Seeing the girl fall silent and unwilling to talk further, John also grew quiet. He had tried his best to make her understand; now it all depended on her. If he insisted too much, she might erupt in anger and cause a commotion.
John didn't want unnecessary attention, especially related to the girl. After all, she intended to kill Fatmaster, and if he was found associated with her, his fate could be the same as hers.
Staying silent, he stood still, occasionally glancing at the girl to check her expression, but as she stared forward, it was hard to read her thoughts. Sighing, he gave up completely. There was no point worrying now; he had done his best.
Soon, it was the girl's turn, with John just behind her. She placed her basket on the table, and John saw her grip tighten on the stick when she saw Fatmaster. To his surprise, she didn't act and instead submitted the six spirit stones she had collected today.
Fatmaster looked at her, licking his lips. A perverted expression appeared on his face as he stepped forward. "I thoroughly checked you yesterday. I explored every corner of your body but found nothing," he said, eyeing her up and down.
The girl felt disgusted, and the other listeners shared her expression, but Fatmaster wore a look of ridicule. It was clear he was embarrassing her with his words.
"Come here, let me check you today as well," Fatmaster said, grabbing her hand and pulling her forward.
The girl stood near him with a cold expression. She wanted to kill him, but John's words had affected her, or perhaps the fear of losing her life held her back. That was why she didn't take unnecessary action.
She pulled out her broken stick and placed it on the table. "Sorry, Master, but the pickaxe broke while I was mining," she murmured, hatred laced in her voice. She hated Fatmaster to her core!
John saw her place the stick on the table and sighed in relief. He had managed to deter her, possibly saving her life. Though he still felt disgusted by Fatmaster, he was relieved that the girl hadn't given up on living. He didn't want anyone to die uselessly.
Fatmaster looked at the broken pickaxe, his smile widening. He stepped closer, moving his fat hands over her body, even daring to squeeze her chest in front of everyone. John's anger flared, but he calmed down quickly.
"Hmm... Looks like you aren't hiding anything," Fatmaster said, stepping back with a sadistic smile.
The other prisoners and John sighed when they heard his words, thinking he wouldn't trouble her further today. No one in the cave wanted that to happen; they were all in the same boat and could empathize with a fellow prisoner.
Fatmaster scanned everyone's expressions, his eyes landing on the girl, who also sighed in relief. Seeing this, a wide smile formed on his face as he licked his lips, as if watching prey.
"But, since you've broken a pickaxe, you'll be punished. Go to my room and wait for me. Today's punishment will be harsh. Prepare yourself," he said, laughing loudly.
John's pupils dilated, but he stayed calm. Others were as angry as before, but the girl was strangely calm, eerily so. She nodded and started walking toward Fatmaster's room, glancing at John as she passed.
John felt her gaze and understood its meaning: she wanted him to keep his promise. He nodded back and stepped forward, looking at Fatmaster and resolving to kill this man, even if it cost his life.
After submitting his stones, he walked to his cell, a dejected expression on his face. I wonder if what I did was right? he thought. Today, in the heat of the moment, he had promised the girl he'd kill Fatmaster.
"Whatever, a promise is a promise, and that bastard needs to die!" he thought, punching a wall in his cell, suddenly furious.
Taking a deep breath, he calmed down and sat on his straw mat. By tonight, his breathing would reach level three. He wanted to know what changes it would bring. Level two breathing had already brought significant improvements in his energy and mental state; he looked forward to level three.
He opened his panel:
[Name: John Coral
Age: 23
Cultivation: None
Upgrade Slot: Breathing level 2 (110/200) (upgrading at one point per 9 minutes and 30 seconds)]
His breathing level two had accumulated 110 points.
He began reflecting on his life, how the past two days had been. His life had completely changed in just two days—from a depressed college student to a war prisoner in a cultivation world. He was still acclimating to his new environment.
Thinking about this, he fell asleep quickly. The next time he woke was just before midnight. Since achieving level two breathing, he needed less sleep, and it was lighter, allowing him to wake easily.
This was when his breathing would reach level three. With an excited expression, he opened his panel, eager to see how far his level three breathing had progressed. He was sure it hadn't upgraded yet, as he felt no different.
[Name: John Coral
Age: 23
Cultivation: None
Upgrade Slot: Breathing level 2 (199/200) (upgrading at one point per 9.5 minutes)]
"Ha, just ten more minutes, and it'll be upgraded!" An excited expression appeared on his face. The feeling of continuously growing stronger was intoxicating; he wanted more power.
"Hmm... My outlook on life has changed. Previously, I wanted to end my life, but now... it's different." He realized that, despite the worse conditions here compared to Earth, he now valued his life more. He was pleasantly surprised by this.
As he thought about this, a ding sounded in his mind. He quickly checked the panel, a big smile forming as he read the prompt:
[Breathing has reached level 3 - Better Thought Clarity, Good Impurity Expulsion, Good Energy Enhancement]
He took a deep breath and felt his mind grow calmer than before. His thoughts settled, and he could see everything around him more clearly.
With each breath, he felt more energized and internally calmer. His body felt like that of an athlete from his previous world.
He stood and moved around the cell, feeling like he could run a marathon. The energy from his breathing was like a drug; he wanted more, never wanting it to stop. His face flushed, and after some time, he calmed down.
"This... Level three breathing is even better than before," he murmured, clenching his fist. If this continued, he wouldn't need six months to fulfill his promise and escape this hellhole.
He dreamed of the outside world, the cultivation realm from the previous owner's memories, where cultivators could fly in the sky. He wanted to feel the thrill of soaring through boundless clouds like an eagle, motivating him to endure.
His eyes fell on the cell door, where a plate of food and a jug of water sat at the bottom.
"They must have placed it here while I was sleeping," he nodded, moving toward the plate. It was the same unappetizing food as before. Though he wasn't hungry, he ate it.
Though his breathing gave him energy, it didn't increase muscle or fat. He was as thin as a skeleton, and if someone hit him hard enough, he worried his bones might break. That was why he ate, despite not being hungry.
After eating, John sat silently and closed his eyes. Unable to sleep, he began meditating. From his previous life, he had learned that meditation offered benefits like calming the mind and helping cope with difficult situations.
He meditated because he had nothing else to do. He didn't want to exercise, as he had already burned many calories and didn't want to lose more muscle. Meditation was the only way to avoid boredom.
He meditated for an hour, then lay back on the straw mat. His eyes opened, and he stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.
Morning soon arrived, and this time, he kept his eyes closed until Fatmaster arrived. He didn't want to draw attention. Prisoners typically slept a lot, and if Fatmaster saw him awake early, he might grow suspicious.
Soon, Fatmaster's baton clanged against the cell bars. "Wake up, you piece of shit!" he cursed.
John acted groggy, slowly getting up. He looked at Fatmaster and nodded.
Fatmaster snorted and moved to the next cell. Only after he was gone did John quickly jump up from his mat and start bathing. After washing his clothes, he walked out of the cell toward the mining area. As he walked, he opened his panel, and a surprised expression crossed his face.
"This..." He was at a loss for words.
[Name: John Coral
Age: 23
Cultivation: None
Upgrade Slot: Breathing level 3 (62/400) (upgrading at one point per 8 minutes)
Skills: Meditation (Level 1), Breathing (Level 3)]
A new option had appeared on his panel. He hadn't checked it last night, so he wasn't aware, but now, seeing it, he was astonished.
"Even meditation appeared on the panel. What would happen if I upgraded meditation to level three like breathing?" he wondered, curiosity sparking within him.