A mechanical voice echoed from the walls:
“Virtual Abyss Dive Test begins now.
Each team, proceed to your designated gate.”
Team 117 stepped forward in silence.
Rumo whispered:
“Five years… it’s like walking willingly into the unknown.”
Ena stared at the gate:
“Not everyone who enters… comes out the same.”
The gate creaked open—
And light swallowed them whole.
At each gate, only tech teams were present—no medics, no guards—
Just those tasked with system activation and isolation.
As the three teams stepped into their respective chambers, the gates closed tightly behind them.
All signals were cut.
A supervisor, watching a blank monitor, muttered:
“From this moment… no return. No oversight. No reports.”
The lights dimmed—
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The facility fell into silence.
In a sealed side room, countdown timers began to spin:
Year one… year two… three… four… five.
Outside, time passed normally.
But inside… lives folded inward.
Consciousness shifted.
Those who entered heard only themselves.
Saw only the reflection of their souls.
No one knew what they faced…
Or who would return.
Only silence.
Only introspection.
Only a struggle… with no voice.
Elsewhere in the nation—
At the southern gate of the First Order’s wall—
A massive military convoy had assembled.
Armored transports, medical units, and advanced weaponry lined up in strict formation.
The gate slowly opened—
And out walked three men—each preceded by their reputation:
Valdro Heimel, Deputy Commander of the Third Order, wielder of the “Unshrouded Blade,” ranked 43rd among the world’s top 100.
Karo Valsayn, Deputy Commander of the Fifth Order, fire-zone specialist, ranked 57th worldwide.
Asten Rackfil, Deputy Commander of the Ninth Order, known as the “Shadow of the Depths,” ranked 38th globally.
Behind them, high-class knights stood ready—equipped with rare sensors and weapons reserved for critical operations.
An officer held out a digital map to Valdro:
“Flare activity was detected near the Firelands border. The energy is escalating.”
Valdro pointed his sword southward:
“We might be dealing with a Class B creature. We move now.”
Karo scanned the terrain’s thermal readings:
“The ground hasn’t been this hot in years. Something is stirring below.”
Asten said nothing.
His eyes fixed far ahead—
As if his body stood there, but his mind… was deep within.
The convoy began its journey southeast—
Leaving the borders behind, heading toward the unknown.
And elsewhere, inside the virtual Abyss facility—
The gates remained sealed.
The timer continued to count.
“Those who entered… were never the same.”
“Those who return… don’t know what awaits.”
End of Chapter 19
End of the Arc1
Creatures beyond imagination will awaken.
Battles will begin—battles that will be carved into the memory of history.
And for the first time… blood will fall.