The ground trembled under the Warden's first step, a vibration so deep it felt like it was rattling my bones. My heart slammed against my ribs. The Outer Veil, vast and open, seemed alive, responding to its presence with the wind whipping violently around us.
Xian Yu didn't hesitate. She yanked me forward, dragging me across the silver ghost-grass. Each step I took felt uncertain, as if the land itself could betray me. My System flashed warnings I didn't fully understand yet—warnings that weren't meant for ordinary threats.
[ALERT] Boundary Warden Detected. Threat Level: EXTREME
I swallowed, trying to focus, trying to push past the fear. The Warden's eye, golden and blinding, remained locked on me. Every instinct screamed that it could see me inside and out, read through my defenses, and it wasn't human.
"Li Wei! Stay close!" Xian Yu shouted. Her voice cut through the roaring wind. "Use the ruins ahead! They'll block its line of sight."
I followed, weaving between toppled towers and crumbled statues. Each ruin cast long shadows that danced unnaturally, stretching toward me as if alive. I ducked behind one, my lungs burning.
The Warden's steps shook the ground violently. A single footfall sent debris flying, and the ghost-grass bent as if bowing under its weight. I could hear it now—not footsteps, not a heartbeat, but a slow, pulsing vibration through the air.
"Li Wei," Xian Yu said urgently, "it can sense you in ways we don't understand. Don't give it an opening!"
I nodded, though my mind screamed. My hands itched to release the energy that had shattered the shadow on the bridge. But the Warden was… bigger, stronger, something I had no idea how to fight.
Ahead, a collapsed tower provided a narrow gap. Xian Yu motioned for me to slip through first. My pulse hammered. I took a careful step—and felt the energy in the air pulse directly into me.
It was like the Warden's gaze had landed on me alone, like it knew something inside me—something I hadn't fully discovered.
[SYSTEM WARNING] Presence Detected — Energy Signature Matches: Li Wei Inner Eye
I stumbled slightly. Xian Yu's hand shot out to steady me. "What is it?" she hissed.
"I… I don't know," I gasped. "It feels… like it's inside me."
She didn't respond. Only her eyes narrowed, scanning the horizon. The Warden's massive form was closing in, slow but unstoppable. Each step left the ground cracking, leaving grooves like giant scars.
Then the wind shifted again—soft, almost whispering.
"Li Wei…" a voice breathed, carried in the currents.
I froze. That voice. It wasn't the Warden. It was inside me, or perhaps inside the world itself.
Xian Yu grabbed my arm, pulling me behind the ruin. "Don't listen. Focus. Now."
I forced myself to breathe, to steady my racing heart. But the voice didn't stop. It whispered my name like silk brushing against metal, familiar yet alien.
And then my System flared.
[!!! ALERT !!!] Undefined Skill Activation — Forced
[Source: Silent Hall Residual Energy]
I felt it ignite inside me—energy I hadn't even known I possessed. It surged through my veins, tingling across my skin, and the faint pattern of intertwined circles I had seen before flared across my hand.
Instinct took over. My hands lifted, the energy shaping itself into a sharp pulse. I didn't think—I acted.
A shockwave burst forward from me, striking the Warden before it even reached the ruins. The air around it warped violently, light bending and flickering in impossible ways. For a heartbeat, it seemed to hesitate.
Xian Yu's jaw dropped. "Li Wei… that—what did you just do?"
I didn't answer. I couldn't. My focus was already on moving, on surviving. The Warden's golden eye fixed on me again, brighter this time, as if analyzing, calculating, deciding.
It moved faster than before. Each step now seemed almost fluid, gliding over the ground. The ruins that were supposed to block it barely slowed it. I swallowed my fear and leapt to another tower fragment, narrowly avoiding the tremor that split the ghost-grass beneath me.
[SYSTEM NOTICE] Combat Efficiency Rising
[Energy Flow Stabilizing]
Something inside me was awakening. Not just power. Awareness. My Inner Eye blazed, showing me glimpses of the Warden's movements before they happened, its trajectory, its intent. But this wasn't a human fight. It was a predator chasing its prey, and I was it.
Xian Yu's hand grabbed mine. "We have to reach the Boundary Steps. Hurry!"
I followed, the wind tearing at my clothes and hair, carrying the faint whispers of the Hall behind me. "I don't know if I can hold it off!" I yelled.
"You will," she said firmly. "The Hall chose you. If it's awakening through you, then you control how it manifests."
The Warden's foot slammed into the ground nearby. The vibration was deafening, and I stumbled, almost losing my footing. But the energy in me surged again—stronger, sharper. I lashed it outward, a white-blue pulse that split the air with a sound like glass shattering.
