Chapter 159: Chapter 158 The Hunt for Shards
Elara, Lyra, and Nox emerged from the realm of memories, their minds filled with the knowledge of the shards' locations. According to the memories they had accessed, the first shard was hidden in the Forbidden Forest, a place filled with ancient magic and dangerous creatures.
As they entered the Forbidden Forest, the air grew thick and cold. The trees were tall and gnarled, their branches intertwining to form a canopy that blocked out most of the sunlight. Strange sounds echoed through the forest, and pairs of glowing eyes watched their every move from the shadows.
"Be on your guard," Lyra whispered, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. "This place is full of dangers."
Suddenly, a group of shadowy wolves leaped out from the bushes. Their fur was black as night, and their eyes burned with a red - orange flame. They circled around the three of them, growling menacingly.
Nox raised his staff, and a stream of blue fire shot out from the tip. "These wolves are not ordinary. They are probably controlled by Xander's magic."
The wolves charged forward, their sharp teeth bared. Lyra swung her sword, cutting through the air with precision. She managed to fend off a few wolves, but more kept coming. Elara focused her magic, creating a shield of light around them. The shield repelled the wolves' attacks, but it also consumed a great deal of her energy.
As they fought, Elara noticed that the wolves seemed to be trying to lead them in a certain direction. "They are herding us," she shouted to her friends. "We can't follow their plan."
With that, she changed the direction of her magic, sending a powerful blast of energy towards the densest part of the wolf pack. The blast scattered the wolves, and the three of them took the opportunity to break through the 包围圈 and run deeper into the forest.
After running for a while, they came across a large, ancient tree. Its trunk was so thick that it would take several people to hug it, and there were strange runes carved on its bark.
"I think the shard is inside this tree," Elara said, approaching the tree cautiously.
But just as she was about to touch the tree, a giant vine shot out from the ground, wrapping around her ankle. She tried to break free, but the vine was too strong. More vines emerged, binding her hands and body.
Lyra and Nox rushed to her aid, cutting the vines with their weapons. However, the vines seemed to regenerate quickly. At the same time, the wolves caught up with them again, and this time, they were joined by a large, horned beast.
The beast roared, and the sound shook the ground. It charged towards Nox, who quickly erected a barrier of earth to block the attack. But the beast's strength was astonishing, and it broke through the barrier with ease.
Lyra jumped onto the beast's back, trying to stab it with her sword. But the beast 甩动 its body, throwing her off. Elara, finally free from the vines, concentrated all her magic and sent a powerful beam of light towards the beast. The beam hit the beast's head, and it let out a pained howl.
Taking advantage of the beast's momentary distraction, Nox found a weak point on its body and struck with his staff. The beast stumbled and fell to the ground, dead. The wolves, seeing their master defeated, fled into the forest.
Elara walked up to the ancient tree again. This time, she used the merged shard to unlock the runes on the tree. With a soft click, a hidden compartment opened, and inside was a small, golden shard.
She picked up the shard, feeling a surge of power flow through her body. "One shard down, more to go," she said, looking at her friends.
Meanwhile, in a dark cave on the other side of the world, Xander was also on the hunt for shards. He had already collected several shards, and his power was growing stronger by the day.
"Those fools think they can stop me," he sneered, looking at the shards in his hand. "The Worldtree will be mine, and I will rewrite the world in my image."
He closed his eyes, sensing the location of the next shard. "The next one is in the Crystal Caverns. No one can stop me from getting it."
Elara, Lyra, and Nox knew that they were in a race against time. They had to collect the remaining shards before Xander did and stop his evil plan. With the first shard in hand, they set off towards the Crystal Caverns, ready to face more challenges and dangers.