Adam woke to a dull, throbbing pain in his head. As his eyes adjusted to the dimly lit dungeon, he could feel chains binding his wrists. His whole body ached and he faintly remembered traveling through a forest. He scanned his surroundings, spotting two other prisoners also chained to the wall. He looked down at himself, and was relieved to see his clothes hadn’t been taken.
“Where am I?” he thought.
As if sensing his thoughts, one of the prisoners turned to him and said, “You’re in the Dragon’s Dungeon, son. I have no idea what you’ve done at such a young age, but to end up here…”
He observed his fellow captives. The one who just spoke had an unruly mane of hair, so dirty you couldn’t tell the color. His red eyes held a trace of madness, but his body truly told his story. Skinny beyond reason, and crisscrossed with scars, it was a wonder he was still alive. Despite his appearance, his face still held a trace of pride, as if he was still at his peak.
The other prisoner told a much different story. Clean hair, clean robes, and a portly appearance. His robes were purple, with gold dragons carefully crafted by the edges. If Adam had to guess, he’d say he was a merchant who recently got thrown in the dungeon.
The man noticed his gaze and shot him a glare. “What are you staring at, boy,?”
“Oh stop the act, Shen,” said the other captive. “Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t harm you,”
Shen glared at the old man, his portly appearance making him look less intimidating than he would’ve liked. “At least I’m getting out of here. You’ll be stuck here until you die alone and miserable. And who knows? Maybe I’ll deliver the news to your daughter personally,” he sneered.
Adam observed this interaction with increasing curiosity, and all thoughts of escape were forgotten. He observed the old man’s reaction, finding a stony expression. Just as he was about to break the silence, he got a notification.
[Ding!]
New Skill Available: Calm in the Storm
Skill Tab Unlocked!
New Quest Available!
Quest: Escape the Dragon’s Dungeon! (click for more details).
Reward: Freedom, New Remote Function
Bonus reward:???
Failure means possible death as well as penalties by the system.
Adam raised his eyebrows in surprise. Not only was his reward for escaping a new remote function, but he could earn a bonus reward too! Seeing nothing else to do, he decided to click for more details to discover how to get the bonus reward.
You have been wrongfully imprisoned in the Dragon’s Dungeon, one of the many prisons of the Purple Dragon Sect. Trapped alongside you are an old man and a merchant named Shen. If you not only escape but prove yourself guiltless, you will receive a bonus reward. As for your fellow prisoners, you can choose to free them or leave them here, incurring no penalties. Think carefully, for this is not a game. Your actions may have consequences.
His brows furrowed in confusion. Wrongfully imprisoned? Purple Dragon Sect? He moved to rub his eyes, only to realize his chains were still there. Sighing, he decided to click on his new skill and check out his skill tab.
Calm in the Storm: You have been unreasonably calm in the face of trouble. This skill will help you remain calm and resist mental attacks.
Current Skills:
Calm in the Storm (Mortal Grade) - Passive
Note: You can not upgrade skills until you unlock that function.
He frowned when he read the note. He couldn’t upgrade his skills? What did he need to upgrade his skills? How much power would it grant? His head swirled with questions, but he decided to put them off for now. First things first, escaping the dungeon. He could just use his rewind! Adam tried it and was immediately disappointed.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
[Rewinding to complete a system quest will not grant you quest rewards]
Continue?
Y/N
He cursed. Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy. He selected the no button. His disappointment was noticed by the old man.
“Thought you found an escape? Ha! I’ve been here for a decade, and it's nearly inescapable for mortals like us. Though, if you do find one, would you mind bringing me along? I want to see my daughter one last time before I die,”
Adam could feel Shen’s assessing gaze on him. He was surprised at how quickly his attitude shifted at the mention of escape. “I’ll bring you both with me if I find an escape,” he promised. He had no intention of bringing Shen but he didn’t need to know. Suddenly, they could hear the clanging of keys as the door opened before them. Two soldiers stood in front of their cell, one holding a torch and the other holding three plates.
“Food,” the second soldier said gruffly before putting each of their plates in front of them. “Eat how you can,” he said before they left, locking the door behind them.
“Damn. Not even gonna free our hands? What kind of service is this?” Adam joked.
Twenty minutes later, Adam realized how hard it was to eat without hands. The meal consisted of a moldy piece of bread and a rotten fruit along with a cup of water. He had attempted to drink the water only to spill it all over his food. Next, he tried to feed himself the bread using his feet. His flexibility wouldn’t allow it. He glanced at his fellow prisoners. They were all looking at him like he was a lunatic.
