The young man's words were like a lightning bolt piercing the night sky, causing tension and alertness among everyone present. The villagers discussed the matter animatedly; some appeared worried, while others held onto hope.
"A major sacrifice? What exactly does that mean?" Samir asked the young man with a sharp look in his eyes, his tone tinged with wariness.
The young man smiled, but his smile carried a hint of barely perceptible worry. "Performing this ritual requires a large amount of pure energy as the power source to seal the forces of darkness. In other words, we need an extremely powerful medium."
A young peasant woman frowned and couldn't help but interject, "A powerful medium...you mean...human lives?"
The young man sighed. “Not entirely. This medium doesn’t refer to life, but to something pure and immaculate that can hold immense energy.”
Rex brandished his greatsword, felling a charging monster before turning back to ask, "What exactly are you talking about? Tell us now! Time is running out."
“It’s a special gem called the ‘Heart of Light’,” the young man finally stopped hiding it. “This gem contains enough energy to suppress the cores of those dark creatures. But it’s extremely rare; there are probably only a few places on the entire continent where it can be found. One of the legendary locations is the ancient ruins—the Temple of Light.”
"The Temple of Light!" the boy exclaimed, his eyes suddenly hardening. "I know this place! It's located deep within this forest, in a hidden cave. My father told me about its legends."
The veteran nodded. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" He looked at the boy, his tone serious yet full of encouragement, "Are you willing to lead everyone to the Temple of Light?"
The boy nodded, took a deep breath, and replied, "Of course I'm willing. I will use all my strength to protect everyone! But I also need your support."
The crowd was moved by the conversation, and an elderly man exclaimed excitedly, "We will follow you to the end, young man! No matter what the outcome!"
The blacksmith brandished his axe and echoed, "Yes, for the safety of the village and the peace of the future, we must continue on no matter how difficult the road ahead!"
Just as the atmosphere was heating up, the enormous beast let out a deafening roar, clearly noticing the determination and courage of the humans. It opened its massive maw and spewed a ball of black energy towards the group.
"Not good!" Samir reacted quickly, rushing over to push away an old man who couldn't dodge in time, and swiftly released his barrier magic to defend against the attack.
However, the impact of the explosion still injured many people and left them on the ground, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.
The boy's eyes gleamed, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "We can't go on like this! We have to speed things up! Come with me, I'll do my best to buy us time."
Having said that, he immediately mobilized all the magic power in his body, drawing several complex and dazzling runes in the air. As the last syllable was uttered, a soft yet powerful white light enveloped everyone.
"This is a temporary protective barrier that can slightly withstand enemy attacks," he explained. "Let's move to our destination as soon as possible."
Although people were still afraid of the danger before them, they also felt an unprecedented sense of unity. Led by the boy, the group walked through the dense forest, heading towards the mysterious and ancient Temple of Light.
Along the way, some villagers who were originally timid began to spontaneously organize themselves to take care of the wounded, and even a few people who were not usually noticeable showed amazing leadership skills.
Meanwhile, the mysterious young man followed closely behind, occasionally offering guidance or reminders. When they passed a seemingly ordinary stone tablet, he stopped and began to study it carefully.
“It seems this is one of the entrance locations~ But it seems to be surrounded by many obstacles…” He said, taking out a small blue crystal and lightly touching the surface of the monument. Soon, a hidden passage appeared before his eyes.
Upon entering the temple, the environment suddenly became unusually quiet and solemn, with only the faint echoes of footsteps indicating the presence of living people. At the end of the corridor stood a magnificent hall, in the center of which was a small gem radiating a gentle light—the very thing everyone was searching for: the Heart of Light.
Just as the boy was about to step forward and take it down, a faint voice suddenly rang in his ears: "Those who have intruded into this place, do you know the price that must be paid to awaken the Heart of Light?"
Everyone immediately became alert, looking around but unable to find the source of the sound. At this moment, blurry image outlines gradually appeared on the ground, seemingly the manifestation of an ancient and noble being.
"I am Elinas, the goddess of light who has protected this land for a thousand years," the image slowly introduces itself, "Only truly pure and fearless souls can gain my approval... and use this sacred stone to fight against the impending disaster."
The boy took a deep breath and replied firmly, "No matter what trials we face, we are willing to accept them. Please give us guidance so that we can save this continent!"
