The sun rose, its dawn light washing over the land and gilding the borders of the Aola Kingdom with a shimmering edge.

Light spread from the far eastern horizon, first dyeing the clouds red, then illuminating the towering peaks, and finally pouring over the vast plain. The outline of the Rhen Plateau gradually sharpened in the morning glow, all bathed in a warm golden hue.

However, Garoth had no time to admire the view.

He lifted his huge head and stared up at the sky.

Wind howled across the apex of the Dragon Court, skimming his scales but failing to unsettle his weighty gaze.

His sight swept over one floating city silhouette after another, suspended high above. In the morning light they reflected a faint metallic sheen, like nails driven into the firmament.

After several minutes he slowly withdrew his gaze.

The Red Iron Dragon narrowed his eyes and formed a kinship mental link.

“Sorog, Samantha.”

His will sent forth and reached the minds of his two kin.

“Do you see?”

he called.

Almost instantly, two wills responded at once.

Iron Dragon Sorog’s voice came first, low and steady: “I see it.”

“Huh? What are you seeing? How do I not feel it?”

Red Dragon Samantha’s voice followed, laced with obvious puzzlement.

The third Halden sky city had not actually crashed; in the end it didn’t smash into the ground, so there wasn’t much commotion.

No earth-shattering roar, no trembling ground, no towering dust — without watching the sky, it was normal not to notice at first.

Garoth explained, “Another sky city has fallen.”

“This is the third one, right?”

Samantha’s voice immediately carried excitement, that red dragon thrill that hungers for battle.

“Where did it hit? I didn’t feel the tremor like before, but I can start fighting anytime. Those demons didn’t get killed enough last time; this time would be good practice.”

Garoth didn’t elaborate. He directly synchronized everything he had just witnessed through the mental link.

After digesting the information, a strange tone crept into the red dragon’s voice.

“It fell halfway and then rose back up? This is the first time I’ve seen that.”

“That’s what I saw.”

Garoth furrowed his brow slightly and paused before asking, “Any thoughts about this anomaly?”

Two seconds later.

“Interesting.”

If Halden had thought aloud, he said: “That sky city seemed to be pulled back before it lost control. First it fell, then some force held it up and it rose again. The whole process was smooth.”

Samantha chimed in, “Could it be Halden is striking back?”

“The previous two cities fell and they didn’t do a thing; I thought they were all dead. Now suddenly there’s movement — maybe they rallied and fought back a bit. After all, such a huge empire can’t just crumble overnight.”

Sorog nodded. “Possible.”

Then he shifted tone: “But it could also be a last gasp, like a drowning man’s final thrash. It looks like he’s coming up again, but it’s just the last breath. When that’s gone, he’ll sink.”

Those two scenarios painted entirely different pictures.

The first meant Halden was fighting back.

They had found a way to oppose the Abyss, or at least a method to slow the collapse. The upward trend in chaos could be curbed or even reversed.

Atlantis Continent would have a buffer period.

The second meant Halden was on the verge of total collapse; the third sky city’s temporary rise would be only a brief success, while the larger decline continued.

A greater fall still loomed.

Under a collapsing nest, no egg remains intact.

Garoth knew clearly that if Halden, the giant among present powers on the continent, fell, every surface kingdom would be affected — himself included.

“I think Halden has perked up again.”

Samantha analyzed seriously, an unusually earnest tone in her voice.

“I never respected humans. I see them as petty and sly, short-lived, with narrow minds... yet I must admit, Halden is not ordinary.”

She paused, organizing her thoughts, then continued:

“Developing the Abyss like that is not something sane people could do.”

“That is the Abyss, one of the most dangerous planes among many. It’s a nest for countless demons, harbors Primordial Wastes and abominations, a place even deities avoid.”

“They dared to touch it, dig into it, and use it. Their audacity is absurd.”

“Although they’re paying the price now, they most likely thought this through when they launched the project. They had some confidence; they won’t collapse all at once.”

Red dragons admire bold, fearless action.

Many would call Halden’s decision to develop the Abyss foolish — truly foolish, given the consequences that unfolded.

But that audacity was undeniable.

Bold to the point of madness, madness that even made dragons look twice.

“You have a point.”

Sorog agreed with the red dragon, then added, “But we have too little information to judge precisely.”

“They might have been accumulating strength and are now counterattacking.”

“Or it’s a dying struggle — it looks revived but won’t last.”

Then the Red Iron Dragon spoke.

“If Halden has curbed the decline, that gives us more time to develop. Our investments in the Central Land northern border won’t be wasted, and Aola can continue to grow for now.”

