I walked in front, guiding the way, murmuring incantations to dispel the veil of dark energy. Behind me, the four of them chatted and laughed, their flashlights sweeping the forest, completely unaware of the danger surrounding them.
The moon climbed higher until it hung over the treetops.
A chilling wind swept through the mountains.
Ryan Brooks, irritated by my slow pace, went out of his way to find a branch covered in thorns and lashed my back with it.
The pain burned hot, my shirt tearing under the strike.
The trail was covered with sharp stones; my bare feet were already bloody, and I could barely walk straight.
“Hurry up,” he barked. “My livestream’s already running thirty minutes late. You owe me at least fifty, sixty grand now!”
I regretted not learning more self-defense from Master Daniel. I had assumed I’d rarely deal with hostile people, but now I saw how wrong I’d been.
I could feel the currents of air shifting around me — the time for the spirit guiding ritual had come.
With no choice, I stopped, knelt respectfully, and bowed to the ground. From my sack, I took out spirit money and cast it into the air.
The paper drifted upward, transforming into golden light before vanishing.
Ryan and the others watched, laughing so hard they could barely stand.
They even pulled out their phones to film.
I didn’t care — they wouldn’t capture anything on camera. Even if they did, it would just look like empty darkness.
I continued leading the way, scattering more spirit money as we went.
Seeing they’d stopped causing trouble, I felt my tension ease.
But after we turned down a few narrow paths, Ryan called for a stop. He and the others said they’d found the perfect spot to set up camp for the night.
My chest tightened.
This area was too low-lying — a place where dark energy pooled. Staying here for long would be dangerous, and I doubted I could handle it alone.
I spoke carefully.
“This spot is low ground. We should find somewhere else.”
Ryan cracked the branch against me again.
“Shut up.”
The blow made me flinch, and I stumbled to the ground.
The spirit money scattered once more.
Ignoring me, they busied themselves setting up their livestream equipment.
Bright lights flared, forcing me to close my eyes.
When I opened them again, I saw the dark energy already drifting toward them, the veil creeping closer.
The forest around us was illuminated, revealing several shadowy pits in the ground. Under the cover of leaves, they looked especially ominous.
The burning pain in my back was a constant reminder of their cruelty toward me.
For a moment, I thought, Let them face the consequences themselves.
But I was a practitioner. Letting someone die when I could prevent it would damage my spiritual merit — and Master Daniel would never forgive that.
So I forced myself to try again.
“This place is dangerous. Please, let’s move somewhere else.”
Ryan’s hands stilled. He frowned and slowly stepped toward me.
“Are you itching for another beating?”
I had no choice but to reveal part of the truth.
“I’m a practitioner. I can see things… and this place is truly dangerous.”
Jake Miller burst into loud laughter.
“This woman must be crazy! She’s been acting weird all night — probably escaped from a psych ward.”
Emily Carter clapped her hands mockingly.
“Yeah, maybe that ‘Guide 001’ badge she has is actually a patient number!”
With that, the four of them exchanged looks and began closing in on me, their expressions turning sinister.
I swallowed hard, backing away step by step.
“What are you doing? Don’t do anything stupid. I really am a practitioner!”
