"Let's go!"
Old Man Grey didn't wait.
He stepped into the spatial gate, his body swallowed by the swirling mist.
Max followed.
As his foot crossed the threshold, a strange pull tugged at his very being.
A feeling of being sucked into an entirely different world.
Then—
Darkness.
A chilling mist wrapped around him, and the Divine Palace vanished from view.
Then—
One by one, more squads stepped forward.
More figures disappeared into the hazy void.
Each squad containing exactly ten geniuses.
Each one vanishing into the Mourning Depths.
Until only the leaders were left behind.
Palace Master Hugh looked around at the remaining leaders of the various regions.
A faint smirk played on his lips.
"Hehe, only we are left."
His tone was casual, but there was an underlying weight to his words.
His gaze flickered over the assembled kings, guild masters, and top-ranked warriors.
Then—he stepped forward.
"Let's go as well."
But just as the leaders prepared to enter, a voice interrupted them.
Azula.
She spoke slowly, deliberately.
And her words?
They stopped everyone in their tracks.
"The Mourning Depths is very old… perhaps the oldest forbidden land in the Lower Domain."
That alone wasn't surprising.
But her next words?
They sent a ripple through the air.
"Don't you all wonder how this ca to be?"
Silence.
"How the Mourning Depths was created?"
Her golden eyes glead.
"What history led to this?"
The question hung in the air.
It was a question that held far too much weight.
A question that, if truly pursued, could change their entire understanding of this place.
And yet—
Few reacted.
Because the Mourning Depths had always existed.
Since the beginning of recorded history, it had been a constant.
It erupted every three years.
It devoured those who failed.
It rewarded those who conquered it.
And so—
It had simply beco part of their world.
A cycle. A tradition.
Sothing no one questioned.
Because in the end—
They weren't here for answers.
They were here for treasures. For Bone Fras. For Domains.
Most of the leaders dismissed her words.
What did it matter how it began?
It existed. That was enough.
But still—
There were so who couldn't help but wonder.
So who felt a strange pull.
Because what if—
What if the truth of the Mourning Depths was far more terrifying than they had ever imagined?
And what if—
They had been blindly walking into sothing they never truly understood?
King Magnar's eyes glead.
He was one such person.
Unlike most of the other leaders, he cared.
The Mourning Depths' mysteries had always intrigued him.
And it wasn't just curiosity.
It was frustration.
Every three years, he and Envoy Lucas ventured deeper than the others.
Every ti, they stayed longer. Explored more.
And yet—
They never found anything new.
The sa ruins. The sa dangers. The sa unknowns.
Their efforts had been aningless.
No matter how deep they went, they never uncovered the truth.
So now—
When Azula spoke those words, his focus sharpened imdiately.
"What do you suggest?"
His voice was calm.
But everyone could feel it.
The weight behind those words.
Azula smiled.
She knew she had their attention now.
And then—
She simply said three words.
"I have a map."
The mont the words left her lips—
The entire hall froze.
Silence.
Then—sharp intakes of breath.
Not just surprise.
Shock. Disbelief. Suspicion.
Because what she was claiming—should be impossible.
For millennia, the greatest explorers, the strongest warriors, the most brilliant minds—
They had all tried.
Tried to chart the Mourning Depths.
Tried to create even the vaguest of maps.
And they all failed.
Because the paths always changed.
Every eruption shifted the terrain.
Every route twisted and altered itself.
Even the most advanced formations, the most precise tracking artifacts—
Nothing worked.
A map was simply impossible.
So now—
For Azula to claim she had one?
It was unthinkable.
It was absurd.
It was—dangerous.
The leaders' breaths grew shallow.
Their minds raced.
So wanted to call her bluff.
So wanted to demand proof.
And so?
So were already calculating.
Because if this was true—
Then everything they thought they knew about the Mourning Depths…
Was wrong.
Because a map of Mourning Depths simply couldn't exist.
Envoy Lucas's eyes narrowed.
His voice was calm, but his words carried sharp intent.
"How accurate is this thing? And what is your source?"
The weight of his question hung in the air.
This wasn't sothing anyone could ignore.
A map of the Mourning Depths was unthinkable.
If she truly had one, it would change everything.
But if she was lying…
There would be consequences.
Azula smiled.
Completely unfazed.
Her golden eyes glowed with amusent.
"We will know about the accuracy once we are inside."
A simple, evasive answer.
But her next words carried even more weight.
"As for the source? I trust my source more than any of you here."
A pause.
Then—a cold silence.
Her statent made everyone frown.
Because if her words were true…
Then this wasn't just so fabricated sche.
This was sothing real.
In truth, there was no benefit in lying.
No one would gain anything by falsely claiming to have a map of the Mourning Depths.
It was useless as a deception.
If it was fake, they would know imdiately.
So then—
If Azula was so confident, then…
Did she really have a genuine map?
King Magnar remained silent for a long mont.
His mind processed everything. Calculated the risks.
Then—he made his decision.
"Alright."
His voice cut through the tension.
Everyone turned to him.
"Once we enter the 1000-mile area, we will follow your lead."
A sharp warning followed.
"But only after we confirm the authenticity of the map."
A flicker of approval passed through Envoy Lucas's gaze.
A wise approach.
A balance between opportunity and caution.
Azula's lips curled into a smirk.
She had expected this.
"It's a deal then."
Her voice was pleased. Certain.
Palace Master Hugh exhaled.
He had been waiting long enough.
"Let's get going then."
Without another word, he stepped forward—vanishing into the entrance of the Mourning Depths.
One by one—the other leaders followed.
And then—
The hall fell silent.
The Divine Palace, once filled with tension, was now empty.
Because now—
The true expedition had begun.
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