Heroes of Maple/Story
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Story (Post-Remaster)
The Heroes of Maple storyline was remastered under the KMS story team's new continuity in the Dreamer Update.
Prologue
The following scenes take place as the prologue to Act 1
Part 1
Soon after the final battle, Freud came to realize that despite the Black Mage's sealing, darkness still lingered throughout Maple World. Though he continued to fight evil wherever he could, Freud ultimately concluded that peace could never truly return until the balance of the world was restored. For this purpose, Freud decided to seek out Alicia in Sleepywood, hoping that she could help him spread life energy throughout Maple World in order to revitalize the land. In Sleepywood, Freud began searching for Alicia and soon encountered a barrier which she had constructed to keep out intruders. As he attempted to find a way to slip past the barrier, Alicia detected Freud's presence and allowed him entry. Alicia noted her impressment with Freud, who had been able to detect her presence past the barrier. Freud replied that her energy was something that couldn't be hidden easily, adding that he had been surprised to hear that she had slipped out of Altaire Camp. He explained that he had feared that she had fallen into a trap like Rhinne had, to which Alicia replied that she had left because she believed that it would be better not to get involved with mortals anymore. She then began to say that there was one human who she wouldn't have minded being around, though she quickly trailed off. Freud told Alicia that though he understood her feelings, he reminded her that the world needed her. Alicia agreed and noted that she could still hear the voices of the countless lives who had lost their lives during the Black Mage's war, adding that new life didn't sprout overnight, either. She explained that in order to speed up the process, she would need to recover her strength as quickly as possible, which was why she had settled amidst Sleepywood's powerful life energy at the center of Maple World. Freud replied that he had surmised as much, and that he had also seen that she had little time left.
His astute deduction surprised Alicia, who told him that there may never be a mage like him born again. She then told him that he was right and explained that in order to recover her powers, she would need to seal herself away in a deep slumber, though she had no idea when she would wake up. She noted that it could take a hundred years, or a thousand, and that the world itself may have fallen apart before she would awaken. Freud told her that the world was already unstable, ever since the Heroes had sealed the Black Mage away, though he then wondered whether it had actually been when the Black Mage had attacked the Temple of Time and stolen Rhinne's powers, or perhaps even before that. However, he explained that regardless, Maple World had fallen out of balance, which was why he had sought her out. After a pause, Alicia admitted that in the past, she would have simply pretended not to notice, adding that perhaps she was simply unqualified to be a Transcendent. Nevertheless, Alicia agreed to help him and told him to find Abraxas, the Ruins of Memory, explaining that he would find his answer there. Freud thanked Alicia for her help, to which she told him to do everything he could, as she didn't want to see any more lives stolen away. Freud reassured her that he would, as he and the other Heroes had already risked everything to keep Maple World safe. Freud then told her that he would leave her to rest, adding that she would be safe as long as he remained the only person who knew her location. Just as her turned to leave, Alicia stopped him and asked him whether she could ask him one more favor. She explained that there was no guarantee that she would recover her powers in time, for which she asked him to find someone qualified to come see her when the moment would come. However, Freud smiled and told her that there would be no need to find anyone, as he was certain that his friends would come see her, adding that no matter what, there would be a new hope in the future. Freud then took his leave, leaving Alicia to wonder whether he was referring to the six Heroes before silently thinking to herself that she hoped that they would return to save the world.
Part 2
While Cygnus and her court were away, Damien and his demon army besieged Ereve in order to kidnap Alicia, who resided within Shinsoo's gemstone after the Alliance had rescued her from Root Abyss. Damien successfully defeated Shinsoo and shattered the jewel on her forehead before extracting Alicia, who had regained her full Transcendent powers. After binding her with the power of his sword, Damien collapsed onto his knees, overwhelmed with overexerting his body. Alicia asked Damien whether he had any idea what he was doing, to which he laughed and told her that he was just hunting prey before asking what was wrong with that. Alicia noted that he clearly didn't know anything at all, as his body was unfit to handle his powers. However, Damien ordered her to shut up and told her that she knew nothing, claiming that hunters and preys weren't decided at birth. He then laughed and declared that his hunt would now begin.
Act 1 - Slumbering Dragon Island
Infiltrating Turtle Island
Through his connection to Afrien, Mir felt that something was wrong on Turtle Island. Evan and Mir went to investigate, where they found Damien's demon army in the area. As they snuck past the demons and headed to Afrien's cave, they fought past Murukuns with Damien's curse mark on their foreheads. They continued to push forward and scaled a large cliff, where they found a cave at the top. Looking down from the precipice, they were shocked to find an entire encampment of demons below. The two then entered the cave and fought through the demon soldiers before encountering Afrien trapped in a net of icicles and corrupted by Damien's mark. Afrien greeted them, and though Evan attempted to reassure him that they would find a way to free him, Afrien told him that he knew that it was too late. However, he assured Evan that he would end things on his own terms before revealing that the reason why he had been holding out for so long was because he needed to share a memory that he had originally planned to show when Evan was older, though he added that there was no time to delay any further. Through Afrien, Evan heard a pre-recorded message from Freud, who explained that he had placed several of his own memories inside Afrien's mark of the Spirit Pact. He told Evan that the fact that Afrien was sharing his message meant that the Black Mage had returned. However, he added that Evan wouldn't have to face the threat alone, as he was certain that his five friends who had faced the Black Mage with him were still fighting for Maple World. He then asked Evan to reunite the Heroes and told him that he would be waiting before the message ended.
Confronting Damien
After relaying the message, Afrien explained that his final task was now complete. Just as Mir entreated him not to speak as though these were his last minutes, Damien suddenly appeared and confronted Evan and Mir, using his powers to activate his mark of corruption on Afrien, who screamed in pain. Upon seeing Damien's eyepatch and scarlet sword, Evan immediately recognized him as the Commander who had attacked Ereve and kidnapped Alicia. Evan demanded to know how Damien how he could commit such atrocities for power, to which Damien told him that it was humans who had taught them that weakness was a sin when they had driven out the demons from their homes. He then turned to Afrien and noted that he was impressed by his resilience, claiming that he was the first to have endured so much suffering at his hands. An angry Evan and Mir yelled that Afrien was a proud Onyx Dragon, and that he wasn't someone who Damien could corrupt as he pleased, to which Damien smirked and used his mark of corruption to further torture Afrien, who cried out again in pain. He then turned back to Evan and ordered him to reveal the memory which he had seen from Freud, warning him not to drag out his resistance. Evan was shocked and asked Damien how he knew about Freud's memories. As he and Mir frantically attempted to figure out what to do, Afrien weakly told Evan that it would be alright and asked him to carry out his duty as a Dragon Master.
Upon hearing Afrien's reassurance, Evan refused to tell Damien about Freud's memories, claiming that those memories were Freud and Afrien's legacy. Afrien then told Damien that if he had thought that their will would be so easily broken, then he was sorely mistaken. Amused, Damien told Afrien that he would then change the deal and offered him new vitality in exchange for striking down Evan and Mir, which Afrien immediately refused. Damien laughed and told Afrien that he had expected as much, after which he activated his mark of corruption and caused Afrien to roar in agony. Furious, Evan and Mir unleashed an enormous barrage of dragon fire at Damien, who blocked the attack with his sword. Damien then laughed that he was disappointed and asked Evan whether Freud's successor was truly so weak. Evan was surprised by the strange power of Damien's sword, with Afrien realizing that there was no way that they could defeat him. As Damien prepared to finish them off, Afrien used the last of his power to sacrifice himself in order to teleport Evan and Mir close to the cave entrance, though the effort ultimately killed him. Fighting through the demon army, the pair managed to escape the cave, which was collapsing as a result of Afrien releasing his full power. After reaching safety, Evan swore that he would avenge Afrien and carry out Freud's will by reuniting the Heroes and stopping the demon army.
The Hunt Begins
Meanwhile, back at the demon camp, an injured Damien returned to his tent and seethed over what a waste of time it had all been. He then used the power of his sword to heal his injuries. A captured Alicia then noted that it seemed as though Damien had encountered something that he couldn't handle. Damien reminded Alicia that she was bound by his power, to which Alicia told him not to be cocky, reminding him that it was his sword's power, not his. She then told him to stop his foolish plan now that Freud's successor had already received Freud's message, to which Damien amusedly asked whether she was hoping that Freud's successor and the other Heroes were coming to rescue her. He then derisively remarked that she was an unworthy vessel for the power of a Transcendent and told her to stop resisting, as soon enough, he would devour everything. After Damien left the tent, Alicia silently noted to herself that there was still hope left.
Act 1.5 - Reunion
Looming Battle
Soon after, Evan and Mir traveled to Ereve and met with Cygnus, Neinheart, Claudine, and Athena Pierce. After being informed about the situation, Neinheart noted that Damien's plans not only included attacking Ereve and kidnapping the World Tree, but also going after Freud's memories. He explained that it was likely that a full-scale war may break out against the demons, to which Athena wondered what the Commanders could be planning, as it hadn't been that long since Black Heaven. Neinheart replied that there wasn't enough time to prepare for the threat that they faced, as the demon army was already moving into Maple World as they spoke. After a pause, Cygnus offered her condolences to Evan and Mir for Afrien's death, apologizing for not being able to do more to prevent it. Evan bitterly noted that his weakness was the reason for Afrien's death, believing that he may have been able to prevent it if his connection to Mir as a Dragon Master had been stronger, which would have allowed him to detect Afrien's pain sooner. However, he told Cygnus that he knew that it was no time to blame himself, vowing that he would no longer allow anyone else to sacrifice themselves. He explained that Freud had instructed him to reunite the Heroes, and that he planned on doing just that in order to learn Damien and the Black Mage's true purpose. He then asked Cygnus to mobilize the Alliance to face the demon army while the Heroes carried out their mission.
Neinheart asked Evan whether it would be possible for them to succeed with just the Heroes, who had all been weakened from the Black Mage's curse. He also noted that since Damien already knew about Freud's memories, it was possible that he was baiting the Heroes into isolating themselves and working alone. Evan replied that it was precisely the reason why he had come to Ereve, as he already knew that they had no hope of succeeding without the Alliance. After considering it, Neinheart admitted that it would be more effective for a small, elite team to gather information, rather than a large-scale operation. He then asked the Empress for her decision, to which Cygnus told him that the Alliance would defend Maple World from the demon army while Evan and the other Heroes gathered more information. With their strategy finalized, Neinheart gave Evan the location of the Heroes, as well as a small airship piloted by a guide named Kiriru.
Meeting Aran
Evan traveled to Rien, where Aran was furiously attacking a large block of ice in frustration. Aran bitterly wondered aloud why the demons had attacked Rien, causing Maha to manifest himself and tell Aran to calm down, pointing out that nothing had happened. He then told her to stop taking out her anger on a block of ice, to which Aran heatedly retorted that it was the only way for her to feel better, adding that Damien – who hid behind his subordinates as they attacked helpless innocents – infuriated her. Though Maha agreed with her, he told her to calm down, noting that a guest had arrived. Aran then turned to find that Evan and Mir had arrived. Aran greeted Evan, who told her that he had heard the stories about how the demons had attacked Rien. He then told Aran about what had happened on Turtle Island, causing Aran to seethe in fury at what had happened to Afrien. She then apologized to Evan, noting that she should have tracked down the demons after they had fled Rien. However, Evan told her that it was no one's fault, adding that the demon's goal hadn't been Afrien in the end. He then told her that they may be able to learn more from Freud's memories and asked her to lend her strength. After a pause, Aran admitted that her memories and strength hadn't yet come back fully, and that she may not be as helpful as he believed. Nevertheless, she agreed to help him however she could, promising to meet him in Ereve soon. After Evan and Mir left, Aran noted to herself that seeing Evan was exactly how she remembered feeling upon seeing Freud, which was something that she could look forward to.
Meeting Luminous
Evan traveled to Ellinia in order to meet Luminous. In the forest, Evan watched from a distance as a dispatch of demon soldiers attempted to attack Luminous, who defeated them effortlessly. Luminous then called out to Evan to reveal himself, causing him to wonder in surprise how Luminous had detected him. Luminous explained that a mage shouldn't rely solely on magic, as they also needed to have the judgement to know when to use magic, the composure to always think ahead, and the ability to concentrate in order to find solutions. He then noted that Evan's visit likely had something to do with the demons and asked him to explain what had happened. After Evan told him what had happened to Afrien, Luminous remained silent for a moment before noting that Afrien had kept his oath to Freud until the very end, and that he had met a noble end for an Onyx Dragon. He then told Evan that it was now his turn to fulfill his oath, to which Evan admitted that though he wished to fight, his abilities simply weren't enough, for which he asked Luminous for his help. Luminous, in turn, admitted that he wished to help, but just as he trailed off, Lania opened the door to their home and invited them in. Mir sighed in relief, explaining that they had just been getting lectured by Luminous, causing Lania to reproachfully tell Luminous to be nice to their guests before Evan and Mir gratefully came inside.
