Help?

"Eldoria?" Lin Xiao repeated. "I've never heard of it. How do I get back to where I came from?"

The woman ignored his question and repeated, as if on a loop, "Welcome, traveler! You're in the village of Eldoria."

Creeped out by her smile, Lin Xiao muttered, "Imma just slip past you," and quickly moved on, deciding not to waste any more time on the strange encounter.

...

...

Back in the castle, Xiao Bai and Lil' Blackie stood in front of the almost-destroyed door. After being separated from Lin Xiao, Xiao Bai had gone frantic, trying to open the door until he broke it. Now, he stood with his head down, feeling defeated.

Lil' Blackie consoled him by gently stroking his back with her paw. "Don't worry," she said softly. "We will find Xiao Xiao. Let's explore the manor and see if we can find any clues."

Xiao Bai lifted his head, his eyes still filled with worry. "You're right. We can't just give up."

They started to explore the grand manor, moving cautiously through its dark, empty halls.

The air was thick with dust, and the wooden floorboards creaked under their weight. Portraits of stern-looking ancestors lined the walls, their eyes seemingly following them as they moved.

"I don't like this place," Xiao Bai whispered, his tail twitching nervously. "Without Xiao Xiao, It feels... haunted."

"Stay close," Lil' Blackie advised. "We need to stick together and be ready for anything."

As Xiao Bai and Lil' Blackie ventured through the manor, they found traces of battle—broken furniture, scorch marks on the walls, and scattered weapons. It looked like a fierce fight had taken place. Despite searching every room, they found no one. The place was eerily deserted.

When they tried to exit the manor, the door wouldn't budge, no matter how hard they tried. Xiao Bai turned to Lil' Blackie, his frustration was evident. "Now what should we do?"

Lil' Blackie sighed, her eyes filled with determination. "The only thing we can do now is wait for Xiao Xiao. Maybe after the dungeon is completed, we can return."

...

...

Back in the real world, in Xinyang City, in an unknown location, there was a huge hall. In the center was a massive red crystal, pulsating with an eerie light.

Around it lay numerous people, their bodies lifeless as if something had drained the essence from them. The red crystal shimmered ominously, its glow growing more intense by the second.

Suddenly, the shimmering intensified, casting the hall in a blinding red light. Cracks appeared on the surface of the crystal, spreading rapidly until it shattered with a deafening sound.

From the remnants of the crystal, a swirling portal emerged, its energy pulsating like a heartbeat.

One person standing at the edge of the hall watched with wide eyes. Panic set in as he realized the gravity of the situation. Without wasting a moment, he turned and sprinted away from the hall, his footsteps echoing through the empty corridors.

He reached an improvised throne room, its grandeur a stark contrast to the chaos outside.

Bowing deeply, he addressed the man sitting on the throne, who wore an ornate mask concealing his features. "Master, the crystal we found killed all the scientists and turned into a weird portal-looking thing."

The masked man leaned forward, his eyes narrowing behind the mask. "A portal, you say?"

His voice was calm but carried an underlying menace. "Interesting. This could either be an opportunity or a threat. We must investigate immediately. Prepare a team to enter and ensure nothing comes or goes through that portal without my knowledge."

The subordinate nodded and quickly left the room to carry out his orders. The masked man sat back on his throne, his mind racing with possibilities.

"It's happening exactly like Master said," The masked man said while closing his eyes.

...

...

Back in the village, Lin Xiao roamed around, trying to engage with the villagers. However, no matter whom he spoke to, they all responded like NPCs, repeating the same lines over and over again.

Frustrated and perplexed, he continued his exploration until he stumbled upon a large villa in the center of the village. Its grandiose appearance suggested it belonged to someone important, possibly the village chief.

Lin Xiao knocked on the door, and to his surprise, it swung open on its own. He stood there, speechlessly shocked, before cautiously stepping inside.

The interior was dimly lit, with old, dusty furniture and cobwebs adorning the corners. The air was thick with the scent of age and neglect.

In the middle of the room stood an extremely old woman. Her back was hunched, her skin wrinkled and pale, almost translucent. Her eyes were sunken, and her hair was a wild, silver mane.

She wore a tattered, dark gown that seemed to blend into the shadows. Her presence was unsettling, and a chill ran down Lin Xiao's spine as he looked at her.

Seeing him, the woman spoke in a monotonous, robotic tone, like an NPC. "Ah, traveler, you are here. We've been waiting for you."

Lin Xiao waited for her to continue, sensing that she had more to say. After a moment, she spoke again. "There is a ghost living in the nearby river, devouring our people. We need help."

Lin Xiao rolled his eyes internally, thinking, "Great, the usual script," But her next words sent a jolt of shock through him.

"Please help us find a sacrifice for the evil spirit to quell its anger."

Lin Xiao stared at her in disbelief. "A sacrifice?" he repeated. "You can't be serious."

The old woman's expression remained unchanged, her eyes blank and devoid of emotion. "It is the only way to save our village," she intoned.

Lin Xiao took a step back, his mind racing. "This place is even more twisted than I thought."

"There has to be another way," he insisted. "I won't be part of sacrificing anyone."

The old woman continued to stare at him, her eerie smile never wavering. 

She repeated, "Ah, traveler, you are here. We've been waiting for you."