The descent was brutal. Marcus's monsters carved through rock and earth at maximum speed, their combined powers creating a tunnel that sloped steeply downward. Behind them, Marcus could sense Celestial Judge's light piercing through the darkness, getting closer with each passing minute.
Five hundred meters down.
Six hundred meters.
Seven hundred meters.
The temperature was rising as they descended, the earth's heat radiating through the stone. Marcus's human subordinates were struggling—Rebecca, Crimson Chain, Shade, Hemlock, and the others weren't built for this kind of extreme environment.
"We need to slow down," Rebecca gasped, her face slick with sweat. "People can't maintain this pace—"
"Celestial Judge is four hundred meters behind us and closing," Marcus interrupted. "We slow down, we die. Keep moving."
Eight hundred meters.
Marcus's micro-monsters on the surface reported that Celestial Judge had descended into the excavation tunnel. His light was so intense it was visible from the surface, shining up through the entrance like a beacon.
"Fascinating," Celestial Judge's voice echoed down the tunnel, amplified by his powers. "You've created quite the infrastructure. How long have you been operating beneath this city?"
Marcus didn't respond. Speaking would reveal his position more precisely.
"I can sense you, you know," Celestial Judge continued, his voice almost conversational. "Your creatures have a distinctive energy signature. Biological but wrong. Twisted. Corrupted. You're not creating life—you're perverting it."
Nine hundred meters.
The rock around them was hot enough to burn human skin. Gamma-Four generated a cooling field, protecting the human members from the worst of the heat. But Marcus could see them flagging, exhaustion setting in.
"Gamma-One," Marcus commanded quietly. "Collapse the tunnel behind us. Buy us time."
The Lord-tier monster raised its multiple arms and reversed its gravitational manipulation. Instead of clearing path, it crushed it—tons of rock and earth compressing into dense barriers behind them.
Three massive collapses created walls of compacted stone that would take even an S-rank time to break through.
"Clever," Celestial Judge's voice came through the rock. "But temporary. Light dissolves all barriers eventually."
Marcus felt Celestial Judge's power surge. His judgment beams began cutting through the collapsed tunnel, melting stone faster than should be possible.
One thousand meters.
They were close now. According to Marcus's calculations, the deep facility was approximately one hundred meters below them. But they needed to find the actual entrance—just drilling through blindly might damage critical systems.
"Gamma-Five," Marcus said to his intelligence-specialized Lord-tier. "Scan for artificial structures. The facility should have reinforced walls, power conduits, something that registers as non-natural."
Gamma-Five extended its sensory network, crystalline neural structures pulsing with bioluminescent light. Through their shared consciousness, Marcus felt the scan results flowing back.
"Contact," Gamma-Five reported in its eerily human voice. "Artificial structure detected. Bearing: forty-three degrees, distance: one hundred twelve meters. Composition: reinforced concrete, steel framework, active electromagnetic signatures."
"It still has power?" Hemlock asked, incredulous. "After eighty years?"
"Cold War facilities were built with nuclear reactors designed for century-long operation," Echo said, somehow maintaining her composure despite the heat and stress. "If the reactor's still functional, the facility could maintain basic systems indefinitely."
"Let's hope it's still sealed," Marcus said. "We need somewhere Celestial Judge can't reach. At least not immediately. Gamma-One, Gamma-Three—clear path to the facility entrance. Everyone else, prepare for rapid entry."
The two Lord-tier monsters accelerated their excavation, carving through the final meters of rock. Behind them, Marcus felt Celestial Judge break through the first collapsed tunnel section. The S-rank hero was relentless, his power cutting through obstacles like they were tissue paper.
One thousand one hundred meters.
The excavation monsters broke through into an artificial chamber. Old concrete walls, covered in decades of mineral deposits. Emergency lighting flickered on automatically, dim red bulbs that had been waiting in standby mode for over eight decades.
"Inside," Marcus commanded. "Everyone. Now."
