With a sharp, urgent voice, Alan scurried to his feet and pointed at the body. "Moriko, hurry and cover yourself with his shirt!"
"I… what?" she stammered, her hands clutching her torn tunic.
"Move, girl!" Alan snapped, his voice cutting through her panic like a knife. She flinched, then hurried to the corpse, her trembling hands pulling the filthy shirt free.
She slipped it on, the oversized fabric hiding her small frame, covering her bare skin from prying eyes.
Heavy, angry footsteps echoed through the tunnel, a sound Alan had heard four times now.
Dekel stormed into view, along with his two guards.
After looking at the deceased slave, Dekel's stare shifted to Moriko, who was half-hidden in the pilfered shirt. As Alan recalled, his anger twisted into a sick, leering grin. He said in a menacing tone, "Well, brat, I came to skin you for killing my property, but it looks like you've wrapped up a little gift for me to enjoy."
Moriko pressed against the chilly rock. "Please,...don't," she muttered.
Dekel's fat hand reached for her, but Alan grabed Dekel's wrist with a grip like iron, his fingers digging into flesh.
Dekel tried to pull free, his face twisting with disgust. "Get your filthy hands off me, you little shit," he snarled, raising his other hand.
Alan's voice was deadly, and his lips formed a chilly, mocking smirk. "Fatty, is that all you have? Your fat ass is more useful than your ring." Dekel winced as his grip tightened.
Dekel's voice roared in rage as his face turned purple. "I'll fuck her raw while you scream in pain." Anticipating that the magic of the collar would pierce Alan's nerves, he turned on the ring.
However, nothing happened.
[Skill: Medium Control Magic Resistance activated!]
crack
The slave collar around his neck split in two, the rusted metal clattering to the stone floor.
"What the fuck…?" Dekel stumbled back in fear and turned to his guards, his voice a panicked bellow. "Don't just stand there, you idiots! Cut this bastard down!"
The first guard charged, his sword aiming for Alan's head.
But Alan was ready, he yanked Dekel's bulk in front of him, using the overseer as a shield. The guard's swing went wide, the blade hacking through Dekel's outstretched hand with a wet *thwack*.
Blood sprayed, and Dekel screamed, a high, guttural wail, clutching the bleeding stump as his severed hand hit the ground.
The first guard froze, his eyes wide with horror as he stared at Dekel's writhing form. Alan moved fast, snatching the dagger from the guard's belt. The second guard lunged, his sword arcing toward Alan's head, but Alan had seen this move before. He ducked, the blade whistling past, and drove the dagger into the guard's throat with a sickening crunch. Blood poured over his hand as the guard choked, collapsing to the stone.
"Sleep buddy," Alan muttered.
[Skill: Blessing Absorption activated.]
[Blessing: God of War, Uncommon acquired.]
[Skill: Weapon Master, Intermediate acquired.]
The strange words flashed in his mind, but Alan pushed them aside.
With a frantic shout, the first guard snapped out of his daze and raised his sword. Alan was quicker and smoothly grabbed the blade of the fallen guard. He had never experienced the precision with which his body moved.
With one clean swing, he severed the guard's head as he spun, the blade slicing through the air. Blood gathered beneath it as it rolled across the stone. As Dekel's screams reverberated through the tunnel, Moriko gasped and pressed herself against the wall, her eyes wide with panic.
[Skill: Blessing Absorption activated.]
[Blessing: God of War, Uncommon acquired.]
[Skill: Weapon Master, Intermediate canceled due to previously acquired skill.]
The words flashed again, and Alan paused, his brow furrowing as he glanced at his hand.
A faint glyph appeared, two crossed swords etched on his hand, pulsing briefly before fading into his skin.
He now realized, the majority of the guards working here possess the blessing of the Uncommon God of War, which grants them basic Weapon Mastery. He had taken it in, and it had given him lethal accuracy in his movements. He was more than the young man who had practiced in the Fitzgerald gardens with a wooden sword.
Moriko's voice trembled as she whispered, "Alan, what the hell are you doing?"
