Hao Ren stared at the scene before him in surprise.
Various Crystalline Bodies and artificial materials that resembled metal but had a strange texture had been used to build this place. Corridors and halls were filled with crystal clusters that flowed with mysterious halos, as well as crystal devices whose functions were impossible to discern. Dim holographic images and embedded displays still operated everywhere. Some ancient yet precise devices continued to emit low, buzzing hums. In the center of the hall before them stood a massive crystal pillar resembling a mainframe, surrounded by countless floating holographic images displaying an enormous amount of charts and data.
This was inside Asuman.
It was clearly more than just a Crystal Sacred Mountain.
Kalasios and the Church warriors he had brought did not understand the significance of these corridors and halls. They simply thought the mysterious structures inside the sacred mountain were filled with a divine aura. Lily's berserkers cared even less about what Asuman was. Hao Ren was different. From the moment he entered, he had been using the translation system to decipher every holographic image and written sign they passed, gradually guessing the truth about this place.
"This is the Astrology Hall." Dark walked ahead of them. She had already removed her cloak and was now merely a translucent, incorporeal figure. Despite returning to the place of her birth after many years, she still performed the duties of a gatekeeper with remarkable competence. "We must first go to the Will Nexus and restart Asuman's defensive mechanisms. Otherwise, even if we defeat the invaders, Lockmadon will enter the real world through Asuman's rift."
"Where are the invaders now?" Kalasios was most concerned about this.
Dark paused, seemingly checking some data that had been sent back. "They're deep inside the Final Protocol Zone. They