Three days later...
Arin stared up at the massive ridgeline known as Dragonbone Mountain — a jagged, black-scarred mountain range that coiled across the landscape like the fossilized spine of some ancient titan.
Mist rolled down its cliffs like silent waterfalls.
Spiritual energy trembled in the air.
> "This place feels cursed," Arin said, shivering.
> "That's because it is cursed," replied Yue Lan, adjusting her jade-tipped sword. "You can smell the death qi."
> "Oh good," Arin muttered. "It's cursed and stinks."
> [Ding! You have entered a high-tier danger zone. Please do not die.]
Fluffy Doom floated next to him, glowing softly like a tiny meteor. It nuzzled against Arin's hair, purring with low chaotic vibrations.
> "At least you're excited," Arin said.
Fluffy Doom belched a tiny flame and singed his hood.
---
A Dangerous Escort
Arin wasn't alone.
Yura came along because she was bored. Also, she liked mountains.
Yue Lan came along because someone had to keep Arin from falling off a cliff.
Elder Lianhua, a strict but elegant inner sect elder, joined as the official mission supervisor. Her flowing black robes shimmered with sword intent. Her eyes were sharp enough to slice through pride.
> "This place was sealed for a reason," she said. "Heaven's Herald asked you to break the seal. Are you sure you want to know what lies beneath?"
> "No," Arin replied. "But curiosity is the only thing stronger than my sense of self-preservation."
---
First Trial: The Wind Gorge
The group approached a narrow gorge. Violent winds howled through it — slicing stone, shredding trees.
On the other side: the path to the seal.
> "This is Wind Gorge," Yue Lan explained. "If you enter it wrong, you get turned into meat confetti."
> "I prefer my meat inside my body," Arin muttered.
> [Ding! System Suggestion: Activate "Spiritual Wind Walking Technique (Beta)]
> "Do I have that?"
> [No. But I can sell it to you for 4,000 system points.]
> "I only have 200 points!"
> [You should've finished more quests instead of flirting.]
> "I wasn't flirting! I was being pathetically charming!"
> "Same difference," Yura muttered.
---
Fluffy Doom's First Real Trick
As Arin panicked, Fluffy Doom leapt forward.
It opened its mouth... and ate a portion of the wind.
Literally devoured it.
The wind tunnel's power dimmed briefly — enough for the group to dash through before it rebooted like a broken formation.
> "He ATE WIND," Arin gasped. "I think my beast is a dimensional blender."
> "Your beast is horrifying," said Elder Lianhua, staring at Fluffy Doom like it was a mistake the heavens regretted.
> "But at least it's our horrifying mistake," Yue Lan added, patting Arin's shoulder.
---
The Cave of Echoes
They entered the hidden cavern beneath the mountain — the final resting place of a Heavenly Fragment sealed thousands of years ago.
Dark runes glowed along the walls. Statues of ancient warriors stood broken. The air buzzed with spiritual static.
In the center: a pedestal with an orb, wrapped in golden roots and sealed by Heaven's Binding Script.
> "Is that the artifact?" Arin whispered.
Elder Lianhua nodded. "A piece of fate's anchor. One of seven."
> "So if I touch it—"
> "Your system might update. Or your soul might get ejected."
> "Neat," Arin said, already walking forward.
> "You moron," Yue Lan muttered.
He reached out.
The moment his fingers brushed the artifact—
---
The Vision
Flashes.
A ruined world.
A being made of gears and script, speaking in reversed time.
A giant golden eye watching from beyond a torn sky.
A girl with white hair and broken wings whispering:
> "You were never meant to be chosen. So why are you still alive?"
And then...
Arin screaming.
His own system interface cracking.
> [WARNING: SYSTEM CORRUPTION DETECTED]
[Do not update. Do not merge. Do not—]
---
Back to Reality
Arin collapsed, gasping.
Fluffy Doom barked once and licked his face, grounding him.
Yue Lan was already kneeling by him. "What did you see?!"
Arin looked up, wide-eyed.
> "The system isn't just corrupted. It's being watched. Someone's siphoning rewards from me and selling them to other users."
Yura's eyes narrowed. "That's… not just corruption. That's cosmic-level theft."
Elder Lianhua stood silently. "This changes everything. If Heaven knows... they may erase the system."
Arin stood, wobbling.
> "Then I'll beat the corruption before they erase me."
Fluffy Doom growled beside him, his fur shimmering like galaxies in motion.