Synopsis

 

A cool breeze rose, rustling the leaves in its wake.

Ergon stood in the Hermitage Forest, staring at the landscape before him.

 

"It's still the same."

 

So much had changed: the people who had passed through,

the time that had gone by, and everything else.

Through it all, this place had remained the same.

That alone was reason enough to visit the Hermitage Forest.

 

Things that remained the same.

 

Ergon thought of such things.

When the boundaries between the Forest and the village had disappeared a long time ago.

When the Sacred Beasts and man became one.

When everyone stepped up to defend the world.

When everything was expected to last forever.

Most of those things were brilliant and dazzling.

 

"Everything... It all went by so fast..."

 

Ergon looked around him, taking it all in,

realizing that soon it would all be so unfamiliar.

 

He looked at the object in his hand.

It caught the light and glowed transparently.

As he stared, he remembered a promise he had made to Myre long ago.

 

"I promised you that I would give this to them as you asked, but... I fear I may not be able to fulfill it."

 

Suddenly a tremendous wave swept through the Hermitage Forest.

Ergon turned and walked away.

 

He didn't look back.

Only the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind remained in place and continued to echo.

 

 

Monster Story

 

Hermit Ergon

'How many times have I been given life?'

 

A forest in Seon.

A young Sacred Beast, newly hatched from an egg, reflected on the final moments of his last life.

 

'Last time, I perished because I did nothing in that life.'

 

The destruction and cycle of the Sacred Beast. It didn't have the meaning of eternal life.

Since the memories of the previous life were not preserved, it was a cycle of being and not being oneself.

But this young Sacred Beast had carried the memories of the previous life into the next life.

 

The second life, when he realized for the first time that his memories had been carried forward.

He considered it a blessing to have his memories carried over to the next life, which was granted only to him.

But, the accumulation of time would soon teach the young Sacred Beast that it was a curse.

To live through an infinite series of memories alone is to live a life with no one to share it with.

At the end of each life, he would always be alone.

 

The first life, where he had to survive more fiercely than anyone else.

 

The twentieth life, when he was able to speak human language.

 

The thirty-second life, which was cut short by a Malefic Beast.

 

The night when all of Seon's mist disappeared. A life that was probably the forty-sixth.

 

The ...th life spent doing nothing.

 

Throughout all these lives, he had done many things, but no one had ever remembered him.

The time he was given was different from everyone else's, and he felt time flowed differently for him from the rest of the world.

He never thought that in this life, which began with so much trouble as before, he would finally find a reason to live.

 

This time, for the umpteenth time, he couldn't even count.

Time still discriminated against him, but he could find much meaning in it.

 

In this life, the young Sacred Beast was named Ergon.

 

In this life, Ergon promised a girl a harmonious future before she died.

 

In this life, Ergon met like-minded people and brought stability to Seon.

 

'Am I wistful for the memories of this life?'

 

And now, somewhere in the Forest of Awakening,

Ergon was fending off the churning contaminated energy,

a threat he had never felt in all his many lives.

Feeling his nerves tense, he recalled an emotion he'd forgotten.

 

'Yes, this is what anxiety feels like...'

 

For the first time, Ergon couldn't think about his next life.

If he were to be consumed by this energy, there would be no next life;

he would lose all memory of being himself and become part of that contaminated being.

Not a physical annihilation, but an annihilation of self.

Perhaps he was faced with the only way that he had ever hoped for, the only way to end his eternal life.

This life, however, had become so meaningful to him, having met so many friends.

He began to feel regret for the promises he had not yet fully fulfilled.

 

'My life must go on for a little while longer.'

 

Before Ergon could feel his brief regret, the contaminated energy sharply penetrated his consciousness.

Ergon focused all his attention on pushing it away.

Soon, his energy mingled with the contaminated energy, and the Forest was filled with it.

The glow from the collision of the two energies bathed the Forest in a landscape that blurred the distinction between day and night.

I will not last long in this state.

 

'Perhaps I'll also have to stake everything on you...'

 

In a moment that threatened to knock him off guard, Ergon remembered the person he had seen in his dreams.

 

'I don't think I can wait too long.'

 

The one who bears the name of an age.

The one who lives by the memory of eternity.

For the first time, Ergon's time began to flow in an unknown direction.

 

 

Red-Feathered Beahtti

 

"Beahtti, why am I so useless?"

 

Asha sighed as she sat in the treetop overlooking the entirety of Paradise,

having been scolded for not doing her job properly again today.

She knew she was failing, and that she was bringing everyone down with her.

Whenever she was scolded, she came to Paradise to soothe herself.

At some point, Beahtti had joined her.

Usually, they'd just watch the sunset together, but today she wanted to vent.

 

"Do I not belong in Ahreum? Should I stay?"

 

It was an unanswerable question. Asha's worry, a combination of denial and speculation, was something only she could address,

and she knew it.

That is, until Beahtti spoke up.

 

"...These seeds."

 

Asha's eyes widened as Beahtti spoke and stroked the seeds on his stick.