The Warden staggered, but not for long. Its golden eye didn't waver.
And then, out of the mist, another figure appeared. A girl. Light-blue robes. Familiar.
Mei Shuang.
"Li Wei," she called, her voice calm but urgent. "You don't understand—don't fight it alone."
I turned, startled. "Shuang?"
She nodded once, her eyes scanning the horizon. "The Warden isn't just a boundary guardian. It's linked to the Hall's memory of you. Whatever it takes, it's trying to pull you back into it."
I froze. Back into it? The thought made my stomach twist.
"Then we stop it," Xian Yu said, voice low and determined. "Together."
The Warden advanced, its golden eye cutting through the mist. Its massive fist swung, leaving a crater where it hit the ground. The sheer force threw me to my knees, but Shuang was already moving. She cast talismans into the air. They exploded into light, forming a barrier between us and the Warden.
I felt energy stir within me again, the pattern on my hand glowing faintly. My System buzzed warnings, but I ignored them. There was no time. Only action.
I rose, standing beside Xian Yu and Shuang, ready. Ready to face the impossible.
The Warden roared, a sound that shook the very sky. Its golden eye flared.
And in that moment, something inside me answered.
[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED] Echo of the Hall
[Power Linked to Forbidden Entity Recognition]
A cold, sharp energy surged from my hands. The air twisted violently, and for the first time, the Warden hesitated. Its eye focused solely on me, calculating, uncertain.
"Li Wei!" Xian Yu shouted. "Now!"
I released everything I had. The pulse hit the Warden head-on, not just force but recognition—identity. Memory. A name whispered across the Veil.
For a moment, time froze. The Warden's golden eye flickered. Its massive form wavered. And then—
The Outer Veil shifted violently, reacting to the energy surge. Mist swirled, ruins collapsed and rose, and the very ground beneath us trembled. The Warden staggered, then fell back, cracking the earth where it landed.
I gasped, chest heaving, hands glowing faintly. Around me, Xian Yu and Shuang steadied themselves, eyes wide with shock.
"We… we did it," Shuang breathed.
"Not yet," Xian Yu said sharply. "It's far from over. It knows you now—it will hunt you until it understands fully. And the Hall… it's still alive, waiting."
I looked toward the horizon. The Outer Veil stretched endlessly, beautiful and terrifying, the Warden retreating but not defeated. I could feel it's watching me even now, waiting.
And deep inside me, the whisper returned.
Soft. Calm. Devastating.
"Li Wei… you woke me."
My hands clenched. The journey wasn't over. Not even close.
And I understood something I hadn't before:
I was no longer just escaping the Hall.
I was running toward my own origin.
The Warden hadn't retreated far—its colossal form vanished into the violet mist, but I could feel it. The air trembled with its presence, a low hum that pressed against my chest. My hands still tingled with the residue of energy I had released.
Xian Yu motioned sharply. "We move. Now. Don't stop until we reach the Boundary Steps."
I followed, the ghost-grass brushing against my legs like fingers trying to pull me back. Every instinct screamed that the Outer Veil was alive, watching, learning from us. Even the ruins seemed to pulse with energy, their shattered stones resonating faintly like echoes of the Hall.
Shuang moved beside me silently, her talismans floating in a protective arc around her. "Li Wei," she whispered, voice barely audible over the wind, "you have to understand—the Warden isn't an enemy in the conventional sense. It's… a test. Part of the Hall's will. And part of you."
I shook my head. "A test? It tried to crush me. I saw its eye… it knows everything."
"Yes," she said softly. "And it will keep knowing until you acknowledge what it seeks. What the Hall wants you to see."
The words chilled me. I didn't know if she meant insight… or death.
The Boundary Steps were still distant—a series of jagged stone platforms rising like broken stairways into the violet haze. Beyond them, I could make out a faint shimmer in the sky, an energy field that marked the outer limit of the Hall's influence. If we reached it… maybe I'd finally be safe.
But the ground trembled again. The Warden had returned.
Its massive form emerged from the mist like molten shadow, taller than anything I'd ever seen. The golden eye blazed, scanning, locking on me again. I felt its presence inside my mind, probing, testing, almost… curious.
Xian Yu's grip on my arm tightened. "Li Wei! Don't let it intimidate you!"
I clenched my fists. The energy in me responded instinctively, flaring brighter, pulsing in sync with my heartbeat. A second mark appeared, faint this time, just above my wrist, like a shard of light burned into my skin.
[SYSTEM ALERT] Skill Amplification: Echo of the Hall — Active
I didn't understand what was happening, but I could feel it. The Hall's energy, the Warden's essence… they were connected to me, bound in ways I hadn't comprehended yet.