Later that night, Lania found Luminous looking through his notes on magic. Lania noted that Evan and Mir had good hearts, to which Luminous replied that a good heart didn't necessarily make for a good mage. Lania then pointed out that he seemed to be particularly strict with Evan. Luminous explained that Evan had been learning magic all on his own without a teacher until now, and that it would be difficult for him to grow without someone to help him. Lania replied that Luminous and his friends could simply help Evan, to which Luminous protested that he couldn't leave her side. However, Lania told him not to worry about her, as he would be back before they knew it. After considering it, Luminous agreed to leave and help Evan after strengthening the Light Barrier around their home. Lania then laughed and told him that she would pack lunches so that he could share them with everyone.
Meeting Mercedes
Evan traveled to Elluel in order to find Mercedes, where the elders asked him to wait until she returned. Mercedes soon arrived with Leaves of Winter, hoping that it would help the elders lift the Black Mage's curse on the elves. The elders noted that Mercedes had been working relentlessly without rest and asked her to take a break, adding that they were worried about her. They then told her that a guest had arrived, causing her to turn to see Evan trying to stop Mir from eating a bush filled with strange plants. Mercedes took them to the Fairy Fountain in order to talk, where Evan told her about Afrien and Freud's message. Mercedes was saddened to hear about Afrien's fate and asked Evan whether he was okay. Evan told her that he was fine, though he added that Afrien wouldn't be able to rest peacefully without him carrying out Freud's will by reuniting the five Heroes. He then asked for Mercedes' help, to which she told him that she couldn't refuse, promising that she would fight by the Dragon Master's side once again. After Evan and Mir left, Mercedes spoke aloud to Freud and noted that it seemed as though they were all gearing up to jump into the fight that he had prepared for, though she solemnly noted that it would be without him this time. Nevertheless, she smiled to herself and declared that she had no regrets, as she would do her duty now, just as she had done before, as befit the Ruler of the Elves.
Meeting Phantom
Next, Evan and Mir traveled to Magatia, where it was said that Phantom would be. As they began searching for him on foot, Phantom observed them from the rooftops, noting that Evan – despite being Freud's successor – was rather clumsy. He then decided to test Evan by appearing before him and disappearing once again, causing Evan to give chase. As they continued searching the town, they spotted a man who looked just like Phantom. Knowing that Phantom was a master of disguise, Evan had Mir roast the man with his fire breath. Upon realizing that the man wasn't Phantom, Evan began apologizing profusely. As Mir turned away to look somewhere else, Phantom covertly appeared and teleported himself and Evan away. Atop a tall roof, Phantom amusedly noted that Evan wouldn't be able to catch him with his level of skill, causing Evan to realize that Phantom had been testing him. However, he then declared that they didn't have time for it, as he had something important to share. Phantom explained that he already had a rough idea, as his intelligence network had learned that the demon army was closing in on Maple World.
After Evan filled him in on the rest with Afrien and Damien, Phantom noted that it would be a lot of hard work to carry out Freud's will, adding that the true test would begin now. He then told Evan that he was free to run away from it if he wanted, though Evan refused, vowing that he wouldn't run from the task that he had been given, as Freud and Afrien were believing in him to see it through. Phantom was pleased to see his resolve and declared that it was good that he was committing to it, as Master Thief Phantom couldn't be left out of something so important. After Evan left, Phantom sighed amusedly and contacted his intelligence network, explaining that something important had come up that he needed to involve himself in. Colette sarcastically asked Phantom whether he was planning to blow up the airship again, requesting that he let her know beforehand so that she could prepare herself for it, to which Phantom laughed and told her that in order to win big, one needed to bet big. Gaston then interrupted and told Phantom that the ship was ready for his return. As Phantom vanished in a flash of cards, he noted to himself that the title of 'hero' still didn't suit him, though he would still step up if needed, just as Freud would have wanted him to.
Reunion in Ereve
Soon after reaching out to the Heroes, Evan and Mir returned back to Ereve, where they awaited the others to arrive on the day of the mission. When no one seemed to appear, Mir jokingly wondered whether they had all gotten lost on the way to Ereve, to which Evan replied that the Heroes weren't like himself. Just then, Phantom appeared and told Evan not to make self-deprecating jokes about himself, as he needed to be more confident in himself if he was going to be Freud's successor. Looking around, Phantom noted in amusement that he seemed to be the first one there, just as Mercedes arrived on Sylvidia. Mercedes greeted Phantom warmly and asked him whether he had finished repairing the Lumiere after the battle of Black Heaven. Just then, Luminous appeared and sardonically told Phantom that it would be better for him to just get a new ship. Phantom sighed theatrically and told Luminous that his impression of him has gotten worse since they had last seen each other, to which Luminous replied that the same could be said of him. Mercedes then smiled and told Evan not to pay any mind to them, explaining that they always bickered like that. Just as she began wondering where Aran, was, Aran crash-landed hard on the ground in a flash of ice before asking sheepishly whether her entrance was too flashy. Phantom laughed and noted that even with her memories gone, her personality was still the same as before, to which Aran told him that she was slowly getting her memories back.
With all five of them together, Mercedes noted that it felt strange for them to all be in once place, as they had all been on separate missions last time, which meant that this was their first proper reunion after hundreds of years. However, she then recalled how Evan had mentioned gathering five of Freud's old friends together, which meant that one of them was missing. Evan told her that she was correct, as there were six Heroes that needed to be gathered. Phantom wondered whether it meant that Freud had a friend which they didn't know about, though Luminous replied that it was impossible, as there had only been five of them on the day of the decisive battle against the Black Mage. However, he also noted that he felt a strange sensation when he thought about the battle – as well as his time with the other Heroes throughout the war – as though a piece of his memory was missing altogether. Aran agreed and added that she felt uneasy while thinking about it, as though she had made a promise to someone that she couldn't recall anymore. Mercedes added on that she had also felt the same way, though she had believed it to be her imagination until now. Phantom admitted that even he had been feeling similarly before asking Evan whether he knew anything more about it. Evan explained that he had learned something important in Freud's memories about the Black Mage's seal. He then asked Luminous what he remembered about the Seal of Time.
Luminous noted that he couldn't forget the seal easily, as it had been Freud's greatest piece of magic. He explained that the seal warped time and trapped the target inside the distorted field, and that even using the sealing spell had come at a cost. Evan asked whether he remembered what the price had been, causing Luminous to immediately realize what Evan was implying. Evan then told the others that the cost of activating the Seal of Time had been the time of a living sacrifice, who would be erased from existence entirely – even from the memories of others. As Mercedes realized that one of their friends in the past had sacrificed their existence to seal the Black Mage away, Phantom noted that whoever had made that sacrifice deserved the title of 'hero', though he wondered who it could have been. Evan explained that he believed that the Heroes already had an idea of who it could be, and that Freud had likely believed the same thing, which was why he had left those memories in the first place. Though Luminous told Evan that the price of time magic couldn't be nullified so easily, he also admitted that he had a few guesses as to who it might be. Mercedes then recalled how there had been someone during the battle of Black Heaven who had given her a strange feeling. Aran agreed and explained that though she hadn't seen his back during the battle – which only a warrior who trusted their ally would show – she had nevertheless felt safe at his side. Realizing that they were all thinking of the same person, Phantom voiced aloud that they were all thinking of Shade.
Meeting Shade
Soon after, the Heroes traveled to El Nath, where Shade had just received an order to gather with the Alliance. Just as he began heading out, he was surprised to find all the Heroes arriving to see him. Upon arriving, Evan noted happily that it was fortunate that Neinheart knew the location of all Alliance members. Phantom then told Shade that it was clear that after seeing his unusual fighting technique, it was clear that he was no ordinary fighter, with Aran wondering whether his skillset had changed from what she last remembered. Mercedes then greeted him uncertainly as Shade, with Aran asking him whether that was his name, as she wasn't sure whether it had been different in the past. Upon seeing that his friends remembered him, Shade began blinking back tears as he smiled broadly, explaining that 'Shade' would be fine. Evan then told Shade everything that had happened, with Shade noting that Freud had wanted them all to be reunited. Mir then pointed out that their reunion had all been made possible thanks to Evan, with Mercedes replying that if it hadn't been for Evan, they might not have had a chance. Phantom then asked Evan to show them Freud's memories, to which Luminous began coaching Evan in linking their minds with the power of the Dragon Master. Using his power, Evan bridged the Heroes' minds, allowing them to access the memories that Freud had given to Evan. However, they learned that his memories only contained basic information – the location of Abraxas, the Ruins of Memory, deep in the Nihal Desert, where Freud had made preparations to protect the balance of the world.
As the Heroes prepared to head out, Luminous pointed out that they still needed to remain wary of the demon army, which appeared to be tracking them, as they had attempted to ambush him in Ellinia. Aran agreed and pointed out that they had also attacked Rien, though she wasn't sure whether they had been targeting her specifically. Evan then proposed splitting up into two teams, with one team searching for the ruins, while the other went after Damien. In order to divide their forces, Phantom used his powers to magically place a card in each of their pockets, with each team being composed of those who shared a card with the same design. Based on the division, Evan, Mercedes, and Luminous were assigned to find the ruins, while Phantom, Aran, and Shade were tasked with finding Damien. The Heroes then wished each other luck before heading out on their missions.
Unmasking the Commander
Meanwhile, the Demon returned to his burned family home in southern Leafre while tracking down the new Commander of the Black Mage. After defeating the demon soldiers, he cornered the Commander and demanded to know what they were doing on his family's private land. He then noted that though the Commander was a demon, the power which had consumed him was one that should not be used. Drawing out his weapon, he pointed it at the Commander, declaring that he would unmask them at last. To his surprise and horror, the Commander removed his hood and revealed himself as Damien. The Demon was shocked to learn that his brother was alive and asked him how he had come to possess the Sword of Destruction. Damien revealed that hundreds of years ago, his latent powers had awakened, which had resulted in their mother's death. However, he told the Demon not to worry, promising to restore everything to how it once was. As the horror-struck Demon realized that Damien had become a Commander in order to undo the tragedy which had befallen their family that day, Damien asked the Demon to become a Commander alongside him once again. However, the Demon warned Damien not to trust the Black Mage, claiming that in the end, his minions would only be cast aside like pawns.
However, Damien declared that the reason why the Demon had been betrayed was because he had been too weak, promising that they could turn everything back around if they stood together. The Demon hotly warned Damien that all demons who pursued power eventually walked the path of destruction. He then asked Damien whether he had forgotten what had happened to Tynerum. Damien angrily retorted by asking the Demon whether he had any idea how he had been living for the last few centuries, revealing that because the Demon had served the Black Mage, the half-blood demons who had fled Tynerum had been forced back to their homeland by the people of Maple World. He explained that in Tynerum, all the half-blood demons without wings had been killed, with their souls ripped out, except for himself, who had survived and been chosen by the Sword of Destruction. However, the Demon warned Damien that the sword's power was something that he would not be able to handle, to which Damien replied that he sounded exactly like Alicia, whom he simply called 'that girl'. He then declared that after understanding the Demon's choice, they would now walk separate paths. He reminded the Demon about their people's laws – that demons were not permitted to get involved in each other's fights – and then used his powers to attack his brother. As the Demon fell unconscious, Damien told the Demon that the war was his fight and warned him to stay out of it. After a pause, he told the Demon that it was the only path left to him, after which he disappeared.
Act 2: Abraxas
Kapus the Gatekeeper
Soon after, Evan, Mercedes, and Luminous set out to find the ruins of Abraxas. Using Freud's memories as a reference, Evan led the others deep within the Nihal Desert, where they began wondering where the ruins could be. Luminous realized that the ruins would most likely be underground, as he had been unable to find any records of Abraxas during his research, indicating that the ruins were well-hidden. As they moved ahead, Luminous and Evan began detecting faint traces of magical power before them. Just as Luminous attempted to warn him, Evan accidentally walked into a pile of quicksand, which pulled him down into a cavern deep underground. Mir, Luminous, and Mercedes quickly went after him, where they all began marveling at the ancient ruins around them. They then began moving forward and fought past several monsters in their way. Mercedes wondered whether the monsters were the gatekeepers of the ruins, though Luminous explained that the monsters had simply been formed from the magic around them, and that the gatekeeper would be up ahead.
Soon enough, they arrived at the entrance to the sanctum, which had been sealed by powerful magic. Though Mercedes believed that Freud had sealed it, Evan inspected the door and noted that it had no traces of the Dragon Master's power. He speculated that it had perhaps been sealed by the magic of the ruins, though Luminous observed that it was more correct to say that the seal was linked to the magic of something else. Suddenly, Kapus the Gatekeeper awakened and began fighting the Heroes. After some time, however, Kapus stopped himself upon determining that the Heroes held no ill-will. Recognizing Evan's magic as being similar to that of Freud's, Kapus allowed them entry, welcoming Evan 'back' as the Dragon Master. Mir laughed that even the stones of the ruins recognized Evan as Freud's successor, with Luminous agreeing and noting that it was beyond dispute that Evan had inherited the will of the Dragon Master. However, he then added that what concerned him more was that he had never seen such materials as the ones used in the construction of the sanctum, which made Mercedes wonder how old the ruins were. Luminous noted that though he didn't know, it did confirm that Freud wasn't the one who had created them.
