“But,” Kane interjected, his eyes gleaming with determination, “the skills Mr. Istra just used have given us great hope. Perhaps we can learn some new combat techniques from this new ally.” As he spoke, he glanced at Istra’s enigmatic figure.
In the crowd, a little boy tugged at his father's arm. "Dad, that uncle is really amazing! Did you hear what he said? He said we should keep working hard in the days to come!" His voice was full of admiration.
The young woman beside him gently patted her son's shoulder, comforting him, "Don't worry, baby, just live bravely. So many people are protecting us..."
As they were talking, suddenly, an ominous feeling spread rapidly like a cold wind. The air was filled with a suffocating atmosphere, and something huge and indescribable seemed to be slowly approaching in the distance.
Ares frowned: "This feels terrible, everyone please be careful..."
"Wait, look over there!" Amy called out, pointing towards the earthen mound. Everyone followed her gaze and saw several figures approaching—they didn't seem to be enemies. One was a tall, slender girl with light, graceful steps; the other was burly and strong, wielding a giant axe…
"Are they friends or foes?" the old woman asked in a low voice, her grandson gripping her hand tightly.
The leader of the group stopped and raised her hand in a pause gesture towards the town. She called out loudly, "Don't misunderstand! We are reinforcements from the east! We rushed over as soon as we heard there was trouble here."
Sofia stepped forward to greet them: "Welcome everyone! May I ask who you are...?"
The tall girl smiled and introduced herself, "I'm Lilia, and this is Caroline. We've encountered similar situations before. Although we don't know why these monsters came, we do have some tips on how to deal with them that we can share!"
Cheers erupted from the crowd once again. "That's wonderful! Thank you all for coming to the rescue!" several young soldiers exclaimed excitedly.
“Hmm,” Ares nodded in agreement, “Now that we have fresh blood, we might have a better chance of winning the upcoming battles… but the situation seems much more complicated than we imagined. Especially that mastermind who hasn’t truly shown themselves yet…”
At this moment, the old man, who was observing the battle from a distance, suddenly turned to his grandson and whispered, "Do you see that, child? This is true courage. No matter what difficulties and obstacles lie ahead, there will always be a group of heroes who will stand up to protect others from the wind and rain."
The little boy nodded thoughtfully: "When I grow up, I want to be like my older brothers and sisters."
At the same time, Istra quietly approached the two female warriors and whispered, "Actually, I have another plan that I haven't told everyone... I'll reveal it when the time is right. Anyway, please trust each other and prepare for an even bigger challenge. Because..."
He looked up at the sky, where dark clouds hung low, threatening to crush the city. "The real battle has probably only just begun."
"So what should we do?" Lilia asked the young man in front of her who looked young but exuded a powerful aura.
Istra smiled slightly, her eyes fixed resolutely on the distance: "Maintain vigilance and trust, and leave the rest to fate."
Istra's words were like an invisible force, stirring a firm belief in everyone's heart. His deep gaze seemed to contain a premonition of the future, making everyone involuntarily follow in his footsteps.
A middle-aged woman's voice came from the crowd, "This young man is right. Now that we've come together, we should trust each other." The man next to her nodded in agreement, "That's right. Although we don't know what the future holds, we now have new hope."
At this moment, Lilia turned to Caroline and said, "It seems we need to train even harder, Caroline." Caroline smiled confidently and replied, "Of course! It'll also be a good opportunity for our new friends to see how amazing we are!" Upon hearing this, everyone present couldn't help but laugh.
Just as everyone was excited about the upcoming collaboration, Sofia noticed a boy standing alone at the edge of the line, silent. "Hey lad," she gently patted the boy's shoulder, "why are you here all alone? Are you having some trouble?" The boy shook his head and replied, "No... I was just thinking about what I could do to help everyone."
Hearing this, the soldiers nearby encouraged him in unison, "Everyone is useful! Even the smallest things are very important!" One of them even added jokingly, "Besides, you're the youngest soldier in our team! You're sure to have a bright future!"
As night fell, the makeshift camp gradually returned to its usual tranquility. However, an unspeakable unease seemed to lurk beneath this peace. Several men on night watch sat around the campfire, talking. One of them, an old soldier named John, sighed, "Sigh... there are all sorts of strange things in this world. How did we end up like this? Can we really face all of this together?"
“I believe we can do it,” Amy said gently but firmly, her gaze fixed on the distance. “After all, we share the same goal, don’t we? To protect those we want to safeguard from harm… No matter how powerful the enemy, we must fight to the very end!” Her voice, though not loud, clearly reached the ears of everyone who heard her, stirring a deep resonance within them.
Just then, the sky was suddenly illuminated by a strange blue light, as if the originally dark night sky had been lit up instantly. "What...what's going on!?" Ares immediately became alert and quickly stood up from the ground, walking towards the direction of the light.
"Could it be that the enemy has arrived?" Lilia followed closely behind, quickly drawing the bow and arrows from her back to prepare for any possible attack.
However, as the group approached, they discovered that what they saw was not the battle scene they had imagined—instead, they saw a huge, mysterious crystal floating in the air, emitting a soft blue light…
“My God… I have never seen anything so beautiful and powerful…” Sofia murmured to herself, her voice trembling slightly.
"What is this thing? And how did it appear?" Caroline frowned, looking unusually vigilant.
Istra stepped forward, gazed at the crystal, then turned to everyone and said, "This may be some kind of omen. We must find out its origin, or we will be unable to cope with the impending crisis."
Just as everyone was still wondering, a light footstep came from not far away. "Wait... don't touch that point of light yet." A mysterious woman in a long robe slowly stepped out of the darkness, her eyes filled with deep worry.
Lilia asked warily, "Who are you? Do you know what this is?"
The mysterious woman nodded: "I am a scholar who studies ancient magical ruins. This crystal likely comes from an ancient magical civilization. It possesses immense power... but it is also a warning sign of an impending catastrophic event."
Ares, his expression grave, asked, "So what should we do now?"
The mysterious woman glanced at Istra, seemingly seeking support, before speaking: "Only by finding someone who can unlock its secrets can we succeed. And that requires immense courage and wisdom."
A low murmur rippled through the crowd; everyone sensed an unprecedented challenge looming. Finally, Sophia broke the silence, turning to the enigmatic scholar and asking, "Then... who does this lady believe is best suited to complete this task?"
The mysterious woman's gaze was fixed firmly on the young figure standing in the middle of the crowd: "In my opinion... it can only be this gentleman. He has already demonstrated extraordinary power, and perhaps he is the one destined for us."
All eyes were on Istra. A tense, expectant atmosphere filled the air as they awaited his decision.
“In that case… let’s set off.” Istra said calmly but resolutely, her gaze still fixed on the mysterious crystal, silently vowing, “No matter how treacherous and tortuous the road ahead may be, I will not give up.”
As soon as the words were spoken, an inexplicable atmosphere enveloped the entire camp. People began busily packing their belongings in preparation for their departure the next day. Amidst the hustle and bustle, Lilia quietly approached Istra and whispered, "Are you really ready to face all of this?"
He smiled and replied, "Perhaps we were never truly prepared for such a thing. But I know that as long as we stand together, there are no difficulties we cannot overcome."
Lilia nodded, a barely perceptible warmth flashing in her eyes, then turned and joined the busy crowd. Meanwhile, the blue crystal in the sky remained silently suspended, like a guardian watching over the land, foreshadowing an unknown destiny.
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