Eternal Tower: Atreia Era

As the sunlight gradually slanted westward in the forest clearing, it filtered through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

After an hour of rest, Lynn had completely purified the remaining shadow power on the new fragment.

The two fragments lay quietly in his palm, radiating a soft yet powerful golden light, their resonance growing ever more stable, as if continuously supplying him with the power of creation.

His body was now full of ether, and his late-stage mid-level strength was completely stabilized; the fatigue and injuries from the previous battle had vanished.

Nourished by the power of creation, it has been completely healed, its aura is more refined than before, and its eyes are sharper.

Gavin's back wound had completely scabbed over, the impure ether within his body had been completely purified, and his aura had mostly recovered. Although he still needed the aid of his staff to walk, he was now able to activate the power of light normally and no longer needed Lynn's support.

Lina's mental state has improved considerably. The burns on her shoulder have completely healed, and her body is full of ether. Her hand holding the Staff of Light is steady and powerful, and there is a hint of confidence in the wariness in her eyes.

—After two fierce battles in Blackrock Valley and Misty Forest, her combat experience has become richer and her control over light magic has become more and more skillful.

"Are you ready?"

Lynn stood up, gripping the Judgment of Light tightly in his hand. The light from the two fragments flowed from his palm into the blade, adding a touch of solemn luster to the already clear golden blade.

"The shadow power deep within the Misty Forest is growing stronger, and the aura of that monster is even more powerful than we expected. We must be on high alert and not be careless in the slightest."

Gavin nodded, and the staff of light in his hand emitted a soft golden light, a faint barrier of light surrounding him.

"Lynn, you've just broken through, so try to adapt to your new power and don't rush to exert yourself."

That monster, which the Shadow Shaman referred to as a "more powerful being," was no ordinary Shadow Monster.

It's highly likely an ancient demon corrupted by the power of shadow, adept at concealment and surprise attacks. The three of us must maintain formation and coordinate with each other.

Lina also stood up, a condensed blade of light forming at her fingertips. With a gentle wave, the blade sliced ​​through the air, leaving a faint golden trail.

"I will use light magic to restrain the monster's movements and heal you at the same time. The mentor will provide support, and Lynn, you will take the lead in attacking. We will definitely be able to defeat it."

The three of them got ready and set off into the depths of the Misty Forest.

As they ventured deeper, the surrounding forest grew increasingly dense, sunlight barely penetrating the foliage, the light grew dimmer, and the chilling, menacing atmosphere in the air became more intense, no longer faint as before.

Instead, it was so thick it was almost tangible. When inhaled, it sent a chill down your spine, and even the ether within your body stirred slightly.

The two fragments in Lynn's palm were slightly warm, their light flickering, conveying a strong warning. Within the fragments' resonance, besides a dense power of shadow,

It also carried a faint, ancient, and weathered aura, subtly echoing the aura of the fragments of the Tower of Eternity, yet entirely different.

—The aura carried a profound sense of life, yet it was suppressed by the power of shadow, making it appear exceptionally eerie.

"Have you sensed anything strange besides the power of shadow?"

Lina stopped, her brow furrowing slightly, as she channeled the power of light within her to resist the corrosive influence of the surrounding malevolent energy.

"That aura was ancient, like the aura of some kind of being, but it was enveloped by the power of shadow and was very faint. If you didn't perceive it carefully, you wouldn't be able to detect it at all."

Gavin closed his eyes, focusing intently on sensing the surrounding atmosphere. After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes, his tone grave.

"That's right, that aura is definitely there, and it's not far ahead of us. It seems that the powerful shadow monster is likely related to this ancient aura, perhaps..."

It is absorbing this aura to strengthen its own power.

Lynn clenched the shard in his palm, feeling the resonance emanating from it, his gaze resolute.

"Whatever it is, we have to go check it out. The resonance of the fragments is getting stronger, which means there's likely something else related to them nearby, perhaps a clue to the fourth fragment."

