The oppressive atmosphere inside the gate made every breath feel heavy, every step more difficult. Chen Lin tightened his grip on his knife, acutely aware of his inexperience. The others moved with practiced ease, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching them.
"Stay focused," Liu Yurong said sharply, her spear at the ready.
The ground trembled violently. A deep, guttural roar echoed across the warped terrain. Everyone froze as the air grew colder, thick with an ominous energy.
Emerging from the shadows was a massive Gate Warden. Its grotesque form was a chaotic blend of jagged scales, writhing tendrils, and an aura of pulsating light. Its eyes, like molten gold, locked onto the group.
"Gate Warden!" Zhang Wei shouted, hefting his war hammer. "This thing's way out of our league!"
"We don't retreat!" Liu Yurong commanded. "We fight, or it hunts us down."
The team rushed forward, weapons gleaming. Chen Lin hesitated, fear rooting him in place. He wasn't ready for this.
The Warden roared, its massive claw slamming into the ground. A shockwave rippled outward, sending everyone flying. Chen Lin hit the ground hard, his ears ringing. As he struggled to rise, the creature's glowing tendrils lashed out, striking him square in the chest.
Pain erupted through his body, unlike anything he'd ever felt before.
[Warning: Host Integrity Critical. System Core Activation Initiated.]
Suddenly, the pain vanished. Instead, Chen Lin felt a surge of energy coursing through his veins.
[System Fully Activated: Permanent Universal Counter Unlocked.] [Analyzing Threat: Energy Surge Detected. Ability Gained: Energy Absorption.]
The Warden's next attack came swiftly, its tendrils glowing with dark energy. But as they struck Chen Lin again, the energy dissipated harmlessly into his body.
The system's voice echoed in his mind:
[Host Under Constant Temporal Attack. Analyzing Threat: Time Decay. Ability Gained: Temporal Immunity. Effect: Immortality Activated.]
Chen Lin gasped as time seemed to slow around him. The creature's claws moved sluggishly, its attacks now appearing almost trivial. The realization hit him like a thunderbolt-he couldn't die.
The Warden roared in frustration, its massive form lunging at him with renewed ferocity. Chen Lin stepped forward, his hand raised instinctively. A pulse of energy shot from his palm, striking the creature and sending it crashing back.
[Force Countered: Crushing Impact. Strength Enhanced.]
Liu Yurong and the others stared in disbelief as Chen Lin stood unscathed in the center of the chaos.
"Chen Lin!" Liu Yurong shouted. "Fall back! You'll get yourself killed!"
But Chen Lin didn't move. He could feel the system fully integrated with his body now, its power coursing through him with no restrictions. Every attack the Warden launched only made him stronger.
The creature's claws, its energy blasts, even the strange temporal decay field surrounding it-none of it could harm him.
He was invincible.
With a final surge of determination, Chen Lin launched himself at the Warden. His knife, now glowing with absorbed energy, pierced the creature's core. The Warden let out a deafening screech, its form convulsing before collapsing in a heap.
The battlefield fell silent.
Chen Lin stood over the fallen creature, his chest heaving. The others stared at him in stunned silence, their weapons lowered.
"What... what just happened?" Zhang Wei asked, his voice shaky.
Liu Yurong approached cautiously, her spear still at the ready. "You... killed it?"
Chen Lin looked down at his hands, which were still faintly glowing with residual energy. He forced a calm expression, suppressing the storm of thoughts raging in his mind.
"I don't know," he lied. "It just happened."
Liu Yurong's eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering in her gaze. But she didn't press further. "Let's move. This gate isn't cleared yet, and there's no telling what else is out here."
As the group prepared to move on, Chen Lin stayed at the back, his thoughts racing.
The system was no longer dormant; it had fully awakened, permanently binding itself to him. Every attack he faced would now make him stronger, every danger an opportunity to grow. But with this power came questions he couldn't ignore.
Why had the system activated now? Why was it created in the first place?
And most importantly-what would happen if others found out?
He clenched his fists, the faint hum of the system echoing in his mind.
Whatever the answers, one thing was clear: he was no longer the same Chen Lin who had entered this gate.
He was something far more dangerous.