Three figures, each at the Astral Core Ascension stage, watched in secret.
Two Atlantians. One Ancient Millennium Acheron Phoenix.
The first Atlantian, a stoic figure seated atop a radiant golden orca whale, held a trident in hand. His gaze drifted to the other Atlantian beside him- a regal visage with the form of a mermaid, and he spoke in quiet astonishment.
"Princess Atlana, what do you think?"
His voice was hushed, clouded with unease, as his eyes flicked to the floating landmass in the sky. Rings of glowing water swirled around it like a throne suspended in the havens. From it, beings descended toward the ravaged Colony City of Green. Blue wings shimmered on their feet, and water surged around them like a second skin.
With the great ring of water and the sea that shone above the citadel, the truth settled heavily between them.
This was the land of the False Sea King foretold by prophecy.
So the Atlantian Commander turned to her, Princess Atlana, for guidance.
She floated silently, a celestial vision sculpted by starlight. Her shimmering blue-gold tail flicked through the air with wondrous grace, ripples of magic trailing behind. Long hair the color of the ocean glided around her, crowned with coral and pearls. A radiant trident-spear glowed in her grip, pulsing with the authority of her lineage. Her eyes, twin sapphires, shone with depth and power.
She was beauty, strength, and the will of the sea incarnate.
Her luminous gaze settled on the distant battlefield, where a human figure radiated with oceans of purple and gold Runescripture.
"The enemy just took down a Luminblood Stage Astral Core Ascension High Orc without so much as breaking a sweat," she said softly, yet with steel. "Those Lunar and Solar Constructs at his command could contend with lower-level Luminblood entities, and so could the woman standing at his side. And we don't know what else he's hiding. We need to...know more."
Her words ended with a calculating glare.
The Atlantian Commander nodded grimly.
But the Phoenix flared.
"More surveillance? Hmph! I see the Phoenix Legion under Ayan responding to his commands. That means he's the one who killed our sister. We've found the culprit. Retribution is long overdue! He's just one Luminblood Stage Ascension entity- we could summon dozens and erase him!"
Her fury radiated in crimson heat. She was ready for war.
But Princess Atlana shook her head.
"Rushing in without preparation or understanding is exactly what led to your sister's demise."
The words cut deeper than any flames, nearly forcing the Phoenix to flare and reveal their hidden position.
Still, Princess Atlana continued.
"The Heart of the Sea would never be threatened by someone average. I've seen it before- from the memories the Sea passed down to me. Grand, ancient beings underestimated enemies who seemed ordinary… until the moment those enemies revealed one weapon after another, and those mighty beings were wiped from the records of history."
She exhaled slowly, turning back to the sky ahead.
"Another human, with a continent smaller than a tenth of ours, yet he's made it float. And we haven't even deciphered how—"
She paused mid-sentence, her attention snapping ahead.
All three hidden figures watched in disbelief.
The half-ruined Colony City of Green was rising.
Lifting from the earth like a titan's palm pulling it free from the realm below.
Below the landmass, scaffolding made of living purple-gold script shimmered brilliantly. It pulsed with fantastical life. There was no strain from gravity, no resistance.
The land floated upward, rising rapidly, until it seamlessly connected with the floating citadel above.
The rings of ocean parted like welcoming arms, adjusting to embrace the new landmass. Then, glowing blue expanded to cover the addition, the entire structure radiating with incandescent light.
It was done in moments.
"…Do you see?" Princess Atlana murmured.
"We just learned he's the reason they have a floating city. He can take any stretch of land in this Plane and lift it into the sky. That knowledge alone could shake the very core of what we believe humans are capable of after the Long Slumber."
She narrowed her eyes.
"This… this is why we were commanded to gather intelligence. And now that we've seen this- these intricate, shocking feats- we may need to go further."
The silence was heavy.
"But what can we do, Princess?" the Atlantian Commander asked, reverent and cautious. The Phoenix beside him practically fumed with frustration.
Princess Atlana remained quiet for a heartbeat.
Then, her eyes gleamed.
She gripped her trident-spear, turned it inward, and plunged it straight into her chest.
The Commander and the Phoenix reeled in shock.
The spear pierced clean through her torso, blue-gold blood spilling like starlight across the air. It shone with the brilliance of the sea and stars alike. But her expression remained calm and unshaken.
She pulled the weapon free, letting the blood flow as she spoke with fierce clarity.
"Sometimes, you must walk into the enemy's land to truly understand them. Send word to the Thalassphere Arx and the Everburn Aerie Continent. Tell them what we've witnessed, that a human enemy has used Living Scripts, once wielded only by the rarest of ancient races, to lift land into the sky."
Her voice deepened with purpose.
"When the time comes… Luminblood won't be enough. We'll need Celestbone Stage Astral Core Ascension entities. And perhaps even one or two Neuronova Stage beings."
But first, they would watch. They would prepare.
They would understand the enemy.
And then, only then, would they strike.
Luminblood Stage Astral Core Ascension. Celestbone Stage Astral Core Ascension. Neuronova Stage Astral Core Ascension.
Three distinct thresholds of power within the Astral Core Ascension realm.
Celestbone, also known as Astral Skeletal Fusion, and Neuronova, the elusive Astral Neural Awakening!
Princess Atlana thought of them as she continued.
"If any of our Rulers can intervene in the end… since they should already be recovering past the Astral Core Ascension entirely… that would be ideal. But we know they cannot leave freely," Princess Atlana said, her voice calm, even as the blood from her pierced chest continued to pour unchecked!