Lucas’s feet sank into filth the moment he stepped into the small fenced yard where the chickens were kept. Around a hundred and fifty of them walked through the mud, pecking and scratching through their own droppings in search of worms or bits of buried feed.
Lucas grimaced at the sight and the smell, but his attention soon shifted toward the wide opening beyond the chicken yard.
Why isn’t anyone following me? He looked around. Even the cook hadn’t arrived yet. Lucas had been told to come to the henhouse at dawn and wait. Now he was there, completely alone, with no one in sight to stop him if he tried to run.
Are they that confident they can catch me if I try? The thought alone made him hesitate. He understood that if he ran and was caught, he would be executed. Taking that single step felt heavier than he had expected.
In the end, he shook his head, left the chicken yard through the woven mesh gate, and sat down near the only tree in the camp, carefully wiping his boots on the grass first. He had decided not to risk it. In a world where magic existed, there were too many unknowns. Lucas wasn’t confident he could cross the entire open field before the soldiers woke up, let alone erase his tracks well enough to avoid being followed.
At the very least, I should improve my endurance and fortitude first. I still have two days before I leave for Stonehill.
He leaned back against the tree, taking a deep breath. A soft breeze drifted toward the direction of the chicken yard, carrying the stench away and cooling his skin.
The spot was far enough from the camp that the soldiers’ snoring didn’t reach him, nor the loud yawns of the guards finishing their night shift. The only sounds were leaves rustling overhead and the low clucking of chickens in the distance.
The noise calmed his nerves. Like a lullaby, it pulled him under, and Lucas drifted off to sleep.
By the time the cook arrived, the sun had already risen above the horizon. Lucas was still sleepy, but the heaviness in his eyelids had faded.
The moment the man approached, he shoved a short axe into Lucas’s hands. Dried feathers clung to the blade, along with dark stains of old blood. Then, without a word, he gestured toward a wooden log nearby, its surface darkened and rough from constant use.
The cook grabbed the first chicken unlucky enough to catch his eye and thrust it at Lucas. Then he crossed his arms and squinted at him from the side.
Lucas ignored the look, grabbed the chicken, and pressed its head against the log. As someone who had spent summers visiting his grandparents in the village, the process wasn’t unfamiliar to him.
He waited until the chicken stretched its neck, then brought the axe down in a single, clean swing.
The moment he felt the recoil travel up his arm as the blade struck the log, Lucas’s heart started pounding. His eyes darted around, searching for the familiar blue window.
Then he heard it - the sound of wind chimes.
[You’ve gained 5 Experience Points!]
I knew it! Lucas celebrated silently and forced his expression to steady, careful not to look like someone who enjoyed slaughtering chickens.
He straightened and offered the dead bird to the cook, but the man shook his head and pointed toward a long rope stretched nearby. Lucas understood immediately. He walked over, careful not to stain his only clothes, and hung the bird upside down by its feet.
The cook, who had been watching closely, nodded in approval and finally spoke.
“Lucas, come.” They were the only two words Lucas understood in the man’s language.
The cook raised all ten fingers three times, then pointed at the chickens. Lucas nodded. The meaning was clear enough.
It took Lucas more than an hour to slaughter and drain thirty chickens. Each time he did, the blue window appeared, informing him that he had gained five experience points. After a while, even level-up notifications began to follow.
150 experience and 5 level-ups, he thought as he pulled up his sleeves with his teeth and thrust his reddened hands under the stream of water coming from a large wooden barrel. The mechanism was simple but unfamiliar. A thick metal stick stuck out from the bottom, and when pushed inside, water flowed out in a thin but steady trickle.
Finding no towel, he wiped his hands dry on his pants. Then he looked around, checking whether the cook had returned.
After confirming the man was nowhere in sight, Lucas focused on his updated status window.
[…Level: 12; XP: 19/31; AP Available: 3.3…]
So each level gives me 0.3 AP, he noted. He considered whether to spend them now or save them for later. He wanted to test what raising an attribute would do, but in the end he decided against it.
Heinrich might check my progress to see if that method was effective. If he notices that my other attributes are increasing too, he might find it strange.
He clicked his tongue in frustration and turned toward the tall tree, deciding to climb it.
The tree had dozens of branches, close enough together to give him firm footholds and something to pull himself up by. Within a few minutes, he was already at the top, looking down over the camp and the land around it.
Damn it, he cursed.