Perhaps, this is the key to unraveling the mystery of this misty forest.

The three continued on their way, the fallen leaves beneath their feet growing thicker and thicker, soft and silent underfoot.

The wailing sounds around them resumed, but were deeper and more eerie than before, as if coming from the depths of the earth, carrying endless pain and resentment. The shards in Lynn's palm burned even hotter.

The light grew even brighter, and a faint golden chain of light extended from the fragments, guiding them in the direction they were heading.

After walking for about an hour, the surrounding woods suddenly thinned out, and a huge forest basin appeared before them.

In the center of the basin grows a towering ancient tree, its trunk so thick that it would take more than ten people holding hands to encircle it. Its branches meander and intertwine, reaching towards the sky.

The branches and leaves were abnormally withered, turning an eerie grayish-black, and the trunk was covered with black cracks from which black sap constantly seeped, emanating a dense shadowy power.

—That ancient aura emanates from this ancient tree.

At the base of the ancient tree, a gigantic shadow monster dwells.

Its body resembled a giant bear, but it was several times larger. Its entire body was covered in jet-black fur, which was shrouded in thick shadow energy. Its eyes were blood-red vertical pupils.

It exudes a bloodthirsty madness, with thick and powerful limbs, claws as sharp as knives, gleaming with an eerie cold light, and black venom dripping from the corner of its mouth, instantly corroding deep pits on the ground.

On its back grows a pair of tattered black wings, covered in cracks, yet still exuding a powerful shadow force. Clearly, it was once a powerful flying monster, but its wings were severely damaged, rendering it unable to fly.

At this moment, the shadow monster was scratching at the trunk of the ancient tree with its sharp claws, black sap gushing out from the scratches and being swallowed greedily.

With each bite it swallowed, the shadow power around it intensified, the aura of the ancient tree weakened, and the cracks on the trunk became more and more obvious.

"That's it!"

Lynn's eyes sharpened, and the fragment in his palm shone brightly as the power of light and the power of creation within him instantly intertwined.

"It's absorbing the ancient tree's power to strengthen itself! We must stop it, otherwise, once the ancient tree is completely devoured, its power will increase dramatically!"

The shadow monster seemed to sense the arrival of the three, stopped scratching at the ancient tree, and slowly turned its head.

Its blood-red vertical pupils stared intently at Lynn and the other two, letting out a deafening roar. The roar was filled with intense ferocity and resentment, causing the surrounding branches and leaves to fall and the ground to tremble slightly.

"Humans... how dare you trespass into my territory and disturb my devouring of the ancient tree's spirit... die!"

The shadow monster spoke, its voice deep and hoarse, like the grinding of a boulder, carrying a chilling aura.

The shadow power around him surged instantly, enveloping the entire basin in pitch-black shadows, and the malevolent aura in the air was so thick that it almost solidified.

Before he could finish speaking, the shadow monster swung its massive claws, aiming a powerful blow at Lynn.

The claw, imbued with immense shadow power, slammed into the air with a piercing crack, and a jet-black claw aura struck first.

The blow struck Lynn's chest, leaving a deep trench in the ground where it landed, with gravel tumbling down.

Lynn's eyes narrowed, showing no sign of backing down. His inner power erupted instantly, and the two fragments in his palm shone brightly.

A thick, golden blade of light burst forth from the Judgment of Light, heading straight for the shadow monster's claws.

"Purification of Light - Rift!"

The golden light blade and the pitch-black claw energy collided violently, producing a deafeningly crisp sound. The golden and black energy shockwaves spread out, sending the surrounding fallen leaves and pebbles flying everywhere.

This time, Lynn was not knocked back by the impact. Instead, he stood firmly in place, the Light Judgment in his hand trembling slightly, the golden patterns on the blade becoming even clearer.

With his mid-to-late stage strength, plus the enhancement of the two fragments, his power has far surpassed what it was before, and he is now able to calmly deal with the fierce attacks of the shadow monsters.

"Lina, restrain its movements! Mentor, assist me in purifying the shadow power within it!"

