Morning came quietly.
Too quietly.
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Li Wei opened his eyes the moment the first light entered his room.
He had not truly slept.
Not deeply.
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His mind had remained in a careful balance—thinking just enough to stay aware, but not enough to invite… attention.
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For a brief moment, everything felt normal.
The room.
The light.
The stillness.
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Then—
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A thought surfaced.
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"...What if it learns faster than I do?"
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Li Wei sat up slowly.
His expression didn't change.
But his eyes grew colder.
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"That means time is not on my side."
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He stepped outside.
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The sect was already awake.
Disciples moved along the stone paths.
Voices echoed faintly.
Routine.
Normal.
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And yet—
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Li Wei noticed something immediately.
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They felt… distant.
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Not physically.
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But subtly.
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As if there was a layer between him and everything else.
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He walked forward.
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A group of outer disciples stood nearby, speaking in low voices.
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"…Did you hear?"
"…Yeah… it's strange…"
"…Elder Chen is already involved…"
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Li Wei's steps slowed.
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Elder Chen.
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That alone was enough.
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He approached without drawing attention.
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"…What happened?" one disciple asked.
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The other hesitated.
Then lowered his voice further.
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"…Someone disappeared."
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Li Wei's gaze sharpened slightly.
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"Who?"
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Silence.
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The first disciple frowned.
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"…I don't know."
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"…What do you mean you don't know?"
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"…I mean—"
He paused.
Confused.
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"…I heard it this morning. Someone from the inner sect is missing."
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"…Which one?"
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"…I… can't remember."
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A strange tension filled the air.
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The two disciples looked at each other.
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Both frowning now.
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"…That's weird."
"…Yeah…"
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They laughed awkwardly.
Trying to dismiss it.
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But the discomfort remained.
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Li Wei turned away.
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His expression had completely changed.
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Cold.
Focused.
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"…It's already begun."
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The Rule—
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The entity existed within awareness.
Within thought.
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But now—
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It wasn't just affecting him.
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It was affecting others.
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More importantly—
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It was erasing something.
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"...Not just presence," Li Wei murmured.
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"…Memory."
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That meant one thing.
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The moment someone was no longer perceived—
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They could be removed.
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And no one would notice.
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A faint chill passed through him.
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Not fear.
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Understanding.
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Li Wei changed direction immediately.
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He headed toward the inner sect.
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The deeper areas were more guarded.
More silent.
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Disciples here spoke less.
Moved with purpose.
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But even here—
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Something was off.
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Small gaps in conversation.
Moments of hesitation.
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As if something was missing—
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And no one could define what.
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Near the central courtyard—
He saw him.
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Elder Chen.
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Standing with several elders.
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Their expressions were serious.
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Li Wei stopped at a distance.
Observing.
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"…We checked all records," one elder said.
"…There is no trace."
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"…Impossible," another replied.
"…An inner disciple cannot simply vanish."
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"…Yet he did."
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"…Who is 'he'?"
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Silence fell.
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Even the elders—
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Paused.
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Elder Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.
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"…That is the problem."
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A heavy pressure filled the space.
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Not physical.
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But mental.
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Li Wei watched carefully.
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Even they—
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Could not remember.
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Elder Chen suddenly turned.
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His gaze landed directly on Li Wei.
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Sharp.
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As if he had been expecting him.
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"…Come here," he said.
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Li Wei stepped forward calmly.
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The surrounding elders glanced at him briefly, then returned to their discussion.
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Elder Chen lowered his voice.
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"…You feel it, don't you?"
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Li Wei didn't answer immediately.
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"…Yes."
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A pause.
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"…It's spreading," Elder Chen said quietly.
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"…Not like before."
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"…This time—"
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He stopped.
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As if choosing his words carefully.
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"…This time it's taking something."
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Li Wei nodded slightly.
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"…Awareness."
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"…And once awareness is gone—"
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"…So is existence."
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Elder Chen's expression darkened.
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"…Then we have a problem."
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"No," Li Wei said calmly.
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"…We have a pattern."
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Elder Chen looked at him again.
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"…Explain."
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Li Wei's voice remained steady.
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"…It cannot act without being perceived."
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"…But it can erase perception."
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"…So it removes the observer."
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A brief silence followed.
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Then—
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Elder Chen's eyes widened slightly.
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"…Then anyone targeted—"
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"…Will disappear without resistance."
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"Unless," Li Wei said—
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"…they realize it first."
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At that moment—
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A scream echoed across the courtyard.
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Sharp.
Sudden.
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Everyone turned.
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A disciple stood in the distance.
Frozen.
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"…He was right here!"
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"…He was just here!"
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The space around him was empty.
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"…Who?" someone asked.
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The disciple trembled.
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"…I… I don't know…"
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His face turned pale.
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"…I can't remember…"
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Silence fell again.
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He dropped to his knees.
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Shaking.
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"…Something is wrong…"
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Li Wei didn't move.
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His eyes were fixed on the empty space.
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Then—
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For a split second—
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He saw it.
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A distortion.
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Not of space.
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Not of light.
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But of presence.
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Something… leaving.
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His breath slowed.
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"…So that's how you do it."
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No one else reacted.
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No one else saw.
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Because for them—
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There was nothing there.
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Li Wei's gaze hardened.
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"…You're getting faster."
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And somewhere—
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Deep within his mind—
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Something shifted.
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Not a ripple.
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Not a whisper.
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But something closer.
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Watching.
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Learning.
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And this time—
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It did not hide.
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**"...Now you understand."**
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Li Wei did not react outwardly.
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But inside—
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His thoughts sharpened like a blade.
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"…No," he replied silently.
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"…Now I begin."
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The game had changed.
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And this time—
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He was not the only one playing.