Eternal Tower: Atreia Era

On the forest path outside Black Rock Valley, sunlight filters through the gaps in the branches and leaves, dappling the ground and dispelling the lingering chill and malevolence within the valley.

Gavin was supported by Lynn and Lina on either side, his steps still unsteady. Although Lina had managed to stop the bleeding of the wound on his back with her remaining power of light, it still ached faintly. The impure ether in his body had not been completely purified, and every step he took was accompanied by a burning pain in his meridians.

Lina's face was still pale, and the wound on her arm was wrapped with simple strips of cloth. Lynn had temporarily bandaged it with the bandages he carried with him. Her ether was almost depleted, and she could only barely stand. She could only move forward steadily by leaning on Lynn.

Lynn walked in the middle, the fragment of the Tower of Eternity in his palm slightly warm. Gentle power of creation flowed slowly through his palm, nourishing his body while secretly diverting a wisp of power to Gavin and Lina to help alleviate their injuries and fatigue.

He could clearly sense the aura of the fragments, and the resonance with his soul grew stronger, as if the fragments had long since become a part of his body. Without any deliberate urging, the power of creation would spontaneously protect him and those around him.

However, he was still unfamiliar with the power of the fragments. Although the power of light and the power of creation within his body had begun to merge, there were still slight disturbances. Occasionally, a slight stinging pain would come, reminding him that this power still needed to be gradually integrated and controlled.

"There's a forest inn ahead; let's rest there for a while."

"Gavin spoke with difficulty, his voice still weak, but with a steady tone, "My injuries need to be properly treated, Lina needs to recover her ether, and Lynn, you also need to take this opportunity to familiarize yourself with the power of the fragments. We cannot relax in the slightest. Although Kalon is dead, the threat of the Dragon Demon Alliance has never disappeared."

Lynn and Lina nodded in unison, and the two of them helped Gavin along, quickening their pace toward the post station ahead.

Before long, a simple yet tidy forest inn came into view. The wooden door of the inn was ajar, and a faded wooden sign hung at the entrance with the four small characters "Qingfeng Inn" engraved on it. A faint fragrance of grass and trees lingered around, which was completely different from the coldness of Black Rock Valley and exuded an atmosphere of peace.

Upon entering the inn, it was deserted, with only a few simple wooden tables and beds, some dry firewood piled in the corner, the stove fire long since extinguished, and a faint aroma of wheat and herbs lingering in the air.

Lynn helped Gavin sit on a wooden chair, then turned to the corner to light a fire in the stove. Lina, meanwhile, found some herbs and water stored in the inn and carefully treated Gavin's back wound.

"Thank you, Lina." Gavin looked at Lina's earnest expression, his eyes filled with relief. "You've worked so hard, taking care of me even though you're seriously injured yourself."

Lina shook her head, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

"Mentor, it's what I should do. If you hadn't risked your life to block Caron's attack, Lynn..."

At this point, she turned to look at Lynn, who was adding firewood, her eyes filled with gratitude and worry, "We survived only because of you and Lynn."

After adding the firewood, Lynn turned around and walked over. Looking at Gavin's back wound, his brow furrowed slightly.

"Mentor, the corrupted ether of Kalon has penetrated very deeply, and ordinary herbs are unlikely to completely purify it. I will try to use the power of creation from the fragments to help you."

As he spoke, he stretched out his hand, and the fragments in his palm emitted a soft white light. A wisp of pure creative power flowed from his fingertips and slowly entered Gavin's back.

The moment the power of creation surged in, Gavin shuddered, a warm sensation spreading through his back. The burning pain gradually subsided, and the chaotic aether within his body became much more stable.

He closed his eyes, letting the power of creation flow through his body, purifying the remaining impure ether, a look of relief appearing on his face.

Lina sat to the side, watching quietly, a hint of envy flashing in her eyes—she could feel the purity and vastness of the power of creation, a power far exceeding ordinary light, and the hope to protect Atreia.

