System Activated: Divine Talent Granted

Chapter Seventy-Five

The path was steep and dangerous. Oliver followed the woman as she walked down the winding trail, his boots slipping on loose stones. Every step was a battle to stay upright. The ground beneath him felt unstable, as if the earth itself did not want him there. The mist wrapped around his ankles, curling like fingers trying to pull him back. It smelled of damp soil and something else—something old and forgotten.

As they went lower, the air grew warmer. But it was not a comforting warmth. It did not feel like the sun on his skin or the heat of a fire on a cold night. It felt unnatural, as if something deep below was breathing hot air into the world above. Oliver swallowed hard, but his throat was dry.

The woman walked ahead of him, her dark cloak barely moving even though the wind tugged at his own clothes. She did not stumble. She did not hesitate. She moved as if she belonged here, as if the path itself welcomed her. Oliver, on the other hand, felt like an intruder. He kept his distanc