I sat down on the floor of the cage, curled up and holding the ring in my hand with which I did not know what to do but hide from the eyes of others. As the guardswoman closed the cage door, I looked up just in time to see the enchantment on the bars light up for a brief moment, thus sealing me in.
The glance at my cellmates, who tried to keep their distance from each other despite the cramped space, showed me the sad truth. Everyone had collars on their necks. None of them were a [Slave], though.
I could only wonder why they ended up as slaves. Was the man a thief? Did the short woman kill her husband? What about the young girl, had she accumulated such debt that it was enough for a collar around her neck? I had no idea, and quite possibly, they were here for the same reason as me.
Not sold for experiments, of course. But falsely accused and put into slavery.
I flinched as Rutledge struck the bars next to me. “Listen, bitch. Until I tell you otherwise, you won’t move a muscle, you won’t make a sound, and you won’t use any skill!”
He didn’t even bother to wait until I acknowledged his command, knowing full well that it was almost useless. Plus, if he really meant it, he would use my name in the order.
It made me wonder if this crew of idiots had something planned behind the Shadowbreakers’ backs. After all, Rutledge hadn’t told Ward about the insufficient strength of the collar. Hmm…
On the other hand, the half-baked order could be his negligence, which he proved to be no stranger to, and had nothing to do with the ring in my hand.
I looked up at the blue sky just before they threw the tarp over the cages, plunging my small cubic world into darkness. Immediately a terrifying thought that this might have been the last time I saw the sky crossed my mind.
My heart sank even deeper as the wagon moved, forcing me to think about the things I’ve been through here, the people I won’t see anymore, and the horrors that await me. It made me ponder about my life, whether it’s worth fighting for. It would be much easier just to replace the [Never-Dying], and I don’t know … bang my head against the bars until my brain becomes mush. I was aware that there are better ways to die, but I felt like doing that right now, anyway.
I was so depressed I couldn’t even decide whether to wear the ring.
In the end, I took the risk.
Though, as time went on with nothing happening and the wagon no doubt neaing the gate, I began to question the ring’s purpose. If I wasn’t wrong and it was indeed a magical tool, it required mana to function. Mana, which was bound by magical shackles. I couldn’t even use my spatial ring, let alone this one. So, what was its purpose?
I slowly came to terms with the fact that the ring was just another mistake made by the guardswoman.
Therefore, when I heard a female voice in my head, I nearly jumped out of my skin.
“If you can hear me, tap the bars once,” a woman told me. I was so shocked that for a moment, I thought I was talking to Traiana. I almost started bowing to the heavens. But her following words proved me wrong.
“S***! Does this damn thing work at all?” she cursed, and I knew the one talking to me was the guardswoman, sitting at the front of the wagon.
I swore, too. I heard her, but tapping on the bars was easier said than done. Despite Rutledge’s neglect, it meant a lot of effort for me. Yet, in the end, I did it and taped the bar with the ring itself still on my finger.
“Okay … good. Well, in short. Since you can’t use mana, only I can speak. One tap yes, two no. Do you understand?” she asked me. Her distress was quite distinct in her inner voice.
I tapped once.
“I need to know, but was Ward telling the truth? Was the Beast…I mean Denholm here for you?” she asked, and I tapped the bar once. I knew Rayden had forbidden me to talk about it, but given the situation, I didn’t see a reason to keep it a secret when it might help me.
Her reaction was the opposite of calm. “S***! That’s f*****…hmm…okay, and Imperial Chef Healer? Is he coming here because of you?”
Again, I shouldn’t talk about it, but Ward already knew, so… I tapped once. My confirmation did not add to her peace of mind. On the contrary, she even began to think out loud. That is, with the “thoughts-transmitting” ring activated. It was mainly a lot of swearing, though.
“An attack on the city barracks would not escape the attention of the Empire …” she thought as she calmed down a bit. “They would investigate it. Why send an Imperial Chief Healer, though? So he’s really coming for that freak. But who would they send to investigate the attack? Army, the unit that is with him? No, I doubt it…they sent an agent.” she concluded, not knowing she wasn’t wrong in her assumption. I resisted the urge to tap the bar to confirm her concerns, and just listened as she began to freak out.
