PART II: AFTER THE SEALING OF THE BLACK MAGE

Chapter 16: The Boy Who Became a Specter

On the moon of Verdel, three nomads named Salvo, Zippy, and Ferret were searching for useful material buried in the sand. Suddenly, they came across an unconscious Ark lying in the desert and took him back to their refuge. Several days later, Ark awoke and found himself tied to a rock. He noticed that his Flora wings had been shorted out, and that his left arm was large and monstrous.

He noted that the camp was around twenty people in size and briefly considered breaking his bindings and making a run for it. However, he decided to try to reason with his captors first. Just then, Salvo arrived and discovered that Ark had woken up. He then announced to the whole camp that the ‘monster’ had awoken. Ark was surprised that they considered him a monster, and the caravan, in turn, was surprised that he could talk. However, they noted that his arm looked just like the other monsters who had attacked them previously.

Ark tried to convince them that he meant no harm and asked them to untie him. The nomads asked him to prove that he wasn’t a monster by explaining who he was and why his arm was like that. However, Ark had no memory of who he was, and so he couldn’t explain anything to them, other than the fact that the only memory that he possessed was of a nightmare in which a voice had called him ‘Ark’, which he assumed to be his name.

Zippy, the leader of the caravan, believed him and asked everyone else whether they thought that Ark should be released. However, some members of the caravan were still suspicious of Ark. As the nomads debated amongst themselves, Ark wondered whether he ought to follow his original plan and make a break for it.

Just then, an alarm began to sound as the ground started rumbling. Zippy warned the nomads that the monsters had returned and told everyone to prepare to defend the camp. Just then, a horde of Specters charged into the refuge. Zippy apologized to Ark for the misunderstanding and released him so that he could escape.

Ark and the other nomads managed to evacuate to the outskirts of the refuge, where Zippy reassured everyone that they could build another shelter. They asked Ark what he planned to do now that he was free and invited him to join them. Just then, they realized that one of the children was still missing. Ark decided that the people of the caravan were good, and since they didn’t consider him a monster anymore, he thought that it would be a good idea to travel with them until he regained more of his memories.

With the Specters closing in, Ark decided that he would find the missing child while the rest of the caravan escaped. He arrived at the camp and rescued the child, Mar. Just then, Specters appeared and surrounded the two. With his muscle memory from his time as a soldier, Ark managed to thin their numbers down. As he fought, he felt a dark power taking hold of his body. Unable to resist, he was torn between a desire to protect the innocent and a thirst for carnage. Nevertheless, he was successfully able to retrieve the child and brought it back to the caravan.

A few days later, the nomads were in the process of rebuilding their shelter. Ark, who had fallen unconscious after the battle, awoke in the camp, unable to recall anything that had happened after the strange power had overtaken him. Zippy then gave him a tour of the new shelter and thanked him for his help, offering to pay him back however he could. Ark asked him if there was a way off Verdel, but Zippy replied that he wasn’t sure. He told Ark that he and the others weren’t on Verdel by choice, explaining that they were nomads on a search for paradise until one day, when their ship had been pulled into Verdel by a strange vortex. (A/N: This vortex was the result of the failed ritual which had partially transformed Ark into a Specter.)

Upon waking up, they had found themselves trapped without their ship in the wastelands. Determined to survive, they had scavenged for parts and food in order to create their shelter. Zippy hoped that in time, they would be able to recover their ship and resume their search for paradise. He explained that Ferret was always looking for ways to track their ship’s signal.

Ark then told Zippy that he had decided to stay and help the nomads. Zippy apologetically told him that they hadn’t even found a way to pay him back for saving Mar, though he added that they did need the help. Ark laughed and told him that helping each other benefited them all. Zippy then asked him to help find medical supplies to treat the wounded and told him to collect Dried Tree Husks from the Desert Mushes south of camp.