Records of History
The Heroes then proceeded inside the sanctum, which Evan noted was overflowing with magic. Luminous noted that it almost felt as though the ruins themselves were alive, causing him to wonder what Freud possibly could have left behind for them. Looking around the ruins, Mercedes pointed out that it was entirely possible that they were the only visitors to the ruins besides Freud. Just then, Evan pointed out several stone tablets infused with magic. Though Mercedes warned that they could be dangerous, Evan nevertheless approached the tablets in order to inspect them. However, upon looking closer, Evan found that they had been written in an archaic language, which Mercedes speculated had gone extinct with an old civilization long ago. Luminous told Evan to instead focus his mind on the magic within the tablets, revealing that they were devices which could transfer information into their heads. Evan realized that the tablets operated on the same mechanism that Freud had used to transfer his memories into Evan through the Spirit Pact, causing him to wonder whether Freud had created the tablets as well. However, Luminous explained that it was the opposite – that Freud had observed the technique within the tablets and applied them into his own magic.
Mir was surprised to know that Freud had been able to replicate such powerful magic at a single glance and wondered whether there was truly such a difference between Freud's power and Evan's. However, Mercedes reassured Evan not to worry, reminding him that he and Freud were different people with different skills. The Heroes then began reading the stone tablets with their minds, causing them to realize in shock that the tablets documented the entire history of Maple World and all its people. Luminous wondered in surprise who could have possibly recorded down the entire history of Maple World, to which Mercedes explained that according to the legends passed down between the elven rulers, there were stories of places in Maple World which self-recorded their own history. She noted that it was likely that the ruins of Abraxas were one of those places. However, Luminous noted that as the older the records went, the more history was missing altogether. Evan realized that if Freud had indeed wanted them to come to the ruins, it meant that there was something within the compiled historical records that he had wanted them to see, with Luminous speculating that perhaps there was something that would help them thwart the Black Mage's plans. Mercedes then noticed that there was a space up ahead that led to a new passage within the ruins.
Birth of the Transcendents
In the next corridor, the Heroes arrived to find a large space filled with many murals. Luminous noted that there appeared to be an encryption spell upon the murals that prevented their information from being magically transferred. After breaking through the spell, the Heroes were able to properly view the mural, which Evan deciphered to be a representation of the three laws of light, life, and time, referring to the three Transcendents of Maple World who maintained the balance of the world. From the information magically stored in the mural, the Heroes began learning about the birth of the Transcendents. They learned that in the beginning, there had been 365 laws born from 365 creations, such as the sun, the moon, stones, trees, wind, rivers, and seas. From those 365 creations that made up the world, powerful beings had been brought into existence that mortals would one day know as the Ancient Gods. However, the Ancient Gods had brought about immense chaos with their influence, for which the Overseers had sealed them away in the name of their Creator. Following this, the Transcendents had been born to create a new order, and to maintain the balance of the world. After reading the mural, Mercedes asked Luminous how much he knew about the Transcendents, noting that he had inherited the power of the Transcendent of Light. However, Luminous clarified that he hadn't inherited the power of the Transcendent of Light, as he had simply been born from the light cast out by the White Mage when he had become the Black Mage.
A confused Mercedes asked him what the difference was, to which Luminous explained that he wasn't a Transcendent, as it was the White Mage who had awakened as a Transcendent and faced the will of the Overseers, rather than himself. Because of this, he explained that he had little knowledge about the Transcendents themselves. Evan then wondered who the Ancient Gods were, noting that he couldn't even begin to imagine how powerful such beings who had existed from the beginning of creation were. However, Mercedes then wondered whether the gods had even existed, as such powerful beings must have left some sort of trace behind if they had truly been real. Suddenly, Luminous realized that there had been undoubtable traces of someone's influence in recording history within the ruins. Evan asked Luminous whether he believed that it was the influence of the Ancient Gods, to which Luminous replied that it was highly likely. He then noted that if the information recorded in the mural was true, it meant that the power of the Ancient Gods was chaos itself. Luminous explained that from the standpoint of maintaining order, it was perhaps better for humanity that all traces of such power be removed from the world altogether, though Mercedes noted that his conclusion was simply his best guess from the information which they had been given.
Fall of the White Mage
The Heroes then proceeded ahead and encountered another mural with an encryption spell, which they deciphered to reveal a mural of the White Mage awakening as the Transcendent of Light. By reading the magic within the mural, the Heroes learned that the White Mage had forsaken his duty as a Transcendent, growing corrupted as a result. As a corrupted Transcendent, the Black Mage had abandoned the power of light and had chosen to use only the power of darkness. From his awakening as a dark Transcendent of Light, the Abyss Crystal had been created, which contained a dark power that could devour anything, even one who had transcended time. Evan immediately realized that the mural was referring to the Black Mage's attack on the Temple of Time, in which he had likely used the Abyss Crystal to steal the power of the Transcendent of Time from Rhinne. The Heroes then read that as a result of the Black Mage's corruption and Rhinne's defeat, the balance of the world maintained by the three Transcendents had begun to break down.
Mercedes then wondered what happened when the Transcendents began to disappeared. Evan noted that according to the mural, the Transcendents maintained the balance of the world, which would mean that their disappearance signified a collapse of order itself. Mir pointed out that the collapse of order was a huge deal and asked what it would mean, though Evan was unable to provide an answer. However, Luminous observed that the balance of the world had begun to break down from the moment that the Black Mage had been corrupted, though not all of the Transcendents had disappeared yet. Mercedes realized that it was possible that it was the reason why the Commanders had targeted the World Tree, with Evan speculating that perhaps the Black Mage intended to seal Alicia, just like he had once sealed Rhinne, by using the Abyss Crystal. Luminous wondered whether the knowledge about the Abyss Crystal was what Freud had wanted them to know. He then noted that there was one more mural left and suggested that they read it quickly.
The Sealing of the Black Mage
After undoing the encryption spell, the Heroes found that the mural depicted the six Heroes sealing the Black Mage away, with the image of Shade cracked beyond recognition. Mercedes realized that the cracked portion must have been Shade, causing her to note in surprise that the ruins even had records of the magic which had sealed away a Transcendent. After looking through the information in the mural, Mercedes noted that it was for the best that they had sealed away the Black Mage, though it meant that the balance of the Transcendents would not return back to normal. Luminous replied that he couldn't imagine what would happen if the balance of the Transcendents broke down even further, with Evan grimly adding that the last Transcendent of Maple World was now in the hands of the Commanders. Evan declared that they had to stop the Black Mage from using the Abyss Crystal on Alicia, though Mercedes wondered where the Abyss Crystal even was, as there was no way that the Black Mage had it. Suddenly, the ruins began shaking, causing the Heroes to realize that the ruins were reacting to something. Luminous then noted that the encryption spells on the murals must have been created by Freud in order to keep the knowledge of the Abyss Crystal hidden from the unworthy, with the spell breaking for Evan as the Dragon Master. Just then, Mercedes began hearing countless footsteps closing in, with the demon army arriving to stop them.
Chasing Damien
Elsewhere, Phantom, Shade, and Aran infiltrated Turtle Island in order to find Damien. Shade noted that it was fortunate that Phantom's information network had allowed them to slip through undetected, to which Phantom told them that it was more fortunate that they had willingly followed his instructions, laughing that things wouldn't have gone so smoothly if Luminous had been with them. Shade immediately realized with amusement that Phantom had rigged the cards which had determined their teams, to which Phantom pointed out that it would have ultimately resulted in the same thing if they had decided on their teams through discussion. Moving back to their objective, Phantom explained that the demon army was moving quickly, to which Shade noted that it was possible that Damien wouldn't be at the base. However, Phantom replied that it was more probably that Damien – after being injured from Afrien's attack – would stay at the camp for treatment, rather than moving hastily while wounded, which made conditions ideal for a surprise attack. Aran added that even if Damien wasn't at the camp, they had no choice but to attack, and so the Heroes began moving out to infiltrate the demon base.
As the Heroes fought their way through the demons at the outskirts, Alicia continued persuading Damien to give up his quest for vengeance. She warned him that he was heading towards destruction and pointed out that his plan was reckless before asking him whether the other Commanders knew about his plan. She then noted that even though Arkarium had betrayed the Transcendent of Time, he had known his limitations as a mortal and had never tried to absorb her powers. Damien then asked whether she was trying to say that he was limited, though he quickly laughed and declared that it didn't matter, as it wasn't just his fight anymore. He then left to get a report from his officer, Alchetto, who reported that they were still at a standoff with the Alliance, while the Heroes had split into two teams, just as Damien had anticipated. Damien then told him that they would move with caution, promising that the war wouldn't last much longer. He then turned to address his entire army, reminding them about his promise when he had led all the half-blood demons out of Tynerum that he would lead them away from the persecution of the pure-bloods and create a new world to rule. He declared that though they had been born weak, they would not die weak. Raising his sword, he issued a rallying cry for the demons to join him as their time approached. Using his powers, Damien created several portals to teleport himself and his aerial forces away, just as Phantom, Aran, and Shade arrived at the edge of the camp to watch them leave.
Meeting the Demon
As Aran noted in frustration that they had been too late, Shade wondered where Damien and the others had gone. Phantom – who had kept the Lumiere on standby over Ossyria – received a report from his information network that the demons were heading to the Nihal Desert, where an elite demon squad was closing in on Evan, Luminous, and Mercedes. Just as they began to head out reinforce Evan and his team, the Demon appeared and stood before them, asking them to wait. Recognizing the Demon as a former Commander, Aran immediately pointed Maha at him, wondering whether he – despite joining the Alliance – had ulterior motives on the demons' side. However, Shade told Aran to wait, pointing out that the Demon was injured. The Demon then told the Heroes that he was the only one who could stop Damien, to which Phantom – noting the Demon's condition – wondered whether Damien was the one who had attacked him in the first place. He asked the Demon whether there was infighting happening between the demons, to which the Demon revealed that his fight with Damien hadn't happened because they were demons, but because they were brothers.
The Heroes were surprised at his words, with Aran lowering Maha before asking him why he had sought them out. The Demon explained that Damien had kidnapped the World Tree, and that he was now trying to take her powers, to which Phantom asked whether he was following the Black Mage's orders. The Demon replied that though it was possible, he doubted that Damien would quietly hand over the World Tree's power to the Black Mage. Aran asked the Demon whether he had a plan in mind, to which the Demon explained that Damien was currently seeking Freud's legacy, and that he had been using Turtle Island as a base to lure half of them away, leaving Evan's team cut off and weakened. Shade declared that whatever Freud's legacy was, they couldn't afford to let Damien have it, for which he suggested that they move out immediately. When Aran asked the Demon what he planned to do, the Demon replied that he would work alone to find a way to stop Damien in his own way, for which he asked them to ensure that Freud's legacy remain safe. Phantom told the Demon that they wouldn't get in each other's way before teleporting himself and the other Heroes back to the Lumiere. After the Heroes left, the Demon quietly spoke aloud to Damien and asked him to wait, declaring that he would save his brother no matter what.
Freud's Legacy
Meanwhile, Evan, Mercedes, and Luminous escaped from the ruins and emerged into a large ravine within the Nihal Desert, where they discovered a massive airship. As they began wondering whether Freud had left it behind for them, the demon army emerged and surrounded the group. Just then, Aran and Shade appeared and launched themselves into the demon soldiers. Luminous then wondered where Phantom was, just as Phantom appeared in a flash of cards and asked Luminous whether he had missed him. Luminous flatly replied that he had thought that Phantom had gotten lost, to which Phantom retorted that he was overjoyed to know that Luminous had been so worried about him. He then explained that he had gotten late while dealing with the demon soldiers inside the ruins. Mercedes asked Aran whether they had learned anything on Turtle Island, to which Aran told her that they needed to hurry and enter the airship, as the demon army was closing in on their location. While Aran and Shade covered them, the other Heroes pushed through the incoming wave of demon reinforcements from Turtle Island.
Evan then used his Dragon Master powers, focusing his willpower on protecting Freud's legacy, in order to activate the airship. The Heroes then boarded the airship and took off, escaping the demon army in the air. Safely aboard, the Heroes marveled at the fact that they were standing on a flying ruin, with Phantom noting that all their hard work had finally paid off, though Luminous snapped that Evan was the one who had done all the work, while Phantom had shamelessly shown up late. Just then, a projection of Freud appeared and laughed upon seeing that Phantom and Luminous were still arguing like always. The Heroes were shocked to see Freud, who apologized to them for making it difficult for them to access the ruins, explaining that he had to take precautions to ensure that not just anyone could come across them. Luminous immediately asked Freud whether he was really alive, to which Freud apologized and explained that he was only a sort of message in a bottle left behind by the real Freud, who had possibly passed away long ago. Shade lamented that he hadn't imagined a future where Freud wouldn't be with them, despite having been the only one of them to escape the curse. Freud then apologized and told Shade that he didn't remember his name before asking what he ought to call him. Shade asked Freud to call him 'Shade', explaining that the name had been given to him by a dear friend.
