Volume 1, Chapter 1 – The Beginning of an Adventure
A Family Dinner
The warmth of the hearth filled the spacious hall, casting flickering shadows upon the round wooden table at its center. Aromatic dishes of tender meat, fragrant herbs, and steaming rice lay before the head of the Ling family. His silver hair gleamed under the glow of the oil lamps, and his piercing eyes observed every movement of his kin.
Ling Wu Ji Han, the clan's only son, sat clutching his chopsticks but made no move to eat. His mind was elsewhere—his nightly training awaited him.
— "Still thinking about your path?" — The old man chuckled, glancing at his grandson.
— "Yes," — the boy admitted, trying to mask his impatience.
His father nodded silently, his mother offered a gentle smile, and the servants quietly cleared the empty plates. A peaceful evening… yet something unseen lurked in the air, a silent omen of unease.
And then—
The doors burst open, and darkness surged into the hall. A heartbeat later, the air was filled with the gurgling cries of the dying.
— "WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" — his father roared.
Blades flashed, slashing through his uncle's throat. His mother collapsed, choking on her own blood. Ling Wu Ji tried to leap to his feet, but his grandfather's iron grip clamped onto his shoulder.
Time slowed. The screams became distant, muffled. And in the next instant, the world twisted.
An unseen force enveloped him, hurling him into the abyss.
His grandfather was sacrificing his own life force—tearing open a rift
Darkness. The sickening sway of movement. His body shuddered as it struck against a hard wooden surface.
Somewhere in the distance, waves lapped against the hull.
— "Where… am I?"
With effort, he pushed himself up and saw the cramped wooden cabin. The air was thick with salt and decay.
This… isn't just any ship.
A faint crimson glow seeped through the cracks in the planks.
— "How far… have I been sent?"
His eyes adjusted to the dim light, and only then did he notice the strange symbols carved into the walls. They pulsed faintly, as if watching him.
But there was no time to dwell on them.
The ship trembled, as though struck by unseen waves. A low, droning hum filled the air, like the whispers of a thousand voices overlapping into an unintelligible murmur.
— "Who's there?!"
Silence.
Only the creaking wood and the pounding of his heart.
He stepped toward the door, but at that moment, the ship lurched violently.
A deafening crack shattered the stillness.
Something was rising from the depths.
Rotting hands burst through the wooden planks.
Ling Wu Ji staggered back, but the floor beneath him buckled.
The ship was breaking apart.
— "NO—!"
His body was flung into the freezing sea.
The Island
Cold stabbed into his very bones. The water clung to him, thick and suffocating like liquid night.
Ling Wu Ji clawed at the waves, fighting to keep his head above the surface.
Somewhere ahead, through the veil of rain, the silhouette of an island loomed.
— "Help!"
Silence.
No one would come for him.
— I have to make it… on my own.
Every stroke was a battle for survival.
The waves tossed him mercilessly, but finally—his fingers brushed against solid sand.
Coughing, gasping for air, he crawled onto the shore.
The island before him looked like a twisted version of the bedtime stories his mother once told him. A fairytale—if the fairytale was a dark fantasy filled with horrors.
A dreadful aura hung over the land, suffocating and oppressive. The gnarled trees seemed to lean forward, their branches like skeletal fingers reaching for him.
Darkness.
An unnatural stillness.
His instincts screamed—something lurked in the shadows.
The waves swallowed the last remnants of the shattered ship.
— "Am I… alone?"
He rose to his feet with difficulty, his soaked clothes clinging to his trembling body. The silence pressed against him.
And then—
A sound.
A whispering rustle from deep within the gloom.
A cold wind brushed against his spine, like an invisible hand urging him to turn around.
But when he did—
There was nothing.
No footprints. No path. Just emptiness.
Yet something was watching him.
— "Who's there?"
No answer.
Then—
— "You've finally arrived."
The voice echoed inside his skull—cold, emotionless. It didn't come from the air, but from deep within his mind.
Ling Wu Ji turned.
A figure stood before him.
His skin prickled.
That eerie, uncanny sensation—like staring at something almost human, yet fundamentally wrong.
His first friend… or his first enemy?
— "Who… are you?"
His voice wavered.
The figure stepped forward.
A boy, about his age. Pale hair. Empty eyes.
