Chapter 62: Kyle's Struggle

The huge and transparent wings of the Enchanted Spirit Winged Beast waved leisurely, and multicolored lights bloomed all over its body, forming a brilliant light curtain that enveloped Kyle. In an instant, Kyle felt that the surrounding scenery twisted rapidly like a broken mirror, and his body seemed to fall into a bottomless and endlessly rotating whirlpool. After a dizzying spin, he stepped into the mysterious illusion carefully constructed by the Enchanted Spirit Winged Beast.

When the surrounding scenery gradually became clear from blurry, Kyle found himself in a village filled with a sense of death and decay. The leaden gray sky hung low heavily. The dark clouds were like a huge stone slab about to fall, pressing down on his head heavily, as if it would crush this world at any moment. The dilapidated houses were in a state of disrepair, like a group of elderly people at the end of their days, teetering under the erosion of time. A nauseating smell of decay permeated the streets, mixed with the smell of damp soil, making people want to vomit. A strong sense of familiarity welled up in Kyle's heart. As if being pulled by an invisible hand, his footsteps slowly moved involuntarily. Each step seemed to tread on his long-buried memories, making a dull and heavy echo.

Suddenly, a heart-rending cry of pain pierced the silence like a sharp dagger. Kyle was startled and rushed in the direction of the sound. In the central square of the village, a group of ferocious-looking plunderers, brandishing sharp blades, were wantonly waving their weapons and Crazily destroying everything in front of them.Their eyes sparkled with greed and tyranny. Wherever they went, houses were toppled, items were smashed, and the villagers fled in panic. The cries and pleas for help intertwined, forming a tragic melody. Kyle's eyes widened, and his pupils shrank sharply. He saw his younger self, weak and helpless, cowering in a dark corner of the square. His eyes were full of fear and despair, and his body trembled continuously, like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

"No!" Kyle let out a low and painful roar from the depths of his throat, his voice filled with endless anger and regret. Without hesitation, he rushed towards those plunderers, tightly gripping the stardust long sword that symbolized hope and power in his hand. The sword body shimmered with a faint but firm light. However, when he swung the sword at the plunderers, a strange thing happened — the sword seemed to strike a mass of illusory smoke, not causing the slightest ripple. The plunderers continued their rampage as if Kyle's attack was just a negligible breeze to them.

Kyle looked at the tragic scene that he couldn't change, and the pain in his heart became more intense like a surging tide, almost drowning him completely. His thoughts involuntarily drifted back to that dark and miserable childhood. In that sudden and terrifying disaster, the raging fire devoured his home, and the ruthless blades took the lives of his parents. He watched helplessly as his relatives and villagers suffered in front of him, but he was powerless to do anything. Those painful memories were like sharp blades, stabbing deeply into the depths of his heart. Every time he thought about them, it was as if they were tearing his soul apart.

"Why? Why was I so weak at that time? Why couldn't I protect my family and fellow villagers?" Kyle's heart cried out silently, and his eyes were filled with self-blame, regret, and unwillingness. Just then, a cold and evil dark force, like a snake hidden in the dark, quietly grew and spread in his heart, trying to completely devour his reason and will.

"Join us, Kyle," a low, hoarse, and tempting voice whispered in his ear, like a call from the abyss of hell. "You possess extremely powerful strength. Stop being bound by these useless emotions. Let the dark power fill your body and merge with your soul. You will then be free from weakness and helplessness and become the master of this world."

Kyle's body trembled slightly, and he truly felt the powerful temptation of the dark power. It was a fatal temptation that could make him forget all his pain and obtain endless power instantly, as if as long as he nodded slightly, all his troubles and pain would vanish. His eyes began to become dazed, and his originally firm gaze was gradually obscured by a layer of mist. The stardust long sword in his hand also slowly drooped unconsciously, and the light of the sword body dimmed.

