Han Ye's eyes narrowed at the screen. He knew what a Drake was—a creature of immense primal power. Even a drop of its essence was worth more than the entire Han Clan's yearly budget.
Han Ye: "Essence of a Drake... if I were to absorb the essence, will it make me strong?"
[ Affirmative. The Essence of a Drake is a High-Tier body-tempering resource. Absorbing it will forcefully reconstruct your mortal frame, granting you a physical foundation that surpasses 99% of cultivators in the Mortal Realm. ]
[ It will provide the necessary 'Stats' required for your first breakthrough. ]
Han Ye stared at his low stats, a cold rage building in his heart. He was trapped, weak, and had mere hours to live.
[ Notification: Host has not claimed rewards. ]
Han Ye: "Rewards? What rewards?"
[ A 'Newbie' gift pack is provided for activating the System. ]
Han Ye: "You mean I get to claim my first reward already?"
[ Affirmative. ]
[ Would Host like to claim the 'Newbie Gift Pack' now? ]
[ YES / NO ]
Han Ye: "Yes! Claim it!"
[ Claiming Rewards... ]
[ Host has been given: ]
[ Item 1: Teleportation Rune (1-Time Use) ]
[ Item 2: Fake Body Double Clone (Temporary Item) ]
Two items materialized in his mind's inventory. Han Ye pulled them out instantly. One was a simple, etched stone tablet, and the other was a small, perfectly crafted wooden doll.
Han Ye: "How do these work?"
[ 'Teleportation Rune': Crush to instantly teleport to a safe, random location within a 1-mile radius. Perfect for escaping this cell. ]
[ 'Fake Body Double Clone': Activate to create a temporary, lifelike clone of yourself. It can help you trick the Han Clan into thinking you are dead. ]
A cruel, victorious smile spread across Han Ye's face. The Han Clan wanted a suicide? They would get one.
Han Ye: "System, activate the Fake Body Double Clone."
[ Clone Activated. ]
The wooden doll glowed and transformed into a perfect, white-haired replica of Han Ye, which he propped up against the wall in a convincing "dead" pose, dagger placed nearby.
Han Ye: "Now... how do I get out of here?"
[ Crush the 'Teleportation Rune' now, Host. ]
Han Ye didn't hesitate. He crushed the rune. A bright, blinding flash of light filled the cell, and the smell of ozone filled the air just before he vanished instantly from the Black Water Dungeon.
The bright, blinding flash of the Teleportation Rune faded, replaced instantly by an atmosphere so thick it felt like trying to breathe through mud. Han Ye stumbled, landing hard on soil that was black, cracked, and devoid of normal life.
He was no longer in a stagnant prison. The air here was heavy, acrid, and smelled of sulfur and ancient death. A thick, purplish mist hung low over the land.
He looked around, his newly crimson eyes absorbing the desolate landscape. Jagged, black mountains clawed at a perpetually overcast sky, stretching further than his eyes could see.
[ Notification: Teleportation Successful. ]
[ Location: Far North region of the Western Province. Within Wànyāo Shānmǎi. ]
Han Ye: "Wànyāo Shānmǎi... The Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range?" (His voice was choked with shock and disbelief.) "They said this place... it's one of the most dangerous Forbidden Zones in the entire Sun Empire! Nobody who enters here leaves alive!"
He remembered the stories the older servants whispered—tales of monstrous beasts and cultivation masters who vanished into the miasma, never to return.
He coughed, the aura of the Destroyer God Mièshi weighing down on him like a physical hand. His physical stats (Strength 2, Agility 1) screamed in protest.
[ Warning: Host is currently infected by residual Demonic Aura. Vitality dropping rapidly. ]
[ Current Objective: Escape the Han Clan. Mission Status: In Progress (Requires leaving Han Territory). ]
[ Secondary Objective: Immediate Survival Required. The aura will kill a mortal entity within 1 hour. ]
He needed power now more than ever. He reached into the consciousness of his inventory and pulled out the only weapon he had: the blood-stained dagger from the first guard he killed.
The low growl echoed from behind a nearby jagged rock. Han Ye spun around, raising the blood-stained dagger in a trembling hand.
A creature emerged from the purple mist—a wolf, but wrong. Its fur was matted black, and its eyes glowed with malevolent red energy. This was a Tier 1 Demonic Wolf, corrupted by the aura of the mountains. It might be low-tier for a cultivator, but for a mortal with Strength 2 and Agility 1, it was a lethal predator.
[ Source Detected: Tier 1 Demonic Wolf approaching from the East. Threat Level: High (to Host). ]
The wolf pounced. It was faster than Han Ye could react normally. He threw himself sideways, barely avoiding the snapping jaws, his weak body slamming onto the hard, black earth.
"If I can't outrun it, I have to outsmart it!" Han Ye thought, scrambling backward toward a sharp, broken rock formation.
The wolf came again. Han Ye waited until the last second, using his high 'Mind' stat (10) to perfectly time the attack. He jammed the dagger upward into the wolf's soft underbelly just as it reached him. The blade sunk deep.
The wolf howled, a mix of agony and rage, before collapsing dead beside him.
[ Kill Confirmed: Tier 1 Demonic Wolf eliminated. ]
[ Mission Update: Survival Objective Met. ]
[ Rewards: Blue Grade Technique: 'Wind Step' ]
A wave of information, a skill book made of pure light, burned itself into Han Ye's mind.
Han Ye: "A blue grade technique?" His voice was laced with pure shock and disbelief.
[ TECHNIQUE: Wind Step. Grade: Blue. ]
[ Description: A movement technique that gathers ambient Qi to increase Agility and speed temporarily. ]