So Rulf can’t see the status screens and has no idea about levels. Does that mean he levels up without realising it? Actually those three guys seemed to have been here for a while yet they only looked a bit better than me when it came to mining. Surely they must be at least level 5 or above. Maybe levelling only has small effects, or maybe it is just me. Than can I learn skills faster than other people? Wait, that means I haven’t been reborn into an RPG but in fact a real fantasy world! Well I guess it’s still like an RPG just I’m the only one with the RPG abilities. Well best I keep quiet about this for now, and try to find out more when my situation clears up. Oh yeah what is up with this situation, I’ve been here for two days and I'm already a slave. ARGHH! why didn’t that fucking god or whatever he was explain any of this!! Kyros was raging in his head while still on his way to hand in hid his quota.

Walking into a darker than usual area in the mine where there were less glow stones illuminating the cave, the three men stopped and turned around. Kyros was nonchalant over the situation, however Rulf wasn’t new to being a slave.

“Kyros, be on guard. It’s not uncommon for the older slaves to teach the new slaves who's boss.” Rulf whisper to Kyros.

Now alarmed to the situation, Kyros put aside his worries with the status screens and paid attention to the three veteran miners up ahead.

“Ahem, I’m impressed with you newbies, most new slaves spend their first day crying about wanting to go home. I know his been a slave for a while now.” The middle and biggest of three spoke while looking towards Rulf. On closer observation, this middle guy was an horrendous site to look at. What drew most attention was how crooked his nose was, telling of how many fights he had obviously been in. “However, the elf actually held out today.” He was now looking into Kyros’s eyes.

Kyros stared right back. To this veteran miner, it seemed as if Kyros was trying to challenge him.

Ah what does this old timer want. I’m exhausted and need to sleep.

Kyros truly paid no heed to what he was saying, this probably would’ve enraged the veteran miner even more if he knew so.

“Give it a week and I bet he’ll be crying about how much he misses his trees haha.” The miner on the left said.

“Look at the way he's staring at you Dwenn, looks like a tiger cub.” The man on the right said to the middle man with a snicker.

Oh so this level 12 guy is named Dwenn. I wonder how much longer they’re going to talk for...

“Come on guys, we're supposed to look after our fellow miners.” Dwenn responded to the two. “I’ll tell you what guys, me and my friends here will even protect you from the other miners. All you have to do is give us five ores. Each.” Dwenn spoke towards Kyros and Rulf in a friendly tone as if he hadn't said anything out of the ordinary.

“Kyros we better do as h…”

“No way. Mine your own ores you lazy dicks.” Kyros had cut off Rulf who had been in favour of paying the extortion.

“Ohhh looks like this elf needs help understanding how we humans interact. Guys, why don’t we give our friend here a hand.” Dwenn proposed to his two friends who were already wearing sinister grins on their faces as if they were hoping this would happen.

Ah bloody hell. When will I learn to keep my mouth shut...

“Hey guys, you’re right. He doesn’t understand, why don’t you let me talk to him for a second.” Rulf tried to cool the situation nervously.

Wow only my second day here and I’ve already found a guy willing to put his neck out for me, maybe people are different in this world.

“We already gave him his chance, we have to teach him some manners now instead of later.” Dwenn had his mind made.

Nope, they’re the same.

As they approached, Kyros was silently observing them.

Hmm level 6, 7 and 12. Alright and I’m level 1. Oh shit.

Kyros had backed up a step when the level 7 guy on the right suddenly swung a fist which had collected Kyros in his gut.

-5hp

Only losing 5 seems trivial when comparing to his grand total of 100, however the pain shook him so bad that he puked. However, this time it was the level 6 man on the left who launched a kick into Kyros’s left right leg.

-3hp

*gak* Kyros gasped in pain.

Now Dwenn was lining Kyros up for a punch square in the face, this was going to do more damage than the two hits before combined, considering his face was a vital area and Dwenn was level 12. As Dwenn was halfway through his swing, and Kyros was already on the ground ready to take the hit, Rulf had jump tackled Dwenn into an exhausted ore vein.

Dwenn let out grunt as his back collided into the edgy surface of the ore vein.

-42hp

Woah that’s even more damage than when I got knocked out.. Surely he will stop now.

Rulf was immediately pulled off of Dwenn by the two lackeys who were trying to make sure Dwenn was alright.

Title:

Slave

Name:

Dwenn

Level:

12

Health:

198/240

Description:

A slave of the Mavis family mines.

