Renji stalked through the mist-veiled village, the ground beneath his feet cracked with runes he couldn't read and whispers that never came from mouths. The sky above churned with static grey clouds, but it never rained. It just… watched.
The old man had vanished. Just gone. No sound, no trace, just the scroll fluttering to the dirt like a lost feather.
Renji gritted his teeth and summoned the Exile Interface.
[ Exile Core: Semi-Awakened ]
[ Nightmare Sync: 2% ]
> Territory: [Cursed Grounds - Seirath's Wake]
> Trial Difficulty: Medium/Unknown Anomaly Detected
"Classic," he muttered. "Throw me in and dial the pain up."
Suddenly—CRASH—a hut to his right exploded in splinters, and something in-between worlds emerged. Shadowy muscles, eyes on its chest, mouth on its back—Level 43: Forsaken Marauder.
Renji's lips curled into a grin, "Let's play."