After bringing Zippy the husks, Ark went to speak with Salvo about how he could help with gathering food. Salvo asked him to collect meat from the Ferocious Desert Mushes. After Ark helped collect the food, he spoke with Ferret and collected Crumbled Rocks from the Sand Tortoises in order to create armor and to rebuild the shelter. Ferret then asked him to put the extra material in storage.

As he finished putting the rocks in storage, he noticed Mar trying to sneak out of the shelter. He tried to tell Mar to stay in the shelter, but the boy simply laughed and ran away. Ark decided to follow him in order to make sure that he wouldn’t be in danger and chased him south of the shelter, when Mar stopped and asked him to collect Crushed Crystals from the Crystal Sand Tortoises for a secret project. After he collecting them, Mar led him to his secret hideout, where he showed Ark all the shiny objects that he had gathered. Next to the shiny objects, Ark discovered an enormous crystal hollowed-out and filled with technological parts installed inside. He immediately realized that he had seen the crystal before.

Suddenly, he was overtaken by one of his memories. He recalled the day when he and Albaire had been assigned to the Western Front after graduating from the academy, where they had stood before the same hollowed-out crystal, which he recalled was actually a spaceship. Ark had told Albaire about how they would be real soldiers once the mission was over, but Albaire had pointed out that they were already real soldiers, having pledged their lives for the peace of Grandis.

Just then, Brigadier General Limbo had told them that they were ready to move out. Ark and Albaire had begun talking amongst themselves about how Limbo had done much good and how they hoped that they could be like him one day, with Ark marveling at how they had already been assigned to such an important base. Snapping back to reality, Ark realized that Albaire was the one who had been in his nightmare. He returned to the crystal several times afterwards, but he was unable to recall anything more from his past. However, he was certain that there was a way to escape Verdel using the broken crystal, provided that they could repair it.

Soon after, Ark told Zippy that the crystal was linked to a transport, and that they could likely activate it by finding its broken pieces. Zippy was glad to hear the good news, as it would give hope to the caravan. Ark, Zippy, and Ferret went to the crystal, where Zippy showed Ferret the hollowed-out section of the crystal and explained that the ship would work if they could find the crystal energy shards that fit into it. Ferret tuned in to the crystal’s signal, allowing him to find complementary signals that would reveal the locations of the shards.

Zippy decided to form a recovery team composed of Digs, Grit, Ferret, Salvo, and Ark. Back at the refuge, Zippy told Ark that he would gather rations, weapons, and armor from the other caravanners and asked Ark to help Ferret and Salvo in the meantime. Ferret told Ark that it would be inevitable that they would get separated, and so he explained that he wanted to make a signal device so that they could find each other. He told Ark that he needed to make a new one for him, as well as to repair his own, and asked him to find Decent Crystals from the Crystal Hermit Crabs north of the refuge. After Ark collected them, he gave them to Ferret and then went to see Salvo, who asked Ark to find Exploding Eyeballs from Bomber Hermit Crabs in order to make demolitions.

Ark then went to check in with Zippy, who told him that Ferret had pinpointed the crystals’ locations. They decided to find the piece at the location closest to the refuge first in order to get an idea of what they were dealing with, and so Ark and Ferret went out beyond the refuge in order to find the shard. As they arrived at the location of the first shard, Ark noticed a tall structure in the distance and felt something nagging at the back of his mind, though he couldn’t recall what it was.

Just then, Ferret dug up the first shard and the pair brought it back to the refuge. With the first piece recovered, the recovery team made their way to the refuge border, where Zippy and the other nomads sent them off. Ferret planned out their trip and explained that they would first recover the second piece that was closest to them, after which they would grab the final piece before circling back around to the transport.

Soon after they began the expedition, they found themselves in a sandstorm, which interfered with Ferret’s signals. Ferret believed that the nearby Gale Foxes were causing the sandstorm and asked Ark to take care of them. After defeating the foxes, the group made their way further in, when they were stopped by an even bigger sandstorm caused by Ferocious Gale Foxes.

