PART IV: AFTER THE DEFEAT OF THE BLACK MAGE

Chapter 10: Shangri-La, the Sinners’ Paradise

(A/N: This section covers both the original Shangri-La storyline, as well as the expansion that was added in the NEW AGE update. The story expansion starts after the author note which talks about all the NPC interactions with the elders and the researchers following the end of the regular story.

Something that you’ll see a lot in this storyline is the term “will of the world”, which is another way that the story refers to the Overseers. The elders are really the only people in the game who use the term “will of the world”, and they use it almost reverently, in the sense that they’re carrying out the will of God. I originally thought to just replace those instances with using the term “Overseers” instead, just for the sake of clarity, but I realized that it would take away from how the elders view the Overseers, and so I decided to keep it. I think “Overseers” is used directly just once in this story by Kaling in order to make it clear to anyone unfamiliar with the story in regard to what the will of the world is supposed to be.)

Following the invasion of Odium, Kaling met with Gerand Darmoor and explained everything that had happened at the laboratory. Darmoor summarized her report and noted that the Godsphere had fallen in the hands of the incomplete Adversary, and that all that was left was the lifeless husk of a Peril. He added that with the Godsphere missing and the Peril incomplete, they would never complete a Vessel with such a paltry prize. He explained that it wasn’t simply a matter of power, as they had enough to fill it. However, he told Kaling that without the Godsphere, their efforts would all be in vain.

He noted that Kaling had reported that the Adversary was headed for the realm of the sages, adding that it was quite convenient, as he had a debt to repay the elders. He told Kaling that as she had a long history with the elders, he would give her a chance to settle her grudge with them. He added that she wouldn’t need to worry about getting into Shangri-La, as the barrier would open from the inside.

He then turned to Hundun’s corpse, which Kaling had brought from Odium, and noted that as Hundun hadn’t been born with life, there would be no rest for him in his end, which he added was quite pitiful. Darmoor then used his powers to resurrect Hundun for Kaling, who then thought to herself that no one would be able to stand in her way anymore. She vowed to complete her experiment and, recalling her meeting with the Adversary, reaffirmed what she had once told them - that once she had something in her sights, she would never let it go.

Meanwhile, in Shangri-La, Tai Yu amusedly noted that the Adversary still seemed to be in shock after being dragged into the realm of the sages so suddenly. However, he reminded them that they didn’t have time for the Adversary to recover, as they still had quite a ways to go.

(A/N: Hoyoung gets exclusive dialogue in place of this, in which Tai Yu shakes his head and tells Hoyoung that he’s too old to be crying over a fall like that. Hoyoung retorts by asking what his age had to do with anything, as anyone would be in shock after getting pulled around in such a way. Tai Yu reminds Hoyoung that he was the one who had used to drag Tai Yu all over the place before adding that if Hoyoung has had enough of being a kid, then it was time to get going.)

Oz looked around and marveled at how it seemed like they were inside a painting, with the flowers, the trees, and even the clouds looking as though they had been painted with a brush. Brighton agreed that it was beautiful, though he noted that it didn’t seem natural, as everything – even down to the last flower petal – had been created by being infused with mana. He then noted that Tai Yu had mentioned earlier that the realm of the sages had been created to contain the elders. He asked who the elders were, and whether they were the researchers from Odium.

Oz told him that she didn’t believe that the elders were researchers, as both Cosim and Hundun seemed to have been talking about them as though they were a form of higher beings. Tai Yu confirmed that Oz was right and explained that the elders weren’t simply researchers, but the researchers’ teachers. He then added that it was perhaps time for the world below to know the story behind Shangri-La, the elders, and the Four Symbols.

Tai Yu explained that in the beginning, the elders had once been ordinary people. However, what had set them apart was their strong sense of duty to help the world with their knowledge. Their sense of duty had soon shone brightly, and the will of the world had recognized them and had bestowed them with a mission to create Adversaries through experimentation.

Twelve of the most exceptional Anima had been chosen for this research, and these Anima had later become known as the elders. Tai Yu explained that the elders had been given much by the will of the world, including long lives and an army of researchers to act as their helpers. Over a long period of time, the elders – with the help of the researchers – had committed many unethical experiments. The Glory Guard immediately recalled that they had seen traces of those experiments in the form of the monstrous research subjects hidden inside the laboratory.

Tai Yu then continued and explained that Odium had been under threat by those who had either felt threatened by the power of the Adversaries, and by those who had coveted it. As the elders had needed protection, they had called in the four strongest Anima in the world – the Azure Dragon, the Vermillion Bird, the White Tiger, and the Black Tortoise – who became known as the Four Symbols that protected the elders with their strength for eons.

(A/N: Like much of the lore about Shangri-La, the Four Symbols, as well as the elders and the Four Perils, are based on Chinese mythology. In Chinese mythology, the Four Symbols are also known as the Four Gods, or the Four Auspicious Beasts. They represent the four directions and are associated with the seasons. The Azure Dragon represents spring, the Vermillion Bird represents summer, the White Tiger represents autumn, and the Black Tortoise represents winter.

The Four Symbols appear in Chinese constellations along the ecliptic, and likewise, the elders are also based on the constellations, as each of the twelve elders are Anima that correspond to the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the pig.

The existence of the Azure Dragon and the dragon elder confirms that Anima can appear as dragons. When we meet the Azure Dragon, we see that she has dragon horns, although her horns are more reminiscent of Eastern interpretations of dragons, rather than the Western style horns that we’ve seen with the Nova.

The Azure Dragon also doesn’t have wings or a tail, which more or less confirms that it’s the main difference between dragon Anima and the Nova. You can tell just how much Director Won-ki hates the Nova when all the Nova classes that he made have no dragon features, but then somehow a literal Anima gets to look more like a Nova than an actual Nova.

Hoyoung gets exclusive dialogue during this part, in which he’s surprised to hear about a white tiger Anima. Tai Yu tells him that the White Tiger is likely Hoyoung’s distant ancestor. Hoyoung realizes that if the White Tiger is a living ancestor of his, then there might be a chance that the White Tiger knows of him and the Anima villager where he had been born.

Tai Yu explains that all the Four Symbols had left behind their previous ties when they had been chosen to protect the elders, though he admits that the White Tiger is rather headstrong and willful, much like Hoyoung, and that he had likely been passively keeping an eye on the village, even while pretending not to. Hoyoung is surprised to know that there’s another white tiger Anima aside from himself and wonders whether he’ll be able to meet the White Tiger.)

Tai Yu explained that the Ancient War had been won because of the Adversaries, and with their purpose fulfilled, the Adversaries had disappeared and the laboratory of Odium had closed its eyes forever. He added that after the war, the elders could no longer turn a blind eye to the sins that they had committed either, to which the Adversary asked him what sins he was talking about.

Tai Yu explained that unlike the Adversary, the Adversaries of Odium had lost their humanity and their sense of self in exchange for power, after which they had been reduced to nothing more than simple weapons. However, he added that it hadn’t simply been the Adversaries who had suffered that fate, as the researchers – and even the elders – had slowly lost their humanity as a side effect of their research, which the elders had called contamination.

(A/N: Lara gets alternate dialogue when Tai Yu talks about the elders’ sins. She recalls that he had once told her about the Sinners who had imprisoned themselves for the crime of having forsaken their humanity, which is what Tai Yu was just talking about. Tai Yu confirms her suspicions and explains that the elders had been haunted by their sins in the form of contamination, which had spread to them from their test subjects while running the experiments and had slowly eroded their sense of self.)

Tai Yu explained that in order to stop the contamination, Shangri-La had been created. He pointed out that the part of Shangri-La that they were in looked like spring, adding that three other seasons flowed in the realm as well. In order to suppress the contamination, the elders had chosen to reside inside the natural harmony created from the four seasons.

He added that in addition to stopping their contamination from worsening, the elders had also hoped to prevent the secrets that they had learned from the will of the world from leaking out. He explained that though he would have liked to show them the other seasons, they would invariably run into the Four Symbols, who each guarded one of the four seasons and served as the seasons’ barriers.

Having explained the origin of Shangri-La, Tai Yu told the Glory Guard that it was now time to meet the elders in person. Brighton then noticed a large scroll and asked Tai Yu what it was, noting that the power radiating from it felt incredible. Tai Yu explained that the Four Symbols served as the barriers of Shangri-La, with the scroll being the barrier of the Symbol of Spring, the Azure Dragon. Brighton noted that the other barriers must be scrolls as well, to which Tai Yu explained that the elders were behind Winter, the innermost barrier.

He told them that he would be able to take them straight to the pavilion and asked them to come closer. Using his power, Tai Yu transported the Glory Guard straight through the barriers of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, which took them to the pavilion, a convergence of the four seasons, where the elders resided.

Immediately upon arriving, however, Gaon the Black Tortoise appeared and pointed his spear at them. Upon seeing Tai Yu, Gaon explained that he had been wondering how they had managed to elude all Four Symbols. He told Tai Yu that he had known that Tai Yu had been given permission by the elders to go back and forth from Shangri-La and the world below, though he added that Tai Yu definitely hadn’t been given permission to interfere in the affairs of the outside world as he pleased, chiding him for having brought outsiders to Shangri-La.

(A/N: If the player is Hoyoung, Gaon will also ask Tai Yu if he hadn’t heard what the elders had said the last time that he had freely used his powers in the outside world, adding that he couldn’t overlook it this time. This is likely a reference to how Tai Yu had interfered by saving Hoyoung from Kaling during his level 200 quest.)

Tai Yu smiled and told Gaon that he appreciated the concern, though he added that Gaon had given them a bit of a scare. He turned to the Glory Guard and introduced Gaon as the Symbol of Winter. Turning back to Gaon, Tai Yu explained that though he hadn’t expected a warm welcome, he added that Gaon ought to hear him out first.

Just then, the other three Symbols appeared – Ara the Azure Dragon, Baekyeon the White Tiger, and Shuli the Vermillion Bird. Baekyeon joked that Gaon was a bit impatient, to which Ara told Baekyeon that he shouldn’t talk about Gaon like that, especially since Baekyeon hadn’t stopped them either.

(A/N: Based on the way that each of them refer to each other in Korean, it seems that Baekyeon is the oldest of them, followed by Shuli, then Gaon, and finally Ara.

If the player is Hoyoung, Baekyeon will say that after hearing that Tai Yu had brought someone in, he had hoped that it would be Hoyoung, adding that there’s no way that he wouldn’t recognize him. Looking closer at Hoyoung, Baekyeon jokingly asks the other Symbols if the resemblance between them isn’t striking. However, Shuli will merely tell him not to change the subject.)

Shuli then noticed the Adversary and noted that though she had known only that Tai Yu had brought in an outsider, it was clear from a single glance who they were. She explained that she had heard from Tai Yu about a new Adversary who had appeared in the outside world. She told the Adversary that the Four Symbols had been watchkeepers over the elders, the researchers, and their experiments, and that in all the ages that they had kept that watch, none of them had seen anything quite like the Adversary, who was the the only one of their kind to have their ego untarnished. She added that she would be lying if she were to say that their existence wasn’t astonishing, not only to them, but to the elders as well.

Just then, four of the elders – Zigang the rat elder, Maolang the rabbit elder, Shensung the monkey elder, and Weio the sheep elder – appeared. Zigang noted that Shuli was right, and that his surprise ran deeper than simply his expectations being surpassed, as he found the whole situation inconceivable. He noted that Tai Yu had certainly brought in something interesting, adding that Tai Yu always seemed to find ways to defy their expectations.

He then addressed the Adversary by name, noting that they were the new Adversary that Tai Yu had spoken of. However, he explained that he had been told that they were a completed Vessel and asked why it seemed that they were now empty. The Adversary explained that they had lost their Seal Stone during their travels, as Gerand Darmoor had shattered it. They told the elders that they had already used the Seal Stone’s power to defeat a corrupt Transcendent once before, though they added that it was still not enough, as they needed the power of the Adversary to face Darmoor, for which they had come to Shangri-La.

A surprised Zigang asked if he had heard correctly that the Adversary had already killed a god, expressing his shock that they hadn’t met their fate, even after fulfilling their purpose as an Adversary. An equally shocked Weio noted that as the Seal Stone was an item modeled after the Godsphere, it meant that the Adversary’s destiny must have remained the same. An amused Shensung noted that their situation was interesting, as it seemed that it was possible for an Adversary to avoid their destiny in such a way.

The confused Adversary asked him what he was talking about, to which Shensung laughed and told them that they could figure it out just by thinking. He explained that when the gods had been running wild, the will of the world had decided that it wanted order, for which it had called for a weapon: the Adversaries. He added that as the Adversary had once been completed, they ought to know just how powerful a completed Adversary was.

He told them that the Adversaries were weapons meant to kill gods and asked what they thought would happen if such weapons were allowed to be remain in the world. He explained the chaos that would ensue would be as though the Ancient Gods had never left, as it would simply be a new set of perpetrators replacing the first. The Adversary immediately realized what Shensung was implying, with Shensung confirming their thoughts by revealing that all Adversaries, from the moment that they awakened, were destined for death after fulfilling their purpose.

(A/N: This line is a bit interesting because the way that we were able to awaken the power of the Adversary during Limina was because of our strong desire to live, rather than our desire to sacrifice ourselves. I don’t think that having a desire to survive is a requirement to awaken the Seal Stone, but rather, it’s because that just happened to be the strongest desire that the world had during Tenebris.

The Seal Stone is an object that only grants the wish of a population, and the reason why we were able to become an Adversary was because the world, in choosing to save us, marked us as someone who embodies the will of the people. During Tenebris, the Black Mage cultivated the Alliance’s strong determination to survive, and then he cultivated the Adversary’s determination to rise above their despair, which finally culminated in us awakening the Seal Stone in Limina after our determination was synchronized with that of the world.

For the Adversaries of Odium, it’s unlikely that they had a strong desire to survive, as they were stripped of everything except their desire to fulfil their purpose. Unlike us, they probably already knew that they were destined for death, and so there’s no way that they could’ve had the will to keep living when they already know that fulfilling their purpose ends in their death.

Like I mentioned in the last section, the people from the time of the Ancient Gods were never truly united like the Alliance, and the Adversaries of Odium were created in a laboratory way up in the sky, completely separated from the world. The universe was far too vast, fractured, and disjointed for people to help each other, or for the Vessels to be considered heroes in the public eye, and so the single greatest wish of the people likely wasn’t that they wanted to survive together, but rather, it was their hatred of the gods and their desire to see them destroyed.

That would also explain why the Adversaries of Odium wouldn’t have been able to bond organically with the Godspheres, since there are too many conflicting individual desires of the people, as well as because the Vessels can’t natural embodiments of so many conflicting desires. The only unified wish of the people is for the gods to be stopped, and so the elders erased everything inside the Vessels except for that singular desire, which would’ve allowed them to awaken the Godspheres and kill the gods.

In contrast, the Adversary is unique because our survival and the Black Mage’s defeat were both part of the Alliance’s collective wish, and so we could retain our humanity because the Alliance cared about us as a person, not as a tool, and so their wish was for us to come back to them with all the parts of us that made us human. Compared to the Adversaries of Odium, who had everything except their utility to perform a given function stripped from them, our utility came from our individuality because to the Alliance, we were worth more than just what we could do for other people.)

Shensung explained that if the Seal Stone had remained inside the Adversary, then they would not have been able to avoid their destiny. He then laughed and told them that it meant that they owed their life to Darmoor. A shocked Oz realized that if Shensung’s words were true, then it meant that Darmoor had deliberately chosen to destroy the Adversary’s Seal Stone in order to allow them to escape their destiny. Brighton noted that it seemed quite strange, as he wondered why Darmoor hadn’t chosen to kill the Adversary after destroying the Seal Stone.