In all the times she'd been to Paradise of Contemplation, Beahtti had never spoken to her, only stood by her side.

Surprised, Asha nodded in agreement.

 

"These seeds had lost their life, even before I put the spark in the stick."

"They're dead?"

"Yes. They were supposed to burrow into the ground, break through their hard shells, and sprout, but they couldn't, so they died above ground."

"Aha, so you carry them around to contain the flame?"

 

*Rattle* As if in protest to the girl's question, a small flicker rose from the seeds, as if the flame's temperature had risen slightly.

Beahtti stroked one of the seeds, and the flame died down as if it had always been there.

 

"There were times in the past when I thought myself useless for not being able to handle the flame properly.

Not only did I burn the Forest, but I burned myself. I was a mess, full of mistakes and worthless. Just like these seeds."

"Really?"

 

The Beahtti Asha had seen was a Sacred Beast that brought warmth to the Forest and did everything skillfully and without mistakes.

At his unexpected confession, she waited for him to speak again.

 

"So, I wanted to let them know that they too have a use and purpose, just like me."

"Use..."

 

Asha repeated the word silently. His reassurance was a ray of light in the darkness.

She felt like she had found her purpose, just a little bit.

 

"And..."

 

Beahtti swung his stick, and a seed of flame fell out.

Asha had heard that the seeds Beahtti threw would explode.

 

"Ack, watch out!"

"It's okay."

 

Starting with a crackling sound, the thrown seed began to change color.

Sparks flared through the cracked shell, and the flames soon grew into a great inferno, turning red.

The seed revealed itself to be more colorful and beautiful than any other flower in the Forest of Awakening.

 

"Wow...!"

 

There, a single flower, embroidered with flames, bloomed.

 

"A seed deserves at least one bloom."

"You mean, a flame?"

"That's a flower, too."

 

Only then did Asha realize.

It wasn't just Beahtti's flame that brought warmth to the Forest.

 

 

Immortal Arbo

 

"Ergon, why do Sacred Beasts cycle with no memory?"

 

The Land of Eternity, where Sacred Beasts perish and cycle.

Immortal Arbo, who called this place home, watched the repeated cycles of the Sacred Beasts,

but found it difficult to understand why they had to leave all their memories of life behind.

 

Ergon did not answer his question at once.

Instead, he flicked his staff and showed Arbo the memories condensed into magic beneath the Land of Eternity.

 

"Arbo, what do you see now?"

 

What he saw were the emotions and memories of the Sacred Beasts born and raised in the Forest of Awakening over the years.

 

"I see happy, joyful memories."

 

Ergon flicked his staff once more, and the memories began to take on a new form.

 

"What memories do you see now?"

 

"...I see sadness and fear."

 

Ergon withdrew his staff and began to answer Arbo's question.

 

"Long ago, Sacred Beasts had the ability to cycle through memories.

At first, they felt great happiness at being able to retain the memories of those with whom they had interacted,

but they also had to carry with them the sad memories of the cycle.

Even those moments of danger, when those with whom I interacted were absent, or when they encountered Malefic Beasts."

 

Pausing for a moment, Ergon looked at Arbo before continuing.

 

“The negative memories affected the Sacred Beasts a great deal,

for they knew all the dangers they faced from the memories they had already experienced.

And so, they took no action, gradually becoming passive and unable to find meaning in their lives.

Then, one day, a Sacred Beast that had come to the Land of Eternity communed with a Sacred Beast that was on the verge of destruction.

Everyone watched with bated breath, for never before had a Sacred Beast communed with another who was about to die.

The dying Sacred Beast then began its destruction, leaving all of its memories behind in the Land.

When he was reborn, he had no memories, so he was clumsy at first, but he made his own path, choosing differently than before.

The Sacred Beasts who witnessed this began a cycle of burying their memories in the Land of Eternity, and the tradition continues to this day."

 

"...So, that's what happened. Thank you for answering my question."

 

Ergon looked at Arbo and smiled faintly, not speaking for a moment.

 

"You are the same as always.

In your previous life, and in the lives before that, you always asked me the same question.

Once you had the answer, you worked hard to help other Sacred Beasts with their destruction.

Could you do the same in this life?"

 

After a long moment of silence, Arbo nodded.

 

 

Awakened Guardian

 

The Awakened Guardian, who flew alone through the vast skies, surveying every inch of the Forest, was bothered by one thing that didn't make sense to him:

many Sacred Beasts lived in packs.

 

'Why do they live in packs?'

 

For him, as the sole guardian of the Forest of Awakening, it seemed like a question that would never be answered.

It took a small event to change his mind.

While leaning back to catch his breath, the Awakened Guardian spotted a small, neglected egg.

Curious, he went to the nest of eggs. All that remained was the remains of the eggs and the newborn Sacred Beasts.

Normally, he would have left no matter what happened to the egg, but the Awakened Guardian's whim kept him here with it.