Mercedes was overjoyed for the six of them to be reunited again, with Phantom noting that Freud must have gone through a lot of trouble to make preparations for them, to which Freud laughed and replied that he had desperately wanted to see them all again. He then noticed Evan and immediately recognized him as his successor. Evan told Freud that he had something important to say before thanking him for all the hard work that he had gone through to protect Maple World. After a pause, Freud expressed his gratitude and explained that it warmed his heart to hear those words. Mir also enthusiastically thanked Freud, who laughed and joked that Mir – whom he recognized as Afrien's child – was much cuter than Afrien himself. Noting that they still had time, Freud and the Heroes spent a long time conversing with each other, telling each other the stories of their journeys. Freud was deeply saddened to hear of Afrien's passing, though he was the first to comfort Mir. He then shared his own story with the Heroes, revealing everything that he had learned about the Transcendents and their world.
Freud explained that the Abyss Crystal no longer existed in Maple World, as it needed time to recharge after being used to take Rhinne's powers. In order to keep it safe, the Black Mage had stored it within a subspace where no one from Maple World could ever access it. Evan lamented that if Freud had been unable to access the subspace, then there was no chance that they would be able to. However, Freud revealed that they would be able to enter the subspace, as the barrier between their worlds had already broken down. Furthermore, he explained that the airship would be able to track it down, as the airship itself was Abraxas, the Watchful God – which was the true form of the ruins which the Heroes had entered. Luminous was shocked to learn this, with Freud revealing that Abraxas was one of the Ancient Gods who had been sealed away long ago. However, he explained that Abraxas wasn't 'alive' in the proper sense, as his body was just the ruins, which had been infused with the power of a god. Freud admitted that he didn't know much about the power of the Ancient Gods, except for the fact that they demonstrated a power that defied order.
He explained that Abraxas' power was the ability to observe and record history, including the history of the Abyss Crystal, and that he had hoped to find the Abyss Crystal through those records. Phantom then joked that Freud had gone through much trouble to make preparations just to find a rock. Aran explained that though she didn't quite understand too much, it seemed as though Abraxas could help them find the Abyss Crystal. Shade added that nevertheless, it was the thought that counted, with Evan noting that perhaps their journey may take them even further than they had imagined. Freud then smiled and explained that his own journey was at an end, surprising the Heroes. He revealed that the magic powering his projection was coming to an end, much to the Heroes' disappointment. Aran told Freud that she still had stories that she wanted to tell him, while Phantom exasperatedly told Freud that he never changed, from coming out of nowhere to disappearing while leaving so many things behind. Shade sadly asked Freud whether they would ever see each other again, to which Freud apologized and explained that it would be their last meeting, as there were no more traces left of him. Though Mercedes was disheartened, she decided that it would be better for them to part smiling, and so she smiled before telling Freud that she would never forget him. Freud also smiled and thanked her before adding that he would never forget this meeting, either.
Though Evan frantically asked him to wait, Freud asked him to take care of the Heroes for him, adding that he could leave it all to him. Evan replied that there were still many things that he wanted to ask, to which Freud smiled and explained that long ago, when he had fought for Maple World, he had though that better days would surely come. He then told Evan that he was his hope for the future, reassuring him that he could accomplish anything, as he was his undisputed successor. The projection of Freud then faded away, leaving the Heroes to briefly mourn his departure before preparing for their next mission. Nevertheless, Evan and Mercedes remained where they stood, with Evan asking Mercedes whether she was okay. Mercedes reassured him that she was fine, as she had already decided that she would send Freud off with a smile. She then told Evan that they should get ready to depart and see where the Ancient God that Freud had left behind for them would take them.
Arkarium's Impatience
Meanwhile, Damien was called by Arkarium to the Dimensional Schism at the Temple of Time, where Arkarium claimed that the Black Mage was interested in his progress. However, Damien called his bluff and told him that the Black Mage had more important things to do than to follow up with him. Declaring that he didn't have the time to be plotting anything, Damien told Arkarium that he would continue with his task of handling the World Tree and ordered Arkarium to stay out of his way. Annoyed at Damien's insolence, Arkarium conjured Damien's mother, frozen in time, and reminded Damien that he was the only thing keeping her from oblivion. Damien then furiously threatened Arkarium to keep her preserved if he valued his life, to which Arkarium seethed at being threatened by Damien. However, Damien merely laughed and replied that he was more in the Black Mage's favor than Arkarium was, as he was the one in possession the World Tree, which meant that Arkarium was the one who would be killed if the Black Mage's plan failed. After Damien walked away, Arkarium fumed at Damien turning on him, realizing that despite having taken Damien in for his own uses, it seemed as though Damien was now a liability, for which he planned to eliminate him once the matter with the World Tree was settled. He then smiled sadistically as he imagined revealing the truth to Damien about his mother.
Act 3 - Unfamiliar World
A Parallel World
Following the battle at the Sanctum of Abraxas, tensions rose as the threat of war loomed over the horizon. Meanwhile, the Heroes began using Abraxas to locate the Abyss Crystal in the subspace where the Black Mage had hidden it. Soon after leaving Ossyria, however, Abraxas halted and froze in midair. Mir wondered whether the airship had run out of fuel, to which Evan retorted that there was no way that Ancient Gods ran on fuel. Aran wondered whether the subspace's barrier hadn't actually collapsed, while Shade wondered whether it was out of range. Just then, Phantom and Luminous returned from exploring the airship after feeling it stop. Luminous explained that he had been researching everything that he could about the power of Abraxas and the Abyss Crystal, which had helped him learn why they had suddenly stopped. He revealed that while the barrier leading to the subspace had indeed collapsed, the subspace existed between Maple World and a parallel world on the other side of the barrier. Luminous explained that while both Maple World and the parallel world stemmed from the same root, each of them existed in separate, independent locations. At the Heroes' confusion, Luminous clarified by explaining that it was impossible to traverse between their world and the parallel world while the balance of the original world remained preserved, though the barrier had naturally begun weakening with the disappearance of the Transcendents.
Phantom then recalled hearing rumors of a portal somewhere in Maple World that could take one to a different world, to which Luminous noted that it was likely impossible to access that world during Freud's time, which was why he had guided them to Abraxas, which was an Ancient God. He explained that if the Abyss Crystal was a substance capable of stealing the power of a divine being, it would naturally be able to attract another such divine being like Abraxas towards it. Upon hearing Luminous' explanation, Evan realized that the Abyss Crystal had fallen from the subspace into the parallel world, which was why Abraxas had stopped, as the airship was unable to enter. Though Shade noted that there was a portal that led to the parallel world in Henesys, Mercedes pointed out that the portal was barely big enough for one person, and that it wouldn't be able to fit Abraxas. She then added that even if they were to go on foot, they wouldn't be able to find the Abyss Crystal without Abraxas' tracking mechanism, to which Phantom noted that Freud hadn't thought of that while making preparations. However, Luminous revealed that there was still a way and explained that Grendel the Really Old was a mage just as capable as Freud, and highly knowledgeable about parallel worlds.
The Heroes then contacted Grendel aboard Abraxas and asked him whether there was a way to take the airship to the parallel world. Grendel explained that it was certainly possible by using the power of Abraxas, though it wasn't a force that they could easily handle. He revealed that the portal would be incomplete, to which Luminous replied that he believed that they would nevertheless be able to manage a round trip. Though Grendel warned that they wouldn't have much time, he added that he would be able to create a temporary portal by using the force of attraction between the Abyss Crystal and Abraxas, likening it to creating ripples in a calm lake. However, he explained that the portal would grow smaller over time and eventually disappear. Shade then asked Grendel whether the parallel world was in a separate dimension, to which Grendel explained that it wasn't. He told the Heroes that the name of the parallel world was Friends World, and that it was a sort of mirror that reflected Maple World, with both existing in the same dimension. He explained that while there were clues about the existence of other dimensions, the only three confirmed dimensions were Maple World, Grandis, and Tynerum.
Mercedes recognized Tynerum as the homeland of the demons, though she was surprised to hear that it existed in its own dimension, as her understanding was that Tynerum existed to the south of Maple World. Grendel explained that though scholars in the past had believed Tynerum to be a parallel world to Maple World, it was indeed its own dimension separate from Maple World. He revealed that the reason why the demons had been able to enter Maple World was due to a portal between the two dimensions located in the south of Maple World, which had existed for quite some time. Phantom asked who had connected the two dimensions together, and for what purpose, to which Grendel admitted that he had no idea. However, he speculated that it may have something to do with Tynerum being on the verge of extinction. Aran noted that the demon who had kidnapped the World Tree was from Tynerum, and that he was working on the Black Mage's orders. However, Mercedes pointed out that it was entirely possible that he was acting independently. Evan noted that either way, their mission was still the same, as they had to do whatever it took to get the Abyss Crystal and save the World Tree, though he admitted that he had never been to a parallel world before.[1] Grendel then told the Heroes that the portal to Friends World would last about a day and wished them good luck before opening it. As the Heroes entered the portal with Abraxas, Damien and his flying reinforcements observed that the portal had opened, just as Damien had anticipated. He then ordered his unit to pursue the Heroes through the portal, declaring that the Abyss Crystal would be his.
Museum Infiltration
Soon after arriving in Friends World, the Heroes began devising a strategy to obtain the Abyss Crystal. Though Aran believed that taking it by force would be the most efficient way, Luminous suggested that they avoid any unnecessary confrontation, as they had nothing to do with the parallel world. Evan agreed with Luminous and added that they also didn't want to reveal their location to the enemy. He suggested that they negotiate with the people of Friends World, as Grendel had some connections with several of them. However, Shade pointed out that they had nothing nearly as valuable as the Abyss Crystal to offer in exchange. Without being able to take it by force or negotiate, Phantom told them that their only option was to steal it. The Heroes then discovered that the stone was inside the recently built Cosmic Museum in Seoul, whose opening gala was taking place in a week. Over the next several hours, Evan formulated a plan that involved Phantom, Mercedes, and Luminous disguising themselves as party attendees in order to locate and extract the Abyss Crystal.
On the night of the gala, Mercedes and Luminous moved into place, while Phantom began conversing with the attendees in order to learn where the Abyss Crystal was. While speaking to them, he learned about the recent sinkhole incident, and how everyone had already learned about the existence of a separate world, as well as the fact that several unique objects were going to be displayed in the museum through the work of Dr. Lim. Phantom then made his way to Mercedes, just as Dr. Lim appeared on stage and began giving a speech for the museum's inauguration. He explained how he had first proposed the theory of alternate dimensions, which had been proven correct with the sinkhole incident. His words caused Phantom to wonder whether the imbalance on Maple World was also affecting the parallel world, just as Freud had theorized. Dr. Lim then showcased several objects from Maple World, which had proven the existence of another world, and revealed that his greatest discovery was an object that he had named Infinitasium, which caused radio waves and magnetic fields to distort in its presence, as well as having its mass change each time that it was measured.
He concluded that it was an object which defied the laws of physics, and that it was a demonstration that their world's natural laws were not the absolute truth, as their world was simply a part of something bigger. Declaring that Infinitasium held the secret to the origin of the world, Dr. Lim explained that he had decided to put it on display in the Cosmic Museum for the public. Though the Heroes were unsure of whether Infinitasium was the Abyss Crystal, they nevertheless decided to investigate, as it was the only lead that they had. Based on Shade's earlier investigation of the museum, the Heroes learned that they needed two access cards in order to enter the secured area where the Abyss Crystal was being held. Phantom intuitively realized that Director Oh and Dr. Lim each had one, as security was always the same, regardless of which world they were in. Phantom then had Mercedes flirt with Dr. Lim in order to keep him occupied while Phantom used his disguise kit to impersonate Dr. Lim. He then approached Director Oh and asked for his access card so that he could see the Infinitasium. Next, he disguised himself as Director Oh and approached Mercedes and Dr. Lim in order to swipe it from Lim's pocket. After Phantom obtained the cards, Evan gave Luminous the all-clear to begin the next phase of the plan. In the utility tunnel, Luminous dodged through laser beams and reached the power supply in order to kill the lights. He then rendezvoused with Phantom and Mercedes before they all slipped into the high-security room amidst the chaos.