(A/N: We technically did die right after killing the Black Mage when we scattered into Erdas. It’s implied that the White Mage used the power of destruction to kill us and then used the power of creation to revive us, along with all the other Alliance soldiers who were killed by the Light of Annihilation.

If that’s true, then it means that the White Mage was the one who changed our destiny by reviving us after we met our fate as an Adversary, rather than Darmoor saving us by destroying the Seal Stone. It also makes more sense that we would die immediately after killing the Black Mage, rather than us arbitrarily dying many months after the incident, which would defeat the purpose of ensuring that Adversaries die once there’s no reason for them to keep living.

If I’m being honest, I’m not a fan of this idea that Adversaries are destined to die after fulfilling their purpose. When we learned about how the Adversaries of Odium lost their humanity because of the elders’ experiments, I thought that alone was a decent way of distinguishing us from the other Adversaries by showing how we were organically created from the pure-hearted desire of the people for us to live, in contrast to the cyborg Adversaries of Odium, who were forcibly fused with the Godspheres through brutal experimentation.

I feel like the idea of distinguishing us even further by showing how we avoided the destiny of all Adversaries was unnecessary, not to mention a direct contradiction to the message of the game with us being the Adversary of Destiny, someone who was literally able to change our predestined fate.

I’ve written my thoughts on the idea of the Seal Stone being something that can change destiny at-length, which you can find in one of the author notes in the Convergence section, but the gist of it is that the line in Convergence about the Seal Stone being the thing that let the Adversary change destiny is almost 99% a misinterpretation that the Convergence writers made about the Esfera and Limina writers’ intent behind the concept.

The Black Mage’s goals and plans have gone through several different iterations over the years, with the original idea likely being that he never intended to destroy the world and instead just wanted to unite the world under good leaders while also removing the Overseers’ influence. Following the Kao revamp, this changed to him wanting create a new world and simultaneously destroying the Overseers’ influence with his death, which he chose not to do after the Adversary’s selfless act of saving Tana convinced him that humanity could still be saved.

In-between these two versions, the Convergence storyline added a lot of bizarre plot points that make no sense with either one. It suggested that the Black Mage had intended for the Adversary to kill Tana, and that the Seal Stone had somehow done something to influence the Adversary to spare her life instead, which is where the concept of the Seal Stone having the power to change destiny came from.

This isn’t supported in any capacity by either version, as the old version really didn’t explain at all why sparing Tana would change destiny, and the new version suggested that it was the Adversary’s decision to save her that changed the Black Mage’s mind about humanity being doomed, which resulted in him choosing not to enact the Genesis Ritual at the time of his death, thereby creating a new destiny for the world in which it survived.

In the current iteration of the story, the Seal Stone had no impact on us changing destiny - it was just a tool that lets us kill higher beings. The only way that the Seal Stone could’ve possibly changed destiny is if it somehow overrode our free will and compelled us to make the choices that led to us defeating the Black Mage, which would spit in the face of the message of the game emphasizing our free will and our power to choose.

That’s also why I’m not a fan of the idea that the Adversary was fated to die because of the Overseers, or that we were saved by Darmoor, or the White Mage, or whoever. It takes away from the idea that our salvation is in our own hands and makes it so that we had no choice but to rely on a higher being in order to be saved, which is the exact opposite of the game’s message.

Instead of our free will being an indomitable force that can defy a god, it’s now been given a limitation, and the message becomes that in spite of giving it our best, at the end of the day, we’ll always need a god to come and save us because our free will just isn’t enough to get us to the finish line on our own.)

Zigang then interrupted and told them that there was nothing further to hear after learning that the Adversary’s existence was one which had rejected the will of the world, adding that there was no way that they could allow the Adversary to leave Shangri-La alive. Though Tai Yu cut in and told Zigang not to be hasty, Zigang angrily scolded Tai Yu, explaining that when he had sent Tai Yu down to the outside world, he had expected Tai Yu to take responsibility for his own actions, as Taowu and Qiongqi – the Perils that Tai Yu had sealed – had broken free.

He reminded Tai Yu that his task had been to learn how the Perils had escaped, as well as to recapture them, and so he asked Tai Yu what the meaning of bringing outsiders to Shangri-La was. Tai Yu calmly replied that he had figured out the cause of the broken seals, as well as where the Perils were. He revealed that Kaling had released them, adding that Zigang should surely remember Kaling, as she had been his favorite researcher.

A surprised Zigang immediately realized that Kaling had set out to complete her experiment. Nevertheless, he told Tai Yu that there was nothing to worry about, as her experiment would never be completed. Tai Yu knowingly asked him whether it was because Hundun was sealed in the heart of Odium, to which a shocked Zigang asked him how he could possibly know that.

Tai Yu revealed that Guardian Kalos had fallen, which meant that the path to Odium had opened up. An aghast Gaon noted that if Kalos had truly been defeated, then it meant that the laboratory was once again exposed to the outside world. He immediately confronted Tai Yu and demanded to know if he was telling the truth. Tai Yu reaffirmed his words and explained that he – along with the Adversary, Brighton, and Oz – had all been witnesses. He explained that Odium had awakened, and that Kaling had entered its heart, where she had found not only Hundun, but the Godsphere that he had been fused with.

Shensung asked Tai Yu what had happened to Hundun and the Godsphere, to which the Adversary presented the Godsphere and explained that Hundun had died after bestowing it upon them. They told the elders that the Godsphere was a shell of what it used to be, and that they had come to Shangri-La in order to seek their help on how to restore its power, as they had been told that the elders would know a way to do so. Shensung examined the Godsphere and told Zigang that the Adversary was telling the truth, adding that it really was the World Heart. He then cursed Hundun, claiming that he had been quite clever to make such a mess of things at the end of his life.

Tai Yu then addressed Zigang and the other elders. He explained that he understood plainly that if the will of the world didn’t allow it, none of them would interfere in the affairs of the world, even if the sky itself were to come crashing down. He then pointed out the consequences of their inactivity, with both Kalos and Odium having fallen. He explained that the worst had been avoided only thanks to the Adversary, and that they couldn’t hope to be so lucky forever. However, Zigang merely noted that Tai Yu had done quite a bit while they hadn’t been watching and asked how he still couldn’t understand that the outside world was none of their concern, and that it never would be again.

Shensung then turned to the Adversary and asked what kind of nonsense they were uttering with their talk of having come to Shangri-La to “seek their help”. He told them that Hundun had simply wanted to wave them - the Adversary who had cheated destiny - in the elders’ faces, to show them with their own eyes that they had miscalculated, which was all part of some sick joke, just so that Hundun could have the last laugh. Maolang then spoke up and asked Zigang how long he was planning to give the outsiders the courtesy of listening to their nonsense.

Zigang agreed with her and ordered Gaon to seize the Adversary. He claimed that the Adversary had defied the will of the world, and that they would one day throw the world into chaos if left unchecked. In order to prevent that future from happening, he ordered Gaon to seal the Adversary, along with the World Heart, in Shangri-La’s Winter, which would ensure that they would never set foot in the outside world again.

Shensung then ordered Baekyeon the White Tiger to seal Tai Yu in Autumn while they figured out what to do with him. He began wondering what they should do about Oz and Brighton, to which Maolang pointed out that they were outsiders with no reason to be in Shangri-La, and so she ordered Ara the Azure Dragon, the gatekeeper between Shangri-La and the outside world, to expel them from the realm of the sages. With that, the elders disappeared and the Symbols left to carry out their instructions.

However, Gaon stayed where he was and expressed his shock at what he had heard from the Adversary and Tai Yu. He explained that he had known that Tai Yu and several others had gone down to the world below, though he had only heard that it had been to tie up some of the loose ends that the elders had inadvertently created there. However, based on what he had heard, he noted that it must mean that there had never been order in the outside world and asked the Adversary if it was true that the world was not at peace.

Before the Adversary could answer, Gaon changed his mind and told them that there was nothing more for them to say, as he had only been tasked by Zigang to take them to Winter. The Adversary paused and thought to themselves that though they were about to say something, it seemed that Gaon wouldn’t listen. Realizing that resisting would cause trouble for Oz, Brighton, and Tai Yu, they decided that they would follow his orders for now.

(A/N: Hoyoung gets an alternate script here. After Gaon changes his mind and orders the Adversary to follow him, Taotie will note that Hoyoung seems conflicted and asks what he plans to do. Hoyoung tells Taotie that he doesn’t have much of a choice, since Gaon has practically covered his ears to anything that he would say. He notes that resisting will cause trouble for Oz and Brighton, though he adds that his Master will probably be fine, since he’s the legendary sage of Grandis. He then decides that he’ll follow Gaon’s orders for the time being.)

Gaon then led the Adversary to Winter, with snow immediately beginning to appear as they left the pavilion. The Adversary noticed a large scroll and realized that it was just like the one that they had seen in Spring. Suddenly, the Adversary spotted an assailant closing in and immediately warned Gaon, who blocked the attack with his spear.

Just then, Gaon spotted many more assailants approaching and quickly realized that it was an invasion force. He began wondering how it was possible that invaders could have come to Shangri-La, which was disconnected from the outside world. The Adversary realized that if Shangri-La was inaccessible from the outside, then it likely meant that someone from within had allowed the invaders to enter.

However, Gaon replied that it made no sense, as the elders had all been hand-picked by the will of the world itself. He explained that even in spite of how long it had been, and in spite of the contamination, their sense of duty to follow the will of the world shouldn’t have changed. He noted that Shangri-La being attacked had never happened before, and that the only possibility was that there was a crack in their defenses somewhere. He then realized that Ara might be in trouble in Spring, as Ara was the gatekeeper of Shangri-La. The Adversary also realized that Oz and Brighton were with her, and that they would need help as well.

At Gaon’s conflicted silence, the Adversary told them that to answer his earlier question about whether peace and order had vanished from the outside world, they explained that after the Ancient War, the world had been in danger countless times since, and though they had fought to protect the world and to save everyone’s lives, the conflict, even now, still wasn’t over. After processing the Adversary’s words, Gaon told them that if they were telling the truth, then it meant that his conception of a peaceful world down below was nothing more than a delusion.

Upon seeing Gaon’s shock and confusion at this revelation, the Adversary told him that though they didn’t know what kind of world he had been expecting to see, they explained that there was one thing that they were sure of – that if he truly wanted peace, then he couldn’t leave it to anyone else to secure it, as he needed to protect the world himself with unyielding determination.

Gaon began reflecting on the Adversary’s words, but after a moment, he shook his head and told them that he couldn’t deny what Zigang had said either, as it was also true that they were an Adversary who had defied destiny, meaning that they had the potential to create great chaos in the world. Though he told them that he couldn’t just let them go, he also admitted that, given the situation, joining forces wasn’t out of the question for the time being. He told them that they would head for Spring immediately in order to rescue their friends.

Though the Adversary was grateful, they nevertheless asked Gaon whether he himself was okay with working together, as the elders likely wouldn’t be happy with him working with them. A somewhat unsure Gaon noted that he hadn’t caused any problems like Tai Yu had, and so he hoped that the elders would overlook a single transgression. Though the Adversary noted that Gaon was clearly nervous about defying the elders for the first time in his life, they nevertheless followed him to Spring.

There, however, they were shocked to find that the scroll of Spring was degrading. Gaon explained that the scrolls were intimately connected to the Symbols, and the fact that the scroll had been damaged to such an extent meant that Ara was gravely injured. As he began calling out to Ara, Maolang the rabbit elder appeared and noticed Gaon, who immediately asked her if she was alright.

Maolang told him that she was unharmed, though she added that she wasn’t the one that he should be worried about. She then asked him what he was doing in Spring before noting that she could surmise the answer for herself. As Winter had been attacked, she supposed that he had come to determine whether the attack had come from the outside, since no one could enter Shangri-La without passing through Spring.

She laughed that he was quite trusting, as her first instinct would have been to suspect someone from the inside, for which she would have checked the pavilion in order to ensure that all the elders were where they ought to be. However, she told him that as the Symbol of a barrier, he would’ve figured the truth by now anyways – that the only way an outsider could enter Shangri-La without the barriers being affected was by someone from the inside allowing them entry, such as how Tai Yu had let the Glory Guard in.

She then laughed at Gaon for being so loyal that he would never allow himself to believe that someone would do so, adding that she could see why the other elders cared so much about him and the other Symbols. She noted that it seemed like such a waste to dispose of someone so talented, though she told him that he had saved her quite a lot of trouble, as she had been wondering how she would get the Adversary to come to her, as she, too, was wary of Zigang. She then attacked a shocked Gaon, though her attack was intercepted by a wounded Ara, who noted that as Gaon seemed to be fine, it meant that Zigang wasn’t one of the betrayers.

(A/N: I’ll explain more later, but it seems that the twelve elders are divided into groups of three, with each group overseeing one of the four seasons. Zigang is one of the three elders in charge of Winter, which is why Ara realizes that Zigang isn’t one of the betrayers, as Gaon, the Symbol of Winter, would’ve otherwise encountered him.)

Ara told Gaon that though she was relieved that he wasn’t hurt, she had been worried that he would be coerced into joining the enemy. She explained that several elders were actually spies for Darmoor, and that they were planning to bring Kaling into Shangri-La on his orders. She then turned to Maolang and asked her how she could betray her companions – whom she had known since the dawn of time – to some inexperienced, newcomer Transcendent like Darmoor.

She demanded to know whether Maolang had abandoned her duty and her sense of responsibility as an elder, adding that Maolang ought to be ashamed of herself. Maolang amusedly noted that Ara had found her way back and laughed at her words, claiming that despite Ara’s gall in addressing her in such a way, she was also quite short-sighted, as Ara could have avoided her fury by laying down quietly.

Maolang then attacked Ara once again, who managed to deflect the blow. Ara turned to the Adversary and told them that their comrades were fine, as they had already moved on to another season. Claiming that she could handle Spring alone, she asked them to check on the other seasons, as she was worried about Shuli and Baekyeon. Just as Gaon told Ara that he refused to leave her to face Maolang alone, several more assailants arrived to reinforce Maolang.

Ara reminded him that the Shangri-La that they knew, and even the elders that they had protected, were no more. Nevertheless, she added that she refused to give up, as she wouldn’t allow Shangri-La to fall apart any further. Because of that, she told him that she would stay and protect Spring, reassuring him that she would be fine, as no one knew it as well as she did. She then told Gaon to leave with the Adversary and save the others.

After Gaon and the Adversary headed out, Ara began fighting the assailants alone. Suddenly, darkness engulfed Spring as a fully-powered Qiongqi appeared. Maolang marveled at seeing a Peril in such a magnificent state and noted that it was easy to see why Darmoor had become interested in Kaling. She then turned to Ara and noted aloud that the Adversary wouldn’t be coming out unscathed this time.

Meanwhile, Gaon and the Adversary entered Summer, where they reunited with Oz and Brighton. Brighton told Gaon that they owed him an apology, explaining that despite having promised Ara, they had failed to protect Shuli, the Symbol of Summer. As Gaon checked on Shuli’s condition, he asked whether the attack was over. Just then, however, the Adversary sensed more enemies nearby.

Just as they began checking the scroll of Summer, darkness engulfed the realm as Taowu appeared before them. Gaon immediately recognized Taowu as one of the Perils that had gone missing. He then realized that if Taowu had managed to get past Spring and reach Summer, it meant that Ara must have fallen. Oz asked the Adversary if they would be fine, to which the Adversary reassured her that they would be, as they weren’t fighting alone. Brighton agreed, noting that alongside the Glory Guard was one of the Four Symbols.

After a fierce battle, the Adversary and their allies managed to defeat Taowu. Shuli then regained consciousness and expressed her relief that Gaon was alright. She began warning him about the traitorous elders, to which Gaon reassured her that he was aware. He explained that Winter had also been attacked, and that Ara had sent them from Spring, as she had been worried about Shuli.

