It was a moonless night in late autumn. The world was plunged into gloom, and the banks of the great river were shrouded in darkness. The waves of the Nu River were like a bolt of black satin, rustling as they swept across the sandy shore.
The only exception was a rocky beach on the south bank, where a bright light cast a myriad of intersecting shadows. The edge of the illumination looked like a ghostly domain.
Three figures stood within the illuminated area. In the center, a pale-faced man was recounting his recent ordeal:
"After I followed him into the Barbaric Wilderness, I was suddenly attacked by a Gudiao, a Golden Core Demon Beast. I suspect that man was controlling it. While I fought the beast, I could sense his position. He didn't move the entire time."
