CHAPTER 49: CHAPTER 49: DEPTHS OF THE PACIFIC

The Black Force’s momentum had stalled. Hunters across every continent held fast, defending convergence points with unparalleled coordination. No landmark had fallen in days, and every reported attack was repelled before serious damage could occur. Tokyo Tower’s ruins stood as a warning but also as proof of the world’s resolve.

Evon stood on the deck of a sleek amphibious vessel slicing through the Pacific’s calm dawn waters. Around him, a squad of S-rank Hunters prepared equipment—harpoons, scanning arrays, and pressure suits. The vast ocean stretched to the horizon, flat as glass.

Commander Jaun’s voice crackled over the comm unit. "Status report."

Evon glanced at the holographic map hovering above the deck. A single red blip marked the target—a distant point near the equatorial Pacific. "The Black Force has not struck any new targets in seventy-two hours. Their focus is here now. Naia and Lyria detected a powerful signature matching Veyra’s essence. The next gate is submerged, likely in an undersea trench."

"Understood," Jaun replied. "Proceed with caution. Marine operations can be unpredictable."

Evon nodded to the marine specialists.

"Lower the submersible pods. Two-man each. We go in teams of three."

The pods slid down lines into the water. Evon boarded with an S-rank dive specialist, Lin Chang, while two more pods carried other Hunters. The hatch sealed, and the pod submerged with smooth efficiency.

Beneath the surface, light dimmed. The pod’s external scanners illuminated faint bioluminescent creatures flickering like stars in the deep. Pressure climbed, but the hull held firm.

Naia’s voice came in Evon’s mind, calm but tinged with excitement. *"This place feels alive—full of currents and whispers of Veyra’s cyber energy."*

Evon responded silently, *"We’re approaching the trench. Prepare for rapid descent."*

The pod descended into darkness. After several minutes, the trench’s rim appeared below: sheer walls of volcanic rock streaked with mineral veins. At the bottom lay the gate—a circular frame encrusted with coral and barnacles, woven with glowing cybernetic glyphs.

Lyria spoke softly, *"Her mark is strong here. She must have been sealed close to her domain."*

Evon nodded. *"Once we retrieve her seal, we’ll be stronger. But we must clear this dungeon first."*

The pod’s external doors opened, and Evon and Lin Chang exited into the near-zero light. Their thrusters fired gently, keeping them stable above the sediment.

### Level One: The Coral Labyrinth

The gate’s interior shimmered, and they passed through into a surreal undersea world. Massive coral columns towered overhead, drifting kelp forests swayed in unseen currents, and neon fish darted between rock outcrops. The ambient glow from bioluminescent flora illuminated ancient plaques carved with Veyra’s cyber rune patterns.

Evon touched a plaque, sensing residual cyber resonance. *"This area... it’s her network."*

Lin Chang activated a scanner. "No hostiles detected yet. But bioelectric readings are high."

They proceeded down a winding coral passage. Soon, small mechanical drones—twisted shells equipped with lasers—swarmed from cracks in the rock. Veyra’s lesser sentinels.

Evon drew the Blade of Fate, its cyber lances flickering. *"Eyes of Fate."* He saw each drone’s control nodes, their patterns, and weaknesses. With swift precision, he dismantled them, sending sparks into the water that glimmered before vanishing.

The path opened into a wide cavern—a ruined data hub overgrown with sea life. Holographic screens flickered underwater, displaying fragmented streams of code. An ancient hologram of Veyra attempted to reboot but failed.

Lin Chang scanned the scene. "The gate’s power core is here. But there’s no seal."

Evon approached the core—a bio-organic reactor pulsing with faint cyan light. *"Not here. The seal is deeper."*

They moved on, clearing more drones and bypassing electric traps. Finally, they reached a chamber flooded with fast currents and blinking conduits.

At the center, a floating console displayed a map: three circuits must be activated to open the passage down to level two. Timers counted down from three minutes.

Lin Chang and Evon split tasks—one rerouted power while the other defended against waves of sentinels. With seconds to spare, the final circuit lit green. The floor parted, revealing a deep vertical shaft lit by cascading cyber waterfalls.

They swam through.

### Level Two: The Abyssal Forge

Descending into the shaft, the temperature dropped slightly, currents grew turbulent, and the scenery shifted. The walls became smooth metal panels scrawled with Veyra’s advanced schematics. Heaters and coolers hummed, maintaining environmental loops.

They landed on a grated platform overlooking an enormous forge-like hall. Molten circuits of living energy flowed through pipes, and mechanical arms wielded molten metal to craft monstrous new sentinels. The air crackled with charged ions.

Lin Chang gestured to a control terminal. "The seal might be here, but it’s heavily defended."

Evon’s eyes narrowed. *"We’ll clear a path."*

They advanced along a catwalk, activating runes in sequence to disable auto-furnaces. Each shutdown triggered waves of defensive constructs—mech-hounds with water-cooled plating and giant crab bots that sprayed superheated steam.

Evon’s blade shimmered with **cyber feedback** as he dismantled the hounds. Naia’s water resonance cooled overclocked plating until it cracked. Lyria’s fire tempered destabilized circuits into harmless slag.

When the last crab bot fell, a massive door opened, revealing the boss of level two: a giant spider-tractor hybrid with hydraulic legs and a furnace core.

Evon and Lin Chang fought side by side. Evon read the tractor’s movement patterns with his Eyes of Fate, calling a Destiny Prison ring to slow its stomps. Lin Chang fired harpoons from behind, keeping its limbs pinned briefly.

Evon surged forward, slashing through cooled armor to strike the core, the Blade of Fate glowing with **Veyra’s amplified lances**. The core collapsed, and the construct shuddered before collapsing in sparks.

Lin Chang panted, scanning the wreckage. "No sign of a seal."

Evon looked deeper into the furnace room, seeing a glowing platform beyond. *"We must descend once more."*

They found a maintenance shaft and climbed down into warmer currents. Ahead lay the final corridor to level three.

Lin Chang checked her scanner. "Clear so far. But the currents intensify."

Evon nodded. *"Stay close."*

They prepared to enter the final descent.

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