Deep in the cave, Ebert sat alone on a protruding rock, his right hand unconsciously stroking the ring on his ring finger. Under the dim light, the rubies on the ring sparkled with mysterious light, and the surrounding emerald embellishments added a bit of magic. This seemingly gorgeous ring actually contains amazing power - the power of the Ghost King.
Ebert closed his eyes and once again established a spiritual connection with the ghost king in the ring. "King of Ghosts," he called in his heart, "What should we do next?"
The ghost king's voice rang in his mind: "Master, the core of the chaotic vortex is not far ahead. But to get there, we must pass through an area full of chaotic energy. The energy fluctuations there are extremely unstable, even if I Can't fully control it."
Abbott frowned: "Is there any way to pass safely?"
"There is a possibility," the Ghost King replied, "If you can fully release my power, I can open a safe passage for everyone in a short time. But doing so will consume a lot of energy and may attract the attention of others."
Abbott was lost in thought. Releasing the full power of the Ghost King is undoubtedly a risky move, but faced with the predicament at hand, it seems there is no choice.
Just then Saraswati came over. "Ebert," she whispered, "what are you thinking about?"
Ebert looked up at her, hesitated, and decided to tell her the truth. "I'm considering using the full power of the ring," he whispered, "but doing so might expose us."
Saraswati's eyes fell on the ring on Ebert's hand. The emerald magic ruby ring glowed faintly in the darkness, as if it was alive. "I understand your concerns," she said, "but if this is our only option, then we have to take the risk."
Ebert nodded and was about to answer when he suddenly felt a palpitation in his heart. He immediately closed his eyes and concentrated. Through the connection with the Ghost King, he saw a group of chaotic creatures approaching the cave.
"Oops," Abbott stood up suddenly, "there's trouble coming."
Saraswati immediately became alert: "What's going on?"
"The creatures of Chaos," Ebert said quickly, "they have discovered our hiding place. We must act immediately."
The two quickly returned to the group and informed the others of the situation. Elder Anand's face was serious: "What should we do? If we confront them head-on here, I'm afraid we will be in a hard fight."
Ebert took a deep breath and made up his mind: "I have a plan, but it requires everyone's cooperation." He glanced at Saraswati, who nodded slightly to express support.
"What's the plan?" Lillian asked eagerly.
Ebert raised his right hand and showed off the emerald magic ruby ring: "This ring contains powerful magical power. I can use it to open a safe passage for us, leading directly to the core of the chaotic vortex. But doing so will It consumes a lot of energy and may attract the attention of more chaotic creatures."
Elder Anand looked at the ring in surprise: "This...is this the legendary ghost king's ring?"
Ebert nodded and admitted, "Yes. This is my last trump card."
"Why are you telling us now?" Lillian asked with some dissatisfaction.
"Because the power of this ring is too powerful," Saraswati explained, "If the news leaks out, it may attract countless coveters. Ebert has always used it as a last resort to save his life."
Elder Anand nodded thoughtfully: "I understand. So, Ebert, are you ready?"
Ebert took a deep breath: "Ready. Everyone, stand behind me and stay alert."
The team quickly formed its formation according to Ebert's instructions. Ebert stood at the front, raised his right hand, and the ruby on the ring began to shine dazzlingly.
"King of Ghosts," Ebert called in his heart, "please help me."
A powerful energy surged out of the ring, forming a translucent barrier in front of Ebert. The barrier continued to expand, eventually forming a passage that led deep into the cave.
"Come on!" Ebert yelled, "I don't know how long we can last!"
The team immediately moved quickly along the passage. At this moment, there was a commotion at the entrance of the cave, and a large number of chaotic creatures poured in.
"Here they come!" Lilian exclaimed.
Ebert gritted his teeth and tried hard to maintain the magic channel. Although the power of the Ghost King is powerful, it also begins to become unstable in this environment full of chaotic energy.
"Hold on," Saraswati encouraged, "we're almost there!"
The team continued to move forward, with the chaotic creatures behind them chasing after them. Suddenly, a huge space appeared at the end of the passage, with a sphere emitting strong energy suspended in the center.
"That is the core of the Chaos Vortex!" Elder Anand exclaimed.
At this moment, Ebert felt dizzy and the magic channel began to collapse. "I can't hold it anymore," he said with difficulty, "Everyone, hurry up!"
The team sprinted forward with all their strength, and finally entered the core area before the passage completely disappeared. Ebert was the last to enter, stumbling through the crumbling passage and nearly falling.
Saraswati immediately stepped forward to support him: "Are you okay?"
Ebert nodded weakly, feeling that the magic in his body was almost drained. The light of the emerald magic ruby ring has also become dim, and it seems to take time to recover.
"We succeeded," Elder Anand looked around, "but what now?"
The core area is a huge spherical space, with the energy sphere suspended in the center. The surrounding walls were covered with strange runes, constantly flashing strange lights.
"We need to find a way to control the core," Ebert said, trying to steady himself, "but first, we have to stop those Chaos creatures from getting in."
Just then, a loud noise came. Everyone turned to look and saw cracks beginning to appear on the wall at the entrance.
"They're going to break in!" Lilian said in horror.
Elder Anand immediately took action: "I will set up a protective barrier. Lilian, you come and help me."
The two quickly began to cast spells and built a magic barrier at the entrance. But in the face of the constant influx of chaotic energy, the barrier soon began to crack.
"Ebert," Saraswati said urgently, "we have to find a way to control the core. Do you have any ideas?"
Ebert forced himself to concentrate and carefully observed the suspended energy sphere. Suddenly, he noticed several grooves on the surface of the sphere, which were shaped like some kind of key.
"Look there," he pointed at the energy sphere, "those grooves... I think we need some kind of key to control the core."
Saraswati looked at it carefully and suddenly remembered something: "Wait a minute, I remember seeing similar descriptions in ancient books. The creator of the Chaos Vortex left behind a method to control the core, but it required specific magic items. "
At this moment, Elder Anand's voice came: "We can't hold on much longer! You have to come up with a solution quickly!"
Ebert looked at the emerald magic ruby ring on his hand, and suddenly had an idea: "Maybe... maybe this ring is one of the keys!"
Saraswati's eyes lit up: "It's possible! But we also need other magic items..."
At this moment, Lillian suddenly exclaimed: "Look!"
Everyone followed her gaze and saw several grooves starting to glow on the walls around the core. The shapes of those grooves are surprisingly similar to several magical items they carry.
"This is..." Elder Anand said in surprise, "Did we always carry the key to controlling the core?"
Ebert immediately took action: "Quick, put your magic items into the corresponding slots!"
Everyone quickly followed the instructions. Ebert placed the emerald magic ruby ring into the central groove, and the others also placed their magic items in the corresponding positions.
As the last item was in place, the entire core area suddenly burst into dazzling light. The energy sphere began to vibrate violently, and the surrounding runes became extremely active.
"What happened?" Lillian asked in panic.
At this moment, a loud voice sounded in everyone's mind: "You people with destiny, you are finally here. It's time to make a choice - destroy this core, or control its power?"
Ebert and his companions looked at each other, knowing that a major decision concerning the fate of the entire world was before them. And time is running out.
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