As they returned to their original path, Towan and Elliot began talking to break the silence.
"How were those figures supposed to form?" Elliot asked, still reflecting on what had happened in the ruins.
"On top of that, our hits went right through them and they disappeared, like they weren’t even real..." Towan added in frustration.
The master, who had been silent since they left the ruins, still had a serious expression on his face.
"Do you know anything about that, Master?" Elliot asked, noticing his mentor’s distant attitude.
The master sighed before responding. "As you mentioned, Elliot, it was corrupted Essentia. The only way to create corrupted Essentia is by killing living beings or through the influence of someone who is already dead but whose Essentia continues to flow..." He paused briefly before adding, "Those figures were probably ancient warriors who used Essentia. Someone tried to bring them back, but they didn’t succeed completely. That’s why they were trapped in that state."
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"Corrupted Essentia? And you never mentioned anything like this?" Towan exclaimed, surprised.
"I didn’t think it was necessary. Besides, I didn’t expect to find something like that still lingering in the world," the master responded firmly.
"I think I read something about this in one of the books at home," Elliot said. "Years ago, there was someone who could manipulate this negative Essentia, and their followers caused massive chaos. Maybe that mural was talking about him... but the guy of light still doesn’t make sense."
"You don’t need to obsess over it right now, Elliot," the master intervened. "After the tournament, if you wish, we could investigate more about these kinds of ruins."
"Really!?" Towan exclaimed enthusiastically. "That would be amazing! Maybe we’ll even run into that evil guy or... the one with the light. Can you imagine?"
"Who knows..." the master said, avoiding the topic as they neared their first stop: a small village.