"He won't be joining us, Alex. The Bishop cannot leave the church-governed city without legal permission from the main authority in Skyfall," Ketovan explained.
"Do you have a map of the area?" Reina asked, checking her revolver and pockets to ensure she had all her supplies.
"Yeah. This place is massive," Ketovan said, tapping his ring to project a hologram of the warped space.
The map revealed an island with an irregular, jagged shape. One half was dominated by a colossal tree, while the other housed a dragon. Between the two lay a natural colosseum formed by jagged peaks. The terrain showcased four major elemental affinities: Sky, Plant, Earth, and, surprisingly, Spectral. At one edge of the island, a cluster of shimmering points indicated a high concentration of spectral mana.
"Details, Ketovan," Hakon ordered.
"The tree on the right is a Royal Rank 54 soulless beast. It controls half the island; its veins span a landmass 5,400 kilometers in diameter. Its domain is crawling with plant-based monsters and elementals. More importantly, it acts as a living dungeon with a hundred branches, each functioning as a level. The top fifty branches max out at Commander Rank, but as you go deeper, Noble and even Royal Ranks appear. At the very core, you'll find its mana core, protected by two to five Royal Rank 10 plant elementals, depending on how much time has passed since the last refresh," Ketovan said, zooming in on the tree.
"And the dragon?" Franklin asked.
"A Silver Flare Dragon, Royal Rank 37. Its lair is the left half of the island. According to the last report from the church's maintenance team, it has raised an army of hundreds of Noble Rank dragons. While not as powerful as the original, they are still dragons, and their reproduction rates have increased the population of Commander and Soldier Rank lizard-men and Noble Rank fire-drakes tenfold," Ketovan replied.
"Which one of those is the monarch?" Hakon asked, casting a look around as if assessing their surroundings.
"None of them. The monarch is in the center, at the natural colosseum. It isn't a structure or a world-generated building, but a naturally formed crater. The true ruler is speculated to be there," Ketovan said, highlighting the crater.
"Speculated?" asked Alexander, who had been listening with intense focus.
"Yes. We are each given a key after surviving one day in this warped space—an emergency exit. Anyone who has reached the center immediately used their key to escape. The few survivors refused to reveal any information about the monarch. Rumors in the church suggest it is a Fearcatcher at a high Royal Rank, perhaps 80 or 90."
"What's the first stop?" Reina asked, eager to keep moving. "I assume the dragon is a lower level, so that should be easier, right?"
"No. The dragon can fly and blast silver flames, but the tree is stationary," Hakon argued. "The tree's only defenses are its lower-ranking beasts and the spawns on its branches. We should target the tree first to build our momentum."
Everyone agreed. As they tried to get their bearings, Hakon and Franklin soared fifty kilometers into the air to scout. They were immediately met with two silver bolts of energy. The noble rankers swatted the projectiles away with ease and descended.
"We're closer to the dragon's lair," Franklin said, landing. "It spotted us and fired a warning."
"So, what's the plan?" Ketovan asked.
"We stick to the mission. No flying skills or vehicles to travel," Hakon commanded. "Reina, pull up the Sun Chariot."
Reina tapped a yellow band on her wrist, and the car materialized. "It can accommodate four," she said, looking at Franklin.
"No problem. I'll travel on my own," Franklin said, snapping his fingers. A pool of shadows rippled on the ground, and a bulky motorcycle emerged from the darkness.
Alexander, Ketovan, and Hakon piled into the car. As soon as he sat down, Hakon buckled his seatbelt—a comical sight for a nine-foot-tall titan, but he was clearly not taking any chances.
"Why are you in such a—" Ketovan started, but before he could finish, Reina slammed on the accelerator. The car surged forward, hitting speeds exceeding 1,000 km/h in milliseconds. Franklin, still mounting his bike, watched them shrink into a tiny speck on the horizon.
A pack of fire-drakes lounging on a nearby hill barely had time to react. As the alpha, a Noble Rank 56, rose to intercept the intruder, it was obliterated instantly—the front of the car pierced through its head and core before the beast even knew it was under attack.
Alexander and Ketovan clutched their chests, their hearts racing as they realized the sheer violence of their pace. They glanced at Hakon, who was gripping the car's handle for dear life.
"Gods save us," Alexander and Ketovan muttered in unison.
Franklin soon caught up, his bike pushing its maximum speed to stay within sight of the car. Despite his initial doubts, as Alexander watched his new team in action, he felt a strange, budding sense of camaraderie.
I guess this is going to be fun, he thought to himself
***