After fighting past the foxes, they pushed forward and soon found the signal coming directly below them. Salvo used his demolitions to reveal the second piece, but the strength of his bombs caused the ground to cave in. The team and the buried crystal fell into a large cavern system beneath the sand. Ark and Ferret found themselves separated from the rest of the group, but Ark revealed that he had managed to grab the second piece as they had been falling. They made their way deeper into the cavern in order to find the rest of the group and found themselves surrounded by Sand Helm monsters. As Ark hunted the monsters in order to clear the way, he felt a sense of familiarity about the creatures.

After moving forward, they reunited with Digs and Grit, who had found the exit directly above them. Before leaving, Ferret told them that they needed to first find Salvo and asked Ark to defeat the Sand Armor monsters blocking the way. They moved forward and found Salvo before heading towards the exit. However, Ferret noted that something was off about the signal.

Ark was suddenly consumed by a memory of the High Flora army striking down the native species of Verdel, whom Ark recognized as the Sand Helm and Sand Armor monsters. Ark recalled how he had grown disillusioned with the battle, realizing it was little more than a massacre. He then recalled Albaire feeling shocked when Ark had confided to him that he wanted to desert. Albaire had told Ark that nothing great came without sacrifice and had told him to get it together, reminding him that their actions were for the greater good.

Ark forced himself to return to reality and told his worried comrades that he was fine. As they left in search of the final piece, Ark felt his memory growing clearer and his old feelings rushing back, recalling all the atrocities that he had committed in the name of peace. The team then made their way back up and traveled to the third signal, where they found themselves at the remnants of a base, which Ark realized was the tall structure that he had spotted while searching for the first shard. Salvo used a controlled explosion to reveal the third crystal, just as Ark recalled that the structure was the same High Flora base which he had once been stationed at.

Surveying the ruins, he felt a sense of disillusionment at what the so-called ‘War for Peace’ truly looked like. Suddenly, he had a memory of himself spying on a meeting, in which Limbo had been told by a lieutenant of the enemy’s plan to attack their base that night. Limbo had told the lieutenant that he had done well to report it, adding that once their enemies invaded the base, he would enact the ritual to transform them all into Specters. He had then said that there was incredible knowledge contained in the Abyssal Source, revealing that he could transform into a Specter at will. Ark recalled how he had been shocked to see Limbo’s true form, and that he had resolved to warn the enemy that the High Flora were prepared for their attack.

Back in the present, a meeting was taking place at the Aboris Royal Palace between Gerand Darmoor and his Apostles. Limbo reported that everything was proceeding according to schedule. One of the Apostles admitted that they found the situation entertaining, as the vortex from the failed Specter ritual had finally dissipated, with their scouts reporting that there would be little resistance from Verdel’s current inhabitants. They noted that it was good news, considering that Limbo’s last attack on the moon had been a failure. Limbo told them that one of his colonels would soon arrive on Verdel in order to ensure that everything went smoothly.

Back on Verdel, Ark told the others that he had remembered that the spaceship near the refuge drew power, which was why the Specters had been drawn towards it, as they wanted more of the same power. He then realized that that the people of the caravan, who were in close proximity to the spaceship, were in danger. Salvo wondered whether they could outrun the Specters and power the spaceship for their escape, but Ark replied that it would take too long to get the power source running and instead suggested that they split up into two teams. While he, Salvo, and Digs set up a defense line, Ferret could take the crystals in order to start the ship. Ferret then began running towards the ship as Ark struggled to hold off the Specters.

As Ark continued fighting, he found himself losing control and transformed into his Specter form. He then heard a voice that told him that something important must be happening if Ark had finally realized that he needed the Specter’s power. Ark recognized the voice as that of the Specter inhabiting his body.

