A lot had happened since we cleared the 20th floor and I lost consciousness.
Fifteen days already passed and there were now four floors in the lobby.
The first floor, like before, lodged the heroes that arrived through regular summoning. Newcomer trainees climbing the 1st to the 12th floor of the Main Dungeon resided here.
Our Evaluation Center where the failed trainees and misbehaving heroes were sent to was still located in this floor as well.
The second floor lodged heroes that had been promoted to 2-star as well as 3-star at summoning heroes. They would reside here as they climbed through the 12th to the 19th floor, a new change in the rule.
Most of the lobby supporters also stayed on the second floor of the lobby.
Other than the supporter chiefs, the third floor now only lodged the Reserve Forces and combatant trainees that had been promoted to 3-star, which was basically the same thing at this point in the climb.
Alam revealed Master just made the Raid Team further the climb and reached the 21st floor five days ago.
The stage was a simple subjugation mission where heroes could gain experience points repeatedly and aim to level up.
By gaining access to the 21st floor, 2-star trainees could now easily reach level 20 and get promoted to 3-star.
We would be able to strengthen the Raid Team further by only having 3-star heroes and above in our ranks.
The Magic Hall remained on the third floor as well.
I suspected Master wanted easy access for the alchemy lab staffs to transport the potions they made to all the storages all over the lobby. And that most of the mages that arrived through advanced summoning would spend a long time on the third floor and Master intended to keep the Magic Hall close by for them.
Meanwhile on the fourth floor of the lobby…
Wide paved roads lined with large beautiful mansions were all over my view.
Each mansion was installed with advanced training facility and staffed with the best servants and cooks in the lobby.
The Main Forces resided on the fourth floor and each party was assigned with a mansion of their own.
Only the best raiders got to stay on the fourth floor.
The combatant trainees needed to work hard and prove themselves if they wanted to live here.
My private wing in the Magic Hall had also been moved near the mansion for Party 1.
It was now a building of its own called the Vice-Master's Office.
My study, exclusive library, lab, and training chamber were all there and apparently had been improved.
I had not got the chance to check the office out yet.
There were other matters that took precedence.
Alam said we had new residents in the lobby.
As the Vice-Master, I needed to welcome them, naturally.
I eventually arrived in a section of the fourth floor.
Unlike every other part in the lobby, this area was built to resemble a rocky mountainous region.
Natural dirt ground. Steep rocky hills. Thin screen of mist covering the air.
I could spot several colorful huts deeper within the mountainous section.
Not only those, there were also training grounds equipped with various facility like obstacle course, practice targets, and dueling fields.
It had the same variety of facilities that each party of the Main Forces received with their mansion.
Apparently Master conjured this whole place with the forged land's powers.
Creating this mountainous environment on the fourth floor was a particular decision by Master.
It was to cater the needs from certain heroes.
"You all can come out now. I can perfectly see you hiding behind these mists and rocks."
I spoke up.
Suddenly several cloaked people emerged from the hilltops. Even from afar, I noticed their cloaks to be very strange.
My detection skill had improved significantly that I already detected them ever since I left Party 1's mansion.
The reason I did not immediately teleport here was because I did not want to surprise these new residents.
"Is she the one? The one with the…"
One of the cloaked figures whispered to another. The rocky hills echoed their voices over to me.
"Must be. She looks the same as that woman in those visions Master bestowed us."
Even from under their cloaks, I could still read their appearances.
Three girls that were no older than Harl and a boy about as old as the young Tarran.
I observed their status windows and found them all to be 3-star heroes.
But they were no ordinary 3-stars.
Constellation symbols were painted all over their faces.
I had seen these symbols in a book once.
It was a history journal covering the Iron Tempest war.
"She will be seized and enslaved in a land of the chosen, at the dusk of Manusha's reign."
A melodious voice echoed from above.
Descended gracefully through the mist was a woman in leather clothing. A huge pair of feathered wings was flaring from her back.
She had the constellation symbols painted on both her face and body, the most symbols out of them all.
Not only that, this woman was also wearing accessories made out of feathers and bones from dangerous monsters indigenous to the Tsayap Mountains in southeast part of Dunia.
"She will obtain and don the wings of the absolute perpetuity."
The woman recited as she landed gently in front of me.
Her feathered wings then enveloped her body like a cloak similar to the young people observing from the hilltops.
