The sun hung brightly in the sky, shining down on the inhabitants of the Ancient Beast Mountain Range. The calm, cool breeze swept through each blade of grass and every leaf, bringing a little bit of life to the large, empty expanse.
For how large and empty the Ancient Beast Mountain Range looks on the outside, it is actually incredibly active. It lived and breathed like a giant immortal organism whose cells are constantly at each other's throats. The quote, "Where death lies, life flourishes." fits the scene perfectly because for every wilted blade of grass, for every rotten fruit, and dead beast, another takes its place.
The mountains consume the nutrients of the dead and turn them into power, which is then used to create a new, better life. The process is slow and takes thousands of years to accumulate into something worthwhile, but it's for this reason that people regard the Ancient Beast Mountain Range as a living legend.
Some people even question whether or not it's actually a living entity, just that it's so massive nobody can comprehend its power. Hell, the conspiracies go even deeper as some people believe the Mortal Realm is one giant being; the continents are its organs, and the inhabitants are its cells.
To go even further, the World Barriers, or Realm Boundaries, are there to separate one entity from another, and across them are entirely new worlds. While this is all just speculation, as there's no record of anyone crossing a Realm Boundary and returning, they aren't wrong that the world behaves as if it's part of a whole.
The Earth creates new 'cells' and disposes of old ones, Heaven tests and regulates these 'cells' to ensure they stay in line, and the inhabitants create systems where they can grow the most efficiently.
While there are countless mysteries surrounding the Mountain Range and its legends, there is one thing that every living being, man or beast, knows. It's a mysterious yet treacherous place full of untold dangers and riches beyond anyone's wildest dreams.
The only question remaining is: Can you make it out alive, or will you become just another dead cell used to fertilize the strong?
***
It was a day like any other in the Mountain Range; beasts killed one another for food and resources, rock slides and avalanches happened around the clock, and humans took their chances to search for treasures and turn their life around.
Just like many others before them, two humans entered the Ancient Beast Mountain Range, hoping to test their luck and turn their lives around.
"Hey. A-Are we really going to do this, Ben?" An average-sized man with brown hair asked.
The leader, a tall man with black hair, looked at his companion and nodded, "If you want to continue cultivating and getting stronger, we have to. You should know this better than me, John."
"B-But, this is 'that' mountain range, you know? Only those talented geniuses from the big Sects can survive there! I don't know about you, but I would prefer to stay alive than cultivate!" The brown-haired man yelled, hoping to talk some sense into his friend.
"I-I know that! I-It's just… we've worked so hard to reach the peak of the Core Formation Realm! I don't want all that effort to go to waste because of our inferior talent and inability to break through! I want to become stronger! I want to break the shackles that bind me! I don't want to settle for this mediocre life!" Ben exclaimed, his eyes lit up with ambition.
His words stirred something within John as he was forced to recall the words of his Master:
"I'm sorry, John, but… With your talent, no matter how hard you try, you will never be able to enter the Nascent Soul Realm. This isn't me trying to demoralize you, but the reality of your situation. The way I see it, you have two choices as of right now. You can settle down, stop cultivating, and enjoy life, or search for your own lucky encounters."
Those words tore him apart, but he knew his Master wasn't wrong. He could instinctively feel it.
A wall he is incapable of surpassing.
He thought long and hard about what he wanted to do for his future, and that's when his friend, Ben, came to him and said he was going to the Ancient Beast Mountain Range to search for a way to break through.
Those words were like a flash of light in his moment of darkness.
So, one thing led to another, and now he's here.
However, the Ancient Beast Mountain Range was much more intimidating than he expected.
The ground rumbled from the footsteps of abnormally large beasts, and the wind howled like a wolf on the hunt.
He was just a normal person, not used to the terrifying dangers that the world holds! How could he handle this kind of situation?!
But Ben's words lit a fire in him!
'I also want to live an extraordinary life like those god-like talents from the Big Sects!' He clenched his fists as he imagined a scene of himself standing above millions of people, like how a god might look down upon a swarm of ants!
"F-Fine! L-Let's go!" John announced and charged into the mountains before Ben could say anything.
Seeing this, Ben smiled and followed after him.
Unfortunately, he was unaware that danger lurked around the corner—a danger that would make him regret ever coming here.
