Dante de Monfort, a classless 2-year-old undergoing a Trial of Illumination, led the group with unwavering courage.

By his side stood Garik, a tough squire, armed with a sturdy shield and heavy thick-plated steel armor, ready to protect his comrades.

Completing the trio was Silmara Tavaluna, a Holy Mystic elf, her connection to divine energies granting her the ability to heal and channel sacred magic.

"Sister Silmara. I need you to tell me the truth," Dante said.

Dante led the way through the mystical forest to find the cave of the Grove Guardian.

"You are not telling me things, aren't you? You are holding secrets back."

Garik followed closely behind, his squire's armor adorned with symbols of his devotion to his comrades and the cause they served.

Silmara bit her lip and admitted to Dante, "You're right. As I have told you from the beginning, I am only here to observe. This is your trial, my lord. Not mine. But if it is the case of my self-preservation as an observer. I am authorized for self-defense. But that is all I can do as I must be with you at all times."

Silmara walked gracefully beside them, her robes billowing as she scanned the surroundings with her keen holy senses.

Garik Drekthar then asked, "Lord Monfort. If you say we are heading toward the cave of the Grove Guardian, then is it not too dangerous to go alone? Not even a whole army of Fianna Warriors could stand it. What is your plan?"

The forest whispered secrets as they ventured deeper, its ancient trees forming a canopy overhead that filtered the sunlight into shimmering rays.

"I cannot tell you right now, Sir Garik Drekthar. The trees have ears and the leaves gossip. But I ask that you trust me with this secret, as you have trusted me with yours."

Garik's eyes darted from tree to tree, his intuition guiding their path as he sought the telltale signs of the Grove Guardian's presence.

Dante's voice broke the silence.

"Keep your senses sharp, my friends.

We must find the entrance to the Grove Guardian's cave before nightfall."

His gaze swept across the dense undergrowth, searching for any signs of disturbance or hidden paths.

Dante prayed to the Holy System. Garik noticed Dante's actions.

"Oh Blessed Holy System, may your Healing Light flow through me, mend the wounds, and restore vitality to those in need, bringing your divine touch and comfort upon them."

[Healing Light Granted]

Silmara asked, "Who are you hea-""

FLASH!

Silmara Tavaluna was blinded by Dante's [Healing Light] an invocation that channels divine energy with a burst of light to mend wounds, cure ailments, and restore vitality.

She recovered her eyesight that readjusted to the darkness of the night.

And she could no longer see Dante or Garik. Both of them disappeared.

"Lord Dante! Sir Garik! Where are you?" she called out to them. But they were nowhere in sight.

With the noise in the Sylvanalia Forest, which is considered a very dangerous monster zone. Creeping beasts immediately were attracted to the noise she made.

A Grumblethorn appeared in front of her.

A Grumblethorn was a diminutive creature standing about two feet tall.

Its body is covered in matted, mossy fur, ranging in shades of sickly green and brown.

Its head is oversized, featuring large, bulbous eyes that glow a faint yellow in the darkness.

Its mouth is filled with sharp, jagged teeth that are constantly exposed, giving it a perpetually menacing grin.

Grumblethorn has long, spindly limbs that end in clawed fingers, perfect for climbing and skittering across surfaces.

"Oh. It's just a Grumblethorn. These E-Class monsters are solitary creatures. I'll just defeat it and look for Lord Dante."

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GRRR! More growling could be heard from the little monsters.

There was a swarm of Grumblethorns surrounding Silmara the Holy Mystic.

She smiled and opened her Scripture. It was a scripture of nature, bound in intricately woven, shimmering fabric that seems to shift and change colors.

Its pages, made of translucent, ethereal material, bear ancient symbols, riddles, and enigmatic verses that delve into the nature of the cosmos and the arcane.

She prayed.

"O Holy System, I implore your divine protection. In your name, I summon a shelter of holy energy, a bastion against harm. Let this barrier shield me and my allies from danger and adversity, providing a haven of safety amidst the chaos."

[ Divine Shelter Granted]

The text, which appeared in an ethereal, flowing script, seems to dance across the pages.

Divine Shelter was an invocation that conjured a protective barrier of divine energy, shielding the Holy Mystic and allies from harm.

When the invocation was granted, it channeled their holy magic through the scripture. Then it emitted a faint, mystic glow, enhancing their connection to unseen forces and heightening their mastery of the unknown.

The Grumblethorns leaped at her one by one. Only to be blown away to bits and pieces by the protective barrier's divine energy.

Silmara walked forward, and the Grumblethorns' numbers dwindled to one, who also ran away, as it now felt helpless against its target.

She then turned the page of her Scripture. And then prayed.

