Chance

Did I go too far?

Yes, I did.

I only wanted to intimidate him into helping me lure cultivators, but I may have gone too far.

As a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, he should have connections to other cultivators and possibly even lead a powerful Sect, as Nascent Soul Realm cultivators are at the top of the food chain in Earth Realm.

But now he seems to be more than that.

He's not just scared, he's mentally scarred, and it's my fault.

Sighed.

Akira waited for Jin Boqin to make a move, but even blinking was impossible. "What should I do now?" he muttered, turning around.

 Jin Boqin's pursuers died when he transmitted his thoughts to Wukong earlier.

The System offered to watch the replay but denied the offer without hesitation.

"Odd. I should have felt something by now, but there's nothing," Akira thought. It's common sense that killing people would affect him, even if not drastically.

Albeit he didn't do it on his own, he still decided their fate.

Akira consoled himself by blaming the cultivators' reckless actions for their demise.

"I'll think about this later. There's something urgent I need to deal with." Akira turned to Jin Boqin, who still looked unsettled.

"Tell me, what does it feel like when you killed those cultivators?" His question was directed at Wukong, who just scoffed and squeaked.

Akira sneered. "That's your answer, huh? It's splendid." He paused and turned to Wukong. "Do you know how to help him deal with the shock?"

He received another scoff and a couple of squeaks before Wukong turned around, leaving him alone outside the temple.

"This Dungeon is terrific."

Akira waits on the temple steps for Jin Boqin to regain his mental stability.

Wukong mentioned that the Dungeon has soothing effects that can alleviate abnormal tendencies in people which he already knows.

Akira wanted to ask for more details about the Dungeon's power, but Wukong already left.

The misty mind technique, while not fatal, can be deadly depending on the situation. The Dungeon was able to lift it in a few minutes. Akira estimates that it should not take more than an hour for Jin Boqin's mental state to return to normal.

Or so he thought.

It has been two weeks, and Jin Boqin is still in an unhinged state.

His eyes are clouded, and his body remains immobile except for his erratic breathing.

Although he was unable to show it, Akira is starting to get frustrated that Jin Boqin has not shown any signs of waking up from this abnormal state.

He massages his glabella and expresses disbelief at the difficulty of fixing a scarred state compared to the effects of rare cultivation manuals.

Akira lets out a sigh.

In the past few weeks, he was quite productive.

He discovered a stream on the second floor of the Dungeon near the teleportation area and managed to build a makeshift shelter nearby.

His shelter-building skills were minimal at best. He attempted to trap rabbits and other wild animals for food but had no success.

His fishing attempts with a makeshift rod made of sticks and yuca leaves also failed. Eventually, he placed all his traps near a pond outside the dungeon and was pleased to find a couple of wild rabbits caught the next day.

He also had success fishing in the pond.

For a week, he ate the same meals: barbecued rabbit, barbecued fish, stewed rabbit, and stewed fish.

He didn't complain, but his taste buds started craving something different and familiar. He couldn't think of what he wanted, but the fruits he found outside the dungeon helped satisfy his cravings.

He grew bored in the dungeon, despite its breathtaking scenery so he tried hunting wild animals in the dense forest on the first floor to entertain himself, but he failed to catch any. In fact, he hadn't even seen any wild animals in the dungeon up to that point.

Akira was aware of the presence of many wild animals. He could hear their growls and howls and sense their movements and the rustling of bushes nearby. However, he also noticed that they seemed to be avoiding him.

 Akira concluded that the animals likely recognized him and instinctively avoided him.

Thankfully, he can hunt wild animals outside the dungeon but is still within the range, so he's not concerned about potential danger.

Thanks to the wild game he found, he was able to create a variety of dishes, all of which were either barbecued or stewed. He temporarily satisfied his cravings with the spices, mostly green onions, that he found in the forest outside the dungeon.

The taste was unusual, but it added a new dimension to his otherwise bland barbecued meat.

Surprisingly, there were no fruits, edible mushrooms, or vegetables to be found in the Dungeon.

By the tenth day, he was extremely bored.

He attempted to engage in conversation with the floor bosses but found no one available saved for Wukong. He realized that he could only give commands to the floor bosses in the presence of a threat.

On the 15th day of Jin Boqin's declining mental state, Akira noticed that Jin Boqin's eyelids were opening and closing.

Finally, he mumbled and remained in his spot.

Akira stayed still, allowing Jin Boqin to get used to his surroundings.

In just a minute, a mix of emotions crossed Jin Boqin's face - amusement, perplexity, and fear.

When Akira saw that Jin Boqin had noticed him, he remained still and stared back, trying to appear indifferent.

Worried that Jin Boqin would revert to his previous state, Akira stood up and gestured for Jin Boqin to come closer.

Trembling with fear, Jin Boqin obeyed.

Akira nodded as he closed the distance to two meters between them. "What did you see during your scarred state?" he asked apathetically.

"I glimpsed a river made of blood, filled with distorted apparitions," Jin Boqin stammered. "I heard a spine-chilling voice and saw two funny animal heads, a cow and a horse, stoned to death. The bridge connecting the entrance to the other side is broken. It was really eerie…"

Jin Boqin described the rest of the place with the same description he was familiar with.

Jin Boqin was hesitant to reveal the cause of his mental trauma. After returning to his normal state, he realized the extent of his mental scars.

