The Dawn of the New World

Lost deep in thought, Hao Xuan didn't even notice a row of serrated spikes that came up from the ocean of sand like the fin of a great white shark.

It came up from the left side and circled him to the back before descending back into the sand. Hao Xuan finally picked up on the peculiarity and looked back in its direction but could not see anything out of place.

Yet trusting in his battle instincts he once again tightened the grip around the shotgun and began to charge it up discreetly.

He took one step forward and then another, examining his surroundings on full alert. The spikes once again came up from behind him and this time he picked up on the disturbance even though it was completely soundless.

He spun around abruptly, firing at the ground halfway through the movement.

The explosive round hit the object that was moving about just a stone throws away and detonated but since he was close Hao Xuan was caught up in the explosion. The impact sent him flying back, straight into the wrong end of a curved blade that had appeared out of nowhere.

More than half of the meter-long blade was coming out of his lower abdomen. He spat out a mouthful of blood trying to look back and see the face of his attacker and when he did his expression worsened even more.

Not because he saw someone but because he didn't. The black blade was not even that. It was the end of a long beastly tail that was jetting out of the ground.

Just then he felt a foul breath on his face before the words "Caught you" were verbalized in a guttural voice from the front.

He tried to attack again but the creature was too fast. Its half a meter wide maw filled with rows upon rows of teeth fell upon his flesh, tearing out a chunk of his left shoulder, neck, and face.

Hao Xuan had let down his guard for one brief moment and it had cost him everything.

But the creature didn't stop there. It had made sure not to sever any main arteries so he wouldn't bleed out too fast as it tore open his abdomen and laid out the contents around Hao Xuan's body.

He tried to struggle of course but there was not much to be done in such a situation. All he could do was bear with the pain in hopes of dying just a little bit faster.

And while he was being brutalized in this specific 'dream' his physical body outside was beginning to mimic the wounds he was receiving in there.

Gashes appeared on his neck and shoulder and his abs began to lacerate, slowly but surely trying to open up just like in there.

His body convulsed lightly while Princess Ceni who was kneeling in front of him began to shake violently.

Sitting behind Hao Xuan Ma Jiang quickly noticed the problem and her face fell.

"No no no it's too soon!"

It had only been 2-3 minutes since Princess Ceni first entered but because of the slow movement of time a lot more had passed on the inside.

The chaos began to swell and numerous other figures appeared from within its boundary. They were getting closer and closer to Hao Xuan with every passing second but Ma Jiang was too focused on his injuries to notice them.

Although they had surely noticed her.

There were a handful of them in specific that were different from the rest. Where most of the figures looked like vague shadowy humanoid forms that were made from smoke and ash, a very small number of them looked more physical.

They had individual fingers and toes along with other fine details but it was their faces that really set them apart because their features were a lot more clear.

One among them belonged to a 12 or 13-year-old teenager. It was just a couple of meters away from Ma Jiang and its unfaltering gaze was fixated on her.

As more and more blood trickled down Hao Xuan's constantly expanding injuries Ma Jiang finally couldn't take it anymore. At this point she should have just left but instead, she decided to intervene one more time.

She extended her right hand while keeping the left one over the talisman.

"O' Spirits of the land heed my call!

Bless my hands so I may ease the suffering of your children and let them return to-"

While chanting the healing spell she placed her hand on Hao Xuan's back but the moment they came into contact with one another her soul was forcibly pulled inside his body.

And as unprepared as she was, there was nothing she could do to stop it in the heat of the moment.

Before she realized she was standing in the same place as Princess Ceni had been just a few minutes ago. Countless images flickered in and out of existence around her while Hao Xuan sat in the same position as before.

But there was someone else here.

In front of Hao Xuan was a glowing white figure. It was so bright in fact that at first Ma Jiang couldn't make out anything but a moment later the light dimmed greatly and she could see its true appearance.

"I have been waiting for you."