The Abyss Crystal
As they moved closer, Evan told them that there was a problem with the signal because of the way that the Abyss Crystal interfered with radio waves. Cut off from communications with Abraxas, the trio fought their way through the security drones and reached the Abyss Crystal. Phantom immediately sensed a unique aura emanating from it, with Mercedes wondering whether it was the power of darkness. As Phantom began disabling the security devices around it, Luminous suddenly reacted to the power of the crystal and grew consumed by dark energy. Mercedes immediately rushed to his side and asked him what was wrong, noting that his complexion had been pale for some time since arriving. As the aura of darkness around him began growing stronger, Luminous yelled at Mercedes and Phantom to get back. Meanwhile, aboard Abraxas, Aran noted that Phantom and the others hadn't contacted them in some time and wondered whether there they had run into complications with extracting the Abyss Crystal. Though Evan worried that Phantom and Luminous were fighting, Shade reassured him that though the pair always bickered, neither of them were stupid enough to fight in the middle of a crisis. Aran also pointed out that Mercedes was also with them to mediate, and that they had nothing to worry about.
Just then, the demon army surrounded the airship, causing the shocked Heroes to realize that the demons had used the portal to follow them. As they began making their stand, the airship began rumbling violently, causing the Heroes to realize that the demons were targeting Abraxas itself, which quickly began crashing down. Back at the museum, Phantom fought against Luminous in order to knock him back to his senses. In an effort to snap him out of his darkness, Phantom attempted to goad Luminous by declaring that his determination, as well as the determination of Aurora, was nothing special after all. Mercedes quickly rushed to assist Phantom and raised her bowguns at Luminous, urging him to remember the people that he was fighting to protect. Her words caused Luminous to recall Lania, using the memory of her to fight and overcome his darkness. After a moment, Luminous came back to his senses and revealed that from the moment that they had entered the museum, he had felt an ominous energy flowing through him. He explained that it was likely because his darkness had been reacting to the Black Mage's power within the Abyss Crystal. He admitted that the reason why he had kept it to himself was because he hadn't wanted to burden them, to which Mercedes told him that it was alright.
She explained that she could tell that he was feeling uneasy about Freud's departure, as she and all the other Heroes were feeling the same way. However, she added that it was precisely why they all needed to work together and told him not to shoulder everything himself, reminding him that Evan needed a good teacher as well. After a moment, Phantom jokingly added that he would overlook what had happened out of generosity, adding that it had been a good warm-up before facing Damien. However, he warned that he wouldn't go easy next time and told Luminous to be prepared, to which Luminous smiled and replied that there was no way that Phantom could beat him. Suddenly, the roof of the museum caved in as Damien arrived at the scene and began gloating about how they had led him right to the Abyss Crystal. Phantom quickly realized that Damien had allowed them to escape from the Nihal Desert, declaring that he and the other Commanders were just as despicable as he had always imagined them to be.
Though injured from the collapsed roof, Mercedes and the others declared that they would have no problem fighting, to which Damien laughed and declared that he had no intention of fighting. He then seized the Abyss Crystal, claiming that with it, he would have no power taking the power of a Transcendent. Luminous and Mercedes then realized that Damien had orchestrated everything from the beginning, including killing Afrien, as bait to have Evan unite the Heroes and locate the Abyss Crystal for him. Declaring that they would never forgive him, the Heroes unleashed their most powerful attacks, though they were unable to stop Damien from escaping with the crystal. Though Phantom and Luminous wished to pursue him, Mercedes noted that they were in no condition to go after him. They decided to regroup with the other Heroes aboard Abraxas and fought through the demons in the museum. Outside, however, they were shocked to find the airship crashing down.
Act 4 - The World Tree
Return to Maple World
With Abraxas lost to them, the Heroes quickly regrouped and began planning their next move. Luminous blamed himself for what had happened at the museum and apologized, though Phantom reminded him that it wasn't anyone's fault. However, Aran noted that Damien would soon absorb the power of the World Tree, which would make him unstoppable. Shade then wondered whether Damien could even truly absorb the power of a Transcendent, causing Mercedes to speculate that it was possible that he might simply self-destruct in the process. Luminous noted that it was likely, as no matter how much of the Black Mage's power was used, it was impossible for a mortal to fully absorb the power of a Transcendent. Realizing that they had a chance while Damien was highly unstable, the Heroes decided to move together in Maple World, with one team at the front and the other at the rear. Meanwhile, Damien returned back to Turtle Island with the Abyss Crystal and confronted Alicia, who asked him whether he planned to absorb her power into the crystal and present it to the Black Mage. Damien merely laughed and instead asked her whether she had wondered why she had become a Transcendent, and whether she was worthy of its power, to which Alicia urged him not to let higher powers control him, reminding him that he controlled his own destiny. Inflamed, Damien declared that he was sick of hearing about destiny and fate before absorbing the Abyss Crystal into his sword. Laughing maniacally as the power flooded into him, Damien declared that Alicia was right, and that he would prove that he decided his own destiny. As Damien absorbed her powers, Alicia wondered where it had all gone wrong, and she then wondered to Ryude whether things would have been different if she had believed in human beings more.
Meanwhile, the Alliance began to mobilize in response to Damien and the demon army's imminent attack. As Cygnus and Neinheart oversaw preparations, Athena Pierce rushed to Ereve and warned them that the demons had already begun their attack. Though Neinheart believed that they could handle the demons, Cygnus suddenly felt the power of the Transcendent of Life fluctuating with Maple World's vitality. She asked Athena whether there was anything else to report, to which Athena replied that Maple World's trees were beginning to wither away. Suddenly, the sky grew dark as the World Tree began growing from within Root Abyss and towered over Sleepywood. As the Heroes returned to Maple World and set sail aboard the Lumiere, Shade told the others that the spirits of Maple World had told him that the World Tree was growing larger by absorbing the life force of their world. With the Alliance battling the demon army, the Heroes flew towards the World Tree in order to confront Damien and force him to regurgitate the power that he had stolen.
The World Tree Devoured
Back at Turtle Island, Arkarium and his minions arrived to confront Damien, with Arkarium revealing that he had already been aware that Damien had planned to betray the Black Mage and absorb Alicia. As he began berating Damien for his treachery, Damien cut him off and told him to get to the point. Arkarium then ordered Damien to hand over the Sword of Destruction and the power of the World Tree absorbed within it. Damien immediately began laughing, claiming that Arkarium had really come to take the World Tree's power for himself. Furious at Damien's insolence, Arkarium used his powers to freeze Damien in time, explaining that it was a failsafe that he had set up a hundred years ago when he had taken Damien in. He then mocked Damien by declaring that no matter how much power he had absorbed, he was still mortal in the end, and that he would never be like the Black Mage. He also revealed that Damien's mother's body was an illusion created to blackmail Damien, claiming that he would never have used his power to preserve a mere human. He also explained that he himself had killed her, rather than her death resulting from Damien's awakening. As Damien seethed in rage, Arkarium told him that he had only taken Damien in as a tool to break his brother. Though he conceded that Damien had been useful over the past centuries, Arkarium had realized that Damien had outlived his usefulness, and so he had decided to end him, but not before forcing him to surrender the Sword of Destruction. To his surprise, however, Damien began laughing and revealed that the sword was meaningless to him now, as he had already absorbed Alicia's powers within himself and become the new Transcendent of Life. With his new powers, Damien effortlessly broke free from Arkarium's binding spell and utterly destroyed him, severing his head completely.
The Dark World Tree
Meanwhile, the Heroes began scaling up the Dark World Tree, which was growing at an alarming rate as it absorbed the vitality of Maple World. Fighting their way past the corrupted spirit of the World Tree, the Heroes scaled atop its poisoned branches and soon ran into the Demon, who realized that they had failed to protect Freud's legacy. However, he told them that he didn't blame them, as it was his job in the end to stop Damien. Phantom recalled how the Demon had told them that he was searching for a way to stop his brother and asked whether he had learned anything. The Demon revealed that he had been looking for a way to disable Damien's sword. Aran noted how Evan had mentioned that the sword had been radiating strange energy, to which Evan explained that though he had originally believed that the sword contained the Black Mage's power, sensing the Black Mage's power within the Abyss Crystal had caused him to realize that the sword had a completely different energy signature, with the Demon revealing that the sword had a power similar to that of the Transcendents. The Heroes were shocked at this revelation, with Luminous retorting that there was no way that the sword contained the power of the Transcendents. The Demon then explained that the sword was the product of an experiment conducted long ago in Tynerum, which had resulted in the destruction of their homeland. Though the Heroes were dubious, the Demon told them that it didn't matter if they didn't believe him, as time as growing short. Evan asked the Demon to join forces with them, but the Demon told them that the battle was one between demons, and that he would put an end to things himself. The Demon then left to confront Damien, while the Heroes continued scaling atop the Dark World Tree, rushing to stop Damien before all of Maple World's vitality was drained.
The Sword of Destruction
Meanwhile, the Demon reached the top and confronted Damien, who immediately pointed his sword at his brother. The Demon then decided to reveal the truth about the sword and their father, explaining that Damien wasn't the first demon to try and take the power of a Transcendent, as their people had been conducting terrible experiments for thousands of years in order to claim that power for themselves, resulting in Tynerum becoming a desolate wasteland. The Demon explained that the Sword of Destruction was one such failed experiment, to which Damien retorted that he had been chosen by the sword, and that had used that 'failed' sword to take the power of the World Tree. However, the Demon told Damien that he hadn't been chosen by the sword and entreated him to open his eyes. He asked Damien whether he knew what power the sword contained before revealing that it held the vengeful spirits of all the half-blood demons which had been sacrificed for thousands of years, adding that Damien was also being swallowed by that same hatred. At Damien's surprise, the Demon noted that Damien's knowledge of their father was likely limited to him being a pure-blood, though there was more to the story. He explained that their father had known that the Transcendent experiments would only bring disaster, for which he had attempted to put a stop to them, though he had ultimately been left isolated and killed.
The Demon urged Damien to see that their people's tragedies had all come from them attempting to seize too much power, which was why Tynerum had been ruined, leaving them as wanderers. Declaring that the tragedy had to end with their ancestors, the Demon told Damien to give up his quest for power, noting that his body was unable to hold any more of it. After a moment, Damien told the Demon that he had spent hundreds of years living for just one thing and asked whether the Demon was truly asking him to abandon all of it. The Demon apologized to Damien, noting that he had only been criticizing him and ignoring all his pain. Damien paused before admitting that he had failed to save their mother, to which the Demon retorted that it hadn't been Damien's fault, and that he could never hate him for that. At Damien's surprise, the Demon once again reaffirmed that he didn't hate his brother, and that he never had. However, after a pause, Damien merely scoffed at the Demon's display of brotherly affection before cutting him down. Consumed by the power of the sword, Damien declared that their ancestors' mistake hadn't been that they had sought ultimate power, but only that they had failed in the process. Just then, the Heroes rushed to the scene and found Damien towering over his fatally wounded brother. Vowing that they would stop him, the Heroes fought against Damien in a fierce battle and managed to defeat him.
Nevertheless, Damien refused to be beaten, with the spirits of the sword emerging out of it as Damien began losing control over his power. Suddenly, the wounded Demon approached Damien and noted that the vengeful spirits of countless souls who had died in pursuit of power giving the blade its strength. Cursing the Black Mage for dragging his brother into the same fate as the rest of their people, the Demon declared that he would put an end to their tragedy once and for all. As he approached the sword, an injured Damien looked up and told the Demon to end things. The Demon told Damien that he was his younger brother, to which Damien replied that he wasn't, as all his precious memories were fading away, including the memory of their mother's face and name. He then urged the Demon to finish him while he still had some vestige of his humanity left. Mournfully, the Demon destroyed the Spirit of Vengeance and Damien once and for all before taking Damien's body away to bury at their ruined family home.
The Black Mage's Will
With the battle ended, Alicia emerged from the Sword of Destruction, which faded away and disappeared. Alicia thanked the Heroes for saving her, to which Evan told her that it had all been thanks to the combined efforts of all of Maple World's countless heroes working together. Alicia noted that things had gone just as Freud had assured her, adding that they could now stop her. Just as the Heroes expressed their confusion, Luminous suddenly asked Alicia where the Abyss Crystal was, noting that Damien must have used it to absorb her power, even as it was impossible for an unqualified mortal to fully absorb a Transcendent's power. Though Mercedes told Luminous that he could check on that later, Luminous replied that it was both important and urgent, as the darkness of the Abyss Crystal was still within Alicia's body, with his own darkness reacting to it. Alicia told Luminous that he was right, adding that she didn't have much time left. Just as she warned everyone to get back, Alicia was consumed by the Black Mage's darkness, transforming her eyes scarlet, her hair silver, and her clothes purple, with her body engulfed within a dark tree imbued with Damien's mark of corruption.
Shade was shocked to see Alicia consumed by darkness, as he had believed that the Sword of Destruction had been vanquished. However, Luminous explained that it wasn't the power of the demons, but rather, it was the Black Mage's will working through the darkness of the Abyss Crystal. Just as he wondered whether it had been the Black Mage's plan from the beginning, Alicia suddenly declared that as the mother of all life, she would recall all the life which had begun with her. Alicia then unleashed a powerful wave of energy that knocked Evan off the top of the Dark World Tree. As he began falling, Alicia spoke to Evan within his mind and warned him that a dark force was attempting to corrupt her with endless hatred. With the last of her energy, Alicia asked Evan to save her with his vitality before she was completely taken over. Evan then awoke to the sight of Mir, who asked Evan whether he was alright. Evan frantically asked Mir where the Heroes were, to which Mir explained that he had no idea, as he had only seen Evan after waking up. He recalled a large explosion at the top of the tree and speculated that they had likely fallen to the lower depths.
