Volume 1, Chapter 2 - Deadly Race
Location: The City of Forgotten Names
Deadly Race.
---
Ling Wu Ji woke up.
A cold, wet stone pressed against his back. He slowly opened his eyes. Above, the dark, starry sky loomed, but instead of a moon, a dead light hung—dim, as if drained by the night itself.
He sat up, looking around. Narrow streets, tall, crooked houses with windows like the empty eye sockets of skulls. The air was heavy with dampness, the scent of rust, and something sweetly rotten.
Fear boiled inside him. Panic gripped him—he had no idea what to do.
Where was he? How had he gotten here?
A void gaped in his memory. Only one word surfaced in his mind: Ling Wu Ji.
The crunch of glass.
He turned sharply.
A dark figure emerged from the fog. Tall, with elongated limbs, it moved slowly but inevitably. A hood obscured its face, yet Ling Wu Ji could feel the weight of its gaze burning through him.
Step.
— Don't come near me… monster! — he shouted, jumping to his feet.
Step.
The creature lunged forward, intent on tearing him apart.
He didn't even have time to react—claws sank into his chest.
Pain.
The fire of shredded lungs, the cold flow of blood, the fading light of consciousness.
The world dissolved into darkness, and then…
---
At the last moment
…He saw his life.
Everything flashed before his eyes:
Childhood.
The voices of his parents, his own laughter, running through warm streets under a shining sun.
Youth.
His first victory, his first mistake, his first meeting with someone who changed his view of the world.
The warmth of the past burned away in the icy darkness of the present.
"So this is how it happens?"
"I just… disappear?"
Ling Wu Ji felt life slipping through his fingers, the darkness consuming his mind.
— Why?.. — he barely managed to whisper, blood filling his mouth, paralyzing his tongue.
But no one answered.
The final flickers of consciousness…
He saw the moment his family was brutally murdered, his grandfather saving him at the cost of his own life.
"I saw them. They were calling me, and I wanted to go to them, but something held me back."
"Will I die and go to a place where my parents will be waiting for me? I want that so much..."
Then, a thought flashed through his mind:
"But now I want revenge..."
"If I had a second chance..."
"I would..."
Darkness closed his eyes.
The abyss embraced him, chills ran down his spine, but suddenly...
A gasp of air.
Ling Wu Ji shot up, gasping. His heart pounded wildly, a pulsating pain throbbed in his temples. He could still taste death.
— I... am alive? — his voice trembled, as if refusing to believe reality.
He looked around. Cobblestone streets, dim lanterns, oppressive silence. Everything was the same.
— But I... died?
His last moments flashed before his eyes again. The sensation of blood trickling down his skin… the fading pain… the darkness swallowing his consciousness… But now he was back, at the exact moment he had first arrived in this cursed city.
Ling Wu Ji ran a trembling hand over his face.
— Is this... a loop?
A cold fear pierced him. He had always thought death was the end, but now... now he had returned.
— W-what kind of curse is this?!
He closed his eyes, trying to suppress the panic. If this was a loop, was he doomed to die over and over again?
But then... was there a way out?
---
Ling Wu Ji froze, spotting a figure in the distance.
The same one…
But this time, it was farther away, and he had a chance.
— Run!
He bolted, not looking back.
Fog clung to the ground, cold air seared his lungs, his heart pounded like a caged beast. He dashed forward, weaving through alleyways, leaping over piles of trash, dodging the shadows of buildings.
A minute. Two.
When Wu Ji finally glanced back… no one.
He panted, standing in an empty alley.
— Yes! I survived! — he threw his arms up in triumph. — This ability is pretty good in the right hands!
But before he could finish his sentence, a wet, rasping sound came from behind him.
He turned around…
And nearly screamed in horror.
Something stood before him.
It moved like an animal.
Its eyes—huge, disgusting, like a twisted nightmare's gaze.
One leg— a hoof.
One arm— long, grotesque, spider-like limbs.
Ling Wu Ji felt a wave of cold rush down his spine.
— D-don't come any closer… — he croaked, but the creature was already lunging.
It was too fast.
Ling Wu Ji screamed for help, but no one heard.
The monster clamped onto his leg and ripped it off with a sickening crunch.
— AAAAAAHHHH!
Hellish pain!
Wu Ji choked on his own scream.
He collapsed to the ground, and the creature was already preparing to bite off his head.
