Logan could tell Stormwing had grown significantly—his skill mastery had reached the point where the Thunderbird could challenge any airborne beast with confidence.
"No wonder the electric spirits blessed you," Logan murmured, watching as the creature's wings crackled with energy.
He glanced toward the far side of the cyclone. Zephyr hadn't moved yet, but Logan could sense it—the eagle was beginning to influence the winds, twisting the storm's structure from the inside.
anwhile, Logan wasn't idle. He drank the last of his dwindling mana water supply—half a year's stock nearly exhausted from daily use—and absorbed both light and dark elental crystals. It would take ti to fully recharge, but he had already recovered half his mana pool.
The teleport array flashed again. Silvia returned—this ti accompanied by three more of Zephyr's kind. Tempest Kites. Nearing level 70, they wouldn't lead the charge, but their coordinated control over wind would be key to finally wresting dominance over the overwhelming cyclone.
The three great eagles took to the sky, their wings slicing through the air as they aligned themselves with the Thunderbirds. Together, the storm team moved closer to the storm while trying to shape the wind around them.
Logan, now fully healed, using his link to speak to all of the feathered creatures in his control.
[Alright, start it—Tempest's Dominion! Everyone else, back him up!]
Stormwing soared higher, lightning lacing his feathers. On the far end, Zephyr countered with opposing winds. One force disrupted, the other redirected. Stormwing's skies roared with thunder, bolts slicing into the churning mass. The storm fought back—pouring rain in retaliation, but its wind began to slow down.
Before it would subside though, a rain poured hard. Water pounded onto the ships, pooling across their decks with alarming speed. Crew mbers scrambled for cover. Logan reacted swiftly, casting wave after wave of wind magic to blow water off the vessels. It strained his mana, but nowhere near the levels of earlier battles.
After just a few more seconds, sunlight pierced the thick clouds.
Seven birds—Thunderbirds and Tempest Kites—had achieved the first step of cloud clearing. The storm still raged in the distance, but their imdiate vicinity cald, skies opening slightly.
And that's when Logan saw it.
Sothing strange hovered in the air—nearly transparent, like living wind. It had no defined shape, no visible wings, and yet it moved above them.
A creature made entirely of wind.
That was new.
It was most likely the culprit behind the hurricane, yet it hadn't entered battle with his birds. It just stood there—floating, motionless—as if staring directly at Logan.
Logan narrowed his eyes, then flapped his wings, ascending into the air. He wanted to know why the creature hadn't moved, even though it clearly had the power to cause even more chaos.
As he rose higher, sothing caught his eye.
Above the storm clouds, the outline of a large object began to appear. The higher he climbed, the more visible it beca—a floating island, suspended midair by creatures like the one waiting for him below. They clustered beneath it, holding the island up with streams of swirling wind.
[Zephyr, bring Silvia. She'll need to be with us. Lisa, please take care of the others with the rest of the creatures. It seems we're being invited… if my guess is right, this is the Temple of Wind—and they ca here especially for us.]
Logan continued to rise, watching as the wind creature finally moved. The mass of air condensed into a round shape and floated toward the island ahead.
It didn't take long for Zephyr to catch up, swiftly reaching Logan's side. Logan followed his creature while the tailwind he left behind and follow, keeping pace as Zephyr took the lead.
He could only guess… but it had to be a wind spirit. Just like the light spirits, this one seed to hide its true form within its elent.
Soon, they reached the top of the floating island.
The mont they passed the outer edge, they were guided further inward. The entire place felt like it had been ripped from the ground and lifted into the sky—roots from trees still dangled from the bottom, yet the island seed stable, untouched by gravity.
Logan glanced around, trying to count the spirits keeping the island afloat. There were more than a hundred of them, all swirling beneath and around it like sentinels.
The island itself was less than a kiloter wide and housed a small, glowing green altar at its center.
[Hero of Darkness, we have been waiting for you to visit the spirit who blessed you…]
A soft voice called out.
It was strange—genderless, yet sohow soft in one ear and strong in the other. There was no doubt: soone powerful was speaking.
"You have passed our test. You showed care for others and even managed to stop the cyclone we created. We believe you have what it takes to avenge us. The demons have gone too far… they directly attacked our domain.
"While all other spirits stayed away from the impending war, we—the Wind Spirits, who have coexisted with humans and aided all living beings for eons—fought to prevent what is now happening.
"We have foreseen what is to co. There will be fewer than three kingdoms left in the near future. We believe helping you is the only chance this world has to remain as it is.
"Co…"
Logan, still flying, descended and finally touched down on the island. Zephyr carried Silvia on his back as they followed the great wind spirit guiding them toward the center.
Logan wanted to ask questions, but before he could speak, the wind around them shifted—absorbing all sound. It was clear. If he wanted answers, he'd have to follow.
They reached the glowing altar shortly after. The spirit led them the rest of the way before splitting apart—most of its form rging with the pulsing altar.
The air stabilized. The sound returned.
Logan stepped forward, eyes narrowed. "So… what is it that you need from us? Since you placed us in such danger with that so-called test, you'll have to forgive —but I'm still skeptical of your intentions."
His voice carried a sharp edge.
"Forgive us. But you were never in real danger." The wind responded gently. "Had you failed the test, we would have stopped it. And then… we would have turned to another hero. We seek only the strongest to carry our burden—but with that burden also cos our blessing."
The gale spirit, now much smaller after splitting, swirled around Logan and Silvia, its airy form drifting like a gentle breeze.
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