Eternal Tower: Atreia Era

The morning light filtered through the branches and leaves of the forest, casting long shadows of the three people walking forward.

After a night's rest, the venom in Lynn's body had been barely suppressed by the shards' power of creation, and his wounds had mostly healed. However, the ether within his body was still somewhat disordered, and the shards in his palm occasionally emitted a faint burning sensation, reminding him of the dangers lurking around him.

After Gavin's back wound was nourished by the power of creation, the pain was greatly relieved. Although he still needed support, he was able to walk on his own with difficulty. Most of the impure ether in his body was also purified, and his aura was much calmer than before.

Lina's burns on her shoulder gradually scabbed over, her etheric energy was basically restored, her hand holding the Staff of Light no longer trembled, and her eyes showed more determination.

The three walked along the forest path, the fallen leaves crunching under their feet. The air was filled with the rich fragrance of grass and trees, mixed with a faint, chilling aura, a stark contrast to the tranquility of Qingfeng Inn.

As they drew closer to the Misty Forest, the surrounding light gradually dimmed, the foliage grew denser, making it difficult for sunlight to penetrate, and even the wind became gentle yet eerie, carrying a chilling sensation on their skin.

The fragments in Lynn's palm grew increasingly hot, their light flickering slightly, conveying a strong warning—the edge of the Misty Forest had already been eroded by the power of shadow.

"Be careful, we're getting close to the edge of the Misty Forest."

Gavin stopped and scanned the surrounding woods warily. His tone was serious. "The strangeness of the Misty Forest lies not in the powerful shadow monsters, but in the mist that can devour light and distort perception, as well as the traps and illusions hidden within it."

Many adventurers who enter this place are trapped by the mist and ultimately devoured by shadow creatures, leaving not even a trace of their remains.

Lina gripped the Staff of Light tightly, a faint golden light emanating from her fingertips, as she cautiously observed her surroundings. "Mentor, I've heard that the mist in the Misty Forest is controlled by the Shadow Shaman with magic. Once trapped in it, one will experience hallucinations, lose their sense of direction, and may even attack their own companions."

Lynn nodded, raised his hand to stroke the fragment in his palm, feeling the resonance emanating from it. "The fragment can sense the location of the shadow power and can also barely purify the small amount of malevolent energy around it."

Once we enter the mist, I will activate the power of the fragments to form a small barrier of light to protect the three of us and resist the erosion of the mist and the interference of illusions as much as possible.

However, my power is not stable enough, and the barrier may not last long. We must find the location of the fragments as soon as possible and cannot linger in the mist for too long.

After a short rest and to regain their composure, the three continued their journey.

Before long, a thick white fog appeared before them, like a huge curtain, completely enveloping the forest ahead. Eerie wailing sounds could be faintly heard from within the fog, mixed with the rustling of branches and leaves, sending chills down their spines.

The air at the edge of the fog was distorted, and the light was completely swallowed up. Standing outside the fog, one could not even see more than a meter inside.

"This is it."

Gavin took a deep breath, and a small amount of light energy gathered within him, swirling around him.

"Lynn, activate the barrier, let's go in. Remember, whatever you see or hear in the mist, don't believe it easily; it could very well be an illusion."

If anything unusual is detected, immediately alert each other and do not act alone.

Lynn nodded, activating the power of light and creation within his body. The fragment in his palm shone brightly, and a soft golden barrier instantly unfolded, tightly enveloping the three of them.

Wherever the barrier passed, the surrounding cold and malevolent aura was slowly purified, and the mist before them was slightly dispelled, forming a small area of ​​light. "Let's go."

"Lynn said softly, and took the first step into the thick fog."

Gavin and Lina followed closely behind Lynn, their eyes warily scanning their surroundings.

Upon entering the mist, the surrounding sounds instantly became blurred, while the wailing grew clearer, yet its source remained indistinguishable, seemingly coming from all directions, yet also as if right beside one's ear.

The fallen leaves beneath their feet became slippery, and the humidity in the air grew heavier, carrying a faint, putrid stench—the lingering scent of shadow creatures. Although the barrier of light could dispel the surrounding mist, it could only maintain a radius of about one meter. The mist outside the barrier surged and churned like a living thing, constantly trying to break free and devour the three of them.

The three proceeded cautiously, each step taken with extreme care, lest they trigger a hidden trap. The shard in Lynn's palm was slightly warm, its light flickering, guiding their way.

—The increasingly strong resonance of the fragments indicates that they are approaching the third fragment of the Tower of Eternity, but it also means that they are approaching more dangers.