The camp had been built in a wide open field where even patches of green were scarce, let alone trees. Sneaking in or out by normal means would have been impossible. If the idea of escape had still lingered in his mind, it died there.
Lucas stayed up there for a while. The air felt fresher, and being away from the heat and dust rising off the ground was a relief.
Then the cook returned, and this time he wasn’t alone. Two more people came with him.
“Lucas!” Heinrich called, spotting him immediately.
Did he really notice me? Lucas’s eyes widened.
“I’m here,” he called back and started climbing down.
“Check the chickens,” Heinrich ordered the cook as he waited for Lucas.
“I didn’t think you’d come,” Lucas said, breathing hard. Climbing down in a hurry had thrown off his breathing.
“How else would you communicate with him?” Heinrich smirked, pulling the detector from his pocket. This time, three lines of text shimmered across its surface instead of one. “This is Otto. He’ll train you.”
The young man beside Heinrich flinched and stepped forward, straightening his back.
“Otto…” Heinrich muttered, shaking his head. “You’ve been in my division for almost a year now. Isn’t it time you stopped being afraid of me?”
“I apologize, Sir Heinrich!” Otto shouted. He put so much force into it that his slicked-back blond hair fell forward, covering half his face.
“I’m not ‘Sir,’ Otto,” Heinrich sighed and turned toward Lucas. “He may look incompetent, but he’s more than capable of helping you. I’ll leave the detector with him so the two of you can communicate freely. It should last for three or four hours.”
Heinrich handed the detector to Otto, then turned and walked toward the cook.
“Finally,” Otto muttered, glaring at Heinrich’s back. “I thought he’d never leave.”
“What?” Lucas asked, confused.
“Don’t tell me you believed his act just because he gave you two health potions,” Otto laughed. He started walking in the opposite direction from Heinrich, gesturing Lucas to follow. “That man will discard you the moment you stop being useful. He’s helping you only because he expects something far greater than those two potions.”
Lucas followed in silence, listening while trying to get a sense of Otto’s personality.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell him what you said?” Lucas asked.
“Hah. You’re not that stupid, are you?” Otto laughed, then paused and shot Lucas a look filled with pity. “Wait, are you? Do you really think I’d be punished just because of your words? Or that you’d be rewarded for ratting me out?”
“No, I don’t. I was just…” Lucas started explaining himself, but changed his mind mid sentence. He already disliked Otto’s attitude and decided it wasn’t worth it.
“Listen,” Otto continued. “This place is hell. Hell and a swamp at the same time. Once you step foot here, you’re stuck. Look at this.” He pointed at the sun. “It never stops burning, and it’s supposed to be winter now. Can you imagine what summer feels like?”
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
For the first time, Lucas seriously considered Otto’s words. He had always hated summer, and that hatred hadn’t faded in this world either.
“Is it the same in Stonehill?” Lucas asked, concern slipping into his voice.
“No,” Otto replied with a smile, looking toward the horizon. “Stonehill is heaven compared to this shithole. Though it’s troublesome if you enjoy breaking rules. The lord there despises criminals. There’s only one punishment for violating his orders. Death.”
I must be extra careful when I get there, Lucas decided.
“We should start your training right away. First, we push your body to the point of breaking, then you drink one potion to recover.” He waved two small vials in front of Lucas’s face. “After that, without any rest, you train again until you pass out and drink the second potion. This method forces rapid growth, but it works only once.”
“Why only once? Unless the potions stop being effective, I don’t…”
“You’ll see,” Otto cut him off and slid the vials beneath his leather armor.
He spread a thick net woven from heavy rope on the ground and began gathering stones. He brought one and placed it beside the net. Then another. When he dropped the second, he growled at Lucas.
“What are you waiting for? Help me gather stones!” he shouted, nostrils flaring. The force of it made his hair fall forward again, poking his blue eyes.
Lucas smiled and turned, scanning the ground for stones.
It took them ten minutes and nearly twenty stones before Otto seemed satisfied. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and grinned at Lucas.
“Now the fun part starts.”
Otto made Lucas run for more than an hour, claiming it was to exhaust his stamina. Pushups followed. By the time Lucas began to doubt the method, Otto rolled up his sleeves and tied two stones into the net.
Lucas watched in silence, using the pause to wipe sweat from his face.
Otto lifted the net and hung it around his neck. He squatted until his knees formed a right angle and stretched his arms forward. He held the position long enough for Lucas to study it, then straightened and dropped the net.
