Labyrinth of Suffering/Story

From the MapleStory Wiki, a knowledge base about everything MapleStory
Jump to navigation Jump to search
← Moonbridge | Labyrinth of Suffering | Limina →

Story (Post-Remaster)

Note: The Labyrinth of Suffering storyline was remastered under the KMS story team's new continuity in the NEXT Update.

Toward the Black Sun

Soon after Gloom's defeat, the Adversary was summoned to the deck of the White Spear, where a Cygnus Knight reported that the operation to advance on Tenebris was about to take place, adding that Ollie had also been rescued. The Adversary rushed to meet Ollie and the other Alliance leaders gathered on the deck, where Neinheart explained that a small scout ship near the explosion had managed to find her. Claudine asked Ollie if she was alright, noting that she must have been exposed to the Black Mage's thoughts inside the core during the explosion. Neinheart told Claudine that their examinations had found no lingering effects, though he added that Ollie had something important to say. Ollie told them that exposure to the core, which had been formed from the Black Mage's thoughts, had allowed her to see the Black Mage's past, from when he had still been the White Mage. She described how the White Mage had stepped into the divine realm, beyond the horizon of awareness, as he had reached for the ultimate light. She explained that his heart had been filled with indescribable joy at the prospect of moving forward, at last, to a new world free of irrationalities and evil.

Just then, however, he had found himself being held back by an unknown force that Ollie described as the world itself, or something beyond that. When Edea asked her what she meant, Ollie replied that she found it difficult to describe, though she attempted to explain it as the force of order, an essence of balance, principles, and rules. She explained that it was shapeless as fog, conceptual and abstract in nature, though she knew that it was real because of the way it had wrapped around the White Mage like an unbreakable chain, colder and heavier than any metal in existence. The White Mage had demanded to know why the Overseers refused change, and why they allowed the world to remain stagnant and incomplete forever. Furious at the Overseers for deliberately leaving humanity to suffer without end, he had chosen to reject them, vowing that he would break free from the chains that kept the world anchored to darkness, even if he had to destroy the world itself in order to change it. In that moment, he had embraced the ultimate darkness and had awakened as the Transcendent of Light.

Though Claudine and Edea were disturbed to know that the Black Mage wasn't merely a madman out to destroy the world, Cygnus asked them to focus, as they were fighting to ensure their survival. Neinheart agreed, reminding them that the Black Mage's means were ruinous, regardless of how noble his ideals were. Ollie then told them that the final thought that she had felt from the Black Mage had been his goal to build the Path to Genesis. Just then, an Alliance soldier reported that they were about to reach Tenebris. Cygnus then ordered the Alliance leaders to prepare for battle, as well as telling Ollie to get some rest. She then asked Neinheart to give his strategy recommendation to minimize casualties, to which Neinheart told her that the Adversary would serve as the vanguard of the Alliance and forge their path through the darkness as they reached the heart of Tenebris.

However, Cygnus told Neinheart that the White Spear would be the vanguard and instead asked the Adversary to provide cover from the rear until the entire Alliance fleet reached Tenebris. Neinheart protested, telling Cygnus that it was too dangerous for her to lead the charge from the front lines. However, Cygnus retorted that she couldn't afford to hide behind others, as no one would trust her to lead them otherwise. She explained that everyone in the Alliance had placed their trust in her to be their leader, and that it was her responsibility to do so, for which she asked Neinheart and the Adversary to trust in her.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Neinheart reluctantly agreed to Cygnus's plan and told the Adversary to watch their flank. After the Adversary left, Cygnus confided to Neinheart that she had sensed a darkness hanging over the Adversary, which was the real reason why she had wanted them to stay back. Recalling the Black Mage's prophecy, “A light whose brilliant glory is lost will face the soul of the world whilst steeped in mire and rot,” Cygnus felt a terrible sense of dread over what would happen to the Adversary.

As the Adversary headed to the rear, they encountered Melange, who had been assigned to the same battleship. They thanked him for his help in dealing with Will, though Melange told them that he was unsure whether he could help them in the same way again, noting that there had at least been reflections in Mirror World. At the Adversary's confusion, Melange told them to disregard him as the fleet prepared to embark. As they approached Tenebris, the darkness quickly began consuming their vision. Neinheart attempted to contact them about the lack of enemy movements, but the communication device soon stopped working. As the darkness grew even more intense, the Adversary was filled with an unusual sense of hopelessness and wondered why their thoughts had changed so suddenly.[14][15][16] With no communications and no clear line of vision, a Resistance soldier reported that there was no way to signal the rest of the fleet. As the airship was pulled down, Melange ominously told them that they were already in ‘her' clutches. He then told the Adversary, “Her sword is trapped in the haze of the Black Sun until the lying hand that blinds the eyes vanishes and the red thread that binds is cut. We have no choice but to dance with her.” Outside, a flash of lightning revealed a massive labyrinth until the darkness returned to cloud their vision. As everything disappeared, Melange cryptically told the Adversary to remember that "all roads exist inside your heart.”

As the ship began crash-landing on Tenebris, the masked figure from Esfera watched the Alliance fleet from afar as they charged in themselves. Meanwhile, the Adversary awoke within a liminal space filled with labyrinth walls. Finding themselves trapped inside, the Adversary began banging on the walls as they attempted to escape. Suddenly, they began hearing a voice as they awoke to find themselves in the Labyrinth of Suffering, where several crewmembers were standing huddled around their crashed ship. The crewmembers told the disoriented Adversary that the ship had crashed, to which the Adversary noted that they couldn't remember the ship crashing at all. The crewmembers noted that the Adversary must have lost part of their memory from the fall before asking them for their orders, adding that everyone was getting anxious without a leader to direct them. They reported that though none of the crew was severely injured, there were five people missing, including Melange, and that communications were still down. The Adversary decided to organize a search party to find the missing crew, tasking several soldiers to search, and others to salvaging the wreckage for anything which could be recovered. They then placed several barrier stones at natural choke points around the area in order to warn them of any impending enemy attack. The crew then reported that they had recovered plenty of food, and that repairs on the airship were underway, though they admitted that it was possible that the ship had been damaged beyond repair.

With the search party still not back, the Adversary decided to launch a signal flare. To their surprise, however, the flare disappeared as soon as it reached above the walls of the labyrinth, with a second signal flare meeting the same fate. Just then, a lone Nova soldier from the search party rushed back to the base camp, claiming that the walls had eaten his squad. The Adversary had three of the group members tend to the Nova soldier's wounds and rounded up everyone who wasn't fixing the ship to head into the labyrinth with them. Inside the labyrinth, the search party found the clothes and weapons of the missing crew. As they began approaching closer, the clothes and weapons all vanished. Overwhelmed by what was happening, the Adversary suggested returning to the ship. Back at the ship, the Alliance soldiers welcomed them back, just as they noticed that only two out of the six had returned. The Adversary was surprised, as the missing people had just been following along moments ago. They then asked where the people fixing the ship were, to which a Cygnus Knight told them that they had gone to grab some tools just before the Adversary had returned, though there was no trace of them left.

The wounded Nova soldier was convinced that the labyrinth was eating them, and that there were monsters coming soon. Suddenly, one of the barrier stones activated, signaling an enemy attack. The Adversary and the other soldiers defended the camp from the Dark Miscreations, though two soldiers were lost. Frustrated at how fast their ranks were disappearing, the Adversary decided to search the area with two of the remaining soldiers and ordered a Temple Keeper to guard the wounded Nova soldier.[17] The Temple Keeper also asked to have the Nova soldier tied to a barrel for her own safety, as he appeared delirious from fear. The Adversary then entered the labyrinth once again, though the two soldiers accompanying them were quickly lost while inside. Wandering alone, the Adversary found a door that unexpectedly led back to the crash site. Back at the crash site, they found only the wounded Nova soldier tied up, with the Temple Keeper assigned to watch over him gone.[18]

The soldier chuckled, telling the Adversary that everyone had trusted them and asked how they expected to save the world when they couldn't even save their friends. The Adversary accused him of being the reason why everyone kept disappearing, but the soldier told them that it was their own fault for bringing them there, splitting them up, and putting them in danger. He asked if they had started believing that they were special simply because others had said so, declaring that they couldn't even protect the people next to them. As his voice kept growing louder with accusations and insults, the Adversary instinctively lashed out at the soldier, who vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving them with a foreboding sense of total solitude. Suddenly, they heard a mysterious voice asking the Adversary to save them. They then entered the labyrinth and found a new region, which had previously been blocked by a wall. There, they found light emanating from a cave blocked by tree roots. After destroying the roots, they headed toward the light, just as tree roots magically grew to block the entrance behind them.

Follow the Screams

The Adversary arrived in a deeper section of the labyrinth, where they fought past the Despairing Wing and Despairing Blade monsters. Proceeding deeper in the labyrinth, the Adversary found an unconscious Alliance soldier ensnared in roots. After cutting her free, the Adversary found more Despairing monsters chasing after them. The Adversary picked up the Alliance soldier and managed to outrun the monsters. After losing them, the Alliance soldier introduced herself as a Night Walker named Azalin. She immediately recognized the Adversary and noted that they had done many great things throughout their journey.[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] Azalin told the Adversary that though they had worked hard, not everything had turned out alright, adding that they weren't actually fighting the real problem, which was that there were always problems when people came together. She told the Adversary that everyone really just wanted their own happiness, and that fighting the Black Mage didn't change that basic fact. However, she told them not to worry, as people's wishes still came true, even in the darkest times.

As the Adversary began questioning her words, Azalin changed the subject and asked where the rest of their team had gone. The Adversary told her that they had gotten separated in the labyrinth, after which the rest of the soldiers had mysteriously vanished one by one. They explained that they had discovered her after hearing someone screaming, but Azalin replied that she hadn't been screaming, pointing out that she had been knocked out when they had found her. Though Azalin's words made sense, the Adversary couldn't help but feel confused, as they were sure that they had heard someone scream right where Azalin was, and that it had stopped the moment that they had found her. Azalin then offered to help them find the rest of their team, but the Adversary told her that it would be safer to regroup at her ship in order to gather supplies and plan their next move. However, Azalin replied that she couldn't remember where her ship had crashed, as she could only recall seeing the Adversary upon waking up. The Adversary then decided that it would be better for them to regroup back at their own ship and began leading the way. To their surprise, however, many of the landmarks that they had mentally noted had vanished, causing them to get lost. Azalin testily asked them whether they were sure that they knew where they were going, causing the already-stressed Adversary to grow even more anxious.

