A brilliant, illustrious woman appeared hovering in the air, her diamond-like armor making her glisten like the moon in a completely dark sky.
Her very stature demanded attention. The invisible pressure of her Nascent Spirit form penetrated through the walls of the castle, alerting everyone of her intrusion.
Immediately, the soldiers standing on the parapets shouted down towards their castle.
"They're here! They found us! And.. and they sent a Nascent Spirit cultivator, damn it!"
"Focus all fire on her!"
"How in the hell did she find us?!"
The entire castle became lit with an infernal red hue as the unhooded figures released their Divas. Above them, the figure of a vaguely humanoid flame creature roared animatedly. Their 2d caricature wave of embers billowed up in an attempt to intimidate the intruder.
It didn't work.
Katarina stood in the air, imposing a stalwart, inexorable fortitude that remained undaunted facing hundreds of Maugnetics.
After all, she didn't even consider them Maugnetics at all. They were simply a pale imitation that could never even reach a fraction of the real thing. Dealing with these ants was simple.
"Tell your Platinum to come here and face me!" she shouted.
Meanwhile, Michael and Lady Farren used the distraction to scale up the castle's tall bulwark.
"Hey!"
As they climbed over the wall, an unhooded figure noticed their presence. But before they could even alert the others, a sharp arrow struck through his throat, killing him instantly.
Without even missing a beat, Lady Farren drew another arrow and accurately hit a soldier about to climb up through the winding stairs of the bastion.
"They shall take my arrows as a gift, for they are the first to witness the greatness of my new bow," Lady Farren muttered.
Impressed, Michael nodded to himself. It was definitely the correct choice to give her a Compound Bow.
"Lyra, where are you?"
They both scanned the layout of the stronghold, seeing multiple tightly guarded entrances along the windows and drawbridges. And the guards there weren't just normal Maugnetics either. According to ChatJK5, there were multiple 5th stage Maugnetics among them.
Katarina was right. They really take their security seriously.
Although he could take them if he had to, he simply didn't have the time to do so. In fact, defeating them would only draw unnecessary attention to them, completely voiding Katarina's distraction.
Their goal was to get in, retrieve Lyra, and get out.
He was simply too weak to go in guns blazing like Katarina.
"Get in the Drone. It's our only way to get inside," he said to Lady Farren.
She followed his words without question.
Once inside, Michael [Reduced] the Drone's size to its limit, becoming as small as a tiny mouse.
With such small proportions, the muffled propellers turned even more silent, albeit at the cost of speed. And to top it all off, the Drone's hexagonally patterned surface began to shimmer and change colors, completely adapting to its surroundings.
It was completely invisible.
This undetectable spying machine then flew towards a protruding spire annexed to the main castle. And near its conical eaves, they went straight towards a barred window intended only for sunlight, passing easily through the tight poles without problem.
Bypassing a guard standing over the loophole in the wall, they went down the spiraling staircase that led towards the main castle.
On the way there, multiple footfalls echoed through the tight space as soldiers marched up the spire. They climbed up to search for a vantage point to fight against the Nascent Spirit realm on the skies. They were completely oblivious to the Drone that passed by them overhead.
Michael continued to pilot the Drone down through the spire, eventually landing on an overground tunnel that led to the castle itself.
Going through this tunnel, they eventually found themselves in an open space on the other side.
But instead of a wide, expansive hall typical of a castle, they saw a mind-numbing, paradoxical collection of stairs, doors, and open tunnels that completely defied the rules of physics. Some were upside down, some leading to nowhere at all, and everything was convoluted.
This place was purposefully esoteric. Only those in their organization would be able to navigate through this maze.
"How are we going to find Lyra?"
Michael ruminated on the question for a few seconds, before realizing the answer.
ChatJK5, can you add a 'Find My Phone' app?
[Certainly. Uploading the code now…]
In just a few seconds, the phone in Michael's hand vibrated, showing a new app on the home screen.
As he clicked on the app, the screen changed to show a 3d compass with a red pointer leading to a specific direction.
[Distance to Lyra's phone: 349 meters]
ChatJK5 once again came up clutch!
Michael followed the compass, piloting the Drone towards an upside down staircase that seemingly led straight to a brick wall.
But as the Drone reached the dead end, the solid brick wall turned into a mist that allowed them to pass through unrestrained.
The Drone buzzed forwards through a dark tunnel leading towards another expansive set of convoluted stairs.
Trusting the app, Michael continued onwards to another false dead-end until they finally reached a victorian style hallway that led to a single red door.
The compass, which had been moving erratically throughout their journey, was now pointing in one single direction: forwards.
Beyond this arched wooden gate, Michael and Lady Farren saw an Aubility Power signature manifesting as a single, orange glowing blob through the screens in the Control Room. That was Lyra. He was sure of it.
They both exited out of the Drone and walked towards the door.
Pushing it open, they saw an austere white room devoid of any windows or openings.
And at the center of the room was a tiny Elven girl hugging her knees.
She looked up as the door opened. She was about to say something when Lady Farren rushed to her side and embraced her tightly.
"Thank the Earth you're okay…"
Michael watched this endearing scene with a smile on his face.
But that didn't last long.
"I wonder how you found us," a voice echoed from the hallway.