Pushed into a room, Ethan turned, his brows furrowed, addressing a middle-aged man. "Elder Situ, you have to understand that I can't kill the sect leader. The difference in strength between us is just too great."

Elder Situ, donning a simple white robe, possessed a sturdy frame and a neatly groomed beard. Shaking his head, he replied, "You were the one present there and in the entire sect, it is only you who can get close to the leader, catching her off guard. Not only that but a powerful corrupted soul bomb was used for the assassination, a luxury only a handful, including yourself, can afford."

"Elder, it doesn't make sense," Ethan protested. "Even if I had money for it, how could I possibly smuggle it near the sect leader undetected?"

Situ's expression hardened as he declared, "The one responsible for this affair is Elder Riaz. She will make the decisions, not me. For now, stay in this room."

A sigh escaped Ethan's lips as Situ abruptly closed the door, leaving him to his thoughts. He surveyed the wooden surroundings—a modest bed, a small table, a mirror, and an adjoining washroom.

Frustration welled up within Ethan, his fists clenched tightly. "Things have taken a turn for the worse," he muttered.

Lost in his own bleak musings, he instinctively began pacing the room, considering his limited options. His prospects seemed bleaker than ever.

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness engulfed Ethan, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of drowsiness. "Something isn't right about this room," he realized, struggling to resist the overwhelming fatigue. Yet, his weariness overpowered him, and he succumbed to sleep, collapsing onto the floor.

As he drifted into slumber, a dark fog seeped from his every orifice, swirling above his head. Gradually, the mist morphed into the visage of a malevolent face, emitting a wicked, chilling giggle. "Kekeke."

• • •

Ethan had a dream. In this dream, he found himself thrust back into a dim room from over eight years ago. Within that space, a dying creature or perhaps a scared twelve-year-old boy trembled, huddled in a corner. His feeble frame, weakened by hunger and abuse, displayed the marks of past brutality. His empty eyes carried a distant stare, observing the chaos outside.

His birth mother, dressed in revealing clothes, struggled against the grip of a police officer, her voice filled with defiance. "I haven't done anything wrong! This is an honest and legal business in this state!"

The stern voice of the police chief cut through the room. "Prostitution may be legal, but child abuse is not."

"Bullshit!" roared a bearded man, causing Ethan to tremble involuntarily. He was Ethan’s 'father,' or rather, the owner of the prostitution ring. He was now handcuffed, his glare fixed on the police officer.

"This kid was a beggar we found on the roadside. We took him in to help him! We provided him with food! And you accuse us of child abuse? What nonsense!"

The police officer sneered, unyielding. "We have concrete evidence against both of you, so save your breath."

With that, both adults were led away by the authorities. The police officer turned his attention to the room where Ethan silently observed. Sighing, he pondered, "How do we get him out of this place? He's terrified of us."

"Let me try," a soft female voice interjected. Ethan couldn't see her face from his position, but the police officer nodded in agreement.

As Ethan saw someone enter the room, he instinctively closed his eyes tightly, lowering his head to his knees, seeking refuge from the unfamiliar figures.

Then, he felt a gentle hand caressing his hair, accompanied by a soothing voice that reached his ears. "Son, you're safe now. There's no need to be afraid. Everything will be fine from now on."

Ethan was taken aback. He couldn't explain it, but that voice somehow calmed his racing heart. He was like an animal, always trusting his instincts. And right now, it told him to open himself a little.

Timidly, he opened his eyes and glanced at the person kneeling before him.

She appeared ordinary, with brown hair and in her thirties. Her eyes radiated warmth, and her smile overflowed with genuine kindness.

"Well, if you're scared to go outside, let's stay here for a while. Can I sit here with you?" she asked gently.

Who was this lady? Despite his confusion, Ethan found a sense of security in her presence. After a moment of hesitation, the young boy nodded slowly. "Mmh."

Suddenly, the woman's expression changed, her eyes widening in shock and horror as blood spewed from her mouth. She fell, a gaping wound appearing in her abdomen.

"AHHH!" Ethan cried out in horror, jolting awake. Gasping for breath, he frantically surveyed his surroundings. For a brief moment, confusion clouded his mind. Where was he?

