Black flames swirled in the palm of the silver-masked man's hand.
The air around the Silver Dragon River turned cold.
The grass swayed even though there was no strong breeze.
Raka sensed something unusual.
The energy radiating from those black flames felt different from the blue light of the Sky Gate.
If the gate's light brought a warm, peaceful feeling, the black flames instead brought a sense of suffocation and fear.
As though all the life around them were being swallowed by darkness.
Dimas tightened his grip on the piece of wood he'd been using as a weapon.
"I don't like those flames."
Nara nodded.
"Me neither."
Meanwhile, the silver dragon in the middle of the river continued watching the masked man.
Its glowing blue eyes narrowed.
As if it recognized something.
The silver-masked man chuckled.
"It's been a very long time since I last saw the River Guardian."
The dragon let out a low growl.
"DARK..."
Those words left everyone silent.
The silver-masked man stopped laughing.
"So you still recognize this power."
"SHADOW DESCENDANT."
The words changed the masked man's expression.
For the first time, he looked uncomfortable.
Raka watched him closely.
That man was hiding something.
Something connected to the Eternal Shadow.
But before he could think any further, the silver-masked man raised his hand high.
"Attack them!"
Dozens of Eternal Shadow members immediately charged forward.
The battle erupted.
Dimas charged ahead.
"AAAAAAAH!"
CRASH!
He slammed into a masked man and knocked him to the ground.
Then he struck another opponent with his wooden staff.
Though he wasn't a trained fighter, his physical strength was far above average.
On the other side, Nara began firing arrows.
WHOOSH!
THUD!
Her arrows struck the ground right in front of the enemies' feet, forcing them to retreat.
Alya helped keep watch on the enemies' movements.
"On the left!"
"Behind you!"
"Watch the cliff!"
Her warnings allowed their group to hold out more effectively.
Meanwhile, Bima displayed an ability they hadn't fully seen before.
His greatsword moved swiftly.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
He easily deflected several attacks.
Two Eternal Shadow members even fell instantly after taking his blows.
Raka fought as best he could as well.
Though he didn't have a special weapon yet, he used a long wooden staff he'd found in the forest.
But there were too many enemies.
As time passed, the situation grew more difficult.
"They just keep coming!" Dimas shouted.
He was right.
Every time one enemy fell, two more came to take their place.
Amid the chaos, the silver dragon suddenly raised its head.
Blue light filled its eyes.
Then it let out a deafening roar.
ROOOAAARRRRR!!!
A wave of energy spread across the entire river.
BOOMMM!
The silver water surged into the air like a gigantic wall.
Dozens of Eternal Shadow members were sent flying.
CRASH!
CRASH!
CRASH!
Dimas's eyes went wide.
"Whoa!"
"That's incredible," Alya murmured.
But the silver-masked man was still standing.
The black flames in his hand grew larger.
Then he swung his hand forward.
WHOOSHHH!
A blast of black fire shot toward the silver dragon.
BOOOOM!
A massive explosion shook the riverbank.
Mist and steam filled the air.
Everyone held their breath.
When the smoke began to clear, the silver dragon was still standing.
But several of its scales appeared cracked.
Raka immediately realized something.
That masked man was strong enough to injure an ancient guardian.
And that was very bad news.
Suddenly, Raka's compass began to shine brilliantly.
Brighter than ever before.
It was almost blinding.
The needle spun rapidly.
Then it pointed toward the path that had opened after they solved the puzzle.
Toward the far side of the river.
Bima understood at once.
"Raka!"
"What?"
"The gate!"
"Huh?"
"This isn't where the First Sky Gate is!"
Everyone turned toward him.
"What do you mean?" Nara asked.
Bima pointed toward the newly opened path.
"This is only one of the trials."
Alya's eyes widened.
"So the real gate is still ahead?"
"Yeah."
The silver dragon suddenly spoke.
"CORRECT."
Its ancient voice echoed throughout the area.
"THE FIRST TRIAL IS COMPLETE."
"THE SECOND TRIAL AWAITS."
Raka was stunned.
That meant their journey was far from over.
The silver-masked man realized it too.
"You won't make it there."
He raised both hands.
Black flames began gathering in the air.
They formed a massive sphere of energy.
The air around them grew colder and colder.
The ground began to crack.
The silver dragon growled.
Yet even the ancient guardian looked wary.
This was clearly no ordinary attack.
That was when something unexpected happened.
The sun pendant around Raka's neck suddenly began to shine.
Golden light radiated in every direction.
Just as the village chief's pendant had once done.
Everyone was shocked.
Including Raka himself.
"What's happening?!"
The light grew stronger.
Then a sun symbol appeared in the air directly above his head.
The silver dragon immediately lowered its head.
As if paying its respects.
Even the silver-masked man took a step back.
"I can't believe it..."
The man's voice was filled with shock.
Raka felt warmth flowing through his entire body.
Then a very familiar voice sounded inside his mind.
A voice he'd never heard directly before.
Yet somehow, it felt so close.
"Raka..."
He froze.
That voice...
His grandfather's voice.
"Follow the path of light."
"Don't stop."
"The world's destiny is in motion."
The golden light grew even brighter.
Then it formed a glowing path toward the far side of the river.
The path stretched deep into the forest.
Toward something hidden.
Toward the true destination.
Toward the First Sky Gate.
Raka looked at his friends.
They could see the glowing path too.
Without saying a word, they all understood what they had to do.
They had to continue their journey.
Now.
Before the Eternal Shadow could stop them.
But just as they were about to move, a tremendous rumble sounded from the end of the glowing path.
BOOMMMMMM!
BOOMMMMMM!
BOOMMMMMM!
The ground shook violently.
The trees trembled.
And in the distance, a gigantic shadow slowly rose from behind the mist.
It was even larger than the silver dragon.
Its eyes glowed golden.
And on its forehead was the emblem of a Sky Gate.
The next guardian had awakened.
End of Part I — The Beginning of the Journey
To Be Continued in Chapter 11 — The Golden Sand City