The demon's roar tore through the air again, shaking the burning ground beneath my feet. I could feel the vibration crawl up my legs and into my bones. My hands trembled, still clutching the broken sword, its edge burned dull and black. I wanted to run again, but this time… I didn't.
I stared at the monster before me — its body a living furnace, molten veins glowing bright like rivers of lava. The heat alone was enough to peel the skin off my face, but I held my ground. I had no plan, no strength, just a stupid heartbeat refusing to stop.
"Come on… if I die here," I muttered through gritted teeth, "then all that suffering, all that training… means nothing."
The demon lunged.
I jumped sideways, the flames licking the edge of my arm. Pain surged up, white and sharp. My body moved on instinct, rolling over the cracked ground. I coughed, the smoke filling my lungs, and pushed myself up again. My breath was ragged, every inhale felt like swallowing fire.
I swung my blade — just a desperate, wild motion — and the broken metal scraped the demon's leg. The strike barely did anything, but the contact sent a tremor through my arm. Something warm and heavy pulsed inside my chest.
Then I heard it.
A faint ding.
[Warning: Soul connection unstable.]
[Temporary synchronization at 2%.]
"What…?" My eyes widened. For the first time since the trial began, the system reacted — not properly, but like a flicker of static in the dark.
The demon growled and slammed its arm down. I dodged again, stumbling, panting, sweating so much it stung my eyes. Every breath was agony, but the system message burned brighter in my mind.
I focused. I didn't know what synchronization meant exactly, but maybe it was my only chance.
"Come on… respond… please…"
I closed my eyes for a moment. The heat disappeared for a second, replaced by something else — a faint, golden pulse. In the darkness of my mind, I saw it: a glowing thread connecting my heart to something deep inside me. It was faint, like a candle in a storm.
I reached out.
The moment I touched it, memories surged like a flood.
—My past life, sitting in a small apartment, staring at the cracked phone screen.
—The sound of sirens.
—The feeling of falling through smoke and dust.
—And my final thought before I died: "Why is my life so hard?"
It all came back, crashing into me like a wave.
[Warning: Emotional overload detected.]
[Synchronization at 6%.]
The demon's roar dragged me back to reality. Flames erupted all around, the ground cracked, and my clothes caught fire. I screamed, dropping and rolling, hitting the ash-covered ground to put it out.
But then something changed.
The heat… lessened. Not gone, but weaker — like the flames around me were struggling. I lifted my gaze, and saw the demon's eyes flicker.
"What… what's happening?" I gasped.
I looked at my arms. The burns were still there, but faint light traced the wounds — thin golden lines crawling up my skin like veins of light. The broken sword in my hand shimmered weakly.
[Warning: Partial soul-body alignment detected.]
[Synchronization at 10%. Temporary Qi access granted.]
Qi. That word again. My sister once said, "You cannot release Qi in one strike."
Maybe… I could now.
The demon roared, swinging its molten fist again. I clenched the sword tighter, feeling the vibration in my arm — no, not just vibration. It was life. Power. A faint hum in my bones.
"Please… just this once," I whispered.
I dashed forward, the wind of heat pushing against me. The golden veins across my skin pulsed brighter. When I slashed, it wasn't clean or elegant — it was messy, shaky, full of fear. But the moment my broken blade cut through the air, light followed.
The slash hit the demon's arm and — for the first time — the flames scattered. The sound rang like thunder. The demon screamed, stumbling backward, molten blood spraying from its wound.
I fell to one knee, panting, the light fading from my blade.
[Temporary Qi exhausted.]
[Synchronization at 9%. Instability rising.]
"Damn it…" I gasped. "I lost it already?"
The demon was already healing. The wound bubbled, sealing itself shut with molten flesh. I tried to stand but my legs gave out.
It stepped forward, each movement shaking the ground, its molten hand reaching toward me like death itself.
But before it could strike—
A voice echoed. Not from the system, not from the demon, but from somewhere inside me.
"You still run… even now."
It was that same voice — the crimson-eyed figure's.
"Who are you?!" I shouted. "What do you want from me!?"
The voice chuckled, dry and hollow.
"Want? No. I do not want. I observe. The broken do not survive long in this world. You must either mend your scar… or burn away with it."
"Scar…?" I panted. "You mean my soul?"
"You remember."
The world trembled again. The demon raised its arm, ready to crush me, but suddenly — light burst from the ground. Symbols formed under my feet, glowing gold and white. The fire bent away from me, hissing like rain.
[Emergency Transfer Initiated.]
[Irregular Trial—Stage 1: Complete.]
[Transferring to next phase.]
The demon's hand froze mid-air. The world blurred. My vision twisted like glass melting in fire.
The last thing I saw before everything turned white… was that same pair of crimson eyes watching from the flames.
---
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on cold ground. The heat was gone. My breath came out white. Snow. I was surrounded by a world of white snow and silver trees.
The contrast was shocking — from fire to frost. I looked at my hand, the burns were still there, faintly glowing.
I whispered softly, "Just what are you doing to me, system…?"
No answer. Just the wind.
But deep in my mind, that faint voice returned — almost kind this time, almost human.
"Survive, Fan Ling. You cannot run from what you are… but you can still change what you will become."
And for the first time, the voice faded with warmth instead of threat.
I stood up, trembling, broken sword still in hand. My journey wasn't over. It had just begun.