Eight distinct parties were assembled before the entrance in the pale grey morning, totaling over forty elite Climbers. It was the largest concentrated force Nathan had ever seen. At the vanguard stood Silver Drake, their formation a flawless wall of polished steel and armored constructs. Flanking them was Red Dragon's strike team, the air above them shimmering with the ambient heat radiating from their sunmons. Golden Hawk held the rear, their summons perched silently on heavy leather gauntlets. Standing entirely apart, radiating a quiet, tightly coiled tension, was Goldcrest, led by Derek Stone. His Salamander was noticeably larger than Nathan remembered—its scales a deeper, bruised crimson, its internal fire burning white-hot.
In the dead center of the formation stood Celestial Peak.
