Allegro:Oh, uh hello! Are you the El Search Party? I have heard a lot about your prowess. You've retrieved Ruben's El?
Rena:Well, Elsword is the only one who's actually in the El Search Party, but... I suppose that's a suitable title for now.
Aisha:First off... Mr. Allegro? Can you tell us the situation in Feita?
Allegro:Ah, yes. Let me introduce myself. I am... Allegro, secretary of Feita. You can call me Allegro.
Allegro:Demonic energy has always been strong in Feita. The El Lady's Shrine was built in order to suppress that energy, and there's always someone guarding the area.
Allegro:Let's just say that the story of the 'Monster Outbreak of the Black Forest' from the founding legends of Elrian Kingdom took place in Feita.
Aisha:Hey Elsword! Are you listening?
Elsword:I get it. This place has always been creepy. And monsters showing up is nothing new, which is why soldiers were guarding the area.
Allegro:Yes. But monsters that were unprecedented in power appeared from within the Shrine.
Allegro:Right now, they have taken over the entire shrine, and the army is barely managing to prevent the monsters coming out of the shrine by blocking the entrance.
Allegro:Hold on, Sir Lento should be able to give you a better explanation.
Elsword:Alright. But... is this the main base? It seems too small to be the base for the main army.
Allegro:Ah, everyone had to hurry out so their gear aren't in good shape.
Raven:Even after taking that into consideration, it isn't great... Velder's reinforcements haven't arrived yet?
Allegro:No... We think it's possible that the reinforcements are dealing with the monsters that managed to escape Feita's perimeter.
Lento:We couldn't just wait for Velder's reinforcements, so we requested your help.
Allegro:Sir Lento!
Lento:Hello. I am Lento of Feita's Guards. I was assigned Captain for the Feita Shine Search Party.
Lento:We believe Feita's Shrine has already been taken over. Most of the guards are focusing their efforts on blocking the entrance to detain the enemy.
Aisha:If you are trying to keep them in... Why don't you build a barricade for a proper line of defense?
Lento:Our purpose is to reclaim the shrine and investigate the cause for this mass breakout to stop it once and for all. For that, we need proper investigation of what's happening inside the shrine.
Lento:As such, we need to secure a path to entry before forming a proper line of defense.
Rena:I see. Then will we be helping in securing the path?
Lento:That's the plan. I will lead you to the entrance of the shrine.
Lento:... According to the map, Feita's Guards have managed to enter up to this point, to the entrance that leads to the inner part of the shrine...
Lento:But had to retreat because monsters equipped like knights have blocked their paths.
Lento:All the witnesses fainted after repeating that they could not see the face, so this is as far as we know.
Aisha:What's up with that? Creepy...
Elsword:... I wonder why they couldn't see the face?
Rena:Maybe it's because they were wearing helmets? Since they were knights.
Elsword:But shouldn't that be obvious? If they couldn't see the face because of the helmet, they would have described the helmet instead of saying they couldn't see the face.
Allegro:...
Eve:Allegro, do you have something to say?
Allegro:Oh! No... it's just... well this may be a stretch...
Allegro:But it bothered me as well that all the soldiers said they couldn't see the face. Maybe it's because they saw... a Durahan Knight?
Eve:A Durahan?
(FLIP FLIP)
Allegro:Headless knight... equipped with sturdy armor and shield, they are known for being undefeatable because they do not have a corporeal body...
Allegro:That's the description of a Durahan Knight. There's a record of them from the Monster Outbreak of the Black Forest.
Rena:I thought that was just a story?
Allegro:I, I'm sorry... That's why I said it might be a... stretch...
Raven:A headless knight... I see... Then when they said they could not see the face, they could have meant 'there was nothing to see where you would normally se a face'.
Aisha:S, stop over analyzing it!
Elsword:If they are undefeatable, how are we supposed to defeat it?
Allegro:They are not completely invulnerable. According to the records, the reason why Durahan Knights were able to revive multiple times after their death is because there's a core that contains its soul inside its armor.
Eve:The core is its actually form. Understood, we will keep that in mind.
Aisha:Wait, why are you all taking this so seriously? A headless knight? That's... That's...
Rena:Whether or not the story of the headless knight is true, it doesn't change the fact that we have to reclaim the entrance after defeating what's there. So we'll just keep it in mind!
Allegro:Oh, one more thing. There was also a witness account of a golem. They're usually not that common, but it seems they surged in numbers due to the increase demonic energy.
Allegro:The key to defeating a golem is also the core at the center of their body. Perhaps they share traits with Durahans. Please, be careful.
[After Reclaiming the Shrine's Entrance, Feita Main Base]
Aisha:...