“That fucking hurt” *cough* Dwenn spat out blood in anger. Rulf seemed to have realised what he had done, it was obvious just by seeing the despair on his face.

“Beat that fucker an inch from death!” Dwenn yelled at his lackeys. "Make sure you don't kill him though, we're not directly allowed to kill each other, but if he can’t walk, it’s just as well as being fucking dead ain't it haha.”

You can’t be serious…

Both the lackeys started brutally beating Rulf. It started with punches to the gut, but as Rulf lost the ability to stand, it quickly turned into kicks not just to the gut but all over, some ever connecting with his face.

“Leave him alone! We’ll give you all our ores! Just leave us alone!” Kyros roared in desperation as he tried pushing them away from Rulf. However, Dwenn had different plans for Kyros as he pinned his arms and held him staring in the direction of where Rulf’s now bloody body lay.

“Hahaha what’re you so upset about elf. What did you think was going to happen when you spoke back to us. Just think, if you had just done as you were told, your friend here wouldn’t be laying there right now.” Dwenn laughed in Kyros’s ear as he spoke.

“Well you can keep your ores for today, but tomorrow, if you don’t want to end up like that on the floor, I suggest you hand them over.” Dwenn finally released Kyros and started walking off with his two lackeys, their laughs echoing in the empty tunnels, along with some muttered lines about his back aching from Dwenn.

Kyros hadn’t even paid their words any attention as he scrambled over to Rulf’s now limp and bloody body. Kyros hadn’t seen anything as gruesome as this before, sure he remembered his own death, but it was actually quite a clean death. The pole pieced straight through him and he ended up dying by bleeding out.

However, Rulf’s figure was sickening just to look at, his nose was broken and he seemed to have a crushed eye socket. His left arm was broken in what looked to be two places.

Title:

Slave

Name:

Rulf

Level:

9

Health:

23/190

Description:

A slave of the Mavis family mines. Currently very weak and close to death. Multiple fractures and breaks. Status effects: health won't regenerate until fractures and breaks are healed.

He's alive!

“Rulf! Rulf! Can you hear me? Stay awake!” Kyros called out frantically to Rulf.

*Cough* *cough* “Well that wasn’t too smart of me... haha*cough*ha” Rulf’s voice sounded so incredibly weak to Kyros. However, he was happy that he was even talking.

“Hey conserve your strength, just wait until I get you back. No way they’ll get away with this, and they’ll definitely heal you up, so don’t worry.”

“Don’t be silly kiddo. No one cares about us slaves and they’re not going to waste expensive medical treatment on me. Even if I do make it back, I won’t be able to work for at least a month. I can’t last that long without eating... Just leave me here kiddo.” Rulf’s voice had dropped out a few times in-between.

“No way am I accepting that... You’re the first person to be kind to me in years, no way I’m letting my mistake get you killed. I’ll figure something out. First, let’s head back.” Kyros said with determination as he lifted Rulf onto his back as well as his ores. Kyros felt as if he was going to get crushed under the weight, however, he kept walking down the tunnel, nearly tripping every couple of steps.

“Don’t be stupid kiddo, I’m tired of this life anyway” However, Kyros kept on marching down the tunnel.

Just as the old slave responsible for collecting the daily quotas was about to pack up and head to dinner after reporting the day's results, he heard footsteps and heavy panting down one of the tunnels. Peering into the tunnel the sounds came from he could see a figure slowly making its way towards him. When this old slave saw that it was actually a young slave drenched in sweat with an obviously injured older slave on his back, it had greatly shocked him.

It’s not that slaves were inhuman and treated each other with malice, but it truly was a world where everyone had to look out for themselves. Yeah, they all had friends, but how many of these friends would risk their lives to help you.

Well, that was happening right in front of this old slave. In this world of every man for themselves, he saw someone risking his neck out for someone else. He didn’t feel admiration or anything of the sort though, if anything it was confusion, in fact he called out to Kyros.

“Oi, what’re you doing lad? That slave obviously won’t be able to work for at least a month; you're wasting your time with him.” The old slave tried to lecture.

“Can you help him?” Kyros ignored the old slave's previous lecture to ask his own question.

“Ah well no. It’s a waste of resources to use medicine on him, he's as good as dead lad.”

“Fine. Take these ores and let us go.” Kyros was already pissed with the situation, and he wasn’t happy with this old man’s attitude. After today’s events, it really was sinking in that he was no longer in his old world.

