Chapter 8 - The Path of Cultivation

Akari’s hands trembled as she reached for the Forsaken Cultivation Manual. The parchment was cold, unnaturally so, and when her fingers brushed against it, a pulse of energy rippled through her body.

> Item Acquired: Forsaken Cultivation Manual (Sealed).

Warning: Unlocking this manual will bind you to the Forsaken Path. Proceed?

Her breath hitched.

This was it.

Every cultivator needed a path—a method to refine their essence and grow stronger. And yet, this felt different.

She had seen others in the game following traditional techniques—Heavenly Sword Arts, Divine Flame Cultivation, even Beast Taming.

But this?

The Forsaken Path.

A name filled with ominous weight.

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Her instincts screamed at her to hesitate, but hesitation had never gotten her anywhere. She was stuck in this world now. Weakness meant death.

She exhaled sharply.

“Unlock.”

The moment the word left her lips, the manual burned with violet flames. Symbols rose from the pages, floating in the air, twisting into a shape she couldn’t comprehend.

Then, the pain struck.

A searing heat tore through her veins as if her very soul was being rewritten. Her vision darkened, flashes of distant memories she didn’t recognize flickering before her eyes.

Blood. Chains. Shadows moving beneath the earth.

A voice, distant and hollow, whispered in her mind.

“You have chosen well, Child of the Forsaken.”

The flames faded. Akari gasped for breath, her entire body drenched in sweat.

> Forsaken Cultivation Unlocked.

Stage One: Shadow Vein Awakening.

She shuddered. Her body felt… different. Lighter. Yet, beneath her skin, there was an unfamiliar presence—something coiling in the depths of her being.

Akari flexed her fingers, watching as dark tendrils of energy curled around them.

This is… my power now?

She focused, willing the energy to disperse. It obeyed. Instinctively. As if it had always been a part of her.

A thrill shot through her chest.

For the first time since arriving in this world, she felt strong.

But before she could process the change, a sudden growl snapped her back to reality.

Her wolves.

She turned to see them staggering to their feet. Their wounds had healed, but something about them was… off. Their once-crimson eyes now glowed a deep violet, mirroring the energy within her own body.

Her connection to them had changed. Strengthened.

Had they been affected by her cultivation?

A shiver ran down her spine.

This was no ordinary technique.

The Forsaken Path had altered her very essence.

And she had no idea what that truly meant.

> Quest Updated: The Path of Cultivation

Objective: Survive.

Akari let out a dry laugh.

Survive, huh?

It seemed the system had stopped holding her hand.

She glanced at the shrine’s exit. The night outside was darker than before, the world carrying an eerie stillness.

She had won the trial, but something told her this was only the beginning.

No, she wasn’t just playing anymore.

She was living this.

And now…

She had to keep moving.