The Warden's first step shattered a ruined tower. Stones cascaded down, but I barely noticed. My focus was on the aura it exuded—the recognition, the pull, the call. And then I heard it.
Not a whisper. A voice. My own voice.
"Li Wei…"
It echoed inside my mind, clearer than before. I staggered. Xian Yu steadied me. "Ignore it! Don't listen!"
I tried, but I couldn't. The Warden wasn't attacking me. It was observing, waiting. Waiting for me to respond.
My System buzzed furiously.
[WARNING] Identity Synchronization Attempt Detected
My chest tightened. Something inside me wanted to answer, to reach out, but fear clenched my throat.
"Li Wei…" the voice continued, softer now. Almost a plea.
I realized then—the Warden wasn't just a boundary guardian. It was a reflection. A fragment of myself. Or… of the Hall's memory of me.
I swallowed hard. "Xian Yu… I think… it's me. Part of me."
Her eyes widened, then narrowed in grim understanding. "Then control it. Don't let it control you."
I took a deep breath, focusing on the pulse of energy in my hands. The mark burned faintly, guiding me. My Inner Eye flared, showing me the Warden's movements before they happened—the trajectory of its massive limbs, the pressure of the ground beneath its steps, the shifts in energy around its form.
[SYSTEM SUGGESTION] Merge Echo of the Hall with Inner Eye Prediction
Instinctively, I followed the suggestion. I extended my hands. Energy flared, white and violet, spilling outward in controlled waves. The Warden hesitated. Its golden eye blinked, once. Twice.
Xian Yu and Shuang exchanged glances, both tense, but ready.
I focused. It's part of me. It's not the enemy. The words repeated in my mind like a mantra. Not the enemy. Not the enemy.
The Warden's steps slowed. It tilted its head as if trying to understand me, probing the energy I released. I could almost feel its thought—curious, hungry for recognition, but not malicious.
"Now!" Shuang's voice rang in my ears.
I unleashed the full pulse, not to destroy, but to synchronize. The air warped violently, the ground beneath me cracking and glowing faintly with the energy I exuded. The Warden froze mid-step, golden eye fixed on me.
For a moment, time felt suspended. I saw the Hall, the Silent Halls, the sealed doors, the whispers… all converging here. And then, the Warden bowed slightly—not in defeat, but acknowledgment.
Xian Yu gasped. "It… it's responding to you. Li Wei, you're… controlling it!"
I barely believed it myself. My hands tingled, energy still thrumming through me, but I didn't feel fear anymore. Only connection. Only understanding.
The mist around the Outer Veil began to dissipate slightly, revealing more of the landscape. The Boundary Steps stretched ahead, jagged but reachable.
The Warden took a step back and stopped, its golden eye dimming to a soft glow. I understood then—this wasn't over. Not by a long shot. But I had taken the first step.
I exhaled, trying to steady my racing heart. "Xian Yu… we… we might make it."
She didn't answer. Her gaze was fixed on the horizon, alert, always alert. Shuang's talismans hovered around her, energy crackling faintly.
And behind us, faint in the whispering wind, I heard it again.
Soft. Calm. Unmistakable.
"Li Wei… you are ready."
A shiver ran down my spine. Ready… for what? I didn't know. But I understood one thing clearly: whatever awaited me beyond the Boundary Steps… it would change everything.
I took the first cautious step toward the jagged stone platforms. Xian Yu followed, Shuang beside me. The Warden remained behind, silent now, watching, waiting, but no longer threatening.
The Outer Veil stretched endlessly, beautiful, terrifying, alive. And I had a feeling… it was only beginning to reveal itself.
Part 3
The Boundary Steps loomed ahead, jagged and steep, like shards of broken stone ripped from the sky itself. Each step seemed to pulse faintly under my feet, reacting to the energy thrumming through me. I realized then—this world wasn't passive. It knew I was here.
Xian Yu moved first, her feet barely touching the stones, gliding as if she was part of the landscape. I followed, careful, but my heart pounded like a drum. Every nerve in my body screamed that the Outer Veil was testing me—not just the Warden, but the air, the wind, the very ground beneath me.
Shuang's talismans floated, spinning slowly, and I noticed faint symbols forming in the air around us. "They're scanning us," she murmured. "The Outer Veil is alive… every particle, every breath… it reacts."
I swallowed hard. Alive? How could a world be alive? I glanced at the Warden behind us. It hadn't moved, but its golden eye was sharp, tracking me. Not as an enemy… but as a sentinel. I shivered. Somehow, it knew me.
The first step was uneven. I stumbled slightly, but the mark on my hand burned, guiding me. It pulsed in rhythm with the Outer Veil's heartbeat, and suddenly I understood—every energy wave, every flicker of the wind, the very light around me… it was a map. The Hall had prepared me, leaving a fragment of its memory inside me to navigate this place.
