Merslin and his party had forged the Sun Sword, but it alone was not enough to stop all the darkness. The threat still loomed, and the two kingdoms were struggling against the Shadow-kin's assault. The leaders of the Luminaria Kingdom, the Frontier Kingdom, and the Elven Forest gathered to find a solution to this problem.
Inside the walls of Lucinia, the capital of the Luminaria Kingdom, the air was thick with tension. Merslin's party wished to join the kingdom's leaders to discuss a way to control the darkness, but they were barred from the conference hall by the palace's strict security. As they waited anxiously outside the walls, Kaila made a decision.
"We don't have time to waste. I will get us into that meeting with our own strength," Kaila said firmly.
Merslin and the others looked at him in surprise. Kaila sighed and spoke as if he had made up his mind. "Everyone, the truth is, I also have a secret. I am the Prince of Luminaria, next in line to the throne."
Everyone was stunned by his words. Kaila nodded and continued. "I can no longer hide it. To achieve our goal, I have no choice but to reveal my identity."
Kaila approached the guards at the wall. "I am Kaila, Prince of Luminaria. Escort me and my companions to the conference hall at once."
The guards stared at Kaila with shocked expressions, but they quickly followed his command and led them to the meeting. With Kaila's help, Merslin and the party were able to enter the conference hall where the kingdom's leaders had gathered.
The meeting was proceeding in a solemn atmosphere. The king and the other leaders were in a serious discussion about the threat of darkness. As Merslin's party entered, all eyes turned to them.
The King of Luminaria looked at Kaila and said, "Kaila, tell us why you have come here."
Kaila bowed his head. "We have forged the Sun Sword, but it alone cannot stop all the darkness. We must find another way."
Irene stepped forward. "We elves have also heard of the power of light in our ancient tales. We must find it."
Adeon, the Prince of the Frontier Kingdom, agreed. "If we can obtain information about this light, it will be a great help in stopping the threat of darkness."
The Elven Elders advised that they must visit the City of the Ancients to obtain that information. "The Ancients left ruins in the subterranean city beyond the Arid Plains. You will be able to find the secret of the light there."
Merslin's resolve hardened. "Very well. We will go to those ruins and uncover the secret of the light."
***
Episode : To the Island Near the City of the Ancients
Merslin, Kaila, Daren, Ria, and Sera took a boat from the City of the Ancients and headed for an island. They crossed the blue sea, ready to confront the threat of darkness. Following the sea route, Merslin carefully observed the beautiful scenery around them. The clear, blue ocean gave them new hope.
When they arrived at the island's entrance, they discovered an old stone harbor. The island was full of dense forests and ancient ruins, showing the marks of being weathered by wind and waves for ages.
"So this is the island of the Ancients," Merslin said in admiration.
As they were exploring the island, they were confronted by giant Trolls, Snakes, Slime Monsters, and Dragonkin. These creatures were guarding an ancient temple. The trolls approached, swinging huge clubs, while the snakes writhed, baring their sharp fangs. The slime monsters, with their sticky bodies, tried to swallow everything, and the dragonkin beat their wings, flying menacingly in the air.
"It seems these are the enemies we must face," Kaila said, raising the Sun Sword.
As the battle began, Merslin started attacking the trolls with magic. He simultaneously cast multiple Fire and Frost Arrows and threw a Lightning Spear to stop the trolls' movements. The spear pierced a troll's body, and an electric shock spread through it, causing it to let out a pained scream.
Kaila used the Sun Sword to emit a brilliant light, momentarily blinding her enemies before delivering a Sweeping Strike. She charged in to slash at a troll's legs and used a Pulverize skill to crush a snake's head. Each time the enemies advanced, she repeated her Charge and Sweeping Strike, throwing their ranks into disarray.
"I will crush you!" Krog, the giant troll leader, roared as he approached, swinging a massive club. Kaila unleashed a powerful light from the Sun Sword, blinding Krog. She used the opening to charge and slash at his legs, forcing him to his knees. Kaila followed up with a Sweeping Strike that sent Krog's head flying.
Daren used Whirlwind magic to sweep away the slime monsters and summoned a murder of crows to attack the dragonkin. The flock of crows surrounded the dragonkin, obscuring their vision. Daren's powerful winds pushed them back in the air.
Rena of the Wind, a dragonkin, breathed a fiery breath from the sky, attacking the party. "You cannot escape my flames!" she shrieked, attempting to strike Merslin with her sharp talons, but he swiftly dodged, looking for a chance to counter.
Ria supported her companions by healing the injured. The light from her healing magic caused their wounds to close quickly. Sera, in stealth, ambushed the trolls from behind with her daggers and used her bow to snipe the dragonkin. Her precise shots pierced their wings, causing them to fall from the sky.
After a fierce battle, Merslin's party defeated the ancient creatures and proceeded deeper into the island. There, the place was guarded by a Basilisk, human-like machines, and the stone Ancients.
"We must be even more careful here. The ancient guardians will be waiting for us," Daren warned.
Merslin's party avoided combat as much as possible and headed for a place of importance. There, they found a mural depicting an ancient battle with the Shadow-kin. A hero was vividly portrayed, raising a sword to subdue the darkness.
"This is the information we were looking for. The Sun Sword was the only weapon that could subdue the darkness," Merslin said, pointing to the mural.
Next to the mural was a record of the Ancients. According to the record, the light that could control the darkness was a lantern composed of several elements. The following materials were needed for this lantern:
Fairy Dust: A mystical powder left by fairies, which has the power to amplify light.
Pure Sunlight Crystal: A crystal made by gathering the essence of the sun, which radiates a powerful light.
Tears of an Ancient Divine Beast: Tears shed by ancient divine beasts, symbolizing healing and purification.