“What?” Adam shook his head. If they wanted to starve, it was up to them.
The old man chuckled. “They unlock our chains after a while. They want us to go crazy at the sight of food so close but impossible to eat,”
Adam stared at him. “You waited twenty minutes to tell me this?”
The old man chuckled again. “It was funny watching you struggle like that. It seems even Shen over there enjoyed the show,”
Adam glanced over only to find Shen scowling. He was about to make a remark when his stomach growled. He hadn’t eaten anything since what seemed like yesterday. As if on cue, their shackles unlocked and he shoved the piece of bread into his mouth. He grimaced at the taste but he couldn’t be picky. He picked up the rotten piece of fruit and put it in his mouth. It tasted like a grape, but much sweeter - presumably due to its rotten nature. As soon as he finished eating, he began looking for an escape. He realized meal times would be perfect to explore his new prison.
His senses were on high alert, and he began crawling around the wall looking for anything useful. His cellmates didn’t look at him, too focused on their food. His crawling didn’t go unnoticed by the guards.
“PRISONER 003 GO BACK TO YOUR SPOT IMMEDIATELY!” a voice yelled.
Adam looked around for the source of the voice, spotting a glowing green orb he hadn’t noticed before. He crawled back to his area, immediately being shackled somehow. A wave of tiredness washed over him. His new life here had taken a toll on him. As his eyes started to close and his body relaxed, he couldn’t help but wonder: why was he chosen?
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“Young Master! Wake up!” a feminine voice called out.
Wang felt his body being shaken as he thought about last night. He groaned as he felt a dull, throbbing pain in his head. He knew he shouldn’t have drunk that much Mortal Grade Spirit Wine last night. Even at the 6th Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm, he still had his limits. He cracked his eyes open to find a pair of green eyes staring straight back at him. His eyes widened in surprise. He had told his maid not to wake him up so early today! But his heart wilted after hearing her next words.
“Your father wants to see you! He said the Purple Dragon Sect wants to recruit you! Come on! Get dressed quick!”
The Purple Dragon Sect. He shivered at her words. They were known not only for their work ethic and cruelty but also for something more sinister: their prisons. As he was dragged out of bed by his maid, he only had one question. Why was he chosen?
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Two hundred years since the Great War. Two hundred years of suffering for the demon race. And for Mei twenty years of indoctrination. Yet, she couldn’t hate the humans. It had never seemed reasonable to her. The demons were the ones who attacked and the humans merely fought back. It was just war, right? She sat in the Headmaster’s office glancing at a map laid out on his table. She could sense him discussing something with her parents in his room, but she couldn’t make out their words.
At twenty years old, she had reached the 7th State of the Qi Condensation Realm, a rare feat for a demon considering the lack of natural qi in the demon realm. She was considered a rare talent, not at the status of a genius but enough to set her apart from the average demon. What truly made her unique though was her lack of hate for humans.
The Headmaster had even tried to convince her that all their suffering was because of humans. But she simply scoffed and masterfully destroyed his arguments which led to their current situation. Finally, the Headmaster came out with her parents behind him. He sat down on his blood-red chair, motioning for her parents to take a seat on either side of Mei. He clasped his hands together as if deciding his next words very carefully.
“Mei,” he started, “I have seen your rise from the 1st Stage to the 7th, yet you show no signs of the loathing all demons have towards humans. For this reason, as well as your talent, we have decided to send you to the Purple Dragon Sect.”
The Purple Dragon Sect? She had heard of their reputation, but had no worries. She knew there would be bad eggs and good eggs amongst humans. She just had to remember that fact despite all the hate she would get for being a demon and all the cruelty she’d undoubtedly experience. She knew the Headmaster would plan to plant the seeds of hate in her heart and water it through the Purple Dragon Sect. She wondered how far he would go to make sure he succeeded.
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Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep.Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep.Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep.Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep.Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep.Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep.Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep.Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. STOP.
The bat wandered through the cave. Why was it chosen?
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The fairies came. They ate the cows. Then the pigs. Then everything else. My mother clutched me tight. The fairies would eat her too. But I was not eaten. My wings sprouted. They sliced my mother. I flew away. I was captured. Darkness. Darkness. Darkness. Dark-