 

From then on, he protected the egg,

cradling it in his arms in case it broke, and placing it in a sunny spot in case it got cold.

As the egg got closer to hatching, Awakened Guardian's thoughts were changing.

Slowly, he realized how meaningful it was to protect someone.

 

Time passed, the egg was cracked, and the Sacred Beast was born.

The Awakened Guardian felt something overwhelming.

Witnessing the ecstatic sight of life being born made him even more excited,

and his heart was filled with joy and a sense of duty to protect this little Sacred Beast.

 

To the Awakened Guardian, Primordial Hill was no longer just a place to rest,

but a place that fulfilled his sense of duty and warmth, a place that he would live and protect for the rest of his life.

 

'There must be some who have not yet awakened.'

 

The Awakened Guardian spread his great wings,

and he took to the skies once more in search of the eggs that had yet to awaken.

 

Main Characters

 

Rosely

Female in her early 30s.

Rosely is the Harmony who leads Ahreum, an organization that uses music to comfort people and communicate with Sacred Beasts.

She has always paid attention to sounds, expressing hidden emotions through music.

Her playing touched the Sacred Beasts as well as the humans, and gradually, they all assimilated to her music.

But when news spread that malefic energy was creeping across Seon, and that Malefic Beasts were terrorizing the people, those peaceful days began to fade away.

Rosely is investigating to get to the bottom of the chaos.

 

 

Asha

 

Female in her mid-teens.

A member of Ahreum, an organization that uses music to comfort people and commune with the Sacred Beast.

She is curious, which got her into all kinds of trouble growing up.

She insists that communing with Sacred Beasts is a matter of feeling, and is often scolded by Camilla for putting off practicing her music.

But she's naturally gifted, and her playing is excellent.

Although she always seems to be carefree, she's not.

As chaos begins to spread across Seon, and the Forest and her village begin to feel the effects,

she secretly wonders if her playing can be more than just a way to connect, but a way to protect everyone.

 

 

Scenario

 

Forest of Awakening

 

A new Act, Forest of Awakening, will be added.

- This Act can be accepted by characters with 23,259 Fame or higher.

- You can unlock it by accepting the Level 110 Act quest, Unleashed Poison.

 

New Town: Ahreum Valley

A small village on the way into the Forest of Awakening,
home to members of Ahreum, an organization that uses music to comfort people and commune with Sacred Beasts.
It's always filled with soothing music, and members of Ahreum can often be seen interacting with Sacred Beasts.

 

A new town, Ahreum Valley, will be added to the world map.

- You can enter it after completing the Level 110 Act quest, To the Forest of Awakening.

 

Others

Content related to the Forest of Awakening will be added to DFO Chronicle Season 13.

 

New NPCs will be added when you complete the Level 110 Act quest, Lingering Unrest.

- Rosely

- Asha

 

Forest of Awakening Scenario Dungeon Rewards

 

For one time only, defeating the Boss monster in the Forest of Awakening Scenario dungeon will drop an additional Lv. 105 Epic Set Option Equipment item.

- The specs of the original drop will remain the same. One more item will be dropped.

- The additional drop won't have a shop sale price and can't be repurchased from the shop.

 

You have a set chance of obtaining the following items when defeating monsters.

- The same drop rules are applied to these items as the existing Normal Dungeon items.

Obtainable Item	Obtainable Difficulty				Trade Type
	Normal	Expert	Master	King
Lv. 105 Epic Equipment (Fixed Option Epic)	O	O	O	O	Untradable
Pale Mist	O	O	O	O	Untradable
Refined Mist	O	O	O	O	Account-bound
Mist Core	-	-	-	O	Untradable
Golden Beryl	O	O	O	O	Account-bound
[Untradable] Golden Beryl	O	O	O	O	Untradable
Leiern Core	O	O	O	O	Untradable
Harmonious Crystal	-	O	O	O	Untradable

 

Upon completing the final Forest of Awakening Scenario quest, you will receive 1 Warped Dimension Cube. The name of the quest is as follows.

- Lingering Unrest

 

Quest Rewards

 

Side Story Quest Rewards

You can obtain the following rewards upon clearing the quest, The Forest Stirs Again.

Reward	Details
Forgotten Light x2	Used for the Fusion Stone Imprint system through in the Ahreum Valley NPC, Asha.

 

You can obtain the following rewards upon clearing the quest, To the Hermitage Forest.

- Can be completed once per account.

Reward	Details
Harmonious One's Promise [Account-Bound] x2	A material used to open an Unwithering White Branch Fruit. Used to reinforce the Forest of Awakening (Normal) Melody buff through Ahreum Valley NPC Asha.

 

You can obtain the following rewards upon clearing the quest, Melody of the Forest.

Reward	Details
Melodic Flower Party Frame Box	When used, this item is moved to your Skin Storage. Select/deselect this Party frame in the Skin Storage. (For the user character only)
Forest Helper Party Request Frame Box	When used, this item is moved to your Skin Storage. Select/deselect this Party Request frame in the Skin Storage. (For the user character only)