The transition from Realm 4 to Realm 2 was immediate and jarring. The crisp, temporal clarity of Kenshi was replaced by the humid, flickering glow of a dense, electrically charged atmosphere. This was the Relic Layer—a place governed by Electromagnetism, where cultivation involved mastering circuit boards, energy shielding, and kinetic force.
They landed hard in what appeared to be a junkyard of fused, ancient technology—skyscrapers made of tangled server racks, rivers of molten circuit fluid, and the constant, high-pitched hum of residual electric energy.
"Ugh, home sweet home," Lira muttered, shaking off dust. Her Relic-Realm hybrid energy was immediately energized by the dense electromagnetic field. "This is Syndicate turf. My kind of predictable chaos."
Elara, recovering from the chaotic discharge, felt the CEB in her arm stabilized by the electromagnetic noise of the Realm. The constant, predictable flow of electricity acted as a natural dampener for the Dragon-God's essence.
"We need to move quickly. The Helix will track the Realm jump signature," Elara said, her focus already on the new environment. "Orrin, define the next objective. We have the Ledger, but we still need a way to track your true body."
"My true body is currently anchored in the void between Realm 5 and 6, using a highly sophisticated Dimensional Scanner that runs on a specialized Relic Core," Orrin's voice whispered. "I built it in the Syndicate's core city, Circuit Central, before the Convergence. It's the only device that can track my dimensional signature without alerting the Helix."
Lira's eyes widened. "Circuit Central? That's where I learned my trade. It's run by the A.I. Sovereignty, a faction that hates the Helix and views my Unmakers as a personal threat. They also have the best tech."
"Then that's our destination," Elara decided, calculating the energy required for the journey. "I cannot risk another large-scale dimensional jump until I fully map the CEB's energy curve. We travel via the Relic Wires."
Thorne and Sira looked confused. "Relic Wires? We walk on wires?" Thorne asked, adjusting his dense armor.
Lira smirked. "In Realm 2, the old global communication lines didn't die; they evolved. They're high-energy magnetic pathways that run between the major settlements. Faster than any shuttle, but you need to know the code to ride them. Luckily, that's my specialty."
Elara utilized the Ledger to perform a quick environmental scan. "The Wires are governed by a complex circuit-algebra. Lira, can your Unmaker Proofs bypass the security without triggering a full-scale shutdown?"
"Piece of cake, Reckoner," Lira replied, her light-shadow filaments dancing with the ambient electricity. "They rely on Electromagnetic Fidelity—a system that's predictable. I just need to introduce a tiny, precise magnetic contradiction to the circuit's logic. Give me fifteen minutes, and I'll hack us a clean ticket to Circuit Central."