“If it’s only a last gasp... we should prepare to withdraw.”

“The retreat path to the Serene Spirit Wilderness is already laid out. We will still suffer heavy losses, but as long as we endure, nothing is irretrievable. Loss can be recouped, the dead can be reborn. If the foundations remain, Aola won’t perish.”

Samantha asked, “So what now? What do we do?”

Garoth considered.

“Be patient. Wait.”

He said, “Wait for more information. Since that sky city was pulled back up, Halden will likely act again. They cannot just watch their cities drop one after another — they must do something.”

“True. They won’t stay silent forever.”

Samantha said.

Sorog followed: “I’ll keep watching for movements. Besides Halden, the surface nations of Atlantis should also have noticed what happened just now.”

Garoth nodded.

“Go.”

Their wills faded at once, and the mental link returned to quiet.

Wind howled.

The Red Iron Dragon stood solitary above the heights.

He looked down on the kingdom beneath; sunlight poured over him, casting his shadow long across the clouds.

“To this day, I have stepped onto the world stage.”

“Yet I still drift with the currents, not master of my fate.”

From a wanderer in the Ser Wilderness to ruler of Romania, to King of the North... he had climbed to this point, each step balanced on a blade’s edge.

But he discovered no matter how high he climbed, he could not truly seize his destiny.

What he could do now was to make the best choices when greater forces collided after these events.

“I am still not strong enough. Otherwise I wouldn’t be burdened by so many concerns.”

He raised his head and looked at the sky. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Those sky city silhouettes hung quietly, like stars visible in daylight, but he knew they would fall, one after another.

“What level must I reach to truly act as I please, without restraint?”

He asked himself softly.

The wind answered with a howl. There was no response.

Three days later.

Flame of dominance surged around Garoth; Dragon Qi condensed but did not dissipate. He had just finished a set of explosive-qi adaptive training and was adjusting his breath, ready for the next round.

Suddenly, Sorog’s mental whisper arrived.

“An envoy has come to visit.”

“Who?”

Garoth stopped moving.

His training schedule was regular and Sorog knew it; he would not normally send contact at such a time unless it was important.

If Sorog messaged him now, the envoy’s identity was likely not ordinary.

Indeed, Sorog’s tone turned grave. “An envoy from Halden, sent from one of their sky cities. I have verified his identity. It is genuine.”

The Red Iron Dragon’s gaze sharpened.

Halden.

Since abandoning the surface, that behemoth had almost severed all ties with other kingdoms.

Their sky cities hovered, cut off by thick cloud layers from the surface. Their envoys no longer trod the ground and their voices no longer reached any court.

Halden had become a legend, something seen only in the distance.

Now an envoy had come.

Three days earlier Garoth had speculated Halden might act after the anomaly with the third sky city.

But he had not expected a Halden envoy to appear in the Aola Kingdom.

“...Interesting.”

His voice was low. “I want to see what Halden intends.”

Valdo Palace, Council Hall.

When the Red Iron Dragon entered the broad chamber, a figure waited within.

A human — a young human.

He stood in the center of the hall with a straight posture, appraising the furnishings.

Sensing the dragon’s presence, he looked up.

A young face, regular features, clear eyes.

His eyes were light brown, shimmering faintly in the window light. He wore Halden envoy robes: a white long gown with gold trim, the imperial insignia stitched on the chest — a city floating upon clouds.

His gaze rested on the Red Iron Dragon with reverence.

Then the envoy bowed slightly, performing Halden etiquette: right hand to chest, right knee slightly bent forward, left hand behind his back, body inclined fifteen degrees. The motion was flawless.

“Your Majesty Ignas.”

“On behalf of the Halden Empire, envoy to Aola, Daniels, pays respects.”

The Red Iron Dragon settled upon the high dais and looked down at him.

“Your envoys have not set foot on the ground for a long time.”

Daniels nodded.

“Yes, Your Majesty. That was our neglect.” He paused and continued, “But I have come now to make amends.”

Garoth remained silent, merely watching and waiting.

Daniels bowed again, this time deeper, to express greater respect before straightening and smiling faintly.

“Before the formal discussion, please allow me a few personal words.”

“Speak.”

Daniels’ eyes flickered as though recalling something.

“My father, named Glen, was once Halden’s observer charged with monitoring unrest on the Romanian Plains.”

“When Your Majesty first founded your state, my father noticed you. At that time you had just emerged and taken a foothold in Romania, but great enemies lurked and could swallow you at any moment.”

“As he observed your growth, he increasingly recognized your potential and strength.”

“He witnessed your unification of Romania, watched you become the ruler of the North. Every year he updated reports about you, recording your changes.”

