The air in Vael'Torr grew heavier as Zhen Hu followed the mysterious girl deeper into the city. The streets, though eerily silent, seemed to pulse with a life of their own, as if something in the very foundations of the city was watching, waiting. Zhen Hu kept his senses sharp, the faint pulse of Zen around him a constant reminder that the city was not only oppressive—it was alive with unseen forces.
The girl walked ahead, her pace steady but her posture tense, as though every step brought her closer to something that haunted her. Zhen Hu studied her closely, his curiosity piqued by her strange presence and the way the city seemed to warp around her. She wasn't like the others, not bound to the Humanios, yet she carried a heavy weight that even Zhen Hu could feel.
"Wait," Zhen Hu called, stepping closer as she turned a corner. "I never got your name."
The girl stopped, her eyes flickering as she turned back to face him. For a moment, she didn't speak, as if weighing whether to answer. Then, with a slow exhale, she said, "My name is Lira. I've been living here... for as long as I can remember."
Zhen Hu nodded, absorbing the name. "Lira," he repeated softly. The name sounded almost familiar, like something from a dream he couldn't quite remember.
Lira turned and began walking again, leading him through a narrow alley that smelled of damp stone and ancient decay. Zhen Hu couldn't help but wonder how long Vael'Torr had been under the control of the Humanios. The city felt like a forgotten tomb, lost in time, its power sapped by whatever darkness had claimed it.
As they ventured deeper into the labyrinth of the city, Zhen Hu's senses grew more attuned to the faint Zen energy lingering in the air. It was weak, struggling against the heavy influence of the Humanios, but there. Faint ripples of power that spoke of suppressed life. Zhen Hu could sense that something—someone—was trying to resist, trying to push back against the invisible force that had bound the city.
"You said the Humanios control this city," Zhen Hu said, breaking the silence. "How did they gain such power?"
Lira's expression darkened, her eyes clouded with a mixture of pain and fear. "The Humanios aren't just spirit beasts. They're ancient beings from a time before even the Epochal Realm. They were once free, roaming the world, feeding on the energy of life itself. But something happened—something that forced them into this prison of the city. They can no longer leave, but their influence spreads throughout Vael'Torr. They've turned the city into a hollow shell, feeding on the lives of the people who live here, taking their energy, their will..."
Zhen Hu felt a chill run down his spine. Ancient beings, beyond the Epochal Realm... It was a level of power that even his own Nytherion energy couldn't fully comprehend. But he had learned long ago not to fear the unknown. The more dangerous it was, the more it fueled his desire to grow stronger.
"What's their endgame?" Zhen Hu asked, his voice low but steady.
"They want to break free," Lira said quietly. "They want to break the seals that bind them here. And they will do anything to achieve that. The people... they are nothing but tools to them. They feed on the life force of the living, but they also use them to increase their power. They make deals, promises of freedom... and in return, they ask for more blood."
Zhen Hu clenched his fists. The thought of using people as mere pawns, draining their energy, was a cruelty he couldn't accept. But he knew that he wasn't strong enough to challenge the Humanios yet. Not without risking everything.
Lira paused as they reached a small courtyard, her eyes scanning the area before she lowered her voice. "Zhen Hu," she began, her tone grave. "I don't know why you're here or what your purpose is, but... you need to be careful. The Humanios are aware of you now."
Zhen Hu's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"They've been watching," Lira continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "Your energy—it's different. It's not like theirs, and it's not like the others in this city. You're a cultivator of a rare and dangerous kind, and they won't tolerate your presence here for long. You've drawn their attention, and now, you're a target."
Before Zhen Hu could respond, he felt it—an almost imperceptible shift in the air. A coldness that washed over him, suffocating and unnatural. His eyes narrowed, his hand instinctively moving to the hilt of his weapon.
"Get down!" Lira shouted, but it was too late.
A blur of movement shot from the shadows, and Zhen Hu barely had time to react. A massive, dark figure—human in shape, but with the unmistakable aura of a spirit beast—lunged toward him. Its eyes were glowing with an eerie, unnatural light, its body rippling with raw energy that screamed of decay and death. It was a cultivator of the Humanios, an entity bound by their power and driven by their will.
Zhen Hu's instincts kicked in as he twisted out of the way, the spirit beast's claws scraping the air where he had just been. His Nytherion energy surged to the surface, filling him with the familiar, cold strength of decay. But even as the power surged, he could feel the oppressive force of the Humanios, their influence weighing heavily on his body, suppressing his movements.
The beast snarled, its form shifting, becoming more fluid, more formless, like a shadow of something half-remembered. Zhen Hu raised his arm, and his Nytherion power coiled around his fist, hardening it into a deadly weapon. With a roar, the beast lunged again, but this time Zhen Hu was ready. He struck out with his arm, the Nytherion-infused strike cutting through the air, but the beast's body rippled and twisted, dodging the blow with impossible agility.
A cruel smile spread across the beast's face as it attacked once more, this time faster, more precise. Zhen Hu barely had time to block, the force of the beast's strike sending him skidding back across the stone courtyard. The impact rattled his bones, and for a moment, his vision blurred.
Lira shouted from behind him, but Zhen Hu could only focus on the fight in front of him. His power flared, but it was as if the very air around him was working against him. His Nytherion energy struggled to break free, but the weight of the Humanios' influence pressed against him.
The beast's claws raked across his chest, tearing through his robes and leaving deep, bleeding gouges. Pain flared, but Zhen Hu gritted his teeth, his hand still gripping his weapon. He couldn't afford to lose here—not now, not when he was so close to his goal.
Lira's voice echoed in his mind, but it was drowned out by the roar of battle. "Zhen Hu, you need to find the source! You can't defeat them like this!"
The beast leapt again, its form blurring in the air as it moved to strike. Zhen Hu's eyes burned with determination. He couldn't let this creature win. He couldn't afford to die here—not when there was so much more to be done.
With a sudden burst of power, Zhen Hu leaped forward, his fist surrounded by swirling Nytherion energy. The battle was far from over, and the true test had only just begun.
But for now, the darkness of the Humanios was closing in, and Zhen Hu's fight for survival was just beginning.