It had been a little over a week since Kyros encountered the voice down the hole, he hadn’t tried to sense its presence since the last time. He still feared whatever it was that was down there, because it truly could have killed him like an ant as it said it could.

The results for who mined the most ores of the week had already came out, unexpectedly Kyros sat at number two. Which surprised Kyros because he thought with his cheat skill of perception and mining together, that he’d be unstoppable. Although he was only 70 ores lower than the top miner, so it wouldn’t take long if he continued to increase his skills. To the other miners this was ridiculous though, it usually took everyone a couple of weeks to even get used to mining the gold ore here.

His progress over the weeks work hadn’t been too bad, a lot better then when he was still in the copper mine.

Skill Name:

Skill Rank:

Skill Level:

Skill Experience:

Mining

Intermediate

6

28.21%

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

Can now mine precious ores.

Skill Name:

Skill Rank:

Skill Level:

Skill Experience:

Perception

Intermediate

1

12%

Determines how well you can perceive. Higher levels will allow you to see things others cannot.

Status Screen

Name:

Kyros

Level:

21

Race:

High Elf

Mana:

100/100

Health:

520/520

Stamina

412/490

Titles:

Gold Class Slave

Stats

Strength:

58

Intelligence:

10

Agility:

46

Wisdom:

10

Vitality:

52

Dexterity:

10

Stamina:

49

Luck:

10

He would have been pretty happy with this progress, however he was too busy trying to figure a way out of this place. Although he could gain his freedom by staying on top for ten weeks in a row, he’d still be worked like a slave down here in the mines until retirement. Also he could see through this scam the Mavis family put up, as soon as you couldn’t work anymore they’ll kill you and take their money back; while all the slaves would think you were out enjoying life. Kyros didn’t have any evidence to this claim but he was starting to grow accustomed to how this world worked, and wouldn’t take a chance at testing if he was wrong.

No matter how much he thought though, he couldn’t figure a way out, this mine was so tightly guarded that it was practically impossible to escape. Seeing as though he couldn’t do anything about escaping yet, he decided that he would meet that robed man and try to learn magic from him. Kyros was the same as any person from earth, at the mention of magic he couldn’t help but picture himself shooting fireballs out his hands.

He had two reasons for wanting to learn magic: The first being that it would be a handy skill to have for when he tries his escape, and second being out of curiosity.

Now how could a slave request a meeting with a magician? He couldn’t. He had already asked around and found out that the magician has a very high status, and the only one who could order him around was the guard captain. Also it would be suspicious for a slave to do so, obviously making his intent clear to learn magic. Slaves didn’t need to know these things and only needed to know how to mine from the Mavis family viewpoint. So how will Kyros meet this magician to get his plan started? quite a simple method actually.

Okay, you can do this. I have to do this if I ever want to get out of here! Kyros was working himself up.

With a quick glance behind him, Kyros saw Henry and Charles with their backs to him still mining; they had left him alone ever since finding out his past.

Okay go!

With a big swing, Kyros threw his arm into an ore that was sticking out. It collided heavily into the rock.

-60 hp

Status Effect: Right arm is severely bruised, will take longer to heal.

Fuck!!! Fuck!!! Fuck!!! God that hurts! It’s not even broken… Argh! I can’t do this again…. No I have to!

With yet another big line up, Kyros threw out his already damaged arm. As soon as it came in contact with the ore, he heard a big *Crack* similar to the sound Henrys wrist made a week back.

-80hp

Status Effect: Right arm is broken. It won’t be able to be used while this status is in effect and healing time will take longer.

“Argh!! Fuck!” Kyros finally lost his composure and screamed out, startling Henry and Charles who were in the distance.

God fucking dammit! I better learn something after this. Kyros knew that they would get the magician to heal any wounds that would put the miners out of working, seeing as though they were essentially losing profit while the worker was healing.

“Whacha screaming about dere lad?” Henry asked.

“What do you fucking think? Look at my arm, it’s broken. I’m heading back to see the healer.” Kyros was in a lot of pain and was not in the mood for these two.

“Oh is that right…” Charles was obviously scheming something in his head.

Kyros knew that this may have happened. Never show the enemy your weak side, which he had just done.

“Henry, maybe we should be good seniors and help our junior out.” Charles seemed to be planning to strike.

I’m not in the mood for this right now.

“Fuck off.” Kyros spoke in the most sinister way he could manage, all the while releasing his bloodlust aura into the surroundings.

7% increase to Bloodlust. Bloodlust has levelled up.