However, just as the dark power was about to completely erode his heart and turn him into a puppet controlled by the dark, the figures of his companions suddenly flashed clearly in Kyle's mind like a bolt of lightning. Elsa's firm and clear ice-blue eyes seemed to be able to see through all the darkness; Morgan's bright and enthusiastic smile full of vitality was as warm and dazzling as the sun; Cavin's focused and wise expression revealed his persistent pursuit of knowledge and firm support for his companions; Alicia's powerful and agile figure always rushed forward bravely and fearlessly in battles; and Lynn's words full of wisdom and composure were like a guiding light, leading the way for everyone in the confusion. They had fought side by side with him, faced countless difficulties and obstacles together, and worked tirelessly to save the Colorful Spirit Tree Star Domain.

"No! I will never be consumed by the darkness!" Kyle suddenly woke up, and a determined light flashed in his eyes. He used all his strength to tightly grip the stardust long sword. In an instant, the sword body burst out with a dazzling stardust light, which was like a rising sun, illuminating the entire dark illusion. "I want to protect my companions, and I want to save the Spirit Tree Star Domain! I will never let the pain of the past dominate my life again!"

Kyle's eyes became firm and fiery, as if two flames that would never go out were burning in them. He rushed towards those plunderers again without hesitation. This time, the stardust power surged out of him like a volcanic eruption. Wherever the light reached, the darkness dissipated quickly. Under the illumination of this powerful stardust light, the plunderers let out painful screams one after another and turned into wisps of black smoke and disappeared. The village also gradually returned to peace under the shroud of this light. The houses became neat again, and the smell of decay in the streets gradually dissipated.

However, the test of the illusion did not end there. The scene changed again like a movie scene, and Kyle found himself in a horribly desolate battlefield. Bodies were strewn all over the battlefield, and blood flowed freely on the ground like winding streams, staining the entire land a shocking dark red. Kyle's steps were heavy, and each step seemed to sink into a thick pool of blood. He saw his companions who had been injured due to his wrong decisions in battles. They were lying in disarray on the ground, their bodies covered with wounds, moaning in pain, and their faces full of despair and helplessness.

"Kyle, why did you do this?" A wounded companion looked at him with the last bit of strength, his eyes full of deep despair and resentment. His voice was weak but was like a sledgehammer, hitting Kyle's heart hard. "Because of your mistake, we have all paid such a heavy price!"

Kyle's legs went weak, and he knelt down beside his companion with a thud. Tears welled up in his eyes and rolled down his cheeks uncontrollably. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. It's all my fault..." His heart was once again overwhelmed by pain and self-blame, as if he had fallen into an inescapable dark abyss. The dark power, like a shark that smelled the scent of blood, surged wildly in his heart again, trying to drag him completely into the endless darkness.

"This is your destiny, Kyle," the evil voice sounded in his ear again, like a demon's curse. "You are doomed to bear these pains and will never be able to escape. Only the darkness can free you from all this."

Kyle gritted his teeth, his teeth chattering. He knew very well that this was the most severe test of the illusion for him, and he must not sink again. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his wildly beating heart, feeling the stardust power flowing in his body like a surging river. "I will not be defeated! I will learn from my past mistakes, and I will become stronger. I will never let my companions be hurt again!"

Kyle slowly stood up. He held the stardust long sword high, and the stardust power continuously gushed out from the sword body, like a brilliant galaxy, gradually dispelling the thick darkness around. He shouted loudly at the illusion, "I admit that my past is full of pain and mistakes, but I will not let them define me! I am Kyle, and I will use my power to protect everything I cherish!"

With Kyle's shout, the illusion began to shake violently, as if the whole world was shaken by his firm belief. The illusory world created by the Enchanted Spirit Winged Beast, under the impact of Kyle's powerful willpower, was like a crumbling building, starting to show cracks. The light became brighter and brighter, and the darkness was completely dispelled. Kyle slowly opened his eyes and found that he had returned to the real world.

The Enchanted Spirit Winged Beast hovered quietly in front of him, and a look of approval flashed in its eyes. "Kyle, you have passed the test. You have overcome the darkness in your heart and proven that you have a strong will and a kind heart."