And then…
— Suck on this, bastard!
Something struck the monster at blinding speed, sending it flying back.
Through his blurry vision, Ling Wu Ji saw a man.
Red-green eyes.
Wavy hair.
An athletic build, tattered black clothing.
— What the…?
The man didn't let him finish—he grabbed him, threw him over his shoulder, and took off at superhuman speed.
— Oh, shit! I should really speed this up! — the savior muttered, accelerating.
Wu Ji trembled like a leaf.
— What the hell is going on?! And what are you doing?!
— Can't you see? Saving your ass!
The wind lashed against his face, cutting his skin like shards of glass.
The man sped forward, carrying Ling Wu Ji on his shoulders, while behind them, the sound of clawed footsteps echoed.
— It's catching up! — Wu Ji shouted in panic.
— Stop yelling in my ear! — the savior snapped, picking up the pace.
But the monster was terrifyingly fast.
Ling Wu Ji glanced back.
It… it was already right there!
Jaws opened, revealing rows of curved fangs reeking of rot.
— Hurry! It's about to eat us!
— You think I'm jogging for fun?! — the man roared.
A house loomed ahead.
— There's someone there!
A man stood in front of the house—tall, long black hair, his face hidden in shadow. In his hands, he held a kusarigama.
( Kusarigama (Japanese: くさりがま) – a traditional Japanese weapon. It originated during the Muromachi period. The technique involved using the weight to strike an opponent, entangling them with the chain, then attacking with the sickle. It could also be thrown and retracted with the chain. The kusarigama was used for castle defense.)
He raised his head.
The blade whistled through the air, flying toward the monster, embedding into its leg.
— Yes! — Wu Ji exhaled.
The creature screamed.
In pain?
In rage?
In fear?
It staggered… and ran away, letting out an inhuman, wailing cry.
Ling Wu Ji swallowed hard.
What was that?
Who was this man with the kusarigama? The weapon emitted a sinister aura—one that could be seen with the naked eye
And his savior?
This night was far from over.
— Oh… Damn… The boy carrying him suddenly stopped and dropped Ling Wu Ji to the ground.
— Ouch! he groaned.
— Phew, we're safe.
— Couldn't you be more careful?!
— I could. But I chose not to.
Ling Wu Ji glared at him angrily, but at that moment, a man with a kusarigama approached.
— Who did you drag in this time, Lian? His voice was as cold as the winter wind.
Lian.
So that was the name of his savior?
— What, was I supposed to leave him as a snack?! Lian protested.
— Maybe.
Ling Wu Ji broke out in a cold sweat.
— Hey, hey, wait! He sat up, clutching his head. — I'm not planning to die a second time!
The man with the kusarigama chuckled.
— We'll see.
Ling Wu Ji froze, unable to look away from the man's icy face.
— What do you mean, "we'll see"? he asked, his voice trembling.
— Exactly what I said. The stranger tilted his head, studying him as if deciding whether to finish him off or let him live.
Lian shrugged.
— Hey, he's just a kid. If I hadn't saved him, he'd already be dinner.
— And you decided to bring him here? The man frowned as if the situation irritated him.
Ling Wu Ji stood up, glaring at both of them.
— Stop talking about me like I'm not even here!
The man with the kusarigama fell silent.
The pause stretched.
Finally, he nodded toward the house.
— Fine. Since you're here, come in.
Lian smirked and stepped forward.
— Well, great! I'm starving.
Ling Wu Ji followed, but an uneasy feeling lingered inside him.
That man… he didn't like him.
---
Inside, the house was dark, filled with a bitter scent—a mix of herbs and burnt wood.
Ling Wu Ji glanced around.
A massive wooden table, a few chairs, a cabinet crammed with strange objects—from ancient books to metallic figurines.
But something felt off.
A chill ran down his spine, as if someone was watching him.
— Do you live here? he asked cautiously.
Lian plopped onto a chair, hands behind his head.
— Me? I live wherever I end up.
The man with the kusarigama pulled back his hood, revealing sharp features and icy green eyes.
— My name is Mo Yun.
Ling Wu Ji felt the name echo in his mind.
Mo Yun…
Why did he feel so threatening?
---
— Who are you? Ling Wu Ji asked, trying to suppress his unease.
— Just someone who's been stuck in this dump for a long time, Lian squinted.
— Then explain this to me! Wu Ji flared up. — I ended up here and…
— So, you're a newbie.