Evan told Mir that the World Tree had been consumed by the will of the Black Mage after Damien had eroded her mental resistance. Feeling the Dark World Tree shaking from the top, Evan realized that the Heroes were likely attempting to subdue Alicia. Though Mir urged Evan to hurry and help them, Evan was consumed with guilt and exhaustion, noting that he had been unable to do anything. He then began wondering whether he could even do anything at all, as he came simply from an ordinary farming family. Just as he declared that he didn't have what it took to be a hero, Mir unleashed a breath of fire to snap Evan out of his self-doubt. He told Evan to listen to the sound of fighting and reminded him that he himself had said that there were heroes all across Maple World fighting together. He then reminded Evan that he was the Dragon Master, and that they were partners together. Realizing that Mir was right, Evan apologized before admitting that though he was only a farmhand, not a hero, that didn't mean that he couldn't save the world. Just as they prepared to fly up, Evan suddenly noticed a flower blooming with vitality for a moment before withering away. Realizing that the power of darkness was too strong for Alicia to handle, Evan formulated a plan to save her from the Black Mage's will.
As Evan and Mir flew back up to the top, the other Heroes unleashed their most powerful attacks upon Alicia in order to stop her, though Alicia simply absorbed their blows. Luminous realized that if Alicia wasn't stopped, all of Maple World's vitality would be depleted. Mercedes vowed that they would find a way, admitting that she was more worried about Evan and Mir. Aran reassured her that Evan would be safe, noting that he had survived far worse before. She then told the Heroes that they needed to find a way to break through Alicia's barrier, though Shade warned that their life force would be absorbed if they continued to attack recklessly. Growing more corrupted by the minute, Alicia told the Heroes to stop their pointless resistance, declaring that the world would soon return back to the beginning.
Alicia's Sacrifice
Suddenly, Evan arrived at the scene and told the Heroes that he had an idea. He explained that he had heard Alicia's voice in his head, and that he had learned that there was a limit to the amount of life force that she could absorb. Because of this, he told the Heroes that if they could stop her tree trunks from spreading any further, she would eventually hit her limit. The Heroes then worked together to contain Alicia, who eventually broke free from the Black Mage's power after reaching the limit of her absorption. Alicia thanked the Heroes for helping her regain her senses, to which Evan noted that Damien had done something unforgivable. He then asked her how long it would take for Maple World's vitality to return. Alicia explained that she didn't know, adding that it wasn't simply because of Damien, as it had also been her fault for being unable to overcome the Black Mage's will. Suddenly, Luminous realized that Alicia was losing her power as a Transcendent, to which Alicia noted that as Luminous had been born from a part of the White Mage, he was able to feel her power fading. She explained that her power had grown deeply intertwined with the Abyss Crystal, and that she would soon lose her ego entirely and become part of the crystal.
Shade noted that Maple World would never return back to normal if the World Tree were lost, to which Evan asked whether anything could be done. Alicia revealed that there was one way, explaining that just as her powers were tied to the Abyss Crystal, she could also use the power of the Abyss Crystal herself. Because of this, she planned to scatter her power contained within the crystal across Maple World in order to restore its vitality. Though the Heroes worried that it meant that she would cease to exist, she reassured them that she would only be in a different place. She explained that Damien had inflicted his misfortune upon Maple World in the most piteous way and asked them to take care of the world so that the same misfortune wouldn't befall it again, ensuring that hope for the future would always remain. With that, Alicia scattered her life force across Maple World, restoring vitality to the withered lands. As she faded away, Alicia noted to herself that her duty had come to an end, with the mother of life returning to the embrace of the earth. Disappearing, she wondered what Ryude would say if he saw her now, sacrificing her existence to protect human beings.
As life began returning to Maple World, Phantom noted that the crisis had finally passed. However, Evan admitted that the sacrifices had been too great, with both Afrien and Alicia disappearing. He told the Heroes that he felt as though he had lost too much, to which Mercedes told him that there was no battle without loss, pointing out that they had come this far with many sacrifices. She noted that a hero, in the end, could be defined as someone who had lost much. Phantom then added that even so, neither Freud, Afrien, Alicia, or even Aria would have regretted it. Luminous told Evan that Alicia had done her duty to preserve the balance of the world, and that her life force now permeated everything in Maple World. Aran added that Alicia had given them a future, to which Evan asked whether they would keep losing things while fighting in that future. Shade replied that though it was sad to hear, they would indeed lose a lot in the process. Luminous then added that even so, they had to keep fighting in order to defeat the Black Mage. Mercedes asked Evan whether he was afraid, to which he admitted that he was. Mercedes explained that she was also scared, but that she couldn't back down, as she was fighting to protect those that she wanted to keep safe. Evan then asked whether Freud had done the same, to which Mercedes told him that he must have.
After a moment, Evan explained that Freud had called him his hope for the future, for which he – just like Freud – would keep fighting to protect those whom he loved, with Mir enthusiastically adding that he would do the same. Phantom then smiled and asked whether they should start heading back, as he needed to give his report to the Empress. However, Shade asked him to wait one moment and pointed out that Freud had first brought them all together, and that Evan – who had inherited Freud's will – had done so again. Phantom laughed and noted that they could call it great history repeating itself. Aran praised Evan for his hard work, while Luminous told Evan to have more confidence, reassuring him that he was strong enough. Mercedes agreed, adding that no matter what anyone else said, he was Freud's true successor. As Evan brimmed with pride, Mercedes welcomed Evan once again as one of the Heroes of Maple, affectionately calling him 'Dragon Master Evan'.
A Need for Heroes
Several days later, Neinheart and Cygnus traveled to the Sanctum of Abraxas with the Alliance, where Cygnus noted that she had learned a lot about the Ancient Gods, the Overseers, and the Transcendents by reading the history of Maple World inscribed in the ruins, adding that the information would undoubtedly prove useful in the future. Neinheart noted that the Heroes had played a pivotal role in the conflict, to which Cygnus agreed, adding that despite the Alliance's efforts, victory wouldn't have been possible without the Heroes' help. She noted that the Heroes who had saved Maple World in the past had saved their world once again. After a moment, however, she recalled how Neinheart hadn't believed in the Heroes, which made her wonder whether seeing them in action had felt different for him than it had for her. Neinheart admitted that initially, he had believed the Heroes to be merely legends, and that those who waited for them were afraid to take responsibility for their own lives, to which Cygnus noted that it was why he had decided to become her tactician. Neinheart explained that his aim had been to create a force equal to the Heroes if they wouldn't come back, and though his initial position hadn't changed, he admitted that he had come to realize that no matter how much time passed, it would always remain a fact that the world needed heroes. The two then gazed upon a new mural depicting the six Heroes saving the World Tree.
The Gate of the Present Opens
Meanwhile, Arkarium slithered back to headquarters, having transferred his life force to a snake form before Damien had destroyed his body. Upon seeing him, Hilla laughed and told him that things were going smoothly without him. Arkarium demanded to know if there was a plan that he was not aware of being put into motion, though Hilla merely asked if Arkarium had really thought that the Black Mage hadn't been aware of what he had been planning. She told him to consider his snake form a punishment for his jealousy before reporting to the Black Mage that his plan was continuing smoothly, and with the Transcendent of Time imperfectly split and the Transcendent of Life scattered across the world, they were ready for his next orders. The Black Mage then told them to allow the Alliance to enter the Gate of the Present, where he awaited them on the other side.
Story (Pre-Remaster)
Act 0 - Freud, The Last Record
After the Black Mage was sealed, Freud divined the future with the last Shamanesses of Azwan and created a prophecy: "As the final battle approaches, the unshackled wolf will devour the World Tree." Freud believed that the other Heroes would be able to stop the impending threat, and so he decided to leave the future in their hands. He was also certain that his successor would be stronger than him, and so he decided to seek out the Sanctum of Abraxas in order to help them.
Act 1 - Slumbering Dragon Island
Infiltrating Turtle Island
Through his connection to Afrien, Mir felt that something was wrong on Turtle Island. Evan and Mir went to investigate, where they found Damien's demon army in the area. As they snuck past the demons and headed to Afrien's cave, they fought through Murukuns with Damien's curse mark on their foreheads. They continued to push forward and soon encountered a penguin named Pushki being attacked by the Murukuns. After being rescued, Pushki explained that the demons of Tynerum had swept in and had quickly conquered Rien. He told them that he had managed to escape, and that he had learned that the demons had come to Turtle Island for Afrien. Evan asked if the demons had taken any other prisoners, to which Pushki replied that they had captured Lilin and several other penguins. After telling Pushki to head for safety, Evan and Mir pressed onward and scaled a large cliff, where they found a cave at the top. Looking down from the precipice, they were shocked to find an entire encampment of demons below. The two then entered the cave and found several baby spiders crawling across the ground. Upon hearing a noise, they looked up and saw the large mother spider, which began to attack them. Evan noticed that the spider bore the same mark of corruption as the Murukuns. Suddenly, the spider smashed down from the ceiling, causing the ice floor to break.
Evan fell several levels below, and in the process, he was inadvertently separated from Mir. Though he wasn't used to solving problems without Mir, Evan realized that he needed to learn to be more independent and pressed forward until he reached a large wall blocking his path. As he struggled to determine the best way to move forward, Aran and Shade unexpectedly arrived and greeted Evan. Aran used her polearm to smash through the ice wall, allowing the three to push forward. They soon encountered a demon officer ordering his troops to throw Lilin and the captured penguins off the edge of the cliff. Aran and Shade quickly dispatched the demons and freed the hostages. Just then, Mir found the group and told them that he had overheard some soldiers talking about how they had captured Afrien in order to corrupt him. With Lilin and the penguins heading for safety, Evan and Mir led Shade and Aran towards Afrien, fighting their way through the demon soldiers. As they got closer to Afrien, the large mother spider reappeared and began attacking them. With their combined teamwork, the Heroes were able to defeat it. Suddenly, its children crawled forward to defend their mother. Though Aran believed that they ought to kill the baby spiders, Shade believed that there was no need.[2]
Confronting Damien
After dealing with the spiders, they continued onward and found Afrien trapped in a net of icicles and corrupted by Damien's mark. Afrien greeted them, and though Aran pointed out that the mark would soon kill him, he assured them that he would end things on his own terms. He then told Evan that he needed to share a memory that he had originally planned to show when Evan was older, though he added that there was no time to delay any further. Through Afrien, Evan was able to speak with Freud, who explained that he had placed a small piece of his spirit inside Afrien's mark of the Spirit Pact. He told Evan that he had foreseen that the Black Mage's army would soon consume the World Tree, and that he had prepared something to stop them. Evan asked if he was talking about the Seal Stones, to which Freud explained that it was both more important and more dangerous than the Seal Stones, and that only Evan, as his successor, could find it. Freud then transmitted the location of where they needed to go through their mental link. He also told Evan that he could rely on the support of the other Heroes to aid him in his quest. After their mental link ended, Afrien explained that he had been holding on for so long in order to ensure that the message was sent, as Freud had told him that it was of the utmost importance. Suddenly, his mark of corruption began glowing as Damien appeared. Damien confronted the Heroes and explained that the power of his curse mark was such that he grew stronger as Afrien's corruption grew deeper.
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Shade asked Damien how he could commit such atrocities for power, to which Damien told him that it was humans who had taught them that weakness was a sin when they had driven out the demons from their homes. Damien then offered Afrien new vitality in exchange for striking down the Heroes, which Afrien immediately refused. Suddenly, he began roaring in pain as the corruption continued to grow deeper. Furious, Aran charged at Damien, who blocked Maha with his sword. As Damien prepared to finish them off, Afrien used the last of his power to sacrifice himself in order to teleport the Heroes close to the cave entrance, though the effort ultimately killed him. Fighting through the demon army, the Heroes managed to escape the cave, which was collapsing as a result of Afrien releasing his full power. After reaching safety, Evan swore that he would avenge Afrien and carry out Freud's will by stopping the demon army. Aran and Shade promised to come help him after finding a way to fix Maha, which had been branded by Damien's mark of corruption after clashing with Damien's sword. Evan then set off to find Luminous, Mercedes, and Phantom in order to recruit them to his cause. Meanwhile, back at the demon camp, Damien confronted a captured Alicia, who told him that he had crossed a line by corrupting Afrien and warned him that the other Heroes would be coming for him. However, Damien revealed that he had intentionally provoked them in order to gather all his enemies into one place.
Act 1.5 - Reunion
In order to track down the other Heroes, Neinheart gave Evan a small airship piloted by a guide named Kiriru.