“The attack on the barracks was three days ago … they wouldn’t send him with the Lord …that would be plain stupid … he must be in the city by now. S***!… Traiana’s tits. This operation was a bust from the beginning …s***, s***, s***! …no…no, calm down and think!”
I froze, shocked by what I heard. Hal, I mean, the Imperial Agent was already in Castiana? What?! If my memory served me well, then he should have come with Lord Delamere in two days. Was it a lie? Probably. At least it wouldn’t be weird. On the contrary, it was strange that they told me as much as they did.
“You were stupid for believing them, Korra.” I scolded myself because what the guardswoman said made sense.
It was quite hard to keep my nerves in check, but I tried to think logically despite that. If the agent was already in the city, what was he doing? Why didn’t he summon me for questioning? Regardless of my terrible experience with interrogations, I’d prefer it right now than being locked in a cage with a collar on my neck.
Was I wrong all the time, and it wasn’t just one person watching me from afar? Slavers, Shadowbreakers, Imperial Agent and who knows who else? If he saw what was happening to me, why didn’t he intervene? Why the hell would he let them kidnap me?
“Bastard!” I cursed when realization dawned on me. I was bait, stupid bait.
Did Rayden know about this? Undoubtedly. After all, she let me go after the attack. Which in itself was strange. But I did not question her, glad that my freedom would not be restricted.
How stupid of me.
The old jeweler was right. I was a brainless woman, thinking how free I was while doing exactly what the others wanted without even knowing it.
I sighed and took a deep breath, calming my racing mind.
Although it was not a flattering idea to be unsuspecting bait, I sincerely hoped I was one and that the agent was not somewhere on the way from Wagonbrei. It would mean that my fate was not yet so wholly sealed.
“Are you still there?” the guardswoman asked me urgently, and it wasn’t the first time, according to the tone of her voice.
I tapped the bar once.
“Good. Listen, we’re approaching the gate. You probably think this is a good opportunity to draw attention to yourself, and you wouldn’t be wrong if we knew how many guards Ward bribed. It could be one, it could be all of them. Here and there, I sometimes see his people among the shadows of the buildings that accompany us, and there will be more at the gate. It would be stupid to go against everyone.” I could almost hear her mental sigh. “What I’m trying to say is that if the opportunity arises, I’ll try to help you. I know it must sound crazy, especially after everything I’ve done to you. But I will help you.”
Strangely enough, there was determination in her inner voice, which surprised me, but it didn’t convince me.
Though, it made me wonder what changed her heart. Was it the fear of death or the fact that she went against the Empire?
“All this doesn’t make sense. If Denholm was here for you, Rayden must have known something like this would happen again. Besides, if there’s an agent in the city, they must know all about this,” she thought aloud again, or rather informing me of her thought process.
“Believe it or not, I used to be a guard,” she said softly, reminiscing. “Master guard, actually … and I know they are not as incompetent as Ward would have made you think. I … I know what I did and that there’s no excuse for it. Just … if anything happens to me, tell Rayden that I’m sorry, that I, Aspen… no longer blame her.”
I was unaware of what she was talking about and therefore confused, yet I listened to her with tears in my eyes. Why? Why did I cry when she was the reason I failed to escape?
It was her thought that she might not survive what was to come. It reminded me of Dungreen’s basement, where I watched dozens of people who were unlucky enough to be his slaves die a horrible death. Many of them, suspecting that they would not survive the next injection, confided in others their life stories, unfulfilled wishes, and the greatest regrets.
It was heartbreaking all the more because they had never been wrong in their prediction.
So even though I hated her, I tapped on the bar once.
“Thanks …” she replied softly.
She had no more words for me, no plan. She just warned me when we reached the gate. The horse-drawn wagon stopped. I heard the guards approaching the wagon, but they didn’t bother to check who was in the cages. They just verified who Rutledge and his companions were, their ownership papers for the slaves, of which at least mine had to be forged and let them pass.
