The trio—Max, Victor, and Seraphina—moved deeper into the core region, joined by the other surviving geniuses who had only just arrived through the golden barrier. The moment they began their journey inward, they noticed how profoundly different this place was from any region they had traversed before.
In the outer and inner regions, every step forward had been a battle. Each trial was guarded by beasts, illusions, and traps designed to push them to the edge of despair. The air there had always carried a sense of danger, a silent warning that death could appear at any instant.
Here, however, the core region was quiet.
