"Oh, Julian. Watch. Looks like Oscar's about to have an actual challenge," Veinf said. Her eyes shot back toward the training ground.
"Hm? What makes you think that?"
"I'm not sure."
In front of Oscar stood a man of similar stature. His hair was even longer than his, even spikier and unkempt. Tan-skinned, with blue eyes that were darker than Oscar's.
While Oscsr's expression remained untainted and calm, the boy in front of him had a cheeky smile plastered across his face.
"… Cherva"
"Your winning streak will be over after this match, Oscar! Get ready!" Cherva grinned tighter.
Oscar's grip on his wooden sword was loose, while Cherva held his tightly.
"Hey, that Oscar guy… isn't he pretty cocky?" Julian asked.
"Well… you're a new slave, so I have to explain this to you in a way that you'll understand. Most slaves in this peninsula know each other. Once you become a slave, it's hard to be recognized as a citizen. With all the highly trained slave catchers in this area, we all end up visiting different slave camps every time we are recaptured. I've seen Oscar maybe three times, and… with all the fights he's been through, there hasn't been a single one he's lost. I wouldn't call it cocky. He's simply aware of his ability."
Wow.
The spar began with a clash.
Cherva lunged at Oscar.
Thud!
Strong waves of wind shot toward the crowd, sending strands of Julian's hair into an array. He quickly shielded his face.
So fast!
As sensible swordsmen did, they lunged backward, gaining a safe distance from each other.
Fwsh!
Cherva sprinted forward.
His grip shifted to an icepick grip. Quickly, he spun around, gathering momentum for a heavy strike.
Thud!
Cherva thrusted the blade toward Oscar, his back and shoulder facing him. Oscar blocked the strike with the thinner side of his blade.
All whilst maintaining a calm demeanor.
"!"
Oscar kicked up, sending the wooden blade spinning, flying into the air.
Cherva's eyes widened.
As soon as Oscar's foot was firmly planted on the ground, he swiped his blade horizontally.
Fwsh!
He narrowly missed. Too short.
Cherva jumped into the air with tight knees, evading the swift slash. At the same time, he caught the spinning sword in the air.
Pulling his arm back, he threw the wooden sword toward Oscar.
Fyeom!
It hurdled toward him at alarming speeds. Oscar's eyes followed it as it reached him. He sidestepped, avoiding it.
"Got you!"
Somehow, Oscar had found himself open. Cherva lunged at him, with a tightly balled fist.
"How unsportsmanlike."
Bsh!
Oscar swiftly elbowed Cherva, landing a hit directly on his chin. Forcing Cherva to look up.
Cherva's eyes gleamed. Staring at Oscar's heel.
An… axe kick… how did he turn so fast?
Bsh!
He was struck in the nose. Collapsing to the ground.
No one clapped. It was expected, of course. That Oscar would win. But Cherva did hold up the most out of anyone.
Julian was especially star-struck.
"The way he moves. It's all so calculated, and he himself probably doesn't even realize it. It's not that he's cocky. He's like… automation. A force of nature. When you're like him, what is there to care about?"
"What are you talking about, Julian?" Veind asked.
"Nothing… nothing. I barely got to see most of that fight. They were so quick."
"If you think that was quick, you should see how they would move with mana."
The next day came. The slaves were given a single day of rest as some twisted kindness but after that, it was immediately time for work.
He and a group of slaves were marched outside the camp by one of the slavers.
It's such a strange system. People are hired to work as slavers. Whatever type of country… or kingdom I'm in… it's evil. That's for sure. I'm not sure how or why I was summoned to this world, but after seeing that girl die… it'll be my mission to end this cruel system.
Julian still shuddered at the thought of it.
There were three large burlap sacks, and several pickaxes for the slaves to hold. They entered this dark cave. They walked blindly, deeper into the cave, until a source of illumination was found. Glowing blue stones.
Clink! Clank!
All the slaves around him went to work instantly. It was not until he was lashed that he snapped out of his deep thought and got to mining as well.
The air quality was not the greatest. Julian found himself coughing. To add to his poor physicality, his lungs were also not doing too well.
This resulted in several lashings.
Crack!
"Quit slacking!"
That was three lashes now. The stinging feeling on his back had at least made him realize the aching pain in his head had settled quite a bit. His back still stung, so it didn't matter.
"You get tired quite easily."
The slaver behind him noted aloud.
"Were you recently sold? A poor family, desperate for money. Sheltered from hard work besides maybe chopping wood every so often. Though, even for a malnourished individual… You are oddly weak."
He whipped.
Julian winced in pain. He turned around.
The slaver was a young elf. His hair was black and long, though nicely kept, falling to his shoulders. His eyes were pitch black and soulless. Eerie.
"What's your name, human boy?"
"Julian."
"Faelyn."
Faelyn was tall and skinny. He wore a simple white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, hanging the thong of the whip over his shoulder. Simple black trousers, as well. Over that white shirt, he had light armor on.
"It'll be in your best interest to become stronger, physically. I can tell that you're weaker than the average human."
"…"
Julian continued mining.
He just whipped me, multiple times. Now he's trying to give me advice? What is up with the people who reside in this world? Everyone's a powerful psychopath!
He kept his head tilted down. He spent the rest of the day mining throughout the cave with his fellow slaves.