It was glaringly obvious now.
This wasn't some beautiful plan to reclaim the surface world at all.
It was the Alliance preparing to drag the entire surface, even the slums of the lower districts, down with them in a suicide pact, all for their own twisted private agenda.
Kairos's gaze locked onto the blood-red countdown displayed on the operation timeline:
[Main Detonation Sequence Preheating Completion: 92%]
[Time Until Final Activation: 167 hours, 32 minutes, 15 seconds]
167 hours. That was just seven days.
Less than a week remained before this plan went live.
How could they be moving this fast? Kairos felt a jolt of surprise.
When he'd first arrived in this world, the Genesis Engine had barely made its public debut. He'd witnessed its very first unveiling.
His eyes swept across a heavily encrypted memo attachment. Mason Hart had already forced it open using his access privileges.
The contents were brief, but they mentioned one critical piece of information:
The final authorization required to activate the Genesis Engine's core control system wasn't an electronic password or biometric scan.
It was an ancient artifact known only as "the Key."
This artifact contained a unique and powerful energy.
Its primary function was to stabilize the most dangerous, most volatile phase of the initial ley line rupture process during engine startup, preventing the energy from spiraling out of control and consuming the entire underground city in an instant.
But due to some incident, the Key had suddenly vanished.
The Alliance had been secretly searching for this "Key," but apparently they still hadn't found it.
Kairos could practically feel the urgency radiating from between the lines of the memo.
"See it now?" General Quinn's icy voice cut through the silence. His deathly pallor had faded somewhat, replaced by a strange calm.
He'd clearly caught the grim expressions on Kairos's and Mason Hart's faces.
"You can't stop it." Quinn's voice carried a note of mockery.
"The engine preheating is in its final stage. Stop it? Ha. Without the Key to stabilize the ley lines, if you forcibly interrupt the preheating energy flow, the subterranean energy will spiral out of control and backflow on a massive scale!
Half the underground city will be blown sky-high! Whether it's you, or those wretches you're trying to protect, everyone's coming down with me!"
Madness flickered in his eyes as he stared at Kairos.
"Kid," Quinn's voice dropped, taking on an urgent, coaxing tone.
"I know you're special. Those candies... and that feather... How about this: I'll make you a deal on behalf of the Alliance."
He licked his lips and continued, "Let me go.
Then hand over every scrap of intel you've gathered about the surface, especially the environmental data and information on those powerful creatures.
I can use my authority to petition for a delay in the engine's activation..."
"That way, you might buy yourselves more time. And with that precise surface data, we can recalculate and optimize the Genesis Engine's energy extraction pathways!"
"Sure, the surface ecosystem collapsing is inevitable, but at least... we could reduce some of the damage. Let certain areas... retain a sliver of vitality."
"And the underground slums would be safer too, wouldn't they?"
"On top of that, I'm extending an invitation from the Alliance for you to join us. Someone with your abilities would definitely catch the eye of the higher-ups."
He stared intently into Kairos's eyes, searching for any hint of wavering.
But Kairos listened to Quinn's pitch with a completely blank expression.
A deal?
If he believed a word this man said at a time like this, that would be truly insane.
He could see it clearly now. The Alliance members in this world had long since lost their minds.
All they cared about was power and the continuation of their rule. Nothing else mattered to them.
And right now, Quinn would say anything to save his own skin. Only a fool would trust him.
Kairos's mind raced, but he wasn't considering Quinn's proposal at all. Instead, he was fixated on the "Key" mentioned in the memo... and Gouging Fire!
A question had forced its way into his thoughts.
Who ruled over that vast primordial forest on the surface world right now?
Gouging Fire did!
The Ancient Species Entei, who utterly despised "chaotic and disorderly metallic noise" and "unnatural energy pollution!"
If... if the lunatics down here really activated that so-called "Genesis Engine"...
The surface world would be devastated in an instant, the environment torn to shreds.
And when that happened...
Kairos swallowed hard. Wasn't that the equivalent of setting a fire directly in a divine beast's home, right in front of it?
As the master of this land, what would Gouging Fire do?
Add to that the Pokédex entry describing its "extreme aversion" to such things...
Honestly, at that point, the question wouldn't be whether the Genesis Engine succeeded or not.
The question would be whether the entire underground world could survive a full-scale assault from an enraged Legendary Pokémon!
Once Gouging Fire's fury descended, forget the ark plan.
The underground city would likely end up exactly as Quinn had just cursed: everyone inside, from the high-and-mighty Alliance members to the struggling Watchers and ordinary citizens, would all be incinerated into non-recyclable waste in one fell swoop.
After all, this was a genuine Legendary Pokémon they were talking about! And given that the people in this world couldn't even withstand the residual power of Ho-Oh's feather, how could they possibly face Gouging Fire directly?
Following that logic, if something like this actually happened...
His Pokédex quest, the game launch in this world, his exploration progress... everything would be ruined.
It would all fall apart.
All his prior investment and exploration, all those Rare Candies and feathers he'd given out, would all be wasted!
If that happened, he'd lose everything, right down to his shirt!
Kairos's entire body stiffened.
Now, stopping the engine's activation wasn't about helping others or pursuing some noble ideal anymore.
Now it was purely about not taking a massive loss!
The moment he calmed down, Kairos immediately grasped the crux of the problem.
The key lay in that "Key"!
The Alliance hadn't found it...
So where would an ancient artifact containing "special life energy" be?
Kairos's gaze involuntarily drifted back toward the base entrance, piercing through the heavy metal gates and rock layers toward that surface world he'd visited before.
Could it be on the surface...?
Or was there something that could substitute for this Key?
Just as Kairos's mind spun at top speed, the system notification chimed in his ear.
