Huang Li stood before the shimmering wall, its surface pulsing faintly as though it were alive, urging him closer. His instincts screamed for caution, yet a deeper compulsion—perhaps curiosity or the magnetic pull of the unknown—beckoned him forward. The faint sigils etched into the surface flickered with an ancient, powerful energy, alive and dangerous.
"Is this one of those traps where touching it unleashes doom?" Huang Li muttered, squinting at the wall. His words were an attempt to lighten the mood, but there was a knot in his stomach. Everything about this place screamed "bad decision," yet here he was, contemplating whether to poke it. "Should I poke it?"
He hesitated, glancing at the eerie glow radiating from the wall. "I mean, I'd rather not die today. Not yet, at least." He sighed, shaking his head. It was his second chance at life, and the last thing he wanted was to become another ghost in the twisted history of the Huang Clan. Maybe caution wasn't so bad.
"Alright," he muttered, stepping back. "Let's not go in alone like a clueless protagonist. That never ends well."
Deciding to play it safe, Huang Li called upon his companions. Closing his eyes, he mentally reached out to the system, his connection to the Pokémon responding immediately. The air around him shifted, the atmosphere charged with a dark, rippling energy. With a flash of light, Lunala appeared, its crescent-moon-shaped wings stretching wide in a regal display. Beside it, Absol emerged, its sleek white fur almost glowing against the ruins' desolate backdrop. Its horn gleamed like a deadly sickle, sharp and ready.
Huang Li couldn't help but grin. "Well, at least I'm not alone now."
Lunala floated silently, its large, glowing eyes meeting Huang Li's with an intense gaze that sent shivers down his spine. Absol, on the other hand, padded forward, its gaze sharp and watchful, its posture radiating silent strength.
"I guess we should officially introduce ourselves," Huang Li said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "I'm Huang Li. We're kind of stuck together now, so… let's make the best of it."
Lunala tilted its head slightly, as though contemplating his words, while Absol flicked its ears, scanning the area. The silence stretched on, and Huang Li felt the weight of it.
"Right," he said, awkwardly shifting his feet. "Well, nice to meet you both."
Lunala let out a soft hum, its glow brightening a little, while Absol nudged Huang Li's leg with its head, a silent acknowledgment of their growing bond. The tension in the air eased just a bit, and Huang Li smiled. "Good. Now that we're all friends, let's figure out what's up with this wall."
He turned to the glowing surface, running his fingers along the cool stone. He could feel it now—an ancient power, pressing down on him, heavy and foreboding. The cold air around them seemed to thicken, growing more oppressive with each passing second.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Huang Li muttered. "But I also really want to know what's behind it."
As if on cue, the system chimed in his mind.
[QUEST: Explore the Realm. Reward: 2 Lottery Chances.]
"Nice," he muttered under his breath. "At least the system's giving me something for this madness."
He stepped toward the glowing wall and paused, considering his options. There was a definite energy here—something deep and ancient, coiled beneath the surface like a slumbering beast. He had no idea how to proceed, but something about the way the symbols shimmered made him think it wasn't just any wall.
"Hey, Lunala," Huang Li called out. "Think you could help me out with this? Maybe a little Moongeist Beam?"
Lunala's eyes gleamed in response. With a low, resonant cry, it summoned a brilliant blast of ghostly moonlight, the beam striking the wall with a powerful impact. The entire ruin trembled under the force, dust and debris cascading from the ceiling as ancient stones crumbled.
But the wall remained unscathed.
Huang Li coughed, waving the dust away. "Of course. That would've been too easy."
Suddenly, a low hum filled the air, growing louder and more ominous by the second. The wall's glowing sigils flared angrily, and before Huang Li could react, tendrils of dark energy shot out from the surface, retaliating with a force he hadn't anticipated.
"Watch out!" he shouted, instinctively stepping back.
Absol's fur bristled as it leaped in front of him, its sharp horn gleaming in the dim light. With lightning reflexes, Absol activated Detect, its eyes flashing as it dodged the incoming tendrils with precision, guiding Huang Li out of harm's way. The dark energy recoiled from Absol's sharp movements, unable to land a hit.
Lunala, not one to be outdone, released another Moongeist Beam, this time slicing through the tendrils with a brilliant burst of light. The ghostly energy dissipated, leaving only a faint wisp of darkness in its wake.
Huang Li let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Okay, I take it back. This wall definitely doesn't like being touched."
As the dust settled and the wall's retaliatory attack faded, something began to shift. A glowing character, pulsing with a soft red light, appeared on the wall where Lunala's beam had struck. The system chimed again in Huang Li's mind.
[Blood of the Huang Clan is required to enter.]
Huang Li blinked, wiping sweat from his brow. "Blood magic. Great. It's always blood magic."
Absol growled softly, its eyes narrowing as if it, too, found the situation far too convenient. Huang Li pulled a small blade from his belt—one he had scavenged earlier from the ruins. He hesitated, the air around him growing colder, almost as if the wall was waiting for him.
"Well, no point in turning back now." With a quick slice, he nicked his finger, grimacing slightly as blood welled up. Pressing the cut against the glowing sigil, he watched as his blood spread across the symbols like veins coming to life.
The wall pulsed in response, the vibrations growing stronger as the blood soaked into the stone. A low rumble echoed through the chamber, and with a heavy groan, the wall began to shift. The stone slid aside, revealing a dark corridor stretching into the unknown.
"Of course that worked," Huang Li muttered. "Because blood sacrifices always work with ancient magic."
The corridor beyond was cloaked in shadow, the air thick and cold, carrying the weight of forgotten centuries. Lunala floated silently beside him, its glow casting eerie shapes on the stone walls, while Absol stood at his side, its senses sharp and alert.
As they ventured deeper, the strange symbols continued to glow faintly, etched into every surface. The remnants of tools and weapons lay scattered across the stone floor, rusted and forgotten. A strange sense of preservation lingered here, as though the chamber had been sealed off from time itself.
"This place hasn't seen daylight in centuries," Huang Li said softly, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lunala floated closer to the walls, inspecting the glowing symbols with a quiet curiosity. Absol, ever vigilant, sniffed the air and let out a low growl, its sharp gaze never leaving the shadows.
At the heart of the chamber, an ancient altar stood, carved with intricate designs that shimmered faintly in the dim light. There was an undeniable pull to it, something Huang Li couldn't quite place. He felt a strange tingling in his skin, as though the air itself was charged with magic.
"This must've been important to someone," he mused, stepping closer.
As his eyes scanned the altar, something caught his attention. Among the debris near its base lay a simple silver ring, unadorned but pulsing with a faint energy. Curious, Huang Li bent down and picked it up, feeling a warmth spread through his fingers.
The system chimed again.
[Blood-bound storage ring detected. Legacy item from ancestral lineage.]
"Oh great, another family heirloom," Huang Li muttered, rolling his eyes. "At least there's no curse. I hope."
Suddenly, the room grew colder. The warmth from the ring vanished, replaced by an icy chill that crept over his skin. His breath came out in visible puffs, the cold air pressing down on him like a suffocating weight.
Lunala and Absol tensed beside him, their eyes fixed on the shadows at the altar. The room seemed to darken as a faint, ghostly figure began to take shape. Its form was wispy at first, like a wisp of fog, but as it floated closer, it took on a more human appearance, draped in the robes of an era long past.
For a moment, it hovered in silence, its form wavering as though struggling against the pull of time. Then, a voice, soft yet filled with sorrow, echoed through the stillness like a distant memory.
"Young Master…"