King Felix II, adorned in the Void Anchor Garb and wearing the Flow-Dampening Scarf (the defensive item Evelyn recommended), led his small, aggressive diplomatic convoy toward the Lunio border. The convoy consisted of his personal Flow-ship, protected by two smaller, high-AI escort vessels.
The main route was the ancient trade road through the mountains—a road that had been safe for centuries, secured by old, un-aesthetic treaties.
Rhea, the Knight-Captain, was tense. "Your Majesty, their rejection was absolute. If this fails, we move immediately to tactical retreat. We are deep in hostile ideological territory."
"We will not retreat, Rhea," Felix stated, his eyes fixed on the holographic map. "We will project power. Lunio must understand that the Flow is the reality of this age."
Just as the convoy was entering the final mountain pass—the gateway to the vast, austere plains of Lunio—the ground began to shake violently.
A specialized, terrifying magical force was unleashed from the Lunio side of the border.
"It's not a physical attack, Your Majesty! It's geological magic!" Rhea yelled from the command console.
Lunio forces had used their Doctrine of Undivided Light magic to perform a massive, deliberate act of environmental destruction. The stone and earth of the mountain pass were instantly and aggressively 'Purified'—stripped of all aesthetic, chaotic, or individual energy. This focused purge of energy caused the mountainside to crumble violently.
A colossal landslide of unnaturally clean, sterile rock and dust roared down, completely obliterating the main road. The sheer force was not from gravity, but from the terrifyingly focused Purity Magic that stripped all cohesion from the rock.
"The path is blocked!" Evelyn's voice crackled over the comms from the Command Center back in the capital. "The Purified debris will take weeks to clear. They have isolated you, Sire!"
Felix stared at the screen showing the impassable wall of rubble. "They knew our route. They didn't want a negotiation; they wanted isolation."
Evelyn, the ever-prepared Chief Strategist, immediately provided the only remaining option, delivered with professional urgency:
"Your Majesty, there is only one viable path left: the Serpent's Coil Pass. It's an old, unmapped goat track. It's too treacherous for our airship, and it is entirely outside the range of the newly expanded Global Flow Net. It is a psychic dead zone, similar to the Void of Lost Focus."
"A psychic dead zone..." Felix murmured, recalling his earlier confrontation. "They are trying to lure us into a place where the Flow cannot protect us."
"But it is the only path to the plains before winter sets in, Sire," Evelyn insisted. "Lunio expects you to turn back. Taking the pass shows your unwavering resolve."
Felix made the hard decision. He couldn't afford to show fear or weakness.
"Land the convoy immediately," Felix ordered. "We will proceed on foot, using the Serpent's Coil Pass. Rhea, deploy the ground defense measures. Evelyn, maintain a passive surveillance sweep from the Command Center. If we lose contact, assume the worst."
As the vessels landed, Felix pulled the Flow-Dampening Scarf tighter around his neck. The knowledge that he was entering a zone where his connection to the Global Flow Net was entirely severed, and he had to rely only on his personal DF reserves and his small team, felt incredibly risky.
He was stepping out of the safety of the Imperium and directly into the path of the unseen enemy.