He regretted that he had come too late, as he might have been able to protect her if he hadn’t hesitated. However, Shuli reassured him that they all knew that he was doing his best, promising that he hadn’t come too late. She then weakly asked him to check on Baekyeon, after which she passed out from her injuries and exhaustion once again. After Oz checked on Shuli and determined that she would be fine, the Glory Guard and Gaon headed towards Autumn.

As they began heading over, Tai Yu and Baekyeon faced Shensung the monkey elder, who unleashed a powerful attack on the pair. Baekyeon quickly grabbed Tai Yu and teleported them to safety in order to avoid it. Tai Yu told Baekyeon that he owed him much for helping him, to which Baekyeon replied that it was nothing, as he also owed Tai Yu for taking care of Hoyoung.

He explained that his white tiger Anima brethren that he had left behind in the outside world had never once left his mind, and that even though none of his descendants would ever know him, they would still remain in his memory forever. He added that if Tai Yu hadn’t been there when the white tiger village had burned down, Hoyoung – the sole surviving child – would have perished as well. Tai Yu replied that it was nothing to thank him for, explaining that even beyond being Baekyeon’s descendant, Hoyoung was his apprentice, first and foremost.

(A/N: If the player is Hoyoung, Baekyeon will note how much Hoyoung has grown, having become such a renowned sage under Tai Yu’s tutelage.)

Just then, Shensung laughed and wondered whether he had bitten off more than he could chew, as it seemed that his strength alone couldn’t handle them both. He then summoned a horde of assailants and explained that they could wrap it up now, as he had already done what he had been asked to do. As Tai Yu and Baekyeon fought the assailants, Tai Yu noticed Shensung heading for the scroll of Autumn and immediately realized that they had been tricked.

Before they could do anything, however, Shensung used his power to close the scroll, causing Baekyeon – whose life was tethered to it – to disappear. With Baekyeon sealed inside the scroll, darkness engulfed the realm as the Glory Guard and Gaon arrived in a ruined Autumn. The Adversary began asking Tai Yu whether he was alright, just as they looked around at the battlefield and marveled at how many enemies Tai Yu had been able to face. Gaon then asked Tai Yu where Baekyeon was.

(A/N: Hoyoung has an alternate script in place of the generic one. Hoyoung will express his relief that Tai Yu is in one piece, adding that he’d been worried sick. Tai Yu asks Hoyoung if that’s really the first thing that someone would say to their master after seeing them survive a battle. Hoyoung then asks Tai Yu where his ancestor, the White Tiger, has gone, as Tai Yu was supposed to have been with him.)

Tai Yu answered that Baekyeon had been taken by Shensung and noted that they had arrived just in time, as he had barely been able to hold off the assailants without Baekyeon’s help. Gaon was shocked to know that even Shensung had sided with Darmoor. Shensung laughed upon thinking that he had lived long enough to see the Black Tortoise, whom he called a kid, provoke him.

He then teleported right in front of the surprised Adversary and told them that it was nice to see them in one piece, explaining that their talents had caught Darmoor’s attention. He added that though he wished that he could talk more, he had to get going, as he had something to take care of. He then laughed that they would see each other next time, adding that he hoped that they wouldn’t be defeated in their current battle until then, after which he disappeared.

After Shensung left, Brighton felt the ground tremble and noted that something was coming. Suddenly, a revived Hundun appeared, whom the Adversary immediately recognized. A shocked Oz wondered how Hundun could be alive, as he was no longer fused with the Godsphere. Brighton replied that Hundun wasn’t really alive, pointing out that the Hundun standing before them wasn’t the same one that they had met in Odium.

The Adversary realized that the fact that Hundun was still moving had to be because of Kaling, or even Darmoor. However, they noted that it wasn’t important, as they needed to stop him no matter what. The Adversary then faced Hundun, and after a fierce battle, they managed to defeat him. Tai Yu noted in satisfaction that the Adversary had taken care of Hundun successfully. However, he pointed out that Shensung had escaped, lamenting that he should have seen it coming, especially since he had now taken away Baekyeon.

Gaon reassured Tai Yu that Baekyeon would likely be fine, as Shensung wouldn’t have taken the scroll if he had wanted to kill Baekyeon. Tai Yu jokingly noted that Gaon seemed quite relaxed after having encountered the Perils, though the Adversary cut in and reminded them that the fight wasn’t yet over. Tai Yu agreed and reminded Gaon that it was too early to relax, as Kaling hadn’t even shown herself yet. He noted that the Perils were fearsome enough on their own, but the power that they had demonstrated wasn’t their full extent. He then realized that only Winter was still standing, to which Gaon pointed out that they still had Ara.

However, Tai Yu reminded Gaon that Shangri-La was a well-protected land, which Kaling – even with Darmoor backing her – couldn’t release the Perils into so easily. He explained that if the barriers had all been intact, then they wouldn’t have run into the Perils in the first place, meaning that Ara must have fallen.

The Adversary then realized that if the barrier of Winter was the only one standing, then they needed to protect it. Tai Yu agreed, adding that if Winter were to fall, then so would Shangri-La. Gaon told them that for what it was worth, he was the Symbol who knew Winter best, and so he suggested that they hurry as soon as possible.

The Glory Guard then returned back to Winter, where they discovered Kaling. Kaling noticed the Adversary and told them that between the impudent Angler child and a rebellious Hundun, she had been kept quite busy since the invasion of Odium, with even the elders, whose faces she had never thought she’d see again, standing in her way. However, even in spite of them all, Kaling angrily told the Adversary that they were the one who had impeded her the most.

She reminded them that she had warned them not to get in her way and asked whether they even realized what they had done. Growing increasingly angry and desperate, Kaling explained that she had only barely managed to gain Darmoor’s trust, and that the Adversary had single-handedly managed to make her lose it all. Furiously, she yelled at the Adversary and demanded to know what they had done with the Godsphere, ordering them to hand it over to her immediately.

However, the Adversary plainly refused and explained that they didn’t care about the demands of an Apostle of Darmoor, nor did they care about what Darmoor had intended when he had broken their Seal Stone, or even that he had been the one to change their destiny, as they refused to falter. They explained that all that they cared about was protecting the world that they and their friends lived in, and so they refused to allow her to take it.

However, Kaling laughed scornfully and asked if they were really trying to compare their Seal Stone, which she called a human-made imitation, to the World Heart. However, she noted that despite the Seal Stone being a counterfeit, it had still been infused with the Overseers’ power and asked if they had felt like a hero while carrying something containing the power of a god.

She then angrily told them to get off their high horse, revealing that they weren’t the Adversary that Darmoor was looking for. Though the Adversary was shocked by her words, Gaon urged the Adversary not to listen, as they were merely the words of a contaminated researcher. Just then, Kaling fused with Hundun, Taowu, and Qiongqi and unleashed the full extent of her power.

The Adversary faced Kaling in combat and, after a fierce struggle, they managed to defeat her. A wounded Kaling collapsed before the Adversary, shocked that someone like her – an Apostle hand-picked by Darmoor to serve him, and one who had performed the most perfect research – could have lost. Suddenly, the Adversary’s Godsphere began glowing with a divine light. Kaling immediately recognized the light coming from the World Heart as it began draining her and her monsters of all their strength.

Kaling, broken and defeated, collapsed in despair at having lost all her power and effort in a mere instant. Severely drained, Kaling weakly looked up at the Adversary and asked how it was that they got to keep their humanity and shine so brightly without having had to give up anything at all. She then outstretched a hand towards the Adversary before collapsing in pain and scattering into ashes.

(A/N: The way that Kaling’s story was wrapped up in this storyline is something that I hated - and still hate, even with the expansion. The writers tried to slap a Band-Aid onto the many gaping holes in the story quality, with one of those things being a larger exploration of Kaling’s backstory, as well as a confrontation with Zigang, who was Kaling’s mentor in Odium. I’ll admit that Zigang’s conversation with Kaling was fairly well-done, given that it was more or less damage control, but the other underlying issues are something that nothing except a complete rewrite can solve.

Outside of Kaling being given like five minutes of screentime, the thing that makes me really annoyed is the way that the Adversary treated her. As a character, the Adversary has gone through a lot of flip-flopping in the way that they’ve been handled. For the majority of the Arcane River storyline, we were a boring, generically written protagonist who had no aspirations or feelings outside of passively reacting when other people talk at them.

Esfera and Tenebris were the first time that we got an actual character arc involving our desire to kill ourselves for the sake of the world, along with a rejection of this mentality in favor of choosing to care about ourselves the way that we care about everyone else. This idea was carried beautifully into Cernium with the way that we parallel Seren and help her find salvation, but after Cernium, we go back to being a generic template who exists just to meander aimlessly through Grandis if there isn’t someone steering us to where the plot wants us to go.

Shangri-La was the perfect place for our character arc to play into the story. Instead of treating Kaling as some generic evil Apostle of Darmoor, we should’ve been able to sympathize with her after seeing what happened to her. We got to see just how miserable Tana’s life had been after seeing her memories in the Morass and Esfera, and it was the very reason why we chose to spare her life in the first place - because our entire character arc revolves around our desire to save everyone, especially after seeing how Tana’s choices were all taken from her.

I would argue that we have even more reason to sympathize with Kaling - we’re both Vessels who were created to fulfill the destiny of an Adversary, and even though she wasn’t a successful Vessel like us, we both suffered a lot as a result of trying to follow through with that destiny. Kaling had to lose everything that made her human, and we were put through one traumatic situation after another during our journey to reach the Black Mage. The labyrinth broke us to the point that we wanted to die, and we even began to question why we were the one being made to suffer for the world.

Even if the Adversary believes that Kaling is beyond saving - which is an idea that I also hate - we shouldn’t have been treating Kaling as just an Apostle of Darmoor. Everything that we’ve seen about her life shows that she didn’t deserve what happened to her, and even if the writers really want to go down the route that she can’t be saved, we should’ve at least felt some level of regret that there are some people who can’t be saved, it nothing else than because it’s literally the one defining characteristic of our generic character template that we want to save everyone that we can.)

As Winter returned back to normal, the Adversary asked Gaon whether the rest of the elders were still at the pavilion, as it seemed that there was one more thing that they needed to hear from the elders. Gaon agreed and noted that the Adversary had saved both the elders and Shangri-La. He then told the Adversary that for a long time, he had stood protecting the order of Shangri-La, for which he had attempted to stop them earlier.

However, he admitted that if peace and order had fallen, and if it was true that conflict could no longer be avoided, then he believed that he had no other choice but to leave Shangri-La and protect the outside world that he and his friends had once lived in. He added that he had more to tell them, though it was something that the elders ought to hear as well, and so he asked them to follow him to the pavilion and hear him out there.

At the pavilion, Zigang told the Adversary that he had been waiting and admitted that the elders, against their will, were now indebted to them. He explained that they had seen the light coming from the World Heart, even from the pavilion, and noted that the Adversary likely had much to ask them. The Adversary asked Zigang if the World Heart was a Godsphere, explaining that Kaling herself had mentioned that it was something greater than a Seal Stone.

Zigang replied that it wasn’t just the Seal Stones that it was greater than, as not even the Godspheres could compare to the World Heart, which was the original created by the will of the world, with the Godspheres that the elders had mass-produced merely being replicas of it. He explained that though he had never encountered a Seal Stone before, he supposed that the Seal Stones had been created in the same way as the Godspheres, using the World Heart’s power that had permeated deep beneath the continents of Maple World as a template.

The Adversary then asked Zigang about the light from the World Heart, to which Zigang explained that the World Heart had been created to subdue the Ancient Gods’ power, and as such, it had the ability to take away the power of gods and god-like beings. He told the Adversary that the divine light that they had seen shining from the World Heart had been in reaction to the power of a god, which Kaling had been lent, causing the Adversary to realize that Kaling had been given part of Darmoor’s own Transcendent powers.

(A/N: It later gets revealed in the Carcion storyline that the World Heart only absorbs power under two conditions: either forcibly from a target after they’re defeated, or willingly after the target agrees to give up their power. In the case of Kaling, the moment that we defeated her, the World Heart absorbed Darmoor’s powers inside of her, causing her to disintegrate, although her disappearing seems to be a result of her power being forcibly drained, as we haven’t yet seen an instance of a target disappearing after willingly giving up their powers.

This also solves another plot hole that was initially introduced in Shangri-La before Carcion gave a proper explanation, which is that if the World Heart reacts to the power of gods and Transcendents, then Zero and Luminous should’ve immediately had their energy drained, since both of their powers stem from the Transcendents, as well as Kain and Pathfinder, since Kain’s Malice comes from Satiras and Pathfinder’s relic belongs to an Ancient God. However, given the conditions for the World Heart’s activation, it would makes sense that it wouldn’t drain their power when they come near it.)

Zigang then told them that he couldn’t speak on the matter any further, as they already knew too much. He explained that some of the elders had been against the idea of even allowing them to return to the pavilion, and that they had wanted Gaon to use his remaining power to seal them and the World Heart away. He admitted that he was inclined to agree with the other elders, as the Adversary was far too dangerous. However, he conceded that the reality was that they had saved Shangri-La, and so he would overlook it just this once.

He then turned to Gaon and added that the same went for him, warning him to never defy the elders again, after which he ordered the Adversary to surrender the World Heart and leave Shangri-La immediately. Gaon then nervously spoke up and told Zigang that he wanted to leave with the Adversary and go down to the world below.

He admitted that he understood that they had just fought off Kaling and the Perils. However, he explained that in his time in Shangri-La, he had been under the impression that the outside world had been a utopia, adding that he wanted to stop believing the things that he had simply been told without seeing the truth for himself. He explained that he had been afraid that any intervention on his part would have caused chaos in the world, and because of that fear, he had been blinded for far too long.

He admitted that he could not look away any longer, as he believed that he needed to use his strength to protect the world. However, an angry Zigang immediately refused his request, reminding him that the Blue Dragon and White Tiger had been taken away by the traitorous elders, and that the Vermillion Bird was resting from her severe injuries. With Spring, Summer, and Autumn all having fallen, Gaon and the barrier of Winter were all that protected Shangri-La. He then demanded to know whether Gaon intended to neglect his responsibility given by the will of the world itself.

Just then, Tai Yu interrupted and told them to settle down, as fighting wouldn’t help anyone. He explained that Shangri-La, in its current state, wasn’t suited to hide something as important as the World Heart. He also noted to Zigang that they both knew that once Gaon’s mind was made up, it would be difficult for anyone to change it. He admitted that the elders could try to force their hand, though he added that it would a waste for them to use their remaining power in such a way.

He then presented an alternate arrangement and offered to stay in Shangri-La himself, explaining that with the strength that he had gained from his travels, combined with the strength of the remaining elders, they would be able to create new barriers for Shangri-La. Regarding the World Heart, Tai Yu pointed out that there wasn’t much choice but to leave it with the Adversary, as it seemed much safer than leaving it with the elders, given everything that had happened.

Brighton asked Tai Yu whether he was up to it, as Shangri-La had, from its creation, been guarded by four protectors, not one. Tai Yu laughed and explained that while his strength couldn’t match that of the Black Tortoise, he could more than make up for it with a few tricks, adding that it would be quite simple with the elders’ cooperation.

(A/N: Hoyoung gets an alternate script here, in which Hoyoung, rather than Brighton, will speak up. He asks Tai Yu how he could possibly take responsibility for all of Shangri-La on his own, reminding him that he still has responsibilities towards the Hermitage and Hoyoung himself. Tai Yu tells Hoyoung to calm down, adding that he has everything covered. He explains that the Hermitage is part of Shangri-La in the first place, and as for Hoyoung, he points out that Hoyoung himself had been so eager to prove how much he’d grown up and how he could fearlessly stand on his own.)

Weio, the sheep elder, noted that Tai Yu’s words were sound, and so she asked him to come close. Zigang begrudgingly concurred and told Tai Yu to prove himself if he was so confident. The elders then bestowed their power onto Tai Yu, who combined it with his own magic to strengthen the core of Shangri-La and restore the other seasons. Zigang noted that he could feel a portion of the other seasons returning, and though it wasn’t perfect, he admitted that it was good enough for the time being.

