Cedric spent more than an hour accepting and adapting to everything. Only then did he focus on his current situation again.
Thinking about his current state, he couldn't help but move his hand to the back of his head.
Every Raivorn Tribe member here, including him, had a strange rune carved at the back of their head. It was this rune that made it impossible for any slave to retaliate against their master. If their master wanted, they had to kneel or even die with a single thought.
Freedom was nothing more than a dream to slaves like them.
In the Midnight Land, only those who break past the Earthen Soul Realm and enter a new realm of cultivation could break free from the rune's control.
But how could a slave, with no resources and no guidance, possibly achieve that?
Even if by some miracle he reached that stage, his master would surely enslave his soul before it happened.
"So, this is my new life," Cedric muttered bitterly. "Back on Earth, I was a boss of my own. But now, I'm reduced to being a slave, with no freedom at all."
He gave a hollow laugh, though it quickly turned into a sigh.
The irony was almost too much.
Just then, a faint buzzing sound echoed inside his head.
His thoughts froze as a strange warmth spread through his mind, like sunlight cutting through darkness.
[System initializing… Host soul signature confirmed.]
[Binding complete.]
[Welcome, Host. You have activated the Thousandfold Return System.]
[System Function: The Host needs to bind a person before giving that person gifts. The gifts can be anything, even a rock or the sun in the sky. When the Host gifts something, the System will return multiplied rewards based on the bound person's potential.]
[Base Return Range: 1–100x. Special emotional resonance or life-changing moments may trigger "Critical Hit," granting up to 1,000x return.]
[Warning! The system has detected an external interference with the Host's consciousness.]
[The Host is now shielded from all foreign consciousness interference. External control signal is neutralized.]
As the voice faded, Cedric suddenly felt a cool sensation running throughout his body, especially his mind. At the same time, he regained full control of his own body.
Cedric's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait a moment... does that mean that I..."
He closed his eyes and focused inward. The faint pressure and the throbbing sensation in his head were gone. He couldn't feel that invisible leash anymore.
Although the rune was still etched on the back of his head, it was no longer working. Something was blocking all of its ability.
Obviously, the System had severed the control of this unknown rune, which Cedric called the "Slave Rune".
"I'm free now?"
"I'm free! I'm free!"
He almost laughed aloud, but stopped himself just in time. If the capsule's sensors detected his activity, those people outside might investigate. He forced himself to stay still, pretending to be unconscious, even as his heart raced wildly.
Cedric didn't yet understand why he got the system, but he wasn't about to waste the chance. If he played his part carefully, he could hide among the other slaves, wait for the right opportunity, and eventually escape.
Once free, he could use the System to build strength.
And one day, when he was powerful enough, he would return to Thunder Region and burn every last slave merchant that traded his people.
As the ship continued through the dark void, Cedric remained silent with his eyes half-closed.
The merchant's crew laughed outside the holding bay, boasting about profits and promotions. None of them noticed that one of the slaves inside the compartment was quietly planning his rise.
.....
A silver-gray spaceship was rapidly shuttling at very high speed in the sky.
To Cedric's surprise, although the owner of the spaceship let them out of the sleeping capsules, he had not summoned them for the next two days.
But this was good; it gave him more time to familiarize himself with the system.
He thoroughly understood almost everything about the system.
The system itself could level up, its growth tied directly to his own strength. At present, it was only at Level 1. In this stage, he could form a bond with just one person. However, once the system advanced to Level 2, he would be able to bind with a second person, allowing a total of two connections.
The more he bestowed gifts upon those bound to him through the system, the greater the system's feedback would be. Ordinary gifts could yield returns ranging from one to a hundred times their value. Yet, if he managed to give someone exactly what they needed most, or something deeply significant to them, the return rate would soar dramatically, reaching anywhere from a hundred to a thousand times.
Of course, there were many restrictions as well.
For instance, the system's return function could only be activated once per month. Furthermore, the gifts had to be appropriate for the recipient's cultivation realm at that specific time; otherwise, the return rate would be affected.
Most importantly, the return rate of the gift depends on the talent of the bound person. If the recipient is a genius, he may trigger a 100x return almost every time. But if the recipient has average talent or slightly better talent, the return rate would fluctuate constantly, and may not increase above 10x or 20x.
So, the most important question for Cedric right now was how to find a talented person to bind with. Moreover, that person had to be able to receive his gifts without arousing any suspicion.
He himself was only a Nine Stars warrior. Now, he was even reduced to a slave controlled by a rune, of course, in other people's eyes.
Suddenly, as if he thought of something, his gaze swept around.
There were at least a hundred members of the Raivorn Tribe around him. He could simply observe them to determine who among them possessed talent.
The system's second function was that he could always look at anyone's basic information, such as their name, talent, body, bloodline, etc.
However, as he looked at the members of the Raivorn Tribe, his mood started sinking.
Why?
Because almost every member had ordinary talent. It is to be expected. After all, a Raivorn Tribe member's talent explodes only after awakening their bloodline.
Among hundreds of Raivorn Tribe members, the vast majority had average talents. There were only two or three people with slightly good talent.
Although Cedric didn't want to, he had no better choice in his current situation. He can only pick the best among the mediocre for now.
Cedric looked over the crowd and quickly noticed a middle-aged man from the Raivorn Tribe standing at the edge.
That man wore worn-out clothes, looked thin and tired, and his gray, messy hair made him seem like an old farmer who had spent his whole life working in the fields.
Among all the members of the Raivorn Tribe, he was the only one with good talent. Moreover, his current strength had only reached Five Stars.
[Name: Lior Fenril]
[Cultivation: Five Stars]
[Bloodline: Mythical Raion Bloodline (Unawakened)]
[Talent: Yellow]
Talent in the Midnight Land is divided into Mortal, Yellow, Spirit, Earth, Heaven, Saint, and Mythic Ranks.
After awakening the bloodline of the Mythical Beast, Raion, a member of the Raivorn Tribe, would normally have their talent boosted directly to Mythic Rank. Unfortunately, without awakening, their talent usually remains at Mortal or Yellow Rank.
Taking a deep breath, Cedric hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to bind to Lior for the time being.
Immediately, the crisp System prompt sounded in his mind.
[Do you want to bind with the target, Lior Fenril?]
After Cedric selected Confirm, the system acknowledged his choice.
[Binding Successful!]