Chapter 9: Prophecies and Panties, a Perilous Path, and the Whispering Walls of the Abyss

"What did you see, Underwear?" Ling Chen pressed, his voice tight with anxiety. The pronouncements of his sentient boxers were rarely cause for celebration, typically involving impending laundry disasters or unsolicited fashion critiques. A full-blown prophecy, however, was a new and deeply unsettling development.

The silk boxers trembled violently in the dim light, the embroidered carp contorting into expressions of visible distress. "I saw… darkness, Master! Endless, all-consuming darkness! I saw… betrayal! Deceit! And… and… unforgivable staining!"

Ling Chen resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Unforgivable staining" was a common refrain in the Underwear's lexicon, usually reserved for particularly egregious incidents involving spilled tea or rogue ink stains. He needed specifics, not histrionics.

"Be specific, Underwear," Ling Chen said, his voice firm. "What kind of betrayal? Whose deceit? And what, precisely, is being stained?"

The underwear fluttered its fabric nervously, its voice a strained whisper. "I saw… Zhan Yi! He was surrounded by shadows, wielding a sword dripping with… unidentifiable viscous fluid! And I heard… whispers! Terrible whispers, promising power, promising control, promising… permanent wrinkle release!"

Ling Chen's blood ran cold. The image the underwear painted was chilling, a vision of Zhan Yi succumbing to darkness, wielding his power for sinister purposes. But he also knew that prophecies were rarely straightforward. They were often cryptic, metaphorical, and open to interpretation.

"That doesn't mean Zhan Yi will turn evil," Ling Chen said, his voice more forceful than he felt. "Prophecies are tricky, that all is."

The underwear fluttered, as if to say that his choice was a dangerous move. "That's not all, Master! I saw… you! Standing at the precipice of doom, facing a choice that will determine the fate of… everything! And I saw… me! Sacrificing myself for the greater good, dissolving into a puddle of lint and regret! It was most… unflattering!"

Ling Chen stared at the sentient boxers, his mind reeling. A prophecy involving doom, sacrifice, and sentient lint was almost too much to process. But he knew that he couldn't dismiss it out of hand. The underwear had proven itself to be surprisingly reliable, its glimpses of the future often proving eerily accurate.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He needed to focus, to assess the situation, to figure out what to do next.

The prophecies made a huge impact on Ling Chen's mind. If Zhan Yi was the enemy, then why was he helping. And for what did his death is required. As Ling Chen was thinking all of this, they heard a new noise,

As they were thinking, suddenly they heard a piercing shriek echo through the cavern.

The path ahead was long and dark, and they were being watched. Who was watching?

Was he truly that important, or was he just a red herring. Did anyone truly care for him? All those thoughts made the mind of Master Ling to go wild,

But he had a purpose, to protect all, as well as Zhan Yi, even if that costed his life. As the journey started, he realized he needed to start something new. But how was he going to start the journey, especially when he was so weak and helpless? That question made his journey to be even more exciting. This was a sign that he would be more careful.

He reached out and touched the walls. Then he activated his resonation, his heart was getting excited. He could start, make a difference, if only he made the decision. Then he realized, those weren't rocks. They were monsters that were just very still. This was even scarier that what he had imagined before.

"Master?" the underwear squeaked. "Why are you touching the walls? I detect high levels of… germs!"

"Those aren't rocks," Ling Chen said "Those are monsters, so you need to shut up, so that we don't alarm them"

Before he could even say anything, the world started to shake.

"What's going on? What's the vision again?" Zhan Yi suddenly said. But there were more words in that dialogue, it made it sounded as if he was concerned? Ling Chen was blushing so hard, what was happening. There wasn't anything about the man that screamed loving at all. The mixed emotions and feelings gave him confusion, which then almost lead to his end. As he closed his eyes, Zhan Yi was suddenly before him. That's so weird,

Zhan Yi then started the performance of his life.

"I command you to wake him up immediately," Zhan Yi ordered, his voice laced with dominance and strength.

What then followed was just pure disaster.

All the cave started to explode with sounds. The walls that felt as solid as a rock suddenly sprang to life, as the sleeping monster who were in slumber finally came to their senses.

However, Zhan Yi's display of strength did not stop there. He pulled out his sowrd, and it seemed that this sword, was alive! The sword began to suck all the nearby presences in,

The two then, ran. What was their goal? What was the plan? As they continue to run, the path seemed long and treacherous, but it was still not the end. That was a sign of something that is about to come.

He heard a low, guttural growl from behind, followed by the skittering of claws on the cavern floor.

"They're coming" .