The morning light shimmered off Dock 13, the recently secured trade hub now bristling with new defensive upgrades. The once-abandoned outpost now pulsed with activity—smoke rose from forges, NPC workers bustled with carts, and iron-clad sentries from the Iron Bastion patrolled the walls with stern gazes. The reinforcements from Ethan's faction had transformed this vulnerable outpost into a burgeoning fortress. But their victory was fragile, and the tension in the air said it all.
They all knew a storm was coming.
Ethan Cross stood at the central platform, staring at the blueprints displayed by the Iron Bastion engineers. The Tide Barrier Core, an ancient mechanism powered by deep-sea relics and abyssal energy, was nearly complete. When activated, it would form a magical dome that could repel both magical and physical attacks for a limited time—perfect for a defense against siege or sea monster incursions.
[System Message]: Your actions have led to the restoration of the Dock's Heart.
Tide Barrier Core (Stage 2/3): Activation requires:
1x Abyssal Crystal Core (Acquired)
20x Leviathan Bone Fragments (Acquired)
1x Fused Etheric Conduit (Not Acquired)
Brandon approached, brushing sweat from his forehead. "Still short one key component."
"Yeah," Ethan replied. "And we don't have time to waste. Our scouts report movement—Magisterium Arcanum's fleet is sailing toward us."
Brandon sighed. "Figures. We take one step forward, they send a kraken back."
Ethan opened his Command Interface and checked the updated mission list.
[Quest: Power the Tide Barrier Core]
Description:
Complete the final upgrade to activate the Tide Barrier Core, the last line of defense for Dock 13. Without it, the Dock will be vulnerable to long-range siege and Abyssal assault.
Objective:
Acquire 1x Fused Etheric Conduit
Deliver it to Dock 13's Heart
Survive the activation process (Defend the core during its vulnerable charge-up)
Reward:
+500,000 EXP
+Reputation (Iron Bastion +1,000)
+Faction-Wide Bonus: +10% Defense during Sea Combat
+Access to Dock 13 Elite Crafting Stations
"Where the hell are we supposed to find a Fused Etheric Conduit?" Brandon muttered.
A deep voice behind them answered. "Only one place it still exists… the wreck of the Skyshard Citadel."
Ethan turned to see an older NPC standing in long robes woven with coral thread and bronze fittings. It was Thalos Deepforge, a master runesmith and former artificer of the High Bastion.
"Skyshard Citadel sank during the Great Collapse," Thalos continued. "But its engine core... still burns beneath the surface."
[New Side Quest Unlocked]: Dive Into Ruin – Recover the Fused Etheric Conduit from the Skyshard Citadel wreckage.
Underwater Dungeon Dive – The Broken Citadel
Ethan and Brandon assembled a small elite squad of NPC guards, including two Iron Bastion defenders and a deep-sea diver named Mira Tidescale. They entered the cold trench northeast of Dock 13, where glowing kelp forested the seabed and strange lights flickered in the murky water.
Once they breached the outer ruins, the system updated.
[Instance Entered: Skyshard Citadel – Level Requirement: 40+]
Danger Level: High
Environmental Modifier: Pressure + Abyssal Interference – All healing effects reduced by 40%
Ethan swam cautiously through broken towers and shattered glass tunnels, slashing hostile crustacean creatures that scuttled in packs.
[Damage Dealt: Abyssal Grasp – 395, 429, 403]
[Brandon's Hammer Strike – 311, 327, 345]
The group reached the engine chamber after nearly thirty minutes of brutal underwater combat. There, nestled in the shattered core, the Fused Etheric Conduit pulsed with unstable energy, guarded by a monstrous jellyfish-like creature known as the Aetherflame Bloom.
[Boss Encounter – Aetherflame Bloom]
Name: Aetherflame Bloom
Race: Deep-Sea Aberration
Level: 47
HP: 89,213 / 89,213
Special Traits:
Emits a constant mana burn aura
Immune to Fire-based skills
Divides into smaller clones when below 40% HP
Skills:
Mana Flare Pulse – Deals 1,203 AoE damage and burns MP
Chain Bloom – Strikes up to 3 targets for 729, 753, and 771 damage
Flash Duplication – Creates up to 3 clones with 20% HP each
The team prepared quickly. Ethan cloaked in shadows and warped to flank the creature, his Darksteel Blade glowing with abyssal energy.
[Shadow Step] – Position Changed
[Abyssal Slash] – 911, 953, 887 Damage
[Brandon's Charge] – 1,003 Critical Hit!
Mira tried to heal, but the pressure debuff heavily weakened her output. The Aetherflame Bloom lashed out, burning half her MP and sending her HP plummeting.
[Aetherflame Bloom – Chain Bloom] – Mira: 771 DMG / Thalos: 753 DMG / Guard: 729 DMG]
"Use the terrain!" Ethan shouted, weaving around the iron beams and cover remnants of the Citadel.
They focused fire, and when the Bloom hit 35% HP, it split into three pulsing copies. The battlefield turned chaotic.
Clone 1: 7,320 HP / Clone 2: 6,984 HP / Clone 3: 6,140 HP
Brandon activated his defensive ability Stone Fortitude, drawing aggro from the clones while Ethan darted through the battlefield.
With one final coordinated blast—
[Ethan – Abyssal Chain Eruption] – 1,201, 1,145, 1,189 (Multi-hit Combo!)
The Bloom burst in a cascade of light.
[Boss Defeated: Aetherflame Bloom]
Loot Acquired:
1x Fused Etheric Conduit (Quest Item)
3x Abyssal Biolume Glands
10,000 Gold
[Unique Item: Jellybone Wraps – +30 MP, -10% Physical Defense, +15% Cast Speed]
Back at Dock 13, Ethan handed the conduit to the Iron Bastion engineers. Massive energy channels began to rotate, gears turned with seismic groans, and beams of radiant waterlight spiraled toward the sky.
[Tide Barrier Core Activated!]
Dock 13 is now protected by a magical fortress shell.
All enemy siege units deal -30% damage
New Crafting Unlocked: "Shelltech" – Allows infusing waterlight into gear.
The entire fortress rejoiced. Players in the region received a notification:
[Server-Wide Message]
Dock 13 has been fortified by Abyssal Harbinger Ethan Cross and the Iron Bastion.
This hub now trades Shelltech gear and hosts limited-time faction quests.