I would expect a more thorough search from the city guards under Rayden’s command. I hated to admit it, but the guardswoman wasn’t wrong. It would be risky for her to try anything here, but I thought she still had a better chance here than out of the city.
So I did the only thing I could do right now and screamed in the gag, letting those outside know I was here with my presence. As I hoped, they noticed. As I feared, they ignored me, considering me a wild beast captured and intended for sale, not even looking under the tarp.
The only thing I achieved was that I pissed off the guardswoman, the only person who was willing to help me. At least, I deduced it from her silence. Oh, and there was now an unpleasant smell of excrements and piss in the cages as some slaves were frightened too much by my presence.
Trying to ignore the stench, I sighed. I didn’t see through the tarp, but just the thought of leaving Castiana weighed heavily on my heart. Who would have thought that if I entered the city with such resistance, I would find it so difficult to leave in just a few days.
The city walls could not yet be out of sight, and two members of the Shadowbreakers on horseback joined us. Guardswoman … Aspen still took no action, forcing me to wonder why, what she was waiting for, or whether she hadn’t changed her mind again. Did she lie to me from the beginning, just so I wouldn’t cause problems?
As time went on, I realized nothing would happen for a while. Saddened by this truth, I at least looked at my stats and skills, which I managed to keep, and system notifications.
(ding) Indomitable Will reaches lvl 116
…
(ding) Painless Agony reaches lvl 9
(ding) Tireless Machine reaches lvl 12
(ding) Swift as a Whip reaches lvl 11
…
(ding) Master’s Shield reaches lvl 8
(ding) Master’s Shield reaches lvl 9
…
(ding) Spatial Domain reaches lvl 10
(ding) Spatial Domain reaches Tier II
…
(ding) Beast reaches lvl 10
(ding) Beast reaches Tier II
(ding) Never-Dying reaches lvl 28
(ding) Heart of Magic reaches lvl 5
(ding) Tail of Poison Empress reaches lvl 9
(ding) Inner Perception reaches lvl 8
I paused for a few minutes, staring at the notifications. There were so many of them, and I wondered how it was possible just to realize what had happened since my fight with the horned rabbit. Some skills may have been on the verge of a new level after that. Then there was the Labyrinth Square and my defiance in Rutledge’s store.
It made sense, but gaining levels didn’t bring me the usual sense of satisfaction, but left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth. Although it could have been the gag.
Still, I’d rather have my freedom than this.
Looking at the skills, I had to admit that, given the situation, every level in [Indomitable Will] was highly appreciated. Yet despite being by far my strongest skill, I still wish it was even stronger.
The level-up of [Heart of Magic] just before my mana was sealed was a bit unfortunate. Though, it wouldn’t change anything about my inability to use mana at the moment.
The second tier of two skills, on the other hand, lifted my mood quite a bit.
Spatial Domain: lvl 10
Passive II
You are the mistress of the surrounding space, and nothing in your domain will escape your attention. The space you can consider your own reaches 2m → 3m from your body, and as you grow stronger, your reach will grow too.
II – You may be a master in your domain, but the dull space outside of it has been out of your reach so far. That plain colorless world has gained more shades to it, and you can now perceive it more clearly within a range of 6m.
I had to admit with all sincerity that I didn’t notice the changes until I read the description. It’s a silly excuse, but I had other worries, such as keeping my skill.
Now that I knew about it, I could feel the difference of one meter by which my domain had grown. I saw the adjacent cage and its five occupants completely. To my dislike, I could also tell exactly where the stench came from, just like in my cage.
To my surprise, I was, to some extent, able to see the cage furthest from me, in front of the wagon. It was like watching a black and white film with a grainy filter on. As in the next cage to mine, five slaves were sitting there, huddled in a small space, but that was all I could see, no more precise details.
Solid objects also seemed an insurmountable obstacle to this skill, as I could perceive nothing beyond the reach of my domain that was behind the tarp thrown over the cages.
If I were to describe it, the second tier was like 360-degree lousy eyesight. Still useful, though.
