The amethyst serpent's scales shimmered in the dappled sunlight as it coiled protectively around Elias and Lena, its massive body forming a barrier between them and the approaching Obsidian Hunters. The hunters hesitated at the sight of the legendary Crystal Guardian, their rifles lowering slightly—a moment of uncertainty that Lena exploited to reload her weapon.
"Now would be a good time to use that beast communication skill again!" she shouted, firing a burst of flame from her mechanical wrist launcher. The fireball exploded against a hunter's shield, sending him sprawling.
Elias focused on maintaining the mental link with the serpent, sweat dripping down his face as the system interface warned of mana depletion:
[MENTAL LINK STABILITY: 72%]
[MANA REMAINING: 15/50]
[WARNING: LINK WILL BREAK IN 2 MINUTES]
[SERPENT MESSAGE: "ANCIENT ONES FORSAW THIS. THE SPRING MUST NOT FALL."]
Images flooded his mind—ancient mages in robes adorned with the same tarot-card symbols as his system, placing the Moonstone Crystal at the heart of the spring, reciting incantations that made the water glow with golden light. Then came the betrayal: figures in black coats seizing the crystal, the mages falling as their own magic turned against them.
"The Council didn't just take over the towers," Elias gasped, "they stole the crystal from the guardians."
The serpent's head nodded, its eyes narrowing with renewed fury. With a deafening roar, it lunged at the hunters, its tail sweeping through the trees and sending men flying like rag dolls. Lena grabbed Elias's arm and dragged him toward the spring, now visible through the clearing—a pool of water so clear it appeared to float above the ground, surrounded by crystal formations that hummed with energy.
[MOONSTONE CRYSTAL DETECTED: 8% POWER REMAINING]
[NEW OBJECTIVE: SUBMERGE CRYSTAL IN ANCIENT SPRING]
[WARNING: UNKNOWN SIDE EFFECTS MAY OCCUR]
Elias waded into the spring, the water surprisingly warm against his legs. As he submerged the crystal, a blinding light erupted, forcing him to shield his eyes. When he could see again, the system interface had transformed—the familiar tarot-card symbols now surrounded by flowing golden runes.
[SYSTEM UPGRADED: ARCANE BALANCER MODE ACTIVATED]
[NEW ABILITY: ELEMENTAL HARMONY (PASSIVE)]
[EFFECT: REDUCED MAGICAL DEPLETION BY 50%]
[COST: 1% OF MAX HEALTH PER USE]
[WARNING: HEALTH WILL NOT REGENERATE NATURALLY WHILE ABILITY IS ACTIVE]
The serpent's roar echoed through the forest as the last hunter fled into the trees. Elias collapsed to his knees, suddenly dizzy as the system registered his health status:
[CURRENT HEALTH: 92% (MAX: 100%)]
[WARNING: PROLONGED USE OF ELEMENTAL HARMONY MAY RESULT IN PERMANENT DAMAGE]
Lena helped him to his feet, her mechanical eye scanning the spring's depths. "The water... it's changing."
Beneath the surface, images swirled like a liquid mirror—visions of the system's creation, the mages sacrificing themselves to contain a magical cataclysm, a hooded figure placing the first crystal in the first tower. The same figure from Elias's earlier vision, now clearer than before.
[HISTORICAL RECORD UNLOCKED: "THE CREATOR'S TESTAMENT"]
[CONTENT: "TO WHOEVER FINDS THIS, I LEAVE THE TRUTH. THE SYSTEM WAS NEVER MEANT TO SAVE THE WORLD—ONLY TO JUDGE IT. WHEN THE BALANCE FALTERS, I SHALL RETURN TO RESET THE SCALE."]
The serpent approached, its massive head lowering until it was eye level with Elias. Through their fading mental link, it sent one final message:
[GUARDIAN LEGACY TRANSFERRED]
[NEW QUEST: FIND THE SIX REMAINING CRYSTALS BEFORE THE COUNCIL]
[REWARD: FULL SYSTEM UPGRADE, ABILITY TO REVERSE MAGICAL DEPLETION]
[PENALTY: ACTIVATION OF "CREATOR'S JUDGMENT"]
As the vision faded, Elias felt the Moonstone Crystal merge with his palm, its blue light now flowing through his veins like liquid magic. The system interface displayed a new map—seven towers across the continent, each marked with a glowing crystal icon.
"We need to get to the next tower," he said, standing unsteadily. "In the Iron Mountains."
Lena nodded, but her expression was troubled. "The Brotherhood has a safe house there, but..." She hesitated, glancing at the serpent now returning to the spring's depths. "What did it mean by 'Creator's Judgment'?"
Elias opened his mouth to respond, then froze as his system interface flashed with an urgent warning:
[DETECTED: HIGH-LEVEL DIVINATION SPELL TARGETING YOUR LOCATION]
[SOURCE: IMPERIAL COUNCIL HEADQUARTERS]
[ESTIMATED TIME UNTIL ARRIVAL: 30 MINUTES]
The Council knew exactly where they were.
"We need to move. Now." Lena grabbed her pack, her mechanical eye shifting to red alert mode. "If they send an airship strike force, we won't stand a chance—even with the serpent's help."
As they fled the clearing, Elias glanced back at the spring, now glowing with golden light. In its depths, he thought he saw a face—the hooded figure from his visions, watching him with eyes that held both judgment and sorrow.
The real hunt had just begun.