It is rare for cultivators or ordinary people to recover from such trauma. How was he able to overcome it?

He realized that this mystical and mysterious place had the power to alleviate the misty mind technique, but the extent to which it could help a mentally scarred cultivator was unprecedented.

Rumors suggested that a mentally scarred cultivator's soul would dry out and their body would start to decay.

Akira observed that Jin Boqin had regained his mental stability and become more obedient.

Perfect, he thought.

"Aren't you going to say anything other than the experience you had during your mental breakdown?"

Jin Boqin hesitated at first.

"I---" Sighed. "I am grateful for your mercy. I will be forever indebted to your magnanimously."

"It's time."

Akira simply uttered which made Jin Boqin frown a bit and confused.

During Jin Boqin's mental breakdown, Akira wanted to learn more about him that he could use as leverage.

But aside from the information available to the system, he couldn't dig more.

Hence, his feet brought him in front of Wukong. Leisurely sitting on his throne without a care in the world.

Akira asked Wukong if he had noticed any important information about Jin Boqin.

"Do you have any thoughts?" he inquired.

Wukong continued to munch slowly, not responding.

Akira stared at him with an indifferent expression, realizing that there was no point in trying to pressure him without any threat's presence.

"If you can give me crucial details about him, I…" Akira stopped for a while and glazed over the colossal hall filled with dirt, spider webs, towering banana peels, and the remains of the dead cultivators. "I will bring helpers to clean your halls. It is a pity of your stature your great halls was smudged and…"

Before he could finish, Wukong growled at him, baring his sharp teeth.

Akira returned the growl with indifference and said, "So?" without a hint of fear.

Honestly, it is gratifying to see the majestic arrogant Wukong unable to harm him, despite quivering in anger.

Unfazed by any hint of fear, Wukong backed down.

The proud monkey made several squeaks, which the System translated for him.

I see… he thought and turned around and walked away.

Wukong frowned and made a few squeaks.

Akira sneered and replied, "Gratitude requires sincerity, often without payment. But in your case, payment will be expected."

His voice echoed along with the sounds of his steps.

"Is it time?" Jin Boqin asked nervously.

Akira was brought back to the present by the question.

"It is time for you to give me the name of your Sect, Sect Master Jin Boqin," Akira said firmly.

Jin Boqin's world crumbled.

He had been determined to keep it a secret at all costs, even if it meant his death. There was no way he would trade the information to buy his way out.

The Dungeon and the person in front of him took on a new, ominous significance.

This person was old and dangerous, and the only one who could help him overcome his mental breakdown, a condition that hadn't occurred in thousands of years. As the mysterious man revealed information that he would likely die to protect, Jin Boqin felt a heavy heart.

Rendered speechless, Akira didn't want to go through the same situation again, so he sighed softly. "I won't harm your Sect. I only wanted entertainment. I give you my word," Akira said with an unchanged tone and indifferent expression.

For the first time, Jin Boqin sensed sincerity, but he secretly cursed Akira for calling it "entertainment."

"I'll be direct. When I say entertainment, I don't mean anything shady and unscrupulous. What I'm offering is an opportunity for your disciples to become stronger at an accelerated rate. You know that my place is mystical and contains a dense, pure Spiritual Qi. You also know that beasts drop Elixirs. So, what do you say?"

Jin Boqin found himself in a dilemma.

While staying here could accelerate the cultivation of all the disciples in his sect, he was unsure about the potential risks.

He hesitantly asked for some time to think, but Akira denied his request, stating that time waits for no one in the face of such an offer.

Jin Boqin felt anxious. He had the chance of a lifetime, but at what cost?

Time is running out, he thought. Would refusing the offer cost him his life?

 No one knew.

"I humbly ask you to clarify." Jin Boqin asked.

Akira expected this reaction. Jin Boqin was torn between the enticing offer and the unknown consequences.

"I wear out the implication of the misty mind technique and brought you out from a harsh mental breakdown. I've already given you my word. What more do you need?" Akira replied calmly.

Jin Boqin nodded lifelessly, then glared at him. "If you don't keep your word, I won't tolerate anything harmful to my Sect, even if it costs me my life."

Akira nodded and reached into his back pocket to retrieve the folded, glowing paper. He handed it to Jin Boqin, who was stunned by its appearance.

Akira was satisfied to see Jin Boqin's reaction, thinking, "At least you're not insensitive to ignore how much it cost me in Qi Points."

Jin Boqin recognized the type of paper immediately.

It wasn't the fact that the paper was special or glowing, but rather that it had been folded.

Who in their right mind would fold two Essence Grade Spirit Papers?!

"The contract outlines all the terms and conditions between the two parties, including penalties for breaches," Akira explained. "Considering your current Cultivation Realm, this paper should put you at ease, right?"

Jin Boqin nodded in astonishment as he read the contents of the Essence Grade Spirit Paper. "Yes, I agree with the conditions. I'll sign it now."

Jin Boqin used his Spiritual Qi to sign two Essence Grade Spirit Papers, one for himself and one for the mysterious man.

"Good. You can leave now and I expect you and everyone else to be here at dawn tomorrow," Akira said.

Akira left, leaving Jin Boqin amazed and terrified by the man's mysterious and overwhelming power.

As Akira walked away, Jin Boqin couldn't help but think, "This man is truly mysterious and incredibly powerful."