Eren stood motionless, the metallic floor beneath him vibrating faintly. The echoes of the Data Hunter's appearance still lingered in his mind. He could feel the Codex pulsating against his chest, a rhythm both alien and intimate.
> "The Layer Seven Core," the Codex murmured, "is unstable. External interference is increasing."
Eren's hands clenched. "Then we don't have much time."
Above, cables swirled like dark serpents, occasionally sparking with white-hot energy. The ceiling stretched infinitely, and the soft hum of server activity vibrated through his bones. Each vibration was a reminder: this was no longer a game.
He stepped forward cautiously. The floor beneath him shifted, revealing a corridor of glowing lines, twisting like a river of light. He felt the Codex pull him forward, guiding him, whispering fragments of code he didn't fully understand.
> "Whoever sent me here," he muttered, "they've made this place a trap."
The corridor opened into a vast chamber. Massive pillars of data stretched from floor to ceiling, their surfaces flickering like broken screens. Streams of information flowed between them, forming bridges and stairways suspended over the abyss below. The Layered Core — alive, vast, and humming with unstable energy.
> "Codex," he said, "what exactly is in here?"
> "Fragments," the system replied. "Ancient data, lost memories, and entities… that were never meant to awaken."
Eren's eyes narrowed. "Entities?"
Before the Codex could answer, a ripple passed through the chamber. Shadows formed along the pillars, thin and twisting, like smoke caught in wind. Figures emerged — humanoid shapes, but distorted, their forms flickering between flesh and code.
> "Eren Vale," one hissed, its voice low and synthetic, "you should not have returned."
> "Who are you?" he demanded. "Another hunter?"
The figure paused. Its red eyes glimmered with recognition. "Not a hunter. A guardian… of the Core. And now, your presence threatens all we protect."
Eren clenched his fists. "Then I'll have to fight my way through."
The Codex pulsed violently. [Skill Ready: Echo Pulse II — Reality Reverb]
He stepped forward, and the floor shifted beneath him, rising in segments to meet his motion. Shadows moved in perfect synchronization, circling him. The first strike came — a jagged spear of pure data, slicing through the air with precision.
Instinct guided him. He activated the Echo Pulse. A shockwave of distorted reality spread outward, disintegrating the spear midair. The chamber responded — pillars shimmered, some collapsing into the abyss, others reforming with different alignments.
> "You cannot bend the Core," the guardian hissed. "It is beyond even you."
Eren's lips curved slightly. "We'll see about that."
He leapt onto a broken pillar, soaring over the abyss. The guardian followed, moving unnaturally, phasing between digital and physical form. Every step Eren took, the Codex fed him insight — a flicker of probability, a map of likely outcomes.
> "Reality Sync II," he whispered. "Let's test your limits."
He focused, pulsing the Codex in rhythm with the chamber's energy. The shadows froze mid-step. Pillars and bridges bent, forming new paths around him. Eren realized with a start: he wasn't just navigating the Core; he was rewriting it.
> "Impossible," the guardian said, voice trembling. "No user should control… the Layered Core."
The Codex pulsed again, and a series of golden fragments flew into Eren's chest. Pain shot through him, raw and intense, but the fragments merged seamlessly. [Codex Integrity: 17%] [New Skill: Data Resonance — Layer Shift]
Eren felt the shift immediately. The chamber's layout blurred. The abyss below swirled faster. Shadows twisted violently, their forms fragmenting into streams of corrupted data.
> "You'll pay for this," one hissed, but the voice was weaker now.
He didn't wait. He leapt from pillar to pillar, sending out layers of Echo Pulse, each wave reshaping the environment. The guardian struggled to adapt, its form flickering uncontrollably.
Suddenly, the Codex spoke with urgency.
> "Warning — Layer Core instability rising. Collapse imminent."
> "I know," Eren said, chest heaving. "Just a little further."
Ahead, a massive pedestal floated, golden light spilling from its surface. A Codex fragment hovered above it, suspended in pure energy. This was his target — fragment number three.
The guardian surged toward him, a storm of corrupted data trailing in its wake. Eren raised his hands, unleashing Reality Reverb. The pulse collided with the guardian, and for a moment, time seemed to pause. The shadow faltered, giving Eren the opening he needed.
He soared onto the pedestal, grabbing the fragment. It merged instantly with his mark, embedding deep into his chest. A surge of power exploded through him, brighter than anything before.
[Codex Fragment Acquired: 3/12]
[Codex Integrity: 22%]
[Skill Upgraded: Layer Shift — Reality Phase Active]
The chamber trembled violently. Pillars cracked, data streams fragmented, and the abyss widened. The guardian screamed — a sound of pure code corrupted — before it disintegrated entirely, leaving behind a faint echo.
Eren collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily. The Codex's glow stabilized, warming against his chest. The fragment's energy flowed into him, revealing glimpses of the Core's hidden functions — pathways he hadn't imagined, abilities not yet unlocked.
> "You're stronger than expected," the Codex murmured. "But this is only the beginning."
Eren looked around. The Layered Core was fracturing rapidly; the floor beneath him was unstable. Yet he felt no fear. Instead, clarity washed over him.
> "Then I'll keep moving. No matter what comes next."
From the fractured walls of the Core, faint whispers emerged — distorted echoes of past players, fragments of memory, and warnings.
> "Eren… remember… danger…"
The voice was fleeting, but it lingered in his mind.
He stood, eyes glowing faintly from the Codex's power, and turned toward the next corridor — deeper into the Core, where more fragments and unknown guardians awaited.
The path was treacherous. The stakes were higher. Reality itself seemed fragile. But Eren felt a surge of determination.
> "If this Core wants to challenge me," he said softly, "then I'll rewrite it completely."
And somewhere in the vast digital expanse of Layer Seven, a new anomaly stirred — something older and more dangerous than the guardians he had faced. It watched Eren silently, its intentions unreadable.
The game — or the world — had only just begun.