His organization flooded into the chamber—monsters flowing like liquid, humans stumbling with exhaustion. Marcus was last, turning to face the tunnel behind them.
"Gamma-Four," he said quietly. "This is it. Hold him here. Don't let him through until we've sealed the facility."
The massive defensive Lord-tier monster positioned itself in the tunnel entrance, its body expanding to fill the entire space. Its armor plates locked together, creating a living barrier.
"I will not fail, Creator," Gamma-Four said, its voice resonating with absolute conviction.
Marcus felt something like regret—this creature was one of his finest creations, built specifically to survive overwhelming force. But surviving wasn't the same as winning. Against Celestial Judge, Gamma-Four would die. It was just a question of how long it would take.
"Thank you," Marcus said, and meant it.
He turned and entered the facility proper, Gamma-One sealing the entrance behind them with compressed stone and metal.
---
The deep facility was enormous. They'd entered through what appeared to be a maintenance access tunnel, but beyond it stretched hundreds of meters of corridors, chambers, and sealed sections. The architecture was distinctly Cold War era—utilitarian, paranoid, built to survive nuclear apocalypse.
And incredibly, most of it still functioned. Emergency lighting provided dim illumination. Air circulation systems hummed quietly, filtering and recycling atmosphere. Digital displays on ancient computer terminals showed system status in green monochrome text.
"This is incredible," Echo breathed, examining a wall-mounted terminal. "Everything's still operational. Power generation at thirty-seven percent capacity. Life support active. Security systems..." She paused, reading. "Security systems are in standby mode but functional. This place was designed to support two hundred personnel indefinitely."
"Which means it can support us," Marcus said. He turned to Rebecca. "Get everyone settled. Find sleeping quarters, medical facilities, whatever's usable. We're going to be here a while."
Rebecca nodded and began organizing people. The human members of Marcus's organization were exhausted, stressed, and terrified—they needed rest and reassurance, neither of which Marcus was particularly good at providing.
But Rebecca was. She moved among them with calm efficiency, directing people to tasks, providing structure in the chaos. It was why Marcus valued her—she understood the human element in ways he didn't.
Marcus turned his attention to the facility's layout. According to the terminal maps, the complex was divided into several sections:
**Level 1 (Current location):** Living quarters, medical facilities, recreational areas, administrative offices
**Level 2:** Research laboratories, computer systems, communications center, armory
**Level 3:** Power generation, water treatment, food production facilities, environmental systems
**Level 4:** Classified. Access restricted. No details provided.
*Interesting,* Marcus thought. *A classified level beneath a classified facility. What were they hiding down here?*
Behind him, through a mile of stone, Marcus felt Gamma-Four engage Celestial Judge.
The battle was brief and brutal. Gamma-Four's defensive capabilities were immense—it absorbed energy attacks, regenerated damage, and used its bulk to create physical barriers. But Celestial Judge's judgment beams were specifically designed to ignore conventional defenses, striking at the fundamental essence of living things.
Through their shared consciousness, Marcus felt Gamma-Four's agony as holy light burned through its armored body. The monster fought back, using its absorbed energy to fire devastating counterattacks. For thirty-seven seconds, it held the line.
Then Celestial Judge adjusted his tactics. Instead of attacking Gamma-Four directly, he targeted the structural supports around it. The tunnel collapsed, tons of rock crushing down on the monster. Gamma-Four survived the collapse—its durability was that extreme—but it was buried, immobilized.
Celestial Judge's light pierced through the rubble, finding Gamma-Four's core. The judgment beam struck true.
Marcus felt his creation die, its consciousness winking out like a candle in wind.
"Gamma-Four is down," Marcus said quietly to no one in particular. "Celestial Judge will reach the facility entrance in approximately twenty minutes."
"Can he break through?" Crimson Chain asked, looking worried.
"Eventually. These walls are reinforced, but he's S-rank. Given enough time, he'll breach." Marcus pulled up the facility schematics. "But time is what we need. Let him break through the entrance. We'll be deeper by then, in sections he can't easily reach."