Just the thought of a second tier of [Beast] made me uneasy, and I read the description with my heart gripped by anxiety.
Beast: lvl 10
Passive II
Humans can say what they want, but there is a bit of a beast in each of them. Yet, there is more beast in you than is typical of humans. Why not accept it and admit that you are stronger than a purebred human because of it? Strength and constitution increased by 55%(50%) → 77%(70%)
II – Acceptance is one thing, but letting out the beast within you another. As you have learned, it is not so easy to control your instincts in that state, but do it, and your strength and constitution will increase by up to 22%(20%)
I exhaled with relief, rejoicing at more strength and constitution. If only I wasn’t shackled and locked in a cage, I’d show them who the master was.
But seriously, I didn’t feel stronger, rather still exhausted. Though, it made me wonder why not everyone had it, just to remember that people with this skill allegedly went wild.
So far, I have avoided such a fate even though I have allowed myself to change several times.
That this beast mode will also give me more strength was even better news. Unfortunately, my joy was short-lived. Just pulling out the claws and fangs wouldn’t bring me the 22% increase, which I verified after performing a small test in the darkness of my cage.
I fretted it required a much deeper change, submitting to the beast and mayhap losing control of myself in the process, something I would like to avoid.
“Well, at least for as long as I could,” I sighed and glanced at my hands, wondering if I could break the shackles with such strength, but rejected the idea, as they were still healing.
Looking back at my status screen, I couldn’t help but smile as my eyes fell on a line I hadn’t seen in a long time. [Unspent Stat Points: 1] Yeah, I got my ninety-second stat point. The first one where I had the opportunity to decide where to place it myself.
One stat point.
I have come to terms with the fact that the system was quite stingy in terms of stats points a long time ago, that there was no becoming a living goddess in my future. With the way things have developed, it was rather the fate of the lab rat that awaited me.
“Focus,” I scolded myself.
As always, when it came to a tough decision, my mind wandered and tried to distract me, to delay the decision-making, and to choose where to place that one skill point was harder than I thought.
Name: Korra Grey
Race: Human
Gender: Female
Age: 29
Class: Slave (Master – Arlo Rutledge)
Level: 92 -> 93
[Unspent Stat Points: 1]
Constitution: 64 -> 73 (39)
Strength: 32 -> 37 (21)
Endurance: 31 (25)
Dexterity: 23 (23)
Intelligence: 19 (11)
Wisdom: 17 (10)
Class Skills (6/6):
Indomitable Will (Passive V): lvl 115 -> lvl 116
Painless Agony (Passive I): lvl 8 -> lvl 9
Tireless Machine (Passive II): lvl 11 -> lvl 12
Swift as a Whip (Active II): lvl 10 -> lvl 11
Master’s Lover (Passive I): lvl 6
Master’s Shield (Active I): lvl 7 -> lvl 9
General Skills (8/8):
Eleaden Standard Language (Passive I): lvl 9
Perfect Equilibrium (Passive I): lvl 8
Spatial Domain (Passive II): lvl 9 -> lvl 10
Beast (Passive II): lvl 9 -> lvl 10
Never-Dying (Passive II): lvl 27 -> lvl 28
Tail of Poison Empress (Active I): lvl 8 -> lvl 9
Heart of Magic (Passive I): lvl 3 -> lvl 4
Inner Perception (Active I): lvl 7 -> lvl 8
Trapped in a dungeon where I was denied this choice, I imagined countless times how I would spread my skill points across the stats. I made dozens of builds in my head, and none of them matched what I was looking at. I simply couldn’t predict how much the skills would affect my stats.
Constitution was out of the question. I had a shitload of it. My basic intelligence and wisdom were less than half that of other stats. Though thanks to the [Heart of Magic] the amount of mana in my body and control over it was sufficient for me so far. I wasn’t a mage, after all.
This narrowed my choice to strength, endurance, and dexterity.
I tilted my head, leaning it against the bars, and sighed, repeating the same question in my head over and over again. “What to choose?”
