Legend of the Divine Archer

Wei Xi stood amidst the aftermath of the battle, breathing in irregular gasps as he scanned the scene. The clearing, had turned from beautiful, to a battlefield stained with blood and with the massive bodies of the fallen beasts.

His heart pounded out of his chest with a mixture of exhaustion and exhilaration flooding through him. The intensity of the battle and the adrenaline that had kept him sharp and focused, began to wane, leaving him feeling both happy and drained.

Yan Jin approached him, his footsteps silent on the snow. There was a semblant of pride in his voice as he spoke. "Congratulations, Wei Xi. You are a hunter,".

The words echoed in Wei Xi's ears, affirming the transformation he had undergone in these last few days. The pressure, the fear, the uncertainty—all of it gone, giving place to a deep sense of accomplishment.

The rush of dopamine that accompanied this realization was so overwhelming Wei Xi's body, finally succumbed to the exhaustion that had been building up. The first genuine smile in days, spread across his face as his consciousness faded.

Yan Jin could only shake his head, a small smile of his own tugging at the corners of his lips. The kid had done well, far better than he could have hoped for, but there was still much to teach him. With a sigh, Yan Jin bent down and carefully lifted Wei Xi onto his shoulders. The boy was surprisingly light, his body still that of a child, though his spirit had grown significantly in these few days.

With Wei Xi secure, Yan Jin turned to the corpses of the two giant beasts. Grabbing hold of the bear's thick fur and the tiger's powerful tail, Yan Jin began the arduous task of dragging their carcasses through the snow.

The cold night air bit his exposed skin and the snow crunching under his feet as he moved. He trudged forward, the two massive bodies leaving deep furrows in the snow behind him, leaving trails of blood into the frozen earth.

--

When Wei Xi regained consciousness, he found himself lying in a cave by the warmth of a crackling fire, wrapped in layers of white fur. The cave was dimly lit, the only light coming from the fire, casting flickering shadows on the stone walls. The entrance was sealed by a revolving rock, that couldn't completely block out the sound of the wind from the snowstorm raging outside.

He had no idea how long he had been out—hours, days?

As he attempted to sit up, a wave of fatigue washed over him, his muscles stiff and uncooperative. The realization of how much Yan Jin had done for him began to sink in. He reflected on how Yan Jin had skillfully guided him through his grief, using the guise of teaching him survival skills.

The endless recitation of rules, the intense focus on the hunt—it had all been a strategy to keep Wei Xi's mind occupied, to help him process his loss without being overwhelmed by it. He felt a deep sense of gratitude towards the young man, who was only a few years older than himself. And he couldn't help but salute his grandfather's insight in arranging for this journey with Yan Jin.

A voice broke through his thoughts. "Are you awake?" Yan Jin asked as he emerged from deeper within the cave.

"Yes, how long have I been sleeping?" Wei Xi replied, his voice still groggy.

"Three days, I think. It hasn't stopped snowing since that night, so I'm not entirely sure. Come with me," Yan Jin said, gesturing for him to follow.

"This is the Sabretooth Tiger's cave. There are a lot of discarded items, probably from its past prey. Help me look for a knife," Yan Jin instructed, his tone practical and focused.

Wei Xi, still a bit unsteady, stood up and grabbed a fire torch. The flickering light illuminated the deeper recesses of the cave as they moved further in. The air was colder here, the smell of damp stone mixed with something else—old, stale..

As they ventured deeper, Yan Jin pointed to some inscriptions on the cave walls. "Do you know what those inscriptions are? I can't activate my Sphinx Eye," Yan Jin asked, a hint of frustration in his voice.

Wei Xi looked at the markings, curious. "No, I've never seen them before," he admitted, feeling a strange pull from the symbols. "Let me try to activate them."

Before Yan Jin could stop him, Wei Xi had already touched the runes, and the cave began to hum with energy. The walls glowed with a soft light, and suddenly, a hidden door behind the cave slid open, revealing a passageway.

"Sorry," Wei Xi said sheepishly, realizing he might have acted too hastily.

Yan Jin sighed, shaking his head. "You're way too reckless," he warned, but there was no real anger in his voice. Instead, there was resigned acceptance.

With caution, the two of them stepped into the newly revealed passage

The passage was narrow and stretched infinitely into the depths of the earth. With each step, the oppressive cold of the winter outside seemed to melt away, being replaced by an unnatural warmth. The deeper they went, the more surreal the environment became as if they had stepped into a world completely separate from the one they knew.

After what felt like an eternity of descending, the passage finally opened into an enormous cavern. It was so vast that Wei Xi couldn't see where it ended. The heart of the cavern was dominated by a lake of molten magma, its glowing red-orange surface casting a bright light across the stone walls. The heat from the magma was intense and warm pulsing with energy.

Directly in front of them lay the skeleton of a beast, so massive that even Yan Jin, with his formidable soul force, couldn't fully perceive it. The sheer size of the skeleton dwarfed them, its aura still potent enough to make Wei Xi's knees falter. He had never felt so insignificant before; even in death, the creature radiated unimaginable power.

Yan Jin, sensing the danger that lay ahead, quickly assessed the situation. This was territory far beyond their current capabilities, a place they had no business exploring further. He turned to Wei Xi, his voice barely a whisper. "Do not go any further than this. Look around for anything valuable, and then we need to leave."

Wei Xi nodded, and they split up, cautiously searching the cavern for anything of worth. As Yan Jin moved carefully among the scattered remains and debris, he couldn't help but feel a strange unease. There were no obvious treasures, just remnants of a time long past—broken weapons, ancient armor, and the decayed bodies of those who had come before.

But then, something caught his eye—a human corpse, slumped against a rock near the edge of the magma lake. There was something eerily familiar about the aura around the body, it was Old Ma, the blacksmith who had taught him the art of forging.

Yan Jin's mind raced with questions. How had Old Ma ended up here? The old man's presence in this place hinted at a more complex story than Yan Jin had ever imagined. His thoughts flashed back to the day they had left the village, to the meteor shower. Nothing was random anymore.

Nearby, Yan Jin noticed a strange metal ore beside Old Ma's corpse. It was unusually heavy, with no apparent energy emanating from it. It wasn't precious, but Yan Jin had other plans for it.

"Did you find something?" Yan Jin called softly to Wei Xi, who was rummaging through the debris.

"Nothing, just scraps and corpses! It seems like they've been here for centuries," Wei Xi replied, frustration tinging his voice.

"Come over and help me with this," Yan Jin instructed, pointing to the heavy rock beside Old Ma.

As soon as they both touched the ore, the ground beneath them trembled. The entire cave began to shake, dust and small rocks falling from the ceiling.

Out of the corner of his eye, Wei XI saw a specter materialize from the shadows. It hovered in the air, its eyes—if they could be called that—locking onto them with intensity.