Silence didn't last long.
It never did.
The Sky Opens Further
The massive gate above the battlefield didn't close after the Omega Unit's destruction.
It expanded.
Wider. Deeper. Darker.
Like a wound that refused to heal.
Seung-Ho stared upward, his hands shaking.
"Bro… that's not a gate anymore."
Hwan-Guk muttered under his breath.
"It looks like something is trying to come through…"
System Broadcast
Then—
Every player.
Every human.
Every living being.
Heard it.
[Global System Announcement]
Evaluation Phase: Failed
Initiating Direct Intervention
Seo-Ah's face went pale.
"Direct… intervention?"
Tae-Hyun didn't look surprised.
"So you're finally stepping in."
The Truth Revealed
The sky distorted again.
But this time—
Nothing stepped out.
Instead…
Something looked in.
A presence.
Not a body.
Not a form.
But something that existed beyond both.
Seung-Ho whispered, barely able to breathe.
"Bro… what is that…?"
Tae-Hyun answered calmly.
"The System."
A Will Behind the System
The voice came again.
Not mechanical anymore.
Not emotionless.
It carried something new.
"Irregular Entity detected."
"Correction required."
Seo-Ah clenched her fists.
"It's talking like… it's alive."
Tae-Hyun nodded slightly.
"It always was."
Pressure Beyond Reality
The air collapsed.
Not heavy.
Not dense.
But absolute.
Even breathing became difficult.
Hwan-Guk dropped to one knee.
"Damn it… I can't even stand…"
Alpha Units across the battlefield froze completely.
Even they…
Couldn't move under this pressure.
Target Locked
The sky focused.
Not on the battlefield.
Not on humanity.
Only on one person.
Kang Tae-Hyun.
"Primary anomaly confirmed."
"Erasure authorized."
Seo-Ah Stands
Despite the pressure—
Seo-Ah stood.
Her sanctuary flared again, pushing back against the overwhelming force.
"Not happening," she said, voice shaking but firm.
"I won't let you touch him."
Her light rose—
Fighting against something far beyond her level.
System Override
The voice responded instantly.
"Interference detected."
"Secondary anomaly identified."
The pressure increased.
Her sanctuary cracked.
For the first time—
Her Absolute Sanctuary showed fractures.
Tae-Hyun Steps Forward
He moved.
Slowly.
Calmly.
As if the pressure didn't exist at all.
"Stop."
One word.
Simple.
But—
The pressure halted.
Authority Clash
The sky trembled.
For the first time—
The System didn't immediately respond.
As if something unexpected just happened.
Seung-Ho's eyes widened.
"Bro… did you just… command the System?"
Tae-Hyun looked up.
Cold. Unshaken.
"I told you before."
Sovereign Declaration
His presence exploded outward—
Not like before.
Not power.
Not force.
But something deeper.
Existence Authority.
"I'm not part of your system."
The sky distorted violently.
Cracks spread across the massive gate.
The System Reacts
For the first time—
The System didn't sound calm.
"Error… Authority conflict detected…"
"Classification: Unknown…"
Before the Next Phase
The pressure slowly pulled back.
Not gone.
Just… retreating.
As if reassessing.
[Recalibrating…]
[Preparing True Form…]
Seo-Ah collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily.
"Bro… it backed off…"
Tae-Hyun didn't relax.
"That wasn't retreat."
His eyes stayed locked on the sky.
"It's preparing."
The War Changes
Hwan-Guk stood back up slowly.
"…So what now?"
Tae-Hyun answered without hesitation.
"Now?"
A faint, cold smile appeared.
"We stop playing defense."
🔥 End of Chapter 35 🔥