One of the younger mages stood near the rear side of the third expedition group while quietly tightening the strap attached to the crystal container hanging beside his waist.

His name was Lareth, a talented mage from Seraphelle who had only officially entered the higher circles of Magical research two years ago.

Even now, while the yard remained filled with movement and preparation around him, his expression still looked grim.

He honestly could not stop asking himself the same question repeatedly.

Why did this happen to him?

When he first devoted himself to Magic years ago, he imagined a completely different future for himself. He thought he would eventually earn a respectable position inside one of the Archmage towers, spend his days researching ancient formulas, assist with Magical development, and perhaps slowly rise through the ranks while living relatively safely behind protected walls.

That was the future he imagined.

Not this!

Not standing inside a crowded military yard while preparing to walk directly into corrupted territories where it could swallow entire villages and make it vanished overnight.

Lareth released a quiet breath while trying to calm himself. His stomach still felt heavy with nervousness no matter how much he tried to steady his thoughts. Around him, the other young mages looked almost exactly the same.

Pale faces. Tense eyes. Nervous movements hidden behind attempts to appear composed.

Most of them came from different kingdoms originally before gathering here for the expedition. Some wore the blue layered robes common to Leonora's Magical institutions while others carried the silver insignias of Seraphelle or the darker ceremonial cloaks from Drakenmere. They also came from Valdros and Elaris.

But despite their different origins, Lareth could immediately understand what many of them were probably thinking.

They were talented young mages who expected to spend most of their lives studying inside libraries and towers.

Instead, they now stood here preparing to enter places that even veteran soldiers feared.

For a moment, Lareth glanced toward another young mage nearby who nervously adjusted the runes floating around his staff for the tenth time within only a few minutes. The sight almost made Lareth laugh bitterly.

At least he was not alone in this.

That thought strangely helped a little.

If they truly ended up facing horrors beyond the kingdoms later, then people carrying the same fear and struggle needed to help each other survive.

Meanwhile, the veteran knights accompanying the expeditions looked completely different.

Several armored warriors calmly inspected their weapons while others casually exchanged quiet conversation near the supply wagons. Their expressions remained composed despite fully understanding the danger awaiting them outside the kingdoms.

One older knight from Valdros even laughed loudly while tightening the straps around his heavy armor as if he were preparing for an ordinary patrol instead of a mission that might kill him.

Lareth found that difficult to understand.

But for many knights, dangerous missions like this represented honor itself. Protecting the world, defending civilians, and walking willingly toward death if necessary were things they accepted long ago the moment they chose that path.

Compared to the terrified young mages, the veteran knights almost seemed reassured to have been chosen for this expedition.

Eventually, the final preparations finished.

The support personnel stepped away from the expedition formations while the supply wagons completed their loading. Magical containment devices activated one after another with faint glowing hums while communication crystals were distributed among the assigned leaders.

Then slowly, all five expedition groups gathered together in the enormous palace yard once more beneath the cold gray sky above them.

This time, the atmosphere felt different.

The nervousness still remained. But now the mission was truly about to begin.

Velrion stood alone at the front of the assembled expedition groups while the cold wind moved quietly across the enormous palace yard.

There were glowing Magical formulas surrounding the Archmage rotated slowly in the air around him.

For several moments, he said nothing. His eyes simply moved across the gathered knights and mages standing before him. He saw young faces, veteran soldiers, and talented researchers. Men and women who still had futures waiting for them if the world survived long enough.

A heavy feeling settled inside Velrion's chest as he looked at them. He understood better than anyone how dangerous these expeditions truly were. The corrupted regions outside the kingdoms had already become increasingly unstable with every passing day. Entire landscapes shifted unpredictably, creatures twisted by corruption grew stronger constantly, and even the Sky Anchor fragments themselves radiated unknown effects that not even the Archmages fully understood yet.

Now he was about to send these people directly toward all of it.

But despite the weight inside his mind, Velrion also understood another reality clearly. These expedition groups were the best chance the world currently possessed.

So after releasing a quiet breath, the Archmage slowly buried his hesitation once more beneath the calm and authoritative expression he normally carried.

"You have all completed your preparations," Velrion finally said while his voice echoed steadily throughout the yard. "I will transport each expedition group toward the farthest stable locations currently reachable through long-range teleportation."

Several of the younger mages immediately focused more seriously after hearing that.

"The portals will place you near the pathways leading toward your assigned fragment sites," Velrion continued. "But after that point, you will need to continue traveling directly through the corrupted territories yourselves."

The atmosphere among the groups became heavier again afterward. Everyone already expected this explanation beforehand, but hearing it confirmed once more still made the danger feel far more real.

Then Velrion slowly raised both hands. Massive waves of Magic spread outward instantly. The air across the palace yard trembled violently as enormous layers of glowing formulas expanded across the sky above them.

Countless runes rotated rapidly while space itself distorted beneath the overwhelming Magical power released by the Archmage.

Moments later, five gigantic portals opened one after another across the yard. Each portal radiated different colors and energies depending on the assigned destination.

Some revealed glimpses of frozen mountain ranges beneath dark skies while others showed ruined forests swallowed by strange mist or distant rocky wastelands filled with distorted storms.

The sight alone immediately caused silence to spread throughout the assembled groups.

Velrion lowered his hands slowly afterward.

"You may proceed," he said calmly.

Almost immediately, the veteran knights leading each expedition group stepped forward. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"First group, move!"

"Maintain formation!"

"Check containment equipment one last time!"

The nervous tension returned immediately as the groups began moving.

Lareth swallowed hard before tightening his grip around his staff and following the others toward one of the portals.

Around him, the younger mages looked pale but continued walking anyway while the veteran knights maintained steady formation around them protectively.

One by one, the expedition groups entered their assigned portals.

The moment each group crossed through the distorted space, their figures disappeared completely from the palace yard.

—