Spinoff Story: Eunice-Lost Civilization

The rainy season in Yunnan always arrives without warning, much like the countless secrets hidden in this land. It pours down abruptly, shrouding the emerald mountains in a misty haze.

Alicia wiped the sweat from her forehead and carefully brushed away the newly exposed carvings on the stone wall before her. She was in a remote valley near Shangri-La in northwestern Yunnan, the site of her Peking University archaeology team's summer excavation. As a local ethnic minority doctoral student specializing in ancient civilizations of the southwestern region, this dig held extraordinary significance for her—she had a faint intuition that this place, known among locals as the "Valley of Mists," might conceal secrets tied to her lost ancestors.

Her people had passed down ancient legends of the "People of the Stars," ancestors said to possess mysterious knowledge of communicating with the stars and harnessing the forces of nature. Yet, in some distant era, they had vanished abruptly, leaving behind only scattered ruins and cryptic myths.

"Alicia, take a break! The rain's about to get heavier," Professor Li's voice called from nearby.

Alicia looked up at the rapidly darkening sky and nodded. "Understood, Professor. I'll just finish marking this section first."

Her attention returned to the stone wall. The carvings were ancient and unique, unlike any known civilization's symbols she had encountered before. Instead, they bore a faint resemblance to the "Star Script" described by the elders in her hometown. A surge of excitement coursed through her—perhaps she had truly found a clue to the past.

Just as she was about to stand, the ground beneath her feet suddenly trembled violently!

"An earthquake?!" someone shouted.

Then came the deafening roar of a landslide—mud and rocks, mixed with uprooted trees, roared down the mountainside like an enraged beast.

"Run! Landslide!" Professor Li's voice was hoarse with urgency.

The archaeological team scattered in panic. Alicia reacted swiftly, grabbing the backpack containing their excavation records before sprinting away. But her position near the lower part of the stone wall left her directly in the path of the mudslide.

At the critical moment, the ground beneath her collapsed. With a scream, she plummeted into a sudden, pitch-black pit!

The impact nearly knocked her unconscious. Fortunately, the pit's floor was cushioned by thick layers of fallen leaves and soil, softening the blow. Gasping, she struggled to sit up and found herself in a narrow natural cavern. The entrance above was completely buried by falling debris.

"Hello?! Professor Li?! Xiao Wang?!" she shouted, but only echoes answered her.

Fear coiled around her heart like icy vines. She switched on her headlamp, its weak light revealing the surroundings. This was a small stone chamber, likely the interior of the wall she had been examining. And to her astonishment, its walls were also covered in ancient carvings and murals similar to those outside!

The murals momentarily pushed her fear aside. They depicted stars, mountains, and humanoid figures wielding glowing weapons in battle against bizarre creatures. At the center of one mural was an elegantly crafted longbow radiating green light, its surface inscribed with mysterious runes.

"This… this is the legendary… Star Weapon?" Alicia murmured, recognizing some of the symbols—they matched the script her grandmother had secretly taught her, said to be the writing of the "People of the Stars" used to record their history.

Just as she was absorbed in the mural, the chamber shook violently again. The rocks above groaned ominously, and more debris rained down. The chamber was on the verge of total collapse!

In her desperation, Alicia's gaze returned to the mural of the green longbow. She felt an ancient call, a resonance from the depths of her bloodline.

"Please… save me…" Instinctively, she reached out and touched the bow's image.

The moment her fingers made contact, the impossible happened.

The entire mural erupted in dazzling green light! The painted longbow seemed to come alive, peeling away from the stone and materializing into a solid weapon of pure energy, hovering before Alicia.

Tendrils of soft green light flowed from the bow, enveloping her body. A warm, powerful force surged through her limbs, sharpening her senses and clearing her mind like never before.

At the same time, the chamber's collapse continued. A massive boulder plummeted toward her!

Without thinking, Alicia acted on instinct. She gripped the energy bow, and as if guided by intuition, a glowing green arrow nocked itself onto the string. She drew and released, aiming at the falling rock.

Thwip!

The energy arrow shot forth with a sharp whistle, striking the boulder dead-center. To her disbelief, the solid rock dissolved upon contact, crumbling into fine dust!

Alicia stared in shock at the bow, then at the dissipating debris. She couldn't comprehend what had just happened.

But the collapse wasn't over. Survival instinct took over. She fired arrow after arrow, shattering every threatening rock with uncanny precision. Green light flashed repeatedly in the cramped chamber, like blossoms of hope in the darkness.

Eventually, the tremors ceased. Though the chamber was in ruins, its core remained intact—miraculously preserved by her unconscious protection.

Exhausted, Alicia slumped to the ground, gasping for air. The energy bow dimmed but didn't vanish. Instead, it transformed into an archaic green rune, imprinting itself onto the back of her right hand.

She studied the mark, feeling the lingering warmth within her. Finally, she understood—the legends were true. The People of the Stars, the Star Weapons… all of it was real. And she… had become the new inheritor of this ancient power.

