Vortex Gaming

The final episode to decorate Part 1 of Lost Ark, 'The One Facing the End of the Abyss,' has been released. Episode 'The One Facing the End of the Abyss' can be played with a character that has achieved an item level of 1680 or higher and has completed the Rimlake World Quest 'Continuing Calling' and Episode 'Trajectory of Destiny'. Rewards can be obtained per character, but the 'Relic Engraving Selection Chest' can only be obtained once per Expedition.

The total playtime is about 4 hours, and it can be cleared in about 3 hours if you proceed quickly. If you use skips, it takes about 30-50 minutes, but be careful as some cutscenes cannot be skipped. As this episode deals with the final chapter of Lost Ark, it contains content that resolves all the plot threads that have been built up, so special attention to spoilers is required.

After completing the story, an additional quest is unlocked in Pleccia. If you proceed with this quest, you can obtain achievements and Jukebox music.

※ This contains speculative information and spoilers about the Lost Ark story. Please note that this is not confirmed information. Also, please be careful if you are in the middle of the main quest.

The final cutscene of the previous Kazeros was evaluated as insufficient to conclude the 7-year Lost Ark epic. However, the ambitiously prepared episode 'The One Facing the End of the Abyss' was enough to end the story. Above all, the many plot threads that had been built up were resolved in a satisfying way. The identity of Kazeros, the purpose of the god Rufeon, and the meaning of the Lost Ark, etc., the core settings that have been going on for 7 years have been clearly revealed, and the theme of the story, 'fate and free will,' has also been clearly presented. The structure in which the adventurer's choice leads to the next chapter has also been neatly organized.

The direction of the production is not as flashy as 'South Vern', but like the episode 'Trajectory of Destiny', it is refined and features various productions. In particular, the demise of Aman, where the emotional line is maximized, and the adventurer's actions depicted in the epilogue convey sufficient lingering feelings and emotions without being excessive.

The activities of the characters were also appropriately arranged. Unlike the previous Kazeros story, which was criticized for the airship production and Shandi's illusion dance, this time, the Esthers each use their Esther skills to engage in a final battle with Kazeros. Shandi also saved face by taking a clear part in the battle. In addition, it is positive that the characters who were to leave were clearly removed, and new characters were given a place. The departure of Aman, who was Lost Ark itself and the adventurer's 'friend', and the generational change of Shandi and Pahu leave regret but also serve as an ending that makes you look forward to the 'next chapter' of the story.

The memorial scene, which corresponds to the final ending of the story, is a scene that any adventurer who has enjoyed Lost Ark can be moved by. More clearly than the previous 'South Vern', it highlights the adventures of the past, and familiar figures such as Henry and Neria from all regions, Turtle Island, and Totoyk appear without exception. The credits summarize the journey of the 7-year adventure and show the true 'ending' and the 'curtain call' of the final stage.

As this episode has put a definite period at the end of Part 1, expectations for the story of 'Sea of Aldebaran' and 'Seikria' that will follow are expected to increase even further.

- Plot Thread 1. Khadan heads to Antares

Following Abrelshud, it has been confirmed that Khadan is also related to 'Hal'. The title of Antares' Sword, long life, and excellent combat power were possible because Khadan inherited the characteristics of the 'Hal' race, a race specialized in combat among the three races created by Rufeon. However, Khadan himself was not aware of his identity in detail. His lingering tone may have been due to ignorance.

As the creator of the Hal race and the forgotten god 'Antares' is related to Khadan, Khadan and his sword Nahinir have become the only clues to find the lost god Antares at the present time when both Kazeros and Rufeon are absent. The message 'Survive' conveyed by Nahinir, Khadan's identity, and the secret of the god Antares are expected to be revealed through the Sea of Aldebaran in the future.

- Plot Thread 2. Who is the tender one who will cut off the father?

