Beneath Greyfall

Chapter 70 — Beneath Greyfall

The staircase descended far deeper than Aether expected.

The stone walls were covered in faint silver veins.

Every few steps, the veins pulsed with Origin Energy.

Aether slowed down.

"This isn't natural."

Lyra glanced at the walls.

"You think someone built this?"

"Definitely."

Aria touched one of the markings.

"It feels old."

Seris closed her eyes.

"The energy is flowing downward."

Aether looked at her.

"Can you sense how far?"

She shook her head.

"No. But it's getting stronger."

They continued.

After several minutes, the staircase finally ended.

A massive underground hall appeared before them.

At its center stood a circular stone structure.

Six empty slots surrounded it.

Aether immediately recognized the pattern.

"The fragments."

Seris nodded.

"Six positions."

Aether approached the structure.

The system activated.

[Ancient Origin Mechanism detected.]

[Function: Unknown.]

[Origin Key compatibility: Confirmed.]

[Required Origin Keys: 6]

[Current Keys detected: 1]

Aether frowned.

"Only one?"

"Kael's fragment," Aria said.

Aether nodded.

That explained why Blackridge had been searching for him.

Suddenly—

BOOM!

The entire hall shook.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Lyra immediately moved closer to Aether.

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"That wasn't the mechanism."

"No."

Aether looked toward the far end of the chamber.

There was a massive stone door.

And something had just struck it from the other side.

BOOM!

Another impact.

Cracks spread across the door.

Seris's expression changed.

"There's something behind it."

Aether narrowed his eyes.

"How strong?"

"I can't determine its cultivation."

That answer made Aether more cautious.

The door cracked again.

A small piece of stone fell away.

Something appeared behind it.

Not a face.

A hand.

Covered in dark scales.

The fingers curled around the broken edge.

Aether immediately summoned Origin Energy.

"Everyone back."

Lyra, Aria, and Seris moved behind him.

The door exploded.

BOOOOM!

A massive creature rushed through.

Aether barely blocked the attack.

CLANG!

The impact sent him sliding across the floor.

His boots carved two deep lines into the stone.

Aether looked up.

The creature was enormous.

Nearly three meters tall.

Its body resembled a heavily armored humanoid beast, covered in black scales.

Two curved horns rose from its forehead.

But unlike the crimson-eyed beast from the Northern Region—

this creature said nothing.

It simply attacked.

Aether's eyes sharpened.

"Good."

Shadow Step.

His body vanished.

The creature's claws tore through his previous position.

Aether appeared above it.

His weapon descended.

BOOM!

The creature's shoulder split open.

Dark blood sprayed across the floor.

It roared.

Aether landed.

[Unknown Origin Beast detected.]

[Potential: Unable to determine.]

[Current condition: Healthy.]

[Hostile intent: Extreme.]

Aether didn't hesitate.

The creature charged again.

This time Lyra attacked from the side.

Her blade struck its ribs.

Aria followed with a powerful Origin strike.

Seris raised her hand.

Silver light wrapped around Aether.

[Moonlit Life Physique detected.]

[Life Essence reinforcement received.]

Aether felt his body become lighter.

He smiled.

"Thanks."

Seris smiled faintly.

"You're welcome."

The creature swung its arm.

Aether ducked.

Lyra jumped over him and attacked its head.

The creature blocked her.

Aether appeared behind it.

Shadow Step!

His weapon pierced through its back.

The creature screamed.

Aether pushed deeper.

Then—

The creature's body suddenly began glowing.

Seris's expression changed.

"Move!"

Aether immediately grabbed Lyra and used Shadow Step.

Aria and Seris followed.

BOOOOOOM!

A violent wave of Origin Energy erupted from the beast.

The four of them were thrown across the hall.

Aether rolled several times before stopping.

His chest hurt.

But he stood immediately.

The beast was still alive.

Its wounds were closing.

Aether's eyes narrowed.

"Regeneration."

Seris looked at it carefully.

"Not ordinary regeneration."

She pointed toward the creature's chest.

"There is something inside its Origin Core."

Aether focused.

A black object was embedded inside the creature.

It looked similar to Kael's crystal.

The system reacted.

[Foreign Origin Object detected.]

[Similarity to Origin Key fragment: 72%.]

Aether understood.

"This creature isn't guarding the mechanism."

"It's connected to it."

The creature charged again.

Aether didn't retreat.

He moved forward.

Their attacks collided.

BOOM!

Aether's arm went numb.

The creature was physically stronger.

But Aether was faster.

He slipped beneath its claw.

Shadow Step.

Behind it.

Strike.

The creature turned.

Shadow Step.

Side.

Strike.

Again.

Again.

Aether slowly dismantled its defenses.

Lyra and Aria attacked whenever openings appeared.

Seris continuously reinforced their bodies and healed minor injuries.

Finally—

Aether saw the opening.

The creature's chest was exposed.

He gathered every bit of Origin Energy into his weapon.

"End."

He thrust forward.

BOOM!

The weapon pierced the black object.

The creature froze.

Aether pulled the object out.

The beast collapsed.

Silence filled the chamber.

[Foreign Origin Object destroyed.]

[Hostile Origin Beast defeated.]

[Origin Points gained: 70]

[Origin Points: 250 / 650]

Aether looked at the object in his hand.

It wasn't a fragment.

It was something else.

A smaller black crystal surrounded by metallic rings.

The system scanned it.

[Origin Core Shard detected.]

[Function: Unknown.]

[Compatibility with user: 94%.]

Aether's eyes narrowed.

"94%?"

He could feel something inside the shard.

Not a voice.

Not a consciousness.

Energy.

Pure, compressed Origin Energy.

Aether held it tighter.

The system immediately responded.

[Warning.]

[Direct assimilation may cause physical instability.]

[Recommended: Controlled assimilation.]

Aether smiled slightly.

"Then that's what I'll do."

He looked toward the six-slot mechanism.

One fragment.

One core shard.

And countless unanswered questions.

Whatever Greyfall had been built to hide—

they were finally getting close to it.