Chapter 73: The Haunting Tower

As the words "a war grave" escaped Sarah's lips, a heavy silence fell upon the group. Anna, Thomas, and Captain Garz exchanged puzzled glances, trying to comprehend the gravity of Sarah's revelation.

"What do you mean, a war grave?" Anna finally managed to ask, her voice filled with curiosity and concern.

Sarah took a deep breath, her eyes filled with a mix of sorrow and determination. She began to recount the forgotten history of the Emperor Garden, delving into its dark origins and the secrets it held.

"Emperor Alexander, the creator of this seemingly serene garden, was not merely expressing his love for Queen Elizabeth through its construction," Sarah began. "Underneath its peaceful facade lies a haunting truth—a truth that has been concealed for centuries."

She continued, her voice steady but tinged with a hint of sadness. "During an ancient war, a catastrophic battle took place on this very ground. The forces of good and evil clashed violently, leaving countless lives lost in the wake of their struggle. The Emperor Garden, unbeknownst to many, became the final resting place for those fallen warriors."

Anna and Thomas listened intently, their minds racing with the weight of this newfound knowledge. The realization that they had been standing on the hallowed ground filled them with a mixture of awe and unease.

"However," Sarah continued, her voice gaining strength, "the war grave's significance extends far beyond a mere resting place for the fallen. It is said that the dark mage Alcantraz, in his pursuit of power, performed forbidden rituals within this very garden. He infused the ground with the residual dark energy from the fallen warriors, harnessing their anguish and despair to fuel his own malevolent ambitions."

The group's expressions turned grim as they grasped the magnitude of Alcantraz's actions. The Alcantraz Tower, the source of the pillar of black light they had witnessed, was a manifestation of his wicked designs—an instrument capable of absorbing and amplifying the surrounding dark energy.

Sarah's voice lowered, her tone tinged with determination. "We must prevent the Alcantraz Tower from fulfilling its purpose. If it falls into the wrong hands, the consequences could be dire. It has the potential to turn any dark mage into an unstoppable force of destruction, plunging the world into chaos."

Anna and Thomas exchanged determined glances, understanding the urgency of their mission.

Leading Anna towards the source of the dark light, Sarah went straight towards it without any detour. Both of them had to leave Thomas and Captain Garz behind since Captain Garz was still unconscious and needed someone to look after him. Plus, bringing them along would only put all of them in danger.

At first, Sarah contemplated leaving Anna behind since she was still injured, but Anna insisted on going together with Sarah. Sarah, not wanting to waste any more time, reluctantly brought Anna along.

They hurried toward the source of the dark light, fearing it would be too late if they didn't act swiftly.

Due to the direness of the situation, Sarah didn't simply bring Anna with her. She also cast a healing spell on Anna, further accelerating her recovery. Anna marveled at the potency of the spell, as it healed almost 70 percent of her injuries. Curious, she asked Sarah why she hadn't used the spell on Thomas and Captain Garz as well. Sarah replied, "I didn't have enough mana to do it. I can only use it once more, and I want to save it for more critical moments."

They rushed forward with all their might, but as they neared the tower, the scene that unfolded before them was horrifying.

The Alcantraz Tower stood as the epicenter, emanating waves of dark energy that spread and expanded relentlessly. The once beautiful flower field had transformed into a dark and eerie landscape. The ground quivered, and skeletal figures adorned in war armor emerged from the earth.

These skeletal soldiers wielded a variety of weapons such as swords, axes, shields, blades, and bows. Although mere skeletons, Anna and Sarah could sense that each soldier possessed a minimum strength equivalent to a 3-star mage. While 3-star opponents were no match for them individually, facing thousands of such mages would prove perilous even for high-tier mages.

"What should we do?" Anna asked Sarah, unsure of how to approach such a daunting challenge.

With a calm expression, Sarah produced a staff-like item. The artifact was white in color, with a wing-shaped head. As Sarah brandished the staff, it emitted a pure, holy white light, causing the surrounding dark energy to retreat.

"Wow! I didn't know you had something like that," Anna exclaimed, taken aback by the staff. She realized it must be a high-grade artifact.

"It is called the White Blessing Staff, an artifact bestowed by Queen Elizabeth to those who would inherit her legacy," Sarah explained. "It possesses a holy attribute that resonates with those possessing the Holy Blessing Constitution, making it most suitable for me."

Dark energy and holy energy were considered distinct forms of energy that could be acquired. While dark energy could be accumulated through negative emotions and death, holy energy could only be attained through purity.

Legend spoke of a mage who vowed to sustain her purity in body and mind, abstaining from relationships and unnecessary thoughts. It was said that she even blinded her own eyes to safeguard her mental purity, ultimately amassing an immense amount of holy energy and becoming one of history's most powerful mages.

Obtaining these energies was notoriously difficult, as even a slight misstep could lead to being consumed by darkness. Yet, there were cases of individuals born with small amounts of either energy. Those born with significant amounts often developed unique attributes and constitutions. The Holy Blessing Constitution, however, was believed not to exist—only Sarah knew the truth.

Sarah, aware of Anna's trustworthiness, decided it was best to keep the knowledge of the divine artifact to herself. The fewer people who knew about it, the safer it would be.

"Let's go. We must hurry. The ritual has already begun, but we are not too late to stop it," Sarah declared, wasting no time. She swiftly ran forward, with Anna close behind.

In addition to her concerns about the tower, Sarah also worried about William's well-being. "William, I hope you can hold on a bit longer," she thought to herself, determined to reach the tower and put an end to the malevolent ritual.