As the 'Witch of Chaos' and Abrelshud, which had remained the biggest plot thread for 7 years, were revealed to be Hal, several settings were re-examined. At the center of this is the biggest plot thread left by Hal Ebny Jade, 'the tender one who will cut off the father'. According to Jade's message recorded in Tabula Rasa, there is a mention of 'the tender one who will cut off the father that we will bring forth in the future'. The power of the cube left by the Jade clan was also arranged for this tender one, and he is described as 'the only spark that will bloom in the scattering ashes' and as a person who will open 'a new era singing with despair and grief'.

This prophecy can be interpreted as Kazeros or Abrelshud. Kazeros rebelled against his father Rufeon and recreated his own order, resisting fate. Abrelshud was also the last spark of the Hal race, worshiping the prophecies left by the Witch of Chaos and putting Akrasia in crisis. Both figures match the prophecy to some extent, but at the same time, there are also points that deviate, so it is difficult to make a hasty judgment even at the current point when Jade's identity has been revealed. In addition, Khadan, the descendant of the Hal race and the wielder of the Sword of Antares, is also mentioned as a person who meets this condition. Either way, it seems clear that this person is likely to raise a sword against his father Rufeon.

On the other hand, like Hal Bibreen Deier's message, 'When the flame dies down, we who have deceived the order will return', the possibility that the Hal race, who deceived the order, will return after the abyss flame Kazeros disappears has also been opened.

- Plot Thread 3. The one who resists fate

The story of Lost Ark has consistently unfolded around the 'prophecy' that has been set and the narrative of resisting it. The Witch of Chaos prophecy followed by the Legion Commanders, the metaphor of the 'cage' presented in the Elgacia story, and the difference between 'predestination' and 'choice' emphasized in Voldaik all hinted at the theme that Lost Ark wanted to deal with. And through this story, the message has become clearer.

It is the story of free will that resists fate. The narrative of Lost Ark has consistently emphasized the adventurer's choice. Whatever decision you make, the choice itself already has meaning.

On the other hand, the main god Rufeon suppresses freedom in the name of 'fate' to maintain the laws of the universe and predetermines the results. His obsession with order eventually leads to chaos and gives birth to the monster 'Kazeros'. Like the Witch of Chaos prophecy, all fates are already predetermined, and under Rufeon's law, no matter how much you resist, you cannot escape that fate.

If everything is already prophesied, what meaning can choice have? In response, the adventurer gives a simple and clear answer: 'I don't need such a fate'. Even if the future is full of chaos, it is a declaration to choose an order in which free will exists. In front of the adventurer's choice, the law of the Orpheus of the Great Universe is rewritten, and the story moves on to the next chapter that no one can predict.

- Plot Thread 4. The dead and new characters

This story is the story of ending the journey of 'Aman' the priest, which has been going on for 7 years, and functions as a turning point where many people leave and new people appear. As such, the transition across the worldview is clearly revealed. Aman, as well as some of the people who briefly showed their faces in this story, also died, and their names can be confirmed through the Velionarr Victory Memorial that appears at the end of the story.

The people who have their names on the memorial include 'Sian', a key figure in the Shushire story, 'Gerdia', a key figure in the Rohendel story, and Haulock, Gabish, and Azaran of Luteran. They all appeared once in this story and then left. In particular, in the case of Sian, it is interpreted as a departure to pass the narrative on to the next person, 'Chloean'.

Meanwhile, Esther 'Shandi' is also unlikely to come to the fore for the time being. Shandi is a person who has already completed one narrative through the death of her beloved disciple Gingerwhale, the meaning of annihilation, and her actions in Rimlake, and it would not be strange if she left in this story.

In fact, she suffers a fatal injury in the final battle with Kazeros and falls into a coma, leaving the front line. Rimlake's weapon 'Annihilation' has the characteristic of changing its shape according to the user's will, and considering that the weapon has returned to the appearance of an ordinary staff, Shandi's early return does not seem easy. The vacant Esther position is likely to be replaced by Rimlake's elder 'Pahu'.

- Plot Thread 5. Oh, what are you going to do if you leave Evergrace behind?

