The keep was a humming hive of urgent, focused preparation. The grim reality of their new World Quest had settled over them, a heavy blanket of responsibility. The race to the Western Enclave Outpost was on, and Draven's mind, a cold engine of logic, was already breaking the monumental task down into a series of calculated, achievable steps. There would be no rest. There would be no pause. Voss was already on the move, and they had to be faster, smarter, and more efficient.
The morning began in the main chamber, which now served as their permanent command center. A large, cured hide was spread across the stone table, a makeshift map of the known world. Elias, the rescued scholar, though still frail, was the center of their operation. His hands, though trembling, were a conduit of priceless intelligence.
"The outpost is here," he said, his finger tracing a path through a treacherous-looking mountain range on the map. "It's built into the mountainside, hidden by natural rock formations. The Enclave designed it to be self-sufficient and highly defensible."
"Defenses?" Draven asked, his eyes absorbing every detail.
"Automated," Elias confirmed. "Arcane wards, golem sentries… they should be dormant, but Voss might have the means to bypass or reactivate them. The greatest danger, however, is the journey itself. The mountains are home to Cliff-Drakes and armored rock-scorpions. You'll need specialized gear."
The data was clear. This was not a simple journey; it was a full-blown expedition into a high-threat environment. Draven's first order of business was asset allocation.
"Jaxon," he said, turning to the big mechanic. "You're in command of the keep. Your priority is to work with Elias to create a containment and research protocol for the Unstable Rift Essence we captured. We need to understand it, and we need to keep it from detonating. Rico and Leo will be your security detail. Fortify this position. Assume Voss could send a secondary force at any time."
Jaxon met his gaze, a look of surprise giving way to a slow, grim nod. The trust Draven was placing in him was immense, and the weight of it was not lost. "I'll hold the fort, boss," he rumbled. "Don't you worry."
With the home base secured, Draven focused on the expedition force. It would be a small, fast, and versatile unit: himself, Kara, and his most mobile summons. They would be moving through treacherous terrain where a large group would be a liability.
The rest of the day was a blur of methodical preparation. Jaxon, before assuming his command, went to work in the forge. He was no longer just a mechanic; he was their master engineer. He crafted a set of lightweight grappling hooks and climbing pitons from the iron they had acquired, and reinforced their boots with Scorpion Chitin for better grip on rocky surfaces.
Kara became their quartermaster. She rationed the high-energy Pulsing Fruits from their grove, brewed a batch of potent healing salves from the Dried Herbs, and crafted a new set of arrows tipped with a paralytic poison specifically for the creatures Elias had described.
Draven, meanwhile, focused on a critical upgrade. The journey required a new kind of asset, one built for stealth and verticality. He now had two open Tier 2 Summon Slots. He would fill one.
[Summoning Interface Active: Tier 2 Slot]
[Option 1: Rock Borer – Tunneler, High Durability, Slow]
[Option 2: Gryphon Hatchling – Flyer, Scout, Fragile]
[Option 3: Shadow Panther – Stealth, Climber, Ambush Predator]
The choice was a logical one. The Gryphon was too fragile for the drakes Elias mentioned. The Borer was too slow. The Panther, however, was perfect. It was a silent, climbing infiltrator, a ghost that could move through the mountains unseen. He spent the twenty-five energy units, and a creature of pure, living shadow coalesced before him. It was the size of a large dog, its fur a shifting pattern of darkness, its eyes a piercing, intelligent green. It moved with an unnatural silence, its paws making no sound on the stone floor. He named it Umbra.
As dusk began to settle, their preparations were complete. Kara found him on the wall, staring west toward the distant, jagged line of the mountains.
"Everything's packed," she said, her voice a quiet presence beside him. "We're ready."
"The probability of success is higher now," he replied, his mind still running the numbers. "But the number of unknown variables is still… significant."
She slipped her hand into his, her fingers lacing with his. "That's why you have us," she said, her voice a quiet, unshakeable anchor. "To deal with the variables."
He looked at her, at the unwavering trust in her eyes, and felt a rare, quiet moment of peace. He was not just fighting for a fortress anymore. He was fighting for the future he was building with her, with all of them.
He turned and gathered the small, elite team that would be accompanying him: Kara, his partner and second-in-command; Kael, his steadfast vanguard; the Rune-Hound, their expert tracker; the Thornling, their master of traps and ambushes; and now, Umbra, their silent, shadow operative.
They stood at the gate, the setting sun casting their long shadows before them. Jaxon, Rico, and Leo stood on the wall, a silent, solemn farewell.
"Hold the line," Draven said, the words a simple, heavy command.
"Always," Jaxon replied.
With a final, shared look with Kara, Draven turned and led his team west. The race to the Enclave outpost had begun.