Every chain binding the massive entity trembled simultaneously. The endless darkness inside the synchronisation space distorted violently while ancient pressure spread outward in every direction like collapsing reality itself. Huang Ming staggered backward instinctively while panic flooded his chest. The enormous chained figure still hadn't fully moved, yet its mere existence now crushed the surrounding void hard enough to fracture the darkness beneath it.
And somehow—
It felt awake.
Not fully.
But enough.
Far above the battlefield in reality, alarms throughout Training Sector Three screamed continuously, while emergency containment systems activated across multiple sectors simultaneously. Red warning lights flashed throughout the arena, whistles barriers reinforced themselves layer after layer around Platform Seven. Reinforcement drones poured into the air, while containment arrays activated beneath the shattered platform floor.
Yet despite all of that—
The pressure leaking from Huang continued increasing.
At the centre of the battlefield, Huang remained frozen in place while chaotic spiritual energy spiralled around him like living smoke. Broken steel fragments floated motionlessly nearby, while unstable waves distorted the air surrounding his body. Blood continued dripping steadily from his nose, while darkened veins spread farther beneath portions of his skin. And his eyes—
For brief moments—
No longer looked human.
Across the battlefield, Rex Hao stared toward Huang with visible disbelief. Earlier, Rex still believed this fight remained something he could overpower through force alone.
Now—
Every instinct inside him screamed danger.
Not combat danger.
Existential danger.
Because the thing standing before him no longer felt like another student.
It felt like a sealed disaster beginning to wake up.
"… Huang…" Rex muttered slowly.
No response came.
Inside the synchronisation space, the gigantic chained entity continued staring downward silently while endless fragmented whispers echoed throughout the surrounding darkness. The pressure radiating from its body distorted the void itself, while glowing fractures spread farther across portions of the chains restraining it.
CRRRKKK.
Another chain cracked slightly.
Huang immediately froze.
Because this time—
The entity moved again.
One massive hand slowly tightened against the restraints binding its arm.
That tiny movement alone sent catastrophic pressure surging through the synchronization space. Endless darkness fractured violently while invisible shockwaves exploded outward through Huang's consciousness.
"GHHH—!"
Back in reality, Huang collapsed to both knees instantly while chaotic spiritual energy detonated outward again.
BOOOOOOOOM.
The battlefield exploded beneath him. Massive fractures spread across Platform Seven while portions of the arena floor collapsed entirely. Nearby stabilization barriers flickered violently while support drones shattered one after another after entering the pressure field surrounding Huang.
Several students screamed.
Others instinctively ran backward.
Even instructors watching nearby looked visibly alarmed now.
"Containment pressure is failing!"
"Pull the lower sectors back!"
"Do not approach the platform!"
Far above, the observation room had descended into complete chaos.
"Energy density just increased again!"
"No—that's impossible!"
"His biological readings are mutating in real time!"
"Synchronization activity is exceeding human thresholds!"
The older instructor remained staring silently toward Huang's profile while cold realization slowly settled across his expression.
Because he finally understood the truth.
This was never ordinary evolution.
Something had been sealed inside Huang long before today.
And the synchronization process had started breaking the seal.
Meanwhile, inside the synchronization space, Huang struggled to breathe while pressure crushed him from every direction. The gigantic entity remained motionless beyond the darkness while countless chains restrained its body, yet despite those restraints—
Its presence alone felt infinite.
Ancient.
Monstrous.
Huang forced himself backward again while staring upward toward the enormous silhouette.
"…Stay away from me…"
The entity finally reacted.
Slowly.
Its glowing eyes narrowed slightly.
Then—
A second voice echoed throughout the darkness.
Not spoken.
Felt.
"Weak."
The word alone nearly shattered Huang's consciousness. Pain exploded throughout his mind while endless fragmented whispers erupted around him like screaming storms. Huang immediately grabbed his head while collapsing to one knee inside the synchronization space.
"STOP—!"
The entity remained silent again.
Yet somehow—
Huang could feel amusement radiating from it.
Back in reality, chaotic spiritual energy spiraled around Huang violently enough to rip steel fragments from the battlefield itself. Several sections of the shattered arena floor lifted slightly into the air before collapsing again under unstable pressure waves.
Rex Hao instinctively stepped backward another step.
Then another.
Because the spiritual pressure radiating from Huang now made his reinforcement instincts scream in terror.