As they continued wandering through the labyrinth, the Adversary found something glittering on the wall. Believing it to be a blocked tunnel, the Adversary attempted to break through, causing the ground to shake as a horde of monsters appeared and began attacking them. Frustrated at the Adversary's ineptitude, Azalin decided to lead the way instead. After outrunning the monsters, Azalin told the Adversary that she couldn't trust them anymore and told them to listen to her before leading them ahead. As they wandered through the labyrinth, Azalin led the Adversary into a juncture filled with dead soldiers, though the Adversary was sure that the bodies hadn't been there moments ago. Losing confidence, they decided to press onward in order to find any survivors. As they walked away, the dead soldiers were reanimated into undead monsters. The Adversary and Azalin then proceeded ahead and encounter another throng of dead Alliance soldiers. Filled with despair at being too late to save them, the Adversary continued searching and encountered yet another group of dead Alliance soldiers. To their shock, the dead soldiers reanimated into monsters. Azalin amusedly noted that it seemed as though the monsters that they had been fighting had been trapped in the labyrinth, growing so desperate that they had lost their original forms upon experiencing the pain of death. She then added that the monsters with black wings which they had fought earlier had also looked similar to the monsters that stood before them.

The Adversary was horrified to know that the monsters they had been fighting were fellow Alliance soldiers. Azalin then asked the Adversary whether they planned to sit and do nothing as they died alongside the others, adding that they would also be responsible for her death as well by choosing not to fight the undead Alliance soldiers. She urged the Adversary to slay the monsters, claiming that it was the only way to fulfill their responsibility and protect her. As one of Azalin's eyes began glowing with green flames, the Adversary reluctantly attacked the soldiers and finished them off, leaving their heart filled with regret and disgust at killing the very people whom they were sworn to protect. As they continued along, the Adversary wondered in anguish what they were supposed to do now, believing that if they could protect even just a single person, they could still salvage the situation.

Azalin then told the Adversary that since it was clear that the soldiers in the labyrinth had all become monsters, it would be better for them to give up on rescuing them and simply escape. When the Adversary pointed out that their ship was broken, Azalin revealed that she had discovered a way out while wandering alone. However, the Adversary believed that they couldn't escape when there was a chance that even a single Alliance soldier could still be saved, though Azalin retorted that it was too late. She asked the Adversary what point there was in saving people whom they didn't even know, and whether they could even remember a single person's face. Upon thinking, the Adversary found that they couldn't recall anyone's face in their memory, filling their mind with doubt about whether their actions had even had any meaning. Noting that they seemed lost and confused, Azalin offered to lead them onward, claiming that it was time for them to rest. She then brought them to the deepest part of the labyrinth towards an altar, where her eyes once again blazed with green fire as the Adversary was lured closer under her spell. As the Adversary reached the altar, a curse sigil activated and engulfed the area with a blinding flash of light as Azalin revealed her true form as Hilla, augmented with even greater power from the Black Mage. Hilla laughed as the Adversary collapsed, noting that their soul would ripen sweetly now that they had reached the Labyrinth Core.

Swamp of Eternity

The Adversary was then filled with visions of a destroyed Maple World as they began watching scenes of Athena Pierce dying in a ruined Henesys, a wounded Claudine being surrounded by the undead spirits of her fallen Resistance comrades, as well as a horrified Cygnus watching Neinheart succumb to his injuries, while the Cygnus Knight soldiers around them revived into monsters and swarmed around the wounded Empress. The Adversary then found themselves back in the same liminal space which they had first awoken to after crashing in the labyrinth, where they were filled with distraught at the fact that both the people who had left to fight the Black Mage and those who had remained behind to protect Maple World were all dead. In the depths of their mind, however, they began hearing a mysterious voice, filling them with a sense of ease and clarity.

As they began thinking back, the Adversary began wondering whether the sounds of people calling for help had really been from the Alliance soldiers in the first place. Though they realized that it had all been an illusion, and that they hadn't killed anyone with their own hands, the Adversary began feeling fatigue creep over them. Suddenly, the voice in their head spoke clearly and asked them whether everything they had done had all been meaningless. The voice asked the Adversary why they chose to fight and helped them see that there had been a point to their journey and all the sacrifices along the way, after which it told them to open their eyes and see the truth for themselves. Confused, the Adversary wondered aloud who the voice belonged to, to which they quickly realized that the voice had been their own all along. As the Adversary regained their determination, they felt a warm light inside of them created from the wishes of all the people whom they protected. As they basked in the warmth, they recalled that it was the same feeling from Black Heaven. Feeling the presence of all their loved ones with them, the Adversary broke through Hilla's spell as the Seal Stone activated from their powerful determination.

Awakening back in the labyrinth, the Adversary told Hilla that they had been broken because they had tried shouldering the burden of everyone upon themselves, losing themselves to ghosts. They declared that their eyes had been covered, while their hands and feet had been bound, becoming a puppet as they had believed all the illusions that she had shown them. However, they then told Hilla that it was only then that they had realized that they had never been alone, as everyone had been fighting all along to protect what they cherished most. The Adversary told Hilla that they could feel the collective determination of everyone inside of them, and that they would no longer be tricked by her evil schemes any longer. However, Hilla was merely amused that they had managed to break free of her spell at the critical moment, adding that they never failed to entertain. She noted that they truly were an Adversary if they had been able to use their fierce determination to see through her illusion magic on their own. However, she added that it didn't matter, as their soul had already reached the deepest part of the labyrinth.

Hilla and the Adversary then began to fight a fierce battle, with Hilla admitting that the Adversary was indeed different from ordinary people. Hoping to make matters more interesting, she used her powers to drag Lotus' soul from the depths of death. As Lotus began attacking the Adversary, the masked figure appeared once again to block his attack, chipping their mask and revealing Orchid underneath. The Adversary was shocked to see Orchid and realized that she was the one who had been helping them all along. As they began wondering why, Orchid furiously demanded to know what Hilla had done to her brother. Hilla was amused to see Orchid, noting that she had betrayed the Black Mage, and realized that Guwaru's influence had been masking her energy. Hilla told Orchid that she had initially decided to leave her alone, since Orchid had seemed to keep to herself, but her continued interference had left Hilla irritated. Though she told Orchid to leave, Orchid continued to demand an explanation from Hilla about what she had done to Lotus. Realizing that Orchid wouldn't let it go, Hilla mocked her and explained that Lotus was now her slave, adding that Orchid should have taken better care of him if he had been so precious to her. As Orchid vowed to never forgive Hilla, the Adversary realized that though they had no idea why Orchid was helping them, the rift between the Commanders may work out in their favor. They then told Orchid to move out of the way if she wasn't going to help, declaring that they would defeat Hilla themselves. However, Orchid stood with the Adversary and worked alongside them to defeat Hilla, who had also summoned Damien's soul alongside Lotus to aid her.

After a fierce battle, Hilla was defeated once and for all, and was shocked to find her power and youth disappearing, leaving her as an old, withered hag. She then wailed and perished in black flames, causing the altar to break and flood the Adversary with a vision of Hilla and the fall of Azwan. They learned how Hilla, with her flaming red hair, had once been worshiped as the most talented and beautiful Shamaness of Azwan. Though she had basked in the praise of her people, she had realized that her beauty would eventually fade, causing her to be forgotten. As the cracks in her heart had appeared, the Black Mage had approached her and had offered her eternal beauty and immortality in exchange for her proving her loyalty to him. She had eagerly laid the kingdom of Azwan at his feet, as it had all become meaningless to her in the face of her new power. Though she had been reviled as the Red Witch, Hilla no longer cared, as she had given her eternal loyalty to the one who had given her everything, for which she would never betray him under any circumstances, as she knew that he could take away everything that he had given to her. The Adversary then turned to Orchid and asked her how she had managed to appear in the first place.

Meanwhile, Neinheart contacted Grendel at the Outpost and reported that the White Spear had successfully taken out the monsters, and that a search party would be sent to the labyrinth soon. However, he explained that he wanted to confirm a theory with Grendel and hoped that he was incorrect. Neinheart explained that according to his research, three elements were needed for the Genesis Ritual: first, the ultimate light held by Tana, which granted the power of creation; second, the ultimate darkness held by the Black Mage, which granted the power of destruction; finally, enough high-purity Erda to fill an ocean, satisfied by the Arcane River. He told Grendel that the Arcane River was a flow of Erda generated by the convergence of three worlds, with the overwhelming excess caused by the absence of Transcendents from the sealing of Rhinne and the Black Mage. Neinheart was troubled that the implication of this meant that the Black Mage had deliberately chosen to be sealed by the Heroes in order to achieve his goal.

Grendel then finished what Neinheart was thinking and explained that the Black Mage's goal hundreds of years ago hadn't been to destroy the world, but rather, to gather Commanders and minions in order to draw out the Heroes, who would ultimately seal him away. However, Neinheart was still frustrated that there were a few key pieces missing from the whole puzzle. He pointed out the incident with the Demon and Arkarium, just before the Black Mage had been sealed, and how there had been a possibility that Arkarium might not have been jealous of the Demon enough to have destroyed Leafre, meaning that the Demon wouldn't have sent the letter to the Heroes. He added that when Ollie had witnessed the Black Mage's memories, she had said that the incident had been set off by the trivial matter of the Black Mage praising the Demon while ignoring Arkarium, triggering the whole chain of events that had led to his sealing with only a few words. Grendel was disturbed by Neinheart's implications and told him that they were in the final stages of analyzing the core fragment, which would soon reveal more of the Black Mage's secrets.

