"You can call me The Forsaken 016—that's probably more fitting. And you? What's your name—Zhu something?"
I shook my head.
"Zhang Qingyuan."
With a whoosh, I spread my flaming wings—feathers of the Vermilion Phoenix Spirit shot toward The Forsaken before me. Explosions echoed as the ground below became a sea of fire. The rides of the Abandoned Amusement Park vanished instantly upon contact with the flames, dissolving into illusions.
I tried to shift the battlefield to the outskirts. I didn't want to expose the basement near the mini train—that was my source of power.
The Forsaken moved easily across the ground, dodging blast after blast. I reached the wasteland and stopped; he stood below me. Now, his skin was emitting black smoke, as if it were burning, but no flames were visible.
"What is this place, really?"
I asked. The Forsaken looked at me in confusion, then his expression turned wild. He lowered his voice and chuckled darkly.
"Do you really need to ask? This is where humanity's faith is lost."
My eyes widened. With a boom and a swirl of black smoke, The Forsaken was suddenly right in front of me, reaching out to grab me. Instantly, my massive wings wrapped protectively around me.
With a boom, a burst of Crimson Flame exploded in the air, knocking The Forsaken back. Seizing the moment, I spread my wings wide—a spiral of Crimson Flame wrapped around my body. In a flash, I accelerated and reached The Forsaken before he hit the ground, grabbing his chest with a blazing claw.
I hadn't used this power in a long time, but everything I'd been through had left its mark on my body. I knew exactly how to wield the power of the Vermilion Phoenix Spirit.
With a crash, I slammed The Forsaken to the ground. The frozen earth shattered, cracks spreading outward as he laughed wildly, gripping my flaming claw with one hand.
"This little bit of power won't be enough to stop me."
Suddenly, I yanked my hand back and shot into the sky. My right hand's Crimson Flame dimmed, and a sharp pain shot through me as black fireless ashes crawled up my hand, intensifying the agony. I'd never felt power like this before.
I raised my left hand—high-quality flame sliced like a blade. With a boom, I severed my own arm. The Forsaken leapt up as I retreated; he caught my arm and devoured it without hesitation.
"The taste of swallowed faith is truly exquisite."
But The Forsaken's expression suddenly changed. He pointed at me.
"You're not a Zhu, so how can you wield the power of the Vermilion Phoenix Spirit?"
I said nothing. A flame burst from my right hand—it was restored. Sweat streamed down my forehead. With the power I had now, I was no match for him. I needed a plan.
"What exactly is this Vermilion Phoenix Spirit you speak of? I'm just a traveler who wandered into this place—my name is Zhang Qingyuan."
Gradually, the black embers faded from The Forsaken's body, returning him to his original form. The flames around me dissipated as I landed softly in front of him.
"You're lying. Unless..."
I gazed quietly at The Forsaken and spoke.
"The taste isn't right, is it? I told you, I'm not a Sacred Spirit, Forsaken."
With a retching sound, The Forsaken suddenly vomited up the piece of my body he had devoured. Black energy seeped from it—dark power. He gagged, clearly suffering.
"My name isn't Forsaken, it's 016. 'Forsaken' or 'Abandoner' is just our class name—the number is our true name. Still, this power is truly remarkable, able to contain anything. But I don't wish to be contained by anything."
With a snap, 016 stomped on the regurgitated mass and kicked it aside, glaring at me in confusion.
"I'm human."
As soon as I finished speaking, 016's face twisted in rage. He glared at me, but then his expression softened. Clutching his stomach, he burst into wild laughter.
"Even though I despise humans—the ones who brought us into this world only to abandon us and cast us into this forsaken place—I can't deny our origins."
016 paused, then continued.
But if there were no humans, we wouldn't exist at all. What I hate even more are the Sacred Spirits—those outsiders, the crystallization of faith."
Seeing 016 had finally calmed down, I let out a breath and glanced at the ruined section of the Abandoned Amusement Park before asking a question.
"Can you tell this lost traveler what's really going on here?"
016 seemed in good spirits. When he mentioned numbers, I realized there must be many others like him—all Forsaken.
We returned to the Abandoned Amusement Park. I wanted to ask about the barrel-bodied machine from earlier, but I held back.
"How long have you been here?"
"Two days."
016 laughed and leaned close to me, inspecting me carefully, then sniffing.