CHAPTER 52: THE CORE DOME

The Core Dome was a cavern of secrets, its polished obsidian walls reflecting the glow of pulsating artifacts and living maps that traced the world above like mana veins.

The crimson light of the runes danced in the air, casting shadows that seemed to conspire with each other.

In the center, the four black stone thrones formed a circle, each occupied by a guild master.

Kelna, Vaen, Lorith, and Rethar watched the central orb, which projected flickering images of Eren and his group advancing along the path towards Barovik.

But Vaen’s eyes, from the Throne of Systemology, were fixed on another figure: Liriel, the fairy of Hagan.

Vaen adjusted his hexagonal glasses, the HUD projecting real-time data about the fairy. His fingers drummed on the arm of the throne, a nervous habit revealing the unease behind his cerebral facade.

"Something is wrong with this Liriel," he said, his voice low, laden with subtle irony. "She isn’t bound to Hagan. No contract recorded in the system. This is... irregular."

He tilted his head, the floating symbols around his shoulders blinking as he analyzed the logs.

Kelna, from the Throne of Biothermy, turned, her neon-green eyes glowing with clinical intensity. Her hair shaved on one side displayed biological runes pulsing in sync with her pulse.

"Irregular?" she retorted, her voice sharp as a blade. "She’s a fairy, Vaen. Those creatures are unpredictable by nature. Maybe Hagan released her to act as bait. That doesn’t change the plan." She pointed to the orb, where Liriel hovered above Eren, offering a partnership proposal. "He accepted. This gives us time to collect data."

Rethar, from the Throne of Fragmented Theurgy, slammed his fist on the throne, the runes etched on his tunic trembling.

"Time?" he roared, his voice filled with fervor. "What if she betrays Eren? If Hagan is using her to eliminate him before we can control him? Sylha was tamed, but Barovik is a battlefield. The Flaming Eye will not wait." His scorched eyes glowed, reflecting the light of the runes. "We need to act, not observe."

Lorith, from the Throne of Psychodynamics, smiled, her flowing veils moving as if dancing with the air.

"Hasty action is the end of a good story, Rethar," she said, her voice mellifluous. "Liriel might be an unpredictable piece, but she is loyal to Hagan by choice, not by contract. That is fascinating. Perhaps she sees in Eren a hero worthy of her devotion." She traced a finger in the air, as if writing on an invisible scroll, her eyes shining with pleasure. "Let her play. Let’s see how far it goes."

Vaen snorted, adjusting his glasses.

"Devotion? That’s a calculated risk, Lorith. We have no recorded bond. She may be acting on her own, or worse, being manipulated by another force. The Core cannot rely on assumptions." He turned to the orb, enlarging the image of Liriel. The fairy moved quickly, disappearing after the conversation with Eren, but the data showed a strange pattern: she wasn’t heading directly to Barovik, but in a side direction, as if deviating. "She’s plotting," he said, his voice now firm. "And if Eren dies because of this, we lose everything."

Kelna frowned, the runes on her skin glowing brighter.

"Die? He faced Sylha and survived. His monsters are loyal, and his exploit is adaptive. But..." She hesitated, her eyes fixed on Vaen. "If you suspect something, prove it. What do your data say?"

Vaen touched his glasses, and lines of code appeared in the air, dancing like digital ghosts.

"The runes picked up an anomaly in Liriel’s transmissions," he said, pointing to a graph showing irregular spikes. "She sent a secondary signal, not to Hagan, but to an unknown frequency. It could be a traitor within the hunters, or something worse. If she is betraying Eren, he might fall into an ambush in Barovik."

Rethar stood up, his tunic trembling with his energy.

"An ambush? That’s perfect! If he survives, he’ll prove his worth. If he dies, we’ll have the body to study." He laughed, a harsh sound. "But we can’t risk losing the anomaly. Prepare a plan."

Lorith sighed, dramatically.

"Always so practical, Rethar. But Vaen is right. Liriel is a blind spot. If she betrays him, Eren’s story ends before the climax." She looked at the orb, where Eren continued with Kaela, Morwynn, Nyssa, and Sylha. "We can’t let him fall."

Vaen crossed his arms, his eyes fixed on the data.

"Then we won’t. I propose a contingency spell. If Eren dies, the system records the death as a temporary event. We can reactivate him in a safe location, with the exploit data intact. But we need to act quickly." He turned to Kelna. "Can your biological runes anchor his soul?"

Kelna nodded, her eyes glowing with interest.

"I can. A biological seal linked to the system. If he falls, the body enters stasis, and the essence returns to the Core. But it requires massive energy. We’ll need Rethar to channel the theurgy."

Rethar smiled, a fanatic smile.

"Channel? I do better. I’ll invoke an ancient preservation rune. If the Flaming Eye catches him, he’ll return as an even stronger weapon."

He raised his hands, and the runes in the dome began to pulse, responding to his will.

Lorith clapped her hands, delighted.

"An epic return! But what about Liriel? If she’s betraying, we need to neutralize her before she reaches Barovik." She looked at Vaen. "Can you track her?"

Vaen nodded, his fingers dancing in the air as he manipulated the code.

"I’m already adjusting the drones. If she deviates again, we’ll know. But..." He hesitated, his eyes narrowing. "What if she’s not betraying Hagan, but another entity? The system shows traces of external interference. It could be the Flaming Eye, or something we don’t even know."

Kelna tilted her head, analyzing the orb.

"External interference? That complicates things. If Liriel is a pawn of another force, Eren might be walking into a bigger trap than we imagined." She stood up, the runes on her body glowing. "Let’s accelerate the spell. If he falls, I want the body intact. And the data."

Rethar laughed, raising his hands. "So it’s decided. Whether the Tamer burns or shines, the Core will emerge victorious."

He began to chant, the runes on the dome responding with a crimson glow. Vaen adjusted his glasses, hacking the system to implant the contingency spell. Lorith watched, the veils dancing, as she plotted plans for Eren’s next "story."

The orb showed Eren advancing, the group united but vulnerable. Vaen kept his eyes on Liriel, whose path now diverted towards a nearby forest.

"She’s lying," he murmured, his voice laden with certainty. "And if Eren dies, we’ll bring him back. But first, let’s find out who she really serves."

He activated the drones, sending them to track the fairy, while the contingency spell took shape, an invisible tether bound to Eren’s soul.

Kelna supervised, her eyes fixed on the biological data.

"If he survives, I want every detail of the anomaly. If he falls, we’ll have the body to dissect."

Rethar continued the chant, the energy growing.

Lorith smiled, imagining Eren’s return as a risen hero.

And Vaen, silent, knew that the doubt about Liriel was just the beginning.

The Core was watching, and the game was far from over.