"What about Level 4?" Shade asked, pointing at the terminal display. "The classified section. If it's got restricted access, maybe it has better defenses?"
Marcus considered this. The classified level was an unknown variable. It could contain useful resources, or it could be a death trap. But it was also their deepest option, the farthest point from Celestial Judge's pursuit.
"We investigate Level 4," Marcus decided. "Carefully. Echo, can you access the restricted sections?"
"Maybe. These systems are old—Cold War encryption. I know someone who specializes in historical computer security." Echo pulled out her phone, then frowned. "No signal. We're too deep."
"Use the facility's communication systems. Route through their infrastructure." Marcus gestured to the terminals. "We need every advantage we can get."
While Echo worked on accessing the classified level, Marcus assessed his remaining forces:
- Five Lord-tier monsters (Gamma-One through Three, Gamma-Five and Six)
- Seven Beta-tier monsters
- Nineteen Alpha-tier monsters
- One hundred fifty-six Awakened-tier monsters
- One hundred eighty-eight Micro-monsters
Total: 376 monsters. He'd lost Gamma-Four and twelve micro-monsters to Celestial Judge. More would die before this was over.
But he'd gained something valuable: time and concealment. Deep underground, in a facility designed to resist detection, with active power and life support. It wasn't perfect, but it was survivable.
For now.
His phone buzzed—surprisingly, it had signal through the facility's systems. Oracle:
*Celestial Judge just reported your location to the Hero Association. They're mobilizing support—ten B-rank heroes, specialized in underground operations. They'll arrive in approximately six hours. Marcus, you need to make a decision: fight your way out or dig even deeper.*
*How deep can I go before I hit bedrock or magma?*
*Below this facility? Maybe half a mile. But there's nothing down there except rock. No infrastructure, no resources.*
*What about laterally? Can I tunnel sideways, emerge somewhere else in the city?*
*Possible. But tunneling takes time, and you'd need to surface eventually. Celestial Judge can track you. The moment you expose yourself, he'll find you.*
Marcus processed this. He was trapped in a three-dimensional maze with a hunter who could track his energy signature. Traditional escape routes were compromised.
*Unless I change the signature,* Marcus realized.
"Hemlock," Marcus called out. "I need you to do something difficult. Possibly impossible."
The biochemist approached, looking exhausted but functional. "What do you need?"
"Can you alter my monsters' biological signatures? Make them read differently to energy-based detection?"
Hemlock's eyes widened. "That's... Marcus, your creatures' signatures are tied to their fundamental biology. Changing that would require rewriting their cellular structure."
"Can you do it?"
"Maybe. If I had time, resources, test subjects..." She paused. "How long do I have?"
"Six hours. That's when B-rank reinforcements arrive."
"That's insane. I'd need weeks—"
"I don't have weeks. I have six hours." Marcus's voice was cold. "Figure it out, or we all die when they dig us out."
Hemlock stared at him for a long moment, then nodded. "I'll need access to the research laboratories. And test subjects—some of your weaker monsters I can experiment on."
"Take whatever you need. Just succeed."
While Hemlock commandeered the Level 2 laboratories, Marcus explored deeper into the facility with Gamma-Five. The intelligence-specialized Lord-tier monster scanned everything, building a comprehensive map of their new base.
Most of the facility was in remarkably good condition. The life support systems had maintained atmospheric quality. The nuclear reactor on Level 3 hummed quietly, still generating power after eight decades. Food production facilities were non-functional—the biological components had died long ago—but the infrastructure was salvageable.
"This place is a fortress," Gamma-Five observed in its unsettlingly human voice. "Designed to withstand direct nuclear strikes. Multiple redundant systems. Isolated from external infrastructure. Optimal for long-term concealment."
"Can it withstand an S-rank assault?"
"Unknown. Insufficient data on Celestial Judge's maximum destructive capacity." Gamma-Five's crystalline neural networks pulsed. "However, penetrating a mile of bedrock plus reinforced military infrastructure would require sustained effort even for S-rank abilities. Estimate: seventy-two hours minimum if unopposed."
