Clive's footsteps stopped at the edge of the cliff. Poisonous Aether winds howled behind him, as if unwilling to let their prey escape. Yet ahead of him, perched atop an icy ledge jutting out into the emptiness of the sky, stood a building that defied every law of physics.A traditional teahouse made of aged wood, complete with red lanterns swaying gently in the wind, sat there as casually as if this were a city park rather than the death-crowned summit of Drakon's Spine.[Structural Scan: Anomaly Detected. This structure is surrounded by an invisible energy field neutralizing extreme temperatures and Aether particles.]"This place is insane," Clive muttered, his dry eyes narrowing suspiciously at the sliding wooden door. "I hope this isn't a hallucination because my brain's freezing to death.""Hallucination my ass, Boss! I can smell the tea all the way down to my cells!" Lycus shot back inside his head, sounding equally wary and hungry. "But be careful. I smell strong Lumerian blood

Before Clive could even take his first step down the veranda stairs, the sky above Drakon's Spine suddenly blazed with light. ZRAASH! ZRAASH! BOOOM! Three spear-sized projectiles of light slammed into the roof of The Hidden Teahouse in rapid succession. The impacts did more than destroy wood. They triggered explosions of pure thermal energy. White-gold flames erupted instantly, devouring the entire structure that had once been protected by Goro's Aether field. That protective barrier shattered the moment its creator's heartbeat stopped. The floor beneath Clive collapsed. Burning timbers crashed down around him. "Boss! Fall back!" Lycus roared as the blazing holy fire touched his black flesh, producing a painful hiss like beef thrown onto a scorching skillet. "This damn fire is different! It's Lumerian magic! My cells are burning from the inside out!" "I know, damn it!" Clive cursed, kicking a burning support pillar above him and splitting it in half

The moment Clive stepped past the threshold of the massive gate, the iron jaws shaped like a dragon's skull slowly closed behind him with a deafening metallic grind. The light of the blizzard raging across Drakon's Spine vanished instantly. Absolute darkness swallowed him whole, bringing with it a silence so heavy it seemed to press against his lungs. The only source of light now was the faint crimson glow radiating from Clive's modified eyes. "Dark as hell. Feels like I just crawled into the belly of a dead whale," Clive muttered, wrinkling his nose. The air inside the corridor didn't move. It was stagnant. The smell of rust, stale metal, and ancient lubricant that had long since dried out assaulted his senses, mixed with another scent he recognized all too well. Old blood. Very old blood. The footsteps of his combat boots echoed endlessly through the steel corridors. The walls were uneven, crafted to resemble rows of colossal fangs and cur

There was nothing elegant about the way Clive flew.If the angels of Lumeria were depicted gliding gracefully through the wind, then Clive looked more like an industrial accident defying gravity.The two massive wings protruding from his back, woven from black muscle, forcibly bent bone, and thousands of chainsaw teeth spinning at insane speeds, generated pure aerodynamic lift through mechanical violence alone.The air around him tore apart, creating deafening distortions that screamed through the turbine chamber.ZRIIIIIINGG!"Ugh... damn it!"Clive spat thick blood into the air.Every beat of those wings sent waves of agony crashing directly into his spinal cord. It felt as though someone had driven a red-hot crowbar into his back and twisted it over and over again.[Critical Warning: Host spinal structural integrity decreased by 15%. Excessive calcium consumption detected. Risk of permanent paralysis if wings remain active for more than 8 minutes.]"You think... I want to keep usin

Thirty seconds.Blood flowed across the blue grass beneath Clive's body. The gaping hole in his abdomen felt like a bed of burning coals, continuously consuming what remained of his internal organs. He could feel his heart slowing down. Each beat grew weaker, fainter, farther away.Above him, the man who should have embraced him as a father now raised a holy sword of light with both hands. He stared straight down, the red WREN-Zero glow shining from his empty eye sockets without the slightest hesitation.The execution was about to be completed."Boss... get up, damn it! Get up!" Lycus screamed hysterically. The monster's voice no longer sounded arrogant or bloodthirsty. It was pure fear. "I can't stop the bleeding! This cursed light is burning through my muscle tissue! If you die, I die too, Clive!""Just let me sleep..." Clive thought weakly. His inner voice sounded exhausted. "I'm tired, Lycus. My father... he's already gone.""YOU'RE NOT DEAD YET! DON'T YOU DARE GIVE UP ON ME, ASSH