Ah, yes... he had been reincarnated into this world. Ethan took a deep breath, wiping the beads of sweat from his brow.

He found himself on the floor. In front of him was the mirror and for the first time, he saw his appearance.

In the mirror, Ethan saw dull orange eyes staring back at him. The person in the reflection had sharp and good-looking features. His hair was black with touches of red, tied in a neat ponytail.

Ethan shut his eyes, lost in a flood of memories—his birth mother, his step parents—all entangled within his troubled mind.

‘I don’t like this damn place at all.’

He took a few deep breaths and made a decision. He had to carve his own path now.

Ethan thought of the screen and it appeared in front of him. It was ninety percent done. After that he closed it. Rising to his feet, still a bit dizzy, he approached the door and knocked, “I have something important to tell to Elder Riaz.”

No one responded. But Ethan knew that there must be someone outside. After waiting for a few more minutes, the door creaked open.

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A pale, expressionless young girl appeared in his view, her plain white robe adorned with four stars upon her shoulder. Her voice, devoid of warmth, sliced through the air, "Follow me."

Together, they navigated the labyrinth-like corridors, their wooden walls twisting and turning in a bewildering maze. Ethan trailed behind the girl in silence, when suddenly, a mechanical voice reverberated within his mind.

[Installation complete.]

Intrigued, he stole a quick glance at the screen that appeared before him. His eyes widened with a flicker of delight as he saw the details of the system. However, time betrayed his curiosity, offering only a few minutes that were not enough to completely explore it. They had reached their destination—a foreboding black door.

‘Now with this system, I have many more possibilities.’ He pondered.

The girl opened the door, and as Ethan stepped into the room, she closed it behind him, remaining on the other side. Utterly dumbfounded once again by what he saw.

He found himself in a space adorned with bookshelves lining the walls, while a sprawling table held an array of documents. Elder Riaz was nowhere to be found. Instead, seated behind the table, a woman met his gaze, her eyes filled with curiosity and a touch of mischief.

Ethan's lips twitched, a subtle reaction as he recovered from the initial shock. Swiftly regaining his composure, his mind brimming with newfound ideas, he activated one of his newly acquired abilities—Nyx Perception. Instantly, a vibrant yellow number materialized above the woman's head, displaying a glaring '60'.

Benefiting from his sharp intellect and as well as the fact that Lionel had worked on his body and mind, Ethan swiftly formulated a fresh plan. And with that, a burst of laughter escaped his lips. From this point onward, his act would unfold.

“Faking your death, huh? Just what the hell are you up to, Avelyn Prestcote?” He quipped, his voice laced with a mix of curiosity and amusement.

Avelyn responded with a charming smile, evading a direct answer. Instead, she beckoned, "Tell me, what is this 'important thing' you wished to discuss?"

Ethan grinned, crossing his arms around his chest. Shaking his head, he declared, "I have changed my mind," causing Avelyn to blink in surprise.

Resting her head on her palms, Avelyn chuckled seductively. "Well, now you've piqued my interest~."

‘This new guy was able to recover from the shock of seeing me alive pretty fast.’ Avelyn mused. ‘I need to get more information from him before I decide the final plan.’

Suddenly, her demeanor shifted, her eyes narrowing into a piercing glare. Her voice turned ice-cold as she declared, "But that doesn't mean I'll let you go, whoever you may be. You will die. It is your fate, your misfortune for entering into Lionel's body."

Ethan shook his head and said, "I had intended to provide valuable information to the elder, but now that I see you alive, that is no longer necessary. Instead, I propose a deal with you."

"Oh?" Avelyn raised her eyebrows and asked, "So you think you are in the position to negotiate? That means you must be having something good. Hmm~ Alright, show it."

Avelyn had a clear hold on the situation. Both of them knew this. So Ethan had to step back now and strike back later. He took a deep breath and said, “In my past life, I was famous for two things.” He unfolded his arms and pointed at his eyes and head.

“For being blind and dumb?”

“... I had special eyes. I could see through things which others couldn’t and easily process them in my brain. Like for example an old complicated glyph. I could easily translate it in a matter of a few seconds or at most a few minutes.”

“Hmm~ and?”

