Countdown in the Blood Mist Death Prison, the Transmigrator's Desperate Situation

Damp and foul-smelling.

This was all Mizuki Han perceived upon regaining consciousness.

A bone-chilling cold seeped from the icy stone bed beneath him, piercing to the marrow. He struggled to open his eyes, his vision fragmented by rusty iron bars.

Was this... a prison cell?

A violent headache struck, and fragments of unfamiliar memories flooded his mind.

The Mizuki Clan, the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai, the Mist Village Anbu, the Bloody Mist Village... and a purge targeting Kekkei Genkai families.

He, Mizuki Han, a descendant of the Mizuki Clan, had been thrown into the Anbu death row of the Mist Village, suspected of colluding with rebels.

"Transmigrated?"

Mizuki Han's lips parted slightly, his voice hoarse, like sandpaper scraping.

He wasn't some Mizuki clansman; he was just an ordinary person from Blue Star.

But now, he was a prisoner in this hell on earth.

"Clang—"

Not far away, the sound of heavy chains dragging across the floor echoed, accompanied by a cold, emotionless voice reciting something.

"Kaguya Clan, Kotsukawa, execution."

"Hozuki Clan, Suigetsu, execution."

"Mizuki Clan, Hyono, execution."

Each name called out was met with a piercing scream and the metallic clang of cell doors opening and closing.

It was a death list.

Mizuki Han's heart suddenly tightened. He forced his weakened body to move, attempting to mobilize the chakra from his memories.

However, his dantian was empty. The meridians in his limbs felt as if they were pinned by countless steel needles, a strange sealing power locking him down, preventing him from condensing even a sliver of energy.

This was a ninja world. Without chakra, he was less than an ordinary person.

"No... I can't die here."

A fierce will to survive erupted from the depths of his soul. In his past life, he had been extremely insecure, suffering from severe "fear of insufficient firepower" and "paranoid delusions."

He never trusted anyone and was accustomed to holding his fate entirely in his own hands.

And now, his life was being decided by someone else with a thin piece of paper.

This feeling was worse than death!

"Next, Mizuki Clan, Mizuki Han."

The cold voice finally uttered his name.

Mizuki Han's pupils contracted sharply.

"Creak—"

The cell door he was in was slowly pushed open from the outside.

In the dim lamplight, a ninja wearing the standard Mist Village Anbu mask walked in. He was tall, exuding a strong scent of blood and palpable killing intent.

"It's your turn."

The Anbu guard's voice was devoid of emotion. "Are you going to walk, or do I drag you?"

Mizuki Han remained silent, staring intently at the other.

He was analyzing.

Analyzing the opponent's stance, breathing rhythm, and grip on his sword.

This was a desperate situation, a dead end with no escape.

But the only thought in his mind wasn't begging for mercy or despair; it was to counter-kill!

Even with a one-in-ten-thousand chance, he would drag the person deciding his fate into hell with him!

"It seems you're unwilling to cooperate."

The Anbu guard appeared to lose patience. He advanced step by step, his ninjatō reflecting a chilling glint in the dim light.

"Bloodline limit scum should have been cleaned up long ago."

The guard's tone was filled with contempt and disdain. "You monsters don't deserve to live in the Mist Village."

Mizuki Han's body trembled with weakness, but his eyes grew colder, like a lone wolf cornered.

He noticed that with each step the guard took, the water on the floor rippled subtly.

This cell was very damp.

Water was everywhere.

Water...

A crazy thought began to form in his mind.

Without chakra, everything was just wishful thinking.

The shadow of death had already descended, and the guard raised his ninja blade, aiming it at his heart.

The icy blade was less than ten centimeters from his skin.

He could even smell the lingering scent of blood on the edge.

Just then, a cold mechanical voice sounded in his mind without any warning.

[Detected host's vital signs nearing the limit, survival desire reaching its peak...]

[Empire Procreation System is activating...]

[Activation successful!]

[Host: Mizuki Han]

[Bloodline Limit: Ice Release (Beginner, diluted bloodline)]

[Current Status: Chakra sealed, severely weakened]

[System Core Function: By merging with high-potential Bloodline Limit females, extract their genes to infinitely evolve the host's bloodline and reward ruling-class derivative skills.]

A golden finger?

A monstrous wave surged within Mizuki Han's heart, but his face remained as cold and extreme as ever.

He knew this was his only chance of survival!

The Anbu guard's blade had already touched his prison uniform, and in the next second, it would pierce his heart.

"System! What's the beginner's gift package?!" Mizuki Han roared in his mind.

[Beginner's gift package has been issued, please check, host!]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Origin Chakra (trace amount) x1.]

[Note: Origin Chakra can ignore any conventional seal and directly act upon the host's meridians.]

A faint but extremely pure energy instantly surged into his dried-up Dantian.

The amount of this chakra was pitifully small, likely not even enough to create a single basic water clone.

But, it was enough!

Seeing the guard who had already swung his blade to attack, the corner of Mizuki Han's mouth curved into an almost imperceptible arc.

He didn't choose to dodge; instead, he used all his strength to lunge towards the guard!

"Seeking death!"

A hint of cruelty flashed in the guard's eyes, and he accelerated his ninja blade without hesitation.

He could already see the scene of this remnant of the Mizuki Clan being run through the heart by his blade.

However, just as the blade was about to pierce Mizuki Han's body, a sudden change occurred!

"Puchi!"

The sound of a blade entering flesh rang out.

But it wasn't one sound, it was two!

The guard lowered his head, looking in disbelief at the ninja blade he had thrust into Mizuki Han's chest.

There, there was nothing.

What he had stabbed was merely an unstable afterimage made of water.

And a tearing pain erupted from his chest.

An extremely sharp ice spike, condensed from the sewage on the prison floor, had, at some unknown time, pierced through his chest, completely impaling his heart!

Blood dripped down the ice spike.

The guard's mask fell off, revealing a face contorted by extreme pain and shock.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but only managed a whistling sound.

His life force was rapidly draining away.

Mizuki Han's figure appeared behind him like a ghost.

His face was as pale as paper, his body swaying precariously; that last strike had exhausted all his strength and that sliver of Origin Chakra.

"The rule of the Blood Mist," Mizuki Han's voice was cold and hoarse, as if from the deepest abyss, "is that the weak die."

"Now, you are the weaker one."

The Anbu guard's body crashed to the ground, splashing a pool of dirty water.

Mizuki Han gasped for air, leaning against the slippery wall to keep from falling.

He had won.

In an absolute dead end, he had executed a textbook counter-kill.

But the crisis was far from over.

More Anbu members lined the corridor outside. The commotion of killing one guard would quickly attract others.

He had to leave this place immediately!

Mizuki Han's gaze fell upon a small girl huddled in the deepest corner of the cell, trembling.

The girl had long, raven-black hair and wore a tattered kimono. She looked no older than seven or eight.

Fragments of memory told him this girl was an orphan he'd found on the run, named Haku.

She was also a survivor of the Mizuki Clan.

[Detected: High-potential Ice Release Kekkei Genkai user (juvenile)...]

[Fusion target: Haku.]

[Fusion success rate: 95%.]

[Post-fusion, host's Ice Release level is projected to reach intermediate, with new skills unlocked.]

The system's prompt sounded again.

Mizuki Han's eyes flickered.

He walked up to the girl and slowly crouched down.

Haku looked up, revealing a delicate and lovely face, pale from fear. Tears welled in her large eyes as she timidly gazed at him.

"Han... brother..."

Mizuki Han ignored her address, reaching out a hand. His cold fingers gently traced the girl's cheek.

His voice was devoid of any emotion.

"From today on, you belong to me."