The magnetic fields and crystalline pathways of the lower Crags vanished into the unbroken white nothingness above. They had ascended into the high-altitude nothingness known only as the Prime Mist a thick swirling layer of elemental condensation that signified the last deadly border of the unrecorded Frozen Citadel beyond the domain of common magic.
Visibility was reduced to inches as soon as the light was blocked. It was an oppressive mixture of intense cold and dense natural wetness. Not only was the air thin, but it was also lifeless and unfriendly to living things. The only thing keeping it from freezing right away was Anchor's continuous heat field.
Vulcan came to a halt, his enormous figure vanishing into the hazy white mist. The sensors on the Aegis were spouting insignificant information.
"Zero visibility" Vulcan said, his voice seeming far away and muted by the hanging, dense air. "The magnetic interference has reappeared but it is only present in the water particles. My compass no longer works. Each and every step is blind. There is no horizon or visible support structure as we travel across rocky ice-covered rocks.
Ethan experienced the particular pressure of this environment. The world's natural defense reached its highest point with this. Any traditional, widespread application of magic would unavoidably result in a catastrophic, concentrated elemental storm since the air was so full of inert elemental potential. They had to walk in complete silence and with perfect clarity of movement since they could not fight their way through this. The risk was now complete environmental collapse rather than individual failure.
He pushed the limits of his senses to pierce the oppressive brightness by fully utilizing his Perception skill. The elemental turmoil was too immense and the mist was too dense. Beneath his Energy Anchors just the immediate texture of the smooth freezing granite was visible to even his enhanced senses.
Ethan was completely dependent on the two natural forces he controlled, the Stag and Anchor because technology and sight had been rendered useless.
He approached the massive slime and placed his hand on Anchor's shield. He kept a close eye on the Stag's anti-magic signal searching for any slight shift in its internal balance that might point to a departure from the safe course. The only steady force in the whole mist was the energy of the Stag.
The quiet desperate plea made sense to Anchor. The enormous slime started to move under the Stag's exact internal elemental guidance rather than in response to outside signals. With the Arctic Stag serving as a living sovereign compass Anchor crawled through the bright high-altitude maze.
The route was essentially unsettling, they crossed a shockingly steep rise diagonally before abruptly turning back to escape enormous undetectable drops that Ethan could only see as negative space in his peripheral vision. Only the purposeful crush of the Energy Anchors on the ice and the quiet hum of Anchor's stabilizing field broke the eerie silence and grueling pace.
The Stag emitted a powerful, last and concentrated internal pulse after what seemed like hours of moving forward. Anchor quickly came to a complete halt.
Ethan said "Stop" in a tight voice as his heart raced. "An instant stop has been signaled by the Stag. A problem is right in front of you. Without confirmation, we cannot move on".
Vulcan's gigantic armored bulk suddenly stabilized as he froze, trusting the invisible guardian's guidance above all his.
With his Shadow-Edge Silencer extended into the mist Ethan moved stealthily forward testing the seemingly unoccupied area ahead with the dagger's physical length. There was a deep cold emptiness in the air.
He took one last hesitant step. The vibrating pattern of the granite beneath his feet suddenly and completely failed according to his Energy Anchors. The ground was fundamentally collapsing.
With a reflexive jump, he planted his feet firmly against the rapidly shaky edge and jumped forward.
The rock they had been standing on shattered suddenly. The trail they had been following a vast portion of the cliff face broke away and fell silently into the chasm below its enormous mass instantaneously engulfed by the impenetrable mist. Vulcan was closest to the new scary edge and the shock wave from the sudden quiet descent instantly weakened the remaining, ice-coated crystalline floor underneath him.
"There's a crack beneath me! I've lost my footing!" The urgent warning was amplified by the thin air as Vulcan relayed. His massive armored form was unaffected by the slippery invisible ice covering the granite. The skilled blacksmith started to move quickly and relentlessly in the direction of the enormous abyss.
Ethan understood that using Shadow Blink to retrieve Vulcan would risk breaking the Aegis apart. For stability, he had to rely on the basic characteristics of the gear.
"Vulcan! Manually activate the Chronic Shield". With a commanding voice, Ethan urged. "Use it for absolute friction!"
Vulcan put his reserve energy into the Aegis's core after realizing the strategic need of deploying a defensive power to manipulate reality in a life-or-death situation.
[MYTHIC SKILL: CHRONIC SHIELD ACTIVATED]
Vulcan was immediately surrounded by the stabilizing field. Its primary purpose was to eliminate all internal and external reactive movement within its field, not only render him invincible to damage. On the last inch of solid granite Vulcan's gigantic armored body instantly froze in place stopping his downward descent. He had transformed into an immovable object grounded by flawless unshakable momentum by the usage of a magical defense layer.
Anchor prioritized the mission and responded with exceptional speed and dedication after seeing the near-disaster. The massive slime charged ahead swiftly encircling Vulcan's Aegis in a safe rigid mass. The combined mass of Anchor's sturdy body and the momentum of the Aegis created an impenetrable anchor against the fall.
They had used their equipment to serve as supports to withstand the fall,turning it into a form of defense.
With his heart pounding against his chest and adrenaline coursing through him Ethan carefully made his way to the next cliff edge. The area where the cliff had once been was now a vast, open gap and the Prime Mist was finally thinning across the terrifying emptiness drawn away by a powerful atmospheric force.
The vision was breathtaking, majestic and overwhelming beyond the mist.
The Frozen Citadel made of enormous, complicated, interconnecting columns of pure dazzling Arcane Ice rather than plain stone rose out of the swirling clouds. It resembled a massive, crystalline pillars piercing the sky rather than a defensive structure emitting a strong ancient cold that rendered the surrounding air completely inactive. The light appeared to be absorbed by the runes etched into the ice.
And three enormous figures beings of enormous magical density each emitting the unique pure aura of the Prime Elementals: Ice, Air, and Order were standing motionless, radiating vast power and obviously waiting for them on the Citadel's enormous landing platform. The mood was dominated by their mere presence.
They had gone against the defense. They had arrived at their destination. The escort had been completed.