The young man's eyes widened in recognition. "Ødegaard Tgüraq," he exclaimed, his voice filled with respect. "One of the Seven Fishermen. Ranked Herald."
Ødegaard smiled, his blue orb glowing softly. "Your service is once again requested," he said, his voice booming but gentle. "As the Fourth has passed, would you accept the title as one of the Seven Fishermen?"
The young man's face broke into a wide grin. "You don't have to ask," he replied, his voice filled with enthusiasm. He reached out and took a golden object from Ødegaard's outstretched hand. It was a beautiful emblem, crafted from a thousand tiny crystals interwoven with strands of pure gold, creating a dazzling display of light. Yet, despite its intricate design, it was incredibly thin, almost like a wafer. The young man pressed the emblem against his bare skin, and it instantly fused with his flesh, becoming a permanent tattoo-like rune that glowed with a soft, golden light.
As the emblem settled into his skin, the ground around him began to tremble slightly. From the dirt and grass beneath his feet, an extraordinary transformation began to take place. The earth and vegetation coalesced, morphing and solidifying into a suit of armor. The base layer was formed from an evergreen, woolly leather, providing a flexible yet sturdy foundation. Over this, dark granite compressed and hardened, forming plates of pitch-black armor that covered his torso, limbs, and shoulders. The transformation was complete in a matter of seconds, leaving the young man standing in a suit of unique, earthy armor.
Ødegaard nodded approvingly. "But we won't be fishing for sky fish today," he said, his voice turning serious. "We'll be fishing for a demon."
The scene then shifted back to David and Cael. After their harrowing night, they finally reached their destination: the gates of Karvas. Karvas, the Iron Fortress. Beyond these imposing gates, behind the towering, cold iron mountains that gave the city its name, stood a bastion of independence. Karvas was the only place within the kingdom that had managed to retain its autonomy, a city covered by the "garment" of the Iron Mountain God, a metaphorical shield of divine protection that kept it safe from outside influence. The gates themselves were massive structures of dark iron, reinforced with thick bands of steel, a testament to the city's strength and resilience. They loomed before David and Cael, a gateway to sanctuary, or perhaps, to another kind of danger entirely.