Villain: I transmigrated with Mind Control Powers

Tyler, exhausted and battered, could almost taste the power from the orb. His fingers stretched out, about to touch the glowing sphere, when suddenly, an invisible force crashed into him.

He didn't even see it coming. His eyes widened in shock as his body was flung across the chamber, slamming into the wall with a sickening thud. The impact knocked him unconscious instantly, his mortal body unable to resist the overwhelming power of Aric's invisible strike.

As Tyler lay lifeless against the cold stone, Aric slowly emerged from the shadows, still cloaked in his veil of invisibility. His gaze swept over Tyler's five guards, who were on high alert but completely unaware of the invisible threat that loomed over them.

Without a sound, Aric moved closer to them, his smirk growing darker. "You're not even worth my time," he thought coldly. With a swift motion, his hand flicked out, summoning his Eclipsing Shadow Blade. The dark blade, invisible in the dim light of the chamber, sliced through the air with terrifying speed.

The first guard barely had time to register the danger before his head was severed from his body. Blood sprayed into the air, but not a sound was heard as the headless body collapsed to the ground. One by one, Aric moved through the group of guards with lethal precision, his blade cutting through flesh and bone like paper.

In less than a minute, all five of Tyler's guards lay dead, their heads neatly severed, their bodies twitching in the growing pool of blood.

Aric stood over the carnage, wiping the blood off his blade with a casual flick of his wrist. "Too easy," he muttered to himself. He then turned his attention back to Tyler, who remained unconscious, completely unaware of the massacre around him.

With the threat eliminated, Aric stepped over the bodies, his eyes narrowing as he approached the pedestal once more. The glowing orb still pulsed with power, its light illuminating the blood-soaked chamber.

Aric reached out, his fingers brushing the surface of the orb, and immediately, the ancient mechanism hidden beneath the pedestal began to stir.

The ground beneath his feet trembled as the pedestal sank into the floor, revealing a hidden chamber below.

Aric descended into the lower chamber, his eyes scanning every corner of the room. At the center of the room, an ancient coffin hovered above the ground, suspended by powerful seals and glowing with intense energy.

Aric's eyes gleamed with curiosity as he approached the coffin. He could feel the immense power radiating from it, far beyond anything he had anticipated.

"System," he called out silently. "What is this?"

[Ding! The host has unlocked the Vessel of the Forgotten Immortal. The orb serves as the key to siphon the essence and techniques of the ancient cultivator inside. Host may either devour the immortal's power to boost cultivation or use the orb to control the vessel.]

Aric's grin widened at the revelation. "A puppet... or a power boost," he mused. His fingers curled around the orb, and the pulsing light within it synced with the glowing seals on the coffin. "This will be more than just a simple treasure. It will make me unstoppable."

He scanned the chamber once more, searching for anything else of value. His eyes traced the walls, the runes, the machinery. After a thorough inspection, he found nothing of significant value beyond the orb and the coffin. "It seems this is the only true prize," he murmured, his eyes flickering with satisfaction.

Before leaving, he knelt down beside Tyler's unconscious form. With a sinister smile, he placed a tracking talisman on Tyler's body, ensuring he would be able to monitor his every move. "I'll be watching you," Aric whispered. "You won't even know it."

With the orb securely in his grasp and his presence still concealed, Aric silently left the chamber, vanishing into the shadows.

Hours later, Tyler stirred, his body aching from the blow. His head pounded, and his vision swam as he struggled to open his eyes. The first thing he saw when he finally regained consciousness was blood—too much blood.

Tyler pushed himself up with great effort, his hands trembling as he took in the horrific sight around him. His heart stopped when he saw the decapitated bodies of his guards, their heads arranged in a grotesque circle, blood pooling beneath their lifeless forms.

"No..." Tyler whispered, his voice barely audible. His chest tightened with fear and disbelief. "This can't be happening..."

His heart sank further as he realized the inheritance had been stolen—ripped from his grasp at the very last moment. Tyler's fists clenched, and his chest tightened with frustration. "Who... who could have done this?"

His mind raced with possibilities, but none of them made sense. The voice that had led him here, the promise of power—it had all been for nothing. His dantian was shattered, his guards were dead, and now he was utterly alone in the cursed Mountain of Shadows.

Tyler dropped to his knees, his eyes wide with shock as he surveyed the massacre around him. "This was supposed to be my chance... my salvation." His voice cracked with despair, and tears of frustration welled up in his eyes. He had failed, and worse, someone had taken what was meant for him.

He pressed his hand against his chest, feeling the dull, throbbing pain of his broken dantian. Every breath was a reminder of his failure, of the power that had been within reach, now gone forever.

But as he knelt there, his heart filled with sorrow and anger, the faint whispers began again—the same voices that had led him here. Only this time, they were weaker, almost fading into the background.

"There must be more," Tyler muttered under his breath, his hands trembling. "There has to be another way."

Though his body was broken and his spirit crushed, a flicker of determination still burned within him. He couldn't stay here. He couldn't die like this. There was something more to this mountain—he was sure of it. The voices hadn't led him here just to fail.

With great effort, Tyler pushed himself up, his legs shaking as he stood. He looked once more at the decapitated bodies of his guards and swore silently. Whoever had done this would pay. He didn't know who, but he would find out.

For now, though, he had to survive.

The voices Tyler had heard before—the whispers that guided him—began to grow louder, more distinct. He couldn't quite make out the words, but they seemed to be calling him, urging him forward.

Tyler paused for a moment, his heart pounding. "What... what is this?" he thought, his breath shaky. The whispers felt ancient, almost divine, as if the heavens themselves were intervening.

As he stepped out of the chamber, the light around him seemed to change. The oppressive darkness of the Mountain of Shadows began to lift, ever so slightly, as a soft, ethereal glow surrounded him. The air grew still, and for the first time since he had entered the cursed mountain, Tyler felt a strange sense of calm.

The journey through the forest was perilous. The Mountain of Shadows was filled with dangerous beasts, ghouls, and malevolent spirits that could tear a mortal apart in moments. Tyler, weakened and defenseless, knew he had no chance of surviving an encounter with such creatures.

But as he walked, the soft glow around him seemed to act as a protective shield. The shadows that moved through the trees, the faint growls of beasts in the distance—all seemed to stay away from him, as if something greater was keeping them at bay.

Tyler's heart raced, his mind spinning. "Is this... divine intervention?" he whispered to himself, half-disbelieving. "Why would the heavens protect me?"

Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet began to tremble. From the trees emerged a massive shadow, the figure of a powerful ghoul, its eyes glowing with malice as it lumbered toward him. Tyler froze in place, his body trembling with fear. He had no strength left to run, no power to defend himself.

But just as the ghoul was about to attack, a bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, striking the creature with terrifying precision. The ghoul let out a blood-curdling screech as it disintegrated into ash before Tyler's eyes.

Tyler fell to his knees, stunned and shaken by what he had just witnessed. The heavens... they were watching over him. They wanted him to survive.

Far away, Aric watched the glowing signal from the tracking talisman he had placed on Tyler. His eyes narrowed in satisfaction as he saw Tyler leave the Mountain of Shadows. "Still alive, are we?" Aric murmured with a smirk. "Good. I wasn't done playing with you yet."

The tracking talisman pulsed softly, signaling Tyler's every move. Aric leaned back, his mind already plotting his next move. "Let him think he's escaped. Let him think the heavens are on his side," Aric thought, his eyes gleaming with malice. "When the time is right, I'll take everything from him again."

And with that, Aric turned away, already setting his sights on his next conquest.