The two walked and explored the mountains for an entire day before night descended on the land, covering everything within its cold embrace.
"No luck today, huh?" Ben muttered, a little disappointed at their harvest.
"What'd you expect, huh? To find some Divine-Grade herb that would take us straight to the Mortal Shedding Realm?" John mocked, but he was feeling as equally as disappointed.
Ben's cheeks turned red, but he didn't rebuke his friend as he was indeed hoping for something like that.
"Hahaha! You idiot! As if we'd be that luc-" As John chuckled, he saw something out of the corner of his eye and froze.
Ben became confused and waved his hand in front of his friend's face, "Hey, John, you alright? Why'd you stop talking?"
John didn't say anything and just raised his trembling hand and pointed behind Ben.
Curious and amused, Ben turned around to see what all the fuss was about, but he, too, froze when he saw something that looked straight out of hell.
A tall woman with 9 fox tails stood behind them, soaked in fresh blood. However, that wasn't what scared them. What frightened them were her eyes or what they assumed were eyes; they were like two glowing orbs of condensed blood.
"Y~yOu~! I~t's all yOur fault!" A deep, gravely, hoarse voice came out of the woman. It was hard for them to make out the words, but she was coherent enough to where they could understand most of it.
"W-What's our f-fault? I-I do-don't think we know each other." Ben gathered the courage to ask. He tried to move the rest of his body, but his eyes widened in horror when he realized that nothing had responded. Not his arms, legs, or even fingers.
He was… His body was frozen in fear!
'NO! MOVE! MOVE BODY, MOVE! DAMMIT!'
*SPLAT!*
Those were his last thoughts as his body exploded into a bloody mist, not leaving behind an ounce of flesh.
"B-B-Ben?" John asked in a shaky voice. One second, he heard his friend say something, and then in the next second, a blood mist appeared before his eyes, followed by the demonic fox woman.
"BEEEEEEN!" John's eyes turned bloodshot as he realized that his best friend had been murdered right before his very eyes and for seemingly no reason.
However, the next moment, he closed his mouth as he felt a terrifying pressure wrap around his body, causing most of his bones to crack and his organs to rupture.
"Q~uIeT~ ScUm!" The fox woman closed her fist, causing the pressure around him to increase.
"NOOO! WHY?! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?! TELL ME!" John roared. He knew his demise was imminent, but he still wanted answers. However, the fox woman didn't have any intention of answering.
Instead, she tightened her fist, causing the pressure around him to increase even more, and he screamed in agony as his body collapsed in on itself.
A few seconds later, the screams stopped, and all that was left of John was a fist-sized ball of flesh and bones.
After killing the two of them, the fox woman's eyes seemed to glow brighter, and the baleful emotions around her became palpable.
"Kill."
"Kill. Kill. Kill."
"KILL!! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!!"
"I'LL KILL YOU, JUST LIKE WHAT YOU DID TO ME!! JUST LIKE WHAT YOU DID TO MY FAMILY!"
While yelling this, the fox woman ran off deeper into the mountains to continue her rampage, leaving nothing behind but pools of blood.
The ball of flesh that used to be John dropped to the ground, and just like that, another dead 'cell' was recycled into the Mountain Range, contributing to its growth.
***
[A/N: Hello, everyone, and thanks for reading this chapter! I'm sure you've noticed, but this chapter is slightly different than the previous ones. Or at least the writing style is. That was done on purpose.
I wanted to experiment with a different writing style, as I want to keep growing as a writer. Unlike other chapters, this one isn't done from Mira's POV. Instead, I try to incorporate a bit of history, mystery, action, world-building, and of course, gore in a more 3rd-party narrator style.
Okay, maybe the world-building is questionable, but it's there!
Anyways, let me know what you guys think. Do you guys like this kind of writing style? Do you prefer seeing things from Mira's POV? Maybe a mixture of both? Would you guys like me to add more background information and characters to my chapters?
So far, it's really just been about Mira, and while some of that was unintentional, a lot of it wasn't. I started this novel wanting to write about Mira's journey and experiences, and that's what I've been focused on writing.
But if something like this can improve the story, tone, and theme of the story, then I'll try and switch over to this kind of style.
If you guys noticed the difference, then feel free to let me know your thoughts. If you didn't, then just ignore this message, haha!
Alright! See you guys later~]
