Rey woke up with a more pleasant feeling than he had experienced these past few days.
As he rose from the small bed in the rather cramped room, he noticed his body wrapped in bandages, giving him the appearance of a mummy. A quick look around the plain, dimly lit room showed it was devoid of furniture and personality.
It was a single-man room, having nothing but a bed present.
It also had no windows, although the air wasn't stale, which meant ventilation wasn't a problem.
'Only one door serving as the entrance and exit, huh? A basic design…' Rey thought about the environment with rapid precision, quickly understanding what his situation was.
No matter how unimpressive this place was, it remained better than his previous residence.
As a chained slave, he had to share a small room with multiple other slaves. They slept on the ground, feeling the chill of the night and the fierce heat of the day. However, here, he had a bed, privacy, and some degree of comfort.
It was miles better.
However, just because his situation improved didn't mean Rey was satisfied.
He felt neither gratitude towards his new owner nor relief for his change in circumstances.
The only thing that dwelled in his heart… was ambition!
A strong desire to rise!
He felt it swirling within him, the overflowing emotion nearly consuming him.
'Let's not be impatient. I need to fully assess everything first…' Rey heaved a sigh and sat upright, slowly moving his limbs to observe the subtle changes in his body.
'I passed out not too long after I was bought, most likely due to excessive blood loss. Then, I woke up here… with bandages all over my body. I have no idea how long has passed, but it's likely been a few days. I don't feel any pain when I move, and from the herbal scent wafting in the room, emanating specifically from these bandages, it seems I was taken care of during that period. I believe I've nearly made a full recovery… which means the treatment I was given is very effective—undoubtedly costly.'
Rey proceeded to use this information to analyze a few other things about his circumstances.
The man who bought him appeared well-off.
The fact that he could make such a decision on a whim meant he either had the authority given to him by his master or he was the master of the house.
But why would the master of a house be walking around a slave trade den?
Sure, there could be a few eccentric fellows here and there, but it's more likely that he was merely a steward on an errand, and he was given the authority to purchase slaves that caught his fancy. In that case, his true master might not be the mustached man, but someone else.
All of these possibilities were clear to him.
"Hup!"
Rey jumped to his feet and began to stroll around the room, getting a feel of the place and his own motor skills. His body's coordination was severely lacking, and while he could blame his poor movement on his less-than-optimal health, there was something else…
'Lack of Skills…' Rey sighed deeply. 'I don't have my Active and Passive Skills, which would have sharpened my perception, movement, cognitive abilities, and so on.'
In his old world, he had relied on those Skills to become the apex champion, transcending all else.
At some point, he could even create Skills from scratch!
But now…
'There's no use crying over spilled milk. Rather than whine about it, I should figure out why this happened. This isn't the first time I've been transported to another world, but it's the first time I've done so after being killed. It's also the first time I've gone without the System since I obtained it back then.' While analyzing the situation, making a few guesses, and planning for the future, the door to his room slowly creaked open.
'Hm? Who's there?'
He slowly turned his head to see who it was, only to be met with a surprising pair of bright, curious eyes. The green irises shone like emeralds, clearly belonging to a young girl, and a few seconds after the door opened softly, her body clumsily leaned forward, causing the door to open wide and her body to fall inside.
'What the—?' Rey's expression twisted in mild confusion.
He had expected the man who bought him, or perhaps a servant, to appear and direct him to meet his master, or maybe to do some tasks. But to see a beautiful young girl, one who didn't look any older than sixteen, suddenly collapse into his room… that was too shocking.
'What should I do?'
For a moment, he pondered this.
He sharply eyed the open door, watching it as an opportunity to escape, but he quickly dismissed the idea. 'This is an unknown world, and I'm currently in a house I have no knowledge of. I also don't possess any Skills or Titles, and with my status as a mere Slave, I can be disposed of without any difficulty.'
No matter how much he desired freedom, now was not the time.
'Should I capture the girl? Keep her hostage in exchange for my freedom? No… I have no idea how important she is, and I also have no true knowledge of this reality. If there are special powers like Skills here, then they'd be able to easily rescue her, and at that point, I'll be finished.'
