A splitting headache—that was the only sensation John felt as he woke up.
Instinctively, he reached to touch his forehead but found his hands seemed to be bound.
This realization made him snap his eyes open instantly, only to confirm he was indeed in a very dim, small, dark room.
His limbs were shackled with iron chains, and to make matters worse, his body felt weak, completely devoid of strength.
Instinctively, he summoned the Bloodthirsty Blade.
Fortunately, it responded to his call, which slightly eased his anxiety.
However, he quickly discovered another critical problem: his storage ring wasn't working!
At first, he thought it was an illusion, but after careful consideration, he realized it truly wouldn't open.
Gritting his teeth, he surveyed his surroundings.
This place certainly didn't seem ordinary.
All he could remember was the black smoke from the statue enveloping them, and then everything went dark.