"Something's not right. It seems like we've been going in circles."

After walking for about half an hour, Lina suddenly stopped, her brows furrowed tightly.

"Look, that crooked tree, we've already seen it once before."

Lynn and Gavin looked in the direction Lina pointed and saw a twisted ancient tree with black lines covering its trunk, emitting a faint shadow power. It was the same tree they had just passed.

Gavin's expression changed slightly. "Oh no, we're trapped in an illusion. This illusion in the mist is even more powerful than I imagined; it can actually distort our senses and keep us stuck in the same loop."

Lynn immediately activated the power of the fragments, making the light barrier shine even brighter, attempting to break free from the illusion's shackles.

The light from the barrier only temporarily dispelled the surrounding mist; the illusion remained unbroken, and the scene before them continued to repeat itself: the crooked tree, the slippery fallen leaves, the eerie wailing—everything was exactly the same as before.

"it's useless,"

Lynn frowned, his tone grave.

"This illusion is not a simple light and shadow interference, but directly affects our mental level. The purifying power of the fragments cannot completely break it for the time being."

Just then, Gavin suddenly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and the power of light within his body slowly circulated, a faint golden light appearing between his brows.

"I once followed the senior members of the Guardians and learned how to break illusions."

Illusions can distort perception, but they cannot alter our own aura, nor can they conceal the traces of shadow power. Lynn, continue maintaining the barrier. Lina, use your light power to sense the surrounding shadow fluctuations and find the source of the illusion.

"The shadow sorcerer who manipulates illusions must be nearby. Once he's eliminated, the illusions will naturally dissipate."

Lina nodded immediately, closed her eyes, and activated the power of light within her body, sensing the fluctuations of shadow in the surrounding air.

The power of light and the power of shadow repel each other; as long as a shadow sorcerer exists, a noticeable shadow fluctuation will remain. A moment later, Lina suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze resolute.

"Found it! There's a dense shadowy aura about thirty paces to our left, and it's getting stronger. It must be the shadow sorcerer controlling illusions!"

Lynn's eyes sharpened, and the shards in his palm emitted a burst of light.

"Okay, let's head in that direction, and no matter how the scenery changes, we must not deviate from our course."

"Mentor, you're in charge of guarding against potential traps. Lina, you continue to sense the Shadow Shaman's location; inform me immediately if you detect anything unusual."

Without further hesitation, the three headed in the direction Lina had indicated.

Sure enough, no matter how the scene before them repeated itself, as long as they remained steadfast in their direction, the road beneath their feet would slowly change. The crooked trees gradually disappeared, replaced by a denser forest, the fog grew thicker, and the wailing sound grew closer, carrying a strong sense of malice.

The shards in Lynn's palm were burning hotter and hotter, indicating that they were getting closer and closer to the Shadow Shaman, and also closer and closer to the third shard.

After walking about thirty steps, the surrounding mist suddenly surged violently, the barrier of light trembled slightly, and Lynn felt a wave of dizziness as the scene before him instantly changed.

He was no longer in the Misty Forest, but had returned to Blackrock Valley. Kalon was wielding the Shadow Blade, slashing fiercely at Gavin. Gavin was covered in wounds and powerless to defend himself, while Lina was bound by Shadow Chains, struggling desperately and calling out his name repeatedly.

"Mentor! Lina!" Lynn's heart tightened, and he instinctively rushed forward, his Light Judgment already forming a light blade.

Just then, Gavin's voice suddenly rang in his ears, tinged with urgency, "Lynn, wake up! This is an illusion! Don't be fooled!"

Lynn snapped back to reality, a tightness in his chest and a slight disturbance in the ether within him—the hallucination had been so real that he had almost been trapped in it.

He immediately activated the power of the fragments to purify his mental energy, which had been disturbed by the illusion, and firmly stated, "I'm fine. It's an illusion. Don't be fooled by what you see. Keep moving forward!"

Lena and Gavin also came to their senses; they had both been trapped in their own hallucinations.

Gavin saw the Guardians being destroyed by the Dragon Alliance, while Lina saw herself being devoured by shadow creatures.

The two immediately composed themselves, suppressed their fear, and stayed close to Lynn as they continued toward the Shadow Shaman.

After walking a few more steps, the surrounding mist suddenly dissipated, revealing a spacious clearing in the woods.

In the center of the open space stood a shadow shaman dressed in a long black robe. His face was covered by a strange mask, revealing only a pair of dark eyes. He held a staff inlaid with black crystals in his hand, and his body was surrounded by dense shadow power. He was the shadow shaman who controlled illusions.

