[ Tuesday, 2:15 PM — Astharist Building Upper Complex ]
Silence filled the living room.
Kyle remained standing beside the couch, his gaze never leaving the screen. The warning notifications continued flashing one after another.
Yet strangely...
His attention was on something else entirely.
His gaze remained fixed upon the single line displayed earlier.
< Authority Insufficient >
"..."
For a moment, Kyle didn't know what exactly was happening.
The more he thought about it...
The stronger the sensation coming from Asteria became.
It grew stronger with every passing moment, almost in sync with the warning notifications appearing before him.
The uneasiness became almost unbearable.
There was only one thought left in his mind.
Whatever it was...
It was something extremely harmful.
"Ah... fuck."
"This creepy feeling..."
"If I'm already feeling this much with my synchronization this low..."
"...Then what would I feel if my synchronization were at a higher level?"
Kyle couldn't bring himself to think any further.
Instinctively, Kyle rubbed his temples.
He tried taking a deep breath.
Then another.
Yet the strange feeling refused to fade.
It lingered like something constantly brushing against his thoughts.
The more he tried to ignore it...
The more aware of it he became.
He looked at the screen once again.
He didn't know how.
He didn't even know if it was possible.
But right now...
He just wanted to somehow stop this feeling of something constantly creeping over him.
And as if fate itself had answered his plea—
Another notification appeared.
< The Star of Mantos is crying, begging the CreatorMundi for help >
< The World Core is losing stability >
< Yggdrasil protects the core, bringing the world a moment of stability >
Kyle couldn't help but stare at the screen in disbelief as everything unfolded before his eyes.
The enormous World Tree slowly began shining, spreading a gentle green radiance throughout the world.
He couldn't help but feel relieved.
The creepy feeling was still there...
But it had noticeably weakened.
Almost as if Yggdrasil's light had pushed it back.
But now wasn't the time to relax.
He had to stop this invasion somehow.
Otherwise...
He had no idea what might happen next.
Just then—
Another notification appeared.
< The Star of Mantos begins its struggle >
< Temporary Synchronization Increased +15% >
< World Authority Temporarily Increased >
< Additional Actions Available >
Seeing this, Kyle knew he couldn't waste another second.
The previous intervention had already failed.
He immediately turned his attention toward the available options.
< Repel >
< Erase >
< Seal >
The options were clearly the same as before.
Without a moment's hesitation, Kyle selected Repel.
Nothing happened.
"..."
He pressed it again.
Still nothing.
Kyle frowned before repeatedly tapping the option.
Again.
And again.
Yet the screen remained completely unresponsive.
Not even a single notification appeared.
"...Seriously?"
Without wasting another second, he immediately selected Erase.
The result remained exactly the same.
It was as though both options had become completely unusable.
No matter how many times he tried...
Nothing happened.
"Ahh... what the hell is happening now?"
"This is getting annoying..."
Left with no other choice...
Kyle selected the final option.
Seal.
As his finger descended—
The world upon the screen trembled.
A faint pillar of light descended from the heavens before sinking deep beneath the frozen northern lands.
The spreading disturbance abruptly stopped.
Then gradually...
The creepy feeling disappeared.
As though it had never existed.
Kyle didn't move.
His gaze remained fixed upon the screen.
The pillar of light slowly faded.
The strange sensation that had been creeping over him gradually weakened.
One second passed.
Then another.
The world remained completely still.
For a brief moment...
Kyle almost wondered whether it had actually worked.
Then—
A single notification quietly appeared.
< Foreign threat successfully sealed >
Kyle quietly stared at the screen.
For some reason...
The result didn't feel like a victory.
It felt more like a postponement.
...
Kyle slowly sat back down on the couch.
Only now did he realize how tense his entire body had become.
He hadn't expected something like that to happen.
Nor had he expected the synchronization to feel so... unsettling.
It wasn't fear.
Nor was it pain.
It was simply a feeling he never wanted to experience again.
"...I seriously need a drink."
Kyle let out a long sigh before leaning back against the couch.
Right now...
He just wanted to calm his nerves.
His gaze unconsciously drifted back toward the study.
The pile of unfinished reports still waited for him.
He had rushed out halfway through his work the moment he sensed something was wrong.
"...Those can wait another five minutes."
After all, He felt he had earned the break.
He slowly closed his eyes, and before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.
Unbeknownst to Kyle...
Elsewhere in Varen City—
...
On the other side of Varen City—
Veilhiem Hotel
"Pick up the damn phone, you bastard!"
Adam cursed as he hurried out of the hotel.
He quickly pulled out his phone once again and dialed Kyle's number.
"...Come on."
The call continued ringing.
Then—
Voicemail.
"Damn it!"
Adam ran a hand through his hair in frustration before ending the call.
"He has to know..."
His breathing was still slightly uneven.
Even now...
He could hardly believe what he had just heard.
If even half of it turned out to be true...
Without wasting another second, Adam hurried toward the parking area.
He had to find Kyle.
Immediately.
Adam hurried toward his car before pulling the door open.
He slid into the driver's seat and immediately started the engine.
Roar—
The engine came to life with a deep growl.
Without another moment of hesitation, Adam slammed his foot on the accelerator.
The car shot out of the parking lot, disappearing into the busy streets of Varen City.
"...Just don't be asleep."
He muttered under his breath as he reached for his phone once again, dialing Kyle's number for what felt like the tenth time.
...
Meanwhile...
Back at the Astharist Building Upper Complex.
Adam was doing everything he could to reach Kyle.
Unfortunately for him...
Kyle had already decided that sleeping was far more important.