"By the sacred covenant of the Holy System, I call upon the benevolent spirits of nature. Hear my voice, wise spirits, and lend me your guidance and assistance. May your ancient wisdom illuminate my path and bring forth harmony and light."

[ Spirit Whisperer Granted]

The Spirit Whisperer Invocation allowed her to communicate with benevolent spirits of nature, seeking their guidance and assistance. She listened to them and sought a human being in the dark of the forest.

For almost an hour, she kept walking while maintaining her protective barrier and listening to the Spirits tell her where Dante could be as it was her duty to stay with him.

Silmara stopped at the bottom of a ridge in the forest. And she could sense a human inside a cave in the innermost part.

Garik's voice, steady and resolute, interjected, "Lord Monfort! Enough with this already. I cannot stand as a Holy Pa- As a Holy Patron of Chivalry to leave a young woman alone in the forest. It's not right!"

"Fine!" Dante replied.

Garik appeared from behind the trees with Dante.

Silmara was curious. "How did you evade my [Spirit Whispering]? The Spirits would never lie to me."

Dante responded, "I prayed for [Banishment].

The Banishment Invocation forces evil spirits or supernatural beings back to their realms or origins.

Spirits aren't evil, but they count as supernatural beings.

And they could not tell you something, that they didn't know.

Because they stayed away from the areas we were hiding in."

Garik interrupted, "But we followed you closely, Sister Silmara. We would not truly abandon you in this dangerous forest."

Silmara smiled.

Dante looked toward the cave.

"I've been sensing shifts in the natural energies of the forest. We may be drawing close to its source. Stay vigilant."

And Garik provided the light. The trio entered the cave, leaving behind the vibrant hues of the forest for the muted shadows of the underground.

The air grew thick with otherworldly energy, causing a shiver to run down Garik's spine.

He gripped his shield tighter, ready to shield his comrades from any danger that may lie ahead.

Suddenly, a soft glow caught Silmara's attention.

She raised a hand, beckoning the group to halt.

Dante and Garik saw a young woman, naked and injured inside the cave. She was unconscious and burning in temperature.

Garik picked her up and covered her with his cape.

"This is her. The High Archdruid's Daughter. I've seen her before during ceremonies. Although, she rarely comes out of the Temple."

Dante invoked [Healing Light] again, and healed her injuries but it did not work.

He kept trying again and again but it would not change a thing.

Garik replied, "Her injuries require higher tier healing Invocations. A Holy Cleric maybe. But there are none left here in the Continent of Eastern Ravenna."

Garik carried her with both his arms, and said, "We must hurry back quickly. There might not be time left before the High Archdruid does something irreversible. And the Grove Guardian has not returned yet."

Dante stared at Silmara. And he gave her a slight nod.

"Come! Garik. We must return quickly as soon as possible."

They headed back to the camp with vigor in their eyes, to prevent the worst outcomes. As they were running as fast as they could in the dead of night.

The Sylvalia Forest's whispering silence ended with the sound of horses neighing and the clangor of Knights' armors moving about.

Garik, who was carrying the High Archdruid's daughter, halted.

Dante and Silmara also stopped when the figure in front of them awaited them in the middle of the trail.

"Garik! My boy! Is that you? You have found her! That is great. Come! Bring her quickly so that we may get her the help she needs."

"Who goes there!" the young boy Garik announces.

"It is I, Sir Alaver Amarasil. Knight Commander of the Swift Wind. Your mentor. Come!"

Dante nodded as Garik looked at him for confirmation. He walked toward Sir Alaver carrying the woman wrapped in cloth in his arms.

"Oh thank the Holy System, Sir Alaver! Praise It that you have come right in time to help us."

Garik was two feet in front of Sir Alaver, and he handed the young woman to him. While Sir Alaver's arms were occupied with carrying her.

Garik had already unsheathed his greatsword hidden under her, and within seconds he stabbed it straight through the stomach of his mentor, the Swift Wind Knight, Sir Alaver.

Sir Alaver shocked and puking blood, unwrapped the body from the cloth, and Silmara's face was revealed. She twisted her body and kicked Sir Alaver's head with great force. As she landed perfectly, Sir Alaver's neck had spun like an owl's and he was made to face the back of his armored body.

"What is the meaning of this?" Sir Alaver retorted. As he bled and wobbled against the sudden attacks that were made against him. "Garik? My son? Why did you attack me?"

Sir Alaver reached for his head with both hands and spun it back to its rightful place.

"Garik, my squire? I treated you like my own son. Why did you betray me?"

Garik pulled back his sword as blood spilled from Sir Alaver's guts.

"My name is Sir Garik Drekthar, Holy Paladin of Valor!"

He pointed his greatsword at the bleeding knight.

"And Sir Alaver Amarasil had died a long time ago."

"NOW REVEAL YOUR TRUE NATURE, DEMON!"