Chapter 9: Ability test
The hunters didn't pay special attention to anyone and just walked by, but Eric noticed one of them take a few apples from a cart without paying the merchant.
The merchant opened his mouth to shout, but someone near him quickly shushed him up.
After the four hunters walked away and their figures were no longer visible, the quiet market resumed its actions as if nothing had happened.
"Whew... fortunately, nothing happened this time," John released a sigh of relief.
"What was that all about?" Eric asked after John removed his hand.
"They are the slave-hunting team, part of the hunting department."
"Yeah, I know that."
The Temple of Fire and Iron was divided into many departments, each further subdivided into different divisions. The hunting department was just one of the departments responsible for hunting monsters.
"I'm asking you why you all seemed afraid of them; your reaction, especially, seemed a bit exaggerated, no?" Eric said, looking confused.
"Huh, right, they are hunters," John said, seemingly surprised that Eric knew about them despite being new here, but he had yet to answer his question. "Unlike the guards, the hunters are responsible for hunting monsters and clearing dungeons."
"Huh, the temple allows the slaves to attack the dungeon; aren't they afraid of..." Eric didn't continue his words, but he guessed that John understood what he wanted to convey as he nodded his head.
"Well, they are only responsible for killing the monsters. Everything that exists in the dungeon is the property of the temple, but the hunting team still gets better treatment than us with free meals and lodging," John explained.
Eric didn't know the exact details of how each department worked, as the novel only followed Levi's perspective, who was supposed to face monsters if not for Eric's interference.
"You should treat them as higher ranks instead of just regular slaves," John advised with a sigh. "They have been known to disregard procedures and maul people without reason. Even people who haven't greeted them and bystanders who have bumped shoulders with them have been taken away."
"So that's why you pulled me away," Eric finally understood the actions of everyone in the market. No wonder everyone seemed afraid of them.
"Especially the'mad dog' Mike in the front. He's quite infamous among the slaves, of course, not in a good way," John continued. "I heard he used to be a miner like us, but then he joined the hunting team after he awakened his magic during a monster attack. For some reason, he always picks on the miners and despises them, acting like he wasn't one at all."
John cursed Mike a few times under his breath, which made Eric think that he must have suffered or been mistreated once by the hunters.
"It sure is convenient to be on the hunting team," Eric said.
"And also dangerous. Ordinary people like us are only fit to be miners," John said with a sigh, but Eric still noticed a hint of envy in his eyes.
"But I'm not ordinary," Eric thought, clenching his fist.
In this world, there are two types of people: those who could use Mana and those who couldn't. Ordinary people with no Mana couldn't protect themselves against monsters, so they could only live under the protection of the strong and be treated like peasants by those who had Mana. The mine slaves' team that Eric belonged to was all ordinary.
If one wanted to join the hunting team, at least they needed to be able to use Mana.
Eric already had a plan to join the hunting team before arriving in the city. Not just because they had better treatment, but because the more monsters he killed, the stronger he would become. For the moment, he was too weak to break the stigma and escape from this place, so the only thing he could do in the meantime was get stronger until the opportunity presented itself.
"No, I can't join them yet," he thought. "There are still some things I can get from the mines that are still beneficial to me."
"If I joined the hunting team now, I would waste the opportunity to get a free mana crystal that could increase my magic power," Eric reasoned to himself. "The mana crystal will stop increasing my magic power after reaching a certain level, so until then, I'm going to stay and mine." Eric could feel a little smirk creeping on his face. He never imagined that he would be happy working as a miner.
"By the way, do you have a place to stay the night?" John asked.
"No," Eric said, shaking his head.
"Yeah, I forgot that you're new here. In any case, if you wish to rest up well, then allow me to recommend you to an inn that I know. People go there to sleep for the night because of its cheap price, so it'll be sufficiently quiet for you. It's a bit rundown, but it should be fine for your needs."
"Ah, thank you."
"No need to thank me. Well, let's get going."
After a day of hard work in the mine, Eric was exhausted and had no energy to take a look around. He felt like it had been ages since he fell asleep, especially after all the wild experiences in one day. So, rather than sightseeing, he dearly wished to hit the bed with a warm blanket wrapped around him.
***
"See you tomorrow at work, my friend." Eric and John shared a long, friendly handshake before parting ways.
Now left alone, Eric cautiously pushed open the inn's door and entered. An elderly woman taking a nap behind the ground-floor counter slowly cracked open an eyelid.
"What brings you here?"
"Oh, someone I know recommended this place, so..."
"Alone?"
"Yes."
"A single bedroom will cost ya 800 Zell for the night. If you want better accommodations, we have special rooms. They'll cost ya 1200 Zell, however."
"800 Zell?" Eric thought. "That's almost half of the payment for one day's work."
On his way to the inn, he bought a slice of bread and some meat, leaving him with only 1600 Zell left.
"So, will you stay in or not?" the elderly woman said.
"Give me that single bedroom."
After paying up 800 Zell, Eric received a key. Following the old woman's directions, he went up the stairs to the upper floor.
He was surprised when he entered the room. Even though it was narrow, it was quite unexpectedly clean and tidy. He even spotted a small potted plant that aided in one's natural recovery, placed on top of a closet next to the bed. He also liked that there was an old wooden desk just below the window and two chairs next to it.
Although it was nowhere near as sophisticated as the accommodations found on Earth, he still thought that such a rustic sensibility wasn't too bad, especially compared to the medieval world he found himself in.
Eric approached the small potted plant nestled in the closet, his fingers gently tracing its leaves. With a focused gaze, he activated his ability. Controlling it was as natural as flexing a muscle—an instinct honed through practice and necessity.
"Drain," he whispered.
A soft green aura enveloped his hand, shimmering with arcane energy. Slowly, tendrils of the aura extended toward the plant, weaving around its delicate stems and leaves. With each passing moment, the vibrant green of the plant began to dull; its vitality drained away until it crumbled in Eric's hand, a lifeless husk of what it once was.
Eric couldn't help but laugh, his excitement bubbling over at the sight of himself wielding magic. Though his ability lacked the destructive power of the main character's, he was filled with a sense of determination. With time and dedication, he was certain he could ascend to the pinnacle of this world.
After testing his ability for a while, pushing it to its limits until his mana was completely drained, he finally stopped.
Eric laid down on the bed. For a while, he stared at the aged ceiling without making a noise.
Today was really the most eventful day he had ever experienced. He had died and been transported into a novel for no apparent reason. After waking up, he found himself in the mines, working as a slave for the temple, with no way to break free from their clutch anytime soon.
'However, I'm sure I will be free in the future.'
He did feel a bit empty, but at the same time, he couldn't deny the fact that the idea of exploring a whole fantasy world wasn't tempting.
"Maybe, if I had someone important back home, I would try my best to return... But I don't."
As the bed creaked a little under his weight, his eyes slowly closed. Remembering the cold grass beneath his body when he was camping outside, this bed felt incomparably soft and comfortable.
Soon enough, the youth's entire body slackened like wet cotton, and he drifted into a deep slumber.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Floki_Star
Floki_Star This is it guys, the end of the setting. Next chapter, action would start and things start going down.
So please make sure to add the story to your library, it's what keeps me motivated.
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