— "I've always been here," — he said.
Ling Wu Ji's breath caught.
— "Are you… alive?"
The boy tilted his head.
— "What do you think?"
His voice was too calm.
— "I… I'm Ling Wu Ji."
— "And I…" — the boy hesitated. — "Let's say you can call me Fei Liang."
But something inside Ling Wu Ji whispered—
This boy is not what he seems.
The First Dawn
Ling Wu Ji woke to the bitter chill of morning.
The air was thick with dampness, and the icy wind sliced through his skin, making him shiver violently.
He forced his eyes open. Above him stretched a vast, gray sky, heavy with dark clouds. A dull light barely seeped through the breaks in the mist. But beyond the haze… the horizon was obscured, swallowed by an endless white fog.
His body ached, as if he had been beaten and left for dead.
He inhaled deeply, trying to steady his mind. The air reeked of salt, seaweed, and something metallic—something that sent a quiet shiver of unease down his spine.
Waves crashed in the distance, their rhythm slow and deliberate.
The fog writhed between the jagged rocks, slithering like living tendrils, clinging to the stones with ghostly fingers. It was too thick, too unnatural, making it feel as though the world ended just a few steps away.
Fei Liang sat nearby, idly drawing patterns in the sand with a small stone.
— "Aren't you cold?" — Ling Wu Ji rubbed his arms.
— "No."
— "…Are you sure you're alive?"
Fei Liang smiled.
— "What do you think?"
For a fleeting moment, Ling Wu Ji wondered—had this boy simply survived countless impossible situations? Or had his body already adapted to this island's unnatural cold?
He sighed.
— "Pointless…"
He finally took a good look around.
Last night, he hadn't noticed. But now, in the dim morning light, he saw—
The island was massive.
An endless forest stretched beyond the shore, disappearing into the fog. Distant mountains loomed like silent sentinels.
But strangest of all—
There were no birds. No animals.
Only the waves.
Only the wind.
His stomach growled, breaking the silence.
— "We need to find food," — he muttered.
Fei Liang tilted his head.
— "Why?"
— "You're not hungry?"
Fei Liang simply smiled.
— "Maybe."
And then—
[Survival System Activated.]
Ling Wu Ji froze.
Golden letters flickered before his eyes.
> [You have activated the 'Seeker's Path' System.]
First Quest: Start a Fire (Reward: Island Map).
His breath hitched.
— "What… was that?"
Fei Liang continued drawing in the sand, unaware.
Ling Wu Ji rubbed his eyes. The letters remained.
A System?
It was real.
That meant—
He had a chance to survive.
Lighting the fire
Fèi Liáng lifted his head.
"Why?"
"I… feel like it's important."
He couldn't explain it, but intuition whispered—completing this quest would change everything.
They gathered dry branches and set up a campfire.
But…
"How do we light it?"
Líng Wǔ Jì struck two stones together.
Nothing.
Fèi Liáng watched in silence.
"Maybe it'll just… ignite on its own?"
A quest hint flashed in Líng Wǔ Jì's mind:
> 'Use dry tree bark and shredded moss to create tinder.'
The words seemed to appear on their own.
Quickly, he gathered moss and bark, rubbing a stick against them.
Sparks flared—
And fire was born.
[Quest Completed!]
Reward: Island Map Obtained.
Líng Wǔ Jì felt something materialize in his hand—
An old map, covered in strange markings.
Unfolding it, he shivered.
At the island's center was a location ominously marked: "The Tower of Shadows."
But what truly unnerved him—
Scattered across the map were silhouettes of creatures, neither beast nor human.
Fèi Liáng glanced at it and smiled.
"Interesting."
Líng Wǔ Jì clenched his fists.
"What is this place…?"
His stomach growled. He shot a glance at Fèi Liáng.
"We need to find something to eat," he muttered.
Fèi Liáng nodded, and they ventured deeper into the forest. Silence pressed in, unnatural and heavy. Soon, Líng Wǔ Jì spotted a low bush bearing dark berries. He reached out—
Fèi Liáng stopped him.
"Not a good idea. We don't know if they're poisonous."
"You claim to have been here for a long time—or always. So why don't you know?"
Fèi Liáng gave no answer.
Moving on, they found small animal tracks. Líng Wǔ Jì spotted a rabbit-like creature and hurled a stone. A perfect hit.
