CHAPTER 314: THE ROAD TO AYZION [ BONUS CHAPTER ]

The convoy slipped into the night like a shadow, engines humming softly as they navigated the vast silence of the frontier.

Trucks and armored off-road vehicles formed a tight formation, headlights dimmed to mere whispers that sliced through the thick fog clinging stubbornly to the ground.

The lead vehicles scanned their surroundings with infrared scopes, while soldiers manning mounted guns surveyed the horizon, their silhouettes stark against the silvery moonlight.

At the forefront was Arthur’s command carrier, its tires gliding over rough terrain with effortless grace.

The suspension absorbed every jolt from uneven ground as they traversed a landscape marred by shadows and decay, abandoned villages stood like ghosts of their former selves, hollow shells of houses crumbling under neglect’s weight, barns reduced to mere skeletal frames.

Once-thriving hamlets now lay silent, overtaken by weeds and an eerie stillness.

Inside the command vehicle, however, a different world unfolded.

The dim blue glow of screens illuminated faces in sharp relief.

A low hum of energy emanated from the holographic table at its center as data streamed across its surface, terrain projections shifting in sync with their journey. Soldiers and commanders sat with quiet discipline until murmurs began to ripple through when archaeologists exchanged words,voices rising like water breaking free from stone.

Professor Adrian Veynar leaned forward eagerly, his eyes glinting behind his glasses. With a tap on the holographic controls, ancient scripts blossomed into view, golden letters scrolling alongside vibrant reconstructions of murals long forgotten.

"Look," he said, his voice taut with excitement. "We stand at history’s edge! For decades, experts dismissed any notion of finding Vaerion VII’s tomb,a myth they claimed! Yet here we are driving toward the Ayzion Range with proof that challenges everything!"

Clara adjusted her glasses nervously but couldn’t hide her enthusiasm.

"The fragments we’ve gathered,murals from ruined keeps and inscriptions buried in forgotten monasteries,all point here!

The Range was mentioned in passing but never connected; it was deemed too dangerous and unstable. Thus, one of history’s greatest emperors slipped through our fingers."

Lukas Dray couldn’t contain himself; his youthful exuberance burst forth like fireworks on New Year’s Eve.

"It’s poetic! The man who once ruled an entire continent vanished into these mountains only for us to bring him back into light,the Storm Emperor himself!"

At that name even seasoned commanders shifted uneasily.

Ethan chuckled lightly. "Storm Emperor? Sounds like an old grump wearing a fancy helmet! What’s all this fuss about?"

Adrian turned sharply toward him; patience waning thin. "Vaerion VII wasn’t just any warlord,he transformed the Azurian Empire into a powerhouse that endured for centuries! His reign marked an era far ahead of its time."

He swiped the hologram, and suddenly, the silver-eyed emperor materialized before them in a stunning projection,towering, clad in storm-forged armor, with a crown of black steel resting regally on his brow but his face is quite blurry and can’t be made out completely.

Arthur eyes were locked into the blurry face of the image projected before him with a deep frown on his face.

"Over twelve hundred years ago," Adrian began, "the Azurian Empire emerged from fractured tribes nestled in the sapphire-rimmed highlands of Northern Aurelia.

It was Vallion I who first unified these tribes, but it was Vaerion VII who ensured the empire’s legacy would endure through time. Born during a period of decline, he ascended to the throne at just fifteen after his father’s mysterious death.

By eighteen, he executed the notorious Sapphire Purge,eliminating over twelve hundred nobles in a single night."

Arthur leaned forward, brows knitting together. "One thousand two hundred twenty-three. Right?"

Adrian blinked, caught off guard. "Yes! Precisely! How did you.."

Arthur leaned back again, his expression inscrutable but didn’t say anything.

Ethan flashed a lazy grin. "Leave it to our boss to memorize death counts like grocery lists! "

"Silence," Gunner interjected sharply, his tone leaving no room for humor.

But Adrian pressed on undeterred. He gestured toward an ancient mural depicting armies rendered in vibrant dyes; their formations were etched with geometric precision.

"Vaerion restructured the military into what we now call the Five-Layer Shock Division Model,an early form of combined arms strategy that was centuries ahead of its time! Infantry, cavalry, siege units, arcane specialists,all working together in layered harmony.

His wars weren’t just fought,they were orchestrated like symphonies!"

Lieutenant Marek leaned closer and said. "And he managed all this while centralizing power?"

Clara nodded eagerly. "Absolutely! He dismantled feudal power blocs and pulled authority back to the crown itself.

Government systems were streamlined; taxation was codified; agricultural methods were revamped for maximum output!He wasn’t just a conqueror; he was an administrator par excellence."

Commander Halric Stone stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Agriculture, government, war... For their time? It sounds utterly impossible."

