The skies above the southern region were dark and cloudy. A light drizzle fell, turning the rivers gray and making everything feel quiet and tense across the swamp-filled land.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
The clouds split apart as three massive dragons soared through the air. Riding atop each of them were Nox, Adrian, and Eve.
Nox's hair billowed as the wind rushed past, his eyes locked onto the land below.
"We're here…" he muttered, narrowing his eyes.
The southern region of the Vermilion Kingdom looked calm at a glance—serene rivers flowed lazily through winding banks, tall mangrove trees swayed with the breeze, and amphibious birds chirped atop mossy rocks.
But to the trained eye, this calm was false.
"Seems the enemies were expecting us," Adrian noted, scanning the land with narrowed eyes. "News really travels far, huh?"
"Five towns," Nox murmured, staring at the glowing holographic map floating beside him. "Each one built on a small isle, all linked by narrow wooden bridges."
