Spoiled by Eight Uncles (Lily)

Layers of clouds enveloped Ivan’s form, cloaking him one stratum at a time.

The ambient miasma lingered, akin to a malevolent specter brimming with hostility, lunging at him.

Ivan was unaware of the trail of blood he left behind as he ventured and couldn't recall how many times the barbed talons had slashed his body.

Resolutely, he fixed his gaze on the sacred mountain ahead.

Though the sacred mountain was seemingly invisible, Ivan had an epiphany. It was not the mountain that was imperceptible, but rather, he was within the sacred mountain! The obscuring blood haze vanished from his sight, and suddenly, apparitions surged forth one by one. A woman who met a tragic death, an infant that was charred, a man with a bloodstained visage twisted in horror...

Ivan’s fingers twitched slightly, and the long spear at his back unsheathed like a keen blade, resonating with a clang that dispelled all illusions before him.

Undaunted and undeterred, he refused to relinquish his vigilance. As anticipated, in less than half a heartbeat, a more potent malevolence than that of the Ghost Abyss swept over him, intent on devouring him! Having been to the Ghost Abyss before, Ivan remained calm. He raised his hand to assail, his eyes void of hesitance or sentiment, bearing an indifference uncharacteristic of a typical teenager.

Time passed as Ivan slew the apparitions, sensing that the fixation of spirits at the mountain's base was a hundredfold more terrifying and potent than the apparitions within the abyss.

Had he not clung to his clarity, he might have succumbed to bloodlust, as he had in the Ghost Abyss, even if he resisted.

Ivan’s gaze burned bright and unwavering as he scrutinized the depths of the mountain, methodically searching for an escape.

Abruptly, a radiant streak caught his attention. A semblance of a unique path had become apparent. The light possessed an unusual quality, born from the remnants of hostility shed after each successive layer of adversaries fell.

An imperceptible route emerged in a space untouched by malevolence’s taint. A passage forged unwittingly amidst the expulsion of each stratum of hostility.

“It's here!” Ivan muttered under his breath, his voice hushed. The long spear cleaved the air, parting it swiftly as he lunged forward in a single motion.

“Boom!” The sinister and hostile atmosphere trailing him converged with a resounding tumult, resembling the clap of thunder.

Casting a backward glance, Ivan realized that he had successfully exited the perilous zone, finding himself inexplicably on the mountainside of the sacred mountain.

Lifting his gaze, he saw a colossal shadow engulf the sky, and the mountain stood like a forgotten deity, serenely commanding the land.

Seating himself, Ivan could not help but pant heavily, only then noticing that one of his legs had fractured at some point.

His bones were visible, and it appeared as though some evil force had gnawed and torn through his flesh and blood, leaving nothing but mangled remains.

He had not noticed it earlier! Indeed, true predators often evade detection.

“I have experience now. If Lilly ever wishes to come next time...” He mused on how to protect her.

Ivan was convinced that the mystery of Mount Cape ensured that if Lilly wanted to traverse that path, she would inevitably do so at least once.

Ivan rotated the ring dangling from his wrist.

The ring, which was hanging from a red thread, was somewhat smaller and more delicately made than Lilly's red string.

It was what Ivan had brought to this venture. It was a storage ring.

According to science, one might assume that there was a concealed folded space within the ring capable of accommodating objects thousands of times larger than the ring itself.

Upon first seeing the ring, Ivan felt it was suited for Lilly and intended to gift it to her.

Ivan retrieved a piece of fabric from within the ring, tearing it into slender strips. He then applied medicinal powder to the exposed flesh and bones, procured branches, and smoothed their edges, spreading them on either side of his injured leg.

Having tended to his wound, he gulped down an elixir, propped himself against a rock, and surveyed the surroundings.

To his surprise, the area he had recently exited was the weakest point in the gloomy mist, with the smog around a mile away being tenfold denser than that of his previous location.

His calculations before entering the mountains were correct. This area had a gap.

Ivan marked a distinctive feature, intent on leading Lilly here on a future occasion.

Once his breathing was steady, Ivan had the energy to tend to his remaining injuries. Those on his face, shoulders, and back ranged from superficial abrasions to minor flesh wounds, yet under the influence of the elixir, the skin and flesh regenerated rapidly. At this juncture, such injuries were just scratches for Ivan.

Rising to his feet, he resumed his exploration of the mountain.

Mount Cape loomed with such grandiosity that ascending its summit appeared impracticable, akin to scaling the heavens themselves.

Ivan methodically sought the subtle stirring within his heart, inch by inch...

Abruptly, his gaze froze! “Thump... thump... thump...:" Beyond his heartbeat, he noticed the presence of other pulsations! Undoubtedly, these were the sounds of heartbeats, each rhythm resonating with such clarity that Ivan thought someone stood directly behind him.

Applying pressure to the vitality fire on his shoulder, he swiveled his head sharply, yet his gaze met naught.

The heartbeat escalated.

“Thump... thump... thump...” Goosebumps peppered Ivan's arms, and his skin broke out in a shiver.

“Whose heartbeat was that...” Ivan tracked his heartbeat and fine-tuned his senses. After three days of meticulous pursuit, he ultimately detected a minuscule fissure within the mountain's wall.

At first glance, it resembled a common ravine, yet closer scrutiny evoked a sense that this crevice concealed something.

Ivan neared the gap, uncertain of its nature. Uncontrollably, his heartbeat synchronized with the mysterious rhythm, quickening steadily...