On the edge of the town, the night was as dark as ink, and an ominous atmosphere permeated the air. Just as the pressure from the black-clad king struck again, the mysterious woman's figure vanished silently into the night. Aiden and Sofia exchanged a glance, then looked resolutely ahead.
“In any case, we can only believe what she says now,” Sofia said in a deep voice. “Only by uniting as one can we overcome the current predicament.”
Just then, a little boy rushed out of a side alley, panting heavily, and shouted, "Wait! I think I just saw something weird moving over there!" The little boy pointed to a grove of trees not far away, his expression tense and anxious.
Carl immediately waved for several strong young men to go and check. "Everyone be careful, anything can happen these days." His voice was firm and reassuring, conveying a sense of security to the crowd.
"Is this kid right? That thing looks terrifying!" A young mother covered her mouth, her eyes filled with fear and curiosity.
The whispers among the crowd became more and more frequent:
"Yes, what that strange woman said might actually make some sense... but will that be enough to win this battle?"
"Sigh, at this point, we have no choice but to take this gamble..." an elder sighed, but a faint light flickered in his eyes.
Meanwhile, the reconnaissance team at the edge of the woods had approached the location the boy had indicated, and saw a dark shadow moving slowly. "Hey! Who are you? Come out now!" the burly man at the head of the group shouted, holding up a torch. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and the shadow dispersed into a flock of crows taking flight, startling everyone and causing them to take several steps back.
Someone in the crowd shouted, "What a scare!"
But before they could even catch their breath, an old and trembling voice rang out from the back of the group: "You know... those crows may not be beings that ordinary people can see... Legend has it that the Dark Lord has an army of crows controlled by the undead, and they often foreshadow the arrival of even more deadly threats."
Everyone turned to look, and there stood the town's most senior hunter, the one who had spoken. "Let him finish!" Sophia, who had somehow appeared at the front, said. Although she didn't want to accept this chilling information, experience told her that ignoring the old hunter's warning would be a huge mistake.
Just then, a rumble of thunder seemed to come from the horizon, but in reality, there was no way a thunderstorm could be coming under a clear night sky—it was clearly just one of the signals that the enemy forces were closing in. "It seems we must act immediately... No matter how strong they are, we cannot give up the fight!" Aiden pointed his spear at the crack in the sky, his tone filled with unwavering authority.
The moment this leader's words fell, the Guardian's body was once again enveloped in blue-white light, as if declaring its readiness for battle. "Everyone, prepare yourselves! Whatever happens next, remember: unity makes us invincible!" Behind him, a group of brave souls converged to form an unprecedented barrier of combined power.
Just as the atmosphere was about to reach its decisive moment, the old wizard who had previously mentioned the mysterious woman's identity silently stepped forward. "Perhaps we can try another approach..." he suggested softly, pulling a small, exquisite crystal ball from his wide robe sleeve. "If my deduction is correct, this might help us open a path to new opportunities..."
Everyone was taken aback by his words: "What do you mean? What kind of crazy idea are you having, grandpa?" the little boy couldn't help but ask.
...
However, before the old man could explain his plan further, the ground suddenly trembled violently a few times, and a dark mass of people appeared on the distant horizon...
"Oh no! The real test has just begun!" Karl hurriedly directed the last group of residents who had not yet completely evacuated to speed up their movement towards a safe area. "Hurry! Everyone, get inside and lock the doors. Don't hesitate any longer!" At this moment, he couldn't care less about anything else, after all, the current situation had far exceeded what ordinary people could bear.
“Alright, then please make sure everyone is safe.” Sofia nodded in agreement, then turned to face the massive army rushing towards them. “We’ll stop them from getting near here for even a second!”
Just as tensions were about to rise—
A slightly childish yet exceptionally firm voice broke the silence and shattered the deadlock. "Daddy..." The little girl, who had been hiding in her mother's arms, broke free and ran straight to Aiden's side. "I want to help too... I don't want to see anyone get hurt or lose their lives..." Her eyes were moist but she stared straight ahead without flinching, her small fists clenched tightly. "Although I know my strength is limited, it's worth it if I can protect even one person."
In this scene, all the warriors around were deeply moved; even the so-called ruler of the Dark Realm, who had always maintained a tough and ruthless attitude, couldn't help but cast a curious glance at them...
