Bab 88: ch88- Sky Fortress
As Alex and Jessica cautiously entered the massive stone gate, the sight inside the Sky Fortress overwhelmed them. From the outside, the fortress resembled a floating island or a giant mountain. But as soon as they stepped through the gate, they were greeted by the vast expanse of a crystal-clear blue lake, seemingly stretching endlessly.
The entire **Sky Fortress** was hollow inside!
The lake was surrounded by lush green mountains, and in the center of the lake stood a tall, steep peak, even higher than the outer mountain walls. As they looked up, they could see that the outer walls of the fortress were open to the sky, not enclosed as they had expected.
In truth, the fortress felt more like a massive volcano—except the lava was replaced by the pristine lake, and at the volcano's center was an even taller mountain that disappeared into the dark thunderclouds above, making it impossible to see its peak.
As breathtaking as the scenery was, it was the strange and terrifying monsters that drew the most attention. Some soared above the blue waters, others swam beneath the surface, while more creatures clung to the surrounding mountain walls. Unlike the clearly separated regions of the **N-level** resource points, these monsters mingled freely, creating a dangerous and unpredictable environment.
One thing was clear: all of these creatures were enormous. Just ahead of them floated a beast resembling a devil ray, but with arms and wings. Its flat body was as large as a basketball court, casting a massive shadow that blocked out the sun.
Compared to these colossal monsters, Alex and Jessica felt like tiny intruders in the land of giants. And despite the size of the fortress, the monsters were quick to notice them.
With a sudden crash, a creature resembling a seven-meter-long green gecko, clinging to the mountain walls, leaped at them with terrifying speed. Jessica barely had time to react before Alex pulled her behind him, just avoiding the monster's crushing blow.
But the beast wasn't done. It gathered energy, preparing to unleash a powerful skill. Alex knew he couldn't take it lightly, so he dashed forward, slicing the creature down before it could strike again.
However, killing one monster only alerted the others nearby. The air around them grew tense as a wave of terrifying power rippled through the area, causing Alex to feel an unusual sense of dread.
"Run!" Alex shouted.
They had only just entered the fortress, but realizing something was wrong, Alex grabbed Jessica's hand and raced out of the stone gate as fast as they could. But the oppressive force behind them didn't disappear—it intensified.
Suddenly, a tremendous force, like the collapse of space itself, locked Alex and Jessica in place. Turning around, they saw a terrifying sight. A cyan light erupted from the gate, expanding rapidly. It resembled the protective barriers surrounding the **N-level** resource points, but this one was swelling like an overfilled balloon, ready to burst.
When it finally exploded, it swallowed everything in its path—the sound, the light—everything was consumed by a blinding cyan wave. The explosion expanded rapidly, like ripples in a pond.
In that moment, Alex realized the gravity of the situation. If they got caught in that blast, they wouldn't survive. He quickly calculated that he couldn't escape with Jessica in time.
With no other option, Alex acted on instinct. He shoved Jessica behind him, braced his **Champion's Shield** in front, and activated both the shield and his armor's defensive abilities just as the shockwave slammed into him.
"Boom!"
The impact was overwhelming. Alex's hearing returned in the form of a painful ringing, drowning out everything else. His body felt numb, as if he'd been struck by a dragon's tail, and the weightlessness that followed told him he'd been flung through the air by the force of the explosion.
He crashed into the ground at incredible speed, kicking up clouds of dust and debris. Alex coughed as he slowly recovered from the blow. Looking around, he saw Jessica lying nearby, no better off than him. Her clothes were tattered, her long black hair now covered in dust, and her usually bright eyes were glazed over, as if she hadn't yet processed what had just happened.
But at least they were alive.
Alex chuckled bitterly as he assessed the damage. His health, once over 160,000, had been halved. He was left with just over 70,000 health points. Worse still, his **Champion's Armor** and **Champion's Shield**—both R+9 grade—had taken massive damage. His armor was cracked and chipped in multiple places, and his shield, once a towering blue defense, had been reduced to a flimsy, battered fragment, no larger than a dinner plate.
This was the first time Alex had seen equipment become damaged like this. It was a humbling experience. Glancing at Jessica, he noticed that her **Dragon God** set, though dulled and darkened by the explosion, appeared mostly intact. The gap in quality between their gear was obvious.
"Are... are we dead?" Jessica finally managed to speak, still clutching her chest in fear, her voice trembling.
Alex laughed, though his voice was hoarse. "Maybe we already died."
His joke wasn't far from the truth. Jessica had used the **Dragon God's Shield**, which was supposed to provide absolute defense, but the explosion hadn't counted as a typical attack. Her shield shattered, and both her **Dragon God's Body** and **Dragon God's Soul** abilities were triggered. If not for the latter's one-hit survival effect, Jessica might not have made it through the blast alive.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone