The eleventh response disappeared beneath the group's feet, but the ground did not return to its previous state. Smaller vibrations continued traveling through the region at regular intervals, crossing one another like signals transmitted through a network that had just detected interference. The old map trembled between Monica's fingers, and the lines revealed by the heat no longer looked like simple markings made by some imperial cartographer. A dark glow advanced through them, starting from the destroyed observatory and moving toward the center of the desert. Frieren brought the measuring crystal close to the parchment and watched the instrument respond with the same pulse, confirming that the object did not merely represent the network.
Somehow, it was still connected to it.
"Move that away from the creature," Frieren ordered, turning toward the soldiers carrying the captured specimen.
