Part 1: The Cost of a Miracle
The excitement of breaking the "Ceiling" faded quickly as reality set in on the deck of the Obsidian Leviathan.
The Dragon Turtle drifted on the surface of the new sea, its breathing heavy and labored.
But the Turtle wasn't the only one suffering.
"Caelum!" Luna cried out as the High Elf stumbled.
Caelum collapsed against the main mast. His skin was pale, almost translucent. Thin spiderwebs of black veins were pulsing on his neck—a sign of severe Mana Burn.
"Make way!" Seraphina shouted, rushing forward with her staff glowing white.
She knelt beside Caelum, placing her hands hovering over his chest.
[Spell: Life Tether]
A golden chain of light connected Seraphina's heart to Caelum's, stabilizing his erratic heartbeat instantly.
"His physical shell is failing," Seraphina reported, her voice tight with focus. "The mana burn is eating his nervous system. I can keep his heart beating, but I can't fix the mana deficiency."
"That's my job," Luna said, uncorking a blue potion and carefully tilting it into Caelum's mouth.
[Status Alert]
[Condition: Critical Exhaustion.]
[Stabilized by: Seraphina.]
"I am... fine," Caelum rasped, though blood trickled from his nose. "The barrier... it took more than I calculated."
"Stop talking," Elian said, kneeling beside them. "Seraphina, keep him stable. Luna, monitor his mana levels. Don't let him cast a single spell."
"You used your own life force as a battery," Elian said, kneeling beside him. He placed a hand on Caelum's shoulder. It felt cold. "Stop talking. Meditate. Don't cast a single spell."
"We are vulnerable," Caelum whispered, his blind eyes searching Elian's face. "The Dynasty... is behind us."
"Let them come," Elian said softly. "Right now, your job isn't to fight. It's to breathe."
Part 2: The Map in the Mind
Elian stood up and looked out at the horizon of Floor 26.
To the untrained eye, it was a chaotic mess of floating rocks and jungles.
To Elian, it was a chessboard he had already memorized.
31 Islands, Elian counted mentally.
13 are abundant with general resources.
But only 4 have the specific density of Mana Crystals we need to refuel the ship and Caelum.
He looked at the geography. The islands weren't isolated. Connecting them were massive Aether-Streams—rivers of water that defied gravity, flowing through the air like bridges connecting the landmasses.
"Orion," Elian commanded. "Do not sail into the open sky. Take the stream to the East."
"The current is fast there," Orion noted. "It leads to the jagged island with the blue mist."
"That's Isle 4: The Sapphire Crag," Elian explained to the crew. "It has a Mana Crystal mine. It's finite—it won't last forever—but it has enough raw energy to recharge Caelum and the ship for the next leg of the journey. It will serve as our temporary forward base."
"A pit stop," Jax nodded. "I like it."
Part 3: The Escape
The Dragon Turtle groaned and paddled toward the massive floating river.
As it entered the stream, the current grabbed them. It was like a waterslide for giants.
The Turtle surged forward, riding the magical water bridge toward the distant Sapphire Crag.
Elian watched the entrance point—the spot where they had breached the surface—shrink in the distance.
He saw the Dynasty ship emerging from the foam.
"They see us," Elian noted. "But they can't move."
Part 4: Dead in the Water
Two miles back, at the breach point.
The Golden Shark (the Dynasty Submarine/Ship hybrid) bobbed helplessly on the waves.
Smoke poured from its engine room. The ascent through the Whirlpool had stripped its armor plating and shattered its rudder.
"Target is escaping!" a spotter shouted from the crow's nest. "Eclipse is taking the Eastern Stream!"
Thorne, projecting his voice via a communication crystal from the guild base on Floor 24, screamed at the Captain.
"Pursue them! Do not let them fortify!"
"We can't, sir!" the Captain yelled back, kicking a piece of debris. "The pressure hull is cracked! If we enter that high-speed river, we'll disintegrate! We need at least three hours for emergency repairs!"
Thorne cursed. "Fix it. And send the coordinates to the fleet. We aren't the only ones coming."
Part 5: The Floodgates Open
As the Dynasty crew scrambled to hammer their ship back together, the ocean around them began to churn again.
The Whirlpools were active.
WHOOSH.
From the second Whirlpool, a sleek, black corvette shot out. It landed silently, slicing through the water with barely a splash.
The sails bore the insignia of a black flower.
Guild: Black Lotus.
Viper's assassins had arrived. They didn't stop to repair; their ship was light, built for speed. They immediately engaged stealth mode, vanishing into the mist.
BOOM.
From the third Whirlpool, a massive ironclad fortress emerged. It hit the water like a meteor, creating a tsunami that rocked the damaged Dynasty ship.
The hull was thick steel, untouched by the pressure.
Guild: Vanguard.
Bastion's tanks had arrived.
Then came the others. High-level independent parties. Mercenary groups. The "Elites" of the server who had passed the pressure test.
Dozens of ships began to dot the horizon of Floor 26.
Elian watched from the distance as the Obsidian Leviathan disappeared behind the cliffs of the Sapphire Crag.
The head start was over.
The race for the Archipelago had begun.