Story (Pre-Remaster)

Toward the Black Sun

As the fog around Moonbridge lifted, Ollie was rescued from the core fragment explosion by the Flying Fish, which had regained its original form after being stuck as Jean in the Morass. After dropping her back off at the White Spear, the Flying Fish told Ollie that it would be back when it was time before it flew off. Soon after, Ollie met with the leaders of the Alliance aboard the deck of the White Spear. Claudine asked Ollie if she was alright, as she had been exposed to the souls pouring out of the core fragment. Neinheart told Claudine that their examinations had found no lingering effects, though he added that Ollie had something important to say. Ollie told them that exposure to the core, which had been formed from the Black Mage's soul, had allowed her to see the Black Mage's past, back when he had still been the White Mage. She described how the White Mage had stepped into the divine realm, beyond the horizon of awareness, as he had reached for the ultimate light. She explained that his heart had been filled with indescribable joy at the prospect of moving forward, at last, to a world complete and free of irrationalities and evil, which he called the Divine City.

Just then, however, he had found himself being held back by an unknown force that Ollie described as the world itself, or something beyond that. When Edea asked her what she meant, Ollie replied that she found it difficult to describe, though she attempted to explain it as the force of order, an essence of balance, principles, and rules. She explained that it was shapeless as fog, conceptual and abstract in nature, though she knew that it was real because of the way it had wrapped around the White Mage like an unbreakable chain, colder and heavier than any metal in existence. The White Mage had demanded to know why the Overseers refused change, and why they allowed the world to remain stagnant and incomplete forever. Furious at the Overseers for deliberately leaving humanity to suffer without end, he had chosen to reject them, vowing that he would break free from the chains that kept the world anchored to darkness, even if he had to destroy the world itself in order to change it. In that moment, he had embraced the ultimate darkness and had awakened as the Transcendent of Light.

Though Claudine and Edea were disturbed to know that the Black Mage wasn't merely a madman out to destroy the world, Cygnus asked them to focus, as they were fighting to ensure the survival of the three worlds. Neinheart agreed, reminding them that the Black Mage's means were ruinous, regardless of how noble his ideals were. Ollie then told them that the final thought that she had felt from the Black Mage had been his goal to build the Path to Genesis. Just then, an Alliance soldier reported that they were about to reach Tenebris. Neinheart told the Adversary that it would be their responsibility to serve as the vanguard of the Alliance and to forge their path through the darkness as they reached the heart of Tenebris. However, Cygnus told Neinheart that the White Spear would be the vanguard and instead asked the Adversary to provide cover from the rear until the entire Alliance fleet reached Tenebris. Neinheart protested, telling Cygnus that the Alliance would collapse without its leader if she were to fall during the front charge, to which Cygnus then asked Neinheart why he was so willing to put the Adversary at the front if it was so dangerous. Cygnus reassured Neinheart that she wasn't scolding him, but she pointed out that she could most effectively lead the fleet from the front, as well as provide better support, since she knew more about the fleet's capabilities. She also added that if she used her command to keep herself safe, the Alliance would lose its trust in her. Neinheart reluctantly agreed to her plan and told the Adversary to watch their flank.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]

After the Adversary left, Cygnus confided to Neinheart that she had sensed a darkness hanging over the Adversary, which was the real reason why she had wanted them to stay back. Recalling the Black Mage's prophecy, “A light whose brilliant glory is lost will face the soul of the world whilst steeped in mire and rot,” Cygnus had a terrible feeling that they would never see the Adversary again. As the Adversary headed to the rear, they encountered Melange, who had been assigned to the same battleship. They thanked him for his help in dealing with Will, though Melange told them that he was unsure whether he could help them in the same way again. As they approached Tenebris, the darkness quickly began consuming their vision. Neinheart attempted to contact them about the lack of enemy movements, but the communication device soon stopped working. As the darkness grew even more intense, the Adversary was filled with an unusual sense of hopelessness and wondered why their thoughts had changed so suddenly.[14][15][16]

With no communications and no clear line of vision, a Resistance soldier reported that there was no way to signal the rest of the fleet. As the airship was pulled down, Melange ominously told them that they were already in ‘her' clutches. He then told the Adversary, “Her sword is trapped in the haze of the Black Sun until the lying hand that blinds the eyes vanishes and the red thread that binds is cut. We have no choice but to dance with her.” Outside, a flash of lightning revealed a massive labyrinth until the darkness returned to cloud their vision. As everything disappeared, Melange cryptically told the Adversary to remember that "all roads existed inside their mind." The ship then crashed in the Labyrinth of Suffering, where the Adversary awoke to find that several crewmembers, including Melange, were missing, and that communications were still down. The Adversary decided to climb up the wall to find their bearings and saw that all of Tenebris was an immense maze.

Suddenly, the walls began growing even taller, knocking the Adversary back on the ground. With few options, they decided to headcount the members present in order to find who was missing, after which they would recover any supplies from the destroyed ship before heading out to search for the others. They picked up several barrier stones and placed them at natural choke points in order to defend against unknown threats. They were also able to salvage rations and flares, though one of the Resistance soldiers noted that damage to the ship had been focused on the most critical parts. The Adversary then tried to use one of the flares to signal the fleet, but found that they were unable to light it. The group then obtained a long rope, which they planned to tie to the ship while holding the other end in order to prevent themselves from getting lost in the labyrinth. The Adversary organized three groups and warned them not to stray too far from the ship.

Some time after the three groups set out, the Adversary decided to use another flare to signal the groups to return. As the flare reached the sky, it mysteriously vanished, as did the next one that they used. With no more flares and no other options, the Adversary decided to look for the groups themselves. Suddenly, a wounded Nova soldier ran screaming towards them, claiming that the walls had eaten his squad. The Adversary had three of the group members tend to the Nova soldier's wounds and rounded up everyone who wasn't fixing the ship to head into the labyrinth with them. They followed the rope through the maze and found the clothes and weapons of the missing crew. As they began searching for clues, the clothes and weapons all vanished. Overwhelmed by what was happening, the Adversary suggested returning to the ship. Back at the ship, the Alliance soldiers welcomed them back, just as they noticed that only two out of the six had returned. The Adversary was surprised, as the missing people had just been following along moments ago. They then asked where the people fixing the ship were. A Cygnus Knight told them that they had gone to grab some tools just before the Adversary had returned, though there was no trace of them left. The wounded Nova soldier was convinced that the labyrinth was eating them, and that there were monsters coming soon.

Suddenly, one of the barrier stones activated, signaling an enemy attack. The Adversary and the other soldiers defended the camp from the Dark Miscreations, though two soldiers were lost. Frustrated at how fast their ranks were disappearing, the Adversary decided to search the area with two of the remaining soldiers and ordered a Temple Keeper to guard the wounded Nova soldier.[17] The Temple Keeper also asked to have the Nova soldier tied to a barrel for her own safety, as he appeared delirious from fear. The Adversary then entered the labyrinth once again, though the two soldiers accompanying them were quickly lost while inside. Wandering alone, the Adversary found a door that unexpectedly led back to the crash site. There, they found only the wounded Nova soldier tied up, with the Temple Keeper assigned to watch over him gone.[18] The soldier chuckled, telling the Adversary that everyone had trusted them and asked how they expected to save the world when they couldn't even save their friends.

The Adversary accused him of being the reason why everyone kept disappearing, but the soldier told them that it was their own fault for bringing them there, splitting them up, and putting them in danger. He asked if they had started believing that they were special simply because others had said so, declaring that they couldn't even protect the people next to them. As his voice kept growing louder with accusations and insults, the Adversary instinctively lashed out at the soldier, who vanished in a puff of smoke. [31][32] Suddenly, they heard a mysterious voice asking the Adversary to save them. They then entered the labyrinth and found a new region, which had previously been blocked by a wall. There, they found light emanating from a cave blocked by tree roots. After destroying the roots, they headed toward the light, just as tree roots magically grew to block the entrance behind them.

Follow the Screams

The Adversary arrived in a deeper section of the labyrinth, where they fought past the Despairing Wing and Despairing Blade monsters. Proceeding deeper in the labyrinth, the Adversary found an unconscious Alliance soldier ensnared in roots. After cutting her free, the Adversary found more Despairing monsters chasing after them. The Adversary picked up the Alliance soldier and managed to outrun the monsters. After losing them, the Alliance soldier introduced herself as a Night Walker named Azalin. She immediately recognized the Adversary and noted that they had done many great things throughout their journey.[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][33] Azalin told the Adversary that they had all been depending on the Adversary to lead them through the fight. However, she told them that they only had to look around in order to see what their situation was. She explained that she had been expecting it, as they weren't actually fighting the real problem, which was that there were always problems when people came together. She told the Adversary that everyone really just wanted their own happiness, and that fighting the Black Mage didn't change that basic fact. However, she told them not to worry, as people's wishes still came true, even in the darkest times.

As the Adversary began questioning her words, Azalin changed the subject and asked where the rest of their team had gone. The Adversary told her that they had gotten separated in the labyrinth, after which the rest of the soldiers had mysteriously vanished one by one. They explained that they had discovered her after hearing someone screaming, but Azalin replied that she hadn't been screaming, pointing out that she had been knocked out when they had found her. Though Azalin's words made sense, the Adversary couldn't help but feel confused, as they were sure that they had heard someone scream right where Azalin was, and that it had stopped the moment that they had found her. Azalin then offered to help them find the rest of their team, but the Adversary told her that it would be safer to regroup at her ship in order to gather supplies and plan their next move. However, Azalin replied that she couldn't remember where her ship had crashed, as she could only recall seeing the Adversary upon waking up. The Adversary then decided that they would return to their own ship and began leading the way. To their surprise, however, many of the landmarks that they had mentally noted had vanished, causing them to get lost. Azalin testily asked them whether they were sure that they knew where they were going.