Meeting Mercedes
Evan traveled to Elluel in order to find Mercedes, where the elders asked them to wait until she returned. Mercedes soon arrived with Leaves of Winter, hoping that it would help the elders lift the Black Mage's curse on the elves. Upon learning that she had guests, Mercedes found Evan and Mir waiting for her. Mercedes was surprised to see just how much Evan resembled Freud and took them to the Fairy Fountain in order to talk, where Evan told her about Freud's message. Though Mercedes sympathized, she told him that it was her responsibility as the Ruler of the Elves to free her people, and so she needed to prioritize that over anything else. After Evan and Mir left, however, she noted that though his speech and mannerisms were completely different, there was still a piece of Freud in him. Ultimately, she decided to help Evan, as she felt that she couldn't stand by and do nothing.
Meeting Phantom
Evan traveled to Magatia, where it was rumored that Phantom was planning to steal the Jewel of Magatia. That night, Evan and Mir spotted him atop a roof and chased after him, though Phantom managed to give them the slip. As they continued searching the town, they spotted a man who looked just like Phantom flirting with a woman and, knowing that Phantom was a master of disguise, Evan had Mir roast the man with his fire breath. Upon realizing that the man wasn't Phantom, Evan began apologizing profusely. As Mir turned away to look somewhere else, Phantom covertly appeared and teleported himself and Evan away. Atop a tall roof, Phantom scolded Evan for making a scene and almost ruining his plan to steal the Jewel of Magatia. However, Evan told Phantom that they had more important matters to discuss and told him about Freud's message. Though Phantom appreciated that Evan wanted to carry out Freud's will, he explained that he saw no reason why he himself should get involved. Nevertheless, Evan continued attempting to persuade Phantom before turning back. After a successful heist, however, Phantom ultimately decided to help Evan, as he was curious to see whether Evan was truly Freud's successor or merely a pretender.
Meeting Luminous
Evan traveled to Ellinia, where he and Mir found Luminous. On their walk back to Lania's house, Evan attempted to persuade Luminous to join his cause, though Luminous plainly refused, claiming that he didn't agree with Freud's methods. He called Freud's plan a fantasy, adding that a vague prophecy that assured victory with the reunion of the Heroes without any semblance of a plan was a fool's errand. He also pointed out that he didn't trust an amateur magician such as Evan to be able to lead the Heroes. When Evan protested, Luminous told him that Onyx Dragons grew with the might and capability of their owners and pointed out the difference in size between Mir and Afrien. Though Evan attempted to argue, Luminous chalked up his arguments to be merely words. He then lifted the fog around them, revealing a horde of knocked out demons, and told him that for all of Freud's faults, Luminous had still trusted him to know when he was being followed, asking Evan if he had even realized when Luminous' magical trap had been sprung. Though he acknowledged that Evan was a Dragon Master, he claimed that Evan had no business filling in Freud's shoes before turning him away.[3] Later that night, Lania found Luminous looking through Freud's research. She asked him whether he disliked Evan, though Luminous denied it. He begrudgingly admitted that Freud was the only magician with whom he could never keep up and added that Freud's shoes weren't easily filled. However, Lania merely laughed and told him that she could tell that he had already made up his mind to help. Luminous huffed that he had little interest in dealing with Phantom, though he admitted that he hated having to leave her behind again.
Return to Ereve
Evan and Mir soon returned to Ereve, where Neinheart told them that the demon army had surprised them by striking at Rien, rather than southern Leafre, and so he had redistributed the Alliance forces in order to address the threat at the western front in Ossyria. He also thanked them for saving his sister, Lilin, and apologized for what had happened to Afrien, adding that they were trying to avoid full-scale war in order to minimize further casualties. He asked Evan where he was planning to travel next, but when Evan told him that it was confidential, Neinheart coyly mentioned that one should bring sufficient water if they were traveling somewhere hot. At Evan's surprise, Neinheart explained that he had merely checked which documents Evan had accessed at Ereve's library, though he warned that the enemy would be able to discover Evan's plans just as easily as he had.
Unmasking the Commander
Meanwhile, the Demon returned to his burned family home in southern Leafre while tracking down the new Commander of the Black Mage. After defeating the demon soldiers, he cornered the Commander, claiming that he would unmask them at last. To his surprise and horror, the Commander removed his hood and revealed himself as Damien. Damien kept his distance from the Demon, feeling ashamed, and explained that his latent powers awakening was the cause for their mother's death, and so he had sworn loyalty to the Black Mage in order to gain the power to make amends for what he had done. Damien asked his brother to join him in destroying the humans who had forced them back to Tynerum, as well as to bring their mother back. However, the Demon instead attempted to persuade Damien to stop his quest for revenge, claiming that it would only destroy him. Damien then told him that their mother's death was as much his own fault as the fate of the half-blood demons was the Demon's. He told the Demon that all the weak demons who had moved to Leafre had been exiled back to Tynerum after the Black Mage had been sealed away, all because the Demon had been a Commander. There, they had all suffered at the hands of the pure-bloods, as only the strong ruled in Tynerum. However, Damien added that he wasn't weak anymore, and that he would accomplish what the Demon never could. The Demon tried to convince Damien that their mother's death wasn't his fault and implored him to see that it wasn't too late, but Damien told him that it was, right before he attacked the Demon and knocked him out. As he walked away, he voiced aloud that he had only wanted to see the Demon again and hoped that his brother didn't hate him.
Act 2: Abraxas
Kapus the Gatekeeper
Damien then led the demon army to victory by conquering the Rien Archipelago, with the Alliance locked in battle to reclaim the fallen land. Meanwhile, Evan and Mir traveled to the Nihal Desert in order to follow Freud's will. Though Evan waited for the other Heroes, he soon became discouraged when no one came. Mir cheered Evan up by telling him that they could do it alone, which Evan readily agreed to. As they pressed on in the torrid desert, Evan found himself trapped in quicksand and fell deep beneath the sands into a large underground space filled with glowing rocks. Mir flew down to catch up with him and asked if they had found the ruins of Abraxas. He then began wondering what Abraxas even was. Evan then told him about the era of the Ancient Gods and how Abraxas the Watchful God had been tasked with watching the graves of the Ancient Gods after the creation of the Transcendents. They soon continued onward and encountered several spirits of the ruins, which they defeated before pressing ahead.
After arriving at the entrance to the Sanctum of Abraxas, they discovered that the door would neither open nor break. Suddenly, a large golem manifested and began attacking them for intruding upon the ruins. Upon finding that their attacks did nothing, Mir believed that it was under some sort of spell. The golem, whose name was Kapus, then told them that he was immortal, and that he had been tasked ages ago by Azwan the Lost King to guard the sanctum, which he continued to do even after the kingdom of Azwan had fallen to ruin. Just then, Mercedes arrived and began to fight Kapus with Evan and Mir. With their combined power, the Heroes were able to defeat the golem. As Mercedes attempted to finish him off, Evan stopped her and asked Kapus whether they could instead receive permission to enter the sanctum, just as Freud had. Upon learning that Evan was Freud's successor, Kapus asked a riddle: 'What is long in the morning, short at noon, and long again at night?' Evan successfully answered that it was a shadow, allowing them to pass with Kapus' blessing. After entering the sanctum, Mercedes snapped at Evan for interfering with her trying to finish Kapus off and told him that she didn't take orders from him. However, when Evan humbly acknowledged her, rather than having his pride hurt, Mercedes gained a newfound respect for him.
Records of History
As they continued on, they were caught in one of the sanctum's traps as hordes of monsters appeared. Just then, Phantom and Luminous arrived and defeated all the monsters before setting the others free. Phantom had made a wager to see who could defeat the most monsters, and though Luminous had told him that he was uninterested, they quickly got into an argument about who had won. As the two continued bickering, the group made their way deeper into the sanctum, where they found murals engraved on the walls depicting the Transcendents, the fall of the White Mage, the sealing of the Black Mage, and the prophecy of the unshackled wolf devouring the World Tree. Upon realizing that the ruins far predated the events in the mural, Mercedes realized that the sanctum had been enchanted to record events as they happened. They continued onward, where they found themselves in yet another trap of sand and treasure filling the entire room. Phantom unhelpfully joked that it was his fault, as he had once wished to be buried in treasure when he was a child. Evan then remembered Kapus' riddle and noticed two statues and a carving on the wall. He told Luminous to cast a shadow on the statue, which lined up with the carving. Phantom then copied Luminous' light magic skill to cast a light on the other statue, much to Luminous' annoyance. With both shadows lined up on the carving, several slabs protruded from the wall, allowing them to climb out before the sand and treasure buried them. They soon arrived at another sealed door and read that the treasures of Abraxas weren't allowed to leave the area. Luminous immediately blamed Phantom and told him to relinquish the treasures, prompting another argument between them. To their surprise, however, Evan and Mir revealed that they were the ones who had pocketed some of the gold.
Eye of Abraxas
After they put back the treasure, the door opened, leading to a ravine in the Nihal Desert where the ancient relic of Abraxas, a large airship called the Eye of Abraxas, awaited them. Suddenly, they heard a rumbling sound and turned to find that the demon army had found them. As the Heroes struggled to defend themselves, Shade and Aran finally arrived and held off the demons while Evan attempted to activate the relic. Though he struggled to do so, Luminous helped Evan by coaching him to quell his self-doubt, allowing him to activate the Eye of Abraxas. With the doors open, the Heroes quickly boarded the airship and took off. In the air, the Heroes were surprised to find Freud, who explained that the real Freud had left him as a message in a bottle for them. He then revealed to the other Heroes that Shade had once been their comrade, and that he had sacrificed his existence in order to enact the Seal of Time. As Freud's knowledge was only limited to knowing that there had been a sacrifice, he was unable to recall Shade's true name, and so he asked the pirate what to call him, to which he told Freud to call him 'Shade', explaining that the name had been given to him by a dear friend. The Heroes then spent a long time catching up with Freud before he told them about what they needed to find. He explained that he had learned about an object called the Transcendence Stone, a powerful relic which he had located with the Eye of Abraxas. However, he had been unable to find a way to reach the dimension where it was hidden, and so he had sealed Abraxas' relic such that only his successor could awaken it. After the trace of Freud vanished, the Heroes mourned him before unanimously electing Evan to be their new leader.
Arkarium's Impatience
Meanwhile, Arkarium met with Damien in the Temple of Time, claiming that the Black Mage wanted a progress report. However, Damien called his bluff and told him that the Black Mage had more important things to do than to follow up with him. Annoyed at his insolence, Arkarium conjured Damien's mother, frozen in time, and reminded Damien that he was the only thing keeping her from oblivion. However, Damien merely laughed and replied that he was more in the Black Mage's favor than Arkarium was, as he was the one in possession the World Tree.
Act 3: Unfamiliar World
Damien's Mission
At the demon camp on Turtle Island, Alicia continued persuading Damien to give up his quest for vengeance. She told him that much like Hilla betraying her kingdom and Von Leon selling his soul, there would be a price for Damien in exchange for the Black Mage's power as well. Though she conceded that he grew stronger by absorbing the power of others through his mark of corruption, she also warned that there was a limit to how much his body could handle. Damien simply laughed and told her that she was in no position to worry about anyone but herself. Alicia asked if the other Commanders knew about his plan, to which Damien told her that he was keeping it from them, especially Arkarium, as they wouldn't simply stand by and watch. Alicia then pointed out that even though Arkarium had betrayed the Transcendent of Time, he had known his limitations as a mortal and had never tried to absorb her powers. Alicia told him that it still wasn't too late to stop, but Damien simply replied that it wasn't just his fight anymore. He then left to get a report from his officers, who told him that they were still at a standoff with the Alliance. The officer also reported that they had lost many elite soldiers, with half of them having fallen at the hands of the Heroes, and that he was worried about their supply lines being cut off. Damien reassured him that the war wouldn't last much longer before turning to address his entire army. He reminded them about his promise when he had led all the half-blood demons out of Tynerum that he would lead them and create a new world to rule. He then told them that he would be personally leading an expedition and ordered them to be ready for battle upon his return.
Museum Infiltration
After the battle at the Sanctum of Abraxas, there was a temporary halt to the fighting as both sides regrouped. The Alliance quickly moved to fortify their defenses and to protect the displaced civilians. Meanwhile, the Heroes came up with a plan to obtain the Transcendence Stone, which Evan had discovered to be on Friends World. Though Freud had been unable to pierce through the dimensional barrier centuries ago, the actions of Elwin and the White Mage of Friends World had broken it down, allowing the Heroes to travel across dimensions in the airship. Even though they had the advantage of being the only ones who knew about its location, they also realized that it was vital that they succeed on their first attempt before the demon army learned where the stone was. Evan suggested that they negotiate with the people of Friends World, as Grendel had some connections with several of them. However, Shade pointed out that they had nothing nearly as valuable as the Transcendence Stone to offer in exchange. Without being able to take it by force or negotiate, Phantom told them that their only option was to steal it. They discovered that the stone was inside the recently built Cosmic Museum in Seoul, whose opening gala was taking place in a week. Over the next several days, Evan formulated a plan that involved Phantom, Mercedes, and Luminous disguising themselves as party attendees in order to locate and extract the Transcendence Stone.
