The Frozen Citadel's massive crystalline landing platform stretched across the gap forming an impossible bridge of pure Arcane Ice where only air should have been. The severe cold radiating from the building penetrated deep into the elemental core of their existence drowning out the air disorder.
When the three figures the Prime Elementals noticed their presence, the air went utterly calm, free of wind and sound. The stress was intense.
Ethan, Vulcan, Anchor, and the Stag stood securely on the short edge looking over the vast void at the delegation of Sovereigns. This was the turning point in the story's development.
The exchange was begun by the central figure, the Prime Elemental of Order, a humanoid shape carved from perfect white jade. Its voice was a powerful, resonating notion that passed through Ethan's armor and landed right in his consciousness.
"You are the ones who risked the Anti-Magic fields and the Great Collapse for the sake of balance". "You brought our Guardian home."
The Stag realizing its home gradually backed away from Anchor's protecting grasp. It took a step forward onto the narrow edge pulled back and then with great effort leapt across the gap. It lightly landed on the Citadel platform's Arcane Ice.
The three Prime Elementals converged on the stag. They contacted its crystalline hide injecting massive focused amounts of stabilizing, restoring energy into the creature. The Stag's dullness vanished in an instant replaced with a dazzling interior light that flashed, driving out the residual mist. The recovery was complete.
The Stag now completely restored returned its attention to the people on the platform. It did not speak openly but instead projected its thoughts into Ethan's mind a stream of ancient chilling information delivered with the clarity of time.
"We are the foundations of Aethelgard," the Stag explained. "The Citadel is not a fortress, but a machine a balancer built by the Ancestors to control the world's chaotic elemental flow." "The main functioning elements are Order, Ice, and Air. My function is the Arctic Stag of Dissolution: I am the living controller of Anti-Magic, ensuring that chaotic forces do not deplete the Elemental balance."
The Stag then stated its situation. "I was targeted by a faction attempting to disrupt the world for personal gain, a mysterious entity seeking power through elemental disorder. They dragged me away from the Citadel, weakening me so that the chaotic Earth Elementals could complete the catastrophe. I was an escapee, not a wanderer."
The Stag's projected thought continued providing crucial insights into Aethelgard's history. "The world you live in is fundamentally unstable. Without the Citadel, the elements run wild. You did more than just save an Entity; you restored the fundamental balancer of the entire realm."
The Prime Elemental of Order then began giving the awards, recognizing the achievements of the entire party.
The Prime of Order concentrated first on Vulcan. "You are an artisan of materials, Master Artisan. You used battle materials to safeguard peace materials. Your dedication to truth won you our own spirit".
The Prime Elemental of Ice lifted a large jagged hand. A wave of pure raw Arcane Ice erupted from the Citadel forming a massive perfectly stable chunk of material that floated across the gap and landed at Vulcan's feet.
[NEW MATERIAL ACQUIRED: PRIME ARCANE ICE (MYTHIC GRADE UNIQUE)]
The foundation material for the Frozen Citadel. Provides creations with total elemental stability and great endurance. Sovereign Integrity is required for Mythic Forging.
Vulcan knelt carefully his palm resting on the pristine slab of ice his silent respect for the substance evident.
The Prime of Air then turned its attention to Ethan. "You are the observer. You noticed the design behind the chaos. Your reward is efficiency and knowledge."
The Prime of Order extended his hand. A flash of pure structured light struck Ethan's Shadow-Weave Mantle.
[NOTIFICATION: AETHELHEART VOW QUEST COMPLETED]
[REWARD GRANTED: LEGENDARY ITEM UPGRADED TO MYTHIC TIER : SHADOW WEAVE MANTLE]
[NEW MYTHIC SKILL: ELEMENTAL GHOST: GIVES 3 SECONDS OF PERFECT ELEMENTAL IMMUNITY. COOL-DOWN OF 120 SECONDS]
[PASSIVE UPGRADE: SOVEREIGN EFFICIENCY: MOVEMENT SKILL CONSUMES 50% LESS STAMINA]
[EXP AWARDED: 4,500,000 EXP]
The sheer influx of Experience was massive
[LEVEL UP 57]
[LEVEL UP 58]
[LEVEL UP 59]
[LEVEL UP 60]
[LEVEL UP 61]
[LEVEL UP 62]
Ethan felt his fundamental skills instantly settle and strengthen a suitable reward for the effort required to complete the SSS Rank quest.
Finally the Prime Elemental of Air turned its whole attention to Anchor. Anchor the giant slime pulsed steadily as it recognized the Sovereign's attention.
"You are the Moving Guardian" the Prime said to the slime. "You defied your own nature the chaos by providing flawless unshakeable stability. You maintained the equilibrium through the flames and the storm. The most significant reward for a Core Guardian is the permanent refining of its core."
The three Prime Elementals merged their energies. A beam of pure, cooled, structured light struck Anchor's massive, squishy body. The beam was absorbed without violence but with a calm thorough assimilation.
Anchor's entire body stood out and its central core the source of its chaotic magic grew somewhat smaller, becoming more concentrated and crystalline.
[ANCHOR THE CHAOS CORE GUARDIAN PERMANENTLY MODIFIED]
[NEW PASSIVE ABILITY: PRIME STABILITY: Anchor's controlled chaotic fields (such as thermal shields) are now completely resistant to external elemental corruption and energy-stripping effects. Anchor's core is now spontaneously producing stable Anti-Magic essence.]
Anchor had gotten a one-of-a-kind permanent upgrade that solidified its status as the premier support system team assuring that its shields would never again be damaged by an Anti-Magic Cascade or elemental interference.
[LORE UNLOCK: THE CITADELS TRUST. REPUTATION STATUS: SOVEREIGN ALLY (PERMANENT)]
[THE PRIME ELEMENTALS COMPLETELY TRUST THE GUARDIAN, THE OBSERVER , THE MASTER ARTISAN. THE FROZEN CITADELS FACILITIES ARE PERMANENTLY FOR YOUR USE]
The three Prime Elementals dispersed gradually integrating with the Citadel's flawless architecture. The Stag stood on the platform its crystalline head inclined slightly toward the gathering, a silent promise of future assistance.
Vulcan gently attached the gigantic block of Prime Arcane Ice to his bag a single thing emanating enormous weight and value. He turned to Ethan, his demeanor indicating respect.
"The vow has been fulfilled Witness" the master artisan said, the immense potential of the Mythic Arcane Ice is filling his head. "We have the materials, lore and foundation. Our next step is clear: use the materials we've achieved to start Mythic production."
Ethan glanced across the depths of the Citadel a permanent base of operations and the key to the next level of creation. The Stag Arc was completed. A new age of Mythic production and content development was set to commence.