"Hide!" Rex gave the order decisively. Everyone quickly concealed themselves in various corners of the courtyard, preparing their weapons. The screams grew closer, and the chaotic footsteps seemed to carry the scent of death as they echoed through the night streets.
Before long, a group of panicked figures rushed into the most secluded path in the town. Leading them was a young girl, her face filled with fear and anxiety. "This way! Run this way!" a boy shouted behind her, his voice tinged with despair but he hadn't given up the fight.
"They seem to be being chased by something..." Mary said in a low voice, gripping her staff tightly, ready to provide support.
“Hey, shouldn’t we go help?” Robin asked in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the approaching team. “Something’s not right.” The blacksmith nodded slightly, signaling his companions to be ready to move at any moment.
As everyone held their breath to observe the situation, the terrified young people also noticed several figures waiting in front of the abandoned courtyard. "Stop! Don't move! We won't hurt you. Please tell us what happened!" Rex stepped out of the cover and shouted, reassuring them with a gentle yet firm tone.
Upon seeing the sudden appearance of beings who were clearly not enemies, the fleeing group visibly relaxed their guard. "Monsters... came out from underground... so many monsters... they attacked the village, we had no choice but to run..." one of the girls recounted the terrifying ordeal in a trembling voice, while the others sat or lay against the walls, clearly exhausted and on the verge of collapse.
The onlookers were even more shocked after hearing these descriptions: "Oh my god... are there really such terrifying monsters invading?"
“Don’t worry, as long as we work together, we will definitely be able to overcome all these difficulties,” Samir reassured him, and gestured to Rex with his eyes to indicate the next course of action.
At this moment, the crystal of wisdom emitted an even stronger light, guiding everyone to continue exploring the basement. "Alright, let's find a safe place for these friends first before worrying about anything else," the young warrior decided decisively.
After settling the trapped individuals, the four members regrouped in the courtyard to discuss their plan. The tunnel the little boy had mentioned became the only viable route. "Based on the information the child provided, I think it's very likely that more information and clues about the origins of the evil forces are hidden there," Robin analyzed. "If we can successfully find and destroy its core source, we might be able to end this disaster completely."
After hearing his words, everyone nodded in agreement. "Besides, there's no other choice but to risk going in now," the experienced blacksmith added. "The right thing to do is to ensure that this town is no longer threatened."
"That's settled then. We must find out the truth no matter what," Rex concluded, giving a final plea to everyone. "Everyone, to protect our loved ones and this beautiful land from harm—let's work together until the very end!"
As the words fell, the team began to advance along the previously planned route to the legendary entrance to the secret passage. The surrounding vegetation was so dense that it almost completely concealed any trace of it; only the most observant could detect its location. "Is this it?" Mary carefully parted the thick branches to reveal a rusty iron gate.
Just as the group was about to push the obstacle aside, they suddenly felt a slight tremor in the ground, and an unusual chill filled the air. "Wait a minute... this ominous power feels like it's coming from somewhere deep below," the mage warned, frowning as he keenly sensed it.
Before they could think further, a rumbling sound came from underground, growing louder and louder until it was deafening—the entire courtyard shook! Then, a crack appeared in the seemingly ordinary soil in the center of the secret chamber, and the outline of a huge, ferocious, and terrifying monster appeared in the billowing black smoke!
"What is this...!" Everyone stared in astonishment at the sudden change in the scene before them, speechless. "Quickly prepare for battle! No matter who the opponent is, we must stop it from escaping and endangering innocent lives here today!" Rex shouted, raising his sword high.
"But...that thing seems to be growing bigger and bigger!" The blacksmith was surprised to discover that the enemy was absorbing the surrounding energy every second to increase its power, which immediately made the situation even more tense...
"It seems we've really encountered an unprecedentedly powerful enemy this time." Robin swallowed hard, maintaining a calm facade while secretly feeling a bit apprehensive.
At this critical moment, more and more local residents suddenly appeared from all directions to join the fight against the monster. They may not have professional training or be able to use magic, but they were all willing to dedicate themselves to protecting their homeland.
"Keep it up, everyone! We will always believe in and support the brave spirit of the guardians of the Temple of Light. We absolutely cannot let the evil forces run rampant!" An elderly man with white hair waved a flag and encouraged everyone while leaning on his cane.
Hearing the words of support from their fellow villagers, the four heroes felt a surge of fighting spirit. "Thank you...and all the villagers...it is because of your support that we have the confidence to defeat our powerful enemy!" Samir turned and smiled at the crowd in response.
