"Damn, this food is tastier than anything I’ve ever had," Lucien stated, his mouth filled with food as he desperately chewed down the mountain of food placed before him.
It was a bowl of rice with some seasoning, and some meat here and there. From the first sight to the last, Lucien kept salivating as others watched him awkwardly.
"I didn’t know we had an eater here," a soldier laughed, throwing his arm on Lucien’s shoulder. "Hey kid, what’s your name?"
Lucien looked back at him, his mouth full, causing him to be unable to speak. Lucien tried replying but was immediately choked by the food. He struck his chest multiple times and chugged down a bottle of water to let the food pass down.
"Slow down there. I haven’t seen anyone eat this much. Was today’s work a bit stressful?" The soldier asked again, trying to get a response from Lucien.
’What a fool. He’s giving me more ideas for a lie,’ Lucien thought, a smile forming on his face. "Oh yes, today’s tasks were indeed tedious. That’s why I’m this hungry," Lucien replied, shifting his gaze to the last bit of food on his plate.
The soldier smiled back at him and eventually lifted his arm from Lucien’s shoulders. Lucien swallowed the last piece of food and turned around. He hadn’t had a chance to enjoy the aesthetics of the building since the food caught his attention.
The hall he was in had bulbs scattered around the entirety of the space, giving off an oddly yellow glow. The walls were sturdy, dark, and most especially had runes engraved on them.
"This looks like a medieval castle’s interior," Lucien stated, his eyes examining everyone around him.
A man soon walked past all of them and stood at a central platform. He caressed his shimmering golden hair with his light-skinned hands as he climbed to the top of the platform.
He was clad in golden armor, a long red robe extending from his back like a cape. He looked young but slightly older than Lucien.
"You all have done well today," he stated, his authoritative voice surprisingly deeper than what was expected based on his looks.
"Tomorrow, we shall go on another outing, so be prepared. As Division Captain, it’s my job to make sure our Division rises to the top!"
Everyone immediately erupted into cheers. Lucien let out a sigh in confusion as he tried to understand what was just said.
"Did he say division? So it’s safe to assume there are more groups just like ours... or I mean, theirs since I probably won’t be staying here for long," Lucien muttered, smiling to fit in with the crowd applauding the man’s speech.
"Maybe I can learn a thing or 2 from tomorrow’s ’outing’," he concluded. Lucien turned to the man beside him, who coincidentally was the same one who tried starting a conversation.
The crowd spread out into their rooms, and Lucien followed, in search of an unoccupied room. A slightly open door caught his attention.
[Room 111]
The dark ink was written in a sophisticated font at the upper right corner of the door. Lucien hesitantly pushed the door; a soft creak followed. "This will do for today," Lucien said, sliding into the room.
Before him was an arranged bed, a luxurious shoe rack and a wardrobe filled with nice clothing. He’d never seen a shoe in his village, and this one was even more expensive than the ones he had seen in his past life.
He threw himself on the bed and began staring straight up at the ceiling, his arm safely resting on his forehead. "I guess I’m tired; my eyes are heavy," he whispered, slowly drifting away into his sleep.
*****
[Why haven’t you used my powers, boy!]
"Ahhh!" Lucien’s eyes forcefully opened only to find himself once again in the deep abyss where the demonic force that cursed him resided.
Its words echoed throughout the entire darkness in a manner that made the darkness feel like it rippled in response to the ominous voice.
"What power? I don’t have any power that I’m aware of," Lucien whispered, his voice sinking beneath his breath.
There was a deafening silence for a few minutes. Lucien felt lost, trapped, as though he wouldn’t be able to escape that space this time.
A deep rumble broke the silence. It sounded identical to a sigh of disappointment, but at such a low pitch, it became hard to distinguish sounds.
[You haven’t called upon me yet. You’re not a normal human now; don’t try to learn the normal way!]
The voice resounded, carrying a deep yet complex emotion. ’Why is the demon so desperate to let me use its powers?’ Lucien thought, still floating in the emptiness of his thoughts.
Lucien breathed deeply and closed his eyes. "I might as well use the power I’ve gotten," he stated confidently.
"Wrath!" A moment of silence overcame the atmosphere once more. Suddenly, Lucien partially gained control over his body in that dark abyss. In a similar manner as before, his toes turned pitch-black, and then his lower leg.
He immediately opened his eyes and found himself floating atop his bed, a strange crimson red aura emanating from every part of his body. His bed sheets began deteriorating, and he immediately panicked.
"How do I stop this thing? I don’t want the others to detect my surge in Mana," he muttered in a low voice, although he wasn’t entirely aware of how the power system worked.
Eventually, the aura dissipated, and Lucien fell to his bed, his hands trembling from the pressure of the power that just burst out of him. "What’s the purpose of this power?" He thought again, slowly digging deeper into something more fundamental.
He looked through the window, and the sun’s deep morning shine hit his eyes. Those red-orange rays that indicated a hot afternoon came surprisingly early. He turned his head to the wall, and a digital clock conveniently seated on a side stool looked back at him.
[8:09 AM]~
"The outing is by 10 am if I’m not mistaken. I’d better dress up."