Chapter 98: Molten Maw
The trio exited the lab in silence, their packs loaded with custom gear, biocore amplifiers, and field injectors. Nioh’s eyes were drawn to the sky overhead—crimson and bleeding with dusk. The tower cast long shadows over the city as the day slowly gave way to mission night. He adjusted the belt across his chest, the cryo binder tucked tightly into its holster. The air was tense, but there was an electric buzz running through all three of them. They were no longer just students or pawns—they were professionals now.
They made their way down the spiraling corridor leading to the War Hall, a monolithic structure that shimmered with translucent alloy plating and shifting runes along the floor. The light under their feet seemed to recognize them, projecting blue arcs of their biosigns as they walked.
As they approached the departure terminal, two portal engineers, clad in gilded military garb, activated the dimensional gate.
"Destination: Aspar, verified. Coordinates locked. Portal integrity stable," one of them reported, barely sparing them a glance.
Althea stretched her limbs casually and cracked her neck. "Hope you both packed your sunscreen. I hear Aspar’s heat can melt your attitude off."
Akron smirked. "Hope the dragon doesn’t melt your limbs off."
"Please," she rolled her eyes. "I got extras."
Nioh just smiled and walked into the swirling gate of blue and white light.
The portal swallowed them whole and spat them out into gold.
—
Aspar was radiant.