The Mighty Mage

A car dropped them off, and the moment they stepped out, a chilling wind blew past them. Mimi hugged her arms and looked up.

The mountain was huge, tall and steep, covered completely in thick, greyish fog. But the strangest part was the gate.

A large opening sat in the middle of the mountain like a dark mouth. Inside it swirled a glowing purple portal. It shimmered quietly like water, but it pulsed like it was alive.

Mimi frowned. "This place is weird… really weird."

She stepped closer and looked at the portal, her small face serious. "I feel like… something is calling me from the other side. Like I know this place somehow."

Gu Jin glanced at her and raised an eyebrow. She thought back to her studies about necromancy. The Void Gate is filled with soul energy… that must be why Mimi, a ghost beast, feels connected.

She gently patted Mimi's shoulder. "It's fine. If you feel something, follow it once we're inside. Just stay close."

Mimi nodded slowly.

Just then, they heard footsteps behind them.

Gu Jin turned and saw a man and a woman walking toward them. Both looked strong and dressed in flashy clothes, probably from a rich sect or a powerful family.

The woman stepped forward and looked down at Gu Jin. "You there. We're going in first."

Gu Jin tilted her head, looking at the gate. "It hasn't opened yet. What's the rush? We can all wait our turn."

The man scoffed. "We don't need to wait. We have a right to enter first. So step aside."

Gu Jin's face stayed calm. "There's no rule about that. We got here first. You can go in after us."

The woman's eyes narrowed. "Listen, girl. You might think you're smart, but don't push your luck. If you don't move, we'll make you regret it."

Mimi stepped forward, glaring at them with her tiny hands on her hips. "Try it, and I'll scratch your faces off!"

The couple looked shocked for a second, then burst into laughter.

"What can a kid like her do?" the man laughed.

Mimi's eyes glowed faintly. "You want to test me?"

Gu Jin sighed. "You two can go in next. Stop wasting time with pointless threats. This gate isn't going to wait for you to finish your tantrum."

As if answering her words, the portal suddenly shimmered more brightly. A deep hum filled the air.

The Void Gate was opening.

Gu Jin looked at the couple. "Move aside or follow after. Either way, I'm going in."

With that, she stepped forward toward the glowing portal without fear.

Mimi followed quickly behind her, sticking her tongue out at the rude couple. "You better stay out of our way!"

As soon as Gu Jin and Mimi stepped through the purple portal, they arrived on the other side of the Void Gate.

The wind was colder here, and the air was heavier. A strange mist floated around them. Behind them, the couple stepped out of the portal too, their eyes sharp and full of anger.

The woman glared at Gu Jin and muttered, "We'll make her pay for this later."

The man nodded in agreement. "We were supposed to go in first. This would've made our vlog perfect."

They were famous bloggers from Country J, known for their exciting adventure videos. Today, they had come to the Void Gate just to film a special video for their viewers.

Their plan was to be the first to enter, so they could show their experience from the very beginning.

But now, because of Gu Jin, they had to wait and walk behind her. If they filmed with Gu Jin in the shot, everyone would only focus on her.

She was so beautiful that their fans would get distracted, and their video would lose attention.

Even worse, if their fans asked about her, it might steal their spotlight.

They didn't want to admit it, but deep down, they knew: Gu Jin was stunning, like someone from a fantasy story.

If they showed her too much, people might forget about them. That was why they wanted to push her aside. But when Gu Jin refused, they got even angrier.

The woman looked at the man and whispered, "Once we're deeper inside, we'll teach her a lesson."

The man gave a cruel smile. "Can't wait."

But Gu Jin didn't hear any of this. She had already started walking, her mind focused on the strange new world around her.

.........

Thick fog floated all around. It was hard to see what was ten steps ahead. The trees and plants didn't even look real. Some had glowing leaves, others moved slightly as if breathing.

The colors were odd, too, mostly shades of blue and gray. Everything looked cold, silent, and mysterious.

But Gu Jin didn't seem bothered.

While Mimi shivered a little, Gu Jin stood still and closed her eyes. She could feel it, strong soul energy moving through the air. It was exactly what her necromancy element needed.

"This place is like a treasure," she murmured.

Mimi blinked. "Treasure?"

Gu Jin nodded. "The energy here is perfect for cultivation. But…" she paused, looking around carefully.

"If I start now, I might not wake up before the one-month deadline. And if someone attacks me while I'm in deep cultivation…"

Her voice faded. She didn't need to say more. Mimi understood.

Gu Jin was cautious. She didn't trust anyone, not even a place like this.

So, instead of sitting down to cultivate, she decided to look for the key that brought her here in the first place.

They walked for a few minutes, exploring slowly, when suddenly, someone stepped out of the bushes.

It was a young man. He looked calm and serious, with very pale skin and strange, old-fashioned clothes, like he was from a hundred years ago.

He stared at Gu Jin and said coldly, "You should leave this place."

Gu Jin raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you leave instead? I came here with a goal. I'm not leaving until I complete it."

The man narrowed his eyes. "Who are you to speak like that?"

"I should be asking you that," Gu Jin replied. "Who are you to lecture me?"

The man was about to answer, but then he stopped. His eyes widened as he looked closely at Gu Jin.

He pointed at her. "You… are you a necromancer?"

Gu Jin froze for a moment. Then, she calmly shook her head. "No. You're mistaken."

But the man didn't believe her. "Don't lie. I can feel it. Your aura… it has the scent of death."

Gu Jin stayed silent, studying the man carefully.

His face was very pale, even more than normal. His body didn't give off any warmth. The way he stood there… so still, like he wasn't really alive.

She narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"

The man chuckled, but it wasn't friendly. "If you're so paranoid, you shouldn't have entered a place like this."

Gu Jin answered without emotion. "Paranoia keeps people alive. Especially here."

With that, she turned and walked past him.

The man watched her with a strange expression before vanishing into thin air, like smoke blown away by the wind.

Mimi's eyes grew wide. "He… he disappeared! He's a ghost!"

Gu Jin nodded calmly. "I know. I could tell the moment he came close."

"How?" Mimi asked, curious.

Gu Jin replied quietly, "My necromancy element lets me sense souls. His aura wasn't human. That's why I didn't trust him."

Mimi looked impressed. "You're so smart, Gu Jin."

But Gu Jin didn't smile. Her eyes scanned the foggy land again. Something felt strange.

After walking for about five more minutes, Gu Jin stopped.

She frowned.

Mimi looked up at her. "What is it?"

Gu Jin looked around. "This tree… and that rock over there… Haven't we seen them already?"

Mimi turned in a circle. Everything did look familiar.

Gu Jin took out a small knife and carved a line on a tree. Then they walked forward again.

Five minutes later, they passed the same tree, with the line still there.

Mimi gasped. "We're going in circles!"

Gu Jin nodded slowly. "This place is in a loop."

She didn't sound scared, more interested than anything. "Every time we move forward, we end up back where we started."

She looked around again. "Even the land is tricking us."

Mimi began to worry. "What do we do now? We can't get stuck here forever!"

Gu Jin crouched down and touched the soil. It was damp and cold, but there was something odd about it... it didn't feel like real ground.

She stood up again and looked at the sky, then at the trees.

"It's not just a loop," she said slowly. "It's an illusion. The same scene is being shown to us again and again, like a trick mirror."

Mimi blinked. "So… everything we're seeing isn't real?"

"Not completely," Gu Jin said. "Some things might be real, but the path is hidden. The loop is just making us miss it."

Mimi scratched her head. "Then how do we find the real way?"