It felt like standing beside something that should never exist.
"H-He's losing control…"
Nearby students looked horrified.
"No… this is beyond losing control…"
"What even is he…"
At the center of the battlefield, Huang's breathing became ragged while synchronization pulses continued echoing throughout his body.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
But now—
There were two rhythms.
One belonged to Huang.
The other—
Belonged to the thing beneath the synchronization.
Inside his mind, Lyra's voice suddenly returned again.
But this time—
Her tone sounded different.
Less analytical.
More urgent.
"Warning. Seal integrity critically compromised."
Huang immediately froze.
"…Seal?"
Silence followed briefly.
Then—
"Entity suppression systems destabilizing."
Cold fear flooded Huang instantly.
Because that confirmed everything.
The thing inside him had been imprisoned.
Not created.
Imprisoned.
And somehow—
The synchronization process had begun releasing it.
Another crack spread across the chains surrounding the entity.
CRRRRKKK.
The entire synchronization space trembled violently.
This time the gigantic figure slowly lowered its head slightly toward Huang.
The movement alone felt catastrophic. Endless pressure surged outward while the surrounding darkness collapsed inward around its body like gravity itself had become unstable.
Huang's instincts screamed at him to run.
But there was nowhere to run.
The synchronization space was already part of him now.
And the thing inside it—
Was waking up inside his own body.
Then suddenly—
The entity spoke again.
"How long… has it been…"
The voice carried ancient exhaustion behind it.
But beneath that exhaustion—
Was hunger.
Endless hunger.
Huang staggered backward again while panic spread through every part of him.
"…What are you?!"
For several seconds—
The entity said nothing.
Then slowly—
One glowing eye narrowed further.
"I… do not remember."
That answer somehow terrified Huang more than anything else so far. Because if something that ancient couldn't remember what it was, then whatever had sealed it away probably feared it too.
Back in reality, the pressure surrounding Huang suddenly intensified again.
BOOOOOOOM.
Another shockwave erupted across Platform Seven while multiple stabilization barriers shattered instantly. Students throughout nearby sectors screamed while emergency evacuation alarms activated automatically across Training Sector Three.
Far above, the older instructor's expression finally changed completely.
Because for the first time since this began—
He looked afraid.
"…Get the Director," he said quietly.
Nobody in the room argued.
Because everyone watching understood the same horrifying truth now.
If whatever was inside Huang fully awakened—
Training Sector Three might not survive it.
Meanwhile, at the center of the battlefield, Huang's body continued trembling violently while synchronization pulses spread uncontrollably throughout his meridians. Blood continued leaking from his nose while his heartbeat struggled to remain stable beneath the second pulse echoing inside him.
And slowly—
The second heartbeat was becoming louder.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
The sound no longer echoed only inside Huang's mind now.
Nearby students could hear it too.
Every pulse caused the arena floor to tremble slightly beneath their feet.
Every pulse distorted the surrounding spiritual energy.
Every pulse made the thing inside Huang feel more real.
Rex Hao's face paled completely.
"…You can hear it too…?" one nearby student whispered fearfully.
Nobody answered.
Because they all could.
Inside the synchronization space, the gigantic entity slowly lifted part of its arm again while the chains restraining it groaned violently under impossible pressure.
CRRRRKKKK.
This time one of the chains snapped completely.
The sound echoed like reality breaking.
The instant it happened—
Huang felt overwhelming pain explode throughout his body.
"AAAAHHHHH—!"
Back in reality, a colossal eruption of chaotic spiritual energy detonated outward from Huang.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.
The entire battlefield vanished beneath the explosion of pressure. Platform Seven collapsed entirely. Several stabilization barriers shattered simultaneously. The arena ceiling cracked. Students throughout nearby sectors were thrown backward violently while instructors struggled to maintain emergency defensive formations.
Far above, every holographic display inside the observation room exploded into static simultaneously.
Then—
For one horrifying second—
Everything stopped.
No alarms.
No movement.
No sound.
At the center of the destroyed battlefield, Huang slowly stood back up.
Smoke spiraled around him.
Chaotic spiritual energy drifted through the air like black mist.
And his eyes—
Were glowing now.
Not faintly.
Fully.
Across the battlefield, Rex Hao felt cold terror consume him completely.
Because when Huang finally raised his head—
Something else looked back at him.