If he had come here when he was still at the Peak Core Formation realm, it would most likely have been over a 100% for him.
That alone would have crushed him instantly.
He took a step.
The ground beneath his foot absorbed qi, siphoning it like a leech. Every movement demanded twice the cost for half the effect.
Victor adjusted instantly, shifting his circulation pattern, drawing deeper from his foundation rather than external qi flow.
Even then, the zone fought him.
He could feel eyes on him.
Awareness without form.
Victor recalled the rumors about creatures that did not hunt flesh but souls.
Dark mediums that lingered between existence and nonexistence, feeding on regret, fear, or curiosity. Beings trapped by ancient formations or broken realms, unable to leave... desperate enough to trick intruders into exchanging places.
The Black Zone wasn't a single environment... it was layered.
