The golden object before me kept swaying, as if beckoning me to follow. I drifted closer, and sure enough, it began to move, circling in the air and shedding bursts of golden particles. I trailed after it for quite some time, but soon, I sensed something was wrong with my surroundings.
From time to time, a thunderous rumble echoed around me, growing louder and louder. Gradually, I realized the sound was a deep, guttural gurgling, as if coming from the throat of some unknown creature.
The sound grew even louder, and the golden object sped up, moving so quickly I could barely keep pace. Suddenly, the grumbling noise swelled all around me, deafeningly clear—it was the sound of hunger.
Out of the darkness, I caught sight of a flash of white—rows of symmetrical triangles advancing toward me. In an instant, the golden object sprouted a tiny tail, wrapped itself around my body, and yanked me backward.
With a loud crack, those symmetrical white triangles collided, producing a tremendous noise.
Gradually, I noticed more and more of those moving, symmetrical white triangles surrounding me. Only then did I realize—they were mouths, each capable of swallowing me whole. The white triangles were razor-sharp teeth.
Panicked, I screamed. The golden rope coiled around my body tightened, dragging me rapidly through the maze of gaping mouths. The clashing of teeth echoed all around, as if I was about to be devoured entirely.
I was frantic, utterly terrified. I wanted to close my eyes, but I didn't dare. The golden light dragged me faster and faster—I stared blankly as I narrowly escaped death again and again, snatched from the jaws of doom by that golden glow.
More and more mouths appeared around me, some small, no bigger than a human's. They crowded closer, and I screamed as one bit a chunk from my shoulder. Soon, a swarm of these tiny mouths was chasing after me.
The pounding never stopped. My thighs, my arms, even my abdomen—all had been bitten, my body riddled with wounds. I cried out in agony.
Then, a splash of red light appeared before me. It felt like hope—maybe this was the way out. But around the red glow, those razor-mouthed mouths, each as big as a human's, had already surrounded us.
In an instant, countless gaping mouths and deafening grumbles swept toward me all at once.
What do I do? What should I do? What am I supposed to do?
"Help me!"
I shouted, and at that moment, the golden glow around me suddenly blazed brighter. Waves of golden light burst forth, accompanied by the chanting of Buddhist hymns. Within the golden radiance, I saw countless Buddhas—some sitting, some reclining, their forms serene and faces gentle.
Everything around me was driven away, and the golden object dragged me into the red glow.
With a thunderous boom, I opened my eyes wide. The world was in ruins. In the distance, lava poured down a mountain, while in the sky, gray-black clouds were streaked with bolts of black lightning, each deafening strike making the ground tremble.
Beneath my feet, the scorched earth was cracked, and in some places, fiery red magma welled up. My soles burned as I hopped across the blistering ground.
"Don't panic, Ethan Zhang. It's just an illusion. Since you managed to enter the Instinctive Space by way of Devouring, don't lose your nerve. Hahahahaha..."
A voice reached me. I turned and stared in shock. The figure was covered in fissures—crimson cracks ran all over its body, and its eyes gleamed golden.
"Who are you, really?"
I asked. The golden-eyed figure leaned in, his gaze wild with madness.
"I'm you. I'm your shadow, Ethan Zhang."
I swallowed, staring at him, fear prickling inside me. But gradually, the ground stopped burning, and my discomfort faded. In this apocalyptic world, I felt no terror—only a strange sense of peace.
"Are you my instinct? Are you the Endbringer?"
I asked, but the figure just laughed and shook his head.
"Wrong—so wrong. I told you, I'm your shadow. Even a fool wouldn't make that mistake, Ethan Zhang. Where there's light, there's shadow. Even ghosts have shadows, though most ghosts go their entire existence without ever seeing their own. That's the difference between the strong and the weak. Congratulations, Ethan Zhang. The moment you arrived, you could see me. Hahahahaha..."