Back at the fire, Fèi Liáng swiftly skinned the animal, skewered the meat, and held it over the flames. The rich scent of roasting flesh filled the air, making Líng Wǔ Jì swallow hungrily.
Once cooked, he bit into the juicy meat, savoring each bite.
"This is amazing!" he breathed. "Finally, something good after everything that's happened."
He eyed Fèi Liáng, who hadn't touched the food.
"Aren't you eating?"
Fèi Liáng waved a hand dismissively.
"I ate before you woke up."
Líng Wǔ Jì frowned but shrugged, too focused on his hunger to argue.
Once finished, they set off to explore the island's marked locations.
Location: The Soundless Forest
Líng Wǔ Jì led the way, gripping the map.
Fèi Liáng followed, occasionally pausing to glance at the sky.
They pushed deeper into the woods.
Then Líng Wǔ Jì noticed it.
"Why is it so quiet?"
Fèi Liáng blinked.
"You don't like it?"
"…No. It's unnatural."
No birds. No insects.
As if the air itself had died.
Fèi Liáng smirked at his unease.
"Feel it? The island is welcoming us."
Líng Wǔ Jì said nothing.
He did feel something—
But not a welcome.
A suffocating silence pressed against his ears, as if nature itself held its breath. Something unseen watched them from the depths.
"Maybe this is the island's secret?"
Líng Wǔ Jì didn't reply.
He glanced at the map.
Nearby, a location was marked—
'Abandoned Settlement.'
"Let's check it out."
[System Notification: New Location Discovered—Abandoned Settlement.]
Líng Wǔ Jì halted.
It was a town.
Ancient.
Wooden houses leaned with age, streets overgrown with weeds.
As if abandoned for centuries.
Fèi Liáng scanned the area.
"Empty."
Líng Wǔ Jì tensed.
"Too empty."
[New Quest: Find Traces of the Past. (Reward: Special Skill)]
A chill ran through Líng Wǔ Jì.
He looked around.
The wooden houses appeared normal.
But he felt it—someone's presence.
Fèi Liáng suddenly stopped.
"There."
He pointed at a well.
Líng Wǔ Jì stepped closer.
The wooden planks had been removed. Darkness yawned inside.
He slowly leaned over—
"See anything?"
Fèi Liáng didn't answer.
Líng Wǔ Jì's heart clenched.
And then—
A whisper rose from the depths.
"…Who… are you…?"
A voice from the well.
Líng Wǔ Jì staggered back.
Fèi Liáng didn't flinch, still staring downward.
"Who's there?" Líng Wǔ Jì forced his voice to stay steady.
The whisper grew louder.
"Are you… alive…?"
Cold sweat trickled down his spine.
"Screw this. We're leaving."
***
A Night of Unrest
The sky stretched above them—black, vast, endless, like the maw of some sleeping god. Líng Wǔ Jì stood at the forest's edge, staring into the void where trees dissolved into the night. A faint salt breeze mixed with damp earth.
Fèi Liáng adjusted his bag, smirking.
"Are you planning to stand here all night, or will you actually sleep?"
The fire crackled, casting restless shadows on the tent walls.
It was too much.
Had they really seen that?
All day, an ominous feeling had gnawed at him, as if something inevitable was approaching.
And now it only grew stronger.
"Go to sleep," a voice murmured.
He flinched.
[System: It is late. Recovery is necessary for further adaptation.]
"Are you serious right now?"
Silence.
Grinding his teeth, he lay down.
The world sank into darkness.
But instead of sleep—
Something else arrived.
Location: The City of Forgotten Names
His eyes snapped open.
Before him stretched a city veiled in mist, bathed in the dim glow of ghostly lanterns.
Ancient buildings stood cracked and hollow, streets abandoned—
Yet something breathed, moved, watched within the shadows.
A sound rang out.
[System Notification: Welcome to the Trial.]
[The First Trial Begins.]
Text materialized before his eyes.
Quest: ?????????
Reward: B-Class Skill – Ling Clan Magic.
Failure: Death.
The mission text was blurred.
Líng Wǔ Jì blinked—
And suddenly—
He forgot why he was here.
He forgot who he was.
Only the cold wind swept through the streets, whispering the beginning of the longest journey of his life.