“Ah… Yes.” Charles felt something in the air, something that warned him if he tried anything; he could lose his life.

Kyros not paying them anymore attention, started heading towards the nearest guard to get help.

“Why aren’t you mining slave.” The guard asked.

“If you can’t tell by my limp arm, it’s broken. I’ll need the healer.” Kyros hated stupid questions, they just wasted his time.

The guards eyes narrowed, he didn’t like being spoken to like that especially by a slave. However, he could tell that the slaves arm was broken, so he told Kyros to wait while he fetched the healer.

After roughly ten minutes of waiting, he saw the guard coming back with the robed man.

“Oh that is quite a nasty break you have there.” The old magician spoke in a friendly tone.

“How can you tell without looking at my arm?” The old magician was standing a couple of feet away when he had stated this. Kyros knew he was a magician but he didn’t see the magician cast any spell.

“Please, I’ve been healing for over fifty years. If I couldn’t even notice a broken bone, I don’t think I’d be very good at this job. Now let me take a look.” The old magician ordered.

Kyros went along with the order and stuck out his arm. The old magician grabbed the arm right at the break, yet it didn’t hurt. He was feeling around the break and pushing down on some spots, yet was so gentle that Kyros barely felt anything.

The old magician stopped feeling around Kyros’s arm, and started studying Kyros’s face.

“I see. Guard, I’ll be taking him back to my chamber to heal him. He won’t be required to work for the rest of the day.” The old magician ordered the guard. “You. Follow me.” He now ordered Kyros.

Kyros was pleased with this though, because he didn’t realise a guard would have been standing close by; so he couldn’t ask about the magic.

Kyros had just entered this magicians chamber, and honestly it had disappointed him. He had hoped to see potions or maybe a magicians circle on the ground. No, he would have thought himself to be in the library had he not seen a bed in the corner of the room.

I guess this is the reality of being a mage.

“Speak lad, what do you want?” The old magician asked.

“Sorry..? You brought me here to heal.” Kyros was unaware of what this old magician wanted.

“Don’t take me for a fool. You obviously broke your arm on purpose. Now was that because you thought you could get out of work for some reason? Or did you want to see me perhaps? You will tell me now. Don’t lie.”

This old man is smarter than I thought. First I’ll try and inflate his ego. Should make things easier later on.

“You’re right sir. I’m amazed by your abilities to discover that I broke my arm on purpose.”

“Don’t flatter me and get on with it.” The old magician hurried Kyros.

Ah he's also not so shallow to be swayed with compliments, this could be harder then I had hoped.

“Alright, I’ll be straight. I want you to teach me magic.” Kyros told the old magician his desire.

“No.” It was a clean and straightforward answer, leaving no room for debate.

“I want you to teach me magic… please>” Kyros tried again.

“No.” The old magician was firm in his answer.

Fuck, I can’t let this go.

“Why not?” Kyros asked.

“Why do you think lad? Are you trying to get us both killed? What do you think would happen to me if they found out I was teaching the slaves magic?”

Damn, he's also cautious. This is going to take a lot of convincing.

“I’ll be quiet about it, I won’t speak a word of it. It’s just a hobby to practise when I’m not mining.” Kyros pleaded. The old magician creased his forehead and started frown.

“A hobby! You think the majestic art of magic can be treated as a hobby!” The old magician started to shout passionately.

Oh no, wrong thing to say. Quick back peddle.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean a hobby. I meant that it would give me a greater purpose in this life of mining ores every day. Ever since I was a kid I wanted to be a magician. Please can you imagine not being able to practise the noble art of magic?”

A lie. But a white lie, he won’t soften up otherwise.

The old magicians face softened up as he sighed.

“Be that as it may lad, I just can’t do it.”

Fuck, why is he so firm in this!

“Don’t you want to ever pass down your knowledge? Do you really want to die and leave nothing behind in this world?” Kyros tried a more personal approach.

The old magician frowned and the crease returned to his forehead.

Oh no, I’ve made him mad again.

“Argh damn it. You really know how to hit a soft spot don’t you?” The old magician seemed more frustrated rather than mad. “Alright, I suppose I can teach you something.” The old magician finally had relented and given into Kyros’s constant pressing.

Yes!! I was worried I had gone through that pain for nothing.

“You mean it?” Kyros was excited. Quite different from his normal tone of indifference, but who wouldn’t be excited at the prospect of learning magic?

“Yes I mean it! A magician never turns back on his word, you’d best remember that if I’m to teach you anything.” The old magician grumbled.

Ah so he does have an ego.

