The revelations from the Progenitor Dragon's soul left Kai and his companions with a daunting task. Two Crystal Heart fragments were already in the Shadow Cult's hands, and their goal was far more insidious than mere destruction. The fate of Aethel now rested on their shoulders. Zane, though still unconscious, seemed to be slowly recovering, a glimmer of hope in their grim situation.
"We need to move fast," Kai stated, the weight of the prophecy heavy in his voice. "Three fragments left, and the True Dragon Eye to find. Which one first?"
Arthur pondered. "Cloud City on the highest mountain, the Serene Deep Sea, or Eternal Volcano Peak... Each sounds like a suicide mission. But the True Dragon Eye sounds crucial. If it can truly show us how to permanently seal the Devourer, it might be our best bet."
Elara nodded. "The Progenitor Dragon said the Eye is hidden in an Unmarked Shrine situated between the three remaining territories. That might be a strategic move to gather more information before facing another Dragon Guardian tribe head-on."
Kai felt the Ancient Soul Emblem warm on his chest, its subtle pull guiding him towards the "Unmarked Shrine." It was a faint, almost imperceptible tug, but his "Awakened Senses" could distinguish it.
"The Emblem is pointing towards the shrine," Kai confirmed. "It feels like the right choice. We need all the information we can get."
They prepared for the next leg of their journey. Zane was still too weak to travel far, so they carefully fashioned a more secure stretcher from sturdy branches and vines. Carrying him would slow them down, but abandoning him was not an option.
As they exited the Ancient Dragon Sanctuary, the Eternal Forest seemed to stretch endlessly before them. The journey to the Unmarked Shrine was long and arduous. They navigated treacherous terrain, crossed ancient, crumbling bridges, and evaded several wild, corrupted beasts that had succumbed to the subtle taint spreading through the forest. Kai's "Crystal Energy Manipulation" proved invaluable, allowing him to create temporary bridges or shield them from collapsing rocks, while "Soul Guiding" helped them bypass or confuse lesser corrupted spirits.
Days blurred into nights. They rationed their dwindling supplies, pushing through exhaustion. Then, finally, after what felt like an eternity, Kai's "Awakened Senses" flared. A powerful, ancient presence, distinct from the corrupted energies, lay ahead.
They emerged from the dense forest into a desolate, windswept mountain pass. Ahead of them, nestled precariously on a jagged, ice-covered peak, stood a structure of ancient, frost-covered stone. It was a temple, almost entirely swallowed by ice and snow, its intricate carvings barely visible beneath layers of frost. This was clearly the Unmarked Shrine.
You have arrived at 'The Unmarked Shrine'.
A chilling aura emanates from within.
"It's... cold," Arthur shivered, pulling his cloak tighter. The air was thin and biting, carrying the scent of ice and ancient dust.
Elara squinted. "Looks like it hasn't seen warmth in centuries. How could anything survive here?"
As they approached the entrance, a chilling wind swept down from the peak, carrying with it not just the cold, but a whisper, barely audible, yet piercing Kai's mind through the Ancient Soul Emblem.
"P-please... h-help... t-the cold... it s-suffocates..."
It was a voice of utter despair and pain, a plea for release. Kai's "Awakened Senses" pinpointed the source: from deep within the shrine, from an ancient, frozen spirit.
"There's something inside," Kai said, his voice grim. "A spirit. It's in pain."
As they stepped through the crumbling entrance, the interior of the shrine was even colder. Ice coated every surface, transforming the ancient hall into a shimmering, frozen tomb. In the center, suspended in a block of pure, crystalline ice, was a single, glowing artifact: a multifaceted eye, pulsating with a gentle, golden light. This was undoubtedly The True Dragon Eye.
But it was not alone. Around the block of ice, etched into the frozen floor, were complex, glowing runes, and within those runes, a spectral, shimmering figure was trapped. It was a Spirit of Ancient Knowledge, Level ???, bound by the very ice that preserved the eye. Its form flickered weakly, radiating immense suffering.
Entity: Spirit of Ancient Knowledge (Sealed) Level ???
HP: Undeterminable.
Danger: Moderate (Currently incapacitated. Its release condition is unknown. Could be friend or foe).
"The True Dragon Eye," Elara gasped, reaching out, but quickly retracting her hand from the biting cold. "It's right there!"
"But what is this spirit?" Arthur asked, wary. "Is it guarding it, or is it trapped?"
Kai's "Awakened Senses" could hear the spirit's pleas more clearly now, a cacophony of ancient knowledge and agonizing despair. It was clearly trapped, not guarding. The runes around it weren't a seal to protect the eye, but a prison for the spirit itself, draining its life force, somehow feeding the ice that preserved the eye.
"It's trapped," Kai said. "The spirit needs help. It's suffering."
As Kai approached the frozen spirit, the ancient voice resonated in his mind again, weaker this time, almost a dying whisper.
"F-forgiveness... I-I failed... to warn... T-the prophecy... was b-broken... by my f-fear... T-to awaken... t-the Eye... you m-must... r-release me... f-from t-this... c-curse... The c-cold... it s-suffocates..."
Condition for obtaining 'The True Dragon Eye': Release the 'Spirit of Ancient Knowledge' from its icy prison.
This was a new kind of challenge. Not a battle of strength, nor a riddle, but an act of mercy and understanding. To gain the ultimate key, Kai first had to alleviate suffering. But how does one break a magical ice prison and free an ancient spirit without harming it, especially when the ice itself seems to be sustained by the spirit's pain? And why was this spirit trapped here in the first place? The mystery of the Eternal Forest deepened with every step.