A moment later, Lynn withdrew his hand, the light from the fragments in his palm dimming slightly. He was breathing heavily, a look of exhaustion on his face.

"Mentor, I can only help you suppress the turbid ether temporarily. To completely purify it, it will take several more days. Moreover, I am not familiar enough with the power of the fragments and cannot fully control the output of the power of creation."

"That's already very good, Lynn."

Gavin slowly opened his eyes, his breathing much more steady than before. He looked at Lynn, his eyes filled with pride.

"You were able to resonate with the fragments in such a short time and skillfully use the power of creation to help others, which has exceeded my expectations."

We'll rest here for the next few days. You can take this opportunity to familiarize yourself with the power of the fragments, and I will guide you on how to perfectly fuse the power of light and the power of creation to unleash even greater power.

The three of them rested at Qingfeng Inn for the next three days.

While healing his injuries, Gavin guided Lynn in mastering the power of the fragments. He told Lynn that the fragments of the Tower of Eternity contained the power of ancient creation, possessing not only powerful purification abilities but also the ability to sense the aura of other fragments. As long as Lynn could fully master this power, he could find the other fragments scattered throughout Atreia by relying on the resonance of the fragments.

Following Gavin's instructions, Lynn practiced controlling the power of the fragments every day in the woods outside the post station.

From initially having chaotic and uncontrollable power, he later became able to freely manipulate the power of creation, condense pure light blades, and even use the power of fragments to form a small barrier of light around him, purifying the surrounding malevolent energy.

During this time, he also discovered a secret about the fragments:

—The fragments can not only purify shadows and malevolent energy, but also sense dangerous auras. Whenever a shadow creature approaches, the fragments will become slightly hot and emit a faint warning.

Lina is also slowly recovering. She circulates the power of light every day to regulate her body, while also helping Lynn with his practice. Occasionally, she also consults Gavin to improve her mastery of light magic.

With Lynn's power of creation, her injuries healed quickly, and the ether within her body gradually replenished. Although she had not yet fully recovered to her peak condition, she was already able to condense a stable light blade and possessed basic combat capabilities.

For the past three days, the area around the post station has been unusually calm, with no shadow creatures appearing, as if the fierce battle in Blackrock Valley had never happened.

However, none of the three let their guard down. They knew that this peace was only temporary, and the Dragon Demon Alliance would not let the matter rest because of Kalon's death. Kalon's last words weighed heavily on their hearts like a boulder, reminding them that an even greater crisis was brewing.

On the evening of the third day, the fire was burning brightly, and the inn was warm and cozy.

Gavin sat at the wooden table, holding a yellowed map marked with various regions of Atreia. Several places were circled in red ink, which were the locations Gavin had previously speculated might contain fragments of the Tower of Eternity.

"Lynn, Lina, come and take a look."

Gavin waved to the two of them, his tone serious.

"This is a map I drew when I was young, following the guidance of the seniors in the Guardian Alliance. The places marked on it are where fragments of the Eternal Tower might have been scattered in ancient times."

After Kalon's death, the Dragon Demon Alliance will definitely speed up their search for the fragments. We must find as many fragments as possible before they do to gain the power to fight against the Dragon Demon Alliance.

Lynn and Lina walked to the wooden table and looked down at the map. The red circles on the map were marked in the four corners of Atreia. One of them was Blackrock Valley, where they had just retrieved the fragment. The other three were: the Ice Ridge Peak in the Frozen Lands, the Volcanic Temple in the Blazing Domain, and the depths of the Misty Forest.

"The summit of Ice Ridge is covered in ice and snow all year round, with a strong sense of malevolence, and is protected by powerful ice-type shadow creatures."

The volcanic temple was engulfed in flames, with extremely high temperatures, and fire-type shadow monsters were hidden inside;

The Misty Forest is shrouded in mist year-round, filled with traps and haunted by shadowy sorcerers who can manipulate the mist.

Gavin pointed to the map and said slowly,

"Each of these three places is extremely dangerous, even more so than Black Rock Valley. We must be fully prepared before we set off."