Shard of Silver Moonlight: A shard made by gathering silver moonlight, which possesses the power to vanquish darkness.
Merslin looked at the mural, his resolve hardening. "Now we must gather these materials. We have to create the light that can control the darkness."
****
Episode : The First Ingredient - Fairy Dust
After deciphering the materials for the lantern from the mural and the ancient records, Merslin's party began to search for more hints in the depths of the island.
In a corner of the mural, Ria discovered a hidden button. When she pressed it, a section of the wall opened, revealing an ancient map. This map marked the locations where the ingredients were hidden. The closest location was the Fairy Forest.
"Here it is! We must go to the Fairy Forest to find the Fairy Dust," Merslin said, pointing to the map.
Leaving the City of the Ancients, Merslin's party headed for the Fairy Forest. They arrived at the forest's edge, but found it was protected by magic. As they tried to find an entrance, they just kept circling back to the same spot.
"There's some kind of strange magic on this forest. I think it's making us lose our way," Daren said, surveying the area. "The flow of nature is distorted somewhere. Something here is blocking us."
"Sera, can you find any clues with your keen eyes?" Merslin asked.
Sera scanned her surroundings with a sharp gaze. She noticed that the forest's branches and leaves were arranged in an abnormal pattern. "Look here. The branches are forming a strange pattern. This isn't natural," Sera said.
"You're right, this could be a magical sign. Let's head in that direction," Merslin agreed.
Daren, sensing the power of the forest, followed the trail of branches and leaves. He read the flow of nature and found the magical distortion. As he reached out his hand, the branches moved, revealing a new path. "Here it is. This is the real path to the Fairy Forest," Daren said confidently.
Merslin raised his staff, creating an orb of light to illuminate the woods and guide the team. "We've found the right path now. Follow carefully."
As they reached the entrance to the path, they found a large totem standing there. The totem was generating a protective barrier with its magical power. "This totem is guarding the forest. How do we get past it?" Kaila asked.
"We need to disrupt the flow of magic. I'll give it a try," Merslin said, raising his staff and casting a spell. Light shot from his fingertips, clashing with the magical energy enveloping the totem. Daren also lent the power of nature using tree branches. The totem's magic gradually weakened until the barrier finally disappeared.
As they ventured deep into the forest, Merslin's party encountered another party. They were members of a dark faction, possessing abilities similar to Merslin's party.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" Merslin demanded.
The enemy leader replied, "We're also looking for something important in this forest. Who are you to interfere?"
"We came to find Fairy Dust. We need it to create a light that can control the darkness," Merslin answered.
The enemy leader sneered. "For the same reason as us. But we are stronger, and we found it first, so it's ours."
Kaila stepped forward. "Are you suggesting we settle this with force? If we cooperate, perhaps we can all get what we want."
But the enemy party just laughed and raised their weapons. "Cooperation? We don't need that. Everything here belongs to us."
"Then we'll settle this in battle. The fairies must be freed," Merslin said, his voice resolute.
Merslin's party, with their excellent cooperation and harmony, demonstrated superior teamwork. In contrast, the enemy party struggled due to their lack of coordination. Merslin used a new spell, Chain Bind, to ensnare the enemy mage. Luminous chains wrapped tightly around the mage, immobilizing him.
"Alright, now's our chance to subdue them!" Merslin shouted.
Kaila used her Charge skill to rapidly close in on the enemy warrior, breaking through his defense and taking him down with her Pulverize skill. While Kaila's assault overwhelmed the front line, Daren used his connection to nature to move roots, ensnaring the enemy sniper. Once the sniper was trapped, Sera took him down with a precise shot. Meanwhile, Ria healed her allies' wounds while simultaneously casting an attack buff, allowing them to fight with even greater strength.
The enemy party, lacking teamwork, fell into disarray. "This can't be! Why is no one listening to me?" the enemy mage shouted in frustration.
During the fight, Daren spotted a small fairy trapped in a cage. "We have to beat them and save the fairy!" he yelled.
Putting an end to the battle, Merslin cast an Ice Orb, freezing the enemy mage and warrior solid. The combined strength of Merslin's crowd control, Kaila's powerful offense, Sera and Daren's coordinated takedown, and Ria's support completely overwhelmed their foes.
After defeating the rival party, Daren opened the cage and freed the fairy. As a token of its gratitude, the fairy gave them a pinch of Fairy Dust. "Why have you come here?" it chirped.
"We came for Fairy Dust," Merslin replied. "We need it to create a light that can control the darkness."
The fairy nodded. "I see. In that case, I will guide you to the heart of our forest. You can get the dust you need there."
To guide them, the fairy used its magic, and the entire party was shrunk down to fairy size. Surprised by the sudden transformation, the team members looked at each other and burst into laughter.
"Wow, we're so small! It's amazing to see the world from a fairy's perspective," Kaila said in awe.
The fairy, with its shining wings, said, "Now, follow me. I'll show you the way to our village."
The party followed the fairy into a village of tiny houses nestled in the trees, where fairies with beautiful, colorful wings flew about. They were greeted warmly by the Fairy Queen. The fairies had prepared a feast of various fruits, honey, and luminous drinks.
The Fairy Queen listened to their story with a compassionate expression. "I am moved by your passion and courage. A long time ago, we fairies also fought the Shadow-kin and suffered great losses. They are powerful beings of darkness who despise the light. Our Fairy Dust will surely aid you in your journey."
After the feast, the Fairy Queen presented Merslin's party with the Fairy Dust. "This is the Fairy Dust you seek. I hope it helps you create the light that can control the darkness."
"Thank you very much," Merslin said, accepting the gift. "This dust will be a great help to us. Now, we must go and find the next ingredient."