The Specter told Ark that he could trust it to take control. However, Ark resisted and told it that he could never trust it. The Specter asked if Ark wanted to save his friends and explained that he didn’t have much of a choice if he did, to which Ark resolved that he would use its power while retaining full control of himself. After learning to control the Specter power, he rushed to reinforce his friends.

Meanwhile, the defensive line was breaking down as Salvo and Digs were forced back by the arrival of High Flora soldiers. Ark fought through the Flora forces and saved his friends from Albaire, who had just arrived on the scene.

Ark confronted Albaire, who revealed that he had been promoted to Colonel, and told him that the War for Peace was a lie. Albaire asked why it mattered, to which Ark replied that it mattered to the people of Verdel. Albaire told Ark that it was sad to see him like this, as he had hoped that Ark would have changed his mind after his first betrayal. He then ordered Ark to step aside, claiming that he hadn’t come for him.

When Ark refused to move, Albaire told him to reconsider siding with the ‘barbarians’ out of a misplaced sense of pity, telling him that he could still walk away if he didn’t interfere with his mission. Ark asked what mission Albaire was referring to, to which Albaire told him that it was the same mission that they had always had, which was to remake the galaxy in the image of the High Flora, adding that unlike Ark, he didn’t turn on what he believed in.

When Ark told him that he was committing a massacre, Albaire dismissed him and claimed that it wasn’t his problem if the other races refused to accept the superiority of the High Flora. Ark asked what had happened to their shared dream of bringing peace to Grandis and demanded to know how many innocents needed to die in the name of his mission.

The two then engaged in a fierce battle, but Ark noted that Albaire hadn’t even opened his wings at all throughout the fight, meaning that he was only using a small fraction of his power. Nevertheless, Albaire soundly defeated Ark, even after he transformed into his Specter state. As Albaire walked away, he told Ark to accept that he was weak, and that his grand ideals couldn’t save anyone, warning him once again not to get in the High Flora’s way again.

As Ark began to lose consciousness, he recalled a memory of when he and Albaire had graduated military school. Ark had told Albaire that they could finally bring peace to Grandis, though he had confided that he was afraid, and that he even had nightmares. Albaire had then told Ark that he had made a promise to protect those who mattered to him, which included Ark. He had then sworn to Ark that he would always be there to protect him, even if Ark was the worst soldier on the battlefield.

Ark had laughed that Albaire wouldn’t even make it to Colonel without his help, to which Albaire had said that it was a good thing that Ark would never abandon him. (A/N: Don’t mind me, that’s just the sound of a thousand knives stabbing me through the heart.) Though Ark had thought that Albaire had been joking at the time, he realized that Albaire truly had protected him, finally remembering how Albaire had interrupted the Specter ritual, despite how he couldn’t understand why Ark had betrayed him.

As Albaire walked away, Ark asked what had happened to him. Albaire replied that he wasn’t the one who had changed, to which Ark pointed out that the Albaire he remembered had wanted to protect people. Albaire merely shrugged and said that he supposed that the War for Peace was a lie, just as Ark himself had said. (A/N: I really want to believe that Albaire hasn’t given up on his dream, and that he’s working from the inside to destabilize the High Flora army. I feel like he’s keeping his promise to protect Ark by making him stay out of it in order to keep him safe.)

Ark was filled with regret, wondering whether things would have been different if he had just spoken to Albaire first before choosing to betray the High Flora. As Albaire disappeared in the sandstorm, Ark remembered their promise to always protect each other. (A/N: If Albaire is a gay disaster, then Ark is the house of cards that got blown away by said disaster.)

Back at the ship, Ferret had Zippy gather the caravan, explaining that he had lost contact with the recovery team. Ferret then activated the power source, just as Ark was discovered and brought back the ship. Suddenly, the life energy began draining out of Verdel’s surface. The caravan barely managed to take off, though they were successfully able to fly to Savage Terminal.

