Ethan froze, halting mid-step as the faint rustling reached his ears. He glanced toward the sound, peering through the gaps between the gnarled tree trunks.

A massive scorpion, monstrous and menacing, emerged from the shadows, its dark-gray body blending seamlessly with the ashen soil. Its enormous stinger glimmered with a faint blue hue, exuding a lethal aura.

If not for the noise it made, Ethan might never have noticed it.

Remaining in his Panther Form, Ethan crouched low. He didn't dare make a move.

The creature was a Deathstalker Scorpion, a fast and deadly predator. Not even his enhanced agility in Panther Form could guarantee an escape. Its venom-coated stinger inflicted a fatal poison, one that would persist until death unless treated with a rare antidote.

It was no wonder that even level 40 players avoided farming monsters in this area.

These scorpions sensed prey through vibrations in the ground. One wrong step, and they'd deliver a swift and fatal strike.

Ethan's gaze lingered on the forest floor, knowing countless other Deathstalkers could be lying in wait beneath the dirt.

When the scorpion finally burrowed into the soil and disappeared, Ethan exhaled quietly and slipped away, careful not to disturb the earth beneath his feet.

As he ventured deeper into the forest, the beaten path disappeared entirely. The dense undergrowth grew thicker, forcing him to slow his pace.

"Almost there," Ethan muttered, checking the coordinates.

The closer he got to his destination, the more vigilant he became. After pushing through a cluster of thorny brambles, he emerged into a small clearing.

At its center stood an ancient altar, and beside it, a lean figure busied himself with some mysterious tasks.

Ethan deactivated his stealth and approached cautiously. The name above the NPC's head glowed faintly in his vision: Archmage Sorenth.

As Ethan drew closer, Sorenth fixed him with a sharp, hostile glare. Ethan quickly retrieved the token from his inventory, holding it out as an offering.

The archmage's expression shifted from hostility to curiosity. "The scent of a healthy mortal... You come from beyond the Plaguelands. Tell me, how did you come by my token?"

Ethan let out a breath of relief, grateful that Sorenth hadn't attacked him on sight. This NPC was a level 55 elite, one blow from him would have been instant death.

Still, Ethan couldn't tell the truth. Admitting he'd received the token from a little girl wouldn't sit well in this situation.

Drawing on his past-life knowledge of the questline, Ethan said, "Honored Archmage Sorenth, this was passed down to me by my ancestors."

"Oh? A descendant of the people from Cogden Village, are you?" Sorenth's voice was cold and emotionless. "You've journeyed far, bearing my token. Do you wish to enter the Necrotic Domain and undertake its trial?"

Ding…

[System Notification: Do you accept the trial of the Necrotic Domain?]

"Uh… yes!" Ethan replied, answering both the system prompt and Sorenth's question.

He hesitated briefly. This didn't align with the quest guide he remembered from his past life. Back then, the quest simply required returning the token to Sorenth to receive a reward: a golden-tier item called the Boots of the Dead, which came with a speed-boosting skill.

Most side quests were straightforward, find an item, return it, and get your reward. It was rare for them to involve combat or trials. Those that did, however, always offered exceptional rewards.

"Have I triggered an alternate questline?" Ethan wondered, his mind racing.

Sorenth handed the token back to Ethan. Its weathered, rust-covered surface was now pristine, transformed into a silver medallion.

[Sorenth's Emblem]

Effect: Protects the wearer from the corrupting miasma of the Necrotic Domain.

Slot: Chest

Description: A unique item that doesn't occupy equipment slots.

Seeing Ethan equip the emblem, Sorenth raised his staff and waved it toward the altar. Chanting in an ancient, indecipherable language, he conjured a swirling rift of violet and black energy.

The portal stabilized at the altar's center, crackling ominously.

"Enter," Sorenth commanded.

Ethan glanced at the swirling portal, then back at Sorenth. "When I return, will I come back here?"

Sorenth grinned at Ethan's question, revealing a mouthful of jagged, razor-sharp teeth. "I can only open the entrance. As for how you return? That's entirely up to you."

"What?" Ethan froze in shock. This wasn't part of the plan.

Before he could decide whether to step through the portal, a powerful force yanked him forward. Sorenth's bony hand gripped Ethan's shoulder and hurled him into the rift without hesitation.

"The ritual has begun. Without a sacrifice, the backlash will destroy me. My master, take solace in the emblem and absorb the essence of death…" Sorenth muttered to himself.

Ethan, of course, heard none of this.

He was swallowed whole by the darkness, a vast void stretching endlessly in all directions. Time and space ceased to exist. Floating aimlessly, Ethan felt as though he'd been trapped inside the maw of some incomprehensible creature.

The weightlessness was disorienting. He flailed his limbs, attempting to propel himself in any direction, but no matter how hard he tried, he remained suspended in the same spot.

"So, this is the Necrotic Domain?" Ethan wondered, his voice lost in the silence. "Is this going to be like the Dreamscape Trial all over again?"

As he struggled to orient himself, a faint glow appeared ahead. A portal began to materialize, its edges forming a narrow crack that allowed a single beam of light to pierce the darkness.

In this void, the light was blindingly bright.

Before Ethan could react, an invisible force pulled him forward, dragging him through the portal and into the unknown.

On the other side, he found himself standing on a massive floating bridge.

What stunned him even more was the sight of countless NPCs wandering aimlessly across the bridge. Their movements were slow, their expressions vacant, and their eyes hollow.

Before Ethan could fully process the scene, something bumped into him from behind. He turned to see another NPC, shuffling forward from the still-active portal.

The NPC that had collided with him stopped abruptly, staring at him with lifeless, unfocused eyes. The eerie gaze sent a shiver down Ethan's spine. Without thinking, he sidestepped, allowing the NPC to continue its journey.

Freed of the obstruction, the NPC resumed walking, joining the throng of others heading toward the bridge.

The procession was surreal. Humans, beasts, and monstrous hybrids of the two marched in a steady line. Their vacant expressions and mechanical movements made them resemble mindless automatons.

Ethan hesitated, but curiosity got the better of him. He followed the crowd, keeping a cautious distance.

As he reached the edge of the bridge, he glanced downward.

Beneath the bridge lay a vast abyss, and within it flowed a river of red liquid. The stench of iron and decay hit him like a wave.

"Is… that blood?" Ethan whispered, recoiling a step.

The abyss seemed endless, and the river below churned with crimson fluid, its surface thick and sluggish. A river of blood, stretching into the depths of the unknown.

Looking ahead, Ethan's gaze fell on a sign at the bridge's entrance, etched with three ominous words in deep red: Blood Abyss Bridge.

On the far side of the bridge stood a towering figure, clad in strange, tattered robes. He wielded a long, pitch-black chain, the end of which held a massive anchor. Even from a distance, Ethan could feel the sharp, menacing aura radiating from the weapon.

The figure swung the chain with terrifying precision, cutting down the NPCs that reached him.

But the mindless NPCs showed no fear. Even as those ahead fell, the others continued to march forward, indifferent to their fate.