Lina looked at the map, her brows furrowing slightly. "Mentor, are we in a position to handle these dangers?"

"Your injuries haven't fully healed yet. Although Lynn and I have improved, our ether isn't fully replenished, and Lynn isn't yet familiar enough with the power of the fragments."

"I know we're not in a good enough position right now, but we don't have time to wait."

Gavin's tone was firm. "The Dragon Demon Alliance is powerful, and they may already have clues to other fragments. If we delay, they will only gain the upper hand."

Over the next few days, we'll rest and recuperate, familiarize ourselves with our respective abilities, and then head to the nearest Misty Forest. It's closest to our current location and relatively less dangerous.

Lynn nodded, the fragment in his palm glowing faintly, as if in response to his determination: "Mentor, I'm fine."

These days, I've been able to basically control the power of the fragments. Although I can't unleash its full power yet, it's enough to deal with some ordinary shadow creatures.

Moreover, the fragment can sense the presence of other fragments; as long as we approach the Misty Forest, it should be able to help us pinpoint the fragment's exact location.

Just then, the fragment in Lynn's palm suddenly became intensely hot, and the light became dazzling. A strong sense of danger entered Lynn's mind through the resonance of the fragment.

His expression changed drastically, and he abruptly stood up. "Oh no! Danger! And it's a very strong shadow force, approaching us!"

Gavin and Lina instantly became alert. Gavin suddenly stood up, gathering a ray of light in his hand. Although the aura was still weak, it carried a firm presence.

Lina also gripped the staff of light tightly in her hand, a faint golden light emanating from her fingertips, her eyes warily fixed on the entrance of the inn.

Outside the post station, a series of heavy footsteps gradually approached. With each step, the ground trembled violently, and gravel tumbled down. Accompanied by an intense, overwhelming aura of malevolence and foul ether, the sound swept in like dark clouds pressing down on a city.

The footsteps were several times heavier than those of the dragon-man berserkers in Blackrock Valley, carrying an overwhelming sense of oppression. Each sound struck the hearts of the three, causing even the wooden beams of the inn to sway slightly. Dust fell from the roof, and the warmth in the air was instantly replaced by a biting chill.

"Bang--!"

With a deafening crash, the wooden door of the post station was smashed open, splinters of wood flying everywhere like cannonballs, and a dark figure slowly walked in.

This figure was twice as burly as the dragon-man berserker, covered in thick, jet-black scales. The scales were swirling with a dense, dark power, like flowing ink, and each scale gleamed with an eerie, cold light. His eyes were scarlet vertical pupils, revealing a bloodthirsty madness. In his hand, he held a massive shadow battle axe, as tall as a man. The axe blade was covered with twisted, eerie runes, radiating a chilling aura of malevolence. Black venom dripped from the axe blade, instantly corroding fine, deep pits into the ground upon impact.

Behind him followed two shadow shamans, whose shadow power was several times stronger than that of the shamans in Blackrock Valley. Their faces were covered by black veils, revealing only a pair of cold, dead fish eyes. They held staffs inlaid with shadow crystals in their hands. Even before they made a move, an invisible curse pressure pressed down on the three of them.

"Lynn, Gavin, Lina, you're here after all."

The dark figure spoke, its voice hoarse and deep, carrying a chilling aura.

"Although Lord Kalon is dead, the Alliance Leader has ordered that the fragments of the Tower of Eternity must be retrieved and you three troublesome fellows eliminated."

Today, none of you will leave here alive!

Gavin's eyes narrowed as he recognized the figure. "You're Blackrock Commander of the Dragon Demon Alliance, Mok! I didn't expect the Dragon Demon Alliance to send you here in person."

Moke sneered, his hoarse voice like the scraping of rusty iron, carrying a chilling aura. His blood-red vertical pupils were fixed on the shard in Lynn's palm, the greed in his eyes almost overflowing. "That's right, it's me."