"And if opposed?"
"Defense would extend that significantly. But not infinitely. Creator, we cannot hold this position permanently. Eventually, they will breach."
Marcus knew Gamma-Five was right. This facility was a temporary refuge, not a permanent solution. But temporary was enough if he could use it to grow stronger.
"We need to expand," Marcus said. "Not just defend. Use this facility as a base to grow our forces, then emerge strong enough that S-ranks can't eliminate us casually."
"That would require significant resources. Biological materials, Essence, time."
"Then we acquire them. The city above has millions of people. Criminals, villains, even ordinary citizens—all potential resources." Marcus felt the cold calculation settling in. "We're sitting beneath Neo-Seattle's heart. We can strike upward at targets of opportunity, retreat back to safety. Guerrilla tactics. Hit and fade."
"A sound strategy," Gamma-Five agreed. "But risky. Each surface operation risks detection."
"Everything is risk now. We either risk action or die slowly from inaction."
They reached the access point to Level 4—a sealed blast door with biometric security systems and warning signs in multiple languages. Echo had been working on bypassing the security for the past hour.
"Making progress," Echo reported through their communication system. "The encryption is military-grade but outdated. I've cracked the first three layers. Two more to go."
"How long?"
"Three hours. Maybe less if I get lucky."
Marcus left her to it and returned to Level 1. His organization was settling in—people claiming sleeping quarters, establishing routine. Rebecca had organized watches, divided responsibilities, created structure from chaos.
"Status report," Marcus requested.
"Everyone accounted for. No casualties during the evacuation except Gamma-Four. Morale is low but stable—people are scared but functional." Rebecca pulled up a tablet showing resource inventories. "We grabbed about forty percent of our equipment before abandoning the lab. Enough to continue operations but not optimal. Food and water are okay—the facility's systems can sustain us. Medical supplies are adequate."
"And the monsters?"
"All functional. Some minor damage from the descent, but nothing critical. They're distributed throughout Levels 1 and 2, ready for deployment." Rebecca met his eyes. "Marcus, we survived. Against an S-rank hunt, we actually survived. That's more than most villains can claim."
"We survived the first hour. He's still coming."
"I know. But give people a moment to breathe. They watched you lose a Lord-tier monster to save them. Let them process that before you push them back into combat."
Marcus wanted to argue that there was no time for processing, that every moment wasted was a moment for enemies to organize. But Rebecca was right—exhausted, traumatized people made mistakes. Better to let them rest briefly than push them to breaking.
"Six hours," Marcus said. "Everyone gets six hours to rest, eat, recover. Then we go back to work."
"Thank you." Rebecca's relief was visible. "That'll help."
A alarm sounded through the facility—not loud but insistent. Echo's voice came over the intercom: "Marcus, I've accessed Level 4. You need to see this. Immediately."
Marcus descended to the Level 4 access point. Echo stood before the now-open blast door, her face pale.
"What did you find?" Marcus asked.
"I don't know how to describe it. You need to see for yourself." She gestured to the door. "Fair warning: whatever this is, it's not normal. Even by awakened standards."
Marcus entered Level 4, Gamma-Five at his side.
The classified section was different from the rest of the facility. Where Levels 1-3 were utilitarian military construction, Level 4 was something else entirely. The walls were covered in strange symbols—not language, not art, something in between. The lighting was different, bluish and pulsing rhythmically. The air felt heavy, charged with energy that made Marcus's skin prickle.
"What is this place?" Marcus whispered.
"Read this," Echo said, pointing to a terminal displaying old text files. "I found the facility commander's logs. Last entry dated eighty-one years ago."
