Loud cheers echoed across the tunnel from somewhere ahead of the volunteers. The group had different expressions as some felt anticipation, others felt fear and regret while some looked calm and collected. Milas was among them and he wasn't sure how he felt. All his hopes were riding on this tournament.They stopped at a gate and they could see some parts of the arena through the gaps of the gate. The few glimpses allowed Milas to get a grasp on the layout of the arena. The arena had boulders of varying sizes strewn all over it and an open area in the middle. There were dried blood stains on the ground and the surface of the boulders.The group was lined up and a guard with a transparent crystal in hand approached the man at the front of the line. He placed the crystal on the man's forehead and a red glow emanated from within it. The glow lasted about five seconds before fading away. The man was pushed to the left side of the tunnel. No words were uttered as the guard walked to the ne
The tail was swung forward and the group did their best to dodge but one of them wasn't fast enough. A light cut was made on the vampire's shoulder. The group was in deep trouble as they were attacked by the beasts together with a maniac wielding an improvised whip.Their wounds were quickly piling up and they were running out of the little energy they had left. Their natural healing was no longer as effective as usual due to the living conditions in the mines. Blood covered their skin and dyed their clothes red.Hiiissssss!!!The loud hissing made the combatants stop their individual battles and stare at the source of the sound. The beasts moved away from the vampires and took cover behind the boulders. The vampires were trapped there as beasts surrounded them from every direction.A large serpentine head emerged from behind a boulder. The yellow eyes with black vertical slits were the size of fists. The head was pushed forward by a long and winding body with dark green scales. There
Two vampires rushed into the arena and started to gut the dead beasts and removed the beast crystals. A third one brought a cart to the center and dumped more weapons on the pile. The weapons included different types of swords, some axes and a few war hammers. The two crystal collectors couldn't take the bone devouring serpent's crystal as even its blood corroded the daggers they used to gut it. They had no choice but to leave as a horn was blown to signify the beginning of the second round.Milas was nervous as he looked at the people that surrounded him. Most looked unfamiliar to the concept of killing as they had looked away whenever someone was killed in the previous round. Some looked like battle hardened veterans with multiple scars and a murderous glint hidden deep in their eyes.Milas hoped that his plan would work, as it would at least ensure that he lives past the initial massacre. The gates were opened and the group of twenty four was forced into the arena. Some tried to re
Milas was dumbfounded by the sight before him. The boulder turned out to be a beast that could easily kill an intermediate beast in seconds. He quickly backed away from it and the beast paid him no heed as it ate the bat leaving only the wings behind.The strange turn of events made the crowd pause their incessant cheers. Milas frantically increased the distance between himself and the killer tortoise. He clearly remembered seeing something like a boulder move when he stood on a boulder at the beginning of the tournament. Milas was certain that this tortoise was the moving boulder.The shocking thing was how it managed to avoid detection even from those in the crowd. During his escape, Milas bumped into a vampire with a bow and arrows. Rage came with the realization that this was the same vampire that forced him out of his cover. Milas immediately used his ultimate move and the vampire keeled over in pain. Milas' knee was embedded in the vampire's groin. He then pulled an arrow from
Milas was brought into the tunnel that now felt empty as he was the only survivor of the tournament. The metal collar was placed on his neck before the tentacles released him. The guards led him away from the arena and into a different chamber. Faint murmurs reached his ears from behind a curtain. He could hear different voices mentioning various numbers. Milas could only guess that he was at some kind of slave auction. He heard the fall of the hammer and squeaking of wheels as a small cage was pushed into the area that he was in. Inside it was the horned cat that looked surprisingly docile with a similar collar on its neck.Milas stared at it intently but he was pushed forward and led through the curtain. He could hear the auctioneer better as the curtain muffled all sounds. "Next on sale is the half-born know as The Beast Slayer. This unassuming young slave is the champion of the slave games with the scars and bloodstains to prove it. We will start the bidding at fifty coppers." T
Milas woke up from the light sleep he had managed to get. The comfortable bed didn't help him at all as he had been having trouble falling asleep since his turning. His body never seemed to run out of energy as he had been absorbing mana crystals in the mines but the mental exhaustion was driving him nuts.He got off the bed and planned to take a long shower to remove the grime that stuck to his body. Milas entered the clean room that only had an star shapedmetal on the wall. He walked closer and saw a note on the wall with some instructions. He skimmed through it and knew that it was teaching him how to use the advanced mechanism."This is where you will be showering. I know that you don't have experience with this so follow the instructions carefully or you may lose a limb." Milas paused his reading as he reconsidered the importance of bathing. "First, take off your clothes and leave them by the door. Then, walk to the star shaped metal and pull down the string that is hanging from
Screams of pain echoed off the walls and left through the only opening available. The guards told to keep watch were becoming annoyed with the noise after the pity they previously felt became non-existent. They were also tasked with adjusting multiple mirrors to ensure that the training didn't stop.Milas had been suffering for what felt like ages. He could never get used to the pain as it seemed to alternate with almost infinite choices. He helplessly curled up into a ball to protect his head and vital organs while leaving his bloody back exposed. The only solace he got was thinking about paying his master back a hundredfold. The pain reduced and the three guards that were watching him lowered a rope ladder. Milas could only stare at it as the slightest of movements caused immense amount of pain. A few hours ago....Milas followed the vampire outside and immediately froze before rushing back into the mansion. This was the first time being exposed to sunlight since turning and he hop
Death is a strange experience and so was everything related to it. It is the inevitable end that most try to avoid but few have escaped. Yet even those who are considered to be immortal, share a common trait, there is always something to guarantee an end to their existence. Death is the ultimate predator."Gasp!"Milas inhaled the fresh, sweet air that he thought he would never breath again. His eyes scanned the simple but lavish decorations of the room and realized that his was back to where he had slept. He was shocked as his body had no wounds or aches. It was like the memories of the torture he endured were nothing but a nightmare. The only thing that confirmed to Milas that it wasn't a nightmare was that he was stark naked. He may have been covered by a blanket but the realization that someone had striped him terrified him. Milas' imagination on the things that could have happened while he was unconscious only intensified the fear.He threw away the blanket and stood in front of