The forest seemed to hold its breath as Li Wei's fingers tightened around the hilt of Mei Chen's sword. Instantly, a strange calm washed over him. His team's frantic steps and desperate breaths faded to the background, and it was as though time itself slowed, bending to his will. He had been here before, countless times, across countless worlds, each battle bringing him closer to understanding the path before him.
But even this moment felt different. It felt like fate.
The beast facing him—a massive creature whose scales glistened like metal, its eyes blazing with sentient fury—stared back, unnerved. Its gaze narrowed on Li Wei, its instincts churning with a warning it couldn't yet decipher. Li Wei met the beast's eyes with a calm, unshaken focus. There was no fear, no hesitation.
