Not long after Ryan finished his System Awakening, the other soldier came in, slamming his spear against his shield and demanding that all the slaves head to sleep.

Fortunately