After a brief rest, Alicia turned her thoughts to escape. The entrance was sealed; she needed another way out.

She examined the murals closely, searching for clues. One depicted a mountain-ringed valley with a central lake, labeled in Star Script: "Valley of Moonlight."

"Moonlight Valley…" Alicia's heart raced. She recalled elders mentioning this fabled place—the last sanctuary of the People of the Stars, hidden deep in Shangri-La's mountains, accessible only at specific times.

Behind the longbow mural, she noticed a concealed passage. Pushing the stone slab yielded no results. Concentrating on the rune on her hand, she willed the green energy forth.

The rune glowed faintly, channeling power into the slab. With a click, it slid aside, revealing a narrow tunnel.

Taking a deep breath, Alicia tightened her backpack straps and stepped inside.

The tunnel wound downward endlessly. Guided by her headlamp and heightened senses, she treaded carefully for over an hour until light appeared ahead.

Emerging, she found herself in a vast underground cavern. At its center lay a crystal-clear lake, its waters shimmering with a soft, moonlike radiance that illuminated the entire space. Surrounding the lake were ancient stone pillars, all inscribed with Star Script matching her rune and the murals.

"Moonlight Valley… the Sanctuary…" Alicia whispered, awestruck. It was even more magnificent than the murals had portrayed.

Approaching the lake, she saw pebbles at its bottom through the pristine water. Tentatively, she dipped her hand in. A cool, pure energy surged into her, resonating with the bow's power. The rune on her hand glowed brighter.

Stranger still, the moment her skin touched the water, ripples spread across the surface, forming blurry images—scenes of her obtaining the bow, her ancestors wielding Star Weapons in battle, and even… glimpses of an unseen future: massive black vortices appearing worldwide, strange monsters pouring forth, cities reduced to ruins, and five figures holding weapons of different-colored light standing together against a shadowed foe.

"This lake… shows the past and the future?" Alicia withdrew her hand, stunned. The water stilled.

She realized she'd stumbled upon a place of immense importance—a sacred site hiding monumental secrets.

For the next three months, Alicia lived in this isolated underground sanctuary. Fortunately, her backpack contained enough compressed rations and water tablets to survive. More crucially, the lake's waters seemed infused with energy, sustaining her stamina and focus.

She devoted herself to studying the sanctuary and her newfound power.

She learned to control the Bow of Light. Initially, she could only fire arrows instinctively, but over time, she mastered summoning and dismissing the bow, adjusting arrow strength and trajectory, and even developing specialized techniques like split shots and homing arrows.

She deciphered the Star Script on the pillars and murals. Drawing on her fragmented ancestral knowledge and archaeological training, she pieced together the ancient lore. She uncovered the Star Weapons' origins—they weren't man-made but "Star Fragments" bestowed by higher-dimensional beings to chosen guardians tasked with maintaining cosmic balance. She learned of the Hellgates and the Void Realm, and their cyclical threats to the mortal world.

Using the clairvoyant lake, she glimpsed past and future fragments. She witnessed historical Star Weapon wielders battling Voidspawn, and foresaw the looming crisis—a time-traveling entity, driven by a twisted "salvation" agenda, was artificially triggering the catastrophe.

She also saw blurred visions of the other four wielders: a young man with a silver-white holy sword (likely Southeast Asian); a cheerful man wielding a golden warhammer; an elegant woman commanding a blue staff; and a nimble woman clad in red gauntlets.

The lake revealed that only by uniting could the five wielders stop the interloper and close all Hellgates.

Alicia understood her destiny now. She was no longer just an archaeologist—she was a chosen guardian. She had to leave, find the others, and face this crisis together.

But first, she had one final task: locate the "Book of Prophecy." According to the murals and lake visions, it lay in the sanctuary's deepest chamber, guarded by ancient sentinels. It held all knowledge of the Star Weapons, the Void Realm, and how to end the crisis permanently.

She'd tried reaching the inner chamber alone, but the two lion-like stone sentinels at its entrance were too powerful. Even at her full strength, she could barely fend off one, let alone break through.

She needed help. She needed to wait for the others.

Three months passed in isolated study and training. Alicia grew calmer, tougher, and stronger. She'd fully mastered the Bow of Light and steeled herself for the coming trials.

That day, as she observed the lake's visions as usual, the water suddenly churned violently. Four figures appeared clearly—traversing the tunnel she'd once taken, heading straight for the cavern.

A young man with a silver-white sword. A resolute young woman close behind. A jovial man shouldering a golden warhammer. And… a composed middle-aged man who seemed to be their guide.

"They're here…" Alicia murmured, eyes alight with anticipation.

Rising, she straightened her clothes, took a deep breath, and walked to the lake's opposite shore, facing the tunnel exit.

She knew she was no longer alone. A world-saving journey was about to begin.

When the four emerged into the cavern, Alicia spoke, her voice calm and clear, echoing through the vast space:

"You've finally arrived."