Adrias walked back with steady steps, but his mind was preoccupied with everything he had seen inside the mine. The corpse that decayed before his eyes, the runes that vanished without a trace, and the mysterious black sword that he could summon and hide at will… all of it made him realize that this place held a far deeper secret than it appeared.
But he didn't have time to think too much. As soon as he approached the rest of the slaves, a thunderous angry voice interrupted him:
"Where have you been all this time, you filthy slave?!"
He quickly turned to find one of the guards marching toward him, his features tense and his eyes sparking with rage. He was a large man, wearing a worn leather armor that still held an air of authority, and a short sword hung from his waist.
Adrias didn't respond immediately. He knew that any wrong word could earn him a punishment he couldn't afford right now. His body was still weak, and he didn't want to draw more attention than he already had.
But the guard wasn't the patient type.
"Are you mute now too?!" he shouted even louder, causing the other slaves to glance over, curiosity mingled with fear on their faces.
Adrias sighed inwardly, then bowed slightly in a submissive manner, as a slave was expected to do, and said calmly:
"I was just looking for a place to relieve myself. I didn't go far."
The guard eyed him suspiciously, then suddenly grabbed the collar of his torn shirt and lifted him so that his feet barely touched the ground. He spoke in a low but threatening voice:
"If I ever catch you wandering alone again without permission, I'll break one of your legs. Understood?"
Adrias stared into the guard's eyes without replying, but inside he was boiling with rage. If he were in his former strength, this nobody wouldn't even dare raise his voice in his presence. But now… he was just another slave in their eyes.
The other slaves watched in silence. Some had pity in their eyes, while others looked relieved it wasn't them being punished.
Moments later, the guard shoved him hard, and he fell to the ground.
"Back to work, all of you!" the guard barked before turning away as if nothing had happened.
Adrias stood up slowly. He wasn't hurt—but he was furious.
"Endure… Just endure."
Adrias felt the blood boiling in his veins as he stared at the guard who had humiliated him. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, but the sharp sting was nothing compared to the fire within.
"Second level of the Power Embodiment Class…"
Yes, this guard was stronger than him for now. His new body was still weak, barely beginning to absorb energy from that black stone. He hadn't even reached the second level himself.
But the gap between them wasn't huge. If they were to fight one-on-one under fair circumstances, Adrias might not be able to kill him easily—but he could definitely make him regret ever laying a hand on him.
The problem wasn't in killing him—it was in doing so without getting himself killed in the process.
He looked up calmly, observing the soldiers scattered around the area. Each one of them was far stronger than him—some in the higher levels of Power Embodiment, maybe even in the Energy Coordination Class.
Killing this guard in front of everyone would be signing his own death warrant.
"If only he were alone…"
If that guard were alone, away from prying eyes, Adrias would have gutted him and dragged out his intestines while listening to his screams. He would've enjoyed the terror flooding his eyes as life slowly slipped away from him.
But that was just a dream for now.
"Damn it!"
His teeth ground together. He couldn't afford to act recklessly. Not now. Not while he was still this weak. He had to endure… suppress his fury until the right moment came.
However, if he couldn't kill him now, that didn't mean he couldn't humiliate him.
He smiled to himself, despite the storm raging inside him. Adrias wasn't the type to let an insult go unanswered. No, he would make that guard regret it—but he wouldn't be reckless.
He had to be smart.
He had to hunt the prey, not charge at it.
Adrias took a deep breath, calming his fury as he tried to form a plan in his mind. He wasn't someone who let humiliation slide, but anger alone wasn't enough for revenge—it required patience, opportunity, and strategy.
He looked at the guard who had shamed him. The man was still standing there, boasting his false strength, laughing loudly while chatting with another guard. He seemed to have forgotten all about Adrias—but Adrias had not forgotten.
"You're already dead. You just don't know it yet."
But how?
If the guard were alone, away from watchful eyes, Adrias could find a way to tear him apart without leaving a trace. But now, surrounded by guards and slaves, any wrong move meant death.
He tried to calm his thoughts and reflected on his body—how fragile it still was. He had only just begun to absorb energy. It would take much more time before he reached a level where he could fight this guard head-on.
But he didn't need just power. He needed cunning.
"If I can't kill him now, I'll make him suffer."
He began observing him throughout the day—studying his movements, when he ate, when he was alone, when he was most relaxed and least cautious. Adrias hadn't merely been a warrior in his past life—he had been an emperor, a man who had fought in hundreds of battles. He knew how to stalk prey… how to make it fall into a trap without ever realizing it.
And during his watch, he noticed something interesting—
Every night, that guard would wander away from the others, heading toward one of the side tunnels in the mine.
"Where is he going?"
Adrias decided to find out.
That night…
He waited for the right moment—when everyone was either asleep or distracted. Then, he moved silently through the shadows, following the guard from a distance. His steps were so light, they blended with the darkness itself.
The tunnel was narrow, and the walls rough and damp. There was a strange smell—a mix of mold and dried blood.
Then he saw the guard stop.
In front of a rocky wall, there was a small opening, barely wide enough for one man to squeeze through. The guard looked around cautiously, as if making sure no one was watching, then crouched and slipped inside.
Adrias waited a few moments before slowly approaching, careful not to make a sound.
When he peered into the opening, what he saw took him completely by surprise—
There was a small chamber filled with piles of human bones, skulls scattered across the ground.
And in the corner… there was something else.
A black stone, similar to the one Adrias had found earlier—but this one pulsed with a much stronger red energy.
The guard knelt before it, placed his hand on it, and his body began to tremble—as if some powerful force was flowing into him.
Adrias narrowed his eyes.
"So this is the source of your strength…"
But the more important question… what was really going on here? And why was this place filled with bones?
To be continued...