Li Chen woke up choking.
Not gasping for air—
Choking on existence itself.
His lungs convulsed violently, dragging in something that didn't feel like air. It burned as it entered him, scraped against his throat, tore through his chest like broken glass.
He coughed.
Nothing came out.
No blood.
No breath.
Just a hollow, dry sound—like something pretending to be alive.
"…Ah—!"
Pain followed.
Not sharp.
Not dull.
Everywhere.
His nerves screamed all at once, as if his body had only just realized it was supposed to hurt. His muscles twitched uncontrollably, bones grinding against each other in ways they shouldn't.
Li Chen collapsed forward.
His face hit the ground.
Cold.
Solid.
Real.
"…I'm… alive…?"
The words felt wrong.
Untrue.
Like a lie he was forcing himself to believe.
Because everything inside him said otherwise.
His body didn't feel like his.
His heartbeat stuttered—too slow, then too fast, then missing entirely before forcing itself back into motion.
Something was… off.
No—
everything was off.
He tried to push himself up.
His arm responded half a second too late.
Then too early.
Then not at all.
His vision lagged behind his movement, the world dragging itself into place after he had already seen it.
"…What… did I become…"
No answer came.
Only silence.
And then—
A whisper.
Not from outside.
From within.
Hungry.
Li Chen froze.
His breath hitched—if it could even be called breathing.
"…I hear you."
The moment he acknowledged it—
It reacted.
A pulse.
Deep inside his chest.
The corrupted fragment.
It stirred like a beast waking from starvation, restless, agitated.
And then—
Something else responded.
Cold.
Sharp.
Unyielding.
The heaven fragment.
The two clashed instantly.
Not physically.
Conceptually.
His body jerked violently.
"—AH!"
Pain exploded through him as the two forces collided, tearing through his existence like opposing laws fighting over the same space.
His skin split.
Then closed.
Then split again.
Not healing—
Correcting.
Failing.
Correcting again.
Li Chen slammed his fist into the ground, trying to anchor himself.
"…STOP—!"
The word echoed uselessly.
Because neither of them listened.
And then—
It happened.
The third presence.
Quiet.
Watching.
Waiting.
It moved.
Not violently.
Not loudly.
But with authority neither of the others possessed.
The clash—
Stopped.
Not resolved.
Silenced.
Li Chen froze.
His breathing slowed.
His body stabilized—barely.
"…What… are you…"
No answer.
Only that same quiet awareness.
Observing him.
Like he was a tool.
Or prey.
Or something still being decided.
Li Chen laughed weakly.
"…So I'm not even in control of myself anymore…"
His voice cracked.
Not from pain.
From something deeper.
Something raw.
"…After everything… I'm still nothing…"
Silence.
No system response.
No reassurance.
No power.
Only the truth.
He had survived.
But survival—
Had stripped him of everything.
Slowly—
Painfully—
Li Chen pushed himself to his feet.
His legs trembled.
Not from weakness.
From instability.
Like they weren't fully attached to reality.
"…Move…"
He took one step.
The ground distorted slightly beneath him—
Then corrected.
He took another.
And another.
Each step a struggle.
Each movement unnatural.
Like he was forcing the world to accept him.
Then—
He felt it.
A presence.
His body froze instantly.
Not from fear.
From instinct.
Something nearby.
Something… familiar.
His head turned slowly.
And that's when he saw it.
A figure.
Standing not far from him.
White and gold robes.
Clean.
Untouched.
Perfect.
A disciple.
No—
A chosen.
Li Chen's breath caught.
Not in awe.
In realization.
"…So they're already here…"
The disciple hadn't noticed him yet.
His gaze was fixed on the distance, brows furrowed as if sensing something wrong with the world.
"…Strange… the heavens reacted just now…"
His voice was calm.
Unaware.
Alive.
Li Chen stared at him.
And something inside him—
Moved.
Not hunger.
Not yet.
Something else.
Something unfamiliar.
Hesitation.
"…I can't…"
The words came out faint.
Broken.
"…Not like this…"
He was weak.
Unstable.
Barely holding together.
This wasn't a hunt.
This would be suicide.
For the first time—
Li Chen took a step back.
Then another.
Retreat.
The decision felt heavy.
Bitter.
But real.
"…I'll die…"
The truth settled in.
Cold.
Unavoidable.
"…If I fight… I'll die…"
His fists clenched.
His body trembled—not from instability this time.
From frustration.
From helplessness.
From the same feeling he had known his entire life.
Powerless.
"…So nothing's changed…"
The words were hollow.
Because they were true.
He turned away.
Forced himself to walk.
To leave.
To survive.
But—
The world didn't let him.
"Hey."
The voice cut through the silence.
Li Chen froze.
Slowly—
He turned back.
The disciple was looking directly at him now.
Eyes narrowed.
Suspicious.
"…Who are you?"
Li Chen said nothing.
Because he didn't have an answer.
The disciple took a step forward.
His aura flared slightly.
Not aggressive.
But probing.
Testing.
"…You shouldn't be here."
Another step.
Closer.
Closer.
Li Chen's body tensed.
Not in preparation.
In warning.
Something inside him reacted violently.
The corrupted fragment stirred.
The heaven fragment responded.
The third presence—
Watched.
"…Answer me."
The disciple's voice hardened.
His hand moved slightly—
Ready.
Li Chen's lips parted.
"…I…"
The word failed.
Because he didn't know.
Was he prey?
Was he hunter?
Was he even alive?
"…I don't know…"
The answer slipped out before he could stop it.
Honest.
Broken.
Real.
The disciple's expression shifted.
Confusion.
Then—
Realization.
"…You're unstable."
His aura surged instantly.
Golden light flared around him, sharp and absolute.
"…An anomaly."
Li Chen's heart stuttered.
Because he understood what came next.
"…No—"
Too late.
The disciple moved.
Fast.
Clean.
Decisive.
A strike meant to eliminate.
Li Chen tried to react.
His body didn't respond in time.
The world lagged.
His thoughts slowed.
And the attack—
Landed.
Pain exploded.
Blinding.
Overwhelming.
His body was thrown back violently, crashing into the ground as something inside him shattered.
"…AH—!"
He couldn't breathe.
Couldn't think.
Couldn't move.
The disciple approached slowly.
Calm.
Certain.
"…You shouldn't exist."
Li Chen's vision blurred.
Darkness creeping in again.
So soon.
So fast.
"…Not again…"
Despair clawed at him.
"…I just survived…"
His fingers twitched weakly.
"…I can't… die again…"
But his body—
Was already failing.
The disciple raised his hand.
Golden light gathered.
Final.
Absolute.
Li Chen's eyes trembled.
Fear.
Real fear.
"…Is this… all I am…?"
The question echoed in his mind.
Unanswered.
As the light fell—
And death came for him—
Once again.