Pale silver runes flowed across the walls like living things, intertwining and forming a dense, sealed force field that radiated invisible resistance.
The uniform gray light in the air seemed to have gained weight, pressing heavily upon everyone's senses.
Even heavier was the newborn yet incomparably vast consciousness of the "Abyssal Soul" slowly spreading outward.
It had no physical form, yet it was more terrifying than anything tangible, like a cosmic infant that had just opened its eyes.
Its "gaze" mingled the noise of countless colliding streams of information, the embryonic form of cold computational logic, and a pure, greedy "curiosity" toward the unknown.
This curiosity held neither good nor evil, but the nearly endless energy and information-processing ability supporting it made it especially terrifying.
"Detain... analyze... insufficient data... supplementation required..."
That harsh, grating thought echoed through the hall like rusted gears being forcibly turned.
The silver three-dimensional structure at the center of the hall flashed ever more rapidly, clearly indicating that the "Abyssal Soul" consciousness had connected and begun operating at full capacity.
At the same time, subtle yet unmistakable changes began occurring within the sealed force field's spatial structure.
The temperature fluctuated under precise control, energy density was deliberately raised or lowered in specific areas, and even the flow of time showed signs of localized instability.
It was as if the entire hall had become a massive experimental chamber whose parameters could be adjusted at any moment to satisfy its "desire for analysis"!
"Warning! Force field intensity continues to rise!
Spatial parameters are being unnaturally manipulated! The 'Abyssal Soul' consciousness is attempting to establish a deeper information-scanning link.
Its targets are my core database, Shadow Fiend's energy structure, Starlight's Guardian Protocol, and your 'key' frequency, Senior!"
The Seeker's Light Mist flickered violently as it desperately resisted the