As they continued wandering through the labyrinth, the Adversary found something glittering on the wall. Believing it to be a blocked tunnel, the Adversary attempted to break through, causing the ground to shake as a horde of monsters appeared and began attacking them. Frustrated at the Adversary's ineptitude, Azalin decided to lead the way instead. After outrunning the monsters, Azalin told the Adversary that she couldn't trust them anymore and told them to listen to her. She asked them to collect traces from the monsters while she found a new path forward. Though they felt that something wasn't right, the Adversary collected Burning Black Souls from the monsters. Just as they began heading back, however, they began hearing a voice warning them about danger. Believing that it was all in their head, the Adversary ignored the voice and brought the souls back to Azalin, who then claimed that she was unable to find any clues from them. They continued onward, choosing several forks in the road until arriving at a juncture filled with dead soldiers, though the Adversary was sure that the bodies hadn't been there moments ago. Losing confidence, they decided to press onward in order to find any survivors. As they walked away, the dead soldiers were reanimated into undead monsters.

The Adversary and Azalin then snuck past several Despairing monsters before encountering another throng of dead Alliance soldiers. Filled with despair at being too late to save them, the Adversary continued searching and encountered yet another group of dead Alliance soldiers. To their shock, the dead soldiers reanimated into monsters. The Adversary was horrified to know that the monsters they had been fighting were fellow Alliance soldiers. Azalin then attacked one of the monsters, telling the Adversary that they needed to move forward. Filled with regret, the Adversary fought past the Alliance soldiers, their heart filled with disgust at killing the very people whom they were sworn to protect. As they continued cutting down their allies, the Adversary wondered in anguish what they were supposed to do now.[34] After reaching another juncture, the Adversary decided to rest while Azalin watched over them. The Adversary's dreams were filled with a voice of despair as Alliance soldiers were reanimated into monsters, forcing the Adversary to accept that there was no way to bring them back. The Adversary then awoke with a start, after which Azalin led them deeper into the labyrinth towards an altar.

Just as the Adversary was one step away from the altar, a curse sigil activated to engulf them. Suddenly, a portal opened, from which a powerful laser beam broke the curse sigil as the masked figure from Esfera appeared. Frustrated, Azalin revealed her true form as Hilla, augmented with even greater power from the Black Mage. Hilla cursed the masked figure for interfering in their affairs, first with Will and now with her. However, she then laughed and explained that she had actually been meaning to kill them and stop them from meddling.[35] The Adversary was shocked to see Hilla, believing that the Alliance had defeated her at Azwan and driven her from Maple World. However, Hilla merely laughed and told them that there was no way that she would have been defeated after a single battle when destiny itself was being written at Tenebris. The Adversary then demanded to know what she had done with Azalin, to which Hilla mockingly called out for help, demonstrating that she had been Azalin all along. She explained that she had broken their ambitions, but she had left their reason alone for this very moment.

The Adversary demanded to know why she had made them go through the labyrinth and kill their allies with their own hands. Hilla replied that it was because they were a fool, claiming that all humans were fools, wallowing in their helplessness and clinging to the coattails of their betters. She explained that when humans found an inkling of power, they would try to turn on those whom they once revered. She then laughed and asked the Adversary if they had thought that she would simply leave Maple World, never to return. Upon seeing their shocked face, she told the Adversary that their fate was to fall into an ever-deeper quagmire and wander for all eternity, adding that it was high time that they stopped struggling and accepted it. She then laughed at the masked figure for attempting to hide their identity from her. Claiming that they were too weak to handle her, she warned them to leave before she destroyed them. With that, she disappeared, claiming that she was eager to see what the Adversary's soul was made of. With that, she disappeared and left the Adversary and the masked figure alone.[36]

The Adversary asked the masked figure why they had saved them again, but the masked figure simply berated the Adversary for needing to be rescued so often. They then warned that there would be no more second chances before they vanished as well. Suddenly, they began hearing a dark voice inside their head filling them with terror. Believing that they were bring driven insane, the Adversary began running through the labyrinth in an attempt to escape the voice. As they stumbled through the core, the Adversary encountering more and more fallen Alliance soldiers. As they began cutting them down, the dark voice in their head manifested as those same Alliance soldiers cursing the Adversary in resentment for their failure to protect them. Unable to stop the voice from pounding in their head, the Adversary continued pushing forward in a desperate attempt to stop the voices from screaming with accusations towards them.

Swamp of Eternity

Facing dead-end after dead-end, the Adversary's mental state gradually began deteriorating as they faced an endless series of guilt and frustration. As they made their way through the labyrinth, they continued encountering Alliance soldiers dying before they could do anything to stop it and transforming into undead monsters. Nevertheless, they willed themselves to believe that the monsters were merely illusions, and that the rest of their comrades were alive somewhere else. Just then, however, the voices inside their mind were accompanied by visions of a destroyed Maple World. The Adversary began seeing images of Athena Pierce dying in a ruined Henesys, a wounded Claudine being surrounded by the undead spirits of her fallen Resistance comrades, as well as a horrified Cygnus watching Neinheart succumb to his injuries, while the Cygnus Knight soldiers around them revived into monsters and swarmed around the wounded Empress. Though the Adversary desperately clung to their belief that it was all an illusion, their fatigue continued clouding their battered mind, which was filled with the inescapable negative thoughts from the dark voices in their head.

Soon, they discovered another Labyrinth Core and destroyed it, after which they proceeded deeper into the maze. As they passed out from their exhaustion, they experienced a vision of Hilla and the fall of Azwan. They learned how Hilla, with her flaming red hair, had once been worshiped as the most talented and beautiful Shamaness of Azwan. Though she had basked in the praise of her people, she had realized that her beauty would eventually fade, causing her to be forgotten. As the cracks in her heart had appeared, the Black Mage had approached her and had offered her eternal beauty and immortality in exchange for her proving her loyalty to him. She had eagerly laid the kingdom of Azwan at his feet, as it had all become meaningless to her in the face of her new power. Though she had been reviled as the Red Witch, Hilla no longer cared, as she had given her eternal loyalty to the one who had given her everything, for which she would never betray him under any circumstances, as she knew that he could take away everything that he had given to her.

Just then, a mysterious voice broke the Adversary free from the vision, calling out to them and reminding them not to forget about their allies. The Adversary then awoke in the deepest part of the labyrinth, where they realized that there was no escape. As they fell deeper into despair upon realizing that they were trapped alone, with all their allies dying because of them, a dark light appeared and began luring them deeper into the labyrinth. Navigating the endless maze, the Adversary continued watching more of their allies die before their eyes, transforming into monsters that they had no choice but to cut down with their own hands. After destroying another Labyrinth Core, the Adversary experienced another vision of an enslaved Ariant, in which SagaT and Ahmad worked laboriously under Areda's rule. Ahmad told SagaT that everything had fallen apart once Areda had found the Elixir of Youth, causing her greed to grow insatiable.[37] Though Ahmad believed that many had left the city, worsening the situation for those who remained, SagaT revealed that the people hadn't left, but rather, Areda had been kidnapping and draining their youth in order to maintain the effects of the elixir. The vision then flashed to the palace, where Areda was consumed by the obsession and insanity drawn out by the elixir, which compelled her to gather life energy, which the Adversary realized was Erda.

The Adversary was then plagued by more visions of flaming wreckage raining down on the people of Henesys, dragons swarming the Halflingers of Leafre, and monsters marching on El Nath as Orbis Tower collapsed. As the sounds of the people screaming and dying relentlessly pounding in their heads, the Adversary began losing their faith in their purpose as a hero, believing that they had no right to call themselves one when they had allowed everyone around them to die painfully and miserably. They then realized that there was no way that they could save the world when it was already being destroyed because of their weakness and their failures. Nevertheless, with the last of their willpower, they forced themselves to make one last attempt at escaping the labyrinth and fought through the monsters, only to find themselves right where they began. Believing that Hilla wished for them to be driven to insanity, the Adversary attempted to go on, but found that they had no energy or will to keep moving. With the heavy air smothering their lungs, the Adversary felt complete helplessness as they found themselves unable to even move anymore. As their vision darkened, their last thoughts turned towards them weakly wondering to themselves why it had to be them who was being forced to suffer. Finally admitting defeat, the broken Adversary chose to let go of everything and collapsed at the Altar of Desire, where Hilla, sensing that they had finally lost their will to live, appeared to reap their soul.

Nevertheless, the Adversary instinctively mustered the last ounce of will that they had left and began to fight Hilla in a desperate, half-hearted struggle for survival. As they continued battling, Hilla admitted that she was impressed by their tenacity, even while exhausted and hopeless. Hoping to make matters more interesting, she used her powers to drag Lotus' soul from the depths of death. As he began attacking the Adversary, the masked figure appeared once again to block his attack, chipping their mask and revealing Orchid underneath. Orchid furiously demanded to know what Hilla had done to her brother. Hilla was amused to see Orchid and realized that Guwaru's influence had been masking her energy. Hilla told Orchid that she had initially decided to leave her alone, since Orchid had seemed to keep to herself, but her continued interference had left Hilla irritated. Though she told Orchid to leave, Orchid continued to demand an explanation from Hilla about what she had done to Lotus. Realizing that Orchid wouldn't let it go, Hilla mocked her and explained that Lotus was now her slave.

Overwhelmed, the Adversary collapsed, despite Orchid's urges to get up. Hilla then summoned more monsters and told Orchid that for old times' sake, she would grant one more chance for her to leave. As the Adversary lost consciousness, Hilla declared that she would live forever in the Black Mage's new world as his chosen. In the darkness of the Adversary's mind, they began wandering aimlessly, wondering where they were. In the distance they were able to vaguely hear the sound of Orchid and Hilla fighting in the real world. Suddenly, they began to feel their memories fading, causing them to start wondering where they were and what they were doing there. In their memories, they recalled seeing a girl, whom they were barely able to remember was Cygnus.[38] In the distance, they heard Orchid's voice, asking them whether or not they felt cheated by meeting such a shabby end. She asked them what good such an end was for them just to save others. Hearing Orchid's voice, the Adversary was able to recall that they had been fighting Hilla, and that Orchid had also been there. After considering Orchid's words, they faintly declared that it wasn't unfair or not for nothing. As they began recalling their purpose, they remembered that they were on their way to face the Black Mage. Suddenly the divine light appeared in the darkness, from which a voice began speaking to them.[39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67]

As the Adversary regained their determination, they felt a warm light inside of them created from the wishes of all the people whom they protected. As they basked in the warmth, they recalled that it was the same feeling from Black Heaven. Feeling the presence of all their loved ones with them, the Adversary regained consciousness as the Seal Stone activated from their powerful determination.[68] Awakening back in the labyrinth, Hilla was genuinely shocked when she sensed the divine power of the Adversary emanating from within them. The Adversary told Hilla that they had been broken because they had tried shouldering the burden of everyone upon themselves. Hilla attempted to slash at them with her scythe as they spoke, but Orchid immediately used her own powers to stop the attack. The Adversary explained how they had realized that they had never been alone, even in spite of how Hilla had tried to trick them into believing otherwise, and declared that they refused to fall for her manipulations any longer. As they stood with Orchid once again, an enraged Hilla used her powers to pull Damien's soul back from death. Nevertheless, the Adversary successfully defeated Hilla, who was shocked to find her power and youth disappearing, leaving her as an old, withered hag. She wailed and vanished in black flames, leaving behind the Labyrinth Core. The Adversary then turned to Orchid and asked her how she had managed to appear in the first place.

