The Dawn of the New World

The musician was quite a handsome man in his thirties. Short black hair, a long coat, and some old-looking pants. No jewelry or weapons other than a simple flute hanging by his lips. But his white pupils were eerily eye-catching.

He saw Hao Xuan approach and pulled the flute away. His lips arched into a genial smile, one that made Hao Xuan think he was meeting an old friend instead of a stranger. There was a look of nostalgia in his eyes, and of sincerity.

And Hao Xuan could not hide the surprise and utter shock in his eyes.

"Welcome, little one," the Abyss Walker uttered joyfully.

*Crack*

Hao Xuan felt like his brain separated into two. One part was on fire while the other cold as ice. If someone had told him that his head was no longer attached to the rest of his body he would have no reason to doubt them right now.

The excruciating pain brought him to his knees at once.

"AAAHRGH!" he cried.

*Riiiip*

The sound of ripping paper entered his ears and a second later the pain vanished all at once. Hao Xuan slowly opened his eyes.

He was still on his knees, still bloody and in a little pain but the surroundings were back to normal. He was a meter away from the entrance of the sparsely decorated room. All those wondrous things he had just experienced were now gone.

But in front of him there was still the same figure, sitting casually on a chair looking down at Hao Xuan with an amused expression.

It was the Abyss Walker. He looked a little different from a moment ago. Almost identical when it came to the physical features and attire but the air around him was not the same.

He looked and felt like any other man but deep inside Hao Xuan was able to tell that wasn't the case. There was a weight on his heart that shouted danger. He felt like he was kneeling in front of a monster, a true monster.

Cold sweat ran down his back and forehead, drenching him completely. Hao Xuan had trouble breathing and no matter how much he tried there was no getting back on his feet.

But still, he did not give up. Gathering what little energy he could Hao Xuan forced himself to speak.

"What...did you...do to me...?!"

The Abyss Walker's eyes twinkled with a light of amusement. As if he was looking at a dog barking at him for answers. He shook his head languidly.

"Your kind did always hate the light. But since you can speak it doesn't seem like you are too far gone."

When he finished speaking all the pressure and strange sensations Hao Xuan was feeling were throw out the window.

*GAASP*

He gasped for breath before falling on his back due to the sudden muscle relaxation. His body had been locked in the kneeling position until then.

But even if his body was freed Hao Xuan's mind was still under immense pressure. And how could it not be? This 'being' was the Abyss Walker, the final boss so to speak. Someone he wasn't supposed to meet, preferably ever. And now he was sitting just a few meters away in the very same room.

This was probably the worst thing that could have happened.

Hao Xuan took in a few deep breaths in a futile attempt to calm his wrecked nerves before peering in his direction. The situation might be way over his head but he still had the state of mind to not lose his spirit that easily.

"Who...are you? Did Dai Zhi...send you??" he inquired through shaky breaths.

He still needed to keep up appearances. Hao Xuan had never met him before so he needed to pretend to be unaware of his real identity. And his acting was top-notch. There was nothing that gave him away in this moment of desperation.

The Abyss Walker's smile wavered for just a moment, his brow furrowing slightly, "Do you not know who I am, boy? Just now you looked surprised to see me."

Hao Xuan shook his head vigorously.

"There was an unknown man...in my room....of course...I was surprised...not to mention the illusion."

The Abyss Walker's brow rose further, "Illusion? What did you see?"

Hao Xuan's heart sank in an instant. He could see from the expression on his face that he wasn't the one behind the illusion which could only mean that either it was someone else's doing or it was another timeline, even if that didn't make any sense.

*Gulp*

"I saw...my death..." he lied as a cover-up but then quickly asked another question followed by a stupid show of force so he wouldn't have time to think about it.

"Dai Zhi gave me his word...You can't do this...people...they know I'm here. Do you know who I am? You won't get away if something happens to me!"

In this moment he chose to be as ignorant as possible. There was no reason to act strong in front of someone like that. It was better to let him think that Hao Xuan was just an average guy trying to scare the other party with fictitious threats.

The less interest he had in Hao Xuan the better it would be for him.