On the night of the gala, Mercedes and Luminous moved into place, while Phantom began conversing with the attendees in order to learn where the Transcendence Stone was. While speaking to them, he learned about the recent sinkhole incident, and how everyone had already learned about the existence of a separate world, despite authorities attempting to keep it secret, as well as the fact that several unique objects were going to be displayed in the museum through the work of Dr. Lim. Dodging through several women who attempted to get his number, Phantom made his way to Mercedes and rescued her from her own flirt, though Phantom joked that he was mainly acting to save the man before Mercedes shot him with her bowguns in annoyance. Just then, Dr. Lim appeared on stage and began giving a speech for the museum's inauguration. He explained how he had first proposed the theory of alternate dimensions, which had been proven correct with the sinkhole incident. He explained that he had also theorized that Friends World and the other dimension had originally been one world before being split apart by a higher power, with the sinkhole incident indicating that the two worlds were attempting to merge back together. With the sponsorship of Director Oh, Dr. Lim explained how he had traveled the world and found many rare artifacts that he believed had come from the other world. He then explained that his greatest discovery was an object that he had named Infinitasium, which caused radio waves and magnetic fields to distort in its presence, as well as having its mass change each time that it was measured. He concluded that it was an object which defied the laws of physics, and that he had decided to put it on display in the Cosmic Museum for the public.
Phantom and Mercedes immediately realized that the object was the Transcendence Stone and decided to make their move. According to the information that the Magician Association had obtained for them, they learned that they needed two access cards in order to enter the secured area where the Transcendence Stone was being held. Phantom intuitively felt that Director Oh and Dr. Lim each had one, as security was always the same, regardless of which world they were in. Evan and Phantom then had Mercedes flirt with Dr. Lim in order to keep him occupied while Phantom used his disguise kit to impersonate Dr. Lim. He then approached Director Oh and asked for his access card so that he could see the Infinitasium. Next, he disguised himself as Director Oh and approached Mercedes and Dr. Lim in order to swipe it from Lim's pocket. After Phantom obtained the cards, Evan gave Luminous the all-clear to begin the next phase of the plan. In the utility tunnel, Luminous dodged through laser beams and reached the power supply in order to kill the lights. He then rendezvoused with Phantom and Mercedes before they all slipped into the high-security room amidst the chaos. However, a woman who had been flirting with Phantom accidentally ran into them. In order to keep her quiet, Mercedes raised her bowguns at the woman, much to Phantom and Luminous' shock. Just then, Dr. Lim arrived and found Mercedes holding the woman at gunpoint. He and the woman immediately ran and called for security, shouting that there were burglars in the museum. Realizing that they had little time, the trio continued onward towards the artifacts room.
The Transcendence Stone
As they moved closer, Evan told them that there was a problem with the signal because of the way that the Transcendence Stone interfered with radio waves. Cut off from communications with the Eye of Abraxas, the trio fought their way through the security drones and reached the Transcendence Stone. As they marveled at its immense aura, Luminous suddenly reacted to the stone and fell unconscious. Upon waking up, he immediately told them that they needed to destroy it. He explained that as he had been created from the light cast off by the Black Mage, a piece of the Transcendent of Light's power was tied to his own. He realized that the stone's power was reacting to the Transcendent power within him, causing the balance of power within himself to shift. He theorized that with the stone, one could control or even destroy a Transcendent's power. Mercedes wondered why Freud had been searching for such a dangerous object, to which Luminous revealed that he often had arguments with Freud because of the Dragon Master's many radical beliefs. During one such conversation, Freud had told Luminous that he believed that the concept of the Transcendents was unjust because of the way that they monopolized so much power. Luminous had likened it to a king ruling a kingdom, but Freud believed that the world should be governed by the courage and wisdom of everyday people, rather than a single entity whose power could be corrupted, claiming that the day would soon come when people would grow capable of ruling themselves.
Luminous believed that it was too dangerous to take the stone to Maple World, but Mercedes argued that it was precisely why they couldn't leave the stone as it was. Phantom then wondered whether Freud was right about the world being better off without the Transcendents. Luminous argued that the Transcendents were necessary to maintain balance, to which Phantom asked if the Black Mage was Luminous' idea of balance. Luminous begrudgingly admitted that the Black Mage was an exception, but Phantom retorted that many people had lost their lives because of that 'exception', with the world being in danger once again because of their poor excuse for a seal. Luminous snapped at Phantom for insulting their efforts and claimed that Phantom hadn't even helped them at the final battle, as he had gone rogue in order to seek petty revenge. Immediately, he realized that he had crossed a line when Phantom's face went dark at Luminous' insinuation that Aria's death was a petty matter. Phantom retorted that Aria wouldn't have died if the mages of Aurora had never started their ludicrous research. Mercedes attempted to keep the peace between the two, but tensions had grown high enough that the two began fighting.
Meanwhile, Aran and Evan were waiting aboard the Eye of Abraxas and discussing Shade's curse, which had prevented him from being able to travel to Friends World with them. Just as Evan resolved to find a way to fix Shade's curse, Mir spotted the demon army traveling on flying birds and heading straight for them. Realizing that they were completely surrounded, Aran and Evan made their stand. However, Evan quickly realized that the demons were targeting not them, but the airship itself. Back in the museum, Mercedes was able to put a stop to Phantom and Luminous' fighting when Damien himself appeared. He revealed that he had branded Maha with his mark of corruption when they had crossed blades on Turtle Island, allowing him to track them as easily as the other creatures that he controlled. He then seized the Transcendence Stone, claiming that he would use it to steal the power of the Transcendents for himself. Though the three used their strongest skills, they were unable to stop Damien from escaping with the stone. Worrying for Evan and Aran, they fought their way through the demons in the museum and made it outside, only to find the airship crashing down.
Act 4: The World Tree
The World Tree Devoured
Back at Turtle Island, Arkarium and his minions arrived to confront Damien, claiming that he was about to betray the Black Mage with the Transcendence Stone. Arkarium then used his powers to freeze Damien in time, explaining that it was a failsafe that he had set up centuries ago. He also revealed that Damien's mother's body was an illusion created to blackmail Damien, claiming that he would never have used his power to preserve a mere human. He also explained that he himself had killed her, rather than her death resulting from Damien's awakening. As Damien seethed in rage, Arkarium told him that he had only taken Damien in as a tool to break his brother. Though he conceded that Damien had been useful over the past centuries, Arkarium had realized that Damien had outlived his usefulness, and so he had decided to end him, but not before forcing him to reveal where the World Tree was. To his surprise, however, Damien began laughing and revealed that he had consumed her. He explained that he hadn't taken the Transcendence Stone to destroy the Black Mage, but rather, he had used it to become the new Transcendent of Life. With his new powers, Damien effortlessly broke free from Arkarium's binding spell and utterly destroyed him.
Back on Friends World, Evan managed to crash the airship into a river so that it wouldn't crush anyone on the ground. Though the Heroes were dismayed at their failure, Evan urged them to press on and recover the Transcendence Stone. Shade pointed out that according to the prophecy, Damien had likely already consumed the World Tree and become the Transcendent of Life. However, Evan believed that Damien had absorbed so much power that he had likely become unstable, making it the perfect time for them to strike. He told them that the Transcendence Stone was a double-edged sword, capable of doing terrible things in Damien's hands and serving as a weapon against the Black Mage in the right ones. As they began preparing to cross over to Maple World, Neinheart was mobilizing the Alliance to protect the civilians from the demon army's assault. Suddenly, Claudine arrived and told him that Athena Pierce had reported that all the trees across the world were withering away, as though the life force was being drained from them. Upon arriving at Victoria Island, they found a fierce storm raging around the withered World Tree, prompting Neinheart to summon reinforcements from the neighboring regions. In Henesys, Athena Pierce oversaw the evacuation of the citizens, including Evan's family. Upon learning that their son was fighting Damien, they grew worried until Athena reassured them that he had become a great hero. Though the people of Henesys wanted to stay and protect their town, Athena told them that though she appreciated the gesture, it was the Alliance's job to keep them safe.
Dark World Tree
After having returned to Maple World, the six Heroes fought their way past the corrupted spirits of the World Tree and scaled atop its poisoned branches. On their way, they ran into the Demon, who told them that he would bear the responsibility to stop Damien, not only as a fellow demon, but also as his brother. He climbed to the top of the World Tree and confronted Damien, who had grown mad with power. In an effort to help Damien see the error of his ways, he told Damien the truth about their father. He explained how the pure-blood demons had once conducted terrible experiments to steal the powers of a Transcendent, resulting in Tynerum becoming a desolate wasteland. Because their father had spoken against the plan, he had been banished from Tynerum and exiled until his dying day. He implored Damien to see that the demons had met their end in their pursuit of power, but Damien attacked the Demon and claimed that he had succeeded where the others had failed.
Spirit of Vengeance
Soon after, the Heroes reached the top of the World Tree and found the Demon severely injured. With no choice but to fight, the Heroes engaged in a fierce battle against Damien and his new powers as the Transcendent of Life. They managed to push him back and urged him to surrender, claiming that he and his demon army had already lost. Just then, the monstrous Spirit of Vengeance emerged from Damien's sword and possessed him, augmenting Damien's powers into something even stronger. However, the Heroes were able to best him and forced the spirit out of Damien. Evan rushed to grab the sword, but even as the others warned him to stay back, the Spirit of Vengeance consumed Evan. In Evan's psyche, he heard the Spirit of Vengeance using Mir's voice to persuade him into accepting the power for himself, claiming that he could go from being the weakest of the Heroes to surpassing even Freud himself. However, the real Mir was able to reach through to Evan, giving him the strength needed to force the Spirit of Vengeance out of his body. Just then, the Demon got up and explained that the Spirit of Vengeance was the combined spirits of all the demons across millennia who had driven themselves to ruin in pursuit of ultimate power, along with the countless innocents who had lost their lives to that greed. He moved forward to put an end to the Spirit of Vengeance, which told him that its link to Damien meant that destroying it would kill Damien as well. However, Damien told his brother to finish it, having come to his senses, and called his death atonement for everything that he had done. Mournfully, the Demon destroyed the Spirit of Vengeance and took Damien's body away to bury at their ruined home.
Alicia's Sacrifice
With Damien's ambitions ended, Alicia's powers were restored and she congratulated the Heroes for saving the world once again. However, when Evan asked how long it would take for the life force of Maple World to return, Alicia estimated that it would likely take a thousand years. When they asked whether anything could be done to expedite it, she told them that with her physical body destroyed, her powers were tethered to the Transcendence Stone, which they could use to scatter her power across Maple World. Though Luminous worried that it meant that she would cease to exist, she reassured him that she would only be in a different place. She told the Heroes that Damien had inflicted his misfortune upon Maple World in the most piteous way and asked them to take care of the world so that the same misfortune wouldn't befall it again. With that, the Heroes scattered Alicia's life force across Maple World, restoring vitality to the withered lands.
A Need for Heroes
Several days later, Neinheart and the Cygnus Knights traveled to the Sanctum of Abraxas in order to capture the last of the demon forces. To Neinheart's surprise, Lilin arrived and explained that she had come to see the ruins. Neinheart told her that he was glad that she wasn't hurt, though Lilin merely dismissed his words. She then asked if he regretted the day that he had left Rien to find the Empress, while she had remained behind to wait for the Heroes. He told her that though he didn't regret his decision, he was wrong about one thing. He explained that he had initially believed that the Heroes were merely legends, and that those who waited for them were afraid to take responsibility for their own lives. However, he had come to realize that no matter how much time passed, it would always remain a fact that the world needed heroes. The two then gazed upon a new mural depicting the Heroes saving the World Tree.
The Gate of the Present Opens
Meanwhile, Arkarium slithered back to headquarters, having transferred his life force to a snake form before Damien had destroyed his body. Upon seeing him, Hilla laughed and told him that things were going smoothly without him. Arkarium demanded to know if there was a plan that he was not aware of being put into motion, though Hilla merely asked if Arkarium had really thought that the Black Mage hadn't been aware of what he had been planning. She told him to consider his snake form a punishment for his jealousy before reporting to the Black Mage that his plan was continuing smoothly, and with the Transcendent of Time imperfectly split and the Transcendent of Life scattered across the world, they were ready for his next orders. The Black Mage then told them to allow the Alliance to enter the Gate of the Present, where he awaited them on the other side.
References
- ↑ Before the Shade storyline revamp in the Milestone update, Shade would originally note here that if Friends World existed in the same dimension as Maple World, he would be able to avoid his curse. When Evan asks in curiosity about the curse, Shade dismisses his words and tells Evan not to worry about it.
- ↑ Evan is left to tie-break and the player has the choice to either spare the spiders or kill them.
- ↑ Lania arrives right as he says this and invites them in. The player gets the choice to either leave or come inside, although the scene that follows is the same no matter which choice is made.
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