Meanwhile, Neinheart contacted Grendel at the Outpost and reported that the White Spear had successfully taken out the monsters, and that a search party would be sent to the labyrinth soon. However, he explained that he wanted to confirm a theory with Grendel and hoped that he was incorrect. Neinheart explained that according to his research, three elements were needed for the Genesis Ritual: first, the ultimate light held by Tana, which granted the power of creation; second, the ultimate darkness held by the Black Mage, which granted the power of destruction; finally, enough high-purity Erda to fill an ocean, satisfied by the Arcane River. He told Grendel that the Arcane River was a flow of Erda generated by the convergence of the three worlds, with the overwhelming excess caused by the absence of Transcendents from the sealing of Rhinne and the Black Mage. Neinheart was troubled that the implication of this meant that the Black Mage had deliberately chosen to be sealed by the Heroes in order to achieve his goal.

Grendel then finished what Neinheart was thinking and explained that the Black Mage's goal hundreds of years ago hadn't been to destroy the world, but rather, to gather Commanders and minions in order to draw out the Heroes, who would ultimately seal him away. However, Neinheart was still frustrated that there were a few key pieces missing from the whole puzzle. He pointed out the incident with the Demon and Arkarium, just before the Black Mage had been sealed, and how there had been a possibility that Arkarium might not have been jealous of the Demon enough to have destroyed Leafre, meaning that the Demon wouldn't have sent the letter to the Heroes. He added that when Ollie had witnessed the Black Mage's memories, she had said that the incident had been set off by the trivial matter of the Black Mage praising the Demon while ignoring Arkarium, triggering the whole chain of events that had led to his sealing with only a few words. Grendel was disturbed by Neinheart's implications and told him that they were in the final stages of analyzing the core fragment, which would soon reveal more of the Black Mage's secrets.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cygnus Knights and Mihile note to themselves that the Empress has grown much stronger, and that they'll support her as best as they can.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Resistance classes and Xenon sense the Empress' determination and recall how Edelstein had escaped the Black Wings by stopping Black Heaven. However, they realize that this fight is bigger, as everyone is at risk. They think to themselves that they should renew the resolutions that they've made with their allies, noting that Claudine has joined everyone to help fight in the monstrous battle that they're now facing.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Demon notes that the Empress is more resolved than ever. Thinking about her determination, he looks back on when he had watched his family home burn with his own eyes, and when he had killed Damien with his own hands. He recalls that the determination and rage that he had felt back then was just as intense as it feels today. He then steels his resolve, reminding himself that it's nearly time to face the Black Mage.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Aran, Mercedes, Luminous, and Shade sense the Empress' strong resolve and note to themselves that though it's been a long journey, they'll finally meet the Black Mage soon. Shade gets some additional dialogue, in which he thinks to himself that he still remembers the decision that he made on that day. He recalls the determination that he'd had when he had left everything behind and had risked his life to stop the Black Mage, vowing that he'll remember that determination when he faces the Black Mage again.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Evan senses the Empress' determination and notes to himself that it's almost time to face the Black Mage. Though the thought makes him nervous, he vows to gather his strength, after which he and Mir reaffirm that they're in it together.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Phantom senses the Empress' strong resolve and wonders to himself whether it was how Aria had felt back then.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 For Zero, Alpha and Beta both sense the Empress' resolve and note that it's nearly time to face the Black Mage. Beta asks Alpha if he's shaking, which he vehemently denies. He tells her that he can't leave Maple World, a place that Rhinne loved so much, in such a state, adding that as Transcendents of Maple World, they're responsible for defending it. Beta agrees and vows that they'll protect their world.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Nova classes note to themselves that the Empress is more resolved than ever. Thinking about the upcoming battle, they realize that if they don't win the war, then Grandis won't be safe either. They then resolve themselves to defend Maple World and Grandis.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Illium notes to himself that the Empress is more resolved than ever. Thinking about the upcoming battle, he realizes that if they don't win the war, then Maple World will end up just like the Verdant Flora, which would also mean the end of Grandis. He then resolves to defend Maple World so that others won't have to go through what the Verdant Flora had.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Ark notes to himself that the Empress is more resolved than ever. Thinking about the upcoming battle, he realizes that it's a battle to survive, which is quite unlike the wars of the High Flora. He thinks to himself that he can't stand seeing others disappear like they had in the High Flora purges, and he resolves to help defend Maple World so that what had happened on Verdel won't happen again.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Kinesis notes to himself that the Empress is more resolved than ever. He reminds himself that this is just the beginning, and that if they don't win the war, then he won't be able to go back to Seoul. He then resolves to defend Maple World the same way that he had defended Seoul so that he can get back to his friends.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Jett, Hayato, Kanna, and Beast Tamer note to themselves that the Empress is more resolved than ever. Thinking about her determination, Beast Tamer and the Sengoku classes remind themselves that they need to defend Maple World, while Jett reminds herself that she'd better get back to them all.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lynn notes to herself that she can sense the Empress' resolve and will. She then thinks to herself that together with the Spirit Guides, she'll be able to protect Maple World, promising that she'll do it.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 The Heroes get some exclusive dialogue here. As the darkness begins consuming everything, all the Heroes except Luminous wish that Luminous were there with them. Phantom gets some additional dialogue when he says this, in which he says, “Never here when I need him… I'm telling you, he's useless!” The Heroes then realize that if Luminous had cast a light, then it would be visible ahead, making them realize that something might have happened on his end.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Luminous gets some alternative dialogue, in which he starts feeling like his own light is fading. He wonders whether it's because of the Black Mage's power, but he then realizes that no matter how strong the Black Mage is, even he can't expel light itself. He then wonders what it is that the Black Mage is planning.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Illium also gets some exclusive dialogue here, in which he notes that even the light of the Elder Crystal is fading.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 The Temple Keeper tells the player that she's scared to be alone, and so the player gets the choice to have someone stay with her or make her stay by herself.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 If the player chose to have someone stay with her, the person who stayed with her is also gone.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Many classes get some exclusive dialogue when they speak with Azalin.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 For Cygnus Knights and Mihile, she tells them that as a Knight, she's always looked up to their example, and that she'd always wonder if it was even possible to be like them. Upon finally meeting them, however, she laughs that they're more ordinary than she'd expected. The Knight gets offended and wonders to themselves what she's implying, to which she asks if she's hit a nerve before adding that she didn't mean it, and that she'd just been thinking out loud.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 For the main Resistance and Xenon, she tells them that despite the Cygnus Knights and the Resistance being at odds for years, it looks like they're in it together now. However, she coyly adds that she's sure that they don't completely trust her yet.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 For the Demon, Azalin tells him that it's funny how he seeks to destroy the Black Mage after having once been his right-hand. She then wonders who could have predicted something like that. She notes that the Alliance still accepts him, despite knowing what he's done for the Black Mage, adding that she was surprised, asking who would've thought that someone could defect a second time and side with the Black Mage again. The Demon asks her what it is that she wants to say, to which Azalin merely says that she hopes that he's made the right choice. The Demon notes to himself that something is off, after which Azalin says that what's important is right now.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 For Aran, Mercedes, and Luminous, Azalin notes how incredible it is that all the legendary Heroes who had once sealed the Black Mage away have returned, adding that she's honored to be with them as they make history. She tells them that they seem as energetic as ever, despite how much time has passed, which surprises her, as she would've imagined that the long fight would be exhausting for them. She then jokingly asks if they're feeling rested because they've been sealed away for so long. They demand to know what she means by that, to which she interrupts and asks if she's touched a nerve before saying that she had merely been thinking out loud. They then angrily wonder to themselves whether she'd really had the audacity to cut them off.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 For Evan, Azalin notes how impressive it is that he's the descendant of a great mage like Freud, despite being so young. She adds that Freud was truly incredible, and that she doesn't know how anyone could match such a master of magic. She then apologizes and claims that she's not saying anything about Evan specifically, as she's simply making observations.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 For Phantom, Azalin notes that he had even managed to stop Hilla from claiming the throne, adding that he must be pretty sharp to see through her tricks. She then adds that though everyone else was fooled, nothing got by him.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 For Shade, Azalin notes that it's strange that despite him not having any large, stand-out achievements, he had just happened to have one day fallen in with the legendary Heroes. She adds that while she doesn't know whether he's just well-connected, there has to be some reason why the Heroes let him hang out with them. She then asks if she's touched a nerve before saying that she had merely been thinking out loud.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 For Zero, she tells Alpha and Beta that she's heard that they're the new Transcendents who would succeed Rhinne as the Transcendent of Time. She adds that she can believe it, as she can feel the power shared between the two of them, and notes that it's no wonder that the Black Mage's Commanders have been after them. Alpha and Beta then wonder to themselves how Azalin knows that they're Transcendents, and how she knows that they've faced the Commanders. Just as they begin to ask her, Azalin interrupts them and says that since they're a Transcendent split in two, she wouldn't think that their powers actually match those of a real Transcendent. Just as they start getting offended that she cut them off, Azalin adds that the person next to them seems odd, referring to their twin.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 For the Nova, the Flora, Kinesis, Hayato, and Kanna, she tells them that she had always been surprised to hear that they had helped Maple World so much, since they're not from around there. The Nova and Flora classes get some additional dialogue here, in which Azalin, under her breath, snidely wonders how they could ever save Maple World when they can't even protect their own. When the player asks her what she had just said, Azalin tells them that she had merely said that they seem a little distracted. The Sengoku classes also get some additional dialogue, in which Azalin tells them that in any event, she knows that there are two sides, and so she asks them which one they're on, laughing that they'll need allies who can help them out in a pinch. She then asks if she's hit a nerve before adding that she didn't mean it, and that she'd just been thinking out loud.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 For Beast Tamer, Azalin notes that Chase is from Arboren, and that she's heard that Chase is also a big fan of the Heroes who had sealed the Black Mage. She adds that heroes who can save the world are amazing people, though she then points out that Chase hasn't actually met the Heroes, adding that she had expected more from her. She then asks if she's hit a nerve before adding that she didn't mean it, and that she'd just been thinking out loud.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 For Lynn, Azalin notes that Lynn has done many great things throughout her journey and wonders whether it's because she had lived in the forest her whole life, and had only just come out from that ‘ivory tower' to the wider world not long ago. She then asks Lynn whether she's so reckless that she's willing to sacrifice herself, to which Lynn wonders what she's trying to say. Azalin then asks if she's touched a nerve before saying that she had merely been thinking out loud.
