Zorka Slavy : Rise of the Supreme Sorcerer

Chapter 2. Zorka Slavy was kidnapped by a slave trader.

Zorka walks through the forest, his eyes scanning for something elusive – the Shadow Root.

In his previous world, the Shadow Root was his antidote for the venom of the fire flower. He once dealt with a case involving a mafia boss poisoned by that same flower's venom. 

By studying symptoms and the venom's effects, Zorka found the remedy. Luck struck when he realized similarities between the poisons and antidotes in both worlds.

As Zorka tries to recall where the Shadow Root usually grows, he mutters to himself, "Let me think. It likes mossy places, avoids the sun, and hangs out near snake nests."

Thinking about snake nests gives Zorka the shivers. He fears encountering a massive, ferocious serpent – a stark contrast to facing a two-headed wolf monster.

But fortune smiles on Zorka. Spotting a large moss-covered tree, he finds a snake nest. The small hole assures him it's not a monster. 

Nearby, a dark-colored plant with sharp leaves and a ginger-like scent catches his eye.

Carefully harvesting the plant, Zorka realizes he's got the Shadow Root he was after.

After getting the Shadow Root, Zorka feels puzzled. The root needs to be extracted to separate the core essence, which acts as an antidote for the poison.

Zorka knows that if the extraction is done haphazardly, it could be dangerous. The plant itself has toxic effects.

So, Zorka needs to extract it carefully and properly. Zorka painstakingly extracts the Shadow Root. After crushing the plant, drop by drop, he gathers its essence.

Then, he heats the extract using the sun's heat, although it takes a long time – something Zorka can't avoid.

After all, if he can't make an antidote for the fire flower poison, he's in danger. The flower's poison will become active again if left untreated. 

The previous remedy, made from dandelion, Milk Thistle, and hawthorn fruit, only eases the pain without fully neutralizing the poison.

It took a whole day just to collect a teaspoon of Shadow Root extract, but that's enough to counter the fire flower poison in his body.

Zorka drinks the gathered extract right away. As the day ends, he lays down in a tree crevice and falls asleep.

The next day, he wakes up, sits cross-legged, and checks his pulse. With closed eyes, he senses his body's condition.

Feeling a significant change, Zorka opens his eyes and stands up.

"Time to leave this forest," he says.

"Alright, first things first – gotta whip up some poison for my weapon. Who knows, while finding my way out, I might encounter a monster. That would be a hassle.”

To exit the forest, Zorka relies on natural markers and observes the sun. The vastness of the Sorgindua Forest makes it take a few days for him to find the way out. 

Along the journey, he encounters wild animals and monsters. Fortunately, his anticipation for poison serves as protection, making it less challenging. 

In some cases of encountering monsters, he has to hide or evade since his small stature puts him at risk facing them directly.

Zorka finds a trail at the edge of the forest leading to a village. It takes him five hours to reach the village from the forest.

Just a few steps away from the village gate, Zorka is surprised as a horse-drawn carriage blocks his path. The horse whinnies and lifts its front legs, causing Zorka's small body to tumble down.

"Whoa, easy there! Hold up, boys!" shouted the driver, trying to calm the restless horses.

The agitated horses stopped abruptly, settling down. Zorka widened her eyes, clutching her chest. If only the poison were still there, she might have keeled over from a heart attack right then.

Then, the shouts of the carriage driver were heard again.

"Hogs, quickly grab the kid up front! Before the villagers find out!"

Zorka was momentarily startled. "Uh, what does the driver mean?"

He snapped out of his surprise. Somehow, his intuition kicked in.

"Trouble, I gotta run!" He immediately got up, ready to flee.

However, someone grabbed him from behind. A strong grip with big hands touched Zorka's body.

Zorka struggled. He got kidnapped by a human trafficking syndicate, from who knows where.

"Aaargh, let me go!" yelled Zorka. His eyes searched for help around, hoping someone in the village would hear.

The guy who grabbed Zorka quickly covered his mouth upon hearing the kid's screams.

"No use screaming! The villagers won't care. So, shut up or I'll rip your tongue out!" threatened a guy named Hogs.

The bald-headed guy, Hogs, laughed menacingly. He dragged Zorka towards a black horse-drawn carriage waiting on the edge of the woods.

"Think a little kid like you can fight us, huh?" Hogs said, mocking as he laughed.

Zorka felt powerless, but his desire to escape grew stronger. He tried kicking and biting, but his efforts were in vain.

"Stay quiet! You're ours now," Hogs grinned, pressing Zorka tighter.

Zorka felt hopeless, but in the darkness of his mind, he plotted a way to break free.

The horse-drawn carriage had a wooden wagon. Hogs roughly opened its door.

Slam!

Zorka briefly thought about attacking Hogs with the poison he had crafted. The poison, originally for self-defense in the Sorgindua forest, was still tucked in his belt.

However, Zorka hesitated upon seeing several kids inside.

"Oh no, they've kidnapped a lot of children," Zorka thought.

The wooden wagon felt dark and cramped. Zorka tried to find a place to hide among the frightened children.

Hogs roughly closed the wagon door. "Don't think you can escape; you all belong to us now!"

Zorka, unfazed, worked to calm the scared kids. In his mind, he continued planning how to fight and protect them.

With a loud bang, Hogs closed the wagon door. Zorka looked at each frightened face of the children in the dim light.

Some of them were crying, clearly trying to hold back their tears.

"Mommy, I want to go home," a whispered plea came from one of the kids.

It was certain; these kids were also victims of the kidnapping, sharing Zorka's fate. Hearing the child's whisper mentioning their mother, Zorka's new body remembered Renata.

In his memories, Renata was a loving mother, despite lacking magical abilities like Zorka. She never minded that.

Renata always supported him, unlike his father, Demista. A tall man with cold eyes, he seemed to treat Zorka as if he didn't exist. His father paid no attention when Zorka tried to greet him.

Pain struck Zorka's heart. The mature soul within that body felt confused by the owner's emotions. Filled with sadness, intimidation, and isolation, yet yearning deeply for their mother.

Unconsciously, Zorka's lips uttered, "Mom, how are you?”