Xue landed with a soft thud, the teleportation scroll's magic dissipating around him. His senses immediately recoiled from the overwhelming feeling of dread that hung thick in the air. The very atmosphere felt wrong, as though the land itself had been twisted by some malevolent force.
The trees surrounding him were dead—withered husks of what had once been thriving, their bark cracked and charred. No leaves rustled in the wind; the air was thick and stagnant, as though even the breeze was too afraid to move. The ground beneath his feet was cracked and barren, no signs of life in sight except for the crows that circled above, their harsh screeches echoing through the stillness.
Xue could feel the weight of the darkness pressing in from all sides. His instincts, honed over years of surviving in hostile environments, screamed at him to turn back, to leave this place and never look back. But he couldn't. Not when those he'd promised to protect—his comrades, his friends—had been taken, their bodies now in the hands of whatever dark forces ruled this place.
He gripped the hilt of his sword tighter, the cold steel offering little comfort. As he took a few steps forward, his senses sharpened. The eerie silence was almost suffocating, broken only by the occasional caw of the crows. It felt as though the very land had been corrupted, infected by some ancient evil. The bodies—those of Iblis, Marina, and Corrine—were somewhere nearby.
"Focus," Xue muttered to himself, taking a deep breath and forcing his mind to remain clear.
As he moved deeper into the desolate landscape, every step felt heavier, as if the ground itself was trying to pull him down. His eyes darted around, scanning for any signs of movement. But all he saw were the twisted trees, the flickering shadows in the distance, and the ever-present crows that seemed to follow his every move.
He felt a shiver run down his spine, the sensation of being watched growing stronger with each passing second. Something was out there. Something powerful. And it was waiting for him.
Xue's hand hovered near the dagger at his belt, the cold metal reassuring him for a brief moment before his thoughts returned to the task at hand.
The bodies. He had to find them before it was too late.
Taking another cautious step forward, Xue's eyes narrowed. The path ahead was unclear, shrouded in darkness. But he was no stranger to facing the unknown, and whatever horrors awaited him, he would face them head-on.
He couldn't afford to fail. Not this time.
Reaching into himself, he let his mana surge, allowing the shadows to respond. The darkness around him seemed to grow alive, wrapping around him like a cloak. He vanished into the shadows, his body blending with the dark, silent and unseen.
Moving swiftly through the desolate landscape, Xue relied on his instincts, navigating through the dead trees with ease. The presence of the bodies was faint, but he could feel them, drawing closer with every step. The crows' screeches echoed through the air, but they were distant, unimportant.
Xue kept his focus, the weight of the place pressing on him, but he didn't falter. He was getting closer to his goal.
As Xue made his way closer to the heart of the ominous presence, the air grew thick with a strange, unsettling energy. A cold chill crawled down his spine, and the usual sharpness of his senses felt dull, as if something was deliberately keeping him on edge. The trees surrounding the area were withered and lifeless, their gnarled branches stretching out like twisted fingers. Crows circled overhead, their harsh screeches filling the air, adding to the unsettling atmosphere. Every step he took seemed to amplify the heavy, suffocating silence that enveloped the place.
Xue's gaze scanned the darkened woods, his instincts on high alert. Something wasn't right here—something was watching, waiting for him. He quickened his pace, but his unease only grew as he approached the source of the strange aura.
Then, without warning, the silence shattered.
A flash of movement. A chain, moving with terrifying speed, shot out from the shadows and coiled toward him. It was no ordinary weapon. The blade of a scythe, connected to a long, dark chain, swung at him like a serpent seeking its prey. Xue reacted with the precision of a trained fighter, twisting his body to dodge the blade. But the chain was relentless. The scythe's hooked end lashed out and wrapped around his leg before he could fully evade it.
Before he could react, the chain tightened with brutal force, pulling him off balance. He was slammed hard into the ground, his breath knocked out of him. Pain shot through his body, but his mind remained sharp, focusing on the new threat that had emerged.
Rising from the shadows, a figure stepped into the dim light. A girl. No, not just any girl—she was a vampire, her pale skin and red eyes glowing in the darkness. She held the scythe with casual grace, twirling the chain around her hand as if it were an extension of herself. The weapon seemed to hum with dark power, a reflection of her own sinister presence.
Xue gritted his teeth, struggling to regain his footing as the vampire's gaze locked onto him, her lips curling into a cruel grin. "Welcome to my domain," she said, her voice cold and mocking. "I've been expecting you, Elite of Darkness. You won't leave this place alive."
Xue narrowed his eyes, already planning his next move. He couldn't afford to let his guard down, not with this unpredictable enemy in front of him. But for now, he needed to focus on getting free from the chain that held him in place.