He then told Tai Yu that he was right, and that they couldn’t protect the World Heart, nor could they stop Gaon from leaving. He also admitted that Tai Yu’s suggestion for the elders to lend their strength hadn’t been without merit, and so he curtly told them to leave it at that and ordered Gaon and the Glory Guard to leave immediately.

After Zigang disappeared, Gaon thanked Tai Yu for standing up for him. Tai Yu smiled and told Gaon that he should have listened to him earlier about hearing him out when he had first brought the Glory Guard to Shangri-La. He asked Gaon whether he was right that both the Adversary and the outside world were quite different from what Gaon had first thought.

Gaon admitted that Tai Yu was right and added that Ara had also told him to protect the world, and that Shuli had believed that it hadn’t been too late either. He noted that even Baekyeon, who never turned a blind eye to anything, would support his decision to leave Shangri-La. He then vowed that he would protect the world and bring back the captured Symbols.

Weio warmly noted that Gaon had a good heart before telling the Adversary that she still had one more thing to say. After introducing herself, she turned to Tai Yu and apologized for being unable to cover for him earlier, even though she owed him a great debt. She noted that Lara, who had been destined to make their bell ring, had appeared, and that Tai Yu had saved her when she had been in trouble.

The Adversary asked Weio about the bell, to which she explained that she and some of the other elders had created the bell to cleanse them of their sins. She told the Adversary that the bell didn’t easily ring, as it only reacted to someone with an immeasurably pure heart. She explained that they had designed it to cleanse them not only of their sins, but their contamination as well when it rang. (A/N: The bell rang during Lara’s main storyline when Lara’s desire to protect Gri caused the bell to ring and erase both Hannah and her paintbrush mysticant.)

However, she revealed that even when the bell had rung, the contamination had still remained, as did their sins. She supposed that their sins weren’t something that they could make disappear simply through feeling sorry, adding that it was perhaps their punishment for even trying. She told the Adversary that when the bell had first been created, the elders who had been opposed to it had claimed that their contamination had been a punishment from the will of the world, and that making the bell was nothing more than a waste of effort.

She admitted that what they had done hadn’t gone away, nor had the fact that they had committed unforgivable sins. She noted that it was a painful reality, and that though it would make them feel less guilty if they were to simply look away, she explained that she didn’t wish to look away anymore, for both she and the other elders understood what they needed to do in order to truly protect the world.

(A/N: Lara gets an alternate script to this scene. After Weio introduces herself, Lara feels that Weio reminds her of her grandmother. Weio explains that she’s heard from Tai Yu that Lara is the child who had managed to ring the bell that they had created. Weio will add that even after the bell had rung, the contamination had remained.

She supposes that their sins aren’t something that they can make disappear simply through feeling sorry, adding that it’s perhaps their punishment for even trying. Lara replies that that can’t be true, as it’s only natural to want to recover their goodness and humanity. She explains that there’s nothing wrong with wanting that back, and that their desire to reclaim it wasn’t their mistake. She adds that the elders’ mistake was running away, noting that though the elders had recognized that they had made a mistake, they had done nothing to show that they were truly sorry. Weio replies that Lara is right and admits that all that they’ve ever done is look away.

She notes that even after the bell had rung, the contamination has still remained, and so have their sins. She notes that it’s a painful reality, and that though it would make them feel less guilty if they were to simply look away, she explains that she doesn’t wish to look away anymore and adds that even if the contamination hasn’t been washed away, Lara was still able to ring the bell, which shows that despite their mistakes, and despite their sins, Lara has taught them that they can become better by facing it head-on instead of running away.

She reveals that even they – the creators of the bell – hadn’t known the meaning of what their sins being cleansed by the bell’s ringing would mean, though she now realizes that it actually means that the one who rings the bell will give them the courage to face their sins. Lara’s elemental spirit then appear to agree with Weio’s words.

I’ve mentally been on an odyssey and a half since the release of this storyline trying to figure out why exactly I hate it, and I’ve gone through several iterations of who’s actually at fault in this story. It started out with me thinking that the elders were completely at fault, and that Kaling did nothing wrong at all. After a while, I started thinking more about it, and I ended up completely reevaluating my idea of what accountability and responsibility means, and that was the start of me changing how I view the elders in this story.

The biggest reason why I hated the elders at first was their complete disregard for Kaling and what happened to her. It was bad enough that the Adversary had nothing to say about Kaling’s death, but none of the elders so much as blink when they learn about it, especially when Zigang was supposed to have been very close with her - you’d think that he’d at least have said a few words about the death of a colleague and a friend.

Honestly, the main reason why I was so annoyed with the elders was because I didn’t really factor in them being contaminated and losing their empathy. But after taking that into account, I realized that the elders are actually a lot more sympathetic characters than what I first assumed, and also that the game did a remarkably pathetic job at properly conveying what the moral of this story is supposed to be.

As far as Kaling and Alter go, it’s true that they had their free will taken from them, but this was also something that both of the consented to, fully knowing the risks. With that being said, though - in no way, shape, or form does consenting to the experiments mean that they agreed to be held responsible for anything that they would do after their humanity was taken away.

By any ethical standard, it’s always the researcher’s job to take responsibility for their test subjects. You don’t get to magically wash your hands of them just because you gave them a disclaimer. That would be like you agreeing to take part in an experiment that has the risk of inducing psychosis, being let loose into the world and hurting people in your compromised state, and then getting arrested for it because the researchers go, “Well, you knew that this might happen, so this is all on you. Have fun in prison. We’re gonna keep doing this to even more people now.”

Something that’s also pretty nebulous in the game is what the elders did with their test subjects. For the most part, it seems like they kept their defective Vessels in Odium until the contamination completely overtook them, which are those monstrous test subjects that we fight inside Odium. They also kept Kaling after the experiments failed, likely because she was a researcher who still had some use. The only thing that doesn’t make sense is why Alter was seemingly the only person thrown off Odium. I was really hoping that they’d acknowledge this in the story, but we’ll probably get our answer to this later.

In regard to the elders themselves, although they committed atrocities by conducting the experiments, the alternative was to be complicit in the deaths of trillions of beings, along with all the trillions who would be born into a life of eternal chaos and carnage, all because they did nothing when they were the only ones with the power to stop it. Alter and Kaling could've said no to being part of the experiments too, but they chose to participate because of that exact reason, and so I think it’s a bit unfair to say that the elders were complete monsters when they chose what they thought was the best option in the long-run.

It's more or less the same situation as the White Mage, in which him choosing to do nothing meant being complicit in the deaths of billions as they headed towards an irreversible, absolute extinction of life from endless war. In both cases, the elders and the White Mage were given two terrible options, and there was no possible outcome in which they could've been anything other than villains. In fact, you could even consider it to be their destiny that they were going to be villains no matter what.

After the war, the elders imprisoned themselves in Shangri-La for the rest of eternity in order to stop the contamination, which is a perfectly rational decision, given that it could spread to innocent people in the outside world if they didn’t lock themselves away. And even though their job was finished, they still continued doing what they could in order to fix the world by sending out Tai Yu to act in their place.

The other main thing that makes them appear to be villains is the fact that they practically worship the Overseers as the will of the world. At the same time, they also don’t see the Overseers the same way that we do. We’ve only ever seen the Overseers through the heavily biased perspective of the White Mage and Tana, which is why we’re made to believe that the Overseers are horrible. But during the Ancient War, the Overseers were saviors who liberated the world from the influence of countless selfish, chaotic gods who - until the Overseers gave humanity the World Heart - were incapable of being stopped.

The elders are victims of the Overseers just as much as anyone, and they're caught in a mentality of revering the people who destroyed their lives, very much like Alter and Kaling being conditioned into needing to be Adversaries and proving their worth to the elders, even while the elders ruined them. The elders are suffering from their humanity and empathy - the central core of their entire identity - being stripped from them, and while it was all a direct result of their choices, the consequences of choosing to do nothing would have piled on just as much - if not even more - sin to their names.

The most that they could do was make the bell in the hopes of cleansing their sins - not because they wanted to be blindly absolved, but because they had literally no path before them in which they could have kept their self-worth and goodness. The moment that the Overseers approached them and told them that they had to choose between hurting people or letting people continue to get hurt, it was all over for them. The bell was their desperate attempt to escape their destiny of becoming everything that they hated, because they were trapped in an unfair situation in which every choice they could possibly make was the wrong one.

With all that being said, however, the writers did an atrocious job with how they presented all of this through the concept of contamination and sin. The elders realize in the end that the bell can’t cleanse their contamination because their sins can’t be magically washed away, which is the writers’ way of symbolically equating contamination with sin. But the problem here is the way in which they actually go about presenting the elders, Kaling, and Alter as villains who refuse to take responsibility for their actions.

It’s true that the elders were given a terrible hand where they only had the choice to make wrong decisions. However, just because that makes them more sympathetic, it’s not an excuse for their actions. Just like with the White Mage, they can talk about their impossible dilemma for as long as they want, but that’s not gonna make the people who they irreparably hurt suddenly go, “Well, when you put it like that, all my trauma just magically went away!”

Likewise, Kaling and Alter both hurt a lot of people, and even though they only did it because their morals and free will were stripped from them, that doesn’t take away from the fact that they still hurt people. The most I’ll say is that you could consider Kaling to have some sins to her name because, as a researcher, she helped the elders with the experiments to take away the humanity of the other Vessels. But as far as their post-contamination actions go, they might not be responsible it, and I absolutely don’t believe that they should be held legally responsible for their crimes, but it’s still their moral duty to keep themselves accountable and do whatever they can in order to make things right.

However, this is where the writers’ stupidity starts to manifest with the whole idea of contamination. I’ll acknowledge that everyone’s definition of what constitutes a sin is different. For me, I don’t think that what Kaling and Alter did after being contaminated was a sin because their agency was impaired. But for some people, it might be that sin is determined by effect, not intent, which is completely valid. Regardless of whether they’re sinners or not, it’s still their moral duty to take accountability for the harm that was created because of them.

If you go by the idea that they never did anything wrong after losing their humanity, then there’s no reason why the bell shouldn’t have cleansed them. In equating sin and contamination, the writers are making the suggestion that the reason why Kaling and Alter’s contamination wasn’t erased was because the harm that they created can’t just be magically washed away, but if all their actions weren’t their fault, then there’s no reason why their contamination can’t be erased, because there’s no reason for the narrative to punish for something that they didn’t have any control over.

On the other hand, if you do think that Kaling and Alter should be held responsible for their crimes, you run into the other major problem that’s shared with the elders. Kaling, Alter, and the elders are all contaminated, which means that they don’t have empathy or any sense of accountability for their actions. The game tries to show that the elders are selfish because they turned away from their sins and chose to hide away instead of facing the consequences what they did, except that’s literally the opposite of what we’ve seen.

For one thing, they’re in hiding because they don’t want to spread their contamination to the outside world, and they’re already sending Tai Yu to fix things in their place. What more are they supposed to be doing here? And for another thing, the whole idea of them not taking responsibility for their actions is because they’re literally contaminated. The game tries to claim that they’re bad people because they don’t feel any sense of empathy or accountability for what they did, but how exactly are they supposed to be doing that when the contamination erased those feelings inside them?

The whole concept of contamination is such a messy and mediocre display of writing. The message of the game says that you have to hold yourself accountable for your actions, which is why contamination being unremovable is meant to show that your sins can’t be fixed with a magic bell, as it’s a reminder that all the pain that you’ve caused doesn’t go away just because you feel bad about it. But at the same time, it villainizes the elders for not taking responsibility by punishing them with something that makes it so that they can’t take responsibility - it’s such a stupid catch-22 scenario.

I really wish that they didn’t turn losing your humanity into some weird magical disease that you can spread around and then framed as a half-baked metaphor for morality. If anything, it would make more sense for the Vessels to lost their egos because the elders erased their mind while turning them into cyborgs, just like what Gelimer did to Xenon and Beryl.

The elders could’ve believed that their lack of humanity came from the contamination of their test subjects, and they would’ve sequestered themselves away in Shangri-La in order to stop it from spreading, and simultaneously, they would’ve hidden themselves away from the world because they’ve compromised their core values and are afraid of facing the fact that they’ve lost every good quality that once defined their entire identities.

Once the bell rings and they realize that their pain hasn’t gone away, they’d end up realizing that the bell didn’t fix them because they were never contaminated in the first place, and that it was something that they might’ve known subconsciously as their feelings slowly resurfaced over the eons. They’d end up realizing that their lack of humanity didn’t come from their Vessels, but rather, it was because they’ve been suffering from intense psychological trauma as a result of them being forced to defile their test subjects in one of the worst ways imaginable. It’s already a thing that our brains will numb our emotions when we’re facing an extreme mental crisis, which can result in a lack of empathy from being completely dissociated from our actions.

After realizing that there’s nothing actually keeping them from returning to the outside world, they would have to start actually coming to terms with the fact that they can’t keep using the contamination as an crutch for not taking responsibility, and then the actual Shangri-La storyline would’ve had Kaling actually confront the elders, who would be forced to acknowledge the victims of their sins, while the Adversary would’ve played a more active role in actually challenging the elders blindly worshiping the will of the world and incorporating things that we’ve learned about in our past adventures, like the Black Mage’s hatred for the Overseers’ apathy and Aeona being forced to wipe out entire races because of the Overseers.

I feel like removing the contamination would solve a good number of issues in this storyline by giving the elders back their agency, which would make it more straightforward to present them as antagonists for being afraid of taking responsibility for their actions, rather than a dumb catch-22 where they get punished for their lack of empathy with something that takes away their capacity for empathy. It would also keep the general idea of contamination inside Kaling through the experiments, and the bell would still have the ability to erase that contamination like it did with the paintbrush mysticant in Lara’s storyline.

Mysticants were one of the things that I thought would’ve been explained in this story, but it seems like the purpose of the bell was soft retconned from being able to purify other mysticants to explicitly only cleansing the contamination. And then the bell itself ended up having no purpose because it can’t even do that, either. The elders really should’ve made a mystican, not a mysticant.

If I had to speculate on the mysticants, it’s highly likely that they were created by other Vessels experiencing contamination. In Lara’s class story, the book that she had read about mysticants had been written by the elders or the researchers, which described how mysticants had been created by an unknown influence, and that the bell was created to purify their evils.

The paintbrush mysticant could gouge out happy memories, which sounds just like the idea of the contamination erasing the Vessel’s humanity and sense of self, and so it’s possible that just like how Kaling performed experiments to create the Four Perils, some other Vessel might’ve performed experiments to create the mysticants. I’m sure that they must’ve thrown other people off Odium aside from Alter, and so there’s still a chance that mysticants might become relevant again someday. There were a lot of other things that didn’t get resolved in the main story, like the Yum Yum Island experiments, which the writers had to quickly add in during the story expansion.)

Weio then asked the Adversary to give the elders another chance before it was too late, explaining that just as there were elders who had turned their backs on the will of the world and joined the corrupt Transcendent, so too must the remaining elders aid the new Adversary to maintain balance and fix what the will of the world had intended for them to remedy.

The Adversary replied that they understood that Darmoor had other plans, and that they would be lying if they were to say that they weren’t worried about what would happen in the future. However, they explained that in spite of their concerns, they had made up their mind to never falter when they had fought against Kaling. They then vowed that they would do anything to protect the world that they and their friends lived in, for which they told Weio that they needed the World Heart – a new power that would allow them to stand against Darmoor.

Seeing the Adversary’s resolve, Weio explained that she needed to tell them something important, as what Zigang had told them wasn’t enough. She told the Adversary that Zigang had been right when he had explained that the World Heart was the original Godsphere that had been given to the elders directly by the will of the world.