Although it is not greatly emphasized in the story, there is also a point that seems to be an unexpected mistake. That is, leaving the guardian god 'Evergrace' in Petrania and leaving. After the fall of Kazeros, the adventurer and the Esthers were also in a hurry to escape, but it is a pity that Aman did not put in a little more effort.

Evergrace is a guardian who has made great contributions in the First War, the Forton Cool War, and the First Chain War. Considering the setting that he was born with the power of Ark and Chaos, it is likely that he is also a being who has escaped the shackles of 'fate'. In the Forton Cool War, where Seikria's ambition almost swallowed Akrasia, he directly descended on Rasamoa, turned Seikria into ashes, and executed the bishop. Later, in the Chain War, he played a decisive role in sealing Kazeros by recovering the Ark through the Ark carrier Mystic.

However, in this Second Chain War, which corresponds to the final war, he suffered the humiliation of being left in Petrania without properly showing his face. He is basically a guardian who is immortal as long as the essence exists, and as a being where the power of order and chaos coexist, it is unlikely that Evergrace has disappeared in vain. Nevertheless, the future actions of Barkan and Evergrace have been plunged into mystery for a while.

The only clue left, 'Ru', died during the war and is waiting for resurrection. Accordingly, there is enough room for additional clues related to Evergrace to appear in the narratives of the 'Gien' continent, etc., which will be developed in the future.

- Plot Thread 6. 'The Next Enemies' Begin to Appear in Earnest

As the great epic of Part 1 comes to an end, the 'demon' legions, which have been the main enemies of Lost Ark for 7 years, will also leave the stage. Kazeros and the Demon Legion Commanders have accumulated narratives over a long period of time, and the period in which players have directly faced them in actual raids is also long. As such, they can be said to be enemies with a kind of internal intimacy. On the other hand, the new enemies that will appear in Part 2 are relatively unfamiliar, and the narrative has not yet been sufficiently built up. In fact, even in Part 1, the 'Abyss Being' appeared in an ambiguous position and received considerable criticism.

Nevertheless, the enemies of Part 2 seem to have relatively clear purposes and stances. The Seikria forces, who also appeared at the end of this story, are representative. They have been collecting holy relics and Silmael even though they knew of the absence of the main god Rufeon, and now they are aiming for the authority of Sirius. In that they wanted to become a new order themselves, they are similar to Kazeros in terms of purpose.

An interesting point is that Shushire and the god Sirius, which are likely to be the stage for the new story, can also be connected to the narrative of the Hwama Legion, which was left unresolved in the Rowen story. The Hwama Legion is Sirius's nemesis, and has been mentioned as one of the causes of the current freezing of the Shushire continent. According to the explanation in Rowen, Sirius's seal is weakening, and this is causing the resurrection of the Hwama Legion. This plot thread was not resolved once when 'Stargard' was canceled, but the possibility of re-ignition has arisen as Seikria mentions the god Sirius again.

Another axis is 'Those who have existed since the beginning'. According to Director Jeon Jae-hak at the showcase, they are beings older than the gods, longing for existence itself and imitating the appearance of mortals. Like the case of Echidna, they are beings who hide their identities and act secretly by imitating specific people. Officially, Erzebe of Wisdom Island and Kukuseyton, the Legion Commander of Madness, correspond to this, and the clue that the 'Kabatian Dynasty', famous for the Luteran dungeon Thanatos, is also related to those who have existed since the beginning has been presented.

Finally, 'Kamen' is mentioned as a person who is likely to reign as the strongest chaos force after the great demon Kazeros disappears. Kamen is a fragment of the god of chaos Igharam, who is divided from Carmine, and longs for the lost power, 'Primordial Chaos'. If he merges with Carmine again and is resurrected as a 'completed one', and even regains the Primordial Chaos, he has the potential to become the worst threat to Akrasia, surpassing Kazeros.

Lost Ark InvenReporter Choi Min-ho
2025-12-24