"Hehe... What an interesting scene. It turns out that such intense and pure emotions still remain in the hearts of humans... However, the game still needs to be played according to the rules. I hope that when we meet again, you can still maintain this courage and belief~" After saying this, the dark aura around him suddenly intensified, and then his figure disappeared as if melting into the void—leaving countless unresolved questions and challenges for these warriors to face together.
The atmosphere above the town grew increasingly tense, as if even the air itself had frozen. The moment the Dark King departed, the entire town seemed to fall into a deathly silence. However, this brief tranquility did not last long. As a cold wind swept through the woods, everyone instinctively gripped their weapons and tools, preparing for battle.
"That little girl is right!" a middle-aged man nearby exclaimed in agreement. "We are all indispensable members of this town, so we can't just let Aiden and his friends take the risks!"
These words immediately resonated with the surrounding crowd. "That's right! Let's help too!" "Exactly! Only by working together can we fight against evil forces!" Everyone eagerly stepped forward, their fighting spirit high.
Faced with this sudden change, the three guardians, who had originally intended to shoulder everything alone, felt a surge of warmth in their hearts. Especially Sofia, the female warrior who had always been as strong as iron, her eyes revealed a hint of tenderness for the first time: "Thank you... With everyone's support, we have even more confidence."
At this moment, the old wizard spoke again: "Then listen to my command, all non-combatants, please evacuate to the church immediately for refuge. There are the strongest protective runes there that can withstand any external attacks."
Just as the residents were following instructions, a figure suddenly rushed from the corner to the front of the line. "Wait! I want to go to the front lines too!" It was the little boy who had alerted everyone to the unusual situation. His eyes shone with determination as he continued, "I know I'm not very strong, but even if I can only help my older brothers and sisters pass on messages, please take me with you!"
Aiden smiled slightly and reached out to pat the child's head in approval: "Alright, young man, remember to stay alert and follow behind us. If you encounter any danger, hide immediately, understand?" After receiving his approval, the little boy excitedly jumped up and ran to Sofia to report.
On the other side, the old hunter responsible for guarding the edge of the village was setting up makeshift traps with several volunteers. "Hey buddy, watch out, don't fall into the pit!" one of the young men joked, but his hands moved with lightning speed. Hearing this, his companions laughed, as if trying to dispel the unknown fear in their hearts with laughter.
The night deepened, and the cracks in the sky began to widen, the black clouds emanating from them resembling the terrifying breath of a dragon. At the same time, strange, chilling sounds echoed from the forest once more. "They're coming... the enemy is about to launch a new attack," Aiden murmured, gripping his spear tightly, preparing for battle.
"Keep going, everyone! Believe that miracles always happen in the hearts of the brave." The old wizard gently patted the crystal ball in his hand, which emitted a faint light, giving everyone encouragement.
Immediately afterwards, deafening footsteps echoed from afar, accompanied by the resounding clang of heavy metal armor clashing together—the legendary, incredibly powerful Dark Legion had finally revealed its true form!
As they came into view, everyone gasped: the densely packed figures almost blotted out the sky, each distorted face radiating a bloodthirsty aura that chilled the heart. And in the very center of the procession sat a figure draped in black robes, riding a massive steed…
Seeing the imminent crisis, the little girl suddenly shouted, "Don't be afraid! As long as we work together, there is no difficulty we cannot overcome!"
This action immediately ignited the fighting spirit of everyone present. "You're right, little girl!" The old hunter was the first to straighten his back, raise his musket, point it at the other side, and roar loudly, "Even if we fight to the last, we'll make them taste our might!"
At this crucial moment, the mysterious old woman who had been standing silently to the side suddenly took a few steps forward and came to the center of the soldiers. Her appearance immediately caused a slight commotion: "Who are you, old lady? Why are you here?"
The old woman smiled faintly, looked around, and replied, "I am indeed not a traveler of this era. But since I have stumbled upon your story by chance, I am destined to be unable to leave... Therefore, it is only natural for me to decide to lend a helping hand."
Then she held her palms up in the air, chanting an incantation that summoned circles of strange runes that swirled and danced around her. "In the name of the stars, I beseech the ancient gods to grant their blessings!"
Just as the light magic was being cast, the leader of the dark forces, not to be outdone, began to gather magical power in preparation for a counterattack—
"Hmph... How dare an ignorant mortal so presumptuously challenge my majesty? It seems I need to teach him a more profound lesson, hahahahahahaha!!" The maniacal laughter resounded like thunder throughout the entire battlefield.
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