He claimed to be my shadow, utterly deranged. I felt nothing but dislike. Just then, he placed a hand on my shoulder and pointed toward the distant, ever-erupting mountain.
"Look over there—that's where the Endbringer is. Want to go?"
I nodded. My shadow took a step forward, raising his hand.
"Come on, follow me. It'll be a long walk."
I muttered in response and quickly caught up.
"Ethan Zhang, don't you feel exhausted right now?"
I was caught off guard, unsure why my shadow would ask that, but I answered without thinking.
"Yeah, sometimes I do. Especially in my heart."
"Oh, that's good. I have a way to relieve your heart's exhaustion. How about it—want to go somewhere with me before you meet the Endbringer?"
"Sure."
He didn't seem malicious—in fact, he was my shadow, so there shouldn't be a problem. Just then, a golden glow flared in my chest—a bead, radiating golden light. It was this thing that had brought me here.
I gazed gratefully at the bead.
"How annoying. So it was the Buddha's Manifestation that brought you here. Heh, Ethan Zhang, throw that bead away, or it'll be your downfall."
I was startled. As soon as my shadow approached, the bead—called Buddha's Manifestation—suddenly unleashed golden cords that bound me, yanking me skyward. With a thunderous crash, a huge pit was left on the ground below, spewing molten red magma. I gazed down, shaken.
"Tch, failed. Damn it. Get down here, Ethan Zhang!"
I didn't plan on going down. This guy wanted to kill me—just a moment ago, he was hopping around on the ground, as if unable to fly.
"Ethan Zhang, hurry up. You should be able to break free with your willpower. Come down—aren't you tired? Let me take you somewhere, and you'll feel better."
"You're lying. You just tried to kill me, didn't you?"
My shadow burst into laughter, his golden eyes glinting with cunning. He nodded.
"That's right, I wanted to kill you. After all, trash like you has no right to be king."
My heart skipped a beat. I swallowed hard, a chill running down my spine. This guy was beyond reason.
"Hurry up and get down here, Ethan Zhang. Once you're dead, you won't have anything to worry about—your heart won't be tired anymore. Let me take your place, Ethan Zhang."
"I'm here to find the Endbringer. Please, take me there."
The Buddha's Manifestation seemed to understand me. It carried me slowly through the air, drifting toward the distant, towering volcano.
"Don't you dare run! Damn it!"
My shadow cursed, chasing after us at high speed below. Suddenly, he waved his hand and a stream of fiery red lava erupted from the ground ahead. The Buddha's Manifestation screeched to a halt in front of the molten flow.
The splattering red-hot liquid scorched my body, and I screamed in pain. More and more lava erupted from the ground, blocking our path.
"Don't even think about escaping, Ethan Zhang. I'm going to kill you."
Fear jolted through me, but anger burned even stronger.
"You're my shadow, aren't you? Why do you want to kill me? You're supposed to be a part of me..."
"Why should a shadow always hide behind its host, never able to step forward? Who made that rule? Heh... Hurry up and get down here, Ethan Zhang. Don't make me angry, or when I kill you later, it won't be pleasant."
I spat in defiance. Instantly, the Buddha's Manifestation lifted me higher. We soared above the erupting pillars of lava. My shadow was left below, shouting and cursing, his voice faint and unable to reach me.
The Buddha's Manifestation whisked me swiftly toward the volcano. In less than half an hour, we reached the smoking crater.
"You've arrived, Ethan Zhang. I am the Endbringer, just as you imagined."
I landed at the crater's edge. The ground was molten and collapsing, but I felt no heat. Relieved, I found a fiery red stone and sat down, peering into the volcano. The voice was coming from within.
"What must I do to become a complete ghost?"
"Everyone's fate is predetermined, and so is a ghost's. You have your own destiny, Ethan Zhang. Come down now. That madman is still chasing you, but don't pay him any mind."
I nodded, swallowing hard, and jumped into the blazing lava below.