The Warrior Scholar Chronicles. Ink and Moon on Rice Paper.

Prologue An even bigger fate. (Pit 358)

It felt deeply personal. "Each fallen soldier, felt so unforgivable," he muttered to himself, his voice heavy with sorrow and frustration.

"Such a waste," he continued to murmur, the horror of what Mu Er witnessed distorting his handsome face, his long black hair plastered to his forehead, now sodden with sweat.

The memory of Duke Gong's sermon, his mentor at the Wall of Remembrance, flooded Mu Er's mind. Each school year, the words had seemed hollow, devoid of meaning. 

But now, witnessing the struggle firsthand, Mu Er couldn't help but wonder if there was any justice to it—or more importantly, if there was an injustice he had previously failed to realize.

"Does the end justify the means?" Mu Er took a slow, deep breath, contemplating. 

"HMM"

"And... and... was this to be my fate, as well?

 He sighed, resignation heavy in his voice. 

"I've made my bed... so do I stay here forever?"

Mu Er's heart sank like a stone into the depths of his chest, weighed down by the burden of his decision.

As he peered into the depths of pit 358, the walls and floor bore the scars of countless battles, etched with the stains of blood, now tinged with a dusky, pale red hue. 

Each scar, each drop of blood, seemed to whisper a tale of tragedy and loss, their presence woven into the very fabric of the labyrinthine maze.

"A grim reminder of the perilous dance with death that haunts this place," he reflected, his voice barely above a whisper amidst the cacophony of chaos around him.

Lost in the labyrinth of his thoughts, time seemed to slip away, swallowed by the darkness of the pit."

Perched at the trench's rear, the young adolescent remained motionless, appearing akin to a stone statue amidst the bustling flurry of activity unfolding before his very eyes. 

The youth's silhouette would catch the gaze of any observer, his inaction jutting out like a sore thumb.

Finally, Mu Er's gaze settled on the vigilant soldiers forming a formidable wall across the trench's width, their imposing figures standing tall, nearly ten zhangs* before him. 

Row upon row of armour-clad warriors, their faces determined and their stances unwavering, brandished mighty Zhang Daos** sword-staves, raised defiantly toward the heavens in anticipation of the impending assault.

Thud!   Thud!   Thud!...

Further ahead, the echoes of battle reverberated through the air as the last remnants of the preceding wave of heavenly beasts were vanquished.

Like Mu Er, countless soldiers of Pit 358 now peered over the top of the pit's edge, their gazes filled with desperation yet searching for a glimmer of hope for a pause in this constant onslaught."

Disappointedly, an endless wave of formidable heavenly creatures caught Mu Er's attention as they moved into view. Among them were the massive Black Devil Bears, Rockiron Wolves, and imposing Granite-Plated War Beetles, among others, now loomed at the pit's rim, poised to descend into the fray at any moment.

With each thudding heartbeat, the urgency of survival mounted. 

A multitude of eyes fixated on the menagerie of foul creatures scrambling into the gaping, sloped pit that led from the surface and the foothills of the Tianyun Mountain Range.  

Minute after agonizing minute, he observed their descent down the treacherous rock scree, a knot of fear tightening in his gut with each passing moment, the relentless advance of these beastly creatures striking terror into his heart!