Behind him, there was a fragment half-buried in the soil. The fragment emitted a faint white light, but it was enveloped by a dense shadow power and could not release its full power.

—That is the third fragment of the Tower of Eternity!

"I didn't expect you to be able to break through my illusion and find this place."

The Shadow Shaman spoke, his voice sharp and piercing, like fingernails scraping against stone.

"It seems that both Caron and Mok were defeated by you brats."

"But do you think you can take the fragments this way? Today, you will all die here, becoming sacrifices to my illusion!"

Before he could finish speaking, the Shadow Shaman suddenly raised his hand, his staff glowing with a dark light as he chanted obscure incantations.

The surrounding mist surged again, transforming into countless dark shadows that lunged at the three. These shadows took on various forms, some resembling wild beasts and others humanoid, all being shadowy phantoms manipulated by illusion magic. Although they had no physical form, they could inflict both mental and physical damage on the human body.

"Be careful! These shadowy phantoms, once touched, will corrupt you with illusions, trapping you in an even deeper illusion!"

Gavin gave a stern warning, conjuring a blade of light in his hand and slashing it at the approaching shadowy phantom. The blade struck the shadowy phantom, which instantly turned into a wisp of black smoke and dissipated into the air. However, new phantoms emerged from the mist endlessly, seemingly impossible to kill.

Lina immediately activated her power of light, condensing several light blades to help Gavin defend against the shadow phantom's attack.

"Master, this can't go on. We can't kill all these phantoms. We must eliminate the Shadow Shaman first to completely break the illusion!"

Lynn nodded with a determined look in his eyes.

"You hold off these shadowy phantoms, I'll deal with the Shadow Shaman and reclaim the fragments!"

As he spoke, he activated the power of light and the power of creation within his body. The fragment in his palm shone brightly, and the barrier of light unfolded once more, enveloping him as he charged toward the Shadow Shaman.

Seeing this, the Shadow Shaman sneered and raised his hand, sending a black spell towards Lynn.

"You foolish brat, let me show you the power of illusion!"

The black incantation struck Lynn's light barrier, causing it to tremble slightly and dim. Lynn felt a wave of dizziness, and his vision blurred once more.

The figure of the Shadow Shaman kept changing in his eyes, sometimes becoming Karon, sometimes becoming Mok, trying to interfere with his judgment.

"I won't be fooled by you!"

Lynn gritted his teeth, forcibly suppressing the dizziness within him, and activated the power of the fragments to purify the illusionary interference within his body. The Light Judgment in his hand condensed into a golden blade of light, which he slashed fiercely towards the Shadow Shaman's chest.

"Purification of Light - Break!"

The Shadow Shaman was surprised that Lynn could resist his illusion. His expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly raised his hand and waved his staff to create a shadow barrier to block Lynn's attack.

"Bang!"

The golden blade of light struck the shadow barrier, shattering it instantly. The shadow shaman was thrown back two steps by the impact, a trickle of black blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and the shadow power around him became chaotic.

Gavin and Lina seized the opportunity to launch a fierce attack, clearing away all the surrounding shadowy phantoms and charging towards the Shadow Shaman.

"Lynn, we're here to help you!"

The two simultaneously unleashed their light blades, attacking the Shadow Shaman from both sides, forming a pincer movement.

The Shadow Shaman, caught in a pincer attack, showed a hint of panic in his eyes, but he was still unwilling to give up. He chanted incantations again, trying to cast a stronger illusion to trap all three of them.

However, the shadow power surrounding him was already disordered, greatly reducing the effectiveness of his illusions, making them completely ineffective against the three. Lynn seized the opportunity, charging forward, his Light Judgment imbued with the power of creation, stabbing fiercely into the Shadow Shaman's chest.

"it's over!"

The Shadow Shaman let out a shrill scream, his body gradually becoming transparent. The shadow power around him was rapidly purified by the power of creation, and the staff in his hand fell to the ground, turning into a pool of black water.

"No... the Alliance Leader won't let you get away with this... deep within the Misty Forest, there are even more powerful Shadow Demons... you... can't take the fragment..."

Before he finished speaking, his body completely dissipated into the air, leaving only a wisp of dark mist, which was completely purified by the fragments in Lynn's palm.

As the Shadow Shaman died, the surrounding mist gradually dissipated, sunlight pierced through the branches and leaves, illuminating the forest clearing, and the cold, malevolent aura in the air was completely purified.

