A new day had just arrived and Abel woke up on the cold floor of the slave quarters.
His body was aching, and all because of all the cuts and bruises on his body. He bled in places his ragged clothes couldn't even manage to cover.
When he fully opened his fuzzy little eyes, around him he saw other kids lying still in the dim light. Some kids cried softly while others clung desperately onto one another.
But the thing that caught his attention the most was a weird floating object in front of him.
He stiffened, "What the…?!"
Then a ringing sound echoed directly inside his skull.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION – 2 unread messages]
[Congratulations, USER.]
He blinked, "What the… congratulations… user? What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"
[Notice: You have completed the awakening trigger condition: "Trial of the Bounded."]
[As a soul that has refused to submit, you were chosen by the System which has fully recognized your suffering and will to live.]
[Title granted USER]
[Stat Points earned +5]
'What does all of this even mean? System? User?' he thought, staring at the golden holographic text floating in the air.
Even with the weird thing in his face, Abel sat… or rather laid on the futility floor alone. He slowly forced himself to sit upright and then pressed his back against the wall; he exhaled and rested his arm on his knee while he kept his gaze heavy and uninviting.
The pain he felt was real, it was a searing reminder of Varrick's boot, but the burning rage in his gut felt even stronger.
He didn't want or need any friends; he didn't trust hope.
Just as he grinned his teeth, the internal thought was accompanied by a subtle System pop-up:
[RAGE Resource: +1 Point.]
He blinked when he saw it, 'Huh? So this thing isn't just something from my imagination huh. Well this pain I feel is real, then everything that happened until now is real too.'
That said… part of him did wish all this hell was just a horrible nightmare he could just wake up from.
'To bad this isn't something I can just escape from. Still…'
He grinned his teeth in silent anger, remembering the faces of the only two people he truly wanted to kill with his own two hands… if possible that is.
"Lucien and Varrick huh. I'll make sure to remember your names and faces till the moment I get to kill."
[Target: Lucien Royal (Slave Owner)]
[Target: Varrick (Enforcer)]
[Objective: Revenge]
[Status: Locked (Insufficient Combat Level)]
"Seriously," he muttered, grinding his teeth, "Is this damn thing going to quit floating in my face or what?!"
He then had a thought, 'Hmm… I wonder, can I?'
He reached out to it, to touch or make sense of the words being shown to him, but just as he did the panel suddenly shifted again.
"Huh!"
[Daily System Conditioning Preparations Phase]
[Objective: Complete the following training regiment before sunset.]
[Goal]
Push-ups Incomplete (0/50)
Squats Incomplete (0/50)
Sit-ups Incomplete (0/50)
Pull-ups Incomplete (0/50)
Running Incomplete (0/5km)
[Warning: Failure to complete the daily conditioning will result in a System-imposed penalty.]
He was at a loss for words, he rubbed his eyes to make sure he was hallucinating all of this, "What in the hell? A training schedule? Now?!"
He then took a closer look and read the part that had 'warning' on it, "Warning failure to complete the daily conditioning will result in a System-imposed penalty."
HE paused…
Then sighed deeply, "Yup, I am officially starting to lose my mind. That, or that blow to the head did some real damage." He said, rubbing the part of his head, which was hitted.
Whichever it was, he couldn't ignore the fact that what he was seeing might as well have been real.
But he just turned his head away... "Well whatever this is, I really don't give a shit." he said flatly.
Completely ignoring the system panel and the daily conditioning all together.
Here all he needed was himself and nobody else, that way he'd probably survive the hell hall he was now in.
***
Work then began at dawn.
The storm had already long passed, but the sky remained full of giant gray clouds, like the world, itself had been drained of any trace of color.
The guards all barked orders, "Come on! Move it!" pushing and pulling the children out into the quarry behind the estate, a place where pieces of stone were broken, stacked, and hauled away.
It was definitely heavy work, even for adults.
Abel's chains clinked as he walked and moved around, however his glare never left the guards.
