Chapter 41 : Shadows Beneath the Moon, Flames Upon the Wall

The sun never rose that morning.

Instead, heavy grey clouds rolled over the dense canopy of the forest like a burial shroud.

The usual morning chorus of birdsong was absent, replaced by an eerie silence so deep it pressed against the chest.

The scent of decay and death clung to the damp leaves, twisting the air into something thick and suffocating.

Jin stirred in the dim light of his cave sanctuary.

His breathing was slow but steady, his shoulder wrapped tightly in layers of herbal poultices and strips of bark soaked in healing salves.

The talisman hovered quietly beside him, its once-vibrant golden glow now softened and steady — a calm eye amidst the storm of pain and fatigue.

But peace was a lie.

The deep, grinding sound rolled through the cave's mouth—a noise like bone scraping against stone, slow and terrifying.

Jin's eyes snapped open. His hand closed around the hilt of his blade and the talisman simultaneously, his body instinctively tensing for battle.

He hissed softly, "System. Status."

[Vitality: 48% — Wounds stabilized but fragile. Energy recovering slowly.]

[Artifact: Ancient Seal — Stable. Residual tracking fading but still present.]

[System Alert: Multiple hostile signatures detected. Source: Necrotic beasts — Bone Legion confirmed.]

Jin's jaw clenched tightly. "How... how did they find me again?"

[Residual imprint remains within your bloodstream. The necromancer utilizes this to trace your location through your wounds.]

Outside the cave, the forest seemed to hold its breath. The trees groaned faintly as the ground vibrated beneath the heavy footsteps approaching from all sides.

Jin slipped from the cave, muscles coiled like springs.

The figures that emerged were grotesque parodies of life—fallen cultivators' corpses, their bodies twisted and sewn together by dark tendrils of necromantic magic, dragging shattered weapons and rusted armor.

Undead beasts with ribcages aglow and hollow, eyeless sockets moved like a slow, relentless tide.

"Bone Legion," Jin whispered, his voice low and cold.

Above the creeping horde, a black-robed figure floated ominously—the necromancer himself. His face was pale and sunken, eyes white as bones, staff crackling with crimson lightning. He surveyed the scene below with cruel satisfaction, a grin splitting his gaunt face.

Jin's heart pounded, but he refused to falter.

He pivoted, sprinting deeper into the forest—not toward Valeria.

He could not lead this darkness home. Not again.

Hours Later — Near a Stream

Jin's breath came in ragged gasps as he collapsed beside a shallow stream. Blood seeped from reopened wounds, and his legs trembled beneath him like ancient trees in a storm.

He was wounded and exhausted, but the Bone Legion showed no sign of stopping.

"This… this won't work," Jin muttered, voice hoarse and broken. "I can't outrun them forever."

[Emergency Suggestion: Unlock deeper potential of 'Cloak of the Hidden Realm.' Conditions met for evolution.]

[New Skill Available: Void Slip — Allows temporary phase-out of existence for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 1 hour. Extreme spiritual strain expected on first use.]

Jin wiped sweat from his forehead, then nodded grimly. "Void Slip… activate."

A dark mist wrapped around his body like liquid silk, obscuring his form as he shimmered and vanished.

The forest seemed to freeze.

The Bone Legion halted, confused. Their nostrils flared, searching for the scent that had suddenly disappeared. Magical pulses scanned the air but found nothing.

The necromancer's frown deepened. He tightened his grip on his staff, his voice sharp and angry.

"Gone?"

Jin reappeared silently behind a thick root, gasping as his knees buckled under the spiritual toll. Blood trickled from his nose, and the world spun briefly.

He leaned against a tree, his hand clutching the talisman.

"System… what's the origin of this thing?"

[Analyzing artifact… Cross-referencing with ancient databases…]

[Origin identified: Pre-Demonic Era. Location correlation: Temple of the Sealed Eye — ruins located approximately 12 kilometers from current position.]

Jin's lips pressed into a thin line.

"I'm going there."

Night Falls — The Temple of the Sealed Eye

The moonlight barely filtered through the thick canopy as Jin limped onward. Every step was agony, but resolve pushed him forward.

At last, the ruined temple rose before him—ancient stones carved with alien symbols: eyes without pupils, swirling spirals, dragons with sealed mouths. A place abandoned by time itself.

The moment Jin crossed the threshold, the talisman pulsed fiercely, casting shimmering light across the mossy walls.

Suddenly, ancient torches ignited, bathing the chamber in ghostly flame.

A figure materialized before him—a translucent monk clad in tattered robes, blindfolded with a golden cloth.

"You carry the curse of the Sealed Ones," the spirit intoned, voice echoing like wind over empty stone. "Few live after claiming that talisman. Fewer still dare to understand it."

Jin bowed deeply, despite his pain.

"I seek the truth. No matter the cost."

The monk nodded.

"Then open your mind."

The talisman floated between them, radiating golden light that enveloped Jin.

He screamed—not from pain, but from the crushing weight on his spirit.

Visions swirled: a war between gods and demons; sealed artifacts forged to contain eternal curses; a talisman designed not to destroy, but to unmake immortality itself.

The visions ended as suddenly as they began.

