Elden and his party left black wind fortress, the site of their previous battle, and continued their journey toward the astrahal desert. According to the Dragon's Tome, hidden within this desert was one of the keys to the ancient Dragon's Heart, an artifact capable of awakening the true dragon power within Elden.However, the journey to Astrahal was anything but easy. The desert was known as a perilous place, filled with desert bandits, magical creatures, and deadly sandstorms. Weakened and wounded from their last battle, they needed to move quickly before Malagar’s forces caught up with them.Under the scorching sun, Elden walked at the front of the group alongside Kaelar and Renard, while Vaelis stayed at the rear, shielding them with protective magic against the sandstorm. Despite his injuries from the last battle, Renard maintained his usual nonchalant attitude."You know? I'd rather face Malagar’s army than walk through this place," Renard grumbled, shaking off the dust from his

After several hours of walking, they arrived in a land unlike anything they had seen before. The desert sands gradually turned into black, rocky ground, as if they were stepping into another world.The Aether Eye in Elden’s grasp began to glow even brighter.“This place…” Elden murmured, sensing a strange energy in the air.Vaelis scanned the surroundings. “This is no ordinary place. I can feel traces of ancient magic here.”Ahead of them, ancient ruins emerged from the night mist. Towering pillars made of obsidian stone stood tall, adorned with carvings of dragons that seemed older than any human civilization.Kaelar drew his sword. “I don’t like this place.”But before they could retreat, the ground suddenly trembled.From beneath the earth, armored hands burst forth, followed by massive figures resembling ancient warriors. Their eyes glowed red, and an aura of death surrounded them.“Undead soldiers…” Vaelis exhaled heavily.Kaelar sprang into action, slashing at one of the undead

Without warning, Malagar raised his hand, and a massive black energy orb the size of a boulder formed above him!“Feel the wrath of darkness!”BOOOM!The energy orb shot forward at an incredible speed!Elden and the others scrambled to dodge. The cave floor trembled violently as the energy orb smashed into the rocky walls, triggering a massive explosion that sent giant shards of stone crashing down.“Don’t let him destroy this place!” Kaelar shouted, drawing his sword and dashing forward.Renard also sprang into action, hurling several daggers at Malagar, but with a mere wave of his hand, Malagar effortlessly deflected all the attacks.Vaelis raised his staff and chanted a spell. A burst of blue light shot from its tip, streaking toward Malagar.However, before the magic could reach him, Malagar lifted his hand and conjured a shadow shield.“A good attempt… but futile.”Malagar gestured toward Vaelis, and suddenly the ground beneath him cracked open!“Vaelis, watch out!” Elden shouted

They stood amidst the ruins of the cave, remnants of battle scattered around them. Elden’s breathing was still heavy, but his eyes had returned to normal, bright blue, no longer the deep purple darkness that had nearly consumed him. Kaelar, Renard, and Vaelis watched him cautiously, ensuring he was truly back to himself.Across from them, Malagar stood with a calm expression, though it was clear he was slightly surprised by what had just transpired."Interesting," Malagar murmured, a thin smirk forming. "I thought you would succumb to the darkness, Elden. But it seems you're more stubborn than I expected."Elden clenched his fists. He could still feel the remnants of the dark energy swirling inside him, but now he was more prepared to control it. "I won’t let myself fall into your game."Malagar chuckled softly. "Oh, Elden… this is not my game. This is fate, one that was decided the moment you were born."Kaelar stepped closer to Elden, his stance wary. "We need to leave. We've fought

The night grew deeper as Elden and his group continued their journey. After the grueling trial he had endured with Luthen, his body still felt weary, but his mind was filled with questions.Had Luthen truly come just to test him? Or was there a deeper reason behind it?Kaelar walked beside him, occasionally casting wary glances at Luthen. Renard, as usual, appeared relaxed, but Elden knew the man was always on guard for danger. Meanwhile, Vaelis walked slightly ahead, ensuring the path they traveled was safe.They finally reached a cliff overlooking a vast valley. From up here, Elden could see scattered campfires in the distance. They likely belonged to travelers or groups of soldiers setting up camp.“We’ll rest here,” Kaelar finally said. “We need our strength before moving on.”Elden sat on a large rock, steadying his breath. Renard dropped to the ground with a long sigh.“I think we need to talk about our new companion,” he said, eyeing Luthen with a scrutinizing gaze.Luthen mere