They kept moving.
Not because they were certain.
But because stopping meant death.
The forest no longer felt endless.
It felt… directional.
Not because they could see anything ahead—
But because something inside Vinh kept pulling him forward.
Faint.
Persistent.
Like a thread tied somewhere deep in his mind.
"…It's stronger."
His voice was low.
Dry.
Hongco didn't slow down.
"…Your system?"
Vinh nodded.
"…Yeah."
His left arm twitched again.
Less violent than before—
but more frequent.
"…It reacts when we move this way."
Hongco glanced at him briefly.
"…Then don't lose it."
Simple.
Cold.
Vinh exhaled.
"…Working on it."
They pushed through the undergrowth.
Branches scraped against their bodies.
The air felt heavier.
Not poisonous—
But wrong.
Like something had been here before.
And left nothing behind.
"…You feel that?"
Vinh slowed slightly.
Hongco stopped.
"…Yes."
Silence.
No wind.
No insects.
No sound.
Dead.
"…We're close."
Vinh didn't know why he said it.
He couldn't see anything.
But his chest tightened.
His arm pulsed.
The system—
for once—
felt stable.
Guiding.
Hongco narrowed her eyes.
"…Or we're entering something worse."
Before Vinh could respond—
The world shifted.
Not physically.
But perceptibly.
A faint distortion.
Like heat bending the air—
Except there was no heat.
"…Wait."
Vinh stopped.
His left arm jerked violently.
The interface snapped open.
Brighter than before.
Clearer.
[Status: Unregistered]
The text held steady.
No flicker.
Then—
A second layer appeared.
Not text.
A pulse.
And—
The arrow.
Sharper.
More defined.
Locked forward.
For the first time—
It didn't tremble.
Vinh's breath caught.
"…It's stable…"
Hongco stepped closer.
Her gaze fixed ahead.
"…Then we're close."
A beat.
For a moment—
Everything aligned.
The direction.
The feeling.
The system.
All pointing forward.
Finally.
A path.
Then—
A voice.
Cold.
Emotionless.
Everywhere.
"The selection… has concluded."
Everything stopped.
Not just them.
The forest.
The air.
Even the tension itself—
froze.
Vinh's eyes widened.
"…What?"
The arrow flickered.
Hongco didn't move.
"…No…"
The voice continued.
"All selected individuals will now be retrieved."
"…Retrieved?"
Vinh stepped forward.
"…We're not done—"
His left arm spasmed.
Violently.
The system surged.
Then—
Locked.
Light erupted from his body.
Not outward—
But around him.
A tight, compressing force.
"…Tch—!"
He tried to move—
Couldn't.
His body froze.
Hongco's expression sharpened.
"…It's the suits."
The light intensified.
Not heat.
Not energy he could control.
Something external.
Triggering.
Activating.
"…They were never for protection…"
Her voice was low.
"…They're markers."
"…And now—"
The ground beneath them cracked.
Not physically—
But spatially.
Reality split.
And then—
They were pulled.
Upward.
Violently.
The forest vanished beneath them.
Trees shrinking.
Ground collapsing into distance.
Vinh's breath was gone.
He couldn't move.
Couldn't even scream.
Only watch.
The planet—
for the first time—
became visible.
Massive.
Endless.
And empty.
"…We were never meant to finish it…"
The thought came—
without sound.
Beside him—
Hongco remained still.
Eyes open.
Understanding.
No resistance.
Only acceptance.
The arrow—
flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
vanished.
Completely.
The system dimmed.
Silence.
Then—
Darkness.
Light returned.
But not natural.
Cold.
Artificial.
Vinh hit the ground—
hard.
Air rushed back into his lungs.
"…Tch—!"
He forced himself up—
and froze.
They weren't alone.
Dozens.
Maybe more.
Figures scattered across a massive metallic floor.
Different.
Wounded.
Silent.
Some still collapsing.
Some not moving at all.
The space stretched endlessly.
No walls visible.
Only shadows.
And above—
darkness.
Hongco stood up beside him.
Her eyes scanned everything.
"…So this is where they gather us."
Vinh clenched his hand.
"…This wasn't the end."
A low hum filled the space.
The air shifted.
Then—
Something moved above them.
A shape.
Massive.
A vessel.
Silent.
Watching.
The same voice returned.
Closer this time.
Clearer.
"Selection Phase One: Complete."
A pause.
Then—
"Phase Two… will now begin."
The lights changed.
Red.
The floor beneath them vibrated.
And the space—
started to transform.
Vinh's chest tightened.
"…This wasn't survival."
He looked forward.
Eyes sharpening.
"…This was just the beginning."
End of Chapter 27