"When you instructed me to wait in the room earlier, I took the opportunity to open a book," Ethan revealed. “It was on soul cultivation with a complicated design on its first page.”

“What was the book name?” She tilted her head.

“Harmonizing Mind and Spirit.”

Ethan's words held truth. He had indeed opened the book, although its contents remained beyond his comprehension. In the realm of soul cultivation, everything possessed a soul, whether living or lifeless.

And as such cultivators could get enlightenment from anything if they had the talent and capability to do so. This was what was unique about soul cultivation.

“There’s some sort of… what should I call it… an entity sort of thing that becomes a major hindrance between a cultivator's mind and soul.

It is an entity that represents the darkness and negativity within a cultivator's own soul. As cultivators delve deeper into their powers, it becomes more prominent, seeking to corrupt the soul.” Ethan used an honest tone as if he really had comprehended this from the book.

“Now you are acting cute~. Oh, what’s your name by the way?”

“Ethan.”

“Yes, Ethan, so you think I am dumb?” She narrowed her eyes. “That shelf also has the book on shadowborne. And you just talked about that.”

"Allow me to continue," Ethan said, his steps deliberate as he approached the seated woman. "At that moment, I felt a tingling sensation in my eyes. Initially, I was filled with hope, thinking that my special vision had returned. However, to my confusion, there was no apparent change in my surroundings. But now, I am seeing..."

Leaning forward, he gently placed his palm on the table. "Black spots on your body," he stated, a soft smile gracing his lips. "I suppose these marks are somehow connected to shadowborne."

He paused, then added, "Interestingly, these dark spots are fading with each passing second. I'm unsure why, but time is not on our side~."

Silence engulfed the room.

In truth, Ethan was fabricating everything. He possessed no such extraordinary abilities or special eyes. However, his knowledge of the cultivation system and potential future allowed him to spin this tale, creating a web of deception.

Shadowborne, known by various names such as mental demon, spiritual demon, or heart demon, exploited a person's vulnerabilities. Its form was ever-changing, capable of taking the shape of a rock, a blade of grass, a familiar face, a stranger, an enemy, an animal, a monster, or even things like darkness, the rising sun, or the bright moon.

When an individual harbored fear or anxiety, the shadowborne would assume the guise of that very fear, relentlessly tormenting them. The presence of the shadowborne was often accompanied by insidious whispers of doubt, negative emotions, and much more.

As the shadowborne inflicted its influence upon cultivators, dark spots would appear on their souls, known as the Echo of the Shadowborne. In simpler terms, these spots could be considered wounds left behind by the shadow, scars upon the soul. Detecting these wounds was a challenging task, but if a cultivator chanced upon them, they could heal or detoxify these wounds and experience temporary relief.

The duration of such relief varied, ranging from mere minutes to several days. Nevertheless, these respites proved crucial moments for cultivators to focus on pressing matters without internal disturbances.

However, if someone else discovered these spots, they could exploit them against the cultivators. In the game, high-level players were able to locate Avelyn's shadow spots and seriously injure her.

Revealing this information to her was a risky gamble, but Ethan's confidence in winning outweighed his concerns. After seeing her alive, he made the plan.

Avelyn was planning something big and even though Ethan didn’t know the specifics of it, he knew how it would end.

The plan she harbored would end in the death of thousands of people on the dreaded "night of the bloody moon." While Ethan held no regard for random individuals or virtual world inhabitants, his own survival hinged on this gamble.

Although Avelyn might perceive him as a threat, that was a calculated part of the risk. Recognizing the vast strength disparity between them, she would likely believe she could control him.

Now, the question remained: How would Avelyn respond? Would she proceed with her plan, intending to eliminate him on that fateful day, or would she take his bait?

Ethan's gaze shifted from the hovering sixty above her head to her captivating purple eyes. ‘Take the bait,’ he silently urged. ‘Consider me a useful pawn rather than a sacrificial one.’

Silence stretched out, the moments feeling like an eternity, until finally, she broke the silence. "Where do you see the spots?"

A mysterious glint flashed in Ethan's eyes. At last, he would no longer be in a passive state. Why? He recalled what he had seen on the screen before entering the room.