Rena:What's wrong Aisha? Is something worrying you? You seem to be staring at Eve a lot.
Aisha:Yikes! Oh, it's you, Rena. It's nothing.
Aisha:I just realized... People seem to accept Eve without a problem here, don't you think?
Rena:I think that's probably because they don't know that Eve is a Nasod.
Aisha:But the difference is still noticeable, isn't it? Maybe it's because I know, but sometimes I feel awkward around her.
Aisha:She seems... stiff...? Formal? Sometimes kind of emotionless... So I don't know what to say.
Rena:You should be fine once you get to know each other. Eve seems just like an ordinary girl to me!
Rena:It might not be noticeable on the surface, but I think she's someone full of emotion!
Aisha:Really...?
Allegro:Oh, you're back! Was it really...?
Raven:You were right. We defeated the headless knight. No need to worry.
Elsword:So what we fought is a demon? It really wasn't that bad. They were like evil Nasods.
Eve:We are not at all alike! It's an insult to compare our species with a demon monster like that!
Elsword:Huh? But... Nasods are made up of metal, and still move. Isn't that the same thing?
Eve:... I shall let this offense pass, since it is your ignorance that led to your offensive behavior. One day, I will instruct you on our vast history from the start to the end.
Elsword:Oh, uh, no... That's not really necessary...
Eve:I will make sure you will never utter such a foolish statement again!
Aisha:... I think you're right.
Rena:Huhuhu, told you so! Isn't she adorable?
Eve:... Anyway, we also destroyed the Golem's core. I would love to research it more one day if I had the chance.
Raven:I don't think this is the appropriate time to research and experiment.
Eve:I... didn't mean to sound like that. It's important to learn about your enemies.
Aisha:That's true. Your book was really useful, Allegro. It helped us out a lot.
Allegro:Ah yes, it's all thanks to the Captain of the... I mean... uh, I was also surprised.
Allegro:I thought it was just a story created to praise the magnificence of the Elrian Kingdom... I didn't think it would be so accurate.
Elsword:I guess that means demons also invaded a long time ago. They're persistent.
Allegro:Now that the Durahan is gone... The Guards were able to create a proper line of defense around the shrine.
Rena:All that is left is to enter the shrine.
Lento:Wait, we need time for preparations. The soldiers could not rest because they were blocking the entrance.
Lento:You should take a rest as well. I will explain the inside layout of the shrine shortly.
Elsword:I feel fine. But I suppose if we need to...
Rena:A strange voice... darker than the darkest shadow... is ringing through my head.
Allegro:Oh, dear! I must apologize. The demonic energy from the Dark El must be affecting you. Please keep a distance when talking to me.
Eve:Dark... El? Is that what you're holding?
Allegro:Yes. It's an El shard tainted with demonic energy. It now exudes demonic energy instead of El energy. One of our soldiers found it at the Underground Chapel.
Allegro:The chapel is where sacred El energy was collected to deliver to the Altar of Dedication at the top of the shrine.
Eve:This gem might be the reason the whole shrine is shrouded by demonic energy.
Allegro:Yes. For now, I will attempt to purify the demonic energy in this shard, but there may be more of them in the chapel.
Aisha:And we just need to... retrieve them?
Allegro:No, that won't be necessary... Lento, I mean Sir Lento ordered the soldiers to search for the Dark El. I'm more worried about the being that injected demonic energy to the El shard.
Raven:Inject? It wasn't the mere presence of demons that changed it? It was created artificially?
Eve:To do something like this to the El... UNless we capture the demon responsible, I doubt we will be able to defeat all the demons.
Allegro:The demon in the chapel is suspected to be an Amethyst. It doesn't have a corporeal form, and it is known to revive as long as it has mana.
Aisha:Uuuuuh...! It doesn't have a form? Why are there so many demons that are like ghosts around here...
Elsword:You're afraid of ghosts? Are you a child?
Aisha:It's creepy! I get goosebumps just thinking about them!
Elsword:No need to yell! If you don't want to go, you can stay here. We'll go on our own.
Aisha:N, no! I feel a distortion in mana!
Aisha:A strong distortion... These do no occur naturally. And who knows, maybe I'll find my ring there...
Aisha:Do you understand? I have to check it with my own eyes!
Elsword:I get it... Though you're not convincing anyone when you're stuck to your seat like that.
Raven:I comes back to life as long as it has mana... It doesn't seem to have a core, unlike Durahan. Then how do we defeat it?
Allegro:If you neutralize the Amethyst, our soldiers will enter, remove the mana, and temporarily seal the area.
If the dimension gate in the Altar of Dedication is not destroyed, all of Elrios will fall in the hands of demons. The El Search Party heads to the Altar to protect Elrios.