  31. ↑ Zero gets exclusive dialogue, which is dependent on which twin the player was controlling at the time of the quest dialogue beginning. The player will call out to their twin and wonder why they're getting no answer. They note that their twin feels strange, as it feels like they're not there, despite the player being able to see their twin standing next to them. If the player is Alpha, they will note that it feels like the time that they had seen Beta bound in the Umbra Temple. If the player is Beta, they will note that it feels like the time that she had seen a vision of Alpha while she had been bound in the Umbra Temple.
  32. ↑ Evan also gets some similar exclusive dialogue here, in which he calls out to Mir and wonders why he's getting no answer. He notes that something isn't right with Mir, as it feels as though he's not actually present, even though he's right next to him.
  33. ↑ After all the class-exclusive dialogue happens, there's another piece of exclusive dialogue that occurs if the player has completed the Azwan storyline. Azalin notes that when she thinks about it, the Adversary really does tend to be wherever things are going wrong. She points out how they had driven Hilla from Azwan, and how they had gone after the Black Mage's Commanders, whom they had taken out one by one. The Demon gets some exclusive dialogue during this part, in which Hilla asks him how it had felt to take out the Commanders, since they had once been his comrades. She notes that he must have a cold heart, as she can't think of how else he could have killed Damien, his own brother, with his own hands. However, she then adds that she didn't mean anything by it, as she's simply stating facts. The Demon's dialogue then converges back to the regular exclusive dialogue, in which Azalin says that though some of the Commanders have disappeared completely from Maple World, there are others whom the Adversary has merely slowed down. If the player hasn't completed the Azwan storyline, Azalin will instead just note that things haven't really gone according to plan.
  34. ↑ The Demon has some exclusive dialogue in place of the Adversary feeling disgust at killing the people whom they were sworn to protect. He wonders whether he can kill them easily because of the darkness in his past and berates himself for being unable to do even just one thing right and atone for his sins. He realizes that he's never really moved on, not even by a single step. He then wonders whether he was just never meant to protect people.
  35. ↑ Zero gets some exclusive dialogue here, in which they note that they knew that something had been off, as there's no way that anyone could know that they were Transcendents, or that they had met the Commanders immediately after escaping Mirror World, as only one of the Commanders would have that information. Hilla laughs and asks if they had only just realized that, to which Zero demands that she put their twin back as they were, referring to the previous Zero-exclusive dialogue, which mentions how it feels like their twin has disappeared, despite them being right there. However, Hilla refuses and tells them that they should've sided with the Commanders when they had first been given the offer.
  36. ↑ If the player is the Demon, right before she leaves, Hilla will say that she ought to show him something interesting for old times' sake, since he's betrayed the Black Mage. She then uses her power to pull Damien's soul from the afterlife and mockingly asks him how it feels to be reunited with his beloved sibling. The Demon angrily demands to know what she's done, to which Hilla jokingly tells him that she had thought that he had wanted to see Damien again, adding that he's making his beloved brother sad. She tells him not to look so unhappy to see his brother, as Damien has come such a long way for him. Upon seeing the Demon's anger, Hilla laughs and says that it seems that he still has a little spirit left in him after all. She then warns him not to do anything rash unless he wants another fight with his brother, after which she disappears and takes Damien's soul with her.
  37. ↑ If the player has completed the Azwan storyline, the Adversary will express their surprise that Areda has the Elixir of Youth, as they had given it to Medina in Azwan.
  38. ↑ Main Resistance classes and Xenon will instead recall seeing Claudine, rather than Cygnus.
  39. ↑ Each class gets a slightly different script when they talk to the mysterious voice, with the identity of the voice being unique to each class as well. With the exception of Cannoneer and Ark, every class initially doesn't recognize the voice's identity until the very end of the dialogue.
  40. ↑ For regular Explorers, the voice of Sugar asks them why they risk their life to save others. The Explorer tells her that it's because everyone is that precious to them, to which Sugar asks them why they care so much for Maple World, and what their purpose is. The Explorer replies that Maple World is the home where their loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Sugar asks them if they can remember what they need to do now, to which the Explorer begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that they couldn't protect anyone. They add that there's nothing that they can do, and that they're completely helpless. They then ask what else they can do, to which Sugar tells them to open their eyes and see for themselves, explaining that even if Hilla covers their eyes, she can never cover the truth. She asks them to open their eyes, pick themselves up, and do what they have to do, reminding them about the maple leaves drifting in the sky. She then tells them that all roads exist inside their heart, and to never forget that. As the voice fades away, the Explorer recognizes the voice as belonging to Sugar.
  41. ↑ For Dual Blade, the voice of Lady Syl asks him why he risks his life to save others. The Dual Blade tells her that it's because everyone is that precious to him, to which Lady Syl asks him why he cares so much for Maple World, and what his purpose is. The Explorer replies that Maple World is the home where his loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Lady Syl asks him if he can remember what he needs to do now, to which the Dual Blade begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that he couldn't protect anyone. He adds that there's nothing that he can do, and that he's completely helpless. He then asks what else he can do, to which Lady Syl tells him to open his eyes and see for himself, explaining that even if Hilla covers his eyes, she can never cover the truth. She asks him to open his eyes, pick himself up, and do what he has to do, reminding him that they are the Dual Blades, and they're united as one right behind him. She then tells him that all roads exist inside his heart, and to never forget that. As the voice fades away, the Dual Blade recognizes the voice as belonging to Lady Syl.
  42. ↑ For Cannoneer, the voice of Monkey shrieks, causing a surprised Cannoneer to wonder how Monkey got there. He tells Monkey that Maple World is loved and cherished by all, and that all that he had wanted to do was to protect their precious world where he had made so many memories. Monkey then shrieks at him, to which the Cannoneer notes that everyone is already dead, and that he couldn't protect anyone. He adds that there's nothing that he can do, and that he's completely helpless before asking what he's supposed to do. Monkey shrieks back at him, to which the Cannoneer realizes that Monkey is telling him to open his eyes. Monkey then shrieks again, which the Cannoneer interprets as Monkey wanting him to search his heart before adding that he'll try to keep their mission in mind.
  43. ↑ For Pathfinder, the voice of Athena Pierce asks her why she risks her life to save others. The Pathfinder tells Athena that it's because everyone is that precious to her, to which Athena asks her why she cares so much for Maple World, and what her purpose is. The Pathfinder replies that Maple World is the home where her loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Athena asks her if she can remember what she needs to do now, to which the Pathfinder begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that she couldn't protect anyone. She adds that there's nothing that she can do, and that she's completely helpless. She then asks what else she can do, to which Athena tells her to open her eyes and see for herself, explaining that even if Hilla covers her eyes, she can never cover the truth. Athena asks her to open her eyes, pick herself up, and do what she has to do, reminding her that she's the one to find the path amidst the darkness. She tells the Pathfinder that fear doesn't suit her and asks her to believe in herself, and to have courage. Athena then tells her that all roads exist inside her heart, and to never forget that. As the voice fades away, the Pathfinder recognizes the voice as belonging to Athena Pierce.
  44. ↑ For Cygnus Knights and Mihile, the voice of Empress Cygnus asks them why they risk their life to save others. The Knight tells her that it's because everyone is that precious to them, to which Cygnus asks them why they care so much for Maple World, and what their purpose is. The Knight replies that Maple World is the home where their loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Cygnus asks them if they can remember what they need to do now, to which the Knight begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and they have nowhere to go back to, as everyone - all the knights who had placed their faith in them - have been killed right before their eyes. They add that there's nothing that they can do, and that they're completely helpless. They then ask what else they can do, to which Cygnus tells them to open their eyes and see for themselves, explaining that even if Hilla covers their eyes, she can never cover the truth. She asks them to open their eyes, pick themselves up, and do what they have to do, reminding them that all roads exist inside their heart, and to never forget that. As the voice fades away, the Knight recognizes the voice as belonging to Empress Cygnus.
  45. ↑ For the main Resistance classes, the voice of Vita asks them why they risk their life to save others. The Resistance member tells her that it's because everyone is that precious to them, to which Vita asks them why they care so much for Maple World, and what their purpose is. The Resistance member replies that Maple World is the home where their loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Vita asks them if they can remember what they need to do now, to which the Resistance member begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that the place where they used to laugh and sing is no more, with everyone whom they had shared their time with being gone. They add that there's nothing that they can do, and that they're completely helpless. They then ask what someone like them can do, to which Vita tells them to see the world with their own eyes, explaining that even if Hilla covers their eyes, she can never cover the truth. She asks them to open their eyes, pick themselves up, and do what they have to do, reminding them that all roads exist inside their heart, and to never forget that. She then tells them that she cherishes their moments together and everything that they've done for her. As the voice fades away, the Resistance member recognizes the voice as belonging to Vita. Originally, the Resistance classes would hear the voice of Claudine before the script was changed.
