The crystalline platform of the Frozen Citadel buzzed, its vast power echoing through their highly developed gear. The Nullity Covenant threat was a chilly relentless pressure but it was balanced by the almost thrilling, electrifying excitement of wielding completely perfect gear.
"Well, Witness" Vulcan commented his voice a loud resonant rumble flavored with pride "I polished this Prime Arcane Ice into a magnificent killing tool and you feel like a ghost wrapped in solid perfection. However, we cannot go into a Level 85 temporal zone purely on theory. That would be amateurish."
Ethan smiled feeling the subtle yet strong shift in his Sovereign Performance and the razor-sharp focus provided by his enhanced Logic Bubble. "Agreed. No scientist deploys an experimental prototype without conducting a comprehensive stress test. The Citadel's portal nexus can transport us anywhere. Give me the most unstable dense elemental zone you can discover right now. I need to feel the limits of my Core Aegis".
"Instability? My favorite topic" Vulcan said adjusting his large armored shoulders with eager anticipation. He pointed to the Prime Elementals who stood peacefully guarding the Nexus. "The Primes have now stabilized their primary nexus. They'll establish a temporary portal to the Obsidian Elemental Caldera a Level 78 zone where the Earth and Fire elements are in constant violent, destructive conflict. It's complete anarchy. Ideal for a shakedown journey".
Anchor accelerated forward positioning itself near the pulsating portal nexus. A momentary tear in reality appeared not a smooth stable gate, but a jagged frantically whirling maw of red-hot magma and sulfurous steam smelling strongly of burnt metal and old stressed rock. The heat that poured through the gateway was fast and intense.
"Are you ready Anchor?" "Remember absolute security" Ethan said caressing the slime's enormous side. Anchor pulsed with a distinct forceful thump-thump the confident equivalent of a salute.
"Anchor's Prime Stability will keep the magma from eating its thermal shield but it will work hard" Vulcan said wielding his new hammer Sovereign Integrity. The hammer's crystalline head appeared to absorb ambient heat without warming. "Your job Witness is to see if your Sovereign Footing can withstand molten rock and if that EX-Tier camera can detect a flaw in a raging magma elemental. No holding back."
"Challenge accepted" Ethan said tugging his Shadow-Weave Mantle tighter. The enhanced mantle seemed lighter and almost anticipatory. "Let's give the Covenant an echo of the destructive power heading their way."
They passed through the portal into an immediate overwhelming inferno.
The Obsidian Elemental Caldera was a place of harsh cruel beauty with steep black cliffs crisscrossed by rivers of flaming orange magma. The air was a suffocating, superheated haze that caused Ethan's conventional respiratory filters to strain. Massive shambling solidified fire creatures known as Level 78 Inferno Elementals roamed the jagged shifting terrain their internal magma hearts throbbing with fatal, uncontrolled energy.
They crashed hard on a slippery but unstable obsidian rock face just above a rapidly bubbling magma flow. Even with Anchor's field the temperature was extremely high and unsettling.
"Footing test! Go! Run the edge!" Vulcan shouted charging across the slippery but hazardous rock his plated stability providing footing.
Ethan followed pushing his pace to the extreme limit. Previously his Legendary Energy Anchors would have labored against the scorched melting stone, but now the Sovereign Footing passive is activated instantly. The Arcane Ice infusion formed minute powerful structural links with the elemental surface giving him complete foothold. He went through the treacherous terrain with the fluid elegance of a ghost never slipping even while leaping over a fissure of raw boiling sulfur.
Ethan: (A real laugh of exhilaration) "Footing: The Ultimate Pass! Vulcan, this is fantastic! The elemental material really increases the stability! I have Zero friction degradation!"
Vulcan: "Excellent! Now, hold still! I'm attracting flames! We need forceful resistance!"
Vulcan slammed his Sovereign Integrity hammer into the obsidian. The following sound was a deep structural thrum that drew in two massive Inferno Elementals. They yelled their uncontrolled energy apparent and hurled massive unstable balls of superheated rock and plasma straight at Ethan.
The plasma projectiles struck Ethan. He braced himself quickly confident in his equipment. The Core Aegis (Sovereign Mythic) is activated. The Absolute Balance passive immediately absorbed and reduced the initial corrosive heat damage transforming the shockwave into harmless resistance inside the armor's structure.
Seeing a secondary large projectile approaching that required complete invulnerability, Ethan triggered his improved Mythic skill combining it with the Aegis' stability.
Ethan responded "Elemental Ghost!"
He vanished not by ordinary shadow but through controlled elemental phasing exploiting the mantle's increased ability. For three regulated seconds, he was completely resistant to the fire and heat with the corrosive plasma passing harmlessly through the space he briefly occupied. He reappeared instantly behind the two Elementals entirely unharmed with the heat only reaching him when his invulnerability expired.
Vulcan says "Three seconds of pure defensive invulnerability! That is more than enough time for repositioning or a complete tactical reset. This makes the temporal zone manageable! Now Anchor, demonstrate the stability against elemental stripping!"
A third massive Inferno Elemental switched its attention to Anchor seeking to remove its thermal barrier with a continuous targeted stream of corrosive fire, the Elemental's core essence directed toward Chaos. The anchor held fast. The addition of Prime Stability assured that the Chaos Core would not be weakened by the hostile fire element's effort to drain its energy. Anchor was now a really impenetrable Movable Fortress.
Anchor: (A quiet happy internal thrumming that Ethan's augmented senses could easily detect.)
"Time for the main event" Ethan exclaimed his internal enthusiasm rising. "Let's see if the camera can find the weak point in elemental perfection."
Ethan targeted his M1 Mythic Camera (Sovereign EX) and used the PRIME ANALYSIS (EX-TIER) talent.
The camera did more than just record it also projected a short bright crystalline grid over the nearby Elemental. The Logic Bubble quickly kicked into overdrive. Within milliseconds internal structural flaws appeared on Ethan's vision: the Elemental's core was a high-density rapidly spinning magma heart but the protective shell around it was weakest at the upper right shoulder where the cooling process was out of sync with the fire element. The visual data was crisp clear and immediately actionable.
Ethan: (A sharp decisive command.) "Vulcan! Focus your fire on the upper right shoulder! The stabilizing shell is collapsing there with a two-centimeter flaw in magma flow convergence!"
Vulcan: (Roaring with full confidence.) "You see the math Witness, I'll apply the physics!"
Vulcan did not hesitate. He swung Sovereign Integrity with tremendous power striking the precise two-centimeter position Ethan described. The crystalline Arcane Ice hammer rejected the fire element driving through the weak area with surgical precision.
The Inferno Elemental screamed shattering instantaneously into harmless steam and obsidian chunks skipping its typical multi-stage death sequence. The speed with which things went was unparalleled and so good.
Ethan did not wait. He used the freshly analyzed data to lunge with his Shadow-Edge Silencer. He delivered a precise strike at the second Elemental's vulnerability activating SILENT EXECUTION (PRIME). The elemental immediately ceased howling, the quiet effect took effect and its fire shell darkened dramatically as its elemental resistance fell by 15%.
Working in perfect harmony Vulcan delivered the final shattering blow.
"That" Vulcan said pulling his hammer out from the cooling obsidian his voice full of pleasure and delight "was the most structurally beautiful kill I've ever performed. There's no confusion, only pure, precise annihilation. We hit the weak point and their bodies collapsed like cheap clay."
"Then let's not waste another second keeping the Nullity Covenant waiting," Vulcan exclaimed his helmet gleaming with excitement. "Next stop is Level 85. The time-warped chaos. Let's see whether they can break through this speed".