"If we rebel, you know what will happen! Both of us will be executed by them!"
A wild, reckless grin split Alan's face as he turned to face her. "Kitty, get dressed," he said.
"I'll show you the sun again."
He strode toward Dekel, who was still screaming, clutching his bleeding stump, sweat pouring down his pale face. "Hey, fatty," Alan called, holding up the severed hand, his voice sharp with mockery. "Missing something?"
With a snarl of pain in his voice, Dekel sprang forward, his remaining hand desperately reaching for his severed one. "You fucking rodent, give it back!" Alan effortlessly grabbed his arm and viciously yanked it behind Dekel's back, causing him to scream once more.
"Thought you couldn't touch filthy rats like me."
Alan sneered and ripped the keys and coin pouch from Dekel's belt before throwing them to Moriko.
"Hold them."
He continued to hold on to Dekel's hand as his eyes shifted to the control ring. He yanked it free with a sharp tug, ripping flesh and provoking a new cry from Dekel.
He slid the enchanted ring onto his finger.
"This ring controls every slave in these damned mines, doesn't it?" he said, his voice filled with bitter victory.
He turned to catgirl and raised his hand.
"Moriko, release."
Clack
Moriko's slave collar snapped open. Her breath caught, her eyes widening as she grabbed the collar, pulling it off with frantic hands, her fingers shaking. She stared at the metal, her tail twitching wildly.
"It's… really off?"
"Pick those up and unlock my chains," Alan ordered, holding out his wrists, the heavy iron cuffs digging into his skin.
Moriko fumbled for the keys on the stone floor, her hands shaking as she frantically tried each one. One key eventually slid into the lock despite her fumbling, panicked fingers.
Clank.
For the first time in years, Alan's arms were free of the weight of the irons as the chains clanged to the floor and he spread them wide. His shoulders relaxed, a surge of thrilling freedom washing over him. There's no collar, no chains, he's just a free man now.
He took the keys from Moriko, his blue eyes meeting her golden ones. "Can you fight?" he asked, his voice calm but urgent.
Moriko nodded, her gaze hardening with resolve.
"Without the collar, I can transform into a semi-beast," she said, her voice steadier now, a spark of defiance in her tone. "I'm stronger than you think, grey hair."
Alan's lips curled into a faint, approving smirk as he moved to her wrists, unlocking her chains with a quick twist of the key. As the irons fell away with a clang against the stone, Moriko gazed at her free hands, stretching them as though to test their newfound freedom.
She whispered, 'I'm free.' Then she laughed, spinning, her tail swaying with joy.
Her voice reverberated through the tunnel as she shouted, "I'm free!"
Alan grabbed her hand and dragged her back to the harsh reality of their situation.
"Kitty, we're still in this hellhole. Stay sharp." Moriko froze, her ears pinning back as she nodded, her excitement fading.
Dekel's raw, desperate growls of pain pierced the moment. His bright silks were soaked in blood, his face was pale and slick with sweat, and he was still lying on the floor, clutching the bleeding stump of his severed hand.
Moriko's voice was low and full of disgust and rage as she stared at him, her eyes narrowing and her transformed claw flexing. She said, "Can we just kill him now?"
Alan's eyes glinted with cold intent as his smirk grew wider, dark and excited. With a tone full of menace, he declared, "Killing is too kind for him."
"For once, let's use him."
Moments later, they dragged Dekel's writhing, cursing form to a set of rusty iron rings embedded in the tunnel wall.
As Dekel thrashed and screamed, Alan bound his wrist and ankles with the chains they had just shed.
"You wretched little shits!" Dekel's voice was hoarse from pain and anger as he spat. "You'll pay for this! You hear me? The guards will tear you to pieces.
Alan squatted before him, a derisive smile on his lips, his blue eyes unblinking and icy.
"Breakfast is coming for you, fatty."
"You look like a nice, plump meal, and something is really hungry in these tunnels."
He got up. He told Moriko, "Let's get moving."