Raijin was surprised, he thought this would be Ichiro's death too, but the sudden message disrupted his expectations: "Death Count: 1. Progress of Soul Sage Body Restoration: 3.4%." He had never encountered an ability like that in the system before, which left him intrigued. Raijin had to wait a long time for the restoration progress to reach 100%.
Five months of anticipation passed before it finally reached 100%. Raijin, with his experience spanning millions of years, considered these months insignificant. Ichiro, on the other hand, awoke with a start, vividly recalling the events that led to his fall. He questioned Raijin about the process, and Raijin proceeded to explain it to him.
But this was not the time to be sitting around. Ichiro stood up, his surroundings shrouded in darkness. However, Ichiro had a solution; he summoned his flame magic to create a flickering light. Illuminated by this faint glow, he ventured further into the dark cave.
In the dimly lit cavern, he stumbled upon a skeletal figure. Intrigued, Ichiro approached it and sensed a tremendous amount of mana radiating from the remains. Raijin's voice echoed in his mind, explaining that this body once belonged to a cultivator in the late stage of Nascent Soul Realm, who likely met the same fate as Ichiro but had not survived.
Seeing this as an opportunity to harness this newfound mana, Ichiro decided to cultivate, drawing upon the energy of the deceased cultivator. Through diligent practice and intense meditation, he achieved an astonishing feat – advancing to the 5th stage of Golden Core Realm.
With newfound determination, Ichiro rose from his spot and continued his journey deeper into the cave's heart. Crystal bats, unlike those he had encountered at the entrance, now challenged him. These were more formidable, at least ranked 3, signifying that he had entered the true Crystal Bat Cave, not just its outskirts.
Ichiro battled these creatures with skill and determination, slaying them one by one. Each victory brought progress.
"You have leveled up!"
"You have leveled up!"
"You have leveled up!"
"You have leveled up!" "You have leveled up!"
"You have leveled up!"
"You have leveled up!"
"You have leveled up!"
"You have leveled up!"
"You have leveled up!"
"You have leveled up!"
"You have leveled up!"
"You have leveled up!"
His stats soared:
"Ichiro Ryugen
Health: 6,000/6,000
Mana: 3,500/3,500
Level: 86
Health: 47
Strength: 38
Stamina: 60
Mana/qi: 35
Intelligence: 31
Points Available: 0
Cultivation level: Golden Core Realm 5th Stage
Contracted Beasts: None
Titles: None
Skills: Mana Detection Level 1
Void Pocket Level MAX."
Despite these gains, as days turned into weeks, Ichiro's hope waned. The labyrinthine cave offered no escape, its passageways indistinguishable from one another.
One day, as despair threatened to engulf him, Ichiro let out a frustrated scream. In response, a sudden rush of movement caught his attention from the left side of the wall. Instinctively, he dodged, and the wall shattered, revealing a mutant bat unlike any he had encountered before. This creature was formidable, a rank 4 mutant bat.
Preparing for combat, Ichiro found himself in a narrow space. The bat launched acidic attacks, attempting to corrode him. Yet, with agile reflexes, Ichiro dodged the corrosive onslaught and retaliated with precision strikes from his sword. Enraged, the bat emitted an ear-piercing scream, its ultrasonic frequencies notorious for causing immense harm.
The sound is at 1000 kHz. Bats are known for being one of the loudest animals.
But then, a message appeared:
"Damage detected at the ear, turning off the organ."
Ichiro could no longer hear the bat's screeching. The system had protected his ears. Unaffected by the bat's sonic assault, Ichiro seized the opportunity and swiftly ended the creature's life.
Ichiro continued his journey through the tunnel the mutant bat had torn open, facing more rank 4 bats along the way. Thanks to his ability to mute his ears, these creatures posed little threat. Months dragged on, yet Ichiro remained trapped within the labyrinthine cave. Its passages all seemed identical, leading him to kill numerous rank 4 bats. His stats soared to remarkable heights:
"Ichiro Ryugen Health: 6,000/6,000 Mana: 3,500/3,500 Level: 110 Health: 60 Strength: 54 Stamina: 70 Mana/qi: 52 Intelligence: 34 Points Available: 0 Cultivation level: Golden Core Realm 7th Stage Contracted Beasts: None Titles: None Skills: Mana Detection Level 1 Void Pocket Level MAX."
Despite these accomplishments, Ichiro couldn't find a way to escape. He roamed the cave aimlessly, hunting monsters.
And then, one and a half years after entering the cave, Ichiro seemed to have surrendered to his fate. He appeared defeated, merely surviving. Yet, a spark of anger reignited his spirit. Desperate to find an escape, he began punching and breaking apart the cave walls, screaming in frustration.
After some time, the entire cave started to crumble around him. As Ichiro retreated in the opposite direction, the cave's collapse ceased. He could now see a vast chamber, like a grand stage. In the center stood a skeleton, and surrounding it, a mysterious spear. Ichiro cautiously approached the spear. Suddenly, the skeleton came to life, startling him. It was no ordinary undead; it wielded a legendary weapon – Gungnir.
Raijin had spent half his life searching for Gungnir, a spear of immense power he had lost in his youth. He had warned Ichiro about its incredible capabilities. The skeleton, armed with Gungnir, charged at Ichiro. He dodged its attacks, but one strike shattered the wall behind him, revealing the spear's devastating power.
Ichiro unleashed his sword techniques with all his might, but the skeleton deftly evaded them. In a swift motion, it stabbed Ichiro in the gut with Gungnir, inflicting massive damage and rendering Ichiro immobile.
"Health: 300/6,000"
At this critical moment, Raijin decided to intervene. Engaging the skeleton would exact a toll on Raijin's soul, but the skeleton ceased its attack, respectfully handing Gungnir to Raijin. The entire skeleton crumbled and fell to the ground, leaving both Ichiro and Raijin astonished. The skeleton's reason for relinquishing the spear likely stemmed from Gungnir's origin within Raijin's clan.
Ichiro promptly began cultivating to recover. After recuperating, he attempted to touch Gungnir, but it rejected him. He lacked the necessary strength. Yet, he sensed the immense aura emanating from the spear and resolved to cultivate the surrounding qi. After five long months of dedication, Ichiro achieved a breakthrough, ascending to the 1st stage of the Nascent Soul Realm. Now, he could finally wield Gungnir, albeit with the requirement of maintaining thunder-qi in his arms to do so.
Empowered by Gungnir, Ichiro used its formidable energy to shatter the cave's ceiling. After two years of darkness, the blinding sunlight greeted him. He checked his system one last time:
"Ichiro Ryugen Health: 9,000/9,000 Mana: 7,000/7,000 Level: 110 Health: 60 Strength: 54 Stamina: 70 Mana/qi: 52 Intelligence: 34 Points Available: 0 Cultivation level: Nascent Soul Realm 1st Stage Contracted Beasts: None Titles: None Skills: Mana Detection Level 1 Void Pocket Level MAX."
It was finally time for the tournament he had signed up for long ago, and it was also time for him to seek the payback he desired.