“Is this your pick, sir?”

“Yes.” Viers firmly nodded.

After getting pointed at, the boy kept looking straight at Viers’ eyes. He was a small and skinny boy, caucasian with walnut hair color.

“Human male, Twelve years old. Level 1, halfway to Level 2. Earth affinity of 4,” Barnabas the slave trader spoke of his credentials.

“Twelve-year-old Pathseeker? Forced early cultivation?” Viers frowned.

“Yes. At ten. That‘s why he hasn't grown one inch since then.”

“If that is all then he’s very lucky. Three out of four who cultivate that early would be dead or crippled.” Viers replied.

His soul is strong and his eyes still radiated strength. This is a boy who doesn't believe it is his fate to die here. Yes, not only strength but there’s will also. A will to live. Nice eyes. Affinity of 4 is not the best but still very good. Earth, huh? I can work with that. As a bonus, there’s something strange about his body. Special bloodline? Very faint though.

Viers approached the caged boy closer.

“What is your name?”

“Donk.”

“Hmn?” Viers eyed Barnabas for an explanation.

“He had been a slave before he came here, dear sir. His previous master called him Donk. Donk for donkey. His original name had been erased.”

“Erased how?”

“Why, by the slave seal of course.”

Viers took a second to close his eyes and washed away his sentimentality.

“I want to make you my slave. Your main objective is to battle, killing monsters and if needed, people. Are you willing or do you prefer to stay here?” Viers addressed Donk.

“Sir, he has no right to refuse. If you buy him then he will be bound by a slave seal to you. He will do whatever your command or will experience excruciating pain.”

Barnabas reminded Viers about the slave seal. A tattoo using the blood of the master and the slave, magically binding the slave with more restriction than an iron collar. Viers threw Barnabas a look.

“If he should be my slave then the matter of how I treat him has no relation with you. I want to hear from him,” Viers turned his head. “Kid, I asked you a question.”

“...May I ask for one request?” Donk replied with a small and tired voice. He must have been starving for some time.

“Speak.”

“Please allow me to live with dignity.”

Viers was silent for ten seconds. Parsing, thinking, and admiring. His eyes glinted with expectation.

“Not freedom but dignity, huh?” A brief chuckle escaped his lips. “I accept.”

Viers paid Barnabas the necessary coin and the price for the slave seal. A drop of blood was taken from Viers and Donk, Barnabas mixed it with something to make some kind of paint. Barnabas drew a circular crest on Donk’s chest. The paint disappeared after a while as if sinking into his skin.

“Thank you for your patronage. We look forward to seeing you again.”

I’m not. Viers replied in his mind.

Viers left the slave shop with Donk walking behind him. The street urchin was waiting with a bored expression.

“Thanks kid. Spend it wisely.”

Viers already gave the boy a silver coin before he went into the shop and he gave his other half because he managed to buy a suitable slave. If there was no suitable candidate in Barnabas’ shop, Viers would seek out another place. He had strict potential requirements.

The street urchin took the coin from Viers then left after giving Viers a look. Viers smiled under his face covering and waved him goodbye as he disappeared into the alley.

“Alright. Let’s go Donk… No, I’m not gonna call you that. You really don't remember your birth name?”

Viers caught Donk absentmindedly looking at the sky with one of his hands shielding his eye from the light of the sun. Viers suspected it had been a while since he last saw the sky.

“No… What should I call you, sir?”

“My name is Avel but you can just call me Master because I’ll teach you a lot of things. Do you prefer to choose your own name or shall I pick it for you?”

“I’m dumb so please call me however you like, Master.”

“Fine. Let's get some food and clothes for you along the way.”

Donk’s clothes were very inadequate and he needed food badly. The mention of food made Donk perk up for a second but he swiftly regained control.

Good kid.

Viers brought Donk to an eatery but they were refused entry because Donk was too dirty. Viers was not unreasonable, the eatery’s opinion was valid. That was why Viers had no problem eating outside. Viers ordered warm soup and some well-cooked meat.

