The victory at the Obsidian Ridge had shifted the political landscape of the Apex Institute. No longer were Konja and his friends seen as mere "basement dwellers"; they were now the Hegemony's most volatile assets. This newfound status came with a price: the Gilded Mandate.
"The Summit of Stars requires a centerpiece," Lord Malchor announced from his shadow-draped throne in the High Spire. "A dish that proves the Hegemony's dominion over all elements. For this, we require the Salt of the Ancients—a crystalline substance found only in the deepest trenches of the Kingdom of Aquaria."
Konja stood at attention, the Heavens-Seared Cleaver-Blade humming at his back. Beside him, Mina, Renzo, and Tali looked equally tense.
"Aquaria is an isolationist monarchy," Malchor continued, his eyes tracking the silver brand on Konja's palm. "They do not trade with the surface. You are to act as diplomats. If you fail to secure the salt, you do not return to the Institute. You will be considered exiles of the Hegemony."
The Descent to the Azure Gate
The journey to the coast took six days, but the true challenge began at the Azure Gate—a massive whirlpool three miles offshore that served as the entrance to the undersea realm.
To survive the crushing depths, the group was provided with Aura-Spheres, crystalline helmets that used the wearer's Prana to create a breathable, pressurized bubble.
"Everyone, sync your breathing," Mina instructed as they stood on the deck of a brass-hulled submersible. "Aquarian Prana is fluid. It doesn't strike like lightning; it flows like a tide. If you resist it, the pressure will crush your lungs."
Konja looked at Zale. The indigo fox was agitated, his fur sparking as he sniffed the salt air. "It's okay, buddy," Konja whispered. "We're just going to a different kind of kitchen."
They dived.
The world turned from sun-dappled turquoise to a deep, midnight indigo. As they descended, the bioluminescent city of Aquaria came into view—a sprawling metropolis of coral spires and pearlescent domes, built within a giant air-pocket maintained by the "Great Current."
The Court of Coral
They were met at the gates by the Abyssal Guard—warriors riding giant, armored seahorses, wielding tridents made of "Hard-Water." They were led to the Throne of Tides, where Queen Thalassa sat. She was a woman of regal beauty, her skin shimmering like abalone shell and her hair floating around her as if she were still in the water.
"Surface-dwellers," the Queen said, her voice echoing like a conch shell. "The Hegemony grows arrogant. You send children to ask for the heart of our history? The Salt of the Ancients is not a spice; it is the fossilized memory of the First Ocean."
"We don't come as conquerors, Your Majesty," Konja said, stepping forward and bowing low. "We come as chefs. We seek the salt to create a harmony between the land and the sea at the Summit of Stars."
The Queen's eyes narrowed. "A chef? Many have claimed that title. But can you cook in a world where fire is a dream?"
The Trial of the Sunless Kitchen
The Queen issued a challenge: "Prepare a dish that captures the warmth of the sun, here in the freezing dark of the Trench. Do this, and I will grant you a single grain of the Salt. Fail, and you shall remain here as pearl-divers for the rest of your days."
The group was led to the Thermal Vent Kitchen, a chamber built over a volcanic rift. The heat was there, but it was raw, chaotic, and smothered by the surrounding cold.
"We can't use traditional fire," Renzo said, looking at the bubbling sulfuric vents. "The steam will just scald the ingredients."
"And we can't use Zale's lightning," Tali added. "In this water-saturated air, he'll just electrocute us all."
Konja looked at the ingredients provided: Abyssal Kelp, Translucent Trench-Crab, and Glowing Moss-Shrimp. All of them were cold, rubbery, and held no inherent "warmth."
"We need the Umami of the Deep," Konja realized.
He sat in the center of the kitchen, closing his eyes. He reached out with the Fifth Pillar, not to fight the pressure, but to become it. He remembered the Slow-Cooker lesson from Master Omi.
"Mina, use your ribbons to create a vacuum-seal around the crab," Konja commanded. "Renzo, I need you to vibrate your blades at a frequency that generates friction-heat inside the meat, without breaking the shell."
The Pressure-Cooked Soul
Konja took the lead. He didn't use a stove. He used the Pressure of the Ocean.
He channeled his Prana into the water surrounding the ingredients, intensifying the atmospheric weight until the molecules began to vibrate. It was a "Cold-Sear." The meat of the Trench-Crab began to change texture, the proteins breaking down and releasing a rich, buttery aroma that defied the sulfuric surroundings.
"Zale, give it the 'Sunlight' resonance," Konja whispered.
Zale didn't release a bolt. He began to hum, a low-frequency golden resonance that mimicked the spectrum of a summer afternoon in Oakhaven.
The final dish was the Solar-Trench Bisque. It was a liquid sun, held together by the very pressure that sought to crush it.
The Gift of the Ancients
Queen Thalassa tasted the dish. As the warmth hit her tongue, her cold demeanor melted. For a moment, her eyes reflected the light of a sun she had never seen.
"You have done the impossible," she whispered. "You have brought the surface to the deep without destroying either."
She stood and gestured toward a small, obsidian pedestal. Atop it sat a single, fist-sized crystal that glowed with an ancient, pulsing blue light. The Salt of the Ancients.
"Take it," she said. "But know this, Konja Munka. This salt has the power to preserve a soul—or to crystallize it in eternal pain. Use it only for the final seasoning."
The Shadow in the Current
As they prepared to leave, a dark shape flickered in the periphery of the Azure Gate. It wasn't an Aquarian. It was a man in a pressurized suit, his mask etched with the symbol of the Void-Howlers.
"They're here," Renzo hissed, his Leaf-Blight clicking.
"They don't want the salt," Konja realized, clutching the crystal to his chest. "They want the chef."
A massive explosion rocked the sea-floor as the Void-Howlers detonated a "Depressurization Charge." The Azure Gate began to collapse, the water rushing in with the force of a falling moon.
"Go! To the submersible!" Konja roared.
As they fought their way through the collapsing currents, Konja looked back to see the Queen's guards engaged in a fierce battle with the intruders. The diplomatic mission had just turned into an underwater war, and the "Salt of the Ancients" was now the most dangerous ingredient in Konja's arsenal.