She added that the World Heart’s power surpassed that of all the other Godspheres, and that its power had been so strong that not even the elders had been able to safely handle it. Because of this, the elders had left it behind in Odium with the intention of putting its immense power to rest. Oz then realized that it was the reason why they had created the Constables, and why they had continued to run Odium’s system, as it would drain the power inside the World Heart. Weio confirmed Oz’s suspicions and explained that just as the elders had planned, the World Heart’s power had been consumed.

However, she then showed the World Heart to the Adversary, which glowed brightly with power. The Adversary noted that its power was unlike what they had first felt in Odium, to which Weio explained that it now held a portion of energy. She explained that from the beginning, the World Heart had the ability to take away the power of the gods. However, even the elders had never anticipated that a fully-drained World Heart, on top of simply taking away the power of the gods, could absorb that power and claim it as its own.

The Adversary explained that they had been told that the World Heart reacted to the power of gods or god-like beings, which caused them to realize that they would need to meet the Ancient Gods and the Transcendents in order to fully recover the World Heart’s power. Weio then told the Adversary that she had one more thing to explain. She told them that she had heard that they had already once handled a Godsphere in the form of a Seal Stone, and so they had to know that the Godsphere’s power didn’t belong to any one person.

The Adversary understood what Weio was referring to and explained that in order to awaken its true power, certain conditions needed to be met, such as the will and determination of the people. Weio explained that the same held true for the World Heart. However, she told them that unlike the Godspheres, the World Heart did not respond to the will of the people.

She added that not even the elders knew what awakened the World Heart, and because of this, she instructed the Adversary to meet people from around the world and hear their stories, adding that she believed that they, more than anyone, would be able to find a way to awaken the World Heart, just like how they had helped Gaon change his own path.

(A/N: The World Heart honestly confuses me quite a bit, and it’s one of the things that the writers should’ve done more to explain. If it’s true that it didn’t react to Kaling until she actually used her Transcendent powers, then in that case, the World Heart worked identically to how Freud had enchanted the Seal Stones to drain the powers of time that the Black Mage had stolen from Rhinne.

Freud had told Luminous to force the Black Mage to his limits in order to give him no choice but to use the power of time. When Luminous fought the Black Mage, the instant that the Black Mage used the stolen powers of time, the Seal Stones reacted to it and absorbed that power in order to create the Seal of Time. Given that Freud had cast a special spell on the Seal Stones in order to give them that functionality, it’s likely that this means that Seal Stones don’t naturally have the same innate power as the World Heart, and that Freud adding on that power was just coincidental on his part.

The other thing that the World Heart is very similar to is the Transcendence Stone, which - before it was removed from canon in the Heroes of Maple revamp - could absorb the power of a Transcendent and allow the user to wield it freely. The Transcendence Stone is almost identical to how the World Heart works, with the only difference being that it only works on Transcendents. I’ve speculated in the past that the Transcendence Stone was created by the Ancient Gods for their followers to avenge them, and it would have made a lot of thematic sense for them to have modeled it off of the Overseers’ own creation in order to defeat them, which makes its removal from the game unfortunate.

I also really like the idea that the World Heart wasn’t originally created to respond to the will of the people. It seemed a bit strange to me that the Overseers, who exist solely to suppress the world, would create relics that respond to collective willpower and democracy. The elders using the World Heart as a template to create the Godspheres, along with Freud using the Godspheres to create the Seal Stones, seems a lot more thematically appropriate that mortals gave themselves their own means of salvation, and it falls in line with the central theme of the game that Freud pointed out in Heroes of Maple - that the time will come when people will outgrow their dependency on the gods and govern themselves through kindness and selflessness.)

Weio then invited the Adversary to return to Shangri-La any time if the needed help, promising that she would personally see to it that they would be allowed to return. She then jokingly told Gaon that she hoped that he would serve as an excellent tour guide for her upon his return. Gaon told Weio to stay in good health until he came back, adding that he wished the same for Shuli. Weio then told Gao to accomplish all that the elders couldn’t do from Shangri-La, and to return soon, so that she would have good news to tell Shuli when she awakened.

Tai Yu then told the Adversary that it seemed that all their matters had been settled. The Adversary thanked Tai Yu for everything that he had done for them since Odium. Tai Yu smiled and explained that he hadn’t done it for gratitude, though he added that if they really wanted to thank him, then they could find his apprentice down in the world below and ask him to visit sometime, adding that they could come with him too. The Adversary promised that they would, after which the Glory Guard and Gaon headed out.

(A/N: Hoyoung gets an alternate script for his goodbye with Tai Yu. Hoyoung thanks Tai Yu for always being there for him, to which Tai Yu tells him to not to make it sound like they’ll never see each other again. He teasingly asks Hoyoung if he doesn’t plan to come back and visit, to which Hoyoung stammers that he will. He then promises Tai Yu that he’ll defeat Darmoor and return back home. Tai Yu approvingly nods at Hoyoung’s determination and adds that he’ll be waiting before wishing Hoyoung safe travels.

Lara also gets an alternate script for this scene. She tells Tai Yu that she’s grateful for him helping her protect the bell, as well as for getting them through Odium and Shangri-La safely. Tai Yu smiles at her kind words and explains that he hadn’t done it for gratitude, though he adds that if she really wants to thank him, then she can find his apprentice down in the world below and ask him to visit sometime. Lara promises to do so and asks if she can come visit him alongside his apprentice too, to which Tai Yu smiles and says that she’s more than welcome.)

The Adversary then thought to themselves that though they had no idea what Darmoor had planned, they refused to allow him to do as he wished. They vowed that even against a god, or anything as strong as one, they would never break, and that they would face him with all their might.

Elsewhere, Maolang, clutching the scroll of Spring, and two hooded elders arrived in a restored Spring, which she noted had been fixed by Tai Yu and the elders combining their powers, adding that Tai Yu seemed to have returned with a few tricks of his own from the outside world. One of the elders behind her reminded her that they would be trapped inside if they didn’t hurry. The other elder then asked her what had happened to Shensung.

Just then, Shensung, clutching the scroll of Autumn, and two more hooded elders arrived, with Shensung laughing that he had almost gotten stuck in Autumn. Maolang noted that Shensung seemed to be all talk as always, though Shensung told her to give him a break, claiming that he had barely been able to escape facing Tai Yu and Baekyeon at the same time.

Shensung then noticed the scroll of Spring, with Ara the Azure Dragon sealed inside, in Maolang’s hands. Maolang explained that she hadn’t had a choice, as Ara had caught her while she had been taking down the barrier. Shensung amusedly noted that Maolang had taken care of Qiongqi, rather than the Adversary.

He added that though capturing Ara had been good, he asked what she would have done if the Adversary had confronted her first instead of Ara. Maolang pointed out the deal that they had made with Darmoor – that in exchange for him dispatching Kaling to help them destroy the barrier of Shangri-La and escape, they would monitor the Adversary. Shensung retorted that the Adversary was a Vessel who had once been completed and asked Maolang why she hadn’t waited.

Maolang countered by asking whether he planned to own the responsibility if something had gone wrong while she had waited. Shensung amusedly noted that she seemed quite harsh and asked what her problem was, as everything had gone according to plan. He then realized that Maolang’s anger came from guilt, which he noted was also the reason why she had captured Ara, rather than kill her.

He laughed that unlike himself, who lazily gave up when things got too hard, Maolang would fulfill her responsibilities no matter what. He reminded her that she didn’t need to keep up the façade like they had during the Ancient War – when they had pretended to be good people protecting the world – as they were now on the other side.

He noted that both of them were sick of adhering to the will of the world and its sense of order, pointing out that all their waiting in Shangri-La had been pointless. He noted that though Darmoor used his subordinates as chess pieces just like the will of the world, Darmoor, at least, didn’t pretend to play fair, which made him much more like a gentleman. Maolang warned Shensung to watch his words, though Shensung laughed and asked if he really needed to watch his mouth for such a thing.

He pointed out to her that Darmoor had already planned to throw Kaling aside, likely from the moment that she had allowed Taotie to slip from her fingers. He explained that there was no way that the World Heart reacted to Kaling’s powers, causing Maolang to realize that Darmoor had given Kaling part of his own Transcendent powers with the intent of awakening the World Heart by having the Adversary defeat her.

Shensung told her that he was simply happy that Darmoor had helped him escape the realm of the sages, as the research that he wanted them to perform was something that they could practically do in their sleep, with the only change being who it was that was making them perform it, though he added that he didn’t care much anyways.

Maolang noted that Shensung had completely abandoned his sense of duty, to which he wondered whether it was a side effect of the contamination, though he decided that it didn’t matter much to him either way. He then suggested that they hurry before the barrier fully closed, as they still needed to report to Darmoor, noting that everything that they had needed to do in Shangri-La had been successfully completed.

(A/N: Darmoor clearly wants the World Heart to be awakened, likely in order to use its power for whatever his real purpose is. Ever since hearing about the World Heart, I’ve been wondering about how he’s been using his Apostles to achieve his goals. Based on the fact that Kaling was given a portion of Darmoor’s Transcendent powers, which we later learn manifests itself as her claw attack, it’s possible that he’s done the same to all his Apostles, both to fill up the World Heart, as well as to create a new Adversary - specifically some kind of ultra-Adversary.

In regard to Kaling, we later learn that Darmoor gave her power to create a Godsphere and a Vessel, which was the purpose of her Yum Yum Island experiments. Darmoor funded her research specifically because her experiment with the Four Perils was to create an ultra-Adversary augmented with all the combined energy that the Four Perils gathered for her. Shensung also mentions that Darmoor chose to abandon Kaling after she failed to obtain Taotie, likely because , likely because she couldn't make good on her original promise to create an ultra-Adversary like he wanted, which is when he sacrificed her to power the World Heart instead, and he then freed to elders so that they could finish Kaling’s research and create a Godsphere.

We can see a lot of similar parallels with Ypsilon and his goals. His power to extract is likely something that Darmoor gave him, likely to create a Godsphere and a Vessel just like Kaling. We know from Khali’s storyline that he’s currently amassing an immense amount of life force and magic from his captured enemies, and on top of that, he’s been researching the power of Malice as Dr. Y with Kain and Luska. He’s been giving Malice Stones to the Drakas in order to make them stronger, which might be his way of either creating a personal army, or it might be an experiment to see whether he can weaponize the power of the Ancient Gods to kill higher beings.

After Luska was nearly killed, he extracted the damage which would’ve led to her death, using the excess life force that he absorbed in order to offset the damage that he took into himself, and when she was resurrected, it’s explained that she was the one who personally requested to have her memories removed, which might be because she knew that offering herself as a Vessel to Ypsilon would be the only way to stop him from using Kain. From the way that we see her behave after her memories are removed, she seems to have almost no feelings or emotions outside of her drive to become stronger, almost as though her ego was completely removed by Ypsilon extracting everything that made her human.

It’s possible that Ypsilon intends for Luska to be the Adversary that Darmoor wants, and that he’s planning to augment her with extra power, just like Kaling did with her Four Perils experiment. It might be that all the life force and magic that he’s been amassing is meant to be transferred into Luska, turning her into an ultra-Adversary. On top of that, Kain got some exclusive dialogue in Cernium that has him note that the conflicting powers of the Overseers and the Ancient Gods inside him in the form of the Seal Stone and his Malice is a dangerous combination, and it might be that Ypsilon hopes to leverage this potent mix of power in order to give Luska two sources of divine energy at her disposal.

As far as how he intends to turn her into an Adversary, just like how he creates Memory Stones or Malice Stones, it might be possible that he’s hoping to create a Seal Stone in the form of a Godsphere by extracting the power of the World Heart beneath the continent, exactly like how Freud did. I’d wager that the reason why he hasn’t been able to do it yet is because the limitation of his power is that he has to absorb whatever he extracts into himself before moving it somewhere else, and since he’s not a true Vessel, he can’t absorb the power of the Adversary into himself, which might explain why Darmoor wants the elders to make him a Godsphere instead.

There’s something interesting that Ypsilon also mentioned in Khali’s Aftermath cutscene, which is that he can’t allow himself to be killed by her “yet” after she defeats him. That might suggest that he’s fully aware that Darmoor intends to sacrifice all his Apostles to power the World Heart by giving them each a portion of his Transcendent powers. Since his conversation with Khali is framed with her being the Adversary, it’s likely that he knows that he’s meant to die at her hands when the time comes.

The other Apostles that we know of are Havoc and Limbo. We know that Limbo is experimenting to create a special Specter who can wield the relics of the Ancient Gods to kill them, with Gilmore being one such experiment, and so it’s likely that instead of creating an Adversary, Limbo is hoping to create a Specter instead. He’s also harvesting bioenergy, like how he drained Verdel - likely to augment his Specter into some kind of ultra-Specter - and he’s also interested in reaching the Abyssal Source and the infinite knowledge contained within, for which he’s going after Ark, although we can’t be sure if that’s a personal project or if it has something to do with what Darmoor wants.

In the Carcion storyline, it’s shown that the elders who sided with him are trying to combine Specter and Adversary research, and while I’ll get more into that in a later section, my personal theory is that by combining these two fields, the elders intend to create an Adversary who can retain their ego, just like the player.

We know even less about Havoc, but since we do know that the demons of Tynerum repeatedly performed failed experiments to steal a Transcendent’s powers until Tynerum became a wasteland, it might be possible that Havoc might have something to do with these experiments, and maybe even tying into Damien’s Sword of Destruction, which was said to have similar powers to that of a Transcendent.

As far as what Darmoor wants with a new Adversary and a fully-charged World Heart, I’ve been speculating with people on the lore server about the possibility that the World Heart fused with a Vessel and awakened will allow the Overseers to manifest themselves in physical form through that Vessel. We know that Darmoor was able to manifest Mitra through Seren in Cernium, likely because she was chosen by Mitra’s holy relic, and so it might be possible that he can manifest the Overseers - the creators of the World Heart - and force them to possess a Vessel, which is why the World Heart doesn’t respond to the will of the people like the Godspheres

Something else that supports this idea is that the World Heart in KMS is directly known as the “heart of the world”, and given that the Overseers are known as the “will of the world”, it might be that the heart needs to be placed inside a body (a Vessel) to allow the will, or the brain, to manifest as the Overseers, who are normally abstract beings with no physical form.

It’s possible that the reason why Darmoor saved our life, and why he’s still inexplicably looking for another Adversary besides us, is because he wants us to fully power the World Heart for him, and then have us fuse with it so that we become a Vessel for the Overseers. And with the Overseers finally having a physical form on the mortal plane, they can at last be fought and killed by his own chosen Adversary, finally putting an end to the Overseers once and for all, allowing the universe to escape the will of the world forever.

After the Sefirot’s Gardener storyline, my personal theory is that his chosen candidate is Asha, the gardener of Sefirot whom he saved at the end of the storyline, as he believed her willingness to sacrifice herself truly and completely made her a perfect, noble life. I talked about it a bit more at the end of the Burning Cernium section, but the Adversary and the Alliance represent everything that Darmoor hates in people, as we rejected our desire to sacrifice ourselves at Limina in favor of choosing our own survival, along with the world’s survival.

By having a perfect Adversary like Asha kill the player, an imperfect Adversary who serves as a vessel for the Overseers, as well as purging all the selfish, worthless lives that he believes drags down humanity, Darmoor may intend to have our death - as someone who embodies the will of the people - represent the end of the wishes of flawed people, leaving behind only the lives which he believes are worth saving, as well as giving him the platform to remake the world as he sees fit.

In that case, it’s likely that the reason why Darmoor is trying to awaken the Ancient Gods, like why he sent Veronica - who’s likely to be another Apostle - to find the key to awakening the Ancient God of Ristonia, is because he knows that the World Heart absorbing the Transcendent powers in his Apostles won’t be enough to fully restore it, and so he’s giving the Adversary more targets to drain, like the Ancient Gods and Transcendents like Tana or Chronica, and possibly even the Genesis Crux, which holds the Black Mage’s Transcendent powers.