“Yes, of course. So what am I going to learn first?” Kyros asked, no longer sounding as excited as before. It was rare for him to show excitement in the first place, it was unlikely to last long.

“I’m not teaching you any spells.” The old magician declared.

“But… You just said...” Kyros was at lost for words, the old magician literally just told him that he doesn’t go back on his word.

“I know what I just said, I may be old but I’m not senile yet. I won’t teach you any spells yet. I understand that you can gain your freedom through mining, am I correct?” The old magician wanted clarification.

“Yes…” Kyros already knew where the old magician was going with this.

“Good. I won’t teach you any spells until you can achieve this. That way they shouldn’t have problems with me teaching you, since you’ll no longer be a slave. Deal?” The old magician was firm with this.

Fuck, that’s at least ten weeks away. Better than nothing though.

“Deal.” Kyros agreed dejectedly.

“Alright don’t look too down. I can teach you a little trick to train your powers, that way it won’t be too much of a waste of time.” The old magician said spiritedly.

“Really?’ Kyros was excited for the second time today.

“Yes, but first you will have to start addressing me as master.” The old magician said almost shyly.

“Yes, Master.” Kyros responded.

The masters face went a slight tinge of red.

*Ahem* “Well, let me heal your arm before I show you this trick. Hold out your arm” His master ordered.

Don’t make me call you it, if you’re going to get embarrassed you old fool…

Kyros complied with the order and held out his arm for his master to heal. His master only hovered his hands over Kyros’s arm, when he saw that green aura like light come out of his hands. It surrounded Kyros’s arm at the break.

This feeling… It’s so warm and comfortable. It’s like everything is alright even though I clearly know otherwise.

As quick as it came, it left.

“Alright, sit.” His master ordered.

“On the floor?” Kyros didn’t know if he meant the chairs over to the side.

“Yes the floor, now hurry up.”

Kyros sat on the floor cross-legged.

“Good now close your eyes.”

He followed the directions.

“Good, good. Now comes the important part, the test to see if you have any talent.” His master suddenly declared.

Wait a minute, so what if I don’t have any talent?

“Keep your eyes closed. Clear your mind of all unnecessary thoughts. The only thing you want to feel is yourself and the world.” His master explained.

“How will I know?” Kyros asked.

“Well you’ll never know if you don’t shut up and focus. Trust me, you’ll know. It can’t be explained, it has to be felt. Now focus. Since this is the first time it can take anywhere between an hour and a lifetime. Now I’m going to study, stay here and focus. Call out to me when you sense it.”

Kyros heard footsteps grow quieter until they faded completely.

Alright I’m alone now. Just me and myself. Focus. Focus…….. I wonder how Ralph is? Damnit, focus…. I wonder if I’ll be able to shoot lightning bolts? No, stop thinking and focus….

This continued for about 10 minutes, when Kyros felt something.

What is this? It’s everywhere.

Kyros could sense ‘particles’ everywhere around him. Particles seems the best way to describe it, it’s as if Kyros could sense everything around him.

The old magician wasn’t being lazy when he said you couldn’t explain it. It’s so large, I seem so small and insignificant. Hmm what’s this? It seems to be clinging to me… Wait am I absorbing it? I wonder what happens If I keep absorbing it…

So Kyros sat there for another hour absorbing the particles. Until…

+1 Wisdom

I see so that’s how it works!

“Ah master!” Kyros called out.

“What is it? I told you to focus, keep at it!” The master reprimanded him.

“Oh it’s just that I think I can sense it!” Kyros yelled back out.

Next minute Kyros could hear a chair topple over and frantic running, until he saw his Master come around the corner running towards him.

“What did you just *puff* say?” The master was quite tired from that run.

“That I think I could sense it…” Kyros was starting to grow sceptical because of the way his master was acting.

“Quick, explain what you felt.” His master ordered him.

“Oh that is… Um… It’s like I felt everything… I saw how small and insignificant I am in this world.” Kyros tried his best to explain the unexplainable.

“Aha.. ahaha… Hahahaha” His master slowly started to laugh until breaking into a roaring laugh. “A genius! My first apprentice is a genius! Sensing the Worlds Presence In a little over a hour! ” His master cheered.

“A genius?” Kyros had never been called such a word in his both of his lives. He knew the meaning, but couldn’t accept it.

“I know I said takes an hour to a lifetime, but it’s rare for anyone to be able to sense it on their first day. It took me until my third day to get it, and I was considered good enough to get sponsored by the Mavis family.” His master explained to him.

I see, this big of a reaction… I better not tell him I sensed it even earlier.