Silence hung over the mine. The only sounds were the crackling of torches and the heavy thud of the guards' boots.
The Captain stepped forward, pushing a strange wheeled machine. It was an 'Origin Detector'—a device capable of sniffing out traces of fresh 'Origin Energy.'
"Whoever stole the stone, step forward now," the Captain roared. "If the machine catches you, your death will be agonizing."
Vikram stood in the line with his head bowed, but his mind was calm. He immediately began using the 'Low-Breathing' technique he had just learned from Master Yu. He suppressed the energy within his body, preventing it from leaking out, and slowed his heartbeat until his presence felt like that of a dead man.
The machine beeped as it passed the laborers. As soon as it neared Vikram, its light turned red and began to flicker.
The Captain stopped. His gaze locked onto Vikram. "You... come here."
The supervisor, standing a short distance away, smiled cruelly. "I told you, didn't I, Captain? This new boy is very cunning. He must be the one who caused trouble."
Vikram's heart skipped a beat, but he masked his face with an expression of sheer terror. He dropped to his knees.
"Master! I didn't do anything!" Vikram pleaded, keeping his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "I found that glowing stone... and I immediately handed it over to the Supervisor!"
All eyes turned to the supervisor.
The supervisor's face flushed red with anger. "Shut your mouth! What you gave me was dust! It was a depleted stone!"
Vikram feigned tears welling up in his eyes. "Depleted? But Sir... when I handed it to you, it was glowing with blue light. You took it in your hand... and then it turned to dust. I thought... I thought you absorbed it with your power!"
Vikram's arrow hit the mark. It was common knowledge in the mine that high-level warriors could drain energy from stones just by touching them.
The Captain turned his machine toward the supervisor.
The supervisor panicked. "No, he's lying! Why would I do that? I have my own quota of stones!"
But as soon as the machine neared the supervisor's hands and boots, it began to blare a loud siren.
The truth was, when Vikram handed over the 'trash' stone, the faint residual energy in the dust had clung to the supervisor's hands and boots. Vikram had cleaned himself, but the supervisor hadn't.
The Captain's eyes grew bloodshot with rage. "So, you stole a 'High-Grade' stone for personal use and destroyed it right here to erase the evidence? And now you're pinning it on this new boy?"
"No! He's setting me up! Don't listen to him!" the supervisor screamed, but two guards had already seized him.
"Take him away," the Captain ordered. "Throw him in the 'Black Cell'. We'll interrogate him later."
The supervisor was dragged away, shouting curses and threatening to kill Vikram. Vikram remained crouched on the ground, feigning fear.
When the commotion died down and the guards left, Vikram slowly stood up and dusted himself off. The fear on his face was replaced by a cold smile.
Master Yu, who had been watching the entire spectacle, approached him quietly.
"Dangerous," Master Yu muttered. "You didn't just save your own life; you removed your enemy from the equation entirely. You seem more like a politician than a warrior."
Vikram looked at the Master. "In this world, the weak must use their brains, Master. Now... tell me about that 'Blood-Crystal Sutra'. With the supervisor gone, we should have a few days of peace."
Author Note: "If you like the story, please vote with Power Stones! It helps me write faster."