“There, eat while it's hot. No need to rush.”

“Master, there’s meat.”

“Well yeah. You need to eat lots of meat to grow big and strong. Vegetables too.”

“My portion is bigger than yours.”

“I have eaten earlier so I’m not hungry. Eat.”

“Mm,” Donk tried to dig in with his hands which Viers stopped.

“Use the spoon. Slow down, the food won't run away.”

“Mm…”

Donk ate the meal heartily, holding back his tears. Viers had enough tact to pretend he didn't notice anything.

After filling Donk’s belly, Viers bought a couple sets of clothes. Cheap ones but comfortable. Viers didn't let Donk wear the clothes immediately because he needed a bath first.

“What about shoes?”

“It is customary for slaves to not wear footwear, Master.”

“Well I don't care. Here, this looks like your size. Try it,” Viers picked one among many.

“...Thank you very much.”

They both carried the sack of clothes to the public bath where Viers cleaned Donk with buckets of water and soap. Because of the existence of magic items, toilets and baths were not too uncommon even in this pseudo-medieval age.

With all the grime and dirt washed off from Donk, he looked like a normal boy wearing new clothes. When he was changing, Viers saw whip scars on his back.

He is only fucking twelve… What a shitty world.

While walking, every so often Donk looked down at his shoes. It was like Viers gave him shoes made of gold and not ordinary leather. Donk seemed very moved, it showed in his face.

They returned to the Bird Nest inn. The inn man behind the reception desk threw Viers a look and to Donk beside him for a second before deciding it wasn't his business and kept writing something in a book.

Viers rented a room with two beds precisely for this.

“Alright. This will be our place for a while.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Good. It’s already sundown. Let me see your ability as a Pathseeker then we can have dinner.”

They went to the back of the inn where there was space for Donk to flex his earth muscle.

Viers had him test a bunch of things to see what his current capabilities were. They only went at it for a while before Viers decided it was enough and they ate dinner together.

Viers allowed Donk to sleep early and it didn't take long until the slave was in deep slumber.

Soul search.

His birth name was forgotten.

His mother died birthing him. His father often hit him. Aunt Jolie, his mother’s sister, became a mother figure. Until she died of illness when he was nine. On her deathbed, she left some words to him.

“Live. Live with dignity. As long as you’re alive, good things will happen to you. Remember, your mother loved you, always. As will I.”

Because of those words, he has a strong desire to live. Despite the hardships, despite the pain.

Even after his father sold him as a slave for drinking money.

When he got examined, he had an earth affinity of 4 so he got bought by a quarry owner. Forcefully awakened as a Pathseeker despite his young age. Fortunately, whatever the reason was, he came out without too many negative repercussions.

There were a dozen slaves in the quarry. All humans and all had earth affinity. The master called him Donk, because his main job was to carry rocks like a beast of burden.

Life as a slave was tough. Cried, got beaten. Didn't work, got beaten, no food. He felt the sting of the whip many times. The master was not a good person but Donk was able to survive under him.

As a Pathseeker, even though he was only Level 0, Donk was able to do the work of ten non-Pathseekers in the quarry. After a few months of hard work, to make him able to work better, the master gave him resources to Advance and become a Level 1.

Roughly one year after he was bought, the master died. Donk heard rumors it was because of a monster. The master’s son took over but because he was not skilled in business, the quarry went under. The son sold some of the slaves as a result, Donk was one of them.

He got transported to Marakkus and Viers bought him.

Viers ended the soul search. It was painless and didn't have any negative effect. Viers spent a lot of time thinking deeply about his newly bought slave before he went to sleep himself.

The next morning, Viers was practicing Serpentes Renovamen while waiting for his slave to awaken.

“Mmm… HAH!? I-I’m sorry for oversleeping!”

“It's fine.”

Viers stood up and spoke solemnly.

“From now on, your name is Boram. Boram Rockboa. You will be my hammer against my enemies. I promise you this: You're gonna eat lightning and you're gonna crap thunder. You're gonna become a very dangerous person.”