The corridor froze.
The pale figure stood in the shadows, robes tattered, flesh riddled with holes that refused to bleed. His smile stretched too wide, a curve of mockery that made hearts quiver. The void-like eyes that gleamed from his face were not human.
Yu Qingxue's grip on her sword tightened, frost seeping from her palm.
"Stay back."
The thing tilted its head, smile deepening. Its voice was wrong—an echo layered with whispers that didn't belong in mortal throats.
"Do you fear? Good… it makes the taste richer."
The oppressive air grew heavier. Even Chen Hao, who had walked into the maze like an emperor, narrowed his eyes in silence.
Zhou Tian's face twisted. He spat at the ground, though his voice cracked.
"It's just another illusion! Don't—don't fall for it!"
The void-gazed figure chuckled. A sound like shattering glass.
Then one disciple panicked.
"Die, demon!"
He rushed forward, blade glowing faintly with Qi. His strike, born of fear more than courage, was fast and sloppy.
The Hunter didn't move.
A blur.
SCHLICK.
A black claw pierced through the disciple's chest from behind, protruding out like a blade. His body twitched once, then shriveled as shadow veins spread from the wound. His eyes rolled white before collapsing into dust.
Silence.
The Hunter withdrew its hand slowly, licking crimson off its claws with a tongue too long.
[Alert: Disciple terminated.]
[Hunter Qi Signature: Confirmed.]
[Warning: Direct combat not advised.]
Zhou Tian's composure broke. He roared in denial, fists igniting with flame.
"Burn in hell!"
He launched a blazing strike that should have incinerated the figure.
But the Hunter didn't flinch. Its body dissolved into smoke. Shadows pooled behind Zhou Tian, and before he could turn, cold fingers brushed the back of his neck.
"Too slow."
Zhou Tian's pupils contracted. He didn't even raise his guard.
Clang!
A blade intercepted the claw an instant before it pierced his spine. Sparks scattered in the darkness.
Li Feng stood there, sword pressed against the Hunter's talons, his body trembling under the force.
The Hunter's smile paused. It leaned closer, void-like eyes fixing on him.
"…Ah. You smell different."
[System Alert: Hunter has marked you as prey.]
[Special Condition Triggered: Predator vs Prey.]
Li Feng's heart pounded like thunder. The weight of that gaze wasn't just physical—it pressed on his soul.
Chen Hao finally moved. Fire exploded from his palm, scorching the corridor with searing heat.
"Stand aside, cripple! I'll crush this thing!"
BOOM!
The entire passage trembled as his attack landed. Smoke and dust filled the air, choking the disciples.
When it cleared…
The Hunter still stood. Untouched.
Its form shimmered faintly, as if reality itself refused to hold it. The fire had never touched it—it had passed through like striking a shadow.
Chen Hao staggered half a step, his arrogance cracking for the first time.
Yu Qingxue slashed forward, frost blades like crescent moons. They shattered on impact, dissolving into mist.
Hopelessness spread.
The Hunter inhaled deeply, savoring their terror.
"Delicious…"
[Warning: Group collapse imminent.]
[Survival Rate: 12%.]
Li Feng's system pulsed urgently.
[Hidden Path Detected.]
[Option Available: Channel Fragments to awaken Maze Rune.]
[Cost: 20 Fragments.]
His grip tightened. He glanced at the shifting runes etched into the wall.
So that's it.
Ignoring the fear thick in the air, he pressed his palm against the wall.
"Li Feng! What are you—" Yu Qingxue's voice cut short as the entire corridor erupted with blinding light.
[20 Fragments consumed.]
[Shadow-Sealing Rune activated.]
BOOM!
Chains of glowing light burst from the walls, coiling around the Hunter's limbs like shackles. The figure shrieked, its body convulsing as black smoke hissed from its skin. The sound of its scream rattled bones.
For the first time—it struggled.
Disciples stared in disbelief.
Chen Hao's eyes widened, pride colliding with fury. The cripple, the one he dismissed as trash, was the one holding the monster down.
Yu Qingxue's lips parted, her icy composure cracking with shock. "He… he's actually binding it…"
The Hunter's head snapped toward Li Feng. Its smile warped into something hideous.
"You… dare."
The runes shuddered, cracks spreading through them. The Hunter roared, its void-eyes blazing with malice.
"You think chains will stop me?!"
The walls groaned. One by one, the runes shattered.
Li Feng's veins bulged, blood dripping from his nose. His vision blurred. The fragments burned through his body like molten steel.
[Warning: Host nearing spiritual overload.]
[If you release now, the seal breaks.]
"Damn it…" He clenched his teeth, forcing his Qi to stabilize. Endure, or die.
The Hunter twisted violently, shadows lashing like whips. A nearby disciple was caught mid-scream—his body flayed apart, blood mist dissolving into the dark.
Chaos broke loose. Screams filled the corridor. Some tried to flee, only to be devoured by walls that sealed behind them. Others collapsed, their minds broken by the pressure.
Zhou Tian staggered back, sweat pouring. His lips trembled as he spat curses. "You'll die for this, Li Feng! You'll drag us all down!"
Yu Qingxue ignored him, standing guard beside Li Feng, her sword raised, frost blazing. Her gaze flicked briefly toward his trembling form, then hardened. "Hold on. Just a little longer."
The Hunter laughed even as its body smoked under the runes.
"Chains will not bind me. I am hunger. I am the end. Even if I fall here… boy… I will remember your scent."
The runes shattered with a deafening crack.
BOOM!
An explosion of shadow ripped through the corridor. Disciples were hurled like ragdolls, blood spraying as they struck stone.
When the dust cleared, the Hunter was gone.
The corridor lay in ruins.
Li Feng's knees buckled. He leaned on his sword, chest heaving, his dantian burning with pain.
Then the system chimed:
[Hidden Quest Complete: First Contact Survived.]
[Reward Acquired: Fragment Core +1.]
[Status: Hunter Mark applied.]
[Warning: The Hunter will seek you again.]
His vision dimmed. But through the haze of exhaustion, he felt it—the new Fragment Core pulsing within, solid, potent, a foundation that made his veins hum with power.
Yet the final line of text burned brighter than any reward.
The Hunter will seek you again
Above the maze, in the grand viewing hall, Elder Wu sat in silence, staring into the glowing crystal that reflected the disciples' trial.
"They've encountered it already," he murmured, voice heavy. "Too soon."
Another elder leaned forward, alarm flashing in his eyes. "Should we intervene? If the thing fully awakens inside the maze—"
Elder Wu raised a hand. His gaze never left Li Feng's trembling figure.
"No. Let it hunt. If he cannot endure even this much, then he was never worthy of survival."
The crystal pulsed, reflecting Li Feng kneeling amidst shattered stone and fallen disciples, his blade still upright, refusing to fall.
And deep in the shadows of the maze, a low, guttural chuckle echoed—carried on a breath no one heard but him.