Story

400 years ago, the region of Verdant was struck by a cataclysmic event called the "Great Darkness." During this time, the mysterious Arcanum Flower bloomed within the region, enveloping it in an unexpected darkness. When the darkness lifted, many creatures in Verdant not only gained sentience but also acquired powerful abilities, marking the earliest instances of "spiritualization" among the region's inhabitants.

Most of the "spiritualized" beings congregated in the core region of Verdant, forming the Verdant Tribe, which aimed to protect the area and enhance its own strength. Notable figures among them included the Flower Spirit, the Spirit Light, and the Lava Lord of the Dragonkin, collectively known as the "Three Titans of Verdant." At that time, the "spiritualized" beings united to improve their strength.

However, the world's greatest threat has always been the unknown. The mysterious power of the Arcanum Flower never reappeared, and growing divisions emerged within the increasingly populous Verdant Tribe. Many newcomers questioned the legitimacy of the Arcanum Flower's power, leading to serious internal discord. Additionally, numerous "spiritualized" beings appeared in human territories, prompting humans to form the New Moon Alliance for defense against potential Verdant aggression and to seek cooperation and mutual development with them. Despite the sincere efforts of the New Moon Alliance's leader, the Great Sorcerer, to engage with Verdant, unity within the tribe remained elusive.

Cracks began to appear within the Verdant Tribe. 240 years ago, a fierce conflict erupted between the Jungle Titan and the Lava Lord, representing the rising forces. The Jungle Titan, born with divine power, questioned the source of the Lava Lord's formidable magic. Meanwhile, the Lava Lord harbored a deep-seated animosity toward humans and was averse to the Jungle Titan's strategies promoting harmony with them. The powerful adversaries clashed, with only the Spirit Light capable of matching their might. However, the Spirit Light, wary of the Jungle Titan's ascent and the Lava Lord's constraints over the centuries, chose to remain neutral.

The peace-loving Flower Spirit was the first to withdraw from the Verdant Alliance. It chose to settle in Mushroom Ridge at the foot of Verdant, despite being the nearest faction to human territory, yet distant from the core of the Verdant Alliance. For centuries, the Flower Spirit and Mushroom Ridge's leader, the Mushroom Elder, led a harmonious existence, even befriending members of the New Moon Alliance.

Shortly after the Flower Spirit's departure from the Verdant Alliance, the Lava Lord also chose to leave. In the depths of Verdant, two powerful factions emerged. One faction resided in the marshes deep within Verdant, believing that the so-called Arcanum Power was actually demonic in nature. Their leader, the Blood Witch, proclaimed herself as the Demon's Eye, leading their faction known as the Mystic Eye. The other faction, Canyon Watch Camp, stationed themselves in the treacherous Green Sky Canyon, their leader Lizard Magician, proclaiming to inherit an ancient legacy from Verdant—the Will of the Azure Sky.

The Lava Lord found a common cause with the Blood Witch. Swearing allegiance to the demons, the Lava Lord agreed to make the Mystic Eye enemies of the Verdant Alliance. The Lava Lord's animosity towards the Jungle Titan evolved into a bitter rivalry between the Verdant Alliance and the Mystic Eye.

As time passed, Xbaby's lifelong ambition was to join the New Moon Alliance, known as the most formidable warriors of humanity. Legend had it that the New Moon Alliance, under the leadership of the Great Sorcerer, had reached an agreement with the spirits of Verdant, establishing a boundary where humans and spirits refrained from aggression toward each other. Nevertheless, leveraging their own formidable power, members of the New Moon Alliance often ventured deep into Verdant to acquire its unique resources, making them highly sought-after commodities in the human world.

Xbaby often ventured to the foothills of Verdant, a relatively safe area that occasionally yielded rare herbs or materials. However, on this particular day, Xbaby found nothing of value until stumbling upon a verdant seed. Though the seed appeared no different from other fruits, Xbaby sensed its magical aura immediately.

Acting impulsively, Xbaby planted the seed in a secluded corner rarely frequented by others. Unbeknownst to Xbaby, this day marked the beginning of the second "Great Darkness" experienced by Verdant. The seed Xbaby planted was none other than a seed of the Arcanum Flower, though Xbaby believed it to be nothing more than an ordinary seed.

After planting the seed, Xbaby realized that he may have stumbled upon a treasure, as a small shoot rapidly emerged from the soil.

The first to sense this power was the Flower Spirit. Among the spirits of Verdant, it was the most powerful, and its settlement in Mushroom Ridge was closest to the seed of the Arcanum Flower. The Dreamy Flower Spirit sought out Xbaby and informed him that the Arcanum Flower's seed possessed formidable power, which inevitably would attract endless conflict. Moreover, nobody knew what would transpire once the Arcanum Flower fully blossomed. Since Xbaby found the seed and the seed chose him, why not protect it together?

Xbaby agreed to the Dreamy Flower Spirit's proposition.

The Flower Spirit informed Xbaby that Mushroom Ridge would undoubtedly be the first faction to discover the Arcanum Flower's seed. Though the Mushroom Elder cherished peace, the Puppeteer Warlock, Mysterious Wizard, and Catapult Blaster among others were unlikely to resist the allure of such magical power. Yet, this also presented an opportunity—provided Xbaby could withstand the attacks from Mushroom Ridge, the Dreamy Flower Spirit could convince the Mushroom Elder to assist Xbaby in protecting the Arcanum Flower's seed.