The fragments of the Eternal Tower belong to our Dragon Demon Alliance. That good-for-nothing Karon couldn't even handle such a small matter and lost his own life in the process.

Today, I will tear you apart with my own hands, reclaim your fragments, and sacrifice your souls to the power of shadow, so that you will taste the agony of being consumed by the shadows!

Before he finished speaking, the shadow power around him suddenly surged, enveloping the entire post station in pitch-black shadows. The light dimmed instantly, and the malevolent aura in the air became so thick that it almost solidified.

Before he could finish speaking, Mok suddenly swung his Shadow Axe at Lynn, the axe carrying a devastating shadow power that caused the air to explode with a piercing sound.

A jet-black axe-like aura struck first, cleaving towards Lynn's chest. Wherever it passed, a deep trench was carved into the ground, and wooden tables and chairs were instantly torn apart by the axe-like aura and turned into dust.

The entire inn trembled violently, the wooden beams creaking as if they would collapse at any moment. The two shadowy shamans simultaneously raised their hands, chanting obscure incantations, and several thick black chains of magic burst forth from the ground.

The cursed chains, covered in barbs and laced with foul ether, coiled around Gavin and Lina, not only binding their bodies but also corroding their meridians with the venom on the barbs, rendering them completely incapable of fighting.

Lynn's eyes sharpened, and the power of light and the power of creation within him instantly intertwined. The fragment in his palm shone brightly, forming a temporary barrier of light. At the same time, he gripped the Judgment of Light and charged towards the Shadow Battle Axe.

"Don't even think about taking the fragment!"

The golden light blade and the shadow battle axe collided violently, producing a deafening crack. Golden and black energy shockwaves spread outwards, and the walls of the inn were smashed open with countless cracks, sending wood chips and dust flying everywhere.

Lynn was jolted back five steps by the enormous impact, his chest felt tight, his throat tasted sweet, and he almost spat out a mouthful of blood. His arm went numb, and even his grip on the sword became unsteady. The golden light on the Judgment of Light dimmed slightly.

He was secretly shocked—Mok's strength far surpassed that of Karon and the Dragon Demon General. His overwhelming power was almost impossible for him to resist, and defeating him would be no easy task.

Seeing this, Gavin ignored the excruciating pain of his back wound reopening and forcefully activated the last remaining power of light within him, condensing a sculpted blade of light in his hand and slashing it towards the two shadow shamans.

"Lina, protect yourself. I'll hold the witch doctor back!"

But as soon as he exerted his strength, a sharp pain shot through his chest, and a mouthful of blood slid down the corner of his mouth, greatly reducing the power of his light blade.

Lina immediately conjured several light blades to help Gavin defend against the cursed chains. However, the chains were too thick and contained corrosive venom. The light blades only left shallow marks on them, and the force of the chains made their arms numb.

She barely managed to dodge the entangling chains, but the aftershocks of the chains struck her shoulder, instantly leaving a black burn. Venom seeped into the wound, causing excruciating pain, and the ether within her body became disordered.

She gritted her teeth and persisted, swinging her light blade at Moke's back in an attempt to restrain his attack. However, before the light blade could even get close to Moke, it was torn apart by the shadow power surrounding him.

Inside the inn, golden light and black shadow clashed fiercely, the sounds of fighting, clashing weapons, and chanting intertwined. The fire in the hearth was completely extinguished by the shockwave, and a bone-chilling cold and a dense aura of malevolence enveloped the entire inn. Wooden beams kept falling, and the cracks in the walls grew wider, threatening to collapse at any moment.

Lynn and Mo Ke were locked in a fierce battle. Every swing of Mo Ke's axe carried overwhelming power, and Lynn could only barely defend himself, constantly retreating. Several wounds had already been struck on his body by the axe energy, and black venom seeped into the wounds, corroding his meridians and gradually slowing his movements.

Gavin and Lina joined forces to fight against the two Shadow Shamans, but gradually fell into a disadvantageous position. Gavin's wounds continued to bleed, his breath grew weaker and weaker, and the Light Blade became increasingly dim.