Some time after landing, Ark awoke and the others told him how they had barely managed to escape Verdel, as the moon’s entire life energy was being drawn out. Ark realized that the High Flora’s mission had been to extract even more power, causing him to wonder what purpose it served. The caravan then told him that they were happy to stay in Savage Terminal and asked Ark what he planned to do. Ark explained that he had a new mission, and that he had decided to gather more information before leaving.

However, he offered to help the caravan before he left. Zippy asked for a way to hide the power crystal, as it was drawing monsters towards them, and so Ark brought them scrap metal in order to disguise the crystal. He also brought Wiggling Tails from Mutant Nutrias at Salvo’s request in order to ensure that the caravan had enough rations. Ferret then boosted Ark’s communication device so that they could speak regardless of distance. They then said their goodbyes and Ark went his separate way.

(A/N: Since Ark is now a vagabond with the destruction of Verdel, he doesn’t have a return skill to his starter town. Instead, he gets a skill that allows him to use the communication device in order to speak with different caravan members, each of whom gives a different buff.)

Meanwhile at Aboris, another meeting was taking place. One of the Apostles asked if the plan for the Western Front had finally been completed, noting that there had been interference this time as well, with only minimal power to show for it. They added that the first time the ritual had been disrupted, it had destroyed the moon’s entire surface, and with the second failure being nearly as disastrous, they felt that it was time to cut their losses. However, Limbo was pleased to know that Ark was still alive after so long.

On Savage Terminal, Ark decided to head into the Black Market in order to find information about Grandis. There, he found Market Hoodlums attacking Coney. Ark intervened and fought off the Hoodlums. Coney then thanked him and asked how he could repay Ark back, citing the Shadowdealer code to always ensure that favors were repaid.

Ark asked about the High Flora’s activities, causing Coney to suddenly look down at his feet. He stammered that all he knew about the High Flora was that they had taken over most of Grandis. Ark realized that Coney was troubled by the topic, and so he decided to instead ask Coney about the status of the war, to which Coney explained that there hadn’t been a real war since Grandis had fallen to the High Flora centuries ago.

(A/N: This is almost certainly a continuity error, as Kaiser and Angelic Buster’s storylines confirm that the Flora Civil War ended only decades ago on Grandis. Most likely, Nexon forgot that time moves slower in Grandis, and so they confused the decades that had passed on Grandis as the centuries that had passed in Maple World.)

Coney also told Ark about the Nova and their plan to retake Heliseum, for which they were recruiting people from Maple World. Just then, Cadena arrived and confronted Ark about attacking Coney. Coney clarified that Ark had actually saved him, but Cadena still looked at Ark suspiciously and took Coney back to their hideout.

Ark then decided to investigate the Interdimensional Portal and traveled to Pantheon, where he was surprised to see how peaceful it was, as he had been expecting an active battlefield. Suddenly, he felt his power being drained and collapsed on the ground. He was awoken by Kaiser, who was alarmed by Ark’s ears and arm.

He, along with Cartalion, Beldar, and Fenelle, took Ark to the edge of the Protective Shield, where they began to question him. Beldar noted that Ark had Flora ears, but no magic wings, and suspected that he was related to the last group of Flora children who had come to Pantheon recently. Cartalion pointed out that Ark’s arm was definitely Specter, noting that he had been weakened by the Protective Shield, which was intended to keep Specters out, and wondered whether Ark was in league with Magnus.

Kaiser countered that Ark would have known about the Protective Shield if that were true, which Fenelle agreed with. Ark then explained that he was a deserter of the High Flora army, and that he now fought against them. Though he explained his situation, Beldar still didn’t trust him, but Fenelle told them that Ark’s auratic vibration was tranquil, and that she sensed that he had a strong will to do good.