“You’re going to do the same,” he said, already breathing hard.
“And you find this fun?” Lucas asked, frowning.
“Who said it would be fun for you?” Otto replied with a grin. He glanced around, the smile fading from his face as he started cursing. “This damned place. Not a single tree to hide in the shade.”
Lucas picked up the net and draped it over his neck, copying Otto’s movements.
Ah… we used to do something similar in the army, he remembered with a bitter smile. Even the place he had once hated felt nostalgic now.
The first minute passed without much struggle. Despite the long run, his legs held firm and his breathing stayed steady. The real problem was the sun, already climbing higher and pressing down with growing heat.
Otto picked up a stone and placed it into the net.
“Now that’s more like it,” he laughed when Lucas grimaced.
The second minute was harder. Sweat ran down Lucas’s back. His legs and shoulders began to ache, far worse than the day before. His thighs and calves burned, screaming as though they might tear.
“It’s time,” Otto said, lifting another stone. He had taken off his shirt, soaked it in water, and draped it over his head and back.
By the fourth stone, Lucas was at his limit. The added weight made his legs sway. His whole body trembled, a cold sweat soaking him. His stomach twisted, pressure building so sharply he thought he might soil himself.
“How long d…” Lucas snarled.
“As long as it takes for your body to break,” Otto cut in, no smile this time. He picked up another stone, and the motion alone made Lucas glare at him. “Stop looking at me like that. Think of it this way. This pain will make you stronger. That difference might save your life one day.”
He’s right, Lucas admitted, his eyes hardening. Gaining levels and attribute points by slaughtering chickens had created the illusion that he’d be able to grow stronger without much effort. I failed hundreds of times to master carving, but I never stopped. This matters more. The foundation I build now is the only way out of this place. My only chance to stay alive.
“Good,” Otto praised him, noticing the change in his expression.
Even as the fifth stone went in and Lucas’s legs shook violently, his face showed no weakness. Only resolve.
But resolve alone couldn’t push the limits of the human body, and when Otto placed the sixth stone, Lucas stumbled forward and collapsed face-first into the ground. He failed to use his hands to protect his face or his legs to regain balance. His body had completely broken down, leaving him lying there with his cheek pressed into the dirt, blood leaking from his nose and split lips.
And yet, Lucas felt good. He was finally able to rest.
“Hey. Turn around,” Otto called, kicking Lucas’s side with his foot. “You must drink this potion quickly and resume training.”
Lucas tried to sit up but couldn’t, so he rolled onto his side and drank the vial that way. If the first potion had tasted sour, this one felt like the most delicious liquid he had ever had. Then he felt a comforting tingle, followed by a wind chime sound.
[Lesser Healing Potion consumed. Minor injuries healed. Stamina partially recovered.]
A green sheen wrapped around Lucas’s body almost instantly. The cramps vanished from his limbs. He flexed his hands as he pushed himself upright and rolled his shoulders, testing the potion’s effect.
“Quickly, start running. If we waste even a little time, it won’t work!” Otto ordered as he removed a couple of stones from the net, leaving only two.
At first, the training went much like before. Lucas ran for an hour until his breathing turned ragged. Then came pushups, done until his arms gave out. Finally, the squats.
The first two stones weren’t difficult this time either, but his legs began to shake once again when Otto added the third and fourth. Unlike before, he didn’t break at the fifth. Or even the sixth. Whether because his body was fully warmed up or the technique had already started to take hold, he endured.
He managed to hold seven stones for twenty-two seconds.
Then he collapsed.
“Drink it,” Otto yelled, dropping to one knee next to Lucas and practically pouring the vial down his throat.
Lucas coughed, almost spitting the potion out, but Otto forced his mouth shut. Tears streamed down his face. Mucus burned his throat as his body fought the liquid.
[Lesser Healing Potion consumed. Minor injuries healed. Stamina partially recovered.]
[Continuous use of healing potions detected. Intoxication has occurred. Toxin is damaging the body.]
The green glow returned, but this time the relief twisted into pain. It started in his stomach, sharp and sudden, then spread everywhere. His chest tightened. His limbs burned. His head throbbed as if something inside was tearing him apart.
His eyes swelled. The tears stopped forming.
Lucas clawed at the dirt, fingers digging into the ground. His body convulsed once, then again. He wanted to curse Otto. Curse Heinrich. Curse everything. But his mouth wouldn’t move. His throat refused to form sound.
