NOVEL WEB Chapter 97: Sector-9C
[ Fusion Complete! ]
[ Skill Acquired: Eclipse Cataclysmic Roar (D) ]
Two skies collided. One of blinding sun. One of eternal moon. The result was a roar that could shatter realms.
Type: Mass Destruction / Area Burst
Effect: Releases a devastating roar infused with both Solar and Glacial Essence within a 50-meter radius.
Side Effect:
Renders your throat and lungs numb for 15 seconds. Heavy mana drain. Cannot use vocal-based skills during cooldown.
Cooldown: 110 seconds
Cost: 400 MP
Visual: Twin auroras swirl as your roar tears through the atmosphere. The sky splits for a brief moment, like day and night battling overhead.
With this Fusion Session over, Ryu now had 6 D-Rank skills and one E-Rank Skill.
[ Skills: Eclipse Cataclysmic Roar (D), Ice Guardian Armour (D), Solar Cryo Lance (D), Mist Phantom Steps (D), Crimson Apex Frenzy (D), Abyssal Grasp (D), Sun Dragon's Gaze (E) ]
-----
The next morning arrived with a crimson hue bleeding across the sky. The sun had only just risen, casting golden light upon Garrison No. 7 as the airship awaited on the elevated launch platform.
Its polished silver hull gleamed under the sunlight, etched with the insignia of Horizon Alliance. Four massive propellers hummed with deep energy, blowing up winds that made soldiers shield their eyes.
Ryuzen and his five teammates stood in formation, rucksacks strapped and eyes ahead. Their expressions were calm, but a quiet excitement stirred in their hearts.
Commander Boron Varn approached with folded arms, his sharp eyes scanning each of them. Behind him stood a few other soldiers who had either sparred with them or watched their training.
"You've made a strong impression. But this assignment won't be easy. Sector 9C isn't forgiving, and Blackhall Station is buried in ruins. Don't get cocky just because you've won a few duels."
Luthor nodded. "We'll return with results, Commander."
Commander Varn gave a rare, small smile. "I expect nothing less from you all."
Irina stepped forward and gave a formal bow. "Comrades, thank you for the opportunity of sparring with you all."
Other soldiers joined in offering well wishes, some with salutes, others with hearty slaps on the shoulder.
"Bring back a damn good map!"
"Don't let those cliffs kill you before the hollows do!"
"Make us proud, Junior Blood Legion!"
With that, the group ascended the ramp into the airship. As the hatch sealed behind them, a low tremor ran through the metal deck. The turbines roared to life.
From the wide viewing window, they watched as Garrison No. 7 shrank beneath them. The mountains in the far distance crept closer with each passing minute.
The flight was long and strangely quiet. A four-hour journey through turbulent airspace tested even the hardiest of stomachs.
Clouds loomed like beasts, winds hissed across the frame, and every so often, a lightning bolt flashed in the far-off sky.
Inside, the team remained seated in harnesses, staring out the windows or meditating.
Venus sat beside Ryuzen, her gaze fixed on the clouds. "I've never been this far before," she muttered.
"Then you should enjoy it more," Ryuzen replied calmly, arms crossed.
The skyship finally began its descent as they approached a jagged mountain range blanketed in fog and shadow.
Craggy cliffs stretched below like the jaws of some ancient beast. Dense pine forests clung to the slopes, and rivers cut through the terrain like silver threads.
"There's no landing zone," the pilot's voice crackled over the wind. "We're lowering a ladder. Gear up. You're descending on foot."
The hatch opened with a loud hiss, and the cold wind rushed inside, howling against their suits. The metallic ladder extended downward, swaying slightly as it dangled in the wind.
Ryuzen volunteered first. He stepped into the open doorway and gripped the sides of the ladder. The wind whipped at his coat as he began the descent. Step by step, he moved with precision, boots clanging softly against the metal.
Below him, the cliff's edge waited like a narrow ledge. When he reached the bottom, he leapt off and landed on solid rock, and then scanned the surroundings with enhanced dragon eyes.
The others followed, one after another, until all six stood at the mountain's edge. The air was sharp and cold, carrying the scent of pine, moss, and damp stone.
Mountain Peaks stretched into the distance. Far below, a wide canyon yawned open, but the terrain could barely be seen because of the heavy mist.
Irina pulled her coat tighter. "So this is Sector 9C…"
Ryuzen looked ahead, his golden slit eyes narrowing. In the far distance, past the shrouded peaks and twisting pine forests, a dense, sickly miasma lingered like a festering wound. The corrupted aura stained the sky with a faint violet hue, unmistakable even from this range.
It was coming from somewhere beyond the mountain range.
"Alright, team," Luthor said, adjusting the grip on his axe. "Let's find Blackhall Station first. Once we secure the location, we can send a lookout to survey the farmland beyond. Agreed?"
"Yeah, that's cool and all," Rudos chimed in with a frown, tugging at his collar, "but how are we supposed to find that station in this thick fog and all these damn trees?"
The mountain was silent for a moment. The wind whispered through the pines, and mist clung to every surface, rolling like smoke over the jagged terrain.
"Can somebody fly?" he asked, half-joking, half-serious.
Ryuzen could fly in his dragon form. But telling them that wasn't an option. Not yet.
He had been slowly mastering partial Dragonification, similar to Venus, who used limited transformation to boost her stats in combat. Yet even Venus hadn't unlocked full transformation. And even if she could, both of them understood the risk of revealing a full dragon form among humans.
Everyone glanced at each other, unsure.
"Leave it to your team's scouts, guys."
Suddenly, Irina took a light step forward and leapt into the air. But instead of falling, she rose—gracefully, as if ascending an invisible staircase. Her foot tapped midair, then another step, and another.
"What the..." Rudos blinked.
"That isn't any flight skill," Luthor muttered in surprise, eyes following her. "She's actually walking on air... really impressive."
Venus crossed her arms, watching closely. "Must be a high level movement Skill. I have seen them in the Academy."
Ryuzen blinked. He couldndo that too. He momentarily forget his newly evolved skill: Mist Phantom Steps (D).