Dozens of ideas ran through Chris's head. His eyes remained glued to the wall as he punched at thin air now and again, occasionally unconsciously turning stones over in his hand. His countenance was altered after that initial—albeit dubious—"victory.".
He was still practicing words he would have to utter. His body still shook with memories, and a chill of fear pushed against in his gut as he contemplated the interrogation. And yet he was prepared.
That old man that he used to be was creeping back. Chris used to be the kind who took everything for granted: go without food for days, fight—a day later greet the world with a smile. Yes, he got angry, frantic, but the target always in sight, and the smile always in place.
The door swung open easily. Yun Fei entered. Her bright blue eyes sparkled; her movements were confident and unhurried. A guard pulled behind her a chair.
"Hi, Chris. Will you talk more today?" Her accent curled his name, her words said stretched out oddly.
"Hello. Sorry, I don't know your name," he gritted out, still trying to get his body to yield to him the old familiarity of the ground. Here, the payoff wasn't money or women—life.
"I have an offer. Answer us everything we want to know, and you will live. Even in a dungeon." Her smile was a hard one; her eyes were still hungry.
Chris smiled back, swallowing hard over the constriction in his throat.
"Okay, but on one condition. You'll tell me at least a little bit about this world."
"We'll see." The lips seemed to twitch at the edges. "But if I catch you lying… I'll turn your hand into a figurine."
His hand twitched involuntarily. Why threaten me? She could simply wait… the thought exploded through him. His body wanted to run away, but he willed the smile to remain.
"Ask—I'll answer."
"Okay, let's begin with the basics. How did you end up here? And what is the nature of the people's power in your world?"
Chris was about to open his mouth when Yun Fei preempted him, her eyes slitted like a snake slithering into his brain:
"You're not going to try to claim you are from another world, are you?"
No… of course not. Honestly, I don't know myself. I thought it was new technology…\\" he trailed off, "from my world."
"Technology?" Her eyes went wide, her head slightly back.
"We have no magic. We do everything with only what we make ourselves. For instance… an 'iron horse' which goes faster than a lion and runs on fire as fuel." Chris was attempting to explain a motorcycle.
A ludicrous image passed through Yun Fei's head: a horse exhaling fire from its mouth.
"I think it was a portal. I stumbled upon it, placed my hand on it—and ended up here. Nearly killed me."
"And your strength?" Her tone turned chill.
"Most humans are like me. A few are twice or three times as strong, but that's as strong as it gets."
Yun Fei's face turned cold.
"So plain mortals. just with technology?"
"With in short—yes." Chris had a cold shiver run down his spine.
Her face altered. She caught a threat lurking beneath his tone and smiled.
System S:
Emergency Quest — Make Yun Fei believe the inhabitants of Earth are threatening and you're valuable.
Reward: 5 skill points.
Failure: death.
*Good luck :) *
A vein pulsed on Chris's temple. He talked in a rush:
"I didn't tell you the most important thing! We have weapons… weapons that can wipe cities off the face of the earth."
There was silence in the room. Yun Fei slowly sat, her fists unclenching. She glared at the guard but still didn't say anything.
Chris summoned his spools of courage, fighting a grin:
"Tell me… why do you call us mortals? And what is this world?"
Distrust flashed across her face, but the idea of a "mortal" sent as a scout wouldn't let her out.
This is the world of the strong. And if I were to tell you all about it—weeks. We have martial arts." Her fingers burst with orange light, on the wall… and the stone disintegrated into fragments.
She glanced up and smiled:
"For now, you'll live."
Chris stood rooted, his eyes fixed on the broken wall. The stone that he'd been too scared to even touch—she'd broken with her fingertips.
He swallowed and spoke hard, his voice shaking:
"How did you discover Earth?"
Yun Fei laughed, the sound sudden and harsh, almost a cough.
"What you've acquired is but a crumb of my ability. Don't think you'll acquire it all."
She stood up.
"You're a captive. Perhaps useful… but don't forget your place."
"Feed him," she threw out like a bone to a dog, and the door closed behind her.
Chris dropped to his knees in relief, wiping his sweat-drenched brow. To his mind he almost danced for pleasure:
I made it. another day alive.
System Notification
Reward for quest "Yun Fei" Obtained: +5 skill points.
Double reward for mission "Gu Yan's Interrogation" because life-threatening danger involved: +10 skill points.
System S:
You made it! I was dead serious, you know, you wouldn't last. and yet, here you sit, better than ever! I just can't be happy you're alright :))
He was out of breath but did not say anything. In his head, there were thousands of words of gratitude, which he could freely shower upon the System.
A tray of grub was shoved under the door. Only then did his body remember: he had not eaten in days. He dove at the sticky rice and foreign meat, ripping off half a piece in one bite. The flavor was less than fine table fare, but after starvation it was the fare of gods.
A gentle voice echoed throughout the room:
"I see you've adapted. Got your food. Glad you won't starve to death."
He gripped meat to his chest as if the voice would strip it from his grasp.
"You. what, a ghost?" he asked, his jaw still holding his contents.
"You've gone mad after a couple days of torture?" The voice was calm, even faintly amused.
Forcing it down this monster mouthful, Chris snorted:
What can I even think? You're invisible, talking as though you're inside my head. I thought you wanted my snacks too.
"Ha! Idiot. I'm in chains. What would I be stealing from you?"
Him too? just occurred to Chris.
"Don't come and tell it to me, you're just an old man, hand and foot tied, even his fingers."
What?" The voice stuttered, then exploded in fury: "You have the nerve to say I'm old? What old person do I resemble to you?
"All right, all right, I'm sorry," Chris replied, his palms raised in defeat. "It's just. your voice seemed fairly gray-haired."
He got up and pushed the piece of meat into the wooden bowl in front of the sentry.
"Give this to the man in chains. I feel sorry for the old man."
A muffled growl came from the other side—somewhere between fury and embarrassment. Chris barely held back a grin.
The meat fell through the thin window and down at the restrained man's feet. His face was shining, though Chris did not observe it.
Having had his fill, Chris did not feel his eyelids growing heavy. Unaware, he fell asleep without noticing an answer from his new friend.
Rubbing his head, his bloodshot eyes, his stomach rumbled as if he had not had anything to eat for days once more.
What a nap!" said the familiar voice.". "You were out cold for two whole days.".
System Notification:
As a result of overexertion and absorption of spiritual energy, your body has been drained out completely. You have slept for 38 hours. The side effects will disappear within a few hours.
Chris splashed himself in bucket water, but there wasn't any indication of food.
"Hey, guard!" he shouted, holding his stomach, and attempted to smile as though he were anspoiled child. "Will I have some chow? I'll starve to death here!"
A piece of dry, hard flatbread was tossed into the cell. It skipped across the ground and almost tore his cheek.
He saw it and smiled: Right. I'm a jailbird. How can I forget so soon? Ha. and I'm hankering after a smoke now. What in hell do I do now. Almost a week without actual food.
The whole time, Chris just kept talking to the "voice"–to keep his head, to distract his mind from hunger. Then, one evening, the stillness was rent by far-off explosions.
The rocky walls shook, the air reverberating with the sound of warfare. All the guards emerged, and there was just the subterranean left.