The monk was gone, leaving Jin alone with the talisman's glow now changed—it shimmered in silver and blue, a balance between death and freedom.

[New Classification: Seal of Soul Severance — Bound Artifact.]

[Effect: Grants immunity to soul-binding magic; can sever others' soul bindings. Hidden effect: ???]

Jin exhaled slowly.

He now held a weapon against the very curses that plagued his enemies.

But his body was spent beyond measure.

Valeria — The Walls

Back within the city, Lana stood vigilant atop the walls, spear tightly gripped, eyes fixed on the eastern road.

Beside her, Arielle sat near the shrine Jin had constructed, her fingers wound tightly around prayer beads, knuckles white.

Selene paced restlessly, her stormy gaze shifting between the road and the sky.

"It's been four days," she murmured. "No word. No sign."

Lila entered hurriedly, armor stained with fresh blood. "The scouts… they're dead. Ambushed. The forest is crawling with beasts—rotting ones."

Lana's jaw hardened.

"Then we prepare. Raise the walls higher, stock the oil, ready the archers. If the Bone Legion marches here… we hold."

Selene's eyes narrowed.

"They won't take us by surprise again."

Back in the Forest — An Assassination Attempt

Jin pressed onward, sweat and blood streaking his face. Pain wracked his limbs, but he forced himself forward until he collapsed beneath a thick tree root.

"System… Blood Regrowth Technique. Use partially. I need enough strength to keep moving."

[Warning: Blood Demon Skill may corrupt sanity and spirit. Use cautiously.]

Jin's vision blurred as red mist enveloped him. Bones cracked, flesh mended rapidly. For a brief moment, his eyes burned crimson as whispers of rage and hunger filled his mind.

He clenched his fists, fighting the corruption.

Pale but upright, he stood again.

Suddenly, a shadow flickered—two figures emerged from the darkness.

Two assassins cloaked in shimmering silver, their movements fluid and deadly.

"Queen Molana's regards," one whispered coldly.

Jin's eyes narrowed.

"Is this really the best time to send killers?"

The assassins lunged together.

Jin activated Void Slip, disappearing mid-strike and reappearing behind them. His fist slammed into the back of one assassin's head.

The other slashed his arm, poison seeping beneath the skin.

He gritted his teeth, channeling his dragon qi to burn away the venom.

"You're fast," the assassin admitted, backing away cautiously. "But you're weak."

Jin smiled grimly.

"Weak isn't the word I'd use."

Steel met flesh in a deadly dance. Jin caught the assassin's blade barehanded and delivered a crushing blow to her abdomen.

Blood sprayed.

She fell to her knees.

Jin leaned in close, voice low and deadly.

"Tell Molana if she wants to send someone after me, she'd better bring an army next time."

Then he turned and vanished into the shadows.

Return to Valeria — The Calm Before the Storm

The gates of Valeria opened wide beneath a sky streaked with fiery streaks of dawn.

Torches blazed atop the walls, illuminating ranks of soldiers standing at attention. Citizens gathered, armed with whatever weapons they could find, eyes full of fear and hope.

The Bone Legion approached from the west—a slow, unholy wave of skeletal horrors and shambling corpses, the necromancer leading them, his staff sparking crimson in the dark.

Then, from the forest edge, a lone figure emerged.

Burned cloak hanging, bloodstained robes, eyes blazing with fierce determination.

Jin.

Lana saw him first. Her spear slipped from trembling hands.

Selene whispered in disbelief, "He made it…"

Arielle rushed forward, embracing him before he even reached the gate.

"You idiot," she said, half scolding, half relieved. "You're late."

Jin chuckled weakly.

"Had to pick up a souvenir."

The talisman floated beside him—silver-blue, humming with sealed power.

He turned to face the assembled warriors on the walls.

"I'll rest later," he said firmly. "Right now… we fight."

The necromancer snarled from the Bone Legion's front.

But this time, Jin wasn't the prey.

He was the hunter.

And the legend of the Dragon Prince had only just begun.

Additional Scenes: Conversations and Tensions

At Valeria's Wall, Just Before the Attack

Riven tightened the straps of her bow, eyes scanning the horizon.

"Those Bone beasts won't be stopping at the city gates," she said, voice low. "They'll try to burn us down."

Gorvan stood nearby, hefting his massive shield.

"Let them come. We've faced worse before."

Lila, still shaken from scout reports, shook her head.

"The scouts didn't just die—they were torn apart, their bodies left to rot as warnings."

Arielle joined them, her voice steady.

"We need to prepare the wards. I'll coordinate the healers and mages."

Selene, pacing, stopped and glanced at them.

"We have Jin now. He's different. He won't let us fall."

In the Lord's Hall, After Jin's Return

Lila tended to Jin's wounds, careful hands steady despite the battle scars.

"You pushed too hard," she said.

Jin smirked. "Weakness is a luxury I can't afford."

Selene knelt beside the talisman.

"This artifact… it's powerful. But dangerous."

Jin nodded.

"Everything about this war is dangerous."

Arielle wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"We stand with you."

Jin looked at the faces surrounding him—his wives, his generals, his people.

"For Valeria," he said.

"For survival," Lana added, voice fierce.

They all nodded.

The fight was coming.

And together, they would face it.