New chapter 21

# Chapter 21 — The Watching System

# Sun City — Eastern District Ruins

The eastern wall had fallen.

Not completely—

but enough for fear to spread across the entire city.

Smoke drifted through broken streets while formation lights flickered weakly around the damaged districts. Guards carried injured civilians deeper into Sun City while cultivators desperately stabilized the collapsing defenses.

And beyond everything—

the ancient crimson gate still stood beneath the mountains.

Half-open.

Watching.

---

Xu Yuan stood near the shattered wall while dust slowly settled around him.

The translucent screen from earlier had already disappeared.

But the memory remained clear.

> Karma: -99999

>

> Status: Observed

---

He honestly wished he imagined it.

Unfortunately—

the resonance inside his chest kept reminding him otherwise.

---

Nearby cultivators still looked toward him strangely after the giant corrupted humanoid knelt.

Some fearful.

Some suspicious.

Others curious.

Xu Yuan disliked all three equally.

---

Lin Hao slowly approached while holding a damaged spear he clearly stole from somewhere.

“You’re famous now.”

Xu Yuan glanced sideways.

“That sounds unfortunate.”

“A giant monster bowed to you in front of the entire city.”

“…When you describe it like that, it does sound problematic.”

---

Even in the middle of disaster—

Lin Hao still managed to sound offended.

“You keep saying things calmly like this is normal!”

Xu Yuan looked toward the crimson gate again.

“At this point I think normal already left the city.”

“That’s fair.”

---

Several nearby disciples nervously whispered among themselves.

“Did you see those symbols earlier?”

“The creature called him heir…”

“Could he be connected to the ruins?”

One disciple immediately lowered his voice.

“Don’t say that too loudly.”

---

Xu Yuan heard all of it.

Unfortunately—

he also had no answers.

---

Beside him—

Xia Yu quietly watched the battlefield while silver spiritual energy slowly circulated around her body.

Even after the chaotic battle—

her breathing remained steady.

Almost unnaturally calm.

---

Xu Yuan glanced toward her.

“You’re handling this surprisingly well.”

Xia Yu calmly answered:

“You’re still joking after monsters destroyed the city wall.”

“That’s how I handle stress.”

Lin Hao immediately nodded.

“He’s been mentally unstable since childhood.”

Xu Yuan looked offended.

“That feels slightly excessive.”

“No.”

“It feels accurate.”

---

For once—

even Xia Yu softly agreed.

---

Then suddenly—

the giant corrupted humanoid moved again.

Instantly—

every cultivator became alert.

But instead of attacking—

the creature slowly stood while chains dragged heavily across the broken ground beneath it.

BOOOOM…

Each movement shook nearby ruins.

---

The giant creature looked toward the crimson gate silently.

Then toward Xu Yuan one final time.

Its countless eyes flickered strangely.

Almost… regretfully.

---

Then—

it turned around.

And walked back toward the eastern forest.

---

Everyone froze.

The corrupted beasts below gradually retreated alongside it.

Not fleeing.

Following.

Like soldiers obeying commands.

---

Zhao Tianhe slowly rose from collapsed ruins nearby while blood dripped from his arm.

His expression remained grim.

“They’re withdrawing…”

One elder frowned deeply.

“Why?”

Nobody answered immediately.

Because the answer felt obvious.

---

They weren’t retreating because they lost.

They were leaving because something bigger was coming.

---

The city lord slowly looked toward the crimson gate.

Then quietly said:

“…That thing was only testing the city.”

Silence spread instantly afterward.

---

Far beneath the mountains—

another deep sound echoed through the region.

Not a roar.

Not an explosion.

A heartbeat.

---

BOOOOM…

The ground trembled again lightly.

Several cultivators instantly turned pale.

Because they all felt it.

Something enormous was waking deeper beneath the gate.

---

Xu Yuan suddenly froze again.

That strange translucent screen briefly flickered before his eyes.

---

> Detecting spiritual fluctuation…

>

> Host stability: Low

>

> Soul synchronization: Partial

>

> Unknown observer present

---

The screen vanished instantly afterward.

Xu Yuan nearly cursed aloud.

---

Xia Yu immediately noticed his expression change again.

“What happened?”

Xu Yuan hesitated briefly.

Then answered carefully:

“…I think I’m seeing things.”

Lin Hao instantly stepped backward.

“The cursed ruins broke his brain.”

“That’s not helping.”

---

Xu Yuan rubbed his forehead slowly.

He couldn’t exactly explain floating screens and mysterious system messages to everyone.

Especially when he barely understood them himself.

---

Meanwhile—

the eastern district slowly descended into exhausted silence after the retreat.

Injured cultivators filled temporary medical stations while formation masters repaired broken barriers desperately.

The air smelled like smoke, blood, and spiritual energy.

---

Several guards nearby sat against broken walls resting.

One younger guard sighed heavily.

“I joined city defense because I thought spirit beasts were the worst thing possible.”

Another guard quietly answered:

“…I miss spirit beasts.”

Even Xu Yuan almost laughed again.

People joked more during disasters.

Maybe because fear became easier to handle that way.

---

As the sky darkened toward evening—

temporary camps formed throughout the inner districts.

No one trusted the eastern wall anymore.

---

Inside one damaged courtyard—

Xu Yuan finally sat down heavily beneath broken wooden beams while staring toward the distant mountains.

The crimson glow from the gate still illuminated the horizon faintly.

Like a second moon watching the city.

---

Lin Hao dropped beside him dramatically.

“I want peaceful days back.”

Xu Yuan nodded seriously.

“I also miss sleeping without ancient horrors appearing.”

---

Xia Yu quietly sat beside Xu Yuan afterward.

Naturally close.

Close enough their shoulders lightly touched.

Like always.

---

Lin Hao stared toward them silently for several seconds.

Then sighed.

“You two really don’t act like people in danger.”

Xu Yuan looked confused.

“We literally almost died today.”

“Yes.”

“And you’re still sitting together like this.”

Xu Yuan glanced toward Xia Yu.

She remained calm as usual.

Then he shrugged.

“We’ve always been together.”

Lin Hao looked emotionally exhausted.

“That somehow sounds more terrifying than the monsters.”

---

A faint smile finally appeared on Xia Yu’s face.

Small.

But real.

And for a brief moment—

the atmosphere felt lighter again.

---

Then—

far beyond the city—

the crimson gate pulsed once more.

BOOOOM…

The resonance inside Xu Yuan’s chest answered instantly.

And deep within his consciousness—

inside endless black ruins—

countless crimson eyes slowly opened again.

Watching him silently.

Waiting patiently.

---

Then the cold voice echoed once more.

> “System initialization nearing completion…”

And this time—

Xu Yuan heard another voice whisper from the darkness behind it.

Soft.

Ancient.

Female.

> “Do not trust it completely…”