Adil looked behind him.
A liquid-like creature stood there — its body shifting and rippling like black water.
"What the—"
Before he could react, the creature lunged forward and wrapped around him completely.
It absorbed him.
Adil felt dizzy. His vision blurred. His body went numb.
His eyes closed.
Then — suddenly — he opened them.
He was lying on the ground.
Around him, a forest stretched in every direction. The trees were dry and dead. Their branches twisted like claws. The air was cold and silent.
Adil sat up slowly.
"Where… am I now?"
Adil stared at the system window floating in front of him.
Tutorial of Bloodcore Trial: CompleteReal Challenge: Beginning...d.s..ds... (glitch)
He blinked.
"Huh? You're saying that was just a tutorial? That nearly killed me…"
He sighed.
"Whatever."
He looked around.
The forest was dry and dead. Trees twisted like bones. The air was cold and silent.
Then — he saw it.
Far away, a glowing tree stood tall. Its leaves shimmered with purple light, glowing softly in the darkness.
Adil narrowed his eyes.
"What's that?"
He stepped forward, slowly.
The tree pulsed faintly — like it was alive.
Suddenly, the system appeared again.
You have entered: Ghost Realm.
Adil blinked.
"What? Ghost Realm? You're saying there are other realms besides Ninefold Hell?"
He stood there, shocked for a moment.
Then he shook his head.
He looked toward the glowing tree in the distance. Its purple leaves shimmered softly in the dead forest.
As he approached, he noticed something beside it.
An old house.
It looked abandoned — broken walls, shattered windows, the roof half-collapsed. Vines crawled across the stone, and the air around it felt colder.
Adil narrowed his eyes.
"Why is there a house here…?"
He stepped closer.
The tree pulsed again.
The house creaked.
Something was waiting.
Adil entered the house, looking around.
"Somebody there?"
He heard a noise from upstairs.
"Looks like I spoke too soon…"
He moved slowly, step by step, up the creaking stairs.
He opened the door.
Inside, he saw a white wolf.
Its body glowed faintly with blue light. Chains wrapped tightly around it. The wolf looked skinny — like it hadn't eaten in days.
"Huh… a wolf?"
Adil stepped closer.
But the wolf didn't move.
"Hmm… It's not attacking. Strange."
He looked around the room.
In the corner, he saw a suit — old, dusty, hanging on a stand.
"I think… a hunter used to live here."
Adil checked the clothes.
They were covered in dust — old, untouched for years.
"I think he left the clothes… and forgot about this wolf," he muttered.
He looked at the chained creature again.
"But why was there a hunter in the Ghost Realm? Does it…"
He paused, lost in thought.
"Could this wolf be… a ghost?"
Adil turned back to the suit.
He picked it up and wore it.
"Finally… I have some clothes."
The suit was strange.
The coat was long and dark gray, with faded silver patterns stitched into the sleeves — symbols that looked like ancient runes. The boots were thick, made for rough terrain. The gloves were torn at the knuckles, but still strong. A hood rested behind the collar — deep and shadowed. The chest had a faint emblem: a wolf's head, carved into the fabric.
Adil looked down at himself.
"This… feels like it belonged to someone strong."
The suit pulsed faintly — like it remembered its owner.
The system appeared again.
Item: Old Hunter's SuitMagic Resistance: +10%Durability: 5
Adil smirked.
"Hmm… I see. Well, that's cool."
He turned back to the wolf.
Its body was still glowing faintly with blue light. The chains held tight around its limbs. It didn't move.
Adil stared.
"I still have doubts… If a hunter lived in the Ghost Realm, then maybe this wolf is a ghost. Or maybe it was his pet… forgotten here."
He paused.
"Or maybe… the hunter is dead now. Or disappeared."
He smirked again.
"Still, it's just a theory. Let's see."
He stepped closer.
The wolf didn't react.
Adil reached out slowly.
"Maybe I'll untie the chains…"
Adil tried to break the chains.
But he failed.
"Maybe I'm not strong enough to break it with my bare hands… I need something to cut or smash it. Damn… I forgot my sword back in the cave."
He looked around the room.
On the table, he found a small knife.
"A small knife? Seriously? There's nothing else here?"
The system appeared:
Item: Small Old KnifeDurability: 2
Attack Damage: 3
Magic Nullification: 5%
Adil raised an eyebrow.
"Oh… It's giving more detailed stats now."
Suddenly, the system glitched.
"Sigh… never mind."
Beside the knife, he noticed something else — a map.
It was old and faded, showing the forest layout. Several spots were marked with red crosses.
"Hm… what is this? A treasure map? Or maybe places with something useful…"
He paused.
"But still… I don't think it'll be safe to go."
Adil walked downstairs.
Then, he heard a voice.
"Did you need something, young man?"
He turned quickly, gripping the knife tightly.
Outside the house, near the glowing purple tree, stood an old man. His cloak was deep and shadowed, and he carried a large bag.
"Relax, young man," the stranger said. "I'm just a wanderer. A trader."
Adil loosened his grip slightly.
Adil approached the old man.
"Elder… I was just searching for something that can break a chain."
The old man nodded slowly.
"I see. I have many things to trade that might help you."
He paused, then smiled faintly.
"But I can tell… you're new here."
Adil narrowed his eyes.
"Yeah… just arrived."
The old man looked toward the house, then back at Adil.
"You found the wolf, didn't you?"
Adil blinked.
"You know about it?"
The old man chuckled softly.
"Of course. That creature's been chained there for a long time. Most who see it… don't survive long enough to ask questions."
Adil frowned slightly.
"If you knew something lived here… why didn't you try to unchain it?"
The old man's smile faded.
"I did. Long ago. But the chains aren't normal. They're bound by something deeper — not just metal, but memory."
He looked at Adil carefully.
"Some things in the Ghost Realm aren't meant to be freed. Not until the right person comes."
Adil stepped forward, voice firm.
"If that's true… then how can the things you offer help me unchain it, if only the right person can do it?"
The old man paused.
Then he smiled again — slower this time.
"Because the right person still needs the right tools."
He opened his bag.
"And I think you're close to becoming that person."
Adil smirked.
"Why's that?"
The old man shrugged.
"It's just a gut feeling."
Adil narrowed his eyes.
"Don't you find it suspicious? A person you've never seen before… showing up out of nowhere. Doesn't even feel like he belongs here."
The old man's smile faded slightly.
"Everything in the Ghost Realm is suspicious, young man. That's the nature of this place."
He looked toward the glowing tree.
"But sometimes… the ones who don't belong are exactly the ones who change everything."
Adil tilted his head.
"I see… you're saying many challengers came here before me, but none survived long. Why is that?"
The old man chuckled.
"I like that you are a Sharp young man. But you ask too many questions. You know what they say—curiosity kills the cat."
Adil sighed.
"Maybe. But still… if you're offering me something, what do you want in exchange, elder?"
The old man's smile returned.
"Ah, now we're talking."
He reached into his bag, pulling out a small pouch filled with strange coins—black with red markings.
"In this realm, we don't trade with gold or silver. We trade with memory."
Adil blinked.
"Memory?"
The old man nodded.
"Your pain. Your regrets. Your forgotten moments. That's what fuels the Ghost Realm. That's what I deal in."
Adil narrowed his eyes.
"So you want… a piece of me?"
The old man's voice dropped low.
"Just a small one. Enough to give you what you need.
Adil smirked his eyes.
"I see… so if you take a memory from me, I'll forget about it, right?"
The old man nodded.
"Yes. That's the price."
Adil sighed.
"Okay… so what do you think I need now?"
The old man looked at him carefully.
The old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small glass vial.
Inside was a thick, glowing liquid — dark blue with streaks of silver.
"This is a potion," he said. "It can melt memory-bound chains… but only if the right person picks it up."
Adil stared at it.
The old man smiled faintly.
"A memory. Just one."
Adil hesitated.
"Well… It's bad to give up a piece of myself. But maybe it's worth it."
He nodded.
"Alright. Let's do it."
The old man stepped forward and gently placed his hand on Adil's head.
Adil nodded.
"Alright. Let's do it."
The old man stepped forward and gently placed his hand on Adil's head.
Suddenly, he froze.
His eyes widened.
A voice echoed inside his mind:
"Move away. Now."
The old man gasped and jumped back.
A red aura burst from Adil's body — swirling like fire, heavy and alive.
The wind shifted. The purple tree trembled.
Adil blinked, confused.
"What happened, elder?"
The old man stepped back, breathing hard.
"I… I can't trade with you."
Adil frowned.
"Why not?"
The old man stared at him.
"There's something inside you. It didn't want me to take your memory."
Adil felt it — the crystal in his chest pulsed, slow and cold.
He touched his chest.
"The Bloodcore…"
The old man nodded slowly.
"That thing… It's protecting you. Or maybe… It's claiming you."
Adil looked down at the faint red glow beneath his shirt.
He paused.
"Then… do you want anything else in exchange?"
The old man stayed silent for a moment.
Then he looked at Adil carefully.
"Maybe. But it depends… on how far you're willing to go."
The old man looked at Adil, his voice low.
"I need the blood of a Zider."
Adil raised an eyebrow.
"Zider? What is that?"
The old man nodded slowly.
"It's a lizard-type creature. Two horns curved into its skull. Grey skin like stone… glowing blue eyes. Not something you want to meet alone."
Adil glanced at the map in his hand.
"So you want me to hunt it?"
The old man's eyes widened.
"Are you seriously going to hunt it? That thing's dangerous. You'll die out there."
Adil shrugged.
"Well… what else can I do? I'm stuck here. And to gain something, you have to risk something. I can't stay in my comfort zone."
The old man sighed.
"Now you're acting like a fool."
Adil smirked.
"Maybe I am."
Adil looked at the old man.
"May I know where I can find that creature?"
The old man nodded slowly.
"May I see your map?"
Adil handed it over.
The old man pulled out a small piece of charcoal and marked a spot deep within the forest — near the edge of the map, where the trees looked darker and twisted.
"There," he said. "That's where you'll find it."
Adil leaned in.
The mark was shaped like an X, surrounded by jagged symbols.
"That place looks cursed."
The old man didn't deny it.
"It might be. But that's where the Zider nests. If you're going… be ready."
Adil took the map back, eyes locked on the mark.
"I'll be ready."
The old man chuckled softly.
"Well… I forgot to mention. My name is Eron.
Adil smiled.
"My name is Adil."
Eron nodded.
"I'll meet you there… if you come back alive."
Adil turned toward the forest, gripping the map.
"Well… see ya."
He ran off, disappearing into the dead trees.
Eron watched him go, then muttered under his breath.
"That stubborn brat… but I feel like he'll come back."