Lina's shoulder burns were getting worse and worse, and her ether was almost depleted. Even condensing a light blade became extremely difficult. The two of them could barely hold on and had no energy left to support Lynn.

The fragment in Lynn's palm was still burning intensely, emitting a strong warning. He could clearly feel that the shadow power within Moke's body was unusually dense and had been enhanced by a strange forbidden shadow technique. Not only was its power greatly increased, but it could also quickly devour the surrounding malevolent energy to replenish itself, becoming stronger the more it fought.

He himself not only had to withstand Moke's fierce attacks, but also had to suppress the corrosive effects of the poison in his body. The power of light and the power of creation in his body were being consumed very quickly and gradually became disordered. Every swing of his sword was accompanied by excruciating pain.

He knew that if they continued fighting like this, they would eventually be defeated due to exhaustion and the corrosive effects of the poison. They had to find Moke's weakness as soon as possible and win by surprise, otherwise all three of them would die here.

Just then, he suddenly remembered what Gavin had once said: most of the leaders of the Dragon Demon Alliance relied on the power of shadow to strengthen themselves. Although the forbidden shadow technique could enhance their strength, it had a fatal weakness—once the enhanced shadow power was purified by the pure power of creation, not only would their strength decrease significantly, but they would also be backfired by the forbidden technique and suffer serious injuries.

His eyes narrowed, he gritted his teeth, and forcibly suppressed the poison and exhaustion within him. The power of creation within him erupted instantly, and the fragment in his palm shone even brighter, its golden light almost piercing the shadows of the post station. He lunged towards Moke.

"Purification of Light - All Areas!"

A powerful golden beam of light burst forth from the fragments, instantly enveloping Moke. Wherever the beam passed, the shadow power dissipated rapidly, like melting snow. Moke let out a heart-wrenching roar of pain as large patches of scales fell off his body, leaving the skin beneath them scorched by the beam of light, revealing countless wounds from which black blood gushed forth.

The forbidden shadow technique within his body was forcibly interrupted, and a violent backlash instantly swept through his entire body. His body began to twitch uncontrollably, and a faint "crackling" sound came from his bones. His originally burly figure became slightly shriveled, his scarlet vertical pupils gradually dimmed, and black blood foam kept spilling from the corner of his mouth. The arm holding the heavy axe trembled slightly, and finally, with a "clang," the shadow battle axe fell to the ground. His aura instantly became chaotic and violent, and his legs went weak, making it impossible for him to stand steadily.

"No—! I can't lose to a brat like you!"

Moke was backfired by the forbidden technique, his eyes turned increasingly bloodshot, and the shadow power around him went berserk. He used all the remaining strength in his body to swing the Shadow Battle Axe and slash fiercely at Lynn. The axe blade emitted an eerie black light, trying to break through the restraint of the golden pillar of light and perish together with Lynn.

This attack was more ferocious than any before, carrying a resolute determination to destroy everything. The air was distorted by the blow, and a large section of the inn's roof collapsed instantly, with rubble raining down on the three of them.

Lynn's eyes were resolute, showing no sign of backing down. He concentrated all the remaining power of light and creation within him into the Judgment of Light. The golden patterns on the Judgment blade lit up, echoing the fragment in his palm. He unleashed a massive blade of light fiercely at the Shadow Battle Axe.

"It's over, Mock!"

The golden blade of light, carrying the power to purify everything, instantly collided with the Shadow Battle Axe. Moke was forced back by the impact of the blade, and a huge wound was slashed open on his chest, from which black blood gushed out. The shadow power within his body was completely purified, and the backlash from the forbidden technique became even stronger.

His convulsions became more pronounced, the cracking of his bones became clearer, and his body became even more emaciated. Black blood foam mixed with unpurified shadow mist slowly oozed from the corners of his mouth and wounds. His eyes completely lost their luster, leaving only endless pain and resentment. His breath was so weak that it almost disappeared, and he didn't even have the strength to raise his hand to struggle.