With Fenelle's approval, the group agreed to allow Ark to travel through the Interdimensional Portal and left Kaiser to escort him there. Along the way, Ark asked several questions about present-day Grandis. Kaiser began to explain how the power of the four Nova sacred stones created the Protective Shield around Pantheon that protected them from Magnus and the Specter army. He told Ark about how Magnus had betrayed the Nova and killed the former Kaiser before seizing Heliseum in the name of Darmoor.

He also told Ark about how Magnus had crossed dimensions to Maple World after being injured by the former Kaiser, after which he had sworn loyalty to Maple World’s corrupt Transcendent of Light in order to heal his injuries and attain greater power through both the Black Mage and by draining the life force out of Guwaru, the Great Spirit of Maple World. Regarding the Interdimensional Portal, Kaiser explained how several had been formed when Darmoor had stolen the powers of Chronica, and that it was said that he had even used one to travel to another world. He also explained that the Nova had recently begun exploring Maple World after reactivating the Interdimensional Portal in Pantheon.

Kaiser then led Ark to the Great Temple, where he traveled through the Interdimensional Portal and met with Chief Stan in Henesys, who directed him to see Athena Pierce. She welcomed him as a new traveler and suggested that he help people around Maple World during his travels, giving him a few requests to choose from. (A/N: These are just the theme dungeons from levels 30-60.)

Some time later, Ark felt the Specter’s power crawling through his body, causing him to lose consciousness. He awoke in the Abyss, where the Specter welcomed him back. Ark was surprised, as he had thought that the Specter had vanished after he had overpowered it in Verdel, but the Specter explained that it was a part of him, and so it would never go away. Ark asked what the Specter was, to which it began explaining about the Abyss, which was the source of all knowledge in the world. Though it was difficult to access, there were paths available to those determined to seek it out, claiming that Ark was one of those people.

Ark told the Specter that he couldn’t remember the Abyss, to which the Specter explained that Ark had been able to remember very little after waking up, as it was the price for gaining the knowledge of the Abyss. However, it told Ark that he was special, as he had been able to escape the Abyss, rather than having his body and soul taken, which would have completely transformed him into a Specter. Because the process had failed, the Specter explained that it shared Ark’s body, rather than fully consuming him.

It explained that a normal Specter never truly died, as it merely returned to the Abyss. However, because it shared Ark’s body, the Specter revealed that it would die as soon as Ark did. As Ark refused to give it control and continued throwing himself into dangerous situations, the Specter explained that it was in its own interest to keep him alive, revealing that it was the reason why it had brought him to the Abyss, as it intended to give him more power. After Ark regained consciousness in the real world, more of the memory of his failed transformation began to return, along with the cost of seeing what lay in the Abyss. He wondered if the Specter had called him a special case because Albaire had interrupted the ritual, though he had no way of knowing for sure.

(A/N: I wonder whether there’s any relationship between the Abyss and the divine plane that the White Mage visited just before he awakened as the Transcendent of Light. The White Mage’s goal was to find “infinite knowledge that would complete humanity”, which sounds exactly like what’s contained in the Abyss. Earlier in this section, Limbo was pleased to know that Ark was alive. This is because Ark is possibly the only living being who’s gazed into the Abyss and gained its knowledge while still retaining his mind and body.

We don’t know much about how partial Specters work, as Limbo, Ark, and possibly Mr. Hazard are the only three known beings who share a body with a Specter. However, it seems like the way that Ark was turned into a partial Specter is unique, and it’s heavily implied that the memories of whatever he’s learned in the Abyss still exist in his mind, with one of Ark’s 5th job skills even allowing him to access traces of those memories.

Most likely, Limbo is after Ark in order to extract those memories for himself. Specter lore seems to be the focus with the Grandis story lately, as it was revealed in the Cernium storyline that special types of Specters composed of host bodies filled with not just one, but countless Specter souls, have the power to trick the relics of Ancient Gods into awakening, allowing the host to use the relics in order to kill higher beings. I’m sure that we’ll learn a lot more about how Ark’s story ties into the greater lore in the near future.)