Lynn shouted sharply, his figure flashed, and he charged towards the Shadow Demon. The Judgment of Light in his hand, imbued with the power of creation, slashed fiercely at the Shadow Demon's chest.

Lina nodded immediately, activating the power of light within her body. The staff in her hand emitted a dazzling golden light, and several golden ropes of light extended from the staff, wrapping around the shadow monster's limbs in an attempt to restrain its movements.

"Light Binding!"

The light ropes, imbued with pure light, wrapped around the limbs of the shadow monster, instantly scorching black smoke. The shadow monster let out a painful roar as its limbs were tightly bound by the light ropes, its movements becoming significantly slower.

Gavin immediately activated his power of light, his staff conjuring a condensed blade of light that he swung towards the shadow monster's back. Simultaneously, he chanted an incantation, and a soft golden light descended upon Lynn.

"Blessed by Light!"

The golden light merged into Lynn's body, further enhancing his strength and speed, and making the light barrier around him even stronger.

The shadow monster, bound by the light ropes and struck in the back by Gavin's light blade, let out a mournful roar as its shadow power surged wildly, attempting to break free from the light ropes' restraints.

It twisted its body violently, its thick limbs struggling, the light rope was pulled and swayed slightly, and the light gradually dimmed. Obviously, its strength was too great, and the light rope could not bind it for long.

"Useless, lowly humans!"

The shadow monster roared, its black wings flapping violently, unleashing a surge of immense shadow power that instantly shattered the light ropes binding its limbs.

"I am the Shadow Demon Bear, a divine beast that once guarded the spirit of the ancient tree in ancient times, but I was corrupted by the power of shadow and became a slave of shadow!"

Today, I will devour the spirit of the ancient tree, gain complete control of the power of shadow, and tear you all to shreds!

Lynn was shocked. He hadn't expected that this shadow monster was actually an ancient divine beast, but it had been corrupted by the power of shadow and had become what it was now.

He looked at the black sap constantly seeping from the roots of the ancient tree, and then at the pain and madness in the eyes of the Shadow Demon Bear. He felt a pang of pity, but he also understood that the Shadow Demon Bear was now completely controlled by the power of shadow.

If it is not stopped, not only will the ancient tree be completely devoured, but it will also become a puppet of the shadows, inevitably becoming a huge hidden danger threatening Atreia in the future.

"You were originally a divine beast guarding the ancient tree, but you have been corrupted by the power of shadow. Wake up!"

Lynn shouted sharply, and the Judgment of Light in his hand gathered even greater power. The light from both fragments shone brightly, and a golden beam of light burst forth from the Judgment blade, shooting fiercely towards the Shadow Demon Bear's chest.

"Purification of Light - All Areas!"

A golden beam of light, imbued with pure primordial power, instantly enveloped the Shadow Bear. Wherever the beam passed, the shadow energy on the Shadow Bear vanished as quickly as melting snow.

It let out a heart-wrenching scream of pain, its body convulsing as its black fur gradually fell out.

Its original brown fur was exposed, but the fur was still covered with black stripes, clearly indicating that the power of shadow had penetrated deep into its bones and was difficult to completely purify.

"No... I can't wake up... The power of shadow... It's so strong..."

The Shadow Bear roared in agony, its shadow power clashing fiercely with the power of creation within it. Its eyes darted between madness and lucidity.

"The spirit of the ancient tree... I must protect it... but I... cannot control myself..."

Gavin looked at the tormented Shadow Bear, a flicker of pity in his eyes.

"It hasn't been completely controlled by the power of shadow yet, there's still hope! Lynn, don't use all your strength to purify it, first suppress the shadow power within it, I'll try to awaken its consciousness with a light spell!"

Lynn immediately nodded, adjusting the power within his body, slowing down the output of the power of creation, and instead suppressing the shadow power within the Shadow Demon Bear to prevent it from further eroding the ancient tree.