Marcus read:
*June 15th, 1944*
*We have made first contact with the anomaly. Dr. Chen's theories were correct—there is something beneath the earth at this location. Something that predates human civilization. Something that should not exist.*
*The anomaly appears to be a structure, though 'structure' is inadequate terminology. It exists in dimensions we cannot properly perceive. Our instruments detect it, but our eyes see only fragments. The mathematics are impossible, yet they function.*
*Dr. Chen believes the anomaly is the source of what we've been calling 'Essence'—the energy that allows certain individuals to manifest impossible abilities. If he's right, this could be the origin point of the awakening itself.*
*We have sealed Level 4. Further investigation is suspended pending review by higher authority. Whatever exists down here, we were not meant to find it.*
*This is Commander Mitchell's final log entry. God help us all.*
Marcus felt cold spreading through his chest. This facility wasn't just a Cold War bunker. It was built on top of something far older, far stranger.
"There's more," Echo said, pulling up additional files. "Research notes, experiment logs. They were studying the anomaly, trying to understand it. Some researchers claimed to hear voices. Others reported seeing things that couldn't exist. Three people went insane. Two committed suicide. The project was shut down after six months of investigation."
"And they just sealed it? Left it here?"
"What else could they do? They didn't understand it. Couldn't control it. Couldn't destroy it." Echo scrolled through more files. "The last commander decided that sealing and forgetting was safer than continued investigation. The facility went into deep standby mode, all personnel were evacuated, and the entire project was classified beyond top secret."
Marcus walked deeper into Level 4. The corridor extended into darkness, the strange symbols glowing faintly. At the far end, approximately one hundred meters away, he could see something that hurt to look at—a space where geometry didn't work correctly, where reality seemed to fold in on itself.
The anomaly.
Through his shared consciousness with Gamma-Five, Marcus felt the monster's sensors going haywire. The readings didn't make sense—the object was simultaneously solid and intangible, present and absent, real and impossible.
"What do you think it is?" Echo asked quietly.
"I don't know. But if the research logs are correct, if this is the source of Essence..." Marcus stared at the impossible geometry. "Then I'm standing at the origin point of all awakened abilities. The thing that changed humanity."
"Should we investigate further?"
Marcus considered this. The rational answer was no—unknown anomalies were dangerous, especially ones that had driven researchers insane. But the potential benefits...
If this was truly the source of Essence, understanding it could give Marcus power beyond anything he'd achieved so far. The ability to create monsters was impressive, but what if he could tap directly into the source? What if he could access the fundamental energy that made awakening possible?
"Not yet," Marcus decided. "First we survive Celestial Judge. Then we investigate the anomaly. Priority order: survival, growth, understanding."
They returned to the upper levels, sealing Level 4 behind them. Marcus didn't tell the others what they'd found—no need to add cosmic horror to their existing stress.
Over the next five hours, Hemlock worked frantically in the laboratories. She experimented on twenty micro-monsters, testing various biochemical modifications that might alter their energy signatures. Most experiments failed—the creatures died or became non-functional. But gradually, she developed a compound that showed promise.
"It's not perfect," Hemlock explained, showing Marcus her results. "But it shifts the signature by approximately thirty percent. Enough that Celestial Judge's tracking might be confused or delayed. Not enough to make you completely undetectable."
"How long does it last?"
"Six hours per application. And it's toxic to your monsters—degrades their biology slowly. Using it long-term will kill them."
"But short-term?"
"Short-term it's survivable. You could apply it to your strike teams, send them on surface operations, and Celestial Judge's tracking would be less effective. He'd still know you're active, but pinpointing your location would be harder."
It wasn't a solution, but it was a tool. Better than nothing.
At exactly the six-hour mark, Echo reported through the facility's intercom: "B-rank heroes just arrived at the facility entrance. Ten of them plus Celestial Judge. They're organizing for breach operation."
Marcus gathered his command team in what had been the facility's war room—a large chamber with multiple displays and communication systems.
"They're coming," Marcus said without preamble. "Eleven heroes, one S-rank. They'll breach the entrance within hours, flood the facility, hunt us systematically."
"What's the plan?" Rebecca asked.
"We don't let them breach. We go to them." Marcus pulled up a tactical map showing the tunnel network. "Hemlock's compound will mask our signatures temporarily. We hit them before they're fully organized. Fast strike, maximum casualties, immediate retreat."
