The ascent from Realm 2 demanded precise control over the volatile CEB. Elara needed to generate enough magnetic repulsion to escape the Relic Layer's gravity well without triggering the Dragon-God's destructive entropy.
"Pulse control at 75%!" Lira yelled, clinging to the magnetically reinforced launch platform. "Any higher, and we risk a magnetic singularity!"
Elara closed her eyes, focusing entirely on the equation. She visualized the CEB not as chaos, but as a pure, massive negative kinetic energy source—a predictable inverse function of the surrounding Relic energy. She suppressed the primal urge to simply unmake the tower and instead calculated the perfect, smooth propulsion curve.
FZZZZZZZ-BOOM!
The platform launched, shooting them out of Circuit Central in a tight, magnetic field envelope. The speed was immense, leaving the Viceroy's data tower far below as they rocketed through the electrically charged void between Realm 2 and Realm 5.
As they flew, the environment rapidly changed. The heavy, predictable magnetic fields gave way to subtle, localized gravitational fluctuations. Realm 5 was a completely different beast—a domain where gravity was not a constant, but a fluid, cultivated weapon.
The vast, metallic landscapes of Realm 2 were replaced by immense, floating islands, slowly revolving in perfect gravitational harmony. These were the home bases of the Atlantean Cults, whose civilization was derived from the highly advanced technology that survived the original Earth Convergence.
"We are entering The Field Domain," Orrin warned, sensing the environmental change. "The Atlanteans can manipulate local gravity to create crushing zones, or even pockets of zero-g chaos. Their entire society is built around the concept of Controlled Mass."
Elara held the Dimensional Scanner and the Blade of Temporal Integrity. She now possessed the tools for their next arc: the key to Orrin's true body, the ability to anchor her own chaos, and the means to track Kairo.
"Our goal is the Hanging Library of Thoth," Elara decided, spotting a particularly large island suspended by a colossal, shimmering gravitational field. "If they are descendants of Atlantean technology, they must have archival data on pre-Convergence Earth—the same archives that Orrin used to build his containment protocols."
"The Library is guarded by the Gravitas Masters," Lira cautioned. "Their cultivation is subtle. They won't fight with kinetic force; they'll fight by turning your own mass against you."
Elara channeled a tiny fraction of the CEB to resist the subtle increase in gravitational pressure that was already affecting their field envelope. She felt the heavy, predictable force of Realm 5's gravity trying to define her mass, but the chaos inside resisted measurement.
"We will use the Principle of Zero Resistance," Elara declared, a cold, focused ambition in her voice. "If they rely on absolute mass calculation, we will make our mass unquantifiable. We will become the ghost in their gravitational field."
The ascent ended as they smoothly docked on a small, isolated landing pad attached to the Hanging Library. The door opened, revealing a vast, ancient chamber filled with scrolls and data tablets that seemed to float slightly above the ground, held in place by invisible Gravitas Proofs.
Their new challenge was not chaos, but weight.