He had to think deeply about this.
Why would such an important lady come to this place without precautionary measures?
It could be that this clumsy girl was even stronger than him.
At least, at the moment.
Why risk something when he didn't have sufficient information to exploit?
And so…
"My apologies for your discomfort, young lady. This humble slave is honored to be in your presence." He quickly fell to his knees, keeping his head down.
The girl slowly rose to her feet, laughing sheepishly as she stared at Rey with bright twinkles in her eyes. She appeared harmless, with bright silver hair and gem-like eyes. Her gown was pure white, with hints of rubies and sapphires giving it an elegant appearance.
She looked like a rich noble lady, but with none of the arrogance that came with wealth.
'Is she my new Master? Or is she related to the person? Regardless, her status cannot be so simple if she is able to barge into my residence so casually.'
"I heard Mister Logan bought a new slave about my age, so I came to check him out… but to think you're covered in bandages. I can't even see your face." The young girl sighed, thinking aloud as she stared at him keenly.
'Mister Logan? That must be the mustached gentleman who bought me. Is he really my Master?'
"Why does Big Brother keep buying these slaves? And they all keep disappearing after only a week. It's so cruel…" She sighed briefly before speaking directly to Rey. "You there, slave, do you have a name?"
"No, young lady. I am but a nameless slave."
"Okay. Undo your bandages, at least on your face." She spoke with an air of excitement.
Rey hesitated.
Then, a small smile formed on his obscured face.
"I apologize, but I have yet to confirm your identity. If your wishes do not align with those of my Master, then…" His voice trailed for a moment as he studied the girl's face.
"J-just do it! Big Brother won't get upset at me for asking this much from his slave. Besides, I am also one of this House's young masters. Now do it!"
'I see. So they're nobles, and her brother is my master. The man who bought me must be his personal steward who scouts out new slaves and purchases them on behalf of the boy.'
In this small interaction, he managed to glean some information.
But he also obtained troubling news.
'My new master buys slaves quite frequently, which means none of them last long. It means, despite my current situation, I am actually in great danger.' Rey felt a chill run through his body, though he remained calm through it.
He did as the young lady said and unwrapped his face.
Then, she shrieked.
"S-so it's true! You really are a cursed child! You poor thing… having the blood of both Aether and Nether in you." She looked at him with a hint of pity. "I heard you people possess special abilities. Is that true?"
"I… don't know about that," Rey replied honestly.
But his mind was swirling rapidly.
Cursed Child?
The Slave Masters back then called him that often, but he thought it was only a derogatory term.
Now, he felt it was something quite unique.
'I have the blood of both Aether and Nether in me? I could possess a special ability?'
Rey knew he just had to know more.
"Alright! I've seen what I came here for. Now that I think of it, you're pretty cute. Such a waste… a shame you were born like this." Her display of pity annoyed Rey, to say the least, but he maintained an air of serenity.
He showed nothing but absolute subservience to the lady.
Then—
"Y-young Miss! You shouldn't be in there!" Another servant quickly came, rushing at the noble lady with an air of worry. "It's not safe, please step out."
"What's the big fuss? He doesn't have any special powers, and it's not like he could beat me."
Her confidence made Rey's eyes flash for a moment.
"Young Miss, you've only started learning the Arts. Please be more careful around Slaves like that. He hasn't yet been bound."
"Yes, yes…" She sighed, finally leaving the room with a casual wave.
Before she completely vanished into the hallway, though, she turned back to look at Rey.
Then, a charming smile formed on her face.
"Keep this meeting between the two of us a secret, okay? I hope you don't die like the other slaves, too. It would be nice to see your face more often. I need more boys my age around here, you know?"
Rey was silent, but he responded with a nod.
The girl finally left, and the door was tightly shut afterwards. Only then did he rise to his feet and heave out a loud sigh.
So much… he had learned so much from this encounter.
But one thing was certain—
'This isn't like Earth. There are special abilities in this world, and it's possible to learn them!'