The old slave didn’t like the attitude he received either, however, he had been a slave for a long time, and learned there was no point in petty battles such as this. He took the two bags containing the ores off of Kyros and quickly counted them.

“31 ores… hmm well here’s four meal tickets, two each.” And the old slave went back to packing up to report his findings.

Kyros had brought Rulf to their room because it was clear he wouldn’t be able to eat in the mess. However, when Kyros tried to get two meals, the old cook had rejected him. Each person is handed one meal no matter the case. With anger and great reluctance, Kyros handed over both tickets for a single bowl which he had brought to Rulf.

Rulf had been cleaned up now, and although he was still really weak, his life was no longer in danger.

“Aren’t you eating kiddo?” Rulf looked up at Kyros in concern as he was being handed his bowl of stew.

“Ah, I ate mine in the mess. I wasn’t allowed two at a time. So many rules here haha.” Kyros laughed it off.

“Fair enough. Hey, I know I said to leave me and that I was sick of this life... but thanks kiddo. Seriously, thank you.”

And with that Rulf had finished his meal and went to sleep.

Kyros now sat on his bed, staring at his bloodied and blistered hands. From a distance it may have looked as if he was staring at his hands in shock, however, if anyone were to see his eyes, they’d be shocked. Right now there was bloodlust in them, Kyros wasn’t a violent person, but what Dwenn and his lackeys had done caused his blood to boil. There was a hatred which felt foreign yet familiar at the same time, it scared him to think this anger may have always been inside him.

Right now as Kyros sat on his bed, he was thinking of a way to get back at Dwenn, and thoughts of murder weren't uncommon.

It was the next morning, after everything that happened the day before, it seemed as if nothing changed. The siren went off to signal it was time for another day of work. Kyros noticed Rulf struggling to get out of bed.

“Don’t be stupid and rest!” Kyros reprimand Rulf.

“Hey kiddo, did you forget, I still have a quota to fill.” Rulf stated as he still tried to get out.

“Don’t worry about that. I’m going to mine for both of us.” Kyros said with a smile. It sounds like a small detail, however smiling while talking to another person, this definitely wasn’t the normal Kyros. Which is correct, little by little, Kyros was changing his view towards people. Although he’ll probably always be suspicious and doubt them until he deems them trustworthy. However, after what Rulf had done for Kyros, it was clear he was worth his trust.

“You only mined 16 ores yesterday, even if you put in all your effort, you’ll probably come out with 4 or 5 more. Listen kiddo, I appreciate what you’ve done, but now it’s my turn to look after myself.” Rulf honestly looked grateful towards Kyros as he said that last part.

“Well obviously I’m not going to be able to suddenly mine 30 a day, so for the time being we will split my meals. Breakfast for me so I have the energy to mine and dinner for you so you can rest peacefully through the nights.”

“Wait, that’s to..”

“Not like you have a choice in the matter...” Kyros walked out to get fill himself up with a warm meal before starting a hard day’s work.

They had just arrived at the mining spot for the day, and the other 3 men were snickering and making comments about how it suddenly felt lonely being one man down. However, Kyros took no heed of that, because today he’s going to take the first step to his plan of revenge.

To do this, the first and most important step was to level up and build a good foundation, so if his plan does have a slip up he can at least defend himself.

The pain of gripping the pickaxe and reopening the wounds on his hands that had just closed overnight was excruciating but that anger inside him kept him going.

After mining a few ores, Kyros finally leveled up.

Level up +1

+5 Stat Points

Okay, 5 points, good I had planned for the worst. Well 2 points to vitality, 1 to strength and 2 to agility. The extra agility should speed up the mining as well.

A couple more ores after that and Kyros saw the status screen he expected.

Mining +1

Skill Name:

Skill Rank:

Skill Level:

Skill Experience:

Mining

Beginner

2

1%

Determines how fast you can mine. Higher levels will allow user to mine more precious ores and gemstones.

As he finished up for the day, he decided to check today's progress.

Status Screen

Name:

Kyros

Level:

2

Race:

High Elf

Mana:

100/100

Health:

120/120

Stamina:

58/150

Titles:

None.

Stats

Strength:

14

Intelligence:

10

Agility:

12

Wisdom:

10

Vitality:

12

Dexterity:

10

Stamina:

15

Luck:

10

As he was checking his status, he heard the footsteps approaching him as he assumed would happen.