Neither confirming nor denying the theory.
That silence...
Was answer enough.
---
Suddenly—
The Heart Beneath looked upward.
Not toward John.
Not toward the expedition.
Toward the ceiling.
Far beyond the chamber.
Its expression changed.
"...They are coming."
John immediately sensed it.
Dozens.
No...
Hundreds.
Powerful mana signatures rapidly approached through the countless levels of the Archive.
Aerion closed his eyes.
His extraordinary perception expanded outward.
When he opened them again...
His face had become unusually serious.
"Multiple lifeforms."
"They’re descending."
Sylvara tightened her grip on her staff.
"More guardians?"
Aerion slowly shook his head.
"No."
"They’re alive."
John’s eyes narrowed.
"Adventurers?"
"Possibly."
"Or..."
He didn’t finish.
Everyone understood.
Not everyone who entered ancient ruins sought knowledge.
Many sought power.
Treasure.
Artifacts.
Or worse...
Control.
---
Before anyone could discuss further—
A tremendous explosion echoed from one of the upper corridors.
**BOOOOOOM!**
Stone and crystal rained into the chamber.
A section of the wall collapsed inward.
Dust filled the air.
The expedition immediately formed battle formations.
Weapons rose.
Mana surged.
Several seconds later—
Footsteps emerged from the smoke.
Heavy.
Disciplined.
Measured.
One...
Two...
Three figures walked into the chamber.
All wore dark silver armor engraved with unfamiliar symbols.
Long crimson cloaks flowed behind them.
Each carried weapons radiating extraordinary mana.
The man at the center removed his helmet.
He appeared to be in his early thirties.
Short black hair.
Steel-gray eyes.
A long scar crossed his left cheek.
His gaze swept across the battlefield.
The destroyed constructs.
The kneeling Archive Breaker.
The expedition.
Finally...
John.
The man’s eyes lingered on John’s wings.
Then...
A faint smile appeared.
"So."
"We finally found it."
Aerion immediately stepped forward.
"Identify yourselves."
The stranger ignored him.
Instead, he looked past everyone.
Toward the abyss.
Toward the colossal golden eyes.
For the first time...
Excitement appeared on his face.
"It truly exists."
Behind him, one of his companions—a silver-haired woman carrying twin curved blades—laughed softly.
"I told you the records weren’t myths."
The third figure remained silent.
A giant of a man carrying a massive warhammer across one shoulder.
His golden eyes never left John.
Something about that gaze bothered him.
It felt...
Calculating.
---
Thargrum slammed his axe into the floor.
"You’ve trespassed into an active expedition."
"State your purpose."
The scarred man finally turned.
His smile never disappeared.
"We’re merely explorers."
Lythriel immediately muttered,
"Liar."
John silently agreed.
Their equipment.
Formation.
Confidence.
None of it matched ordinary explorers.
More importantly...
None of them had shown surprise after witnessing the Archive Breaker.
As though...
They had expected everything.
---
Sylvara quietly whispered,
"They’re strong."
John nodded.
He could feel it.
The weakest among the newcomers possessed mana rivaling elite commanders.
The scarred leader...
Was even stronger.
Perhaps...
Comparable to Aerion.
---
The stranger offered a courteous bow.
"My apologies."
"I forgot my manners."
"My name is Cassian."
"My companions are Selene and Darius."
"We belong to an organization devoted to preserving ancient history."
Aerion didn’t lower his sword.
"I’ve never heard of such an organization."
Cassian chuckled.
"Very few have."
John watched him carefully.
Every movement.
Every expression.
Everything about the man felt...
Practiced.
Like an actor delivering rehearsed lines.
---
Cassian’s attention returned to the abyss.
"The Heart Beneath..."
"What an extraordinary sight."
The golden eyes regarded him silently.
Then...
For the first time since awakening—
The ancient being spoke with unmistakable coldness.
"...You."
Cassian’s smile widened.
"I’m honored that you remember."
Every member of the expedition stiffened.
Remember?
This man knew the ancient being?
No...
The implication was even more alarming.
The Heart Beneath recognized him despite supposedly sleeping for countless ages.
How was that possible?
John’s instincts sharpened.
Something was terribly wrong.
---
Cassian slowly spread his arms.
"We’ve searched for you for generations."
"Our predecessors failed."
"So did those before them."
"But eventually..."
He smiled toward the abyss.
"...every prison opens."
The chamber fell silent.
John immediately noticed the change in the ancient being.
The warmth surrounding the Heart Beneath disappeared.
Golden light dimmed.
Its enormous eyes narrowed.
"...Leave."
Cassian sighed dramatically.
"I’m afraid I can’t."
"We’ve come far too far."
He reached inside his cloak.
Aerion moved instantly.
"Don’t!"
Too late.
Cassian withdrew a small crystalline object.
Unlike the golden crystal surrounding the Archive...
This one was black.
Completely black.
It pulsed like a living heart.
The instant it appeared—
John’s bloodline reacted violently.
A suffocating pressure erupted throughout the chamber.
The golden light emitted by the Heart Beneath recoiled.
The kneeling Archive Breaker trembled.
Even the system issued an immediate warning.
**[WARNING!]**
**[Foreign energy signature detected.]**
**[Void-class corruption identified.]**
**[Immediate threat assessment: Extreme.]**
John’s eyes narrowed.
Void.
Again.
Whatever this "Void" was...
It had finally reached the Eternal Archive.
*To be continued...*
---
100 ps = 1 extra Chapter
200 ps = 2 Extra Chapter
1 Golden ticket = 3 Extra Chapter
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