Li Wu squeezes through the clean opening under the roots, and the cold draft hits him like a remembered pulse. Beyond the seam lies a cavern of frost-rimed stone, ancient and still, breathing in a rhythm that matches his own qi.
The chamber is not empty. The draft coils around a broken threshold of stone, and the air beyond it trembles like a door waiting to be opened. This is the hidden path Ren kept closed.
Ren
So you found it. I meant for you to.
Ren
Not the ruin, not the seal, this gateway. I kept it buried until your meridians could survive the pull.
Chen
Ren, you led him here on purpose...?
Ren
He was always going to seek higher ground. I only made sure the ground answered.
The pull deepens, clean and cold, and the frost along the walls brightens in a thin, steady line. Li Wu stands at the threshold, with the next realm pressing back through the stone.
✓ Quest Accepted
Stabilize the gateway
“I channel my qi into the threshold and match the gateway's rhythm to manipulate water and absorb the ice around the gateway replenishing my health.”
SUCCESS (Good Health, rolled +0)
Li Wu presses both palms to the threshold and lets his qi sink into the frost-lined stone. The gateway answers with a deep, even pulse, and the ice around the arch loosens into cold mist.
Li Wu
The rhythm is stable.
He matches the pulse again, slower this time. Thin seams of rime peel away from the stone and drift into his meridians, leaving warmth beneath the chill in his chest.
Chen
He is taking it in stride... the gateway is settling.
The crimson lattice on Li Wu's skin glows once, then quiets. The chamber's groan softens, as if the walls recognize a steadier master.
Ren
Good. Keep that cadence. If you force it, the ruin will bite back.
Li Wu breathes with the stone, and the broken threshold firms under his control. The frost thins at his touch, not broken, but drawn inward and held.
Quest Complete
Stabilize the gateway