They were well above the primary hunting routes in the area thanks to the vertical climb. The metallic tang of frozen minerals and ionized energy penetrated the now-bitterly thin air. Aggressive unstable geological processes dominated the environment rather than solid living predators. Moving through a region intended for spreading their caravan was a beacon of concentrated energy and magic.
Anchor continued to travel slowly and carefully across the more dangerous terrain after expending a great deal of energy on the climb. Now that the massive slime was the slowest and most important part of their formation, their survival depended on his speed. Vulcan maintained the immovable point of defense, his steps heavy and steadfast his Aegis humming with the restrained energy of the Sovereign Shard.
But Ethan started to experience the real crushing impact of the altitude. The ongoing exhaustion and decreased levels of oxygen overwhelmed his already great agility making him nearly totally dependent on the effective stability-boosting movement that his Energy Anchors offered. It took twice as much work to complete each scout trail and dash.
Their route suddenly took them to a weird vast plateau filled with enormous crystalline pillars a geological graveyard called the Geodesic Maze in fragmented lore. These pillars were not just rock or ice they were extremely magnetic causing their directional equipment to twist and producing hazardous limited electromagnetic pulses that shined on the ground.
Vulcan's Artificer's Resonance Compass which is generally perfect for tracking high-grade materials began to spin irregularly with its needle vibrating against its outer shell.
Vulcan said loudly "The magnetic interference here is overwhelming" then abruptly stopped and planted his feet. "I am unable to see the route leading to the Citadel. My equipment are worthless. The magnetic fields are changing too quickly for us to move forward blindly and we run the risk of being trapped by the pulsing or crushed by a collapse".
Ethan started using his main tools for scanning right away. Long-range visual targeting was impossible due to the magnetic distortion making the region an offensive nightmare. The geological data was too irregular to plot so he turned on his Logic Bubble and layered analytical thought over the surroundings.
Then he turned his attention away from his equipment's help and toward his expertise. His passive skill Forgemaster's Grasp which he acquired from the SSS-Rank content allowed him to concentrate his senses.
Ethan touched a nearby crystal pillar. He felt metal old cooled forged stuff that had been purposefully placed rather than icy stone or fragile crystal. The magnetic field was controlled and created rather than occurring at random.
There is nothing natural about these pillars. They are enormous old structural pillars that are probably made of magnetic ore.
This was a huge piece of lore. Ethan came to understand that the Geodesic Maze was not a natural hazard but rather the Frozen Citadel's long-forgotten outer defense layer. It was a large complex security system intended to confuse and misdirect any unwanted guests by affecting their sense of direction rather than to kill them.
Ethan recognized that using physical force or traditional navigation would not work. He stepped back to Anchor's side and lightly touched the crystalline hide of the Stag.
[SOVEREIGN ENTITY BOND: SYNCHRONIZING].
The counter-clue came from the Stag's energy signature which was based on elemental balance and anti-magic balance. The Stag was a sentient, living compass with inherent stability.
"Master Artisan the magnetic fields are intentional" Ethan confirmed. As a component of the Citadel's protection structure the pillars serve as structural supports. Any non-Sovereign being cannot navigate the traditional path since it is random.
"Then we are trapped," was Vulcan's straightforward response. "My Aegis will withstand a localized electromagnetic wave, but Anchor will be confused and the Stag will become unstable if we spend days wandering this grid."
Ethan said "The Stag is the key" as he observed the tiny pulsation of the Stag's energy against the chaotic magnetic field. "It seeks elemental balance at its core. The maze is intended to attract people who are looking for mischief or explosive power. The right road will be discovered by people who pursue purity and who are in harmony with the elements".
Ethan told Anchor to focus his energies on inside stability rather than thermal shield output. The Stag's pure anti-magic field interacted with the enormous magnetic pillars as it pulsed outward in a regulated manner. The pillars that made up the fake road started to vibrate and deform instead of spinning rapidly signifying disturbance. At the same time a little, seemingly random path between pillars stayed motionless and undisturbed.
"The correct path" Ethan wrote as he recorded the amazing complex discourse. This was SSS-Rank lore solving making use of each team member's special talents. "The true path is where the magnetic interference is stable. As instructed by the Stag, we must pursue the route of solidity".
The Stag's reflexive sense quickly accelerated the pace of movement. They confidently navigated the seemingly impenetrable maze as they followed the shifting invisible border of the true path.
But the detour unavoidably brought them into an area that the maze's native defenders were watching over. They came onto a group of Iron-Skin Wraiths (Level 75) who are invisible high-level creatures made of glowing magnetized iron dust that thrive on confusion and magical instability.
With their natural anti-magic abilities serving as a devastating signal the Wraiths instantly concentrated on the Stag and Anchor.
"Invisible enemies with a magnetic element!" Ethan sent out an important message. "Anchor cannot participate or run the risk of becoming unstable. Vulcan their magnetic structure must be disrupted by pure physical strength."
Vulcan's wide defensive stance was readily overcome by the Wraiths who were resistant to most elemental magic and whose fluid forms were impenetrable to the Aegis's wide defense. They gathered around Anchor in an effort to drain the chaos energy it had accumulated.
Vulcan relied on his one lethal weapon his enormous mythic-grade hammer the Stonebreaker because he was unable to wield powerful energy spells. Vulcan swung the hammer toward the biggest magnetic pillar next to him rather than the Wraiths with a sound of force.
The crystalline column was broken by the tremendous power load of the hit which was thunderous. A strong concentrated electromagnetic pulse was released as the pillar exploded. Their magnetic dust momentarily solidified into vulnerable energetic targets as the nearest Wraiths were severely startled.
In fewer than three seconds Ethan spotted his window of opportunity.
He instantly appeared inside the enemy swarm after activating Shadow Blink. He used his Shadow-Edge Silencer to quickly and silently strike their condensed cores thereby triggering the SILENT EXECUTION talent. The silent effect kept the Wraiths' structure in a fragile solid state by preventing them from rapidly reconstructing their fluid gaseous bodies.
[IRON SKIN WRAITH DEFEATED GAINED 14,800 EXP]
[IRON SKIN WRAITH DEFEATED GAINED 15,000 EXP]
[IRON SKIN WRAITH DEFEATED GAINED 15,000 EXP]
[IRON SKIN WRAITH DEFEATED GAINED 15,000 EXP]
The remaining Wraiths terrified by the loss of their magnetic pillar and the invisible attacker's silent precise skill scattered and fled the violent, explosive commotion.
With his hammer set aside Vulcan stood amid the remains. He glanced at Ethan who had already returned to the shadows and was surveying his surroundings.
Vulcan declared "The threat is eliminated" with obvious respect in his voice. "We have to keep going. We are vulnerable even if we have figured out the maze".
Their joint synergy was demonstrated by the enormous victory of successfully navigating the Geodesic Maze. Following a route determined by the physical and magical purity of a Sovereign entity rather than a map they were one step closer to the Frozen Citadel.