Lian suddenly turned to him, his gaze sharp, as if piercing through his soul.
— How long have you been dead?
Ling Wu Ji was still breathing heavily, staring at the massive wooden door that Mo Yun had just slammed shut behind them. Adrenaline still surged through his veins, and the terror of the monster hadn't let go.
— Damn, are you even alive? Lian set him down and shook his shoulders. — Well, you're blinking, so I guess you are.
Wu Ji Han only now realized that his entire body was trembling. Instinctively, he reached for the spot where his leg had been torn off… but it was whole.
— I… but I was eaten… he whispered, staring at his hands.
Everything was intact. No wounds, no pain. Just the memory—so vivid, as if it had happened seconds ago.
— Welcome to the City of Forgotten Names, kid, Lian said, leaning against the wall. — Here, dying is normal.
Wu Ji swallowed hard.
— What do you mean?
— I mean, you're already dead.
Those words pierced his mind, sending a cold shiver down his spine.
— N-no… That's impossible!
— Possible, impossible—what's the difference? Lian smirked. — You're here. That means you died. Welcome to the club.
Wu Ji Han sat abruptly on the floor, staring into nothing. Could it be true? He remembered the moment darkness consumed him… Had he really died?
But something inside him resisted the thought.
— No… he muttered. — I can't be dead.
— Oh, another stubborn one, Lian chuckled. — Everyone goes through this. Just relax. Accept your new reality. It's not so bad here.
— But… if I really am dead… then what is this place?
Lian grinned crookedly.
— The City of Forgotten Names. This is where people end up when no one remembers them. When their names are erased from the world of the living.
Ling Wu Ji felt the cold seep into his bones.
— And you're saying… I'm forgotten too?
Lian looked at him with mild curiosity.
— Well… not necessarily. He leaned forward, studying Wu Ji's face. — You don't look like the usual dead.
— What?
— You're… too alive.
Ling Wu Ji frowned.
— What does that mean?
— Everyone who ends up here loses something important, Lian tapped his temple. — Their memory. Their emotions. Their purpose. They become… empty. But you… you're different.
Ling Wu Ji's frown deepened.
— What are you trying to say?
— Maybe it's because you're new here, Lian shrugged. — But I'm sure of one thing—you didn't end up here by accident.
— So I'm not like the others? Ling Wu Ji tried to grasp the meaning of his words.
— Maybe, Lian said lazily. — You're clinging too hard to life. That's… unusual.
A strange feeling sparked inside Wu Ji Han.
What if… he was still alive?
— I need to find a way out… he whispered, clenching his fists.
— Hah, you're not the first to think that, Lian laughed. — Everyone wants to escape at first. Then they get used to it.
Ling Wu Ji looked at him.
— And you?
Lian fell silent for a moment, then smiled—but there was a shadow in his eyes.
— I don't remember anymore, he said quietly.
At that moment, Mo Yun, the tall man with the kusarigama, entered the room—calm and unreadable.
— Has he come to his senses? he asked, ignoring Ling Wu Ji's wary gaze.
— Yeah, he's ranting about escaping, Lian smirked.
— Like all the newbies, Mo Yun sighed.
— Did you know that no one has ever left this place? Ling Wu Ji suddenly asked.
Mo Yun looked at him carefully.
— No, I didn't, he replied, his voice carrying something… strange.
Ling Wu Ji felt like he was hiding something.
— So that means… there is a way out?
Lian scoffed.
— Oh, come on. Even if there is, what are you gonna do? Where would you even start looking?
— I'll find it, Ling Wu Ji said firmly.
Mo Yun studied him for a moment before finally saying:
— If you really want to know… there's one person who might have the answer.
— Who?
— They call him the Sage. He's said to know all the secrets of the City of Forgotten Names.
— Where is he?
— No one knows, Mo Yun turned away. — Some say he's long dead. Others say he's hiding deep within the city.
Ling Wu Ji clenched his fists.
The Sage… he had to know the truth.
He looked at Lian and Mo Yun.
— Will you help me?
Lian laughed loudly.
— Oh, I'll sit back and watch you solve this puzzle, kid!
Mo Yun simply remained silent.
But Ling Wu Ji had already made his choice.
If there was even the slightest chance—he would find a way out.
Yet the strangest thing…
The system remained silent.
And the quest was still blurred.