"Is it... alive?" Lin Xiao thought, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
A low, almost inaudible rumble came from deep below the ice. Lin Xiao stiffened, glancing down at the bloodstained ice beneath his feet. Something was stirring.
Before he could react, the ice cracked sharply beneath him.
The sharp crack beneath Lin Xiao's feet sent a jolt of panic through his body. He immediately stepped back, watching in horror as the fissure widened, spider-webbing across the ice. The rumbling grew louder, the once silent wasteland now filled with the unsettling sound of something massive shifting beneath him.
The ground quaked violently, and Lin Xiao struggled to keep his balance, his heart pounding in his chest.
"What have I awakened?" The thought barely had time to register before the ice shattered completely.
Without warning, the ground beneath him gave way, and Lin Xiao was plunged into a chasm of darkness. Cold air rushed past him as he fell, the walls of ice glowing faintly from the cracks above. He desperately reached out, trying to grab onto anything that could slow his descent, but the smooth ice offered no grip.
Suddenly, he hit the ground with a bone-jarring thud, the impact knocking the air from his lungs. Lin Xiao groaned, lying on the cold surface as pain surged through his body. He could barely move, but he knew he couldn't stay there. Forcing himself up, he winced, feeling the ache in his limbs.
The cavern he landed in was massive, illuminated by a dim, ethereal light that seemed to come from the ice itself. Strange patterns, almost like ancient runes, glowed faintly on the icy walls, pulsing with a cold blue hue. The temperature here was even more frigid, and Lin Xiao felt his breath freezing in the air.
He glanced down and saw that his blood had smeared across the ground when he landed. But the ice... it wasn't reacting like before. Instead, it seemed as though the patterns were drawing energy from his blood. The runes glowed brighter, and the ground beneath his feet trembled once again.
A deep, guttural roar echoed from the depths of the cavern, reverberating through the ice. Lin Xiao tensed, his eyes scanning the shadows for the source of the sound. The air grew colder, and he could feel something ancient and powerful stirring within the cave, something that had been asleep for a very long time.
Lin Xiao's instincts screamed at him to run, but there was nowhere to go. The walls were too high to climb, and the entrance was now sealed by thick layers of ice.
Suddenly, a large figure began to emerge from the shadows at the far end of the cavern. Its massive form was barely visible, but Lin Xiao could feel its presence—an overwhelming sense of dread washing over him.
[Emergency Mission Activated: Survive the Awakening.]
The system's monotone voice rang in his head, followed by a notification:
[Reward: 1500 EXP, Random Silver Chest Box]
Lin Xiao's heart raced. "Survive? Against this?"
He glanced at his hand, still bleeding slightly, the red stark against the icy blue of the cavern.
The creature roared again, louder this time, shaking the very foundations of the cavern. Lin Xiao could feel the weight of its gaze bearing down on him, a malevolent force ready to strike.
Lin Xiao's heart pounded in his chest as the creature loomed over him, its massive form blocking out the faint light that emanated from the icy runes. The roar reverberated through the cavern again, and Lin Xiao's instincts kicked in. Without a second thought, he turned on his heels and sprinted as fast as he could, the icy ground beneath him making every step treacherous.
His breath came in ragged gasps as he ran deeper into the cavern, desperately trying to put distance between himself and the creature. The roar echoed once more, but this time, it didn't seem to be chasing him. Lin Xiao slowed slightly, risking a glance over his shoulder.
The creature stood still, its enormous head turning slowly from side to side as if searching for him. But something about the way it moved caught Lin Xiao's attention. Its eyes—there were huge, deep slashes where its eyes should have been, grotesque and scarred over, as if they had been violently plucked out by someone or something.
"It's blind..." Lin Xiao realized with a jolt, his breath catching in his throat. The creature couldn't see him. It was relying on sound or some other sense to track him. He looked back again, noticing how it sniffed the air, its head moving erratically as if confused.
He ducked behind an outcropping of ice, crouching low and trying to control his breathing. His mind raced.
"Who could've done this?" The slashes were deep and vicious, a clear sign that whoever or whatever had blinded the creature had the power to deal significant damage.
The thought sent chills down Lin Xiao's spine. If this monstrous beast had been subdued by someone or something, what kind of force was lurking in this world?
Lin Xiao debated his options. He could try to sneak past it, but the cavern was a maze, and there was no guarantee he could find a way out before it detected him again. His thoughts turned to his skills, particularly memory manipulation. He had used it before to calm his mother and sister, erasing the terrifying visions from their minds. Maybe... just maybe, he could use it here.
He focused on the creature, reaching out mentally to try and grasp its memories, hoping he could soothe its rage. But something was wrong. There was a barrier—a thick, impenetrable wall around the creature's mind, like a fortress that Lin Xiao couldn't breach. The more he pushed, the more resistance he encountered, until it felt like his own mind was being repelled.
"It doesn't work..." Lin Xiao thought, frustration and fear swelling within him. Whatever had blinded this creature, it had left scars so deep that even his memory manipulation skill couldn't reach. He was on his own.
The creature roared again, its massive head snapping in Lin Xiao's direction, the sound reverberating off the cavern walls. He flinched, knowing he had only seconds to act before it discovered him again.