Chapter 4: Slave[2]

Xior woke up due to shouts from a few sources. He opened his eyes to see, Elara the elf woman and Alice the rabbit woman both arguing with Heinrich.

He struggled but stood up from the ground and staggered before standing straight. He looked down and it all came back, the guardian, his arm being ripped off and him fainting.

He fell to his knees and grabbed the stump with his right hand. The bandage was soaked with blood.

“He’s awake now, we should continue. If you still have any issues throw him over your shoulder.

Or are you still prideful, my dear Elara.” Heinrich said as he reached for his whip.

Elara flinched slightly before she turned towards Xior scooping him up and throwing him on her shoulders.

“I can walk.” Xior said as he tried to get down. But he didn’t have an strength to overpower an adult Elf woman.

“Shut up human. I am only doing this because I don’t to live like this.

If I’m meant to die, it should be done quickly.” She blustered

“Elara dear, how many times have I told you that stop thinking about stupid things.

I know we will make it out of here.” Alice responded calmly.

Elara looked at her and went silent. Alice despite being in such a situation was always positive. She helped all of the slaves.

“Thank you.”

“What?” Elara questioned.

“I said thank you.

I understand where you come from Elara. I too have been waiting for the day I will die so that I can reunite with my parents.” Xior sighed.

At the end Xior was human too. As much as a human can try to be emotionless and indifferent to things, at their core they will still be human who are bound to feel emotions.

Xior, who was not interested in anything showed emotions after a traumatic experience. Elara after hearing those words put him down. Alice helped him maintain his balance as they crossed a barren wasteland inside the Abyss.

He vomited a lot the first time he felt the mana of the Abyss enter his body. Now he was getting used to it. There seemed to be some sort of mana gathering in his abdomen. But he didn’t care about it.

Far in the horizon, he saw the same black hole and then a huge mansion came into his view. It was broken and old but it was a magnificent architectural work.

*****

Becca’s red hair matched the red frock she wore. It had embroidery all over it, and on her feet she wore elegant footwear. All of this was prepared by the shelter owner, an old widow who took in orphans and kids from the street.

She walked silently to the Hunter Association office a few blocks away. Despite being there so early, she had to wait in a line for her turn.

When it was her turn, she was escorted to a separate room. Inside a big mana crystal was placed inside a tube and a smaller one was on a small platform. She was instructed to touch the small crystal and channel her mana without activating her elemental rune.

An intense pressure erupted from her body, pure white mana spilled out of her hand. The mana crystal absorbed it all like a gluttonous monster.

“She is Sector H’s 10th A-Rank.” The operator declared.

Her eyes widened. A-Rank? She was baffled, now she could easily afford meat and new clothes for the shelter kids and Xior. As soon as a smile formed on her face, she was reminded of the incident again.

Tears formed in her eyes but she didn’t let them spill. ’I’ve become strong now, but he is gone. What’s the point in this?’

She turned and left the room, as soon as she came outside, a dozen people swarmed her.

“Join our guild.”

“100,000 plat starting salary”

“Women only, Guild. We need you tigress”

Becca ignored all of them and left the building. She had no plans to join these guild who would work her to the bone and don’t even pay her anything good. But now she was a proper Hunter and a strong one at that.

As she walked back to the shelter she stopped at her favorite donut shop run by an old couple. She bought donuts for all of the kids from her savings as celebration for her amazing rank.

She also got Xior’s favorite flavor, chocolate filled nuts topping donut. She opened his door and put the donut on his table alongside the dozens of letters left for him.

His bed was neat and tidy, as if all of them were waiting for his return. Everyone grieved in their own sense and this was how orphans did.

*****

Heinrich had instructed to stop near the mansion and rest for a bit. Xior was given a weird piece of raw meat and some dirt filled water. He almost threw up but he endured it, he was hungry, thirsty and in pain.

“How is life inside the tower?” Xior questioned.

“It depends honestly, I am my tribe’s vice-chieftain. Unfortunately I got captured because I defended the people of my tribe.” Alice answered.

He looked at Elara who sat not far away from him. Despite her helping Xior so much she was cold towards him. A boy, who hadn’t done anything. Was this hatred due to his race? Just what did the elves went through for them to hate humans.

Heinrich took his best men inside the mansion to scavenge for any resources while the others were on duty. Xior kept talking with Alice, and asked her a lot of things. She giggled at his innocent questions which made a patrol officer whip her.

The cracking sound of the whip and her flesh being torn by it was intense. Blood drew from her back as he groaned in pain. Xior saw the officer move his whip to hit her again but this time he shielded her.

He was one to pay back his debt, and helping him when he was passed out was a debt he had to pay and so he took four whips from the officer before he was satisfied.

He was used to the pain by now. His body was numb, blood loss and other factors were the cause. He sat up straight and removed his tattered robe and covered Alice with it. Elara saw all this from the distance.

A horrifying scream pierced their ears which caused them to bleed. Heinrich came running alone from inside the mansion. The whole mansion shook as some figures emerged from inside of it. Shadows with no solid form attacked everything in their sight.

Xior once again threw himself over Alice to shield her but Elara grabbed both of them and jumped away. ’Why do I end up helping him again and again? He’s a human…the ones who did all those atrocities on us elves for a millennia’

But it was too late. The shadows had cornered all of them. They were the wraiths of the Abyss.

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