Seeing this, the two Shadow Shamans panicked and tried to rush forward to support Mok, but Gavin and Lina seized the opportunity and launched a fierce attack with their last ounce of strength. Gavin endured the excruciating pain, gathered his last blade of light, and stabbed it fiercely into the chest of one of the Shamans;

Lina bit her lip and poured all the remaining ether into her staff, and a dazzling blade of light struck another priest in a vital spot.

The two Shadow Shamans let out a shrill scream as their bodies were instantly purified, turning into a pool of black water that dissipated on the ground.

As Mok watched the shaman beside him being defeated, and then at the dazzling light emanating from Lynn, his eyes were filled with resentment and despair.

He staggered, trying to regain his balance, but the backlash from the forbidden technique and the burning power of creation caused his body to convulse uncontrollably. The cracking of his bones was intermittent, and black blood kept seeping from his wounds, occasionally sliding down the corners of his mouth and eyes.

His once robust physique had withered like a dead tree, and his breath was extremely weak.

With his last ounce of strength, he stared intently at the shards in Lynn's palm, a sinister smile playing on his lips, his voice hoarse and almost inaudible.

"Lynn... don't be so smug... the Alliance Leader has already sent more reinforcements."

Moreover... he has found another fragment of the Tower of Eternity... it won't be long before...

Atreia will be swallowed by shadows... You... will ultimately fail...

Before he finished speaking, Moke's body was completely purified by the power of creation, turning into a wisp of dark mist that dissipated into the air.

Inside the inn, all was quiet again, except for the collapsed roof, the broken wooden door, the scattered wood chips and rubble, and the three exhausted and injured figures. A faint sense of hostility and corrosiveness lingered in the air.

Lynn was breathing heavily, his legs went weak and he almost fell over. The light from the fragments in his palm gradually softened. His wounds were still bleeding, the poison in his body had not been completely purified, and he felt a sharp pain in his chest. His ether was also completely depleted.

He stared in the direction where Mok had disappeared, his brow furrowed. Mok's dying words weighed heavily on his heart like a boulder, filling him with a strong sense of crisis.

The Dragon Demon Alliance not only dispatched a powerful leader like Moke, but also found another fragment, making their situation even more difficult than before.

Gavin staggered over to Lynn, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a serious tone,

"Moke's words are not an exaggeration."

The leader of the Dragon Demon Alliance is powerful and cunning. Since he was able to find the other fragment, he must have a bigger conspiracy.

We must hurry and head to the Misty Forest as soon as possible to find the third fragment, only then will we have the means to fight them.

Lina also came over, a determined look on her face. "Mentor, Lynn, we can definitely do it."

No matter how many dangers lie ahead, we will fight side by side, and we will never let the Dragon-Demon Alliance's conspiracy succeed, nor will we let Atreia be swallowed by the shadows.

Lynn nodded, raised his hand to stroke the fragment in his palm, feeling the gentle power emanating from it, and his resolve grew stronger.

He knew that an even more brutal contest was about to unfold once again, with the leader of the Dragon Demon Alliance, another fragment of the Eternal Tower, and an even greater conspiracy hidden in the shadows all awaiting them.

But he was no longer afraid, because he had his mentor by his side, Lina fighting alongside him, the power of the fragments, and the determination to protect Atreia.

That night, the three rested at the inn, tending to their injuries and replenishing their ether. The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, they packed their belongings and set off towards the Misty Forest.

Sunlight shone upon them, illuminating their path. The fragments in their palms glowed faintly, as if guiding them to find the next fragment of the Tower of Eternity, to find hope in protecting Atreia.

Meanwhile, in the distant Shadowlands, the leader of the Dragon Demon Alliance sat on a dark throne, holding a fragment of the Eternal Tower that gleamed with a dark light in his hand. A sinister glint flashed in his eyes, and a strange, savage smile curled at the corner of his mouth.