The air was colder now.
As the last hints of sunlight vanished from the twisted sky above, a strange mist began to gather around the trees. It wasn't natural fog it moved like it had a will of its own, curling low to the ground and brushing past Arin's legs like searching fingers.
Arin tightened his grip on his bag and stepped away from the shrine. His body still ached from cultivation, but his mind felt sharper. The [Resilient Mind] passive was already proving useful. He could think clearly, even under pressure.
> "Warning: Nightfall has triggered Phase Shift in regional zone. Hostile activity expected to increase by 220%."
> "New Objective Unlocked: Survive the Whispering Woods until dawn."
Arin frowned. "Another survival challenge?"
> "Correct. This one includes enemy encounters."
He didn't like the sound of that.
He glanced around the forest. Everything looked the same—twisted trees, thick mist, no clear direction. But now… faint sounds began to echo through the woods.
Whispers.
Voices with no source. Male and female, old and young, all murmuring at once just out of reach.
He shook his head.
"They're not real," he muttered. "It's part of the zone."
> "Affirmative. Zone feature: Illusory Soundwave. Designed to test mental stability."
Arin kept walking.
He stayed near the base of the hill where the shrine was, careful not to go too deep. His eyes scanned the shadows between the trees for movement.
Then he saw it.
A figure.
Pale and thin, barely visible through the mist. It didn't move like a beast. It stood still watching.
Arin slowly reached for his knife.
The figure stepped forward.
Its face came into view blank, smooth, with no mouth, no eyes, only a hollow void where features should be.
> "Entity identified: Wraith Husk — F-Rank spectral creature. Immune to physical attacks. Weak to spiritual energy and fire-based Qi."
"I don't have either of those," Arin whispered.
> "Suggestion: Avoid direct conflict. Evasion is the best strategy at your current level."
He didn't argue.
The Wraith Husk moved suddenly gliding rather than walking. Arin turned and ran.
He dashed between trees, branches scraping his skin, the whispers growing louder in his ears.
He didn't look back.
He only stopped when the mist thinned slightly. The ground here dipped into a shallow basin filled with strange glowing stones and water that shimmered blue under the moonlight.
> "Location: Spirit Pool. A rare natural formation. Resting here restores mental energy and increases Qi absorption temporarily."
Arin sighed. "Finally… something good."
He crouched beside the pool and dipped his hands into the water. It was cool, soothing.
His heartbeat began to slow.
The whispers faded.
But the peace didn't last long.
Suddenly, the water trembled.
The surface of the Spirit Pool rippled like it had been disturbed from beneath. Arin stepped back cautiously, knife in hand even though he knew it would be useless against another spectral enemy.
From the glowing water, a form slowly rose a humanoid figure made of shimmering liquid. It had no true face, just soft features that changed like flowing water. But unlike the Wraith Husk, it didn't give off a sense of threat. Instead, a calming warmth radiated from it.
> "Entity identified: Spirit Echo — Non-hostile construct. Bound to Spirit Pool. Offers trials or blessings to worthy cultivators."
Arin didn't move.
The Spirit Echo raised its hand slowly and pointed to him. Then, a soft, echoing voice like wind blowing through hollow stone filled the air.
"You have not broken. You have not fled. Do you seek growth, little flame?"
Arin swallowed hard, then nodded. "Yes. I want to grow stronger."
"Then offer your pain. Offer your will. Endure the reflection."
> "Optional Trial Available: Echo of Self." Difficulty: Moderate. Objective: Endure a Spirit Echo illusion based on your inner fears. Duration: 10 minutes. Reward: +5 Willpower, +1 Spiritual Resistance, +5 EXP Warning: Failure may result in temporary mental backlash.
Arin didn't hesitate. "Accept the trial."
The Spirit Echo moved its hand in a circle, and the mist around the Spirit Pool swirled violently. Everything vanished in a flash of white
[Trial: Echo of Self – Initiated]
Arin opened his eyes and found himself standing in the ruins of his old village.
But it wasn't how it was when he left.
It was burning.
The sky above cracked with blood-red lightning, and the ground was littered with broken homes, charred wood, and… bodies.
He staggered back as he saw them.
People from the village. Familiar faces. Friends. Even those who had treated him kindly.
All dead.
All because of him?
"No… this isn't real…"
Then, he saw her.
Lira.
She stood at the edge of the broken well, her eyes empty.
"You weren't strong enough," she whispered.
Arin shook his head. "I tried—"
"You were too slow," she said again. "Too weak."