Only once they were in place, the feathers hardened like steel which made the cloak resembled more like an armor on the woman. A very peculiar armor.
She continued while observing me from head to toe.
"She is the burning light.
"She is the world's destroyer and final salvation,
"Or its punisher and eternal doom."
Her sentence ended when our eyes met.
It was then that I observed her.
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[Kinnara Palajan (★★★★) Lv.17 (Exp 23/145)]
[Class: Siren]
[Strength: 43/43]
[Intelligence: 55/55]
[Stamina: 33/33]
[Agility: 45/45]
[Skills: Aerial Combat Lv.8, Intermediate Combat Technique Lv.1, Flight Lv.6, Intermediate Wind Magic Lv.5, Intermediate Enchantment Lv.3, Compulsion Magic Lv.5, Daze Chant Lv.3, Foresight Lv.2, Determination Lv.1, Battle Endurance Lv.1, Super Sense Lv.1, Nimble Movement Lv.7]
[Seal Slot: 1/1]
[1: Messenger of Garuda (B+, Lv.1)]
[True servant who dedicated their body and soul to the Eyes and Ears of the Primal Masters.]
[Effect: Fear Resistance, Pain Resistance, Intelligence +25%, Wind Attribute +10%, 10% debuff on aerial-type enemies (only effective when the enemy level is lower), All stats 20% increase while airborne]
[Exclusive Skill: Iron Tempest]
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Ornithropes. Or Garudas as we usually called them.
Scholars often used the term Garudans instead. But I heard from my headmaster the ornithropes much preferred the former naming.
I still got mixed up using which term, but I better be careful since there were actual Garudas standing before me now.
Tribes of these winged people settled in the Tsayap Mountains ever since the foundation of Tsatu and remained there till the end of Dunia.
The only time the Garudas left their mountains was during the Iron Tempest war where they fought against the empire and lost.
Records from that war mentioned Garudas' immense prowess in aerial battles.
Due to their special wings and claws, they were capable of both long-ranged and close-ranged combat, providing great flexibility.
Some of them were also skilled in magic which made the winged warriors even more threatening.
Despite the victory, the empire suffered heavy casualties from the war against Garudas.
To think such formidable species was standing in front of me right now.
"Are you the one they called Serafina? The Vice-Master of the forged land?"
The Garuda woman asked me.
Her hawk-like eyes kept staring into mine. Observing and studying.
"I am. And who might you be?"
I asked back though I already knew from observing her status window.
The Garuda introduced herself while opening her wing-cloak and brandished the painted symbols and accessories on her face and body.
Her hardened feathers made clinging sound like swords being unsheathed as she flared them out.
"My name is Kinnara Palajan. I am a Priestess to the Onyx Talon Tribe."
Priestesses were highly respected among the Garudas.
They were practically their rulers.
Records told that in the bygone times, the Garuda Priestesses would receive messages from the Ancient Gods and delivered them to mankind.
I half-expected at least one of them to end up in the forged land.
"Can I see them?"
The Priestess suddenly asked.
I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
She then pointed to the wings on her back.
"Yours. Would you be willing to show them to me?"
Master had certainly showed her the records of the Quintal Trial.
What I did at the end of the 20th floor mission included.
We would need the Priestess's cooperation in our future climb.
So it would be best to display a show of faith.
I had only done it once, but I thought I could do it again.
That slight sensation on my back.
If I reached my mind into it…
[Exclusive skill activated! 'Serafina (★★★★)' is transforming!]
Massive pair of feathered wings burst forth from my back like on the 20th floor.
They felt like a new set of arms that I could move around with. Quite a peculiar feeling.
The Priestess gasped at the sight of my wings.
All the young Garudas on the hilltops immediately unveiled their cloaks and flew down with their own wings.
They landed precisely behind the Priestess.
The young Garudas would not dare get past her, though their eyes held the same amazement as hers and seemed to want to get much closer.
"For millennia, Priestesses had been wondering which Garuda would don the Wings of Absolute Perpetuity."
The 4-star Priestess said as she circled around me, observing the massive wings on my back.
Following closely to her rear were the four young Garudas. Their puzzling eyes never turned away from my wings too.
"To think a human, a wingless, would fulfill that prophecy instead."
The Priestess said with bewildered tone.
She then looked into my eyes once she circled back to my face.
"Tell me, Prophesied. Can you see the future?"