She also didn't want it to completely descend into madness. Lina then activated the power of light once more, condensing several light blades and vigilantly observing the surrounding movements to prevent other shadow creatures from coming to her aid.

Gavin walked up to the Shadow Bear, his staff glowing with a soft golden light, and chanted an obscure and solemn incantation of light.

The incantation slowly rose, flowing like a clear spring into the Shadow Bear's ears. Golden light followed the incantation, slowly merging into the Shadow Bear's body, suppressing the shadow power within it and awakening its dormant consciousness.

The Shadow Bear's convulsions gradually subsided, its roars grew weaker, its blood-red vertical pupils gradually returned to their original brown, and the madness in its eyes faded, replaced by pain and guilt.

It looked at the ancient tree, which it had scratched and bruised, then at Lynn and the other two, its eyes filled with guilt.

I'm sorry... I'm so sorry to the spirit of the ancient tree... I'm so sorry to Atreia... I was corrupted by the power of shadow, lost my mind, and almost destroyed the spirit of the ancient tree..."

"It's not too late that you've come to your senses."

Gavin stopped chanting, his tone gentle.

"This ancient tree is the spiritual vein of the Misty Forest, and it was once the object you protected. If we join forces, we may be able to purify the shadow power within you and also repair the ancient tree's injuries."

The Shadow Bear slowly lowered its head, its eyes filled with gratitude.

"Thank you... If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would have become a puppet of the shadows and destroyed everything."

I am willing to cooperate with you to purify the shadow power within me, to once again protect the spirit of the ancient tree, to safeguard the Misty Forest, and to fight against the Dragon Demon Alliance!

Lynn nodded, and the two fragments in his palm shone brightly. A gentle force of creation flowed from his fingertips and slowly entered the Shadow Bear's body, working in conjunction with Gavin's light incantation to suppress and purify the shadow power within it.

Lina walked to the ancient tree, activated the power of light within her, and gently stroked the trunk of the tree. The power of light flowed from her fingertips into the tree, repairing its wounds.

Just then, the two fragments in Lynn's palm suddenly became intensely hot, their light becoming exceptionally dazzling. The resonance of the fragments instantly intensified, and a golden chain of light extended from the fragments, heading towards the heart of the ancient tree.

Lynn was startled and looked in the direction of the light chain. He saw a faint white light flashing in the heart of the ancient tree. The white light was exactly the same as the aura of the fragment of the Tower of Eternity, but it was softer and more ancient than the fragment.

"What is that?"

Lina stopped what she was doing and looked at the white light at the heart of the ancient tree, her eyes full of doubt.

The Shadow Bear slowly raised its head, looking at the white light at the heart of the ancient tree, its eyes filled with awe.

"That is the core of the ancient tree spirit, and one of the energy sources of the Eternal Tower fragments."

In ancient times, fragments of the Tower of Eternity fell on this ancient tree, nourishing its spirit and making it the lifeblood of the Misty Forest.

Later, the power of shadow invaded, and the energy of the fragments was hidden by the spirit of the ancient tree, guarding it to this day.

Gavin's expression turned serious.

"In that case, the core of the Ancient Tree Spirit is very likely related to the fourth fragment of the Eternal Tower, or even that it is itself a part of the fragment."

The Dragon Demon Alliance sent people to the Misty Forest not just for the third fragment, but also for the core of the ancient tree spirit!

Lynn gripped the two fragments tightly in his hand, feeling the strong resonance between the fragments and the core of the ancient tree spirit, and his determination grew stronger.

He knew that reinforcements from the Dragon Demon Alliance could arrive at any moment, and they had to purify the shadow power within the Shadow Demon Bear as soon as possible, repair the ancient tree's injuries, and at the same time figure out the relationship between the Ancient Tree Spirit Core and the fourth fragment.

Just then, a series of hurried and heavy footsteps suddenly came from the surrounding woods. It wasn't just a few people, but a dense, orderly mass, surging towards the basin like a tide.