  46. ↑ For Xenon, the voice of Claudine asks him why he risks his life to save others. Xenon tells her that it's because everyone is that precious to him, to which Claudine asks him why he cares so much for Maple World, and what his purpose is. Xenon replies that Maple World is the home where his loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Claudine asks him if he can remember what he needs to do now, to which Xenon begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that the place where they used to laugh and sing is no more, with everyone whom they had shared their time with being gone. He adds that there's nothing that he can do, and that he's completely helpless. He then asks what someone like him can do, to which Claudine tells him to open his eyes and see for himself, explaining that even if Hilla covers his eyes, she can never cover the truth. She asks him to open his eyes, pick himself up, and do what he has to do, reminding him that they're the Resistance, that they're united as one, and that they've always got his back. She then tells him that all roads exist inside his heart, and to never forget that. As the voice fades away, Xenon recognizes the voice as belonging to Claudine. He's then surprised, as he had been sure that Claudine had been killed. Nevertheless, he begins pondering on Claudine's words about opening his eyes, which leads back into the regular script of him awakening the power of the Seal Stone.
  47. ↑ For the Demon, the voice of Damien asks him why he's fighting so hard for people that he doesn't even know. The Demon tells him that it's because everyone is that precious to him, to which Damien asks him whether Maple World is really that precious to him. The Demon replies that Maple World is the home where his loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Damien notes that it's quite curious to hear him say that after he had turned his back so easily on his own people. After a pause, the Demon explains that it's the very reason why he had fought so hard, as he had wanted to protect everyone. However, he laments that he's failed again and adds that there's nothing that he can do, and that he's completely helpless. He then asks what's left for him to do, to which Damien tells him to open his eyes and see the truth for himself, reminding him that all roads exist inside his heart. He then calls the Demon 'brother' and tells him that he'll be watching over him. As the voice fades away, the Demon recognizes the voice as belonging to Damien. Just like the main Resistance, the Demon originally got the voice of Claudine, although this was later changed.
  48. ↑ For Aran, Mercedes, and Luminous, the voice of Freud asks them why they risk their life to save others. They tell Freud that it's because everyone is that precious to them, to which Freud asks them why they care so much for Maple World, which is nothing like their home, and what their purpose is. They reply that Maple World is the home where their loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Freud asks them if they can remember what they need to do now, to which they begin to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that they couldn't protect anyone. They add that there's nothing that they can do, and that they're completely helpless, as even before, they had barely managed to seal the Black Mage, who had still come back in the end. They then ask what else they can do now, to which Freud tells them to open their eyes and see for themselves, explaining that even if Hilla covers their eyes, she can never cover the truth. Freud asks them to open their eyes, get up, and do what they have to do, telling them to keep moving forward, just as they had done before. He then tells them that all roads exist inside their heart, and to never forget that. He adds that the memories of them all will live on forever, and that he'll always be with them. As the voice fades away, they recognize the voice as belonging to Freud.
  49. ↑ For Evan, the voice of Freud asks him why he risks his life to save others. Evan tells Freud that it's because everyone is that precious to him, to which Freud asks him why he cares so much for Maple World, and what his purpose is. Evan replies that Maple World is the home where his loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Freud asks him if he can remember what he needs to do now, to which Evan begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that he couldn't protect anyone. He adds that there's nothing that he can do, and that he's completely helpless before sadly realizing that he'll never see his family in Maple World ever again. He then asks what else he can do, to which Freud tells him to open his eyes and see for himself, explaining that even if Hilla covers his eyes, she can never cover the truth. He asks Evan to open his eyes and tells him that he has to get up and do what must be done. He then reminds Evan that he's the Dragon Master and asks him to have a little faith in himself before telling him that all roads exist inside his heart, and to never forget that. As the voice fades away, Evan recognizes the voice as belonging to Freud.
  50. ↑ For Phantom, the voice of Empress Aria asks him why he risks his life to save others. Phantom tells her that it's because everyone is that precious to them, to which Aria asks him why he cares so much for Maple World, and what his purpose is. Phantom replies that Maple World is the home where his loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Aria asks him if he can remember what he needs to do now, to which Phantom begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that he had once again failed to protect them. He adds that there's nothing that he can do, and that he's completely helpless. He then asks what else he can do, to which Aria tells him to open his eyes and see for himself, explaining that even if Hilla covers his eyes, she can never cover the truth. She asks him to open his eyes and tells him that he can get up and do what he must do. She then reminds him that all roads exist inside his heart, and to never forget that. As her voice fades away, she also adds that she'd thought that his smiling face fit him best, too, causing Phantom to recognize the voice as belonging to Empress Aria.
  51. ↑ For Shade, the voice of Freud asks him why he risks his life to save others. He tells Freud that it's because everyone is that precious to them, to which Freud asks him why he cares so much for Maple World, and what his purpose is. Shade replies that Maple World is the home where his loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Freud asks him if he can remember what he needs to do now, to which Shade begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that he couldn't protect anyone. He adds that there's nothing that he can do, and that he's completely helpless, as even before, he had barely managed to seal the Black Mage, who had still come back in the end. He then asks what else he can do now, to which Freud tells him to open his eyes and see for himself, explaining that even if Hilla covers his eyes, she can never cover the truth. Freud asks him to open his eyes, get up, and do what he has to do. He tells Shade that he remembers him, and to never let them change his mind. He then tells Shade to keep moving forward, just as he had done before. He reminds Shade that all roads exist inside his heart, and to never forget that. He then adds that the memories of them all will live on forever, and that he'll always be with Shade. As the voice fades away, Shade recognizes the voice as belonging to Freud.
  52. ↑ For Kaiser and Angelic Buster, the voice of Fenelle asks them why they risk their life to save others. They tell her that it's because everyone is that precious to them, to which Fenelle asks them why they care so much for Maple World, as it's nothing like Grandis. They reply that Maple World is the home where their loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with happy memories. They explain that the people of Maple World had come to Grandis and had helped save them when they had needed it most, and that it's now their turn to help them. Fenelle asks them whether they remember what they need to do next, to which they begin to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that they couldn't protect anyone. They realize that they'll never be able to return to Maple World, adding that there's nothing that they can do, and that they're completely helpless. They then ask what else they can do, to which Fenelle tells them to open their eyes and see for themselves, explaining that even if Hilla covers their eyes, she can never cover the truth. She asks them to open their eyes, get up, and do what they have to do. They realize that what they need to do now is to get back up and keep moving forward, as Maple World cannot fall while Darmoor still remains, for which there's no time to despair. Fenelle proudly notes that they've matured and reminds them that all roads exist inside their heart, and to never forget that. As the voice fades away, they recognize the voice as belonging to Fenelle.
  53. ↑ Cadena has a completely identical script to Kaiser and Angelic Buster's dialogue, with the only difference being that the voice belongs to her parents. Originally, even Cadena used to hear Fenelle until it was changed.
  54. ↑ For Kain, the voice of Luska asks him why he puts his life on the line for the faceless masses. Kain notes that it's a good question and wonders about it himself. Luska then asks him why he sticks his neck out for Maple World, as it has nothing to do with him. Kain notes that while she's right, it's something that only used to be true. He explains that he's now learned why so many people love Maple World, as he's experienced that love for himself. He tells Luska that Maple World is home to both his loved ones and all his new memories. Luska notes that he has happier memories now, rather than the painful memories of the past. However, Kain then begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, realizing that amidst all the loss and failure, everything has gone horrible again. He explains that he's just as helpless as he had been as a child, and he wonders what he could ever do about any of it. However, Luska reminds him that he's not helpless and tells him not to give up now. She tells him to open his eyes and see for himself, explaining that the truth is right there in front of him, and that he just needs to open his eyes. She asks him to get up, brush himself off, and do what has to be done before telling him to go on, live his life, and do what he wants, reminding him that he's free. As the voice fades away, Kain recognizes the voice as belonging to Luska.
  55. ↑ For Adele, the voice of Jerome asks her why she risks her life to save others. Adele tells him that it's just her duty as a knight, to which Jerome asks her why she cares so much for Maple World specifically, which isn't a part of her charge. Adele replies that she fights to save the weak, and that she doesn't need another reason. Jerome asks her if, in that case, she knows what she needs to do now, to which Adele begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that she has nowhere to go back to. She adds that despite all her convictions, she's completely helpless. She then asks what someone like herself can do, to which Jerome asks her whether what she had seen is true and tells her to see for herself, explaining that even if Hilla covers her eyes, she can never cover the truth. He then asks her to open her eyes for now, and to get up, brush herself off, and do what has to be done before addressing her as his knight. He then reminds her that all roads exist inside her heart, and to never forget that. As the voice fades away, Adele recognizes the voice as belonging to Jerome.
  56. ↑ For Illium, the voice of Agate asks him why he risks his life to save others. Illium tells her that it's because that everyone is that precious to him, to which Agate asks him why he cares so much for Maple World, which is nothing like his home. He replies that Maple World is the home where his loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with happy memories. Agate asks him if he can remember what he needs to do now, to which Illium begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that he has nowhere to go back to. He adds that there's nothing that he can do, and that he's completely helpless. He then asks what else he can do, to which Agate tells him to open his eyes and see for himself, explaining that even if Hilla covers his eyes, she can never cover the truth. She asks him to open his eyes, dust himself off, and do what he has to do, reminding him that all roads exist inside his heart, and to never forget that. As the voice fades away, Illium recognizes the voice as belonging to Agate.
  57. ↑ For Ark, his inner Specter asks him why he's going out of his way to save random people. Ark tells it that it's because everyone is that precious to him, to which the Specter asks him whether Maple World really is that precious to him. Ark replies that Maple World is the home where his loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. The Specter then tells Ark to reach out to it, claiming that it'll make it happen. However, Ark refuses, to which the irritated Specter asks him how he can still refuse in such a situation. It then tells him that it doesn't want to disappear either, and so it tells him to open his eyes, see the truth for himself, and to follow the road inside his heart.
