We reached the edge of the Cold Ravine by dusk.
The terrain shifted drastically — from soft forest paths to jagged cliffs and howling winds. The air itself felt… off. Like something ancient was humming just below the surface.
The Cold Ravine was misnamed.
It wasn't cold.
It was empty.
Dead silent. No insects. No wind. Just a terrible, yawning void.
---
"Stay alert," Yue Lan said, drawing a talisman and whispering to it. Her fingers glowed faintly.
Lin Yumei clenched her fists, seals crawling across her knuckles like living runes.
Me?
I clutched my system-issued broomstick.
"System," I muttered. "Now would be a good time for that legendary item I never got."
> [System Notification:]
Item Generated: 'Slightly Cursed Wooden Pebble'
Function: None
Vibe: Mildly haunted
"You're welcome :)"
I pocketed it anyway. Just in case I needed to throw something again.
---
We ventured deeper into the ravine.
Lin Yumei kept her distance, her eyes scanning every shadow. Yue Lan walked just ahead of me, her presence calm and centered.
"Feel that?" she asked.
I nodded. "Yeah. I think the shadows are whispering rude things about my fashion sense."
Yue Lan didn't smile.
But again, her lips twitched. That was a win.
---
Suddenly—
Screaming.
Dozens of screams — male, female, childlike, beastly — echoed from every direction.
I spun, heart pounding.
Lin Yumei dropped into a fighting stance. "Illusions!"
Yue Lan tossed a talisman into the air. It burst with golden light, but the screams didn't stop.
That's when I saw them.
Figures in the mist.
Dozens of them. Flickering, translucent. Faces twisted in pain, eyes glowing red.
> [System Notification:]
Warning: Demonic Echo Field Detected.
These are not ghosts. These are emotional imprints designed to paralyze.
"Oh great," I hissed. "Mind demons. Just what I needed."
> [System Tip:]
"Don't get emotionally overwhelmed."
[User Emotion Level:] 98% PANIC
---
The voices turned personal.
"You'll never be strong."
"You're a joke."
"Even your system abandoned you."
"Yue Lan only pities you."
I clutched my ears.
Then—
Yura's voice.
"You're not entirely useless."
It wasn't real. But I clung to it anyway.
Because it felt real.
---
Yue Lan's voice cut through the madness. "Form a circle!"
She and Lin Yumei flanked me, their energies burning away the phantoms with talismans and sealing strikes.
I fell to one knee.
That's when one of the illusions didn't fade.
It smiled at me — my own face, grinning.
"Why try?" it said. "You're the weakest link."
I threw the cursed pebble at it.
The illusion exploded.
> [System Message:]
Cursed Pebble Consumed. One-Time Use. Unexpected Success.
Reward: System Error Logged.
---
The mist cleared.
Yue Lan looked shaken but stable. Lin Yumei growled, punching the ravine wall.
"They're growing stronger," she said. "This isn't normal."
Yue Lan glanced at me. "You handled it better than I expected."
"I'm full of surprises," I panted. "And mild trauma."
---
That night, we camped under a stone overhang. No fire — the ravine didn't like fire. It whispered louder when things burned.
Lin Yumei kept watch.
Yue Lan sat beside me, pulling out a scroll.
"You saw something, didn't you?" she asked.
I nodded. "Myself. But worse. The version of me the sect already believes in."
She was silent for a while.
Then: "Next time, trust your teammates."
"I barely trust the ground right now."
"Trust me, then."
That one hit different.
I nodded.
---
> [Hidden Affection Update: Yue Lan — +2 "Shared Battle Trust"]
[New Stat Gained: Mental Resistance +1]
[Secret System Process:]
Real reward (Spirit Core of a Lesser Demon) transferred to 'Violet Flame System.'
You receive: Slightly warm stone. Possibly just a rock.
---
The wind whispered again.
But this time, it said nothing I could hear.
The danger hadn't passed.
It had just noticed us.
And it was waiting.