The big plot twist in the story might be that we finally restore the World Heart to full power and try to fuse with it, hoping to become an Adversary once again, but we instead end up becoming a Vessel for the Overseers to possess. And once that happens, Darmoor will have his own Adversary, who’s been augmented to face a being that’s many times stronger than any normal god, in order to kill the Overseers in combat - and possible for Darmoor to take that power and replace the Overseers once it’s all over. And since we’re the protagonist, it might end up in a role-reversal where Darmoor’s Adversary is the one who gets fused with the World Heart, and we’re the one who needs to become an ultra-Adversary in order to defeat them.

Jumping back to Shangri-La, though, this storyline doesn’t have any bonus quests like Odium did, although there’s still the story expansion set after the main story. In the pavilion, however, you can speak with the elders and several researchers. You can see six elders in the pavilion, which are the six elders that haven’t joined Darmoor. The four hooded elders that follow Maolang and Shensung aren’t shown by face in the story, but based on the zodiac and by process of elimination, we can figure out that those four elders are the tiger, dog, dragon, and rooster elders.

Another interesting feature about the elders is that all of them have these glowing sashes behind them, signifying their holy power. The elders in charge of Winter have white sashes that glow gold with golden cloud shapes around them. The elders in charge of Spring have silvery-blue sashes with blue cloud shapes around them. The elders in charge of Summer have silvery-blue sashes with pink cloud shapes around them. The elders in charge of Autumn have solid gold sashes with white cloud shapes around them. This is how you can tell that the four people accompanying Maolang and Shensung are elders, even though it’s never explicitly stated.

In GMS, the first part of the elders’ names corresponds to the twelve Earthly Branches, an ordering system based on astronomy. Each animal from the zodiac is assigned an Earthly Branch, and the name of that branch is used as the first part of the elders’ names.
Rat (Zi) = Zigang
Ox (Chou) = Chouxian
Rabbit (Mao) = Maolang
Snake (Si) = Siyu
Sheep (Wei) = Weio
Monkey (Shen) = Shensung
Pig (Hai) = Haia
Dog (Xu) = Xula

Based on this, we can figure out the first part of the other four elders’ names: Tiger (Yin), Dragon (Chen), Rooster (You), Dog (Xu)

In KMS, each of the elders has the first letter of their name in Korean start with the character for the zodiac animal that they’re based on. Credits to satsuha for figuring this out:
Rat (Ja) = Jagang (Zigang in GMS)
Ox (Chuk) = Chukhyun (Chouxian in GMS)
Rabbit (Myo) = Myorang (Maolang in GMS)
Snake (Sa) = Sayu (Siyu in GMS)
Horse (O) = Osol (Wushuai in GMS)
Sheep (Mi) = Mio (Weio in GMS)
Monkey (Shin) = Shinseong (Shensung in GMS)
Pig (Hae) = Hea (Hae-ah), (Haia in GMS)
Dog (Sul) = Sula (Xula in GMS)

Based on this, we can figure out the first part of the other three elders’ names in KMS: Tiger (In), Dragon (Jin), Rooster (Yu)

If you talk to the remaining six elders, you’ll get some interesting dialogue. Lara can get some exclusive dialogue by talking to a few of the elders too.

Haia the pig elder tells us that we have no idea how uneasy our existence as an Adversary who’s transcended order makes the elders. Because of that, she refuses to talk to us.

Zigang the rat elder tells us that he’s already shown us all the generosity that he can and tells us to go quietly.

Chouxian the ox elder tells us that from the very beginning, he’s been against allowing us to leave Shangri-La, and that his view hasn’t changed. He then tells us to go away.

Siyu the snake elder will tells us that the World Heart that we possess is where everything began, and that she’d never thought that she’d see it again. She then wonders whether it all comes down to destiny in the end and asks us what we think. She notes that we seem to disagree, which she says makes sense, given that we’re an Adversary of Destiny.

Lara can also choose to trigger an exclusive dialogue by selecting a second prompt that only appears to her. Siyu explains that Weio the sheep elder had initially come up with the idea of making the bell, though everyone who had supported her idea had contributed to its development, including herself. She explains that she had left behind quite a few test tubes in Odium and wonders if they’re still intact. She tells Lara that she might have seen some of them lying around, which we actually do in the map “Sunny Laboratory 3”, as there’s a test tube that Lara can get exclusive dialogue from by clicking on it.

Weio the sheep elder just tells us to let her know if we need any help.

Wushuai the horse elder tells us that it was nice to have Ara and Baekyeon as sparring partners before all of them were separated. He explains that he’s sure that they’ll be fine, wherever they are, and that he won’t worry too much about them, since Gaon and Shuli are worrying about them enough as it is. He jokingly adds that Shuli, the person who worries the most, even while incapacitated, just had to be the one left behind, though he asks us not to tell Shuli that he said that.

Lara can choose to trigger an exclusive dialogue, in which Wushuai will recognize her voice. He realizes that Lara was the one who had asked him to keep believing in her, as well as having promised to save him. Lara realizes that Wushuai is the person whom she had spoken with through the bell during her level 200 quest. Wushuai clarifies that Lara had spoken with a fragment of his thoughts, though those thoughts connected back to him anyways.

He then apologizes for putting Lara in danger, as the darkness of his memories had spilled over to her through the bell, which Tai Yu hadn’t been happy about at all. He admits that though it might seem like a pointless excuse, he truly hadn’t meant to hurt her. He explains that her words had truly reached him, and that - if not for her - he might have turned his back on Shangri-La like Shensung did. He adds that Lara’s faith had saved him, for which he’s truly grateful.

There’s also a large painting depicting the four seasons of Shangri-La in the pavilion, and based on which one the elders are standing in front of, we can deduce that there are three elders in charge of each season. Zigang, Chouxian, and Haia are in charge of Winter, and Weio, Siyu, and Wushuai are in charge of Summer. Looking at the seasonal zodiac, we can also figure out that Shensung, the rooster elder, and the dog elder are in charge of Autumn, while Maolang, the tiger elder, and the dragon elder are in charge of Spring.

If you go outside the pavilion, you can also find three researchers that look almost identical to some of the Constables in Odium.

Aroa, whose image was the basis for Aro, tells us that everyone in Shangri-La had someone precious that they weren’t able to keep. She notes that we’re the Adversary who came from Odium in order to chase after the sins that they had shamefully left behind. We tell her that a Constable that looks like her had showed us a research journal, which had allowed us to learn about Kaling.

Aroa explains that the research journal had belonged to her, and that she hadn’t been able to throw it away because it had contained records of her friends, with Kaling being her closest one. She then reveals that all the Constables of Odium had been made in the image of the researchers from before they had been contaminated. She explains that she had been close to Kaling, and that she had watched Kaling’s Four Perils experiment up-close.

She admits that she had many opportunities to stop it back then, but she had chosen to turn her gaze away, believing that everything would work out in accordance to the wishes of the elders and the will of the world. Noting that we had stopped Kaling, Aroa tells us that perhaps if we were the ones who had been there in Odium all those years ago instead of herself, then there might’ve been a better ending for Kaling. Aroa then falls deep in thought and we decide to leave her alone. It’s nice to know that there’s at least one person in Shangri-La who misses Kaling, even if no one else does.

Hanasol, whose image was the basis for Na-Sol, greets us as the Adversary and notes that Odium will soon die off without its power source. He explains that the elders had commissioned the researchers to fully automate Odium, such that it would run for a nearly infinite amount of time. He adds that though Odium would shut down, not everything would disappear with their machines, as their sins would linger in the laboratory forever.

Somiya, whose image was the basis for Miya, asks us if we had seen a Constable that looks like him in Odium. He explains that he had created the Constable named Miya, to which we tell him about our encounter with Miya and Haram. Technically speaking, this encounter happened in the side quests, which we couldn’t have completed before Shangri-La because we were taken directly here from Odium, which means that this conversation with Somiya had to have happened in the future, likely during a timeskip between areas in future Grandis storylines.

But anyways, we tell him about our encounter with Miya and Haram, in which we learned that Miya was Haram’s son, as well as Haram wondering why the Constables had been created with feelings and bonds with each other, rather than being mindless machines. In response, Somiya reveals that the researchers had created the Constables in their own image from before the contamination in order to preserve themselves, with Haram being modeled after Somiya’s own father. He’s surprised to hear that Haram had mentioned how close he was to Miya, and he explains that though it’s hard for him to feel things because of the contamination, he supposes that Haram’s words means that he must have been loved, for which he thanks us.

This last part is the story expansion that concludes Kaling’s story, as well as the Shangri-La storyline as a whole.)

Before the Adversary headed out on their journey, Tai Yu asked them to come see him with Gaon, as he had a request for them. The Adversary and Gaon found Tai Yu in the pavilion, speaking with several of the researchers. They overheard Hanasol asking Tai Yu whether he was sure that he was okay, as he had no idea how many people were sick until today. Aroa noted that there were researchers roaming throughout the seasons of Shangri-La and added that though no one wanted to say it, the researchers were exhibiting the same symptoms as Kaling in the past.

Somiya pointed out that if things went on as they were going, even their guests from the outside world might get affected by it. He added that if the contamination were to spread outside Shangri-La, the damage would spiral out of control. The Adversary then interrupted, causing Tai Yu to notice that they had just arrived. (A/N: If the player is Hoyoung, he’ll call Tai Yu ‘Master’.)

Gaon noted that Tai Yu had requested their presence and asked whether something was wrong. Tai Yu explained that something strange was happening to the researchers of Shangri-La lately, though he noted that everyone had expected things to be confusing for a while, as the four seasons’ ability to control the contamination wouldn’t be the same as before.

He explained that the contamination was spreading more severely than both he and the elders had thought, and that something was very wrong in Shangri-La. He added that though it would be nice if the elders could handle it on their own, they wouldn’t be able to do so with everything that they were dealing with. Gaon asked whether it was because of their guests from the outside world, noting that it had been a while since someone had come from the world below.

Tai Yu agreed and added that he had also thought that things had been strange, as news from the outside world had gone completely dark, which made him believe that someone had been deliberately blocking news from entering Shangri-La. The Adversary wondered to themselves whether it had been the work of the elders who had left Shangri-La.

Tai Yu explained that as a result of the elders being overwhelmed with the backlog of everything that they had missed, they didn’t have the time to focus on anything else. As the path to Shangri-La had been opened, Tai Yu feared that something evil could come inside, and since he had other responsibilities to focus on, he asked the Adversary and Gaon to patrol Shangri-La for him, to which they agreed. (A/N: If the player is Hoyoung, he’ll once again call Tai Yu ‘Master’ and tell him to leave it all to him.)

On Gaon’s suggestion, they began their investigation in Winter, where they encountered Haia the pig elder, whom the Adversary recognized from the pavilion. Gaon greeted Haia and asked her what she was doing in Winter, though Haia merely stared back without saying anything. Gaon explained that he had been planning to say goodbye before leaving Shangri-La, though he had regretted that she hadn’t been there at the time.

To his surprise, however, Haia merely replied that she didn’t care. She then added that since she didn’t care, there was nothing that she had to take care of, which meant that she didn’t have any problems to worry about. Haia then ran off, leaving Gaon to stare sadly after her. The Adversary asked Gaon whether he was okay, asking if Haia was one of the elders.

Gaon explained that Haia was the youngest to join the elders in Odium, and that though she was a bit shy at first, she was one of the sweetest people that they would ever meet once they got to know her. He told the Adversary that Haia was kind to everyone, and that she had many friends as a result, including all the elders and the Four Symbols. After a pause, he somberly added that he had hoped that Haia would’ve understood his choice to leave Shangri-La.

The Adversary pointed out that Haia had lost not only him, but many of her other friends all at once, and that she might be feeling lonely as a result. Gaon wondered whether it could also be because the contamination had started affecting her as well. Hoping to be wrong, he suggested that they continue with their investigation quickly. The pair headed deeper into Winter, where they were shocked to find contaminated researchers in the area being possessed by a dark power.

Gaon realized that Tai Yu had been right, and that it hadn’t just been the contamination that was causing problems, as he could also sense an aura being cloaked so that it couldn’t be easily recognized. He then told the Adversary that they should calm down the researchers and find out what was possessing them. While fighting the researchers, the Adversary found several stone fragments that they brought back to Gaon, who immediately recognized them as part of Winter’s treasure of the study.

(A/N: The four treasures of the study are known as the “munbangsawoo”, also known as the “four friends” - the four basic Korean calligraphic tools: paper, a brush, ink, and an inkwell. Ink is typically in the form of an inkstick, made from soot and glue, which is ground on an inkstone and mixed with water in order to create liquid ink.)

He noted that the Adversary must also have felt Kaling’s power inside the fragments, to which the Adversary wondered how that could be possible when Kaling had already fallen. Believing that it would be easier to check directly, the pair proceeded deeper into Winter when Ink-Winged Owl monsters suddenly manifested and began attacking them. Gaon realized that the monsters had been drawn in ink, just like Shangri-La itself. The Adversary noted that the Ink-Winged Owls seemed to be guarding a large inkwell in the distance.

Gaon explained that the inkwell was part of the four treasures of the study – the inkwell, ink, brush, and paper that the elders had created in order to paint the realm of the sages inside an enchanted painting. After Shangri-La had been created, the elders had separated and stored each of the four treasures in a different season.

Gaon then noticed something embedded into the inkwell, which the Adversary recognized as Kaling’s button. They told Gaon that they now understood why the barriers of Shangri-La had fallen, even with the Four Symbols guarding them, as Kaling’s button had contaminated the four treasures of the study. Gaon then approached the inkwell and attempted to destroy the button with his spear, though his attack had no effect.

He then asked the Adversary to try destroying the button. Just as they succeeded, a claw-like arm appeared from the button and attacked the Adversary, causing them to collapse as Kaling’s energy infected them. Suddenly, more of the owl monsters appeared and surrounded the pair. As Gaon fought them off alone, the Adversary began witnessing some of Kaling’s memories.

Shortly after the end of the Ancient War, Kaling was seized and taken out of Odium. As she furiously demanded to be let go of, Zigang stepped in and ordered for her to released. Upon seeing Zigang, Kaling addressed him as her master and asked him to tell them what he had always told her – how he had always known just how much of an outstanding researcher she was. When Zigang said nothing, Kaling asked him why he was looking at her like that, reminding him how he had always, without any doubt, believed that the world needed her research.

However, Zigang then asked her what she planned to do after finishing her research. When Kaling remained silent, he sharply asked her what she was planning to do with her beasts in a world that had barely just ended one war. When Kaling was still unable to reply, Zigang declared that she had created monsters, adding that the blame lay with him, not with her. Kaling appealed to Zigang, calling him her master, but Zigang merely declared that he was disavowing her, and that she was no longer his disciple.

With that, Zigang turned his back on her and walked away. Refusing to give up, Kaling continued calling after him, reaching out with all her might towards the back of the man who she realized was no longer her master, but none of her cries were answered. Kaling was then sealed away by Tai Yu, trapped under the hardest and heaviest rock in Odium, which Tai Yu bound in place with golden chains and countless sealing talismans.

Over the eons, Kaling’s seal gradually began weakening until she was found by the private investigators of Cheong-woon, who had been tasked with resealing what they had believed to be a beast sealed within. To their surprise, however, they found not a beast, but what they believed to be a little girl. Kaling, whose right eye had turned black and orange from the contamination, weakly crawled out from beneath the rock.

(A/N: I have no idea how the investigators managed to reach Odium when it’s supposed to be hidden and inaccessible, given that we went through a journey and a half just to complete Karote and reach Odium, where we had to fight Kalos, who literally won’t let anyone inside unless they’re a Vessel. Even on the unlikely chance that the elders commissioned the investigators to fortify the seals, there’s literally no way that they would have allowed them to enter Odium, given that Hundun is supposed to be a secret and the other Perils aren’t even in Odium. And on the super unlikely chance that they really did ask them to fortify the seal on Kaling and Hundun, why not just ask Tai Yu to do it at that point?)