Lynn walked to the center of the open space, bent down, and picked up the fragment that was half-buried in the soil. This fragment was slightly smaller than the one in his hand, and its surface glowed with a soft white light, but it still retained a faint trace of shadow power, obviously caused by the long-term erosion of the Shadow Shaman by his spells.

The moment Lynn grasped the fragments in his hand, the two fragments suddenly burst forth with a dazzling golden light, more intense than ever before.

A thick golden chain of light instantly bound the two fragments tightly together. The chain was covered with fine creation patterns, shimmering with a solemn luster like an ancient covenant.

Two gentle yet powerful forces of creation burst forth from the fragments, like a rushing warm current, surging wildly into Lynn's body through his palm. Wherever they passed, his meridians were thoroughly nourished, and the originally chaotic ether, like a tamed tide, instantly became calm and powerful.

The mental energy that had been disturbed by the illusion was instantly cleansed, and the mind became clear. The wounds on the body that had not yet fully healed were radiating a strong warmth, and they scabbed over and fell off at a speed visible to the naked eye, eventually leaving only faint marks.

Under the pull of the light chains, the power of light and the power of creation within his body completely merged together, forming an even more powerful force that swept through his entire body along his bloodline. A golden halo emanated from his body, the guardian mark between his brows shone brightly, and even the Judgment of Light in his hand trembled slightly. Patterns of the same origin as the fragments appeared on the blade, greatly increasing its power.

An unprecedented sense of power filled Lynn's limbs and bones, and the etheric energy in his body surged wildly. His strength, which was originally stuck in the middle stage of the intermediate level, was now rapidly improving as if breaking through a bottleneck, and he was faintly breaking through to the late stage of the intermediate level. His aura also became more and more powerful, and even the surrounding air was stirred by the energy and trembled slightly.

He subconsciously raised his hand, gripped the Judgment of Light, and lightly gathered power at his fingertips, unleashing a gentle yet refined blade of light towards a thick ancient tree beside him.

—Without exerting its full strength or making any deliberate movements, the golden blade of light swept across, and the tree trunk as thick as a bowl snapped in two. The cut was clean and smooth, and a faint power of creation lingered around the break. The surrounding branches and leaves were gently shaken off by the aftershocks of the blade of light.

"Great! We've found the third fragment!"

A joyful smile appeared on Lina's face, and a glimmer of light finally appeared on her tired face.

Gavin breathed a sigh of relief, walked over to Lynn, and looked at the two fragments in his hand with a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

"Well done, Lynn. With these two fragments, our strength against the Dragon Demon Alliance has increased once again."

However, we cannot let our guard down. The Shadow Shaman's dying words were not alarmist; there must be even more powerful Shadow Demons deep within the Misty Forest, and reinforcements from the Dragon Demon Alliance are likely on their way.

Lynn nodded, gripping the two fragments tightly in his hand, feeling the resonance and power emanating from them, his resolve growing stronger.

He could clearly sense that deep within the Misty Forest, an even denser shadow power was surging, a power even stronger than that of Moke, clearly the powerful demon the Shadow Shaman had spoken of.

Moreover, the resonance of the fragments was also a reminder to him that the people of the Dragon Demon Alliance were rapidly approaching this place.

"Let's rest here for a while, purify the shadow power on this new fragment, and restore the aether within our bodies."

Lynn said, placing the new fragment in his palm and activating the power of creation within his body to slowly purify the shadow power on the fragment.

"After we've rested, we should either leave the Misty Forest as soon as possible and head to the next fragment location, or we should venture deeper into the forest to eliminate that powerful Shadow Demon and prevent it from becoming a threat to us in the future."

Gavin pondered for a moment, then said firmly, "Let's rest first, and then venture deeper into the forest."

Since that shadow monster exists in the Misty Forest, it is likely guarding something, perhaps related to other fragments.

Moreover, if we leave now, leaving this powerful monster behind, it may be used by the Dragon Demon Alliance in the future, becoming a hidden danger to Atreia.

We must eliminate it now and prevent it from becoming a future threat.

Lina nodded, her eyes resolute.

"Our mentor is right. We have found the third fragment and our strength has increased. As long as the three of us fight side by side, we will definitely be able to eliminate that shadow monster."

The three sat in a clearing in the woods. Lynn focused on purifying the shadow power on the new fragment, while Gavin and Lina circulated the power of light to restore the ether within their bodies, all while vigilantly observing the movements around them.

The sunlight shone on them, bringing a touch of warmth, but all three knew that this peace was only temporary.

Powerful monsters deep within the Misty Forest, reinforcements from the Dragon Demon Alliance, and other scattered fragments await them.