  58. ↑ For Khali, the voice of Rasha asks her why she risks her life to save others. Khali tells her that it's because everyone is that precious to her, to which Rasha asks her why she cares so much for Maple World, which has nothing to do with her. Khali replies that though it was like that at first, it's now a home where her loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with happy memories. Rasha asks her if she now knows what to do, to which Khali begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that she has nowhere to go back to. She adds that there's nothing that she can do, and that she's completely helpless. She then asks what else she can do, to which Rasha asks her if that's really what she had seen and tells her to see for herself, explaining that even if Hilla covers her eyes, she can never cover the truth. She then asks Khali to open her eyes and see for herself, explaining that the truth is right there in front of her, and that she just needs to open her eyes. She tells Khali to get up, brush herself off, and do what has to be done before addressing her as her proud older sister, explaining that what mattered was moving forward according to her own will, as all roads existed inside her heart. As the voice fades away, Khali recognizes the voice as belonging to Rasha.
  59. ↑ For Hoyoung, the voice of Master Tai Yu asks him why he risks his life to save others. Hoyoung tells him that it's because everyone is that precious to him, to which Tai Yu asks him why he cares so much for Maple World, which is nothing like his home. Hoyoung replies that Maple World is the home where his loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with happy memories. Tai Yu asks him if he can remember what he needs to do, to which Hoyoung begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that he has nowhere to go back to. He adds that there's nothing that he can do, and that he's completely helpless. He then asks what else he can do, to which Tai Yu asks him if that's really what he had seen and tells him to open his eyes and see for himself, explaining that even if Hilla covers his eyes, she can never cover the truth. He asks Hoyoung to open his eyes, get up, dust himself off, and do what he has to do. Calling Hoyoung his dear disciple, Tai Yu reminds him that all roads exist inside his heart, and to never forget that. As the voice fades away, Illium recognizes the voice as belonging to his Master.
  60. ↑ For Lara, the voice of Gri asks her why she puts her life on the line for the faceless masses. Lara replies that people can't live all by themselves, and that sometimes, one had to be ready to risk everything, even their life. Gri then asks her why she sticks her neck out for Maple World, as it has nothing to do with her. Lara explains that it's not like that, as Maple World holds all their memories. Gri asks her if, in that case, she knows what she needs to do now, to which Lara begins to say hopelessly that she couldn't protect anyone, and that so many people have died right in front of her. She then wonders whether she'll still be able to go on in spite of it all, to which Gri replies that it goes without saying. He then asks her whether she's ready to give up in that case before telling her to open her eyes and see everything for herself. He explains that the truth is right there in front of her, and that she just needs to open her eyes. He then tells her to get up, brush herself off, and do what has to be done before adding that though he may have given her a hard time about being naive, he believes that she can still smile bigger and brighter than anyone else he knows. As the voice fades away, Lara recognizes the voice as belonging to Gri.
  61. ↑ For Zero, the voice of Rhinne asks them why they risk their life to save others. Alpha and Beta tell her that it's because everyone is that precious to them, to which Rhinne asks them why they care so much for Maple World, and what their purpose is. Alpha and Beta reply that Maple World is the home where their loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Rhinne asks them if they can remember what they need to do now, to which they begin to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that they couldn't protect anyone. They add that there's nothing that they can do, and they wonder whether it's because they're only half a Transcendent, rather than a full one. Rhinne tells them to open their eyes and see for themselves, explaining that even if Hilla covers their eyes, she can never cover the truth. Addressing them as her children, she asks them to open their eyes, get up, and do what they have to do, reminding them that all roads exist inside their heart, and to never forget that. As the voice fades away, Alpha and Beta recognize the voice as belonging to Rhinne.
  62. ↑ For Kinesis, the voice of Yuna asks him why he risks his life to save others. Kinesis tells her that it's because everyone is that precious to him, to which Yuna asks him why he cares so much for Maple World, which is nothing like his home, and what his purpose is. He replies that while Maple World is certainly a strange place, it's also the home of everyone that he knows and all his friends, calling it a precious place that holds all their memories. Yuna asks him if he remembers what must be done, to which Kinesis begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that if Maple World has fallen to such ruin, then it means that there's no hope for Seoul. He then asks if there's anything that he can do in the face of such odds. Yuna points out that giving in to despair isn't like him and tells him that even if Hilla covers his eyes, she can never cover the truth. She asks him to open his eyes and keep going, reminding him that all roads exist inside his heart, and to never forget that. She then adds that she'll always be here for him. As the voice fades away, Kinesis recognizes the voice as belonging to Yuna.
  63. ↑ For Jett, the voice of Burke asks her why she risks her life to save others. Jett tells Burke that it's because everyone is that precious to her, to which Burke asks her why she cares so much for Maple World, which isn't her home. Jett replies that Maple World is the home where her loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Burke asks her if she can remember what she needs to do now, to which Jett begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that she couldn't protect anyone. She adds that she has nowhere to go back to, as everyone has been killed right before her eyes. She adds that there's nothing that she can do, and that she's completely helpless before asking what else she can do. Thinking about fulfilling Burke's revenge and finding a way to return home, she wonders what someone like herself can do when she couldn't even protect what's most important to her. Burke then tells her to see the world with her own eyes, explaining that even if Hilla covers her eyes, she can never cover the truth. Burke asks her to open her eyes, pick herself up, and do what she has to do before asking her not to make him owe her again. He explains that in his eyes, she had never been helpless and reminds her that all roads exist inside her heart, and to never forget that. As the voice fades away, Jett recognizes the voice as belonging to Burke.
  64. ↑ For Hayato, the voice of Princess Sakuno asks him why he risks his life to save others. Hayato tells Sakuno that it's because everyone is that precious to him, to which Sakuno asks him why he cares so much for Maple World. She points out that it isn't Zipangu and asks what makes him fight for it. Hayato replies that Maple World is the home where his loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. He adds that it's also where his lord lives, and that for her, he'll do whatever he must to protect it. Sakuno asks him if he can remember what she needs to do now, to which Hayato begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that he couldn't protect anyone. He adds that there's nothing that he can do, and that he's completely helpless before asking what else he can do, adding that he's failed yet again. Sakuno then tells him to see the world with his own eyes, explaining that even if Hilla covers his eyes, she can never cover the truth. She asks him to open his eyes, pick himself up, and do what he has to do. She calls Hayato her sword and reminds him that he simply needs to eliminate everything that gets in their way. She reminds him that all roads exist inside his heart, and to never forget that. She then tells him to be sure to return, adding that she's waiting for him. As the voice fades away, Hayato recognizes the voice as belonging to Princess Sakuno.
  65. ↑ For Kanna, the voice of Tsuchimikado Haruaki, Kanna's master, asks her why she risks her life to save others. Kanna tells him that it's because everyone is that precious to her, to which Haruaki asks her why she cares so much for Maple World. He points out that it isn't her home and asks her why she would go so far. Kanna replies that Maple World is the home where her loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Haruaki asks her if she can remember what she needs to do now, to which Kanna begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that she couldn't protect anyone. She adds that there's nothing that she can do, and that she's completely helpless. She then asks what someone like herself can do, to which Haruaki tells her to open her eyes and see for herself, explaining that even if Hilla covers her eyes, she can never cover the truth. He asks her to open her eyes, get up, dust herself off, and do what she has to do, reminding her that the way of the Spirit Walker is to think not of themselves, but of the peace of the world, and that their path only concludes at the end of the Spirit Walker's life. He promises Kanna that her spirit will not fail her and tells her that all roads exist inside her heart, and to never forget that. As the voice fades away, Kanna recognizes the voice as belonging to Master Haruaki.
  66. ↑ For Beast Tamer, the voice of Eka the hawk asks Chase why she risks her life to save others. Chase tells her that it's because everyone is that precious to her, to which Eka asks her why she cares so much for Maple World, and what her purpose is. Chase replies that Maple World is the home where her loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Eka asks her if she can remember what she needs to do now, to which Chase begins to say hopelessly that everyone - all the people who had put their faith in her - are already dead. She wonders what someone like herself can do, as she couldn't even save her comrades, to which Eka sharply tells her to wake up and see the world with her own eyes, explaining that even if Hilla covers her eyes, she can never cover the truth. Eka then tells her to open her eyes, pick herself up, and do what she needs to do right now, reminding her about the strength that she has in her heart, adding that the power in her heart can overcome any fear and danger for the sake of others. She then tells Chase that all roads exist inside her heart, and to never forget that. Chase recalls having the courage and the heart of a hero, to which Eka declares that their hearts won't change, and that they'll stand strong and move towards that bright future together. As the voice fades away, Chase recognizes the voice as belonging to Eka, and all the other Critter Champs along with her.
  67. ↑ For Lynn, the voice of Gaia addresses Lynn as the one who has reached the end of samsara and become the last Forest Child. She asks Lynn why she risks her life to save others when her time left in the world is limited. Lynn tells her that the wider world of Maple World is where she had first set foot with Penni's help, and that she can still clearly remember the way that the breeze had first ruffled her hair. She explains that Maple World is now a place full of precious memories and precious people, and that she wants to protect them all. Gaia pauses and notes that there are many places that still need Lynn's help and asks her what she would say to that. After a pause, Lynn begins to say hopelessly that everyone – all the people who had put their faith her – are already dead. She realizes that the tragedy will just keep repeating itself, and that there's nothing she can do about it. Lynn then blames herself for being powerless, to which Gaia tells her that it may not be the case before entreating Lynn to open her eyes, calling them the eyes that everybody loves to see. She notes that Lynn's path is one that she has chosen for herself, and that her path is true. Upon hearing this, Lynn immediately recognizes the voice as belonging to Gaia.
  68. ↑ For Lynn, Gaia calls to her as ‘child', telling her that it's time to wake up, as everything had just been a nightmare.
← Moonbridge | Labyrinth of Suffering | Limina →
Retrieved from "https://maplestorywiki.net/index.php?title=Labyrinth_of_Suffering/Story&oldid=460675"