An observer...

Someone had quietly watched and recorded me?

Garoth was not surprised by the idea.

He inclined his head slightly, signaling Daniels to continue.

“My father wrote countless reports to the imperial core, detailing your rise.”

“He predicted you would unite Romania — that prediction was correct. He predicted you would become the master of the North — also correct. He even advised the empire to contact you proactively, or...”

Daniels hesitated.

Then continued:

“To eliminate you preemptively.”

The air in the hall froze at once.

The Red Iron Dragon’s faceplate was heavy and unreadable; the deep dragon self showed no outward change.

Under his gaze, Daniels suddenly felt a chill crawl over his body.

It was indescribable, like countless blades pressed to the most vulnerable parts; one wrong move and he'd be cut to pieces.

His spine snapped rigid and a fine sweat broke across his brow.

“Your Majesty, please forgive us.”

He explained: “This was my father’s duty.”

“He was the observer. His job was to assess threats, predict risks, and propose measures. Eliminating threats was part of that duty — based on risk evaluation, not personal grudge, not specifically aimed at you.”

“I speak now simply so there is no concealment between us.”

The great dragon’s expression did not change.

Even so, the suffocating pressure that had nearly overwhelmed Daniels eased quickly.

“You felt no hostile moves from Liguishan,” the Red Iron Dragon said slowly. “Nor did you suffer any attacks from Halden.”

Daniels exhaled in relief.

“Yes. At that time the empire was preoccupied with developing the Abyss and paid little attention to Material Plane affairs.”

“Our eyes were fixed on the Abyss, rejoicing at the energy extracted and proud of our floating cities. Surface kingdoms, whether human or dragon or other empires, were no longer our focus.”

“So the reports were shelved and the recommendations put aside.”

“My father’s analyses, predictions, and warnings… all gathered dust in the archives.”

“Until recently.”

His gaze turned serious. “You twice leveled Abyssal Rifts and turned the tide. The imperial core took notice and dug out those years-old reports and my father’s analyses, then found many of his predictions had come true.”

“And I was dispatched in his stead to visit the Aola Kingdom.”

The Red Iron Dragon shifted into a more comfortable reclining pose.

“Now speak plainly.”

“You come on Halden’s behalf. For what purpose?”

At those words, Daniels’ expression hardened.

He straightened, hands falling naturally to his sides, and looked up at the Red Iron Dragon with respect and gravity in his eyes.

“Your Majesty, Atlantis is at the brink.”

“You have seen three sky cities fall. You should suspect it: this is Abyssal erosion, not accident. The Abyss is actively attacking us.”

He sighed; his tone grew complex.

“The three Bernardo states were at a stalemate with limited room for growth.”

“Seeking new resources, we risked developing the Abyss. At first we were cautious, stepping carefully. The Abyss is too dangerous; we knew it.”

“But as time passed and returns grew, we relaxed.”

He sounded bitter.

“No one expected that the resources we brought back would hide Abyssal power within them.”

“The ores, the crystals, the energies... we thought they were pure resources, but they concealed things deep and subtle, undetectable.”

“Especially the sky city engines used to extract Abyssal energy.”

“The Abyss permeated our engines, silently infiltrating, corroding, and transforming them. By the time we discovered it, it was too late. Those engines we once took pride in had become the Abyss’s claws.”

“Even our powerful individuals were quietly corrupted.”

Garoth’s pupils narrowed as he pondered.

Engines. Corruption. Infiltration.

Though lacking full specifics, he had a rough outline.

In developing the Abyss, Halden had created engines that could draw Abyssal energy.

Before that, their pride had been in several sky cities.

But levitating cities demanded a heavy cost, so only the paramount cities initially rose.

After the engines were made and installed beneath other cities, they constantly siphoned power from the Abyss and granted near-infinite energy.

With that energy they turned all cities into sky cities and the nation rose into the clouds, severed from the ground.

But they failed to foresee this:

The Abyss was not just an energy source; it was a living presence.

It had will and purpose. While the engines drew energy they were also being seeped into and molded. Over long spans they were gradually turned into Abyssal things.

Once all Halden cities had engines and could no longer abandon them, the Abyss revealed its fangs.

“In that case, you should abandon the engines immediately and return to the surface.”

Garoth said.

That was the most direct solution.

If the engines were corrupted, stop using them, return to the land and start anew. Heavy losses, yes, but better than the entire empire swallowed.

Daniels showed a deeper bitter smile.

“It’s not that we don’t want to, but we can’t.”

He shook his head helplessly. “Your Majesty, do you know how rifts form? You cannot open a rift just anywhere. Rifts need the earth as a medium; Abyssal power has to pass through the earth to stabilize into the Material Plane.”

“In the skies we can still resist somewhat.”

“Above the clouds, the Abyss’s force is weakened; the closer to the surface, the more severe the corruption.”

“If we return to the surface, every sky city would collapse, every engine would lose control, and each city could become a massive rift.”

“That is why we entirely abandoned the surface, abandoned the Central Lands, abandoned all ground industries.”

“And that is why... we cannot set foot on the ground.”

Garoth fell into thought.

Indeed, he knew rift formation required a medium.

Opening a rift in the sky and relying on the earth were entirely different challenges.

Sky rifts demanded constant injection of power to hold them, whereas a rift opened through the earth could self-expand, self-stabilize, and multiply.

No wonder Halden preferred to hang in the air rather than risk grounding.

The former could buy some time; the latter meant total annihilation.

“Even in the sky, the Abyssal corruption continues.”

Daniels said: “Those fallen sky cities went down because their engines were corrupted to the point of losing control and plummeted to the ground, becoming planar rifts.”

“And within the empire, more people have been corrupted and thrown into the Abyss.”

“Our most trusted colleagues, closest compatriots, most revered mentors... some have been corrupted and became claws of the Abyss.”

“We had to kill them with our own hands.”

“But we did not give up.”

He continued: “In places unseen by surface nations over the years, we have fought the Abyss. We purified corrupted comrades, repaired damaged engines, and sought countermeasures... but progress is slow while corruption accelerates. Each day brings new bad news, new losses.”

He paused and looked at the Red Iron Dragon.

“Until you intervened.”

He said reverently.

“Me?”

Garoth asked without change in tone: “How does this concern me?”

Daniels replied: “Demons are the claws of the Abyss. The two feed each other. The more demons, the stronger the Abyss; the stronger the Abyss, the deeper its penetration. They mutually nourish and support.”

“You cleared Abyssal Rifts twice and killed a great number of demons, even a Great Demon.”

“Those demons originally would have surged into the Material Plane, spreading corruption and expanding rifts, but you stopped them. Those rifts would have grown deeper, but you leveled them instead.”

A hint of admiration glinted in his eyes.

“Demons concentrated many forces to corrupt the first two sky cities and to bypass our defenses. They succeeded, but they did not expect your existence in Atlantis.”

“You greatly depleted Abyssal strength and disrupted the demons’ plan.”

He bowed: “You may not know, but each of your victories eased the pressure on Halden in the sky. Those corrupted engines quieted temporarily after demon defeats; comrades near losing control regained clarity when the Abyssal aura weakened.”

Is that so?

A supposed villain in the eyes of mortals has played the continent’s savior?

Garoth felt a twinge of surprise.

But he understood clearly.

Halden’s Mandate of Heaven and Immortal ranks might be entangled with the Abyss. Those atop the world could be battling something in the Abyss’s deepest reaches and could not spare full effort.

They could act, but only at great cost and not with full force.

Indeed, Garoth’s rift-clearing possibly alleviated Halden’s burden somewhat, granting them unexpected relief — like a drowning person grabbing a floating board. Daniels’ words likely contained flattery too.

“Your Majesty, you have blocked the Abyss’s incursion for all Atlantis.”

The envoy bowed again, deeper still until fully bent.

“On behalf of Halden and Atlantis, I offer our highest respect. If not for you, this continent might already have fallen.”

If Samantha heard these words, her tail would likely wag to the sky.

Garoth, however, was not Samantha.

He stared at Daniels, unmoved.

“Save your praise. Tell me your purpose.”

Daniels straightened and said solemnly: “We want to cooperate with you to defend Atlantis and resist the Abyss.”

“There will be more sky cities losing control.”

“The corrupted engines cannot always be repaired. When they lose control completely, they will fall again.”

“When such a situation is about to occur, we will notify you in advance.”

“We will tell you which city is going to fall and roughly when, and then... we ask that you intervene and destroy it. Don’t give it the chance to hit the ground.”

“Destroy our sky city?”

Garoth’s eyes flickered.

Daniels nodded.

“Yes. Instead of letting it crash intact and gouge giant Abyssal rifts on the surface and escalate chaos, better to destroy it midair.”

“At present, our Mandate holders and Immortals can’t leave their posts.”

“And besides them, only you in all Atlantis can completely destroy a runaway sky city at once, leaving no chance for rifts to form.”

The envoy’s gaze was earnest. “This is the only plan we considered that can temporarily stem the Abyss’s spread.”

“Although only a temporary delay, if it wins us time, we might find a real solution.”