Accompanying the footsteps was an increasingly dense, almost solidifying, shadowy power. That malevolent aura was several times thicker than the one surrounding Moke, mixed with a nauseating stench, and swept in with the wind.

The aether within Lynn's body instantly became agitated, the two fragments in his palms ignited intensely, their light flickering, conveying an unprecedented warning of danger—

The reinforcements from the Dragon Demon Alliance finally arrived, and their strength far exceeded their expectations.

At the edge of the forest, dense shadows had already appeared, some of them as burly as dragon-man berserkers.

Some were dressed in long black robes and held staffs; they were the Shadow Shamans. Several other tall, imposing figures stood steadily at the front of the procession.

The shadowy power surrounding them was condensed and did not overflow, like a silent abyss of ink, exuding a chilling sense of oppression. These shadowy figures were surrounded by a calm aura completely different from Mo Ke's, their robes fluttered without wind, their fingertips glowed with an eerie black light, and their silent presence exuded a chill that penetrated to the bone.

They were clearly high-ranking commanders of the Dragon Demon Alliance, each of them possessing strength no less than that of Moke, and some even subtly suppressed Moke.

The Shadow Bear's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and the light energy around it intertwined with the shadow energy that had not yet been fully purified.

"It's the Dragon Demon Alliance! They must be here to steal the Ancient Tree Spirit Core!"

"I'll hold them off. You all hurry and purify my shadow power, repair the ancient tree, and protect the core!"

Lynn, Gavin, and Lina nodded in unison, and the three of them immediately sped up—

Lynn continued to use the power of creation to purify the shadow power within the Shadow Demon Bear, while Gavin continued to chant the light incantation to assist in the purification. Lina focused on repairing the ancient tree's injuries, while vigilantly watching the direction from which the footsteps were coming from.

The footsteps grew closer and more frequent, causing the ground to tremble violently, pebbles to tumble down, and even the branches of the ancient trees to sway slightly.

A dense shadow force, like surging black clouds, completely enveloped the basin, swallowing up the sunlight.

The already dim environment grew even darker, with only the faint light from the fragments in Lynn's palm and the ancient tree heartwood flickering steadily in the darkness.

—Though the light was faint, it shone with an unshakable determination.

The dark figures had already approached the edge of the basin, densely filling the gaps in the forest. The black figures stretched out in a continuous line, like ghosts lurking in the shadows, their scarlet eyes flashing in the darkness, revealing a bloodthirsty greed and malice.

The roars of the Dragon Demon Alliance members, the crisp sounds of clashing weapons, and the obscure incantations of the Shadow Shaman became increasingly clear, as if echoing right next to their ears.

Lynn could clearly sense a massive shadow legion approaching, interspersed with several powerful auras, their strength no less than that of Moke, and some even more formidable than Moke's.

The owners of those auras were none other than the high-ranking commanders standing at the front of the group.

Their figures stood tall and straight like pine trees, their bodies shrouded in a dark, shadowy aura that remained condensed yet subtly formed faint, black waves of energy. The fallen leaves beneath their feet were gently swirled by these waves, slowly turning into dust.

Their gazes, like poisoned blades, were fixed on the white light emanating from the heart of the ancient tree. Their greed and determination were undisguised, and their chilling auras intertwined around them.

This creates an invisible web of oppression, making the air in the basin increasingly heavy.

The Shadow Bear tensed its body, its power growing increasingly agitated, while Lynn and the other two's eyes grew more resolute, the light from the fragments in their palms becoming clearer, showing no signs of being overwhelmed by the oppressive feeling.

He knew that a new and even more brutal battle was about to begin. This time, they would not only have to fight against the massive reinforcements of the Dragon Demon Alliance, but also protect the core of the Ancient Tree Spirit and unravel the clues to the fourth fragment. The road ahead was still full of unknowns and dangers.

But he was no longer afraid, for he had his mentor by his side, Lina fighting alongside him, the Shadow Bear to help him, the power of the two Eternal Tower fragments, and his unwavering determination to protect Atreia.