One of the investigators wondered why there was a child sealed inside, to which another investigator supposed that she might have been a sacrifice to the beast sealed within. Unable to sense any power inside Kaling, the investigators decided to rescue her from the seal, introducing themselves as the ones who had been tasked with resealing the scourge of Grandis.

(A/N: Hoyoung gets some exclusive dialogue here, in which he expresses his surprise that the private investigators of Cheong-woon were the ones who had freed Kaling. Taotie then adds that he has a bad feeling about it all, though he also notes that now isn’t the time to be worrying about others, explaining that he can sense the spirit of Hoyoung’s Master nearby, much to Hoyoung’s confusion. For regular playthroughs, we’ll wake up after hearing Tai Yu speaking to us, but for Hoyoung, we wake up as soon as Taotie finishes talking.)

Back in the present, the Adversary awoke to the sound of Tai Yu’s voice. They got up and found Gaon and Tai Yu checking on their condition, as well as the inkwell purified of its contamination. Tai Yu asked the Adversary if they were alright, to which they replied that they weren’t seriously hurt.

(A/N: Hoyoung gets some exclusive dialogue in place of this, in which he reminds Tai Yu that he’s been in situations like this before. He then tells Tai Yu that he hasn’t broken anything.)

They then returned back to the pavilion, where the Adversary told them about the four treasures of the study being contaminated as a result of Kaling’s button, which contained her memories. Tai Yu noted that something bigger than expected was happening, though he added that telling the elders what they had just learned was enough for now, and so he told the Adversary that they didn’t need to look into it any further.

The Adversary protested, claiming that the elders didn’t have the time to deal with what was happening, and that the contamination in Shangri-La needed to be dealt with immediately before it got any worse. However, Tai Yu reminded them that they had already once saved Shangri-La when the elders had been scrambling around, and that it would be okay if the elders were to clean up the rest of their own mess by themselves. He explained that even though it had been inevitable during the fight with Kaling, he couldn’t allow the Adversary to be put in danger again. He then asked Gaon to help escort the Adversary out of Shangri-La safely.

(A/N: For Hoyoung, in place of that last line, Tai Yu notes that it seems like we have no intention of backing down. He then tells Gaon that since he can’t trust us, he’s putting him in charge. With that, he says goodbye to Hoyoung and tells him not to sulk, and to call him when the time comes.)

On their way, however, the Adversary instead asked Gaon to come with them to find Autumn’s treasure of the study, reminding him that it was an opportunity to help Shangri-La and learn more about Kaling, and that there was a chance that they could even learn more about Darmoor and the traitorous elders. Gaon agreed, explaining that he, too, had been reluctant to follow Tai Yu’s orders.

(A/N: Hoyoung gets exclusive dialogue here, in which Taotie amusedly asks him how long it’s been since he’s known the Black Tortoise. He then laughs that Gaon is about to be chopped in the foot by a trusted axe. This is a Korean proverb which is roughly equivalent to the English idiom of being stabbed in the back. Worrying that Tai Yu will hear them, Hoyoung shushes Taotie quiet.)

The two then secretly made their way to Autumn, where they found more contaminated researchers and Inkblot Sable monsters created from ink. (A/N: Sables are weasel-like mammals with bushy tails.) Realizing that Tai Yu might hear them if they caused a commotion, Gaon suggested that they clear up the researchers and monsters first. After clearing the area, they found an inkstick with Kaling’s button embedded into it. Just like before, a claw-like arm attacked the Adversary when they destroyed the button, infecting them with Kaling’s energy.

Gaon began noting to himself that it was strange that the button – even if it did belong to Kaling – could have such an impact on Shangri-La. He also realized that though the button was contaminated, he could feel a certain energy from inside it that he remembered feeling before in Odium. He recalled that he had felt it inside something that Kaling had created – an object that could draw out strong power that only an Adversary could reach. Just as he realized what it could be, more Inkblot Sables appeared. As Gaon defended the unconscious Adversary, he noted that the monsters were weaker now that two buttons had been destroyed, though there were growing more fervent, which meant that their next battles would be more difficult.

Meanwhile, the Adversary continued seeing more of Kaling’s memories. Upon hearing that the investigators were working to reseal the scourge of Grandis, Kaling immediately realized that they were tracking down her robots, the Four Perils. She realized that if she were to stay with the investigators, they would be able to lead her straight to her creations. In her mind, she addressed Zigang and told him that her experiment was not yet over, and that she would prove to him one day that it wasn’t a failure.

Upon seeing her expression, one of the investigators pointed out that she was making a strange face again and called her a little kid. Kaling immediately replied that she wasn’t a kid, though the investigator merely teased her, claiming that despite pretending to be an adult, she only ever responded when they called her a kid.

One of the other investigators scolded them for teasing her and calling her ‘kid’ when she had already told them her name. They also added that if they planned to make fun of Kaling for her height, then they ought to pay her for it.

(A/N: This is a callback to Hoyoung’s first interaction with Kaling in his class story. Although GMS omitted it in their localization, the original KMS dialogue had Kaling get annoyed when Hoyoung called her ‘kid’ when she was merely short. She would then tell him that if he was going to call her ‘kid’, then he should pay her in order to do so.)

The investigator who called her ‘kid’ apologized and told her that they would give her something better than money. They then gave her new clothes, including a black bowler hat, noting that it seemed to be a good fit. They explained that though she would normally need to make a name for herself in the village or pay a fee, they would nevertheless accept her as a new private investigator because she had already suffered enough.

One of the investigators then noted that the sleeves on Kaling’s new clothes were too long, covering almost the full length of her arms and hands. However, the investigator who had given her the clothes explained that children naturally grew, and that she would need longer clothes if she wanted to wear them for a long time. Though Kaling was irritated by the exchange, she nevertheless chose to remain silent, realizing that she needed to use them in order to find the Four Perils and finish her experiment.

Over the next few months, Kaling continued staying with the investigators and accompanying them on their jobs. Soon enough, the investigators realized that her one-year anniversary with them was coming up. Hoping to introduce her to the other investigators in Cheong-woon later on, the investigators planned to finish their job to seal the scourge of Grandis by following a new lead that they had just discovered.

One of the investigators then gave Kaling a flower and explained that it was a small gift in advance for their one-year anniversary together. As Kaling smiled softly at the flower, they explained that once they finished the job, they would give her the real gift that they had prepared. One investigator explained that it was a gift that she sorely needed, laughing that they hadn’t expected that she wouldn’t grow at all, even after a whole year. They added that they had worked hard to find something that would complement her outfit, though another investigator told them to stop talking before they ruined the surprise.

Soon after, the investigators arrived at the site where Qiongqi was sealed. To their shock, however, the seal on Qiongqi had degraded so severely that he had managed to break free. As the Peril killed them all, the investigators urged Kaling to run away and save herself. In the chaos, Kaling accidentally crushed the flower that they had given her. She then found a small, wrapped present that had fallen out of one of the investigators’ hands.

Kaling opened the present and found that it was a small, blue button meant to fasten the long clothes that the investigators had given her down to her proper size. She realized that they had been right about everything – that it was something that she needed, that it would suit her perfectly, and even that she had wanted to open it without any hints as to what was inside.

Amidst the bodies of the investigators, Kaling fell to her knees in guilt over the fact that she had merely seen them as tools to get what she wanted. As she stared sadly at the button in her hands, emotions from deep inside her that had long since been erased by the contamination slowly emerged to the surface.

From within her memories, the Adversary began hearing her thoughts, in which she noted to herself that there was a chance that she might have been reunited with those feelings again if Darmoor hadn’t appeared before her at that very moment. As the memory faded away, the Adversary saw the glow of Darmoor’s wings as he approached Kaling in the midst of her grief.

They then awoke to the sight of the purified inkstick and a worried Gaon, who noted that they didn’t look very good. The Adversary explained that they had seen Darmoor inside Kaling’s memories. Gaon replied that he understood how they felt, and added that though he wished that they could take a break, they needed to hurry, as the monsters were being drawn to defend the buttons, and that they were growing more resistant with each one that got broken. The Adversary then recalled that the button had shown up in Kaling’s memories as well, and that it had been a gift to her from the people who had unsealed her. Gaon noted that though he couldn’t be sure, the button didn’t appear to be something simple.

(A/N: If the player has completed Yum Yum Island, they’ll recall that Kaling’s buttons had appeared there, too.)

The Adversary told Gaon that they believed that they would be able to figure out the truth behind the buttons if they saw the next memory, and so Gaon led them into Summer, which was filled with more contaminated researchers and Ink-Shaded Red-Crowned Crane monsters created from ink. The pair fought through the enemies and soon encountered the contaminated paper scroll, with Kaling’s button embedded into it. The Adversary once again destroyed the button, allowing Kaling’s memories to flood into them.

Upon approaching Kaling, Darmoor told her that her research was needed to create a new Adversary. In the wake of her grief, hearing that she and her research were necessary to someone was exactly what Kaling had needed to hear the most, and so she had readily agreed to become his Apostle without hesitation.

(A/N: This entire scene is so depressing. The implication here is that contamination can go away on its own, and we were able to see brief glimmers of it happening inside Kaling, like when she seemed genuinely happy after being given the flower, and most noticeably when she was faced with a situation that generated extreme emotion inside her, which was enough to break through the contamination and allow her humanity to emerge in the form of sadness and grief.

What makes it even more tragic is that Kaling herself admits that there was a chance that she might have been able to go back to being her old self again if she had been given enough time to process those emotions and let them settle back into her. Her guilt, especially, was the biggest indicator of the contamination being washed away, as her sense of morality was the main thing that she had lost after the experiments.

But right at that moment when she was at her lowest point, Darmoor showed up and ensured that she would never be able to return back to being human again. She was in an extremely fragile state at that point, and Darmoor made the contamination fester even more by enabling the parts of her that the experiments had made stronger – her need to fulfill the purpose of an Adversary through her Four Perils experiment, and in doing so, he killed any chance of Kaling ever being able to get back to how she used to be.)

After becoming an Apostle, Kaling traveled to the Information Broker Bureau and told the investigators about what had happened. Despite not knowing who she was, the investigators believed her story upon seeing the sadness on her face while delivering the news about her colleagues’ deaths. Upon seeing how trusting they were, Kaling thought to herself that the people of the Bureau were just as foolish as the investigators who had taken her in.

With the Bureau’s resources, Kaling was able to find Taowu, the second Peril. With only Taotie and Hundun left to find, Kaling continued using the Bureau in order to complete her experiment. However, Taotie was soon taken from her by Hoyoung, whom she learned had been Tai Yu’s apprentice. Though she cursed both master and student as being just as impertinent, she declared that it didn’t matter to her, as there was still Hundun, and more importantly, she had Darmoor, who had given her power so that she could make a Godsphere to give to the Four Perils.

While wondering what she should place the power of the Godsphere into, she looked down at the button that the investigators had given her. Believing that it had no other meaning, she decided to use it for her experiment, telling herself that she was only doing so because it was something that she could handle the best. On Yum Yum Island, she created makeshift Vessels and endlessly researched how to create a Godsphere. However, all her efforts were met with an endless string of failures, even with the most powerful beings in Maple World, and even with one who had once gotten closer to the Godsphere than anyone else.

Unable to complete her experiment in Yum Yum Island, Kaling turned all her efforts on finding Hundun, the last Peril. Growing more frantic at the thought of her research failing, Kaling spoke aloud and addressed Zigang, calling him Master, promising him that she hadn’t been wrong, and that her research wasn’t a disappointment. Soon after, Darmoor told her that the door to Odium had been opened. He then ordered her to bring both the Vessel and the Godsphere before him, if they could stand up to the Adversary.

Back in the present, the Adversary awoke and found that the paper scroll had been cleansed of its contamination. The Adversary told Gaon that they knew what Kaling’s buttons were, and that the last button would have the information that they wanted. As they headed to Spring, the Adversary explained everything that they had learned. Gaon realized that since the button was a failed Godsphere, it explained why he hadn’t been able to destroy it.

(A/N: The implication here is that the Godsphere can only be destroyed by a true Vessel, based on Gaon’s statement earlier in the story that talks about how its power is something that only an Adversary can reach. One interesting thing that opens up as a result is the fact that Chief Lyon was able to destroy the button in Yum Yum Island. If that’s true, then that would mean that Chief Lyon is a true Vessel who could’ve fused with a Godsphere.

It’d actually be pretty hilarious that out of all the people on the island, the one person that Kaling wanted was ironically the one that she didn’t create herself through experimentation. I guess that would thematically fit a lot with the Adversary being created organically, versus the Adversaries of Odium being experimented on and losing their humanity.)

Gaon realized that though the button had failed as a Godsphere, it must have been effective in attacking Shangri-La, as nothing made researchers more vulnerable than a contaminated Godsphere. He then corrected himself and noted that since it hadn’t been properly made, he didn’t know whether he could even call it a Godsphere. The pair then arrived in Spring, where they found more contaminated researchers and Ink-Shaded Butterfly monsters. Gaon warned the Adversary to be careful, for while there was only one button left, the monsters – while weaker – would be much more vicious.

They soon discovered the contaminated paintbrush, but to their surprise, they found that there was no button nearby. As the Adversary wondered whether someone had removed it, Zigang appeared and explained that it was still in Shangri-La. He revealed that since the buttons could contaminate from afar, there was no need for the other buttons to be there in the first place.

The Adversary and Gaon turned to find Zigang arriving with Tai Yu. Zigang explained that Tai Yu had informed him that the four treasures of the study had been contaminated. Gaon was surprised to see Zigang, believing that he had been too busy to investigate, though Zigang replied that no matter how busy he was, he still had a duty to take a look around at the place where he lived. He then turned to the Adversary and explained that he had never thought that he would see them again after they had decided to leave, though he was once again indebted to them, thanks to their timely warning.

Tai Yu then lightly scolded the Adversary for going against his instructions to stop their investigation after trusting them to listen, as well as Gaon for going along with their idea.

(A/N: Hoyoung gets exclusive dialogue that replaces this exchange. Tai Yu begins to scold him and Gaon for ignoring his instructions after he trusted them. Hoyoung laughs and asks his Master whether he’s really surprised after knowing him for so long. Tai Yu then explains that just to be clear, Gaon was the one whom he had trusted.)

He added that it was good that they were becoming friends, though he didn’t know how to feel about the fact that it was because of them both disobeying his instructions together, noting that they should’ve at least considered how much he had worried about them. (A/N: For Hoyoung, Tai Yu tells him that he should’ve at least thought about his worried Master.)

However, Zigang told Tai Yu to leave it be, explaining that even if one had a child that they cared about, they couldn’t keep that child with them for the rest of their life, adding that he would know. Upon hearing Zigang’s words, the Adversary asked him whether he was talking about Kaling. Zigang merely gave the Adversary a pensive look before noting that the residual energy inside the four treasures of the study belonged to ‘that child’.

He asked the Adversary whether they had any idea what the button was, to which they explained that it was a contaminated Godsphere created by Kaling, which they had learned through the memories contained within the buttons. Zigang realized that the last button must have important information contained within her memories, such as information about the fallen Transcendent or the elders who had escaped.

He explained that it was his belief that amongst the remaining elders, there were some who were in touch with those who had left, and that he suspected that one of them had the button, as there was no other reason why they would hold onto an object that would worsen their contamination. Based on Zigang’s words, Gaon immediately realized that Zigang suspected Haia to be the contaminated elder.

Zigang confirmed his suspicions, adding that they must have met her earlier as well. Though Gaon protested, Zigang reminded him that he had been Kaling’s master, and that he had known her quite closely before she had been contaminated. He noted that Kaling had changed considerably, and that it would be no different for everyone else. Turning to the Adversary, he told them that if they had seen that transformation happen in-person, they also would have understood.

