The Crystalid Depths glowed with a thousand facets, their crystalline walls reflecting Elian Valorian's Epic Aetherial Blade like a prism. The air hummed with Aether, thick and electric, as Elian led his team—Veyra, Liora, Sylvara, and a squad of Valorian rangers—through the subterranean maze. Ironhold's legions were hours from the capital, and Valorius's shadows haunted the surface. The Heart of Valoria, a relic to sever the specter's Void tie, was their last hope. The Crystalid elders, their gem-like forms pulsing, awaited them at the Depths' core, their resonant voices wary.
"You seek the Heart," an elder intoned, its facets dimming. "Prove your worth, human king."
Elian summoned the Faith System. [Current Belief Points (BP): 200]
The journey's resolve boosted faith. [BP increased to 2,300.]
"Show me options for 2,300 BP," he thought.
[Gold: 230,000 gold coins] [Aether Crystals: 230 crystals] [Rare Aether Shield: 2,000 BP]
"Convert 2,000 BP to Rare Aether Shield," Elian decided. A glowing barrier materialized, its light steady. Sylvara's wings twitched. "Another relic, king? Your power intrigues," she said, her tone cryptic.
"For Valoria," Elian replied, raising the shield. The elders demanded a trial: defeat a Void-tainted Crystalid guardian. Its massive form roared, shattering crystal pillars. Elian's Aetherial Crescent clashed with its claws, Veyra's daggers struck weak points, and Liora's Starbolt Barrage lit the chamber. The shield held, protecting the team as they felled the guardian.
The elders granted the Heart, a radiant gem pulsing with Aether. But as Elian grasped it, the Depths shook—Valorius's shadows had followed. Korran's urgent message arrived: "Sire, Ironhold's at the gates!" Elian's team raced back, the Heart's power flaring, but Valorius's voice echoed: "You cannot escape fate."