Then he turned to his comrades and gave the signal to charge: "Friends, the time has come for us to join hands and face the unknown challenges, to show our true strength! Justice will prevail!!"
"Justice will prevail!" everyone shouted in unison, and an invisible yet unbreakable belief instantly permeated the entire space, forming an unshakeable protective barrier. At the same time, the crystallized wisdom burst forth with an unprecedentedly dazzling brilliance, adding even more courage and hope to the warriors.
"So... no matter what kind of difficult path or dead end awaits us, since we've chosen to persevere to the end, there's no turning back!" Rex took a deep breath and led everyone into the darkness to face the final battle that was about to erupt.
"Look! That thing is about to attack again!" Robin shouted urgently. A black ball of energy shot out of the monster's mouth and slammed into the ground. Dirt flew everywhere, and dust filled the air.
The surrounding residents gasped in surprise: "What incredible power..." A young woman covered her face with her hands, her eyes filled with unease and fear. But at that moment, she saw a glimmer of hope—the figures of four brave warriors stepping forward to shield her.
"Don't be afraid, we're here to ensure you don't suffer any harm." Samir's gentle yet firm voice seemed to possess a magical power, calming everyone's emotions. The longsword in his hand gleamed with a dazzling silver light, even more striking in the night. "Now, everyone, retreat to safety immediately!" Upon receiving the order, everyone present nodded in agreement, casting grateful and supportive glances at these brave young people.
At the same time, Rex began his operation. With a deafening roar, the young leader transformed into an unstoppable force, lunging at the ever-expanding monster. "Let all evil end here today!" he roared, swinging his giant axe and instantly severing one of the monster's massive tentacles.
However, the battle did not end as easily as expected. Enraged, the colossal evil became even more ferocious, not only frantically absorbing dark elements from the surrounding environment to strengthen its defenses, but also continuously splitting from its body into numerous smaller, yet still extremely threatening, smaller creatures…
"Oh no, the enemy can split and multiply? This can't go on!" Mary said anxiously, frowning at the sight.
The blacksmith, keeping a close eye on the situation, quickly offered a suggestion: "We need to find a way to interrupt its automatic generation ability... How about we try focusing our firepower on the center?"
“That’s right. As long as we disrupt their formation, we might find an opportunity to launch a successful counterattack.” Robin clenched his fist in agreement.
Just as the group was discussing their strategy, a clear female voice suddenly came from not far away, "Please let me help you deal with this. Maybe I can be of some use." Looking in the direction of the voice, they saw the girl who had followed them when they escaped earlier—Arya. Although she looked very delicate, she was actually a rare person with healing and amplification magic talents.
Everyone's eyes lit up upon hearing this suggestion, as every bit of strength was incredibly precious in the current situation. "Alright, in that case, I'll trouble you, young lady. Please be sure to take care of your own safety!" the blacksmith said solemnly.
As a result, after Arya cast the spell, everyone felt a significant increase in their physical strength and attack power. Taking advantage of this power boost, the team members launched wave after wave of brave and fearless attacks, attempting to break through the opponent's tightly laid defenses.
Just as the battlefield was filled with smoke and the clash of swords, a commotion arose from the crowd watching in the distance. "Look! There seems to be something strange happening in the sky..." someone shouted, drawing more attention upwards.
Indeed, at this moment, the originally pitch-black night sky was suddenly illuminated by some strange energy, becoming exceptionally bright. Countless tiny stars converged to form a magnificent picture, slowly descending upon the earth, seemingly pointing in some direction or foreshadowing something that was about to happen... Even the originally ferocious and arrogant monster involuntarily paused its movements, as if its attention had been drawn by the sudden spectacle, and it froze for a few seconds.
"Um... could this be the answer we've been searching for?" Rex asked his companion thoughtfully, his tone full of anticipation and curiosity.
"No matter what, this is a golden opportunity that we can't miss!" Samir's eyes flashed with excitement, and he shouted, "Let's go, friends! Let's take advantage of this opportunity to quickly resolve the trouble and continue exploring the unknown!" As soon as he finished speaking, he took the lead and ran towards the core of the light source, with the others following closely behind.
Seeing the situation take an unexpected turn, everyone following the developments held their breath, watching intently in silence, waiting to see what exciting scene would unfold next...
"So... what exactly does this mysterious power represent? What kind of impact will it have on this world? Everything remains unknown, awaiting the unveiling of the mystery..." As Rex and the others drew closer, the Crystal of Wisdom once again emitted brilliant rays of light, guiding the heroes forward. But no one could have imagined that this sudden turn of events would completely alter the course of the entire story...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com