The Black Water Dungeon was silent, save for the rhythmic drip-drip of condensation hitting the freezing water. Han Ye lay slumped against the wall, his breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps. His throat was parched, and his body screamed in agony from the earlier beating.
Suddenly, the air in the corridor shifted. A shadow, darker than the surrounding gloom, detached itself from the wall. It moved with the silent grace of a predator—one of Mo Zhen's elite Shadow Guards.
The iron bars of the cell didn't even creak as the guard slipped through them, a jagged, dark blade already unsheathed.
Han Ye: (His eyes widened in the dark, catching a glint of steel) "Who... who are you? Did the Patriarch send you? Please... you have to tell him... it was the Fourth Young Master! Han Jun gave me the stone! I never touched—"
The Shadow Guard stopped inches away, his mask hiding everything but a pair of cold, indifferent eyes.
Shadow Guard: "I know."
Han Ye felt a flicker of hope, but it was extinguished as quickly as a candle in a storm.
Shadow Guard: "The Fourth Young Master told us exactly what happened. You've served your purpose, boy. You were the perfect shield. Now, you will be the perfect ending."
Before Han Ye could even draw breath to scream, the guard's hand moved in a blur of motion. The cold steel sliced across Han Ye's throat with surgical precision.
Han Ye: "Guh..."
Blood—hot and crimson—sprayed across the damp stone wall. Han Ye clutched at his neck, his eyes filled with a terrifying realization of betrayal as he slumped into the freezing black water.
The guard didn't stay to watch him die. He tossed the blood-stained dagger near Han Ye's limp hand, making it look as though the servant had ended his own life out of "shame." With a swirl of his cloak, the assassin vanished back into the shadows.
Han Ye lay in the dark, the water turning red around him. His vision began to blur. The sounds of the dungeon faded into a dull hum. His heart gave one final, slow thud.
As Han Ye's vision fades in the Black Water Dungeon, the world freezes. A screen of light, the color of a dying star, manifests in his subconscious.
—ignited in his mind.
[ System Awakening... Loading... ]
[ Detecting Host Vitality dropping... 0.3%... 0.2%... ]
[ Warning: Mortal Vessel nearing permanent expiration. ]
[ Do you wish to activate the System and defy the Heavens? ]
[ YES / NO ]
With the last spark of his consciousness, Han Ye screamed inwardly. I will not die like a dog! I want them to crawl! YES!
[ Successfully Bonded. ]
[ Emergency Protocol: Stanching Blood Loss... Done. ]
[ Repairing Lacerated Tissue... Done. ]
[ Opening Status Window... ]
A simple, translucent board appeared before his eyes, reflecting off the surface of the stagnant dungeon water.
[ STATUS ]
Name: Han Ye
Age: 17
Bloodline: None
Physic: Low Mortal Grade
Bone: Low Mortal Grade
Soul: Mortal Level
Spiritual Root: None
Cultivation Level: None
Requirement for Mortal Realm: Needs Essence to temper the body.
[ STATS ]
Strength: 2
Stamina: 3
Agility: 1
Soul Power: 2
Spiritual Energy: 0
Mind: 5
STATS POINT:0
Han Ye gasped, his hand flying to his throat. The wound where the blade had sliced was smooth, healed. But his body felt weak, a hollow shell powered only by sheer willpower. A crystalline screen of light glowed in the darkness of his mind.
[ System Awakening... Loading... ]
[ Identity Confirmed. Host Vitality Stable. ]
[ I am the Final Authority left by the Creator. I have chosen you as my host. ]
Han Ye: "Authority? Host? What do you mean?" (His voice was a rasping whisper, his eyes wide with a confusion that momentarily overshadowed his rage.)
[ I am here to help you in your path of cultivation. ]
Han Ye: "Cultivation?" A flicker of genuine shock pierced his cold mask. The one thing everyone told him he could never do. "You mean I can still cultivate? But with my low traits... my low-grade bones... how do I cultivate?"
[ The System will transform the Qi you absorb into Stat Points, which you can distribute evenly among your traits. ]
[ Note: For every breakthrough in cultivation realm, you are required to have a certain stat level to commence the breakthrough. ]
[ Host, there are other features the System offers. You can do System Missions, Check-ins, and Quests for rewards and Skill Points. ]
Han Ye: "Skill points? What are skill points?"
[ Skill Points are used to help the Host comprehend a new skill or technique, or master any weapon or item. The amount of skill points needed for mastery depends on the level of the technique. ]
Han Ye leaned against the cold, weeping stone of his cell. His throat was healed, but his limbs felt like lead. He was still the "useless servant" in a body that hadn't begun its true tempering. The weight of his impending execution at dawn pressed down on him.
Han Ye: "My first mission?" (He coughed, the sound echoing hollowly in the dark.)
[ Yes. For completing missions, Host earns rewards. ]
[ MISSION SYSTEM ]
Current Objective: Escape the Han Clan.
Description: Break out of the Black Water Dungeon and leave the Han Estate before the sun rises.
REWARDS:
1 Essence of a Drake
2 10 Skill Points