Then the others began to rise.
Not alive. Not truly.
Their corpses twisted and stretched, their voices distorted.
"Why did you live while we died?"
"Why didn't you protect us?"
"You were supposed to be special, weren't you?"
"Chosen one? Hero?"
"You let us all burn."
Arin backed away, heart pounding.
The illusion pressed in from all sides. He felt like he was drowning in guilt, shame, fear.
But then, a thought cut through the noise.
This is the trial. This isn't real. I didn't abandon anyone. I'm still alive. And I'm still fighting.
He clenched his fists.
"I'm not the same person I was back then," he said, his voice rising. "I will become stronger. I'll make sure no one else dies because I'm not ready."
The illusions paused.
Cracks ran through the burning sky.
Then Like a shattered glass the vision broke apart.
The world exploded into white light.
[Trial Complete]
> "+5 EXP" "+1 Kill Point" "+5 Willpower" "New Passive Unlocked: [Spiritual Resistance (Minor)] – Slight resistance to mental attacks, illusions, and spiritual suppression." "EXP: 38 / 100 | KP: 3 | Willpower: 27"
Arin gasped and dropped to his knees beside the Spirit Pool. Sweat covered his face, and his hands trembled slightly—but he smiled.
"That was… intense."
> "Mental stability confirmed. Willpower threshold reached for advanced techniques."
> "New feature unlocked in System Shop: Willpower-based spiritual skills."
Arin's eyes widened.
More skills.
More power.
He stood up, more determined than ever
As he left the Spirit Pool area, the mist thickened again.
But now, the whispers no longer unsettled him.
They were just background noise.
Arin walked on for what felt like another hour, moving carefully through the twisted forest. He didn't encounter more creatures, but he could feel eyes watching from the dark.
Then he saw something ahead.
A torn banner caught on a tree branch.
The symbol on it was unfamiliar—an eye drawn inside a circle, surrounded by claw marks.
> "Unknown Faction Relic Detected." "Investigating this site may lead to hidden quests or encounters."
Curious, Arin followed the trail.
It led to what looked like an old campsite long abandoned. Burned-out fires. Broken spears. Cracked armor. The ground was torn up like a battle had taken place.
And at the center of the ruined camp… a body.
Or rather, what was left of one. Bones. A shattered blade still clenched in its hand.
But nearby, buried under a broken crate, was a small wooden chest.
> "Item Detected: Locked Cache. Requires 2 KP to force open."
Arin looked at his current KP - 3.
It was risky, but something told him this was important.
"Open it."
> "Confirm use of 2 KP?"
"Confirm."
The chest clicked open.
Inside was a small, black metal pendant shaped like the same symbol on the banner: an eye in a circle.
As he touched it—
> "New Item Acquired: Pendant of the Hollow Eye (Cursed Relic)" Status: Dormant Effect: Unknown (Requires cleansing or further investigation)
Arin frowned. "Cursed…?"
But before he could examine it more closely—
The ground rumbled.
Trees shook.
From deeper in the woods, a roar echoed. Not as loud as the Flame-Furred Hound… but still powerful.
> "New Entity Detected. Rank Unknown. Rapid approach."
Arin quickly put the pendant away and ducked behind a fallen tree.
From the fog emerged a beast unlike anything he'd seen so far.
Tall—at least twice his height—covered in dark green moss and thick bark-like skin, with glowing blue eyes set deep into a head shaped like a deer skull. Vines moved like muscles across its body.
> "Beast Identified: Verdant Stalker – D-Rank. Forest Guardian Variant. Aggressive to intruders. Speed: Medium. Strength: High. Weakness: Fire."
Arin gritted his teeth.
He wasn't strong enough to fight it.
He backed away slowly.
Step by step.
The creature sniffed the air.
Then turned—heading in the other direction.
> "Beast threat avoided."
He let out a shaky breath.
"That was close…"
As dawn began to break, the mist finally started to lift.
The trees stopped whispering.
The cold faded.
> "Night Trial Completed. Region normalized. Danger reduced."
> "Bonus Reward: +4 EXP | +1 KP | +1 Willpower"
> "EXP: 42 / 100 | KP: 2 | Willpower: 28"
Arin sat down on a rock, watching the sunlight pierce through the leaves.
He had survived again.
Learned again.
Grown again.
And the forest… had revealed only a fraction of what it held.
He looked at the cursed pendant in his hand.
"I don't know what you are… but I'll find out."
Arin stood up.
And walked on.