Pain
That was the first thing I felt.
My head throbbed as I slowly opened my eyes.
"Ugh…"
The ground beneath me wasn't grass anymore.
It was…wood?
I blinked
Bars.
Not just any bars, metal bars.
"..What…?"
My hands move—
Clink.
I look towards the sound, cold iron cuffs tightened around my wrists. With a weird symbol on it.
My breathed hitched.
"…a cage..?"
As my brain trying to process what's happening, footsteps echoed through the darknest. Only the fire lamp was the only source of light.
My heartbeat race.
Oh boy…I never thought that after only one day in this world, I'd end up being captured like some animal…
My face remained calm.
Mentally?
Absolutely not.
The footsteps grew closer, along with the voices of my captors.
One belonged to a man with a deep voice. The other sounded like a woman.
"That boy we caught earlier..something's off about him" the woman said
"Nothings weird that boy, ha! Think about the money we get when we sell this boy" the man replied.
So my captors are slave traders?
"We aren't supposed to take this child, we are hunters, Mark. We hunt Beast Spirits—not kids, ugh…"
...Or maybe not?
"Hey…Rob, can you hear me?" I whispered, keeping my voice low.
[ Yes ]
"Right..have any information about Beast Spirits?"
[ Beast Spirits are creatures formed from mana, each with instinct, power, and a connection to the natural world ]
[ Beast Spirits are also categories by their grade ]
[ Low-Class, Mid-Class, High-Class, Elite-Class, Lord-Class, Ancient-Class ]
Now that is sick!
My eyes sparkled with excitement.
Awesome.
...Wait a second…I'm technically forgetting something important.
Before I got captured…
Max's memories began to play as though time had stopped. Then it clicked his reward in the past task
My hidden reward!
Max covered his mouth, as if afraid of being caught by the two still talking adults, if it weren't being captured he might have jump in happiness.
Let's see..
[ Ding! ]
The blue familliar screen suddenly appeared before me.
[ Hidden Skill Unlocked ]
[ Skill Acquired: Null Touch LV.1 ]
What the heck is that?
[ Mana disperse upon direct contact with the host ]
"...Null Touch?"
Could it be—
The fire suddenly flickered violently inside the lamp.
The two hunters stopped talking.
"Did you saw that, Mark…" The woman said. Feeling goosebumps
"I'm not sure anymore, Opal" Mark replied feeling the same as her.
I looked at the bars and thought for a moment.
If I only have enough power. I might be able to at least get out of here, there is a posibility I won't leave here unscathed.
[ Ding! ]
What the—
[ Task Generated ]
[ Objective: Escape Captivity
Reward: 15 exp [Endurance]
Penalty: Death ]
A task at a time like this— what?! now there's a penalty, Since when?!
I tried to break the iron cuffs, but it's no use it didn't even have a single scratch or damage to it.
Or maybe I could try my new acquired skill {[Null Touch]}?…
I don't know how to use it though… maybe I could like imagine it?
I touched the iron cuffs with my fingers.
At first it's nothing.
Then—
Faint white cracks spread across the weird symbol engraved into the cuffs.
The glowing symbols flickered violently
Clink—
A sharp clink echoed theough the cage, catching both Mark and Opal's attention, meanwhile I frozed completely, speechless.
It actually worked?
I dodn't notice the stares from the two hunters.
Mark was gaping like a gold fish. While Opal was opening and closing her mouth, unable to from words.
"You…"
I spun around, shocked why didn't I think of the sound would caught the hunters attention?!
I'm cooked!
"Uh…hi?" I waved awkwardly, trying to think of a way to escape under the gaze
Opal stared at the broken cuffs.
"Those are mana-sealed restraints…
How did an ordinary child break mana-sealed restraints?"
Her voice is calm, but her eyes says more than her words that she doesn't know how or how did this happened.
"What really are you?"
I really just don't know how I got into this situation…
"Mark, open the cage" Opal commmanded
"What?" Mark replied, dumbfounded
"Did you not hear me? I'm not going to repeat my words" Opal spoke once again, authority in her voice.
Marks face change into a solemn expression, he slowly walks over to the cage, his hand glow in the dark.
Could…could that be mana?
The cage door opens wide.
I'm panicking internally. I immediately step back
Smart move? Probably.
Meanwhile Opal kept staring at the broken restraints on the floor. While Marks stands by her side.
"…Show me your hands"
"W-what?"
"Your hands, or I'll cut you into pieces" She spoke again, irritation showing in her face.
I immediately showed hands, afraid to die.
This woman is to scary!
Opal grabbed my wrist, the moment she touch my skin—
FZZZT—
The mana coating her hand shattered instantly, her eyes widened.
Somewhere deeper in the camp, roared of Beast Spirits echoed.
Mark staggered backward.
"…What the hell is this kid?"