[System Notice]
[Current World Exploration Rate: 80%, and minimum exploration time requirement met!]
[Conditions for 'Dimensional Communicator' return satisfied!]
[Return to primary world immediately? [Yes/No]]
[Notice: Current world to primary world time flow ratio is 3:1. For every day the host remains in this world, approximately three days will pass in the primary world.]
The notification came so suddenly that Kairos froze.
80% exploration rate already?
Though thinking about it, after exposing the Genesis Engine's true nature, encountering ancient and future species, foiling the Alliance's siege, learning the Engine's core secrets...
After all those major events, reaching 80% made sense.
As for returning to the primary world?
His first instinct was absolutely not.
After all, there was still such a huge problem here to solve. He could stay in this world for at least 24 hours; there was plenty of time to figure something out.
But the next second, Kairos's eyes landed on the last line of the system notice, and he froze completely.
One day in this world equaled three days in the real world. So conversely, one day in the real world would equal only a third of a day here, right?
Which meant that if he returned to the real world, the remaining time until the Genesis Engine activated would become...
Twenty-one days!
The tension gripping Kairos instantly eased.
Twenty-one days was way more comfortable than seven. He could accomplish so much in that time!
He quickly weighed his options.
On one hand, if he returned to the primary world, he might be able to obtain items containing life energy that could affect the Genesis Engine. He could also improve his own strength.
After this battle with the Alliance, he'd clearly felt that Gengar alone wasn't enough anymore. Chandelure should be able to handle things better.
Though Gengar had performed admirably, when facing the Alliance's true elite forces, especially those heavy armor units and augmented Magnezone, he'd already started to struggle. After all, he was only a Gym Leader-tier Pokémon.
But if the Elite Four-level Chandelure came instead?
That would be a completely different story. And during this trip back, he might even find a way to help Chandelure break through to Champion level. After all, he'd have three weeks.
On the other hand, in this world... the Alliance had completely locked down all information channels. There was no way his game could be distributed.
Unless the Genesis Engine and the Alliance were dealt with, his Game Development System's mission in this world couldn't progress at all.
He had to resolve this urgent crisis first!
His mind made up, Kairos didn't hesitate. He mentally selected the "Yes" option.
He raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the Watchers who were busy confiscating equipment, restraining Quinn, their faces mixing victorious joy with uncertainty about the future. Finally, his eyes settled on Mason Hart, Elara, and Axuan.
"Everyone."
Kairos's voice wasn't loud, but it cut clearly through the base's chaos.
"You may have won for now, but the Alliance definitely won't let this go.
With your strength, holding them off shouldn't be a problem, but from here on, you'll truly have to rely on yourselves. I need to leave for a bit."
Mason Hart's brow furrowed. He turned back, immediately understanding. "You're going back?"
"Yeah, temporarily." Kairos didn't explain much. Inter-dimensional travel wasn't something that could be easily explained anyway.
"I'm going to see if I can find something to deal with that Genesis Engine. I'll be back within five days."
Elara looked into Kairos's eyes. Finding no panic there, only steady resolve, she nodded firmly. "Understood! We'll wait for you!"
Axuan clutched the Poké Ball containing his newly evolved Chandelure, whose aura was still somewhat unstable, his face full of worry and reluctance. Still, he forced out a firm "Mm."
"Where are you going? What I said... won't you really reconsider??"
Quinn shouted.
Kairos cast one final glance at Quinn, bound in chains of fire with his face deathly pale, then at the unlocked data pad in Mason Hart's hands. He said nothing more.
The next moment, under everyone's astonished gaze, Kairos's form flickered several times, then became transparent, before vanishing completely from the spot as if he'd never existed.
Leaving only the Watchers standing frozen in place, staring at where Kairos had disappeared, utterly dumbfounded.
---
Meanwhile, atop Mt. Coronet, inside that rustic villa.
Cynthia had just finished a full day of training and work. Feeling somewhat tired, she made herself a steaming cup of hot cocoa and settled down at her computer desk.
Outside the window stretched the uniquely crisp, cool night sky of the Sinnoh region.
Her gaze fell on the monitor on her desk, her heart stirring slightly.
In the game, her experiences in the Hoenn region, that heart-pounding battle at Sootopolis City, and the terrifying power displayed by that final starship, were all burned into her memory like brands.
She couldn't wait to continue advancing through the game.
However, when she'd tried to challenge the gym that morning, the game had notified her that the later content hadn't been completed yet.
The disappointment had been instant, leaving her no choice but to take her Pokémon out for training instead, while tackling the official duties she'd let pile up recently.
Now, she set down her cup, walked to the computer, and pressed the power button.
The screen lit up.
Her cursor habitually slid toward that green icon.
The game launched. The logo popped up.
And beside that familiar logo floated a small text prompt: New content update detected. Download and install immediately?
An update?!
Cynthia immediately straightened in her seat, feeling her entire body come alive as all her fatigue vanished.
She clicked the download button without hesitation.
Soon, as the game update completed and she re-entered, her character had successfully made it inside the final gym: Sootopolis Gym.
Cynthia took a deep breath, her eyes shining.
The final gym challenge was beginning!
Like the previous gyms, it only took Cynthia a few minutes to grasp the situation.
The gym's interior was a massive ice field. Though the surface was smooth, normal walking was impossible.
Challengers needed to use the ice's sliding properties and follow specific paths to reach the platform where Gym Leader Juan waited.
Most critically, certain areas of the ice would shatter immediately after being crossed and couldn't be triggered again.
This meant players couldn't retrace the same route; they had to plan their sliding path with precision.
And this puzzle's difficulty was clearly higher than the previous ones.