Then he heard it - the sound of wind chimes - and through blurred vision, Lucas saw the blue windows flashing one after another in front of him.
[Poison Resistance (Beginner) has failed to affect the toxin.]
[Poison Resistance (Beginner) has failed to affect the toxin.]
[Poison Resistance (Beginner) has failed to affect the toxin.]
[Poison Resistance (Beginner) proficiency increased: 5/10.]
[Poison Resistance (Beginner) has reduced the toxin’s effects.]
[Remaining Lesser Healing Potion has cleansed the weakened toxin.]
[Repeated bodily damage and regeneration detected. Endurance increased by 1. Fortitude increased by 1.]
<<<>>>
“Congratulations. You survived,” Otto said with a grin, looking down at Lucas, who was breathing heavily.
Lucas sat on the ground, leaning back against the fence. His thoughts were a mess. He had no urge to curse at Otto or even check his progress.
I nearly died, he thought, swallowing hard. These bastards risked my life like it was nothing.
Lucas lifted his gaze to Otto, who was hungrily draining his waterskin.
“Want some?” Otto asked, mistaking the glare for thirst.
Lucas took it anyway. He drank deeply, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Why didn’t you tell me I could die?” he asked.
Otto studied him in silence with a face that gave no emotion away. After a moment, he sat down beside him.
“Lucas, you misunderstand how this world works,” he said. “No one cares whether you live or die unless you being alive benefits them. I’m not your friend. I wouldn’t risk myself to save you. And I’d expect you to do the same.”
Lucas was left speechless. He had already realized that, compared to this place, Earth was a heaven filled with samaritans. Still, the bluntness in Otto’s voice, and how natural this structure seemed to him, left Lucas frozen.
“And I knew you wouldn’t die,” Otto continued, slapping his knees. “Heinrich wouldn’t have wasted two potions if he thought you would. You’re an investment. He’ll keep you alive until he gets what he wants.”
Both fell silent. Otto pulled out something from his pocket, Lucas couldn’t quite see, and started chewing it.
“If he’s like that, why do you stay in his army?” Lucas asked, turning his head toward Otto to study his reaction. “Can’t you…”
He stopped when he heard the detector crystal flicker and make a sound similar to steel hitting steel.
“That means we have less than thirty minutes,” Otto said, following his gaze. “Once you sign an army contract, you don’t leave. And even if I left, what else would I do? I’m not a noble. My parents depend on my pay. In the Central Empire, Lucas, you’re either born with a title, you serve in the military, or you rot trying to survive.”
Lucas listened carefully. He still didn’t trust Otto, but this didn’t feel like an act. At least some of what he said was real.
“So you can’t leave this place?” he asked.
“Oh, I’m leaving,” Otto said with a grin. He stood, brushing his blond hair back. “I’m going with you to Stonehill. It’d be a shame for a face like mine to rot here, wouldn’t it?”
Lucas frowned, but he still looked. He had to admit that Otto was truly handsome. His long face and strong cheekbones gave him a solid, dependable look, while a thin nose and red lips softened it enough to keep him from appearing brutish.
“Coward Otto thinks he’s too good for this place!”
The cold, sharp voice cut through the moment, snapping both Lucas’s and Otto’s attention back toward the camp.
A bulky man was walking toward them, leather armor stretched tight over his belly.
Otto turned at once, his shoulders folding. Before Lucas’s eyes, the tall man seemed to shrink, his presence cut in half.
“Henry…” Otto muttered, lowering his head. “I meant this place is too good for me. Not the other way around.”
“Haha.” Henry laughed and slapped his belly. The smile vanished as quickly as the man himself had appeared, his eyes turning sharp. “Go fetch me a drink. You know that bastard won’t let me inside the kitchen. I’ll be waiting at our usual spot.”
“Let me return the detector to Sir Heinrich first,” Otto replied quickly, grabbing the glowing crystal. He then glanced at Lucas. “I’ll meet you tomorrow, after you’re done helping the cook.”
Lucas watched them walk away, eyes widened.
He replayed the exchange in his mind. The disgust and mockery in Henry’s voice were obvious, but that wasn’t what unsettled him.
He was a completely different person, Lucas thought, narrowing his eyes at Otto’s retreating back. Was he acting just now, or was he acting with me? This man… I shouldn’t trust his words.
