Chapter 116: Chapter 111: The Guardian’s Last Memory
The winds screamed across the hidden realm.
Above the ancient World Tree, two overwhelming forces confronted one another.
On one side stood John and his companions.
On the other floated the corrupted Soul Raven, its expanded wings blotting out nearly half the sky. Jagged crystals covered its feathers like living armor, while crimson lightning danced between its six wings.
The guardian no longer resembled the noble protector it had once been.
Yet John refused to believe it was beyond saving.
He raised one claw.
"Listen."
His voice carried through the storm.
"We’re not your enemies."
The Soul Raven remained silent.
Its four crimson eyes stared at him without blinking.
John continued.
"You were created to protect this place."
"You protected the Heart."
"You protected the World Tree."
Golden light briefly flickered beneath several black feathers.
Very briefly.
The corruption immediately swallowed it.
The guardian trembled.
"...Protect..."
The whisper barely escaped its beak.
Lythriel noticed it.
"It remembers."
Aerion slowly lowered his sword.
"It wants to remember."
---
Far below, the legion of corrupted champions remained motionless.
None moved to assist.
None attacked.
Every warrior simply watched.
Even creatures completely consumed by corruption seemed unable to look away from the battle unfolding above them.
Sylvara frowned.
"Why aren’t they attacking?"
Aerion answered quietly.
"The guardian is more than their commander."
"It was their leader."
"The one who guided them."
John looked toward the kneeling champions.
Many still clutched broken weapons.
Others wore cracked armor bearing symbols from races that no longer existed.
Giants.
Ancient elves.
Dragons.
Even kingdoms lost to history.
Once...
They had stood together.
United.
Now they could only watch their commander suffer.
---
The Soul Raven suddenly spread its wings.
Thousands of black feathers filled the sky.
Instead of charging...
The guardian simply hovered.
Its enormous body shook violently.
The corruption around it churned like a living storm.
"...Remember..."
"...Cannot..."
"...Remember..."
Its voice became increasingly desperate.
John slowly flew closer.
"Then let us help you."
Lythriel looked at him.
"You know that’s dangerous."
"I do."
"But if we keep fighting..."
He looked toward the raven.
"It’ll only suffer longer."
Aerion nodded.
"I’ll cover you."
Without another word, the elf placed himself between John and the guardian.
Silver mana flowed around his body.
Lythriel moved to the opposite side.
Sylvara began weaving layers of protective barriers.
For the first time since entering the hidden realm...
None of them attacked.
---
The Soul Raven watched them carefully.
Its enormous head lowered slightly.
One crimson eye flickered.
"...Dragon..."
John nodded.
"I’m here."
"...Long..."
"...Long ago..."
The guardian suddenly screamed.
Black corruption erupted from its body.
The brief moment of clarity vanished.
Its wings snapped open.
A hurricane swept across the sky.
John barely managed to hold his position.
The corruption wasn’t allowing the guardian to remember.
It was actively suppressing its memories.
Sylvara suddenly gasped.
"I know why."
Everyone looked toward her.
"The corruption isn’t controlling it."
"It’s feeding on its memories."
Aerion frowned.
"What?"
She pointed toward the black tendrils wrapped around the golden crystal within the guardian’s chest.
"Every memory it loses..."
"The corruption grows stronger."
John clenched his claws.
"So the more it forgets..."
"...the less of itself remains."
---
A deep roar echoed through the hidden realm.
The World Tree trembled.
Another shower of glowing leaves drifted through the air.
This time—
One leaf landed upon the Soul Raven’s shoulder.
Golden light spread from it.
The guardian froze.
Then...
A memory surfaced.
---
The storm disappeared.
For one brief instant, everyone saw the same vision.
The hidden realm...
Thousands of years earlier.
The World Tree stood in perfect health.
Its branches stretched across a brilliant golden sky untouched by corruption.
Countless races gathered beneath it.
Giants stood beside dragons.
Elves conversed with dwarves.
Spirits danced among crystal rivers.
Humans in ancient armor laughed alongside races long believed extinct.
There was no hatred.
No war.
Only purpose.
At the center stood a magnificent silver-feathered bird.
Smaller than the corrupted guardian.
Its feathers shimmered with golden light.
Children of every race surrounded it.
Some laughed as they climbed onto its back.
Others offered it flowers woven from mana.
The bird lowered its head affectionately.
John smiled.
"So that’s who you were."
The bird looked toward the World Tree.
Then—
A dragon landed beside it.
Not John.
An enormous dragon covered in scales that shimmered like the night sky.
Its golden eyes carried ancient wisdom.
The bird bowed respectfully.
The dragon laughed warmly.
"My old friend."
The bird chirped happily.
The dragon looked toward the gathered races.
"The seal will hold."
"As long as we stand together."
The vision ended.
---
The hidden realm returned.
John remained frozen.
His breathing had become uneven.
He had never seen that dragon before.
Yet...
Something deep within his blood stirred.
Aerion slowly lowered his sword.
"The Great Dragon King..."
Sylvara nodded.
"The leader of the Ancient Dragons."
Lythriel looked toward John.
"You look pale."
John didn’t answer immediately.
The dragon in the vision...
Had looked directly at him.
As though recognizing him.
Even though the memory was thousands of years old.
---
The Soul Raven cried softly.
Not with rage.
With sorrow.
Golden tears fell from its eyes.
"...King..."
"...My friend..."
The corruption immediately lashed out.
Black chains tightened around the crystal.
The guardian screamed once more.
Its body convulsed violently.
John realized they were running out of time.
"If we don’t free it now..."
"It’ll lose itself forever."
Aerion nodded.
"Then we strike together."
Lythriel spun her spear.
"No holding back."
Sylvara completed another formation of glowing runes.
"I’ll weaken the corruption."
John looked at each of them.
Then smiled.
"Together."
"As always."
---
Dark mana gathered around John’s claws.
Silver light surrounded Aerion’s blade.
Lythriel’s spear blazed with brilliant crimson mana.
Sylvara’s magic circles merged into one enormous formation.
The four launched forward simultaneously.
The Soul Raven spread its wings.
The sky itself seemed to split apart.
Black storms collided with golden light.
At the last possible moment—
John slipped beneath the guardian.
"There!"
The golden crystal shone beneath layers of corruption.
Aerion’s sword flashed.
Lythriel’s spear struck.
Sylvara’s magic bound the black tendrils.
John roared.
"Abyssal Rend!"
His claws collided directly with the corruption surrounding the crystal.
The hidden realm exploded with light.
The corruption screamed.
Not the guardian.
The corruption itself.
Cracks spread through the black chains.
One shattered.
Then another.
Golden light erupted from the guardian’s chest like a rising sun.
For the first time...
Two of the Soul Raven’s eyes turned completely gold.
The storm stopped.
The guardian looked at John.
Its voice was no longer distorted.
"...Thank you..."
John smiled.
"We’re not finished yet."
The guardian nodded weakly.
"I know..."
Then its expression suddenly changed.
Its golden eyes widened in horror.
It looked past John.
Toward the roots of the World Tree.
"No..."
Its voice trembled.
"The False Heart..."
"...has awakened."
Every hair on Lythriel’s neck stood on end.
Aerion slowly turned toward the distant roots.
The World Tree shuddered violently.
A pillar of black and golden light erupted into the heavens.
John’s dragon instincts screamed louder than ever before.
The warning from the World Tree echoed once again in his mind.
**Beware... the False Heart.**
Whatever had awakened beneath the roots...
It was no longer waiting for them.
It was coming
---
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