"You got a problem, you damn rat?" one of them snapped. Abel didn't answer him at first, instead he just kept on walking. Then the guard behind came in and shoved him. "I asked you a damn question, you got a problem"
Abel in anger stared right through him, and for some reason, they didn't beat him up this time. Not yet at least, but something told him they would in due time.
He knew that would happen to him. But he honestly just didn't care, he just kept walking in the midday sun.
And that's when it all happened.
A boy just like Abel, a slave brought in by the Royal Collectors, no older than twelve, definitely older than him, suddenly broke out of the line and ran.
Chains rattled while he ran and tried to make his escape… However… The second he took another step, everyone froze and Abel who watched all froze in pure utter fear and shock.
The sound they heard came like a sharp crack to all of their ears, and finally like thunder.
BANG.
The boy's body instantly hit the ground. Twitched once as blood spread and painted the dusty ground as he just laid there lifeless.
All of the new children including Abel all stood in stunned silence, unable to move or speak, or even cry.
And emerging from the shadows near the watchtower, he appeared Lucien, the man in black.
Standing tall and completely expressionless. Still his eyes were like a hawk as he walked slowly into view, boots crunching the dirt with deliberate, chilling steps.
"Now let this be your first and final lesson," he said, voice calm but hollow. "Any type of disobedience will not be tolerated. Mercy shall not be shown to any of you, because now you are all owned."
His eyes scanned the frightened crowd and stopped on Abel. And Abel responded by staring back at him with his jaw clenched, growling his teeth.
"You damn fucking bastards!"
The rest of the day passed on with nothing but grinding labor… Abel had to crush rocks and move stone, all while ignoring every word yelled at him.
"Come on! Move it you damn rat!"
"Work faster you worthless maggots!"
"Break it smaller, you useless trash!"
Abel just ignored them, and standing near beside him was a small girl who worked with trembling arms. She couldn't have been more than around seven. Her fingers bled as she struggled to lift a piece of stone twice her size.
And yet she didn't even cry or shed a single tear. She just stared at the ground — and to Abel it was as if she was already broken.
Later while they worked Abel took to the side and immediately noticed Lucien watching them.
'Shit…'
He looked at the girl again, and she wasn't in any state to do anything anymore and yet… she was still moving her hands more than him, and still trying to work harder than him.
And upon seeing that… something inside of Abel ticked.
That night… as they were all lined up for food, a guard pointed Abel out.
"You! Number 27. You barely did any work today."
Right apparently that's what they decided to name Abel and then rest of the children that have arrived here, even so Abel said nothing to him.
"Hell the little brat beside you did even more work than you. You're nothing, what do you actually think you're special?"
Abel puts on a smirk and finally answers, "Yeah, I actually do."
To him that was the truth, but to his furious superiors, that was just a provocation and they began to beat him. They kicked, punched him, all mainly aiming their strikes to the ribs. He hit the ground hard, but he didn't beg for any mercy nor did he scream.
He took it all ahead without flinching and after their beating, they just left Abel laying there in the dirt, coughing blood and still, he smiled.
And when they were finally left alone in the barracks, the little girl approached Abel quietly and asked him softly.
"E-excuse me… why did you help?"
Abel just turned to his side and looked away.
Deep down… he really wanted to give her an answer. He really did.
Then he remembered his mother's words, "Offer kindness to those who deserve it…"
"I don't have to give you an answer. And don't talk to me like we're friends, I don't need any okay."
The girl just stayed silent beside him for a moment, and then sat down a short distance away from him.
That night, neither one of them said anything to one another again.
But for the first time… Abel felt something he couldn't explain.
He then softly closed his eyes and went to sleep.
But…
The panel appeared again — this time with a different message.
[Daily System Conditioning Preparations Phase]
[Objective: Complete the following training regiment before sunset.]
[Goal]
Push-ups Incomplete (0/50)
Squats Incomplete (0/50)
Sit-ups Incomplete (0/50)
Pull-ups Incomplete (0/50)
Running Incomplete (0/5km)
[Notice: The following objective has failed to be completed.]
[Thus, the User shall be subjected to a System-imposed penalty.]
"What…"