"That's suicide," Crimson Chain said. "Celestial Judge is S-rank. We can't—"
"We can't win. But we can hurt them. Kill some B-ranks, force them to be cautious, buy more time." Marcus met each person's eyes. "I'm not asking you to die. I'm asking you to fight smart. Hit hard, fade fast. Make them respect the threat."
Shade raised his hand. "I'll go. Someone needs to."
"I'm going," Rebecca said firmly. "You need experienced leadership on that strike team."
Marcus wanted to argue, wanted to keep his most valuable human subordinate safe. But Rebecca was right—the strike team needed someone who could think tactically under pressure.
"Fine. Take Gamma-One, Gamma-Three, and Gamma-Six. Twenty Alpha-tier monsters, fifty awakened-tier. Hit them in the tunnel before they reach the entrance. Gamma-Three's stealth will get you close. Gamma-Six's toxins will slow them. Gamma-One's power will kill whoever you can kill."
"And if Celestial Judge is there?"
"Then you run. Don't engage him directly. He's beyond your capability." Marcus handed her a container of Hemlock's compound. "Apply this to everyone. It'll confuse his tracking temporarily. Use that confusion to escape."
Rebecca took the compound, her expression grim but determined. "If we don't come back—"
"You'll come back. You're too smart to die stupidly."
She smiled despite the tension. "I'll hold you to that."
The strike team assembled, applied Hemlock's compound, and departed through a lateral tunnel Gamma-One had carved. Marcus watched them go, feeling something uncomfortably close to concern.
I'm sending people to possibly die, Marcus thought. When did I start caring about that?
But he pushed the feeling aside. Sentiment was a luxury he couldn't afford.
Through his remaining micro-monsters on the surface, Marcus monitored the hero team's progress. Celestial Judge was at the excavation entrance, directing operations. The ten B-rank heroes were preparing equipment for underground assault—specialized gear, protective suits, weapons designed for close quarters.
They were professional, organized, confident.
They had no idea Marcus's strike team was approaching through a parallel tunnel, masked by biochemical compounds and led by Lord-tier monsters.
The ambush was devastating.
Gamma-Three struck first, its stealth capabilities allowing it to emerge directly behind the hero formation. Its claws tore through two B-ranks before they could react. Gamma-Six followed with toxin attacks—paralytic venoms that dropped three more heroes in seconds.
Gamma-One's gravitational manipulation created chaos, crushing equipment and throwing heroes into walls with bone-breaking force.
But Celestial Judge reacted instantly.
His light erupted, filling the tunnel with radiance so bright it was physically painful. His judgment beams cut through Marcus's monsters like they were paper—ten awakened-tier creatures vaporized in the opening seconds.
"Fall back!" Rebecca commanded. "Disengage now!"
The strike team retreated, leaving behind twelve dead awakened-tier monsters and one critically damaged Alpha-tier creature. But they'd killed five B-rank heroes and wounded three others.
Most importantly, they'd proven that Marcus's forces could hurt the Association. That they weren't just hiding, they were dangerous.
Celestial Judge stood among the carnage, his glowing eyes narrowed.
"Clever," he said to the empty tunnel. "Very clever. But this changes nothing. I will find you. And when I do, you will face judgment."
He turned to the surviving heroes. "Accelerate breach operations. And request additional S-rank support. This threat is more significant than initial assessment indicated."
Marcus, monitoring through his distant micro-monsters, felt ice spreading through his chest.
Additional S-rank support.
He'd just made himself important enough that the Hero Association would deploy multiple S-ranks to eliminate him.
Good, Marcus thought, forcing himself to see the strategic value. Let them commit resources. Let them treat me as a major threat. That means they're taking me seriously.
But privately, in the part of his mind he wouldn't acknowledge to anyone, Marcus felt genuine fear.
Because he'd seen what one S-rank could do.
And now multiple S-ranks were coming for him.