I made it three steps toward the cave entrance before I snapped, "aaaakkkhh."My fist slammed into the nearest rock. Once then twice until the stone cracked and my knuckles split open with blood running down my fingers.

  I hit it again."FUCK!"

  The word echoed across the mountain and my bandits looked up from their fire startled but I didn't care. I punched the rock again and pain shot up my arm — good, at least the pain was real and at least that was something I could feel.

  "Boss?" Scarface Liu's voice came from behind me."You alright?"

  "Get the fuck out."

  "Boss, your hand—"

  "I SAID GET OUT!" I spun around and he took two quick steps back with hands raised while the other bandits were watching now a bit wary.

  I stood there breathing hard with my fists clenched and blood dripping onto the dirt. They were all staring at me like I was crazy—and maybe I was.

  There was no escape, never—I was going to be here forever dying and resetting while watching these fucking heroes kill me over and over and over—

  "NO"

  I cut that thought right there and took a deep breath. Then another.

  I needed to think — the rage was still there inside me burning my chest like hot coal but I forced it down and pushed it into a box in the back of my mind and locked it there.

  Anger was useless — anger makes you sloppy and you make mistakes just like I did right now. I looked down at my bleeding knuckles and the pain was already fading since in a few hours it'd be healed as Foundation Establishment cultivators recovered fast.

  "Boss?" Scarface Liu tried again now in a low voice.

  I turned to look at him and then at all of them — they were watching me like I might explode again.

  "I'm fine, go back to what you were doing."

  They hesitated, then slowly returned to the fire.

  I walked back into my cave and sat down in my chair while the system screen was still floating in my vision — and I sighed in relief since I still had chances.

  [RESPAWN COMPLETE ]

  [DEATH COUNT: 75]

  [NEXT CHOSEN ONE ARRIVAL: 6 cycles]

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  "Six months." My eyes narrowed— six months was enough time to prepare for the next bastard.

  **********

  Ping…..

  A notification woke me from my dreamless sleep.

  [CHOSEN ONE HAS ARRIVED]

  [Chen Wu - Level: Foundation Establishment (Early Stage)]

  [Time until arrival at Crimson Blade Mountain: 36 hours]

  I sat up slowly as the calm morning light filtered into the cave — six months had passed.

  I opened up this chosen one's profile.

  [Chen Wu]

  [Age: 16]

  [Background: Orphaned at age 8, left outside a small temple, raised by monks who taught him basic cultivation and moral principles. Recently joined a sect and was sent out into the world to "experience life and grow stronger."]

  [First real combat experience: killing an adult lighting wolf.]

  [Core Desire: To prove himself worthy. To make his master proud.]

  [Core Fear: Failure. Disappointing those who believe in him.]

  A temple boy who lived among monks and they took care of him, mmm, This one could work and I had a perfect plan, exactly for him.

  Three months ago, I had captured a merchant during a night raid on a small caravan and dragged him to the deep caves where the old prison cells had been here long before my bandit camp existed and locked him inside feeding him just enough to survive.

  He'd screamed for weeks and begged, offering me everything he owned. And I accepted his request gladly." Your life…."

  By the third month he was completely broken with hollowed eyes and barely reacted when I came to feed him.

  Perfectly according to what I wanted him to be.

  Then I'd also prepared two sets of clothing — dark robes with a hood, the kind that covered your face.

  Everything was ready….

  *****

  Chen Wu arrived at noon and I watched him from the cave entrance — young, handsome with energy in every movement as his sword hung at his side and his robes gave the presence of a gentleman.

  My bandits spotted him and immediately started shouting while Scarface Liu grabbed his weapon and the others formed up looking threatening.

  I also stepped forward already wearing the dark robes with the hood up and my whole face wrapped in cloth leaving only my eyes visible.

  "Are you the Crimson Blade Bandit Lord?"

  "I AM kakakak," My voice came out different— deeper and harsher than my real voice.

  He drew his sword. "For the innocent people you've harmed!"

  Not wasting time talking with this righteous fool, I shouted at my bandits."ATTACK." and sprinted towards Chen Wu.

  Aggressively my sword came down hard and he barely blocked in time as the impact made him stumble back

  He raised his eyebrow as if he hadn't expected this level of attack and my bandits rushed toward him from the sides as Chen Wu spun to defend himself and blocked Scarface Liu's strike then ducked under another attack.

  But Chen Wu didn't panic or run away — instead he was fighting back just as I had expected.

  When Little Feng got too close Chen Wu's sword flashed out and caught him across the chest — and Little Feng went down actually wounded this time..

  Chen Wu didn't stop but pressed forward as his sword came at me in a series of quick strikes and I blocked them but each impact jarred my arms. Even though we had the same cultivation stage, he was stronger and faster than me as the system was already boosting his skills.

  So, I gave ground, retreating toward the cave entrance making it seem like I was being forced back….But I really was.

  Chen Wu cut down another bandit then another as his blade work was getting more confident with each exchange

  "Surrender!" he shouted at me. "You can't win!" — and he was right so I bolted into the cave tunnels with the dark robes billowing behind me. I knew these tunnels perfectly and took the turns without hesitation running deeper into the mountain while behind me I could hear Chen Wu stumbling occasionally and slowing down to check his path.

  But he didn't give up and kept following me — exactly what I wanted.

  I ran until I reached the chamber next to the prison cells then slipped into the narrow side passage I had prepared earlier — nothing more than a thin crack in the rock leading to a small hidden space.

  A few seconds later, Chen Wu's footsteps echoed into the main chamber.

  "Where are you? Show yourself, you coward."

  Ignoring him I moved quickly in my hiding spot stripping off the dark robes — underneath I was wearing plain merchant clothes.

  Then I waited while Chen Wu searched the chamber. I could hear him moving around looking for another exit.

  "I know you're here," he muttered.

  And when he turned his back I made my move and slipped out of the hidden passage moving silently into the cell where I'd kept the merchant — the man was slumped in the corner barely conscious.

  unlocked the cell door as quietly as possible but the hinges creaked slightly.

  Chen Wu spun around. "Mmm—"

  However I was already inside the cell — I grabbed the merchant who was too weak to resist, already wearing the same dark robe with his face covered.

  The merchant made a weak sound of confusion and so I shoved him against the cell bars positioning him so he was half-visible from outside and making it look like he'd been injured and now leaning on the bars for support.

  Then I backed into the corner of the cell staying in the dark and changed my posture into that of a scared man.

  .

  .

  "Found you,"