At midnight, the airship finally descended slowly. Ang stood on the deck, gazing at Gage City in the distance. At first, he had thought the airship would dock at the port, but to his surprise, it did not stop there. Instead, it landed directly near Gage City's plane portal. The surroundings were pitch-black, with only occasional flickering lights revealing the city's outline. The airship's engine hummed softly, and its hull trembled faintly, as though it were about to face an unknown challenge.
"Get down. Everyone, get ready." Ang turned back and saw the North Wind Warband soldiers standing in neat ranks. Excitement gleamed in their eyes, though they could not hide their tension. Everyone knew that what came next would no longer be an ordinary patrol mission, but a battle concerning life and death.
Ang stood at the front of the formation and led them off the airship. A solemn group of reception staff greeted them, and the atmosphere was unusually tense. The receptionist looked over Ang's deployment order, fell silent for a moment, then handed him a token. "Take this token and line up ahead. It's too dark, so for safety's sake, go queue up first." The receptionist's voice was low and firm, but there was a trace of anxiety in his tone.
Ang accepted the token, somewhat puzzled. It did not look like a typical barracks assignment token. It was cold to the touch and carved with intricate runes, but its shape differed from what he had expected. He did not dwell on it. Turning to the soldiers, he waved and said, "Everyone, follow me. The line ahead should be our destination." He strode toward the direction indicated by the receptionist, with the North Wind Warband following close behind.
The surroundings were silent, and the night felt especially