Victor scream tore through the chamber and echoed beyond the furnace walls.
Outside, the elders and disciples looked up.
They heard the sound—and they knew.
"He's reached his limit."
"He'll die in there."
Zhan Kui smirked. "I'll give him a minute before he breaks."
Inside the furnace, Victor slammed against the interior wall as the force of his panic overrode his discipline. The pain had swallowed logic. There was only raw, primal instinct screaming at him to escape.
In the real world, Victor's body was convulsing under his blanket.
Qi surged uncontrolled through his veins.
His skin flushed red—then orange—then burst into flame.
The VR headset vibrated erratically.
His voice cried out, muffled under the blanket.
But he was alone in the room.
A soft, mechanical voice echoed from the room's hidden wall panel.
"Warning: Fire detected."
