Chapter 10: CHAPTER 10: A New Hope
Milas was frozen as he stared at the drop of blood on his palm. He stood there till everyone else had drunk theirs and returned the flask. Milas saw that some of the guards were staring at him weirdly. The realization of what he had to do made his stomach growl in protest.
"Why are you savouring it when your stomach is growling in hunger." One of the guards said, mistaking the growling for hunger. Milas brought the flask to his mouth and chugged the content quickly to avoid tasting it. Fortune didn't allow it as the liquid touched his tongue. His taste perceived the taste of the red liquid.
Delicious!!!
The liquid was the best thing he had ever tasted. The feeling of rejuvenation that accompanied it was dozens of times better than that of the mana crystal.
Milas was now torn between the pleasure obtained from the blood and the feeling of disgust from the thoughts of having to drink blood. He continued contemplating his next move as a cart was brought into the tunnel. The lid was lifted and a familiar smell wafted into his nose. How could he forget when it was his only meal during his enslavement.
A few people dashed forward and the guard tipped the cart over, spilling the raw meat. The gory sight of multiple blood covered hands on the floor snapped Milas out of his thoughts. The people went into a frenzy as they devoured the arms not leaving a bone behind. Milas looked around and saw that he wasn't the only one who was disgusted. Most of the ones who drank blood looked away while others tried to leave the area.
"All ghouls are brainless idiots driven by their stomachs. I can't believe that they escaped being listed as a forbidden subclass just because they are rational when full." Milas heard one of the guards whispering to another. The frenzy was over after a few moments when the meat was cleared. The ghouls seemed to go back to normal as some of them tried to wipe the blood off their faces.
The group was led back to the large hall.
Milas found a spot with few people and he sat down to rest. He looked at the tired and malnourished figures that filled the hall. He didn't wish to end up like that so he shut his eyes and analysed the occurrences of the day. Milas didn't see a possible escape route so the only option was to bide his time.
Milas planned to get stronger so that he could attain freedom when the opportunity arose. He knew that he would need to absorb the mana crystals despite the pain that accompanied it. The next part was the hardest as he would have to keep drinking blood. He thought of resisting this newfound urge but he knew that it also seemed to benefit him.
For the following week, Milas worked his butt off as he tried to get a full bag everyday. The electrocution from the crystals seemed to reduce its intensity as he could now absorb it twice before the pain became unbearable. He had left the first crystal he absorbed hidden in the tunnels and he would absorb it whenever they went to mine. The crystal itself had significantly dimmed. There were fewer white particles and the tiny blue arches were almost non-existent. The crystal had lost its previous blue glow and become a faint white.
That day Milas had the clear goal of draining the crystal completely even if he would waste the time needed to mine more crystals. As usual, the guards marched in with the same formation and the man with the whip made his announcement/threat. This time however, he added some new information.
"In three days, the monthly tournament will be held. For those who don't know, it is the only chance you have to earn your freedom. It is a battle royale to entertain the rich and those who win or impress them get bought and are no longer my problem. I want a twenty five of you to volunteer and if I don't have that number then fifty will go instead." The man ended his announcement and went back to the daily routine of whipping those who didn't or couldn't move.
Later in the mines, Milas was weighing his options as he sat crosslegged with a mana crystal in his right hand. If someone were to look at him they would notice that he constantly flinched and gritted his teeth. The white particles in the crystal would combine into a larger particle and enter Milas' body. Multiple blue arches would follow the large particle and cause the electrocution that Milas felt. Milas ignored all this as he was fully immersed in the process of absorbing the crystal.
His eyes suddenly opened and the red glow that was often seen in his eyes shone even brighter. His vision improved as he could see more details on the rocks of the tunnel. Loud clanging reached his ears from the other tunnels. He could faintly hear the laboured breathing of a miner who was a great distance behind him. Milas' strong hearing seemed to have gotten a very big boost.
He put these thoughts aside and started mining. Milas immediately noticed the difference as he could see an accurately strike the tiny cracks in the rock. He may not have gotten a big boost in strength but the increased perception allowed him to mine much faster than before. He managed to fill the bag before time ran out and he earned the blood.
Recently, Milas had come to terms with the fact that he found blood to be delicious. This allowed him to drink it without hesitation. He was even starting to savour the taste as he would take small sips when he drank it.
This continued for the next three days and he managed to drain a new but smaller crystal. Milas found out that he was becoming more resistant to the electrocution. His confidence had almost lead to a near death experience when he tried to absorb mana directly from the vein. The suction was the same as usual as it only increased with quality not quantity. The energy he gained was tremendous but so was the lightning. He was electrocuted till his hair got singed. The two hour long paralysis and partly fried internal organs taught him a valuable lesson. On the bright side, he discovered that he could heal incredibly fast and blood would make it almost instant. These factors ensured that he was ready for the tournament.
The man with the whip walked into the hall and demanded for the twenty five volunteers. The people quickly gathered and Milas stood among them. They were led outside the hall and through a different set of tunnels.
Milas had a smile plastered on his face as he walked among the volunteers. This was going just as he expected.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone