The dagger sank deep. The [Reality Sever] passive ignored the physical resistance of the undersuit. The void energy flooded Drakon's nervous system.

"ARGH!" Drakon roared, dropping his sword. He reached up to grab Alvian, but his arm spasmed and locked up.

Alvian twisted the blade.

"Down."

He kicked off Drakon's back. The Commander fell to his knees, paralyzed, just as the main bulk of the avalanche buried him.

[Target Neutralized (Temporary).]

"He's not dead," Alvian said, landing beside Valeria. He helped her up. "Dragons are tough. That will hold him for maybe two minutes."

"Two minutes is good," Valeria panted, her arm hanging limp. "I think my shield arm is broken."

"We need to leave," Alvian said. "The Legion is still coming."

But the path was blocked.

Not by Dragons. By Whale Sharks.

From the shadows of the upper trench, King Megalos emerged. He wasn't alone. He had rallied his personal guard, the elite "Deep Eaters." He looked at the buried Dragon Knight, then at the weary Alvian.

"You did it," Megalos laughed, a sound like grinding rocks. "You weakened them. Now, the power of the Eighth Faction belongs to me!"

"You idiot," Alvian said, his voice cold. "You think you can control them?"

"I have the Syndicate's technology!" Megalos shouted, holding up a black control rod similar to the one Baron had used. "They promised me! If I capture a Commander, I can bind the Legion!"

"The Syndicate lied," Alvian stated. "Run, Megalos. While you still have legs."

Megalos sneered. "Coward. Watch how a true King conquers."

He marched past Alvian, his guards forming a wedge. They approached the pile of rubble where Drakon was buried.

"Megalos, don't!" Valeria shouted.

The rubble exploded.

Drakon burst out of the rock. He was bleeding from the neck, his armor dented, but his rage was absolute. He saw Megalos. He saw the control rod.

"SLAVE DRIVER!" Drakon roared.

Megalos activated the rod. A beam of red light shot out, hitting Drakon.

It did nothing.

Drakon's [Absolute Nullification] passive absorbed the spell. He didn't even flinch.

Megalos's eyes widened. "What? The device... it's supposed to..."

Drakon moved. He didn't use a weapon. He grabbed Megalos by the head with one hand.

"You are not worthy of my name," Drakon hissed.

"SQUELCH."

Drakon crushed Megalos's skull. The King of the Whale Sharks, the terror of the East, died instantly, his body going limp in the Dragon's grip.

The Deep Eaters froze. Their King was dead.

Drakon threw the corpse aside. He looked at the guards.

"Burn."

He breathed. A cone of red dragon fire incinerated the elite guards in seconds. The water boiled. The armor melted.

Alvian watched, his face impassive.

"Told you," Alvian muttered.

Drakon turned his gaze back to Alvian. The wound in his neck was already closing.

"You..." Drakon growled, ignoring the charred remains of the Whale Sharks. "You hurt me. Good. Now, we finish this."

Alvian checked his mana. Half full. His health. Critical. Valeria was combat ineffective. Seraphina was out of bombs.

"Inefficient to fight a enraged boss with no support," Alvian analyzed.

He grabbed Valeria. He signaled Seraphina.

"[Void Step]: Max Range."

He teleported. Not forward. Backward. Up the trench wall.

"Coward!" Drakon roared, leaping after them, but the distance was too great.

Alvian landed on a high ridge, overlooking the battlefield. The Draconic Legion was swarming over the corpse of Megalos, consuming the fallen Whale Sharks.

"The seal is broken," Seraphina whispered, looking down at the red tide rising from the deep. "Azureus is next."

"We can't stop them here," Alvian said. "We need a fortress. We go back to the city. We prepare the siege."

"But they'll follow us," Valeria said, clutching her broken arm.

"I'm counting on it," Alvian said. "But first, I need a weapon that can pierce those scales. My dagger worked, but it's close range. I need range."

He looked at his [Lance of the Void Winter]. It was chipped.

"I need the Guardian of the Bow," Alvian said.

"Aris?" Seraphina asked. "He's a hermit. He lives in the Crystal Spires. He hasn't spoken to anyone in twenty years."

"Then he has had plenty of time to practice," Alvian said. "Let's go."

The retreat to the Crystal Spires was a desperate race. The water behind them vibrated with the roars of the Draconic Legion. They weren't just staying in the trench; they were rising. The invasion of Azureus had begun.

Alvian carried Valeria, his [Vestments] enhancing his strength. Seraphina scouted ahead. They reached the Crystal Spires—a district of towering, natural crystal formations that hummed with a pure, sharp mana.

The architecture here was delicate, refined. It was a place of silence and precision.

They found the Guardian's tower. It was a single, needle-like spire rising from the center of the district. There was no door. Only a window, five hundred feet up.

"He doesn't like visitors," Seraphina noted.

"He'll like us," Alvian said. "We're bringing him targets."

Alvian flew up, carrying Valeria. He landed on the windowsill.

Inside, the room was sparse. No furniture. Just a rack of bows on the wall, and a man sitting in the center, fletching an arrow.

He was an Elf-Kin, tall and lean, with eyes that looked like they could see through walls.

[Target Identified: Guardian Aris (The Silent Bow)]

[Level: 57]

[Class: Arcane Sniper]

[Status: Focused]

Aris didn't look up. "You brought noise," he said. His voice was soft, barely a whisper.

"I brought war," Alvian corrected, stepping inside. He placed Valeria gently on the floor. "The Draconic Seal is broken. The Legion is rising."

Aris paused. He looked at the arrow in his hand.

"I know," Aris said. "I can hear the water screaming."

"I need your Art," Alvian said. "I need [Abyssal Arrow]. I need to pierce their scales from a distance."

Aris looked at Alvian. His gaze was sharp, penetrating. He looked at the [Lance] on Alvian's back. He looked at the void energy clinging to him.

"You are a hammer," Aris said. "My Art is a needle. You lack the patience."

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