Kael didn't like the fourth layer.
It wasn't just the density of demonic energy.
It wasn't even the constant pressure pressing against his senses like the Abyss itself was watching.
It was the rhythm.
There wasn't one.
Fights didn't come in waves.
They didn't come in patterns.
They just… happened.
One moment it was quiet.
The next—
Something was already on top of them.
"Left!"
Cyrus moved before the word fully left Kael's mouth.
Steel clashed against something jagged and alive as a hunched abyssal creature burst from the cracked ground. Its limbs were too long, its joints bending in ways they shouldn't.
It didn't last long.
Three strikes.
Clean.
Efficient.
Dead.
"Clear," Cyrus muttered, shaking dark blood off his blade.
Kael didn't relax.
"Don't."
That was all he said.
And it was enough.
Because everyone here already understood.
There was no "clear" in the Abyss.
Not in a place like this.
The ground shifted slightly beneath their feet.
Subtle.
But noticeable.
One of the squad members swore under his breath. "It's like the whole place is breathing."
"It is," another replied.
No one laughed.
Kael's gaze swept the surroundings.
Ruined terrain.
Blackened rock formations rising like broken teeth.
Patches of ground that looked solid until you stared too long and realized they were moving—slowly, like something underneath was trying to surface.
"…We keep moving," Kael said.
Cyrus nodded. "Direction?"
Kael hesitated for half a second.
That was all.
"…Doesn't matter."
That answer would have sounded wrong anywhere else.
Here—
It was honest.
"We don't know the terrain. We don't know the structure. Standing still just makes us easier targets."
No one argued.
They moved.
Tight formation.
No wasted movement.
No unnecessary sound.
And still—
Something followed them.
They couldn't see it.
But they felt it.
Watching.
Waiting.
Kael's fingers flexed slightly at his side.
Not yet.
Using his bloodline here without understanding the environment—
That was a risk.
And he didn't take risks like that lightly.
Not anymore.
"Captain."
Kael didn't turn. "Speak."
"One o'clock."
Kael's gaze shifted.
There.
At a distance.
Figures.
Humanoid.
Not moving.
Watching.
"…Demons," Cyrus said quietly.
Kael nodded once.
They weren't attacking.
Which made it worse.
"Keep moving," Kael said.
"…We don't engage unless forced."
That was the order.
And for now—
It held.
But tension stayed.
Because everyone knew—
That wouldn't last.
—
Aurelia stood still.
Auralis leaned casually against a jagged rock beside her, her hammer resting across her shoulder.
"…You're staring again," Auralis said.
Aurelia didn't respond immediately.
Her gaze was fixed ahead.
"…They're coming."
Auralis grinned slightly. "Good."
Aurelia's expression didn't change.
"…Not like before."
That got Auralis' attention.
She straightened slightly.
"…Stronger?"
"…Smarter."
Auralis' grin widened.
"Even better."
Behind them, three other awakeners stood at varying distances.
Not a team.
Not really.
Just people who had ended up in the same place and decided it was better than being alone.
For now.
One of them—a tall guy with a spear—clicked his tongue.
"You sure we should be sticking around?"
Auralis glanced at him. "You're free to leave."
He didn't move.
That answered that.
Another one, a girl with dual daggers, spoke up. "You said you know the way out."
Aurelia finally turned slightly.
"I said I know the direction."
"…Same thing," the girl muttered.
"No," Aurelia replied calmly.
"It isn't."
Silence followed.
Then—
The ground ahead shifted.
Not violently.
Just enough.
Aurelia's eyes sharpened.
"…They're here."
The first one appeared without warning.
A blur of dark motion cutting through the air.
Auralis moved instantly.
Her hammer came up—
And slammed forward.
Impact.
A shockwave rippled outward as the creature was sent crashing into the ground.
"Finally," Auralis muttered.
More followed.
Not a swarm.
Not yet.
But enough.
The spear user cursed under his breath as he lunged forward, intercepting one that slipped past Auralis.
The dagger girl vanished low to the ground, reappearing behind another.
Clean kill.
Aurelia didn't move.
Not physically.
Her staff tilted slightly.
And the space around them shifted.
Subtle.
Barely noticeable.
But—
The creatures slowed.
Not completely.
Just enough.
Auralis took advantage instantly.
One swing.
Two.
Crushing.
Efficient.
Brutal.
"…You're holding back," Auralis said without looking back.
Aurelia's voice was calm. "I'm stabilizing."
Auralis snorted. "Call it what you want."
Another creature lunged—
And stopped mid-air.
For just a fraction of a second.
Enough.
The dagger girl cut it down cleanly.
"…What the hell was that?" she muttered.
Aurelia didn't answer.
Her gaze shifted slightly.
Scanning.
Calculating.
"…This isn't random," she said quietly.
Auralis tilted her head. "What isn't?"
"The encounters."
A pause.
"They're increasing in frequency."
The spear user frowned. "So?"
Aurelia's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…So something is pushing them."
Silence.
That changed things.
Auralis' grin faded just a little.
"…Now that's interesting."
Aurelia didn't look at her.
Her gaze shifted toward the distance.
Toward where Blood Peak stood faintly against the horizon.
"…We need to move."
The dagger girl frowned. "We just got here."
Aurelia's response was immediate.
"…Then you can stay."
No hesitation.
No softness.
Just fact.
Auralis laughed lightly. "Told you."
No one argued this time.
Because they could feel it now too.
Something was off.
Something was building.
Aurelia turned.
And started walking.
Auralis followed without question.
After a brief hesitation—
The others followed too.
Behind them—
The ground shifted again.
More than before.
And far in the distance—
Something moved.
Watching.
Waiting.
Preparing.
—
Back in the fourth layer—
Kael stopped.
Not because he wanted to.
Because something told him to.
"Hold."
The squad froze instantly.
No questions.
No hesitation.
Cyrus stepped slightly closer. "…What is it?"
Kael didn't answer immediately.
His gaze was fixed ahead.
"…We're not alone."
Cyrus' grip tightened slightly on his weapon.
"…We haven't been."
"…No."
Kael's voice dropped slightly.
"This is different."
Silence.
Then—
A voice.
"…Sharp instincts."
Not from one direction.
From everywhere.
The squad tightened formation instantly.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"…Show yourself."
A low chuckle echoed around them.
Then—
They appeared.
Not beasts.
Not like the others.
These were different.
Humanoid.
Refined.
Controlled.
Demons.
One stepped forward slightly.
"…Intruders."
Kael didn't respond.
The demon's gaze swept across them.
Measuring.
Calculating.
"…You don't belong here."
Kael's grip tightened slightly.
"…Neither do you."
That made the demon smile.
"…This is our home."
A pause.
"…You're just prey that wandered in."
Silence stretched.
Then—
Kael spoke.
Calm.
Flat.
"…We'll see."
The air tightened.
The demons moved first.
And this time—
There was no holding back.
The fourth layer erupted into chaos.