"That," Clara said with shining eyes, "is precisely the mystery."

Dr. Helena Moritz joined in with her trademark dry wit that cut through the air like a knife.

"The Azurian Empire introduced crop rotation techniques we only rediscovered centuries later!

Their irrigation systems rival some of our best today! And their architecture..." She swiped her screen again to reveal soaring palaces and intricate aqueducts..."

Was designed with geometric precision that suggests mathematics we still can’t fully grasp!"

Dr. Ren Ito added calmly yet deliberately,"Their bridges were crafted from reinforced materials that resisted decay for over a millennium. How did they achieve such remarkable durability with the tools they had? Unless..."

His words hung in the air, inviting speculation.

Josef Brandt, the stout preservationist, grunted in response. "Unless they had help."

Ethan’s grin returned like a mischievous sun breaking through clouds. "Ah, here we go! The conspiracy corner of our evening. Did aliens build the Azurian Empire too?"

Clara rolled her eyes dramatically. "That’s just absurd."

"Absurd," Ethan echoed playfully, waggling his brows at her. "Yet here we are, hunting for a tomb in mountains where compasses go haywire and people mysteriously vanish. Nothing ridiculous about that, right?"

Mireille finally chimed in, her French-tinged voice cool as ice. "You mock what you don’t understand. Vaerion was a visionary; his empire’s reach was unmatched."

Ethan smirked back at her teasingly. "Careful there, Captain! Sounds like you’ve got a bit of a crush on long-dead emperors. Should I be worried?"

Mireille didn’t even glance his way as she replied dryly, "Of corpses? Hardly."

A light chuckle rippled through the room, momentarily easing the tension.

Arthur’s authoritative voice broke through the laughter like a sharp knife cutting through fog. "Let’s stay focused,what about the tomb? What else do we know?"

Adrian adjusted his glasses thoughtfully before continuing. "Legends say Vaerion’s burial was unlike any other not just a mausoleum but more like a fortress! Some believe he feared betrayal even in death.

His tomb is rumored to hold blueprints and artifacts untouched by time itself."

Commander Rask Draven leaned forward intently, eyes narrowing with curiosity and caution alike. "If it exists, why hide it in such hostile terrain?"

"Because," Adrian replied earnestly, "he wanted it concealed not necessarily from enemies but perhaps from us... for future generations! If even half of these theories hold true, what lies within could completely redefine our understanding of ancient civilizations."

The conversation picked up momentum again as they debated interpretations of murals and inscriptions hinting at weapons far beyond their era,maps suggesting trade routes spanning oceans!

Some archaeologists argued practicality while others leaned toward conspiracies: Was Vaerion’s empire touched by powers lost to history?

The commanders interjected with blunt questions that grounded their discussions while Gunner sat quietly absorbing every detail with arms crossed,a silent observer amidst chaos.

Ethan kept things lively with wisecracks aimed at Clara one moment and playful jabs at Mireille the next; both brushed him off with varying degrees of disdain yet somehow appreciated his lightheartedness amid serious discussions.

Arthur spoke with a precision that cut through the clutter of conversation.

"Resources,numbers,infrastructure. Can they really maintain control over such vast distances?"

His probing questions compelled the archaeologists to refine their arguments, sharpening their details like blades.

Hours slipped by.

The convoy wound its way through forests stripped bare by winter’s chill, navigating valleys shrouded in ghostly fog.

In the distance, wolves howled,a haunting symphony of nature’s wildness.

They passed abandoned military checkpoints, where rusted gates yawned open like broken jaws, remnants of a forgotten era.

Soldiers remained vigilant, scanning rooftops and lurking shadows, yet no threats emerged from the stillness.

Inside the vehicle, discussions ebbed and flowed like waves lapping against stone, intense one moment and quiet the next.

They journeyed through night into day and back again, resting in shifts while the vehicle pressed onward without pause.

Conversations flickered in and out like candlelight.

By dusk on the second day, tension crept back in.

Through the command vehicle’s reinforced windows, the Ayzion Mountain Range loomed ominously ahead.

Jagged peaks clawed at an angry sky, their tips cloaked in storm clouds while snow and stone streaked down their formidable faces.

Lightning danced across distant ridges, illuminating a skeletal landscape that seemed to devour intruders whole.

As they approached, the convoy slowed; engines growled in protest against the harshening terrain.

Arthur stood up straight, his coat settling around him like armor.

He fixed his gaze on the mountains with an expression forged from iron resolve. "We’re here."

A hush fell over the archaeologists as they locked eyes on this impossible sight,the culmination of centuries spent studying fragments of history and debating theories until exhaustion set in.

Now, just beyond those jagged peaks lay the tomb of Vaerion VII,an ancient mystery buried deep within the teeth of the Ayzion Range.

The storm emperor awaited them...