The moon was hidden behind thick, dark clouds as Sufiyan reached the edge of the Whispering Woods. The trees here didn't look natural; their branches were twisted like skeletal fingers, and the leaves made a sound like human whispering.
[System Location: The Forbidden Zone.]
[Environmental Hazard: Spirit Mist - Reduces visibility by 80%.]
[Action: Celestial Grade Comb activated. Light Radius: 10 Meters.]
Sufiyan held his upgraded Celestial Comb. The blue crystal at its center pulsed with a steady, rhythmic light, cutting through the eerie mist. Every step he took felt heavy, as if the ground itself was trying to pull him down.
Suddenly, the whispering stopped. A tall, thin man emerged from behind a massive dead oak tree. He wore a mask made of silver mirrors, and his clothes were woven from pure shadows.
"You came," the man said. His voice didn't come from his mouth; it echoed directly inside Sufiyan's head. "I am the Chronicler. I was the one who designed the first 'Styling System' a thousand years ago."
[System Status: Extreme Shock! System AI is rebooting...]
Sufiyan gasped. "You created this? Then why did you send assassins like Kuro and Luna to destroy me?"
The Chronicler stepped closer, the mirrors on his mask reflecting Sufiyan's glowing comb. "I didn't send them to destroy you. I sent them to test if you were worthy of the 'Grand Evolution'. The Divine System is a tool, Sufiyan. But it is also a cage. Are you ready to break the cage and see the truth behind the magic?"
[Alert: System Reboot Complete. New Menu Unlocked: 'Source Code Manipulation'.]