Farhan pointed at another signal blinking on the screen.
This one shone brighter than the rest.
"The Ancient Forest."
The room immediately fell silent.
In the corner, Kai narrowed his eyes.
He didn't even need to look at the monitor.
He could already feel the energy.
The waves pulsing from that distant location.
"It's wild," he said quietly.
His gaze drifted toward the map.
"Like something that slept for far too long..."
A pause.
"...and isn't happy about being awakened."
Bimo froze halfway through a bite of bread.
"Okay."
He slowly lowered the bread.
"That is definitely not a comforting thing to hear."
Dika leaned against the table, arms crossed.
"That's what makes it interesting."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Normal problems are getting boring."
Bimo immediately pointed at him.
"You seriously need a new hobby."
The door opened.
Pak Rahmat entered carrying several old folders and rolled-up documents.
His expression was more serious than usual.
"I just spoke with a few government contacts."
Everyone turned toward him.
He placed the documents on the table.
The sound of aged paper brushing against wood seemed unusually loud in the quiet room.
"The area you're looking at isn't ordinary."
Lila zoomed in on the location.
A vast expanse of green filled the screen.
No cities.
No highways.
No signs of civilization.
Just endless forest stretching in every direction.
Pak Rahmat pointed toward a dark region near the center.
"This area remains almost completely untouched by humans."
Before anyone could respond, Bu Maya appeared in the doorway carrying a cup of tea.
"There was once a research expedition that tried to enter."
Bimo looked up.
"And?"
Bu Maya fell silent.
For a moment, the room seemed to hold its breath.
Then she slowly shook her head.
"They never came back."
Silence.
Bimo carefully placed his bread on the table.
"...Okay."
Another pause.
"...I suddenly like this mission a lot less."
A few smiles appeared around the room.
But only briefly.
Because nobody was laughing inside.
Near the window, Arga stood quietly.
Morning sunlight spilled across the floor at his feet.
His MBG lunchbox remained open.
Inside, fifteen glowing rice grains floated in gentle circles.
Normally, their light was calm.
Steady.
Comforting.
But whenever he looked at the map—
they vibrated.
As if recognizing something far away.
Something ancient.
Kai walked over and stopped beside him.
"You saw something again?"
Arga nodded.
"A little."
He closed his eyes.
Instantly, the vision returned.
Towering trees rose into the sky like pillars supporting the world itself.
Thick mist drifted between colossal trunks.
The ground felt ancient.
Older than memory.
Older than history.
Then he saw it.
Deep beneath the tangled roots.
A golden light.
Massive.
Silent.
Waiting.
And for a brief moment—
he thought he saw something moving inside the mist.
A shadow.
Enormous.
Watching.
Then the vision vanished.
Arga opened his eyes.
"The core is different."
Sinta immediately looked at him.
"Different how?"
Arga stared at the glowing grains.
Its energy felt unlike anything he had encountered before.
"...Older."
That single word was enough.
Sinta's expression hardened.
Because if something was older—
it meant they had no idea what they were dealing with.
Suddenly, Farhan straightened in his chair.
"Wait."
His hands froze above the keyboard.
Lila looked up.
"What happened?"
Farhan typed rapidly.
New data flooded across the screen.
His expression darkened.
"Dominion's surveillance satellites are moving."
Sinta immediately understood.
"They found it too."
Farhan nodded.
"And they're moving fast."
He pointed at the display.
Several small markers appeared across the ocean.
Ships.
Multiple ships.
All heading toward the same destination.
The Ancient Forest.
Bimo looked at the screen and sighed dramatically.
"Of course."
"Why do evil organizations never take vacations?"
Rani fought back a smile.
"Because if they did, you'd be unemployed."
Bimo placed a hand over his chest.
"That was unnecessarily hurtful."
This time, a few people actually laughed.
Sinta stepped toward the center of the room.
The moment she spoke, everyone's attention returned.
"We don't have much time."
Lila adjusted the map.
"The region is difficult to access."
Farhan nodded.
"There are no direct routes."
"Large vehicles won't make it very far."
Tono jumped down from the cabinet where he had been sitting.
"Then we go in quietly."
A grin appeared on his face.
"I like that plan."
"For once," Dika said, "I agree."
Nisa checked her equipment bag.
"If we're entering a forest like that, we'll need additional supplies."
Andra immediately opened a logistics crate.
"Ropes. Flashlights. Water filters. Folding knives."
Mira looked up from her notes.
"I'll prepare emergency medical kits."
Bimo looked around the room.
"Are we a rescue team, a combat unit, or a camping club?"
Rani answered without hesitation.
"Yes."
The room erupted in brief laughter.
Even Arga smiled.
Pak Rahmat unfolded an old map across the table.
The paper was yellowed and worn with age.
"We can't enter from the west."
He pointed toward a mountain range.
"Steep cliffs. Swamps."
His finger traced a long blue line.
"But there's a river."
A large one.
"It leads directly into the heart of the forest."
Farhan studied the coordinates.
"If we follow the river..."
"...we can reach the central zone."
Kai stared at the route.
A faint golden glow flickered in his eyes.
"The core is there."
It wasn't a guess.
It sounded like certainty.
Arga slowly closed the lunchbox.
The light of the rice grains dimmed.
But he could still feel the energy pulsing against his palm.
Like a distant call.
Waiting.
He looked around the room.
At every member of the team.
No one looked afraid.
No one stepped back.
No one hesitated.
"We leave today."
Bimo immediately grinned.
"Now that's a decision I can support."
Sinta nodded.
"Dominion can't get there first."
Rani adjusted her gloves.
"If they do, we'll take it back."
Tono smirked.
"Preferably without them noticing."
Dika rolled his shoulders.
"And if they notice..."
His smile widened.
"We'll deal with that too."
Lila shut down her tablet.
"Coordinates are ready."
Farhan lifted his laptop.
"I'll monitor Dominion's movements the entire way."
Kai turned toward the window.
Toward the east.
Toward a forest he had never seen—
yet somehow already knew.
"That place is waking up."
On the map, the signal inside the Ancient Forest pulsed brighter.
Faster.
Stronger.
Like something deep beneath the earth was slowly opening its eyes.
And far within that untouched wilderness—
the creatures of the forest felt it too.
They grew restless.
They began to move.
The journey toward the Third Core had begun.
And this time—
Dominion might not be the greatest danger waiting for them.
Because deep within the Ancient Forest—
something had already awakened.