The Box: Fate
Chapter 77 — The Departure for the Sky-Fortress
The heavy iron doors of the subterranean training grounds swung shut behind the Sovereign Vanguards, sealing the heat of the magma pits into the deep bedrock..
Standing in the main square of Ignis-Vail, the sixteen friends assembled their gear under the orange-tinted sky of the volcanic city.. Their presence was completely different from when they first walked through the gate—their movements were fluid, their aura locked in perfect harmony with the native mana, and their eyes reflecting the steady confidence of warriors who had mastered their core abilities..
Gideon the Ash-Bringer and Azureus walked up to the group, accompanied by a small squad of armored native scouts holding a detailed parchment map..
"You've tamed your raw power, but the Ashen Gulf isn't a place you march into blindly" Gideon said, pointing a scarred finger toward the northern horizon on the map.. "Before we join the main front, there is someone you need to meet.. The fifth Apex King—**Lady Selene of the Sky-Fortress Astral-Vail"
Kataki adjusted his black leather gauntlet, his silver eyes locking onto the map waypoint.. "The fifth Apex King... is she holding the aerial borders?"
"She commands the highest sky-fortress on the continent" Azureus explained, his sapphire eyes glowing with deep respect.. "While the other four Kings mobilize the ground divisions, Selene controls the ancient celestial barrier. If we want to breach the lower trenches of the Ashen Gulf without being surrounded by airborne demon hordes, we need her aerial force and her spatial fleet"
Zanaki stretched his arms, static electricity humming softly beneath his skin.. "Another hero to recruit? Perfect.. Let's get moving.. I want to see what kind of view a sky-fortress has in this world"
"Remember your baseline skills" Kataki reminded the group quietly, looking back at Axel, Sharky Bee, Murasaki, Kuro, and the others.. "We spent forty-eight hours anchoring our specific divine affinities.. In the battles ahead, don't try to invent random techniques on the fly.. We stick to our mastered abilities—Axel' absolute defense, Zanaki' storm core, Sharky' shadow integration, and my structural vision.. Consistency is what keeps us alive"
Axel nodded, tapping the heavy steel of his shield.. "Understood.. Every skill we use from now on carries real weight and real stamina cost.. No wasted moves"
With their objective set, the sixteen friends, alongside Gideon, Azureus, and Vahn, bade farewell to the blacksmiths and guards of Ignis-Vail.. They marched out of the western gates, leaving the volcanic heat behind as they headed toward the high mist-covered peaks of the northern mountain range..
The journey toward the Sky-Fortress of Astral-Vail had officially begun, and the final assembly of the Five Apex Kings was now within their reach...