The old man's appearance stunned everyone. His clothes were simple yet extraordinary, and his eyes revealed an unusual calmness and wisdom. He slowly stepped forward, his voice deep and authoritative: "Children, listen to me. This monster is called the 'Shadow Devourer,' one of the guardians of the ancient city, but its mind has been controlled by some evil force."
Sofia frowned, gripping her sword hilt tightly, and asked, "Do you know how to stop it?"
The old man nodded, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "To defeat it, we must first remove the influence of its evil intent." He turned to Karl and said, "Young warrior, please hand me the Radiant Stone in your hand."
Karl did as he was told. The old man took the Radiant Stone, gently stroking it in his hand, and then pointed it at the Shadow Devourer. "You must let it be baptized by the energy of the Radiant Stone so that its pure light can illuminate its dark heart."
At this moment, a nearby citizen couldn't help but ask, "But how do we get close? This thing is so huge and ferocious!"
Lala stepped forward: "Leave it to us! Sophia is the best at making plans."
“Okay.” Sophia took a deep breath, her eyes gleaming with fearlessness. “According to the positions we just assigned, Aiden and I will attack it head-on to draw its attention; Karl, use your invisibility to get as close to the enemy as possible and place the stone in the best spot to release its energy; the rest of you will be responsible for defending against any unexpected situations that may arise in the surrounding area. Do you all understand your tasks?”
Everyone nodded in unison.
"Action!" With Sofia's command, the team members immediately took their positions.
The battle quickly commenced. Sofia and Aiden charged forward like cheetahs, launching their first attack on the monster with their weapons. Although their attacks failed to inflict fatal wounds on the massive body, they successfully drew all attention.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the concealed Karl quietly approached his target and carefully placed the mysterious stone on a flat surface. The light gradually spread outwards, forming soft yet powerful waves of light that surged forth…
One of the onlookers exclaimed, "Wow, this is a real hero!"
Another added, "That's so cool! I want to be like them when I grow up."
However, at that moment, the entire battlefield suddenly began to tremble violently—clearly, the enormous creature sensed the powerful threat emanating from the radiant stone. It spread its wings and with a sudden flap, soared several meters into the air, its blood-red eyes burning even brighter… Just when everyone thought the plan was about to fail, something unexpected happened—
"Roar!" With a mournful roar, the black aura surrounding the monster gradually dissipated. Its originally ferocious appearance softened considerably, and it even slowly descended back to the ground, obediently lying there awaiting the others' fate...
"We did it!" Nova exclaimed, almost jumping for joy.
“Yes, thanks to everyone’s joint efforts and the guidance of this wise man.” Sophia bowed to the old man to express her gratitude.
The latter smiled and shook his head, indicating that it was nothing to boast about: "What is truly admirable is the courage and unity shown by all of you in the face of difficulties."
Just as the atmosphere was beginning to calm down, a strange fluctuation of energy emanated from not far away. Something seemed to be rapidly approaching in the air, instantly putting everyone on high alert once more…
"What is it again?"
"Don't be nervous, perhaps this is the key to the next step," the old man said softly, his tone gentle yet carrying a profound meaning. "Next, the real adventure may have just begun..."
Sofia's eyes hardened. "Whatever it is, we're ready."
The old man nodded and looked at the crowd. "But before that, let's make sure this area is safe." He pointed to the Shadow Devourer crawling on the ground.
Karl walked over and gently placed his hand on the Radiant Stone. "It seems that this big guy is no longer a threat to us." He turned to Sophia for confirmation.
“Agreed. Let’s focus on addressing the new potential crisis first.” Sophia nodded, her gaze fixed on the approaching source of the energy fluctuations in the distance.
Just then, a little girl, holding her mother's hand, stepped forward, her eyes filled with admiration and curiosity. "You guys are really amazing! You're as brave as superheroes!" The little girl looked up at them, her face beaming with the purest smile.
Her mother gently patted her daughter's head, "Yes, if it weren't for you, this place would probably be in chaos by now." Then she turned to the warriors and thanked them, "Thank you for everything you've done."
Aiden smiled and waved to the mother and daughter, indicating that it was no problem, "It's our duty."
Just as this heartwarming scene unfolded, the sound from afar grew closer, accompanied by an unusual sense of energy. Nova frowned and whispered to Lala, "Can you sense anything? It feels even more mysterious and unpredictable than the Shadow Devourer from before."
Lala closed her eyes for a few seconds, then opened them again and shook her head: "I can't explain it either... but it doesn't seem to be malicious."
Just then, a dark shadow rapidly approached, instantly drawing everyone's attention—it was another strangely shaped creature, its body surrounded by a faint blue light. Unlike the previous enemies, it showed no intention of attacking; instead, it appeared exceptionally gentle and even friendly.
Upon seeing this scene, murmurs immediately arose from the crowd:
"Could it be... a new friend?" an old man guessed in surprise.
"My God! It's unbelievable! Such a being actually exists in this world!" another young man exclaimed.
Faced with an unknown life form, even the experienced elder showed a rare expression of curiosity. "Hello, may I ask who you are...?" he asked tentatively, his tone both respectful and cautious.
The creature slowly approached, emitting a message that was difficult to articulate yet full of goodwill: "I am a guardian from the Abyss, and I have come to seek a hero who can help restore the balance of the world."
Hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. "Could it all be fate?" Aiden murmured to himself, a mixture of confusion and excitement flashing in his eyes.
"Then..." the old man pressed on, "why us?"
The guardian bowed slightly in greeting: "Because from you, I can sense a strong sense of justice and a determination to fight against evil forces. And it is precisely these qualities that can guide us toward the light."
Upon hearing this, Sofia stepped forward, clenched her fist, and said firmly, "If we can truly contribute to this, we are willing to undertake this mission no matter how dangerous it may be."
Some onlookers couldn't help but applaud and cheer for them: "This is what true heroes do!"
However, just when everything seemed to be about to become clear, the sky suddenly darkened—as if a layer of dark clouds had blocked out the sunlight. The air tensed up again.
The guardian looked up at the sky, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes: "It seems time is running out..."
Sofia gripped the hilt of her sword tightly and asked, "What should we do next? Don't we need to take action immediately?"
“Indeed.” The old man took a deep breath and stared at the gloomy atmosphere that was gradually enveloping the entire space. “Only by finding a solution to the problem as soon as possible can we prevent the impending catastrophe.”
Just as everyone held their breath in anticipation of the next step, a deep rumble came from the distant horizon—clearly, another uninvited guest was heading this way.
“More challenges are approaching.” Sofia calmly and resolutely gave the order, “Prepare to face new enemies! And don’t forget everything this guardian said—our battle has only just begun.”
The air was thick with tension, and filled with countless pairs of hopeful eyes. What obstacles would they encounter on this unknown journey?
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