Chapter 3: call me zero
Sounds of several activities taking place could be heard. Smell of dirt and sweat was all over everywhere, to the point where people might fall sick due to the bacteria if there weren't used to the environment.
Simeon slowly opened his eyes and the early morning sun rays blocked his visions. Slowly slowly memories of what happened before he was knocked out started resurfacing itself in his mind.
"Those strangers kidnapped me. ", Simeon thought. "Probably because there know that I'm the crowned prince, and wants some golds. ".
Unknowingly to Simeon, the strangers only kidnapped Simeon because there needed new slaves and he was a easy target at that moment.
"You have finally woken up. ", a male voice behind Simeon said.
Simeon turned to look at the person while standing up. His head pained him a bit, but it was nothing compelled to the pain of almost dying twice in the same day.
"Who are you? ", Simeon asked the guy with a very cold voice which could cut through steel.
Too many people had tried to kill Simeon recently, that he couldn't afford to let his guard down for even a second.
The person Simeon saw was a man in his prime age, his hair looking like unkept long hair, he was so skinny that Simeon could almost see his bones and inner organs, he was a bit tall and plain in face appearance, he had chains tying his arms and legs which was prove that he was held captive too. In other words he looked like a beanpole, his entire body was screaming hunger and malnutrition.
But even in that kind of harsh condition, the man still managed to mask his face with a small smile. But Simeon wasn't moved, he simply doesn't cares about anybody or anything that wasn't power and revenge anymore.
"Just go straight to the point and tell me where is this shit hole? ", Simeon said.
"I don't know how there found you. ", the guy said. "But you are now officially a slave. ".
Simeon turned to see many other people, about a thousand, there all looked like the guy. Their clothes were torn and there were smelling sweating due to lack of bath. Some were sleeping on the floor. There were children, teens, adults and even old man and women, all ages.
"Whoever is doing this is so cruel. ", Simeon thought. "But I don't care about anyone of them. ".
All Simeon was thinking about, was how to survive. The formal him would want to save the people, but now he was filled with so much rage and pain that he did not cared about anyone.
there was something else troubling Simeon's mind, he couldn't sense any form of mana in him anymore, it was more like he was never a mage in his life before. He felt so weak and vulnerable.
"Wait, I've lost all my powers. ", Simeon said out loud, finally managing to place all the pieces together.
A few slaves turned to look at Simeon like he was a madman.
"I thought that devil said that he was going to grant me great powers. ", Simeon thought as he started feeling used.
What was the point of living in a world where he will never be strong enough to take his revenge. And now he was a slave, the worst situation any individual could ever find their selves in.
After a while, the guy that Simeon first talked to when he woke came to him and said. "I'm Derek by name, how about you. ".
Simeon kept quiet for a few seconds and then replied. "I was once known as Simeon, but now I have lost everything I once had. So now you should call me zero. ".
A giant door in the room opened and all the slaves stood at attention to show respect to whoever was coming.
Yes, there were hungry, tired and hated the people for enslaving them. But nobody wanted to be punished or probably killed for not showing respect to the higher ups.
A few guards walked into the room with dozens of breads and big cans of water inside buckets.
One small dry bread was shared to everyone and a big bottle of water.
"There decided to give us food today. ", Derek thought.
Some days there don't feed the slaves, there only feed them when there were about to die. And the bread was just to keep them strong enough to do the hard works.
"Seriously, ". Simeon said loud enough for everyone to hear, since everywhere was quite. "Are we supposed to eat this, drink and bath with that small water from morning to night. ".
"How dare challenge our authority. ", a fat guard shouted as he raised his hand and cast a spell which manipulated the earth and a pillar of rock flied to hit Simeon and sent him flying until he hit the wall.
Simeon fell and coughed blood.
"That punishment is not enough. ", the fat guard said with an annoyed face expression. "He should be flogged on his back. ".
Three guilds held and overpowered Simeon. There carried him and tied him down to a strong big wooden table.
"Please sir---. ", Derek said in a nervous tone. "His new here so he doesn't knows the rules. ".
"That's why we have to teach him the hard way. ", the fat guard replied.
The guards has been looking for a way to teach the slaves a lesson to keep them in line, and he has finally found a scale goat.
There started flogging Simeon with a metal wimp nonstop, no matter how much he shouted or cried.
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After flogging Simeon, there used light magic to heal him and the fat guard asked. "Will you serve us now? ",
"When I get back my magical powers, you are going to be the first person I will kill. ", Simeon replied.
"Playing hard to get. ", the fat guard laughed. "How long can you live in this hell of mine without surrendering, only one way to find out. ".
There continued flogging Simeon all day, when Simeon entire body was injured, there will call a healer with light magic to heal him. If Simeon passed out, there will wake him up with water and continue the beating.
Simeon cried, shouted all day. But no help came. There flogged Simeon, until there broke his soul. Injuries could be healed by magic or medicine, but the pain can never be truly forgotten.