The air grew even colder, the chill sinking deep into Lin Han's bones. The robed figure beneath the bridge moved forward, his steps deliberate, unhurried—yet each footfall seemed to weigh heavily on Lin Han's chest.
Noya tightened her grip on her kris, her voice tense. "Lin Han, tell me you're not mixed up in some supernatural bullshit again."
"Oh, come on—how was I supposed to know a Pontianak would show up?" Lin Han hissed, sweat trickling down his forehead.
His gaze never left the man's chest—where a golden emblem gleamed under the rain, unmistakably marked with two words:
Genting Group.
Lin Han's breath hitched.
A Pontianak was a creature of folklore, a vengeful spirit. What the hell was Genting Group doing involved with something like this?
The robed man finally stopped, his presence exuding an undeniable authority. His voice was low but firm:
"Kamu tak patut ada di sini."
"Damn, this guy lagi mysterious." Noya muttered.
But Lin Han wasn't backing down. His right eye burned slightly as the karmic threads flickered into view—
And that's when he saw it.
A thick, black karmic thread extended from the Pontianak, snaking through the air—
Connecting directly to the robed man's heart.
Lin Han's stomach dropped.
"This guy… is bound to the spirit?"
Noya took a step forward, eyes narrowing. "Apa hubungan kau dengan hantu ni?" (What's your connection to this ghost?)
The man chuckled softly. "Pontianak ini penjaga. Kamu masuk tanah larangan." (This Pontianak is a guardian. You have entered forbidden grounds.)
Forbidden grounds?
A chill ran down Lin Han's spine. His mind raced—this bridge, its location lay atop an ancient geomantic leyline. That was why his right eye's ability was flaring so strongly here, why the karmic threads were so vivid, intertwining like veins leading to a heart…
Noya's grip on her kris tightened. "I've got a bad feeling about this."
Lin Han inhaled sharply, eyes locked onto the robed man.
"What happens if we don't leave?" he asked.
The man didn't respond.
Instead, he slowly lifted a hand.
BOOM—
Lin Han barely had time to react before an invisible force slammed into his consciousness.
The world around him shattered into chaos.
Lin Han's world collapsed in an instant.
Not physically—but his consciousness was violently ripped from reality, as if something had shattered his perception and thrown him into a distorted space.
The sound of rain disappeared. Noya's figure blurred, and even the feeling of standing on solid ground vanished.
Instead, he was surrounded by a web of interwoven karmic threads, massive and intricate, converging around him like the center of a spider's web.
Bzzzt—
His right eye burned violently, like molten fire searing into his skull.
A blood-red karmic thread materialized, extending from the robed man's chest—
And it stretched directly into Lin Han's own body!
"Lin Han! What's happening to you?!"
Noya's voice was distant, distorted. He tried to focus, tried to move—
But the thread pulled.
BOOM—
A sensation like his soul being ripped apart overwhelmed him. The entire karmic web shattered, and the world snapped back into place.
Lin Han collapsed onto the rain-soaked ground, gasping for breath, his body trembling from the aftershock.
The robed man remained still, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
"You have been chosen."
Lin Han's chest tightened.
Whatever that meant—he knew it was far more terrifying than he could ever imagine.