Upon hearing this, the illusory figure smiled slightly, and its gentle yet powerful voice resonated throughout the entire hall:
"So...the trial is about to begin. Brave children, are you ready to meet the challenge?"
"We are ready!" came a firm reply from the crowd, with determination and hope burning in everyone's eyes.
Just then, a sudden tremor shattered the brief moment of peace...
"What's happening outside?!" Rex shouted, and then the entire space trembled violently, as if it were being subjected to a fierce attack...
“It seems the enemy doesn’t intend to give us much time,” the young traveler calmly analyzed the current situation, then turned to the sacred illusion and pleaded, “Honorable Goddess Elinas, please guide us through the test as soon as possible and grant us the qualifications to use the Heart of Light!”
A violent tremor made the entire Temple of Light seem about to collapse. Rex gripped his greatsword tightly, his brow furrowed, and shouted, "What happened?"
The phantom of Elina swayed slightly, her voice still calm yet carrying an undeniable authority, "This is the pressure exerted here by the dark forces from the outside world. If you cannot complete the trial as soon as possible, all our efforts will be in vain."
Panic began to spread among the crowd. The usually taciturn old blacksmith stepped forward and comforted everyone in a hoarse voice: "Don't be afraid, young men are so brave, we can't fall behind!" As he spoke, he patted a young apprentice next to him on the shoulder to encourage him.
The boy's eyes were exceptionally resolute. He looked at everyone, his voice filled with determination, "Listen to me, we only have one path forward now. No matter what monsters await outside, I believe that as long as we unite, there is no difficulty we cannot overcome." He then nodded to the mysterious traveler, "So, what should we do next? Please tell me the specific steps."
The young man took out an ancient scroll from his robes and unfurled it, drawing intricate runes in mid-air. "First, we must find the 'Well of Purity' deep within the temple—the place where the goddess tests our will for the first time," he said, pointing to the entrance of a faintly glowing path in one direction. "But to get there, we must first overcome the labyrinth of illusions along the way."
"Wait!" A shrill female voice came from behind. A woman in a cloak pushed her way to the front of the crowd. "If there is danger, why make everyone take the risk? Can't we find another way out or retreat for the time being?" She was clearly terrified of the unknown that was about to be faced.
At this moment, the young man who had remained silent stepped to the center and answered, "Time is of the essence; we cannot afford to delay any longer. The forces of darkness are attempting to destroy this crucial location, the only one capable of resisting them. If we fail, none of us will even have a chance to escape..." He then looked to Elina for support, "Great Elina, please grant this sister strength, so that she too may understand the true power within her!"
Feeling everyone's gaze on her, the woman suddenly realized that she might have been too timid, and gritted her teeth, saying, "Okay... I... I'll try my best to help and not cause any trouble for everyone."
As the first ray of light appeared, the group began their arduous journey. With each step, they faced a variety of scenes, some real and some illusion. Some saw their past painful experiences replayed and almost gave up; while others supported each other, constantly reminding one another to persevere until they successfully traversed the illusion.
Just when everyone thought they were out of danger, a dazzling light appeared ahead, instantly engulfing all the obstacles. "Could this be... the legendary Heart of Innocence?" Samir exclaimed.
At that moment, a deep, mysterious male voice resounded throughout the area: "Excellent! You've passed my first test. Two more challenging stages await the warriors..."
"Who are you?!" Rex looked around warily but couldn't find the source of the voice, so he had no choice but to ask helplessly.
"I am the soul that has guarded this temple for many years—Alkmarus," as the words fell, a ghostly figure of a knight in magnificent armor appeared out of thin air, "The second test requires you to demonstrate enough courage to face your inner fears."
The boy said firmly, "We will not back down! No matter what, we will fight to the end for our village! What kind of challenge is the second hurdle? Please tell us!"
A suffocating pressure seemed to hang in the air, making even breathing difficult. "Are you ready to witness your inner demons? Once activated, you will confront your deepest, most hidden fears," the ghost warrior Alkmarus said coldly. "And you can only do it alone..." With that, his figure vanished into nothingness, leaving behind a silence and an atmosphere of tension...
"Oh dear~ This is getting more and more interesting. Are you all ready?" The young man tried to lighten the mood with a joke. But all he got in return were heavier breathing and trusting glances between them, and hands gripping their weapons tightly.
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