"They're weak," Hei Lingqi assessed. "They don't even have enough chakra to cast a single C-rank ninjutsu."
"But they have all four limbs, and neither is at risk of amputation." Chisen cut straight to the point.
A deathly silence fell over the cell.
Only the faint whisper of wind came from the ventilation shaft overhead.
"Would you like to leave this dark basement?" Chisen suddenly asked.
Hei Lingqi stared at the dim stone slabs overhead without answering.
"I'm not forcing you to decide now." Chisen stood, folded the authorization form, and returned it to his pocket. "I only came to change your dressing today and let you know about this.
You've been lying here for ten years. You don't have to make a life-changing decision in a single minute."
Chisen took a syringe filled with green liquid from his medical bag.
"This is a bone growth stimulant.
Once injected, it will trigger rampant growth in the fractured layers of bone.
For a normal person, this forced growth would cause excruciating pain, like countless ants gnawing at the marrow.
But you can't feel it anyway, so there's no need for anesthesia."
Without hesitation, Chisen inserted the needle into a vein in Hei Lingqi's left arm and slowly injected the green liquid.
After withdrawing the needle, Chisen applied no further dressing. He simply picked up his medical bag.
"I'll be back at this time tomorrow.
To give you the second injection." Chisen reached the cell door and stopped with his back to Hei Lingqi. "Until then, you can give it some thought."
"Think about what?" Hei Lingqi's voice remained hollow.
"Whether you'd swing your blade faster than you do now if you could feel pain-if you began to fear death."
With that, Chisen pushed open the heavy iron door and walked out