Though the Adversary had their doubts, they realized that objecting wouldn’t change Zigang’s mind. Because of that, they admitted to Zigang that they had seen Haia head towards Spring, and that since she had known that they had been investigating the contaminated seasons, she might have taken the button in advance and run. Since they couldn’t know for certain, the Adversary decided that they would also check with the other elders. Zigang agreed and decided to head out first.

After he left, Gaon expressed his shock that Zigang would suspect Haia. Tai Yu noted that it had only been recently that Zigang had been able to see Kaling’s changed nature personally, and that it must be complicated for him. He then told the Adversary that they had done a good job of meeting Zigang in the middle. (A/N: For Hoyoung, Tai Yu also adds on that it seems like only yesterday when Hoyoung used to shut himself inside his room, skipping meals and reading books.) As they prepared to head back towards the pavilion, Haia watched them sadly from behind a tree, holding the button close in her hands.

Back at the pavilion, the Adversary began questioning the elders about Haia. Chouxian the ox elder reluctantly told them that though Haia had become less talkative, it was nothing that he thought was worth worrying about. He then told them that it was the elders’ business, and that he wouldn’t open his hands to them.

The Adversary then spoke with Sino the Fox God, who had come to Shangri-La with her Sky and Cloud Guardians. Sino noted that Kaling was a name that she hadn’t heard of in a long time, and that Kaling had been much nicer when they’d last met. She added that the contamination was quite scary, as it could make everyone change into something completely different from how they once were. When the Adversary asked her about Haia, Sino noted that she hadn’t seen Haia at all since she’d come up to Shangri-La, which was strange, as Haia would always be the first person to welcome her whenever she’d visit.

(A/N: After speaking with Sino and the Sky Guardian, you can choose to initiate a regular NPC conversation with them. I would highly recommend that you do it immediately after speaking with them for the quest, as Sino and her Guardians disappear from Shangri-La after you complete the storyline. The dialogue is slightly different depending on whether you completed Fox Valley or not, and several classes also get some exclusive dialogue with them.

If you didn’t finish Fox Valley and click on Sino, you overhear Sino talking to Chouxian the ox elder about what happened in Fox Valley. She tells him that by checking the crystal that showed up at the end of the storyline, she was able to figure out the Apostle who had sent the lightning storm. For Shade, Sino assures him that Moonbeam and the others are safe. She tells Chouxian that she had meticulously written and sent many messages to the elders - even at the cost of losing sleep over it - but she hadn’t known that they never received even a single one.

She explains that it now makes sense why he never got back to her, as communications were being intercepted, but she then asks Chouxian whether he really had no idea what was going on in the outside world. Chouxian replies that he had no idea that the situation was that serious, though he notes that it’s fortunate that the Apostle’s actions were stopped in Fox Valley before any more damage could be done.

Sino then asks him if he’s still being stubborn about upholding his sense of balance, adding that if an Apostle was almost able to block the vision of a village guardian, then the balance has already been broken. She then tells him that it’s time to discuss what comes next. This conversation is likely meant to tease the Arteria storyline, which features an identical crystal in Reina’s possession. However, for reason that I’ll get into in the next section, it’s not yet confirmed whether Reina was the one who attacked Fox Valley or not.

If you did finish Fox Valley and click on Sino, she greets you happily and notes that it’s been a while. She says that she knew that we were pretty strong, but she hadn’t expected us to come all the way to Shangri-La. Upon realizing that we’ve never met her, she explains that she was able to save the village, thanks to us bringing Maru to her.

This dialogue is slightly different for Shade. The Fox God greets him by name at the beginning, and she laughs embarrassedly upon realizing that it's Shade's first time seeing her in her Anima form as Sino.

She then tells us that after stopping the storm, she had given a report to the elders, thinking that something unusual had been going on. However, she had gotten no reply back, which meant that the elders had no idea what was going on in the world below. Chouxian then tells Sino not to discuss the matter in front of outsiders, to which Sino asks him if he’s still being stubborn about upholding his sense of balance, adding that if an Apostle was almost able to block the vision of a village guardian, then the balance has already been broken. She then tells him that it’s time to discuss what comes next.

Shade gets some exclusive dialogue, which he can click specially as an option while talking to Sino, similar to how Lara can trigger exclusive dialogue with some of the elders. Sino tells Shade that there are some people who always protect each other, even if they can't meet. They miss each other, even without knowing that they do, and even if the memories fade, their hearts still persist. She explains that even if they can't get back those lost memories, they can still build new memories again, adding that she thinks that he understands what she means.

You can also talk to the Sky Guardian, which is different depending on whether or not you completed Fox Valley. If you didn’t do the theme dungeon, the Sky Guardian recognizes us as the stranger who saved Shangri-La and says that he’s heard a lot of stories about us.

If you did complete Fox Valley, he recognizes us from when we met him, and he thanks us for our actions, explaining that both the fox spirits and the elders of Shangri-La are indebted to us.

If you completed Fox Valley and play as Hoyoung, there’s some special excusive dialogue that you get. The Sky Guardian recognizes us from Fox Valley and tells us that when we had last met, he had mistakenly thought that we were Baekyeon the White Tiger, which explains why Hoyoung’s exclusive dialogue in Fox Valley has the Sky Guardian ask us why we’ve come down to the world below.

He explains that he’s heard that we’ve saved not only Fox Valley, but Shangri-La as well, and so he tells us that he can’t be rude to us anymore. After thanking us, he adds that Baekyeon must’ve been happy to hear our story. Although the dialogue was a bit vague about it, the Sky Guardian probably realized that we weren’t Baekyeon right after mistaking us, as there’s no way that he’d attack us if he really thought that we were one of the Four Symbols.)

Next, the Adversary spoke with Siyu the snake elder, who apologized and explained that she had been quite absorbed in her work. She told them that recently, just hearing news from the outside world was distracting. As she continued looking through her latest report, she was shocked to find that Odium’s Constables had been hacked into, causing her to loudly wonder how that was even possible.

The Adversary then spoke with Weio, who asked them whether they were okay after talking to Siyu. She explained that Siyu was the type of person who focused deeply on the research in front of her, and that she was the most scholarly of all the elders. When the Adversary asked her about Haia, Weio explained that Haia was a nice child who was beloved by everyone around her. However, she explained that she was growing worried, as Haia’s expression had been growing darker, and that her attitude had been getting sharper as well.

As Gaon began realizing that Haia really had been contaminated after all, Wushuai the horse elder approached them and asked if they could speak privately. He led them to Spring, where he asked them whether they were investigating at the request of Zigang. He explained that he knew that Zigang was suspicious of Haia, believing that she and Kaling had fallen in the same way. However, he insisted that Haia was different from Kaling, and he requested that they protect her.

(A/N: Lara gets some exclusive dialogue here, in which he asks her to protect Haia, just like how she had awoken him.)

He explained that at one point, he had been the most contaminated out of all the elders, and that he had heard from Weio about the bell that could wash away their contamination.

(A/N: Lara gets some exclusive dialogue here too, in which Wushuai notes that it’s the same bell that she had brought.)

Because of that, he had placed all his hopes in the bell, though nothing had changed for a long time. When it had started getting even worse, he had begun feeling completely empty, unable to feel anything anymore. He had noted to himself that for the sake of saving the world, he had forced himself to go through with experiments that had betrayed humanity, but because of that, he had lost his comfort, his empathy, and even his guilt. He had then begun to lament what it was that he could even call himself when he couldn’t even feel regret for all the wrongs that he had committed.

At that moment, Haia had told him not to worry, promising that she would remember for him. Comforting him as he had cried, Haia had promised that she would remember his consolation, his empathy, and his guilt, and that she would remind him of it should he ever forget. She had reassured him that the bell would ring one day, and that when it did, he would get back what it was that he needed the most right now. She had explained that she herself was fine, and that though she couldn’t say that she had no problems, she would be okay as long as everyone continued staying by her side.

(A/N: The image shown during this part features Haia comforting Wushuai, who has a tear rolling down his cheek. It’s highly reminiscent of the image shown during Lara’s level 200 quest, which shows two silhouetted elders lamenting over their lack of humanity. We later learn that one of the elders is Wushuai, and based on the image shown here, it’s likely that the other elder in Wushuai’s memory was Haia.)

Wushuai told the Adversary that Haia was a small, but strong child, and that she had endured a considerable amount of pain because she had others by her side. He explained that though Haia was having a hard time because of the contamination, it was different from what Kaling had experienced. He insisted that Haia wasn’t like Kaling, and that the proof was that Haia hadn’t left with the other elders. Upon hearing Wushuai’s words, Gaon decided that they needed to find Haia and talk to her, and that he had an idea of how to do so.

He explained that Shensung and Baekyeon were very playful, and that even though they both liked Haia, they would sometimes tease her. Whenever she would feel upset, Haia would always run away somewhere into Winter. In order to make her feel better, they would make sky lanterns and launch them into the air so that she would come back. In order to follow the lantern to Haia, Gaon asked the Adversary to collect fabric, bamboo, and a small candle from the Chest of Wisdom in the pavilion. (A/N: This is just the merchant NPC.)

Using the materials, Gaon made a sky lantern and launched it into the air. They then followed the lantern across Winter, where it finally reached a surprised Haia. Gaon approached Haia, who smiled tearfully upon seeing him. He then apologized to her, explaining that it was something that he should have said properly before leaving. He told her that he had realized that if they didn’t part well, they were bound to end up hurting each other.

He then explained that it wasn’t that she wasn’t as precious to him as everyone else, but before he could continue, Haia told him that he didn’t need to say anything else, admitting that it was all because she was being stubborn. She then pulled out the button and explained that though she had known that they were searching for it, it was the last thing that Maolang had given her, promising that it would be able to lead Haia back to her.

Maolang had explained that Haia didn’t have to go with her, but that if she trusted her, then she should keep the button with her. Haia explained that she hadn’t been able to refuse Maolang upon seeing how distressed she had appeared. She told him that though she had already known that Zigang suspected her, she hadn’t wanted to let go of her trusting heart.

The Adversary noted that Maolang must have been genuine about wanting Haia to trust her, and that it must have been painful to leave behind the buttons. However, they also pointed out that no matter how sincere Maolang had been, she had nevertheless taken advantage of Haia in order to cause distress amongst the researchers by leaving the button behind in Shangri-La. They then realized that Haia must have also wanted to confirm the truth, which was why she had been hovering around the area.

Haia pointed out that they had known that she had been following them, asking if they had wanted her to see the truth with her own eyes. The Adversary confirmed her suspicions and asked whether she understood now that she had seen the contaminated researchers. Haia promised that she wouldn’t turn away from the truth anymore and apologized for everything that she had caused. She then gave the Adversary the last button.

From the button emerged the silhouetted forms of Kaling and Shensung, playing out a scene from Kaling’s memories. Kaling handed the button to Shensung, who examined it and mockingly noted that Zigang’s disciple had made something quite interesting. He then asked Kaling whether she had benefited from being an Apostle of Darmoor, though he then snidely asked why Darmoor had reached out to them again when he already had such a ‘talented’ researcher at his side.

At Kaling’s silence, Shensung laughed that it was a shame that her skills had been so underappreciated by both Darmoor and Zigang. Kaling angrily told him to watch his mouth, reminding him that he wouldn’t be able to get what he wanted without Darmoor’s help. She told Shensung that Darmoor had already told her about his goal – to escape the will of the world – and added that it would be a waste to blow away his chance to make a deal with Darmoor with his bad attitude.

Shensung replied by telling Kaling that she had no idea what he was carrying inside him, explaining that he would do anything to know the feeling of liberation from being freed from his sense of duty imposed by the will of the world. He noted that Darmoor was quite clever, and upon recalling that he was also a Transcendent, he laughed that he must be a friend to them as well.

(A/N: The suggestion here is that both the elders and Darmoor know the feeling of being enslaved to the Overseers.)

After Shensung disappeared, Kaling cursed him and noted that he wasn’t the one who had been recognized by Darmoor. She spoke to herself that Darmoor was the only one who had recognized her research and cursed the Adversary, claiming that if it hadn’t been for them, she could have been reborn as the Adversary that Darmoor wanted. Suddenly, the memory changed itself and caused the sky to turn dark, just as it had been when Kaling had invaded Shangri-La. The silhouette of Kaling suddenly reshaped itself into her fully-powered appearance from when she had combined with the three Perils.

Just then, Zigang appeared and confronted the memory of Kaling, claiming that he had come to put an end to things. Kaling immediately recognized Zigang, who noted that from what he had just heard, the reason why the other elders had betrayed Shangri-La was because they had wanted to escape their sense of duty given by the will of the world. He added that he hadn’t expected that a Transcendent like Darmoor would be capable of doing so, though he noted that just as the Adversary had said, a lot had changed in the outside world.

He then explained that he had come to realize that he had gotten too comfortable looking at the world the way that he had known it. He told Kaling that in order to keep the long-established line that the will of the world had created, he had turned a blind eye to many things, and that one of those neglected things now stood before him. He then approached Kaling and told her that it had been some time before admitting that he should have talked to her real self, rather than just the thoughts that she had left behind.

The memory of Kaling recognized that he really was Zigang and noted that now, after so many years had passed, he was finally looking back at her, rather than turning his back on her. After a pause, she admitted that it hadn’t been his fault, as everything that she had done had been her own choice, from sending her robots into the world, to unsealing the Perils, to using the investigators. Because of that, she told Zigang that she didn’t need sympathy, as she didn’t regret anything that she did.

(A/N: I appreciate that the writers put a lot of effort into showing the effect of the contamination on the elders, as well as giving a resolution between Zigang and Kaling, and while I think it’s nice that Kaling chooses to take accountability for her actions, I still strongly disagree with the idea that these were all her own choices when her free will and decision-making were heavily impaired when she did these things.)

Suddenly, she noticed the button and noted that she wished that she hadn’t seen it. She explained that if she had known that she would be confronted with it, she never would have left her thoughts behind. Suddenly, she felt the presence of a light and wondered whether it was the light that she had missed. Just then, a powerful light - just like the light from the World Heart – engulfed the area. When the light dissipated, the memory of Kaling had vanished and the contamination of the seasons had been lifted.

Zigang then turned to Haia with a pained expression on his face and admitted that it hadn’t just been Kaling that he needed to say sorry to. He apologized to Haia for suspecting her and explained that the contamination had affected him too, and that because of it, he couldn’t trust himself or anyone around him.

Because of this, he had done everything that the will of the world had commanded him to do, believing that if he only followed rules that were supposed to be the right thing, he wouldn’t go down the wrong path. He admitted that he had lost so much because of his blindness, and that it was fortunate that he was able to finally open his eyes and look around before he had lost everything.

He then turned to the Adversary and told them that though it was late, he was grateful to them in many ways. He explained that he had lost face after only showing them his bad side, but he nevertheless requested them to take care of Gaon on their journey. He then added that on behalf of his poor disciple, he would watch their light. He explained that though he wasn’t very trustworthy anymore, they could call upon him for help whenever they needed it. He then suggested that they go back to the pavilion where their friends awaited, as there were a lot of things left to fix.

Haia then told the Adversary that if they ever met the traitorous elders, they were free to tell them off without mercy, adding that they could even tell the elders that Haia had asked them to do so as a wake-up call. She then told them that though Zigang had already thanked them, she wanted to thank them, too. She added that from now on, she would be waiting for not only Ara and Baekyeon to return, but them as well.

Tai Yu then told them that they had a hard time running back and forth, and that there was a real breeze in the air now, even if it was a bit precarious. Gaon noted that everyone had moved forward, one step at a time, to which Tai Yu agreed, adding that so had Gaon. Gaon then told the Adversary that they were slowly awakening too, as the journey wasn’t over yet.