The Author's POV

'How long has it been?'

I wondered to myself as I dully stared upwards.

By now, all I could see within my vision was empty darkness. Nevertheless, I continued to keep my focus on my body.

As long as I could move my body...

'The body strengthening method requires me to suffer quite a bit in order to practice it, and at the moment it is of no use to me. However, the very first part of the exercise does not require me to do anything of the sort, since all I need to do is feel my muscles in order to feel the nerve connections to my body which might actually be able to solve my paralyzing problem...'

Focusing my attention on the muscles of my body, I shut my eyes and thought about the martial manual Han Yufei had given me.

With the aid of the chip inside of my head, I was able to somewhat recall most of the most important points of the first technique, body hardening.

'This is my only hope.'

There was only one goal I had at the moment, and that was to move my body again.

Only that way could I figure out what was actually happening to me.

'Now that I think about it, what exactly happened?'

My memories were hazy since all I could recall at the moment was seeing the portal swallow me up with Jin. Everything was sort of a blur as, after that, I had no recollections of anything.

Actually, thinking about it, there was indeed something else.

'I do faintly remember having my body carried somewhere. Did I perhaps pass out during the incident and got taken prisoner by the demons?'

Suddenly, different scenarios began to appear in my mind as my heart slowly sank.

'If that's truly the case, it makes sense as to why I'm here and my mana is sealed.'

Not only that but to have also taken my dimensional space…

The situation was a lot more precarious than I had originally thought.

'What happened to Jin?'

When my thoughts paused there, I suddenly recalled that Jin was beside me right before everything happened, and my eyes immediately darted to my right and left.

I was only able to see darkness at the moment.

I didn't give up though.

As I closed my eyes, I tried to focus on my hearing to see if there was anyone else nearby.

'If I can hear his breathing…'

Drip— Drip—

After a few minutes, I realized I was all alone inside of this space as the only sound I could hear was the sound of the liquid dripping from the side of the room. Its rhythmical drops messed up my concentration several times as my face contorted.

Struggling to hear for the next minute, I eventually gave up.

'Fuck, just what in the world is happening?'

I became frustrated once again as I stopped whatever I was doing and concentrated on practicing the art Han Yufei had taught me.

An impending sense of danger washed over me.

***

"Ugh…"

Jin's mind was currently in a haze at the moment as he could hardly think straight. While his stomach churned, his head throbbed.

"...Where am I?"

voice echoed out. Opening his eyes,

adjust himself to as he had long been accustomed to such darkness no thanks to his

"Hm?"

that he was

immediately became alert. However, that did not last for long as his

"Ren! Kevin!"

top of his lungs as he clenched his

felt boiling rage rise from within him as he remembered the events

fucking drugged me,

me!? Let me go this instant before

as he lied in his

mad if they didn't let him go as he was already

of here! I'll fucking

let out were greeted with silence, as he

"Bastards!"

neck protruded and his face reddened. He could even feel some of his spit land on his face as he spat out

Jin to calm down and stare at the darkness

eyes a couple of times, he took

"Haaa...haa…"

you wait you

finally calmed down and

realized he was lying inside of what appeared to be a small,

corner, there was a small section where

Drip— Drip—

rhythmical dropping sound of the water falling brought

of his brows, Jin

'What's going on?'

"Huh? My mana?"

that he suddenly took notice of the fact that there was no mana inside of his body. Closing his eyes

his dimensional ring on any of

bells instantly rang inside of his

This…

and Ren would pull. Maybe not for Ren, but knowing Kevin well, Jin knew that

go as

him that this perhaps have

his eyes he stopped speaking and focused all of his

need

***

'I can feel something.'

current flow through my body, my eyes lit

It wasn't long before

as I waved my hand in front

cant finally

face as I took notice of this

"Thank god..."

quietly murmured d to

me a total of four hours to get my arm moving again, but instead of being annoyed by the thought, I

all of my attention on the muscles

long as

"Ugh."

the process was anything but easy as a weird tingling sensation

thousand feathers were tingling

'This sucks.'

as I fell in and out of concentration

around me, enabling me to

room. The size shouldn't be too big considering the

of my thoughts, I heard

Clank—!

"Ukh!"

I felt a weird mucus-like substance fall

"What's this!?"