"Li Wei," Xian Yu said sharply. "Keep moving. Don't stop. The Warden can wait, but the Veil won't."
I nodded, gripping the edge of the stone as I climbed. My legs ached, my lungs burned, but the mark's pulse steadied me. I could feel the Warden's gaze as I ascended. Not pressure. Not threat. Expectation.
Halfway up, the wind intensified. Ghost-grass along the ruins swirled violently, forming shapes—hands, faces, eyes—mocking the remnants of the Hall. My stomach churned.
"It's trying to distract us," Shuang said softly. "The Outer Veil doesn't just test strength… it tests focus."
I clenched my fists. Focus. Ignore it. I ignored the phantom whispers, ignored the chilling faces formed by the mist, and concentrated on the pulse beneath my skin. I am not afraid. I will not run.
Ahead, the last steps rose like jagged teeth toward a plateau. Beyond it, I glimpsed a shimmer in the air—an energy field marking the true edge of the Hall's influence. If we crossed it, the Hall's hold would weaken… but what awaited us beyond?
The Warden moved. Slowly, deliberately. Its first step sent tremors that rattled my teeth. I stumbled but didn't fall. The pulse in my hand flared, responding instinctively. It's teaching me control.
Xian Yu glanced back. "Li Wei… you can handle it. Just… stay in sync."
I nodded, though my heart thundered. The Warden's golden eye locked onto mine, unwavering. I could feel its awareness probing my mind, sifting through my fears, my memories… even the whispers from the Hall.
Then I felt it—something deeper than fear, deeper than energy. Recognition. I was not just a trespasser. I was… connected. Somehow, the Hall, the Warden, the Outer Veil itself… they all expected something from me.
The last step. My legs burned, my chest heaved, but I forced myself forward. One step. Two steps.
And then—
The edge.
The plateau opened into a wide expanse. Silver mist drifted across the land, broken ruins scattered like bones. And beyond, the sky shimmered with strange, violet light. Two pale moons hung low, reflecting on the grass that glowed faintly, almost as if it had its own heartbeat.
I stopped. My legs shook, not from exhaustion, but awe. It's beautiful… terrifying… alive.
Xian Yu moved to my side. "Welcome to the Outer Veil," she said softly. "This is only the beginning."
Shuang's talismans hovered protectively around her. "Every step from here on matters. One mistake… and even the Warden won't save you."
I swallowed, feeling the weight of her words. The whispers from the Hall had faded, replaced by the natural—but unnatural—sounds of the Outer Veil. The land seemed to breathe beneath us. The wind whispered, the ruins shifted imperceptibly, and the ghosts of past explorers… or memories of the Hall… flickered at the edge of vision.
Then, without warning, the Warden's massive form appeared at the edge of the plateau. It didn't attack. Instead, it crouched, head lowered, golden eye fixed on me. Its gaze carried expectation. Judgment. And… invitation.
I realized with a jolt: it wanted me to lead. Not to fight. To choose.
My System flared again.
[MAIN QUEST UPDATE] Navigate the Outer Veil. Survive the Boundary Wardens. Discover True Origin.
True origin. The words hit me like a hammer. Everything—the Hall, the whispers, the Warden—was tied to something I didn't understand. But it waited for me to act.
Xian Yu stepped close. "Li Wei… whatever you do, control the energy inside you. The Outer Veil reacts to your presence more than anything else."
I nodded. My pulse synchronized with the mark on my hand. The Warden's eye glowed brighter as I took the first step forward.
The grass bent beneath my feet, the ruins shifted, and the wind curled around me, almost guiding my path. I moved forward with purpose, the Warden following silently. It wasn't a threat. It was a companion… a judge… a gatekeeper.
The Outer Veil seemed to breathe in response. The shadows of ruins stretched, moved, and reformed, creating obstacles. I felt the energy in me resonate with the land, and instinctively, I pushed forward, clearing the path as if the ground itself obeyed me.
Xian Yu and Shuang followed, their eyes wide, their focus unbroken.
Then, in the distance, I saw it. A faint glow, pulsing, distant—but unmistakable. The Hall's influence extended that far. Beyond it… something else waited. Something ancient. Something that would finally answer the question that burned inside me: Why me?
And as I stepped forward, the Warden's golden eye fixed on me one last time. The wind carried a whisper, soft, almost tender:
"Li Wei… you are ready."
A shiver ran down my spine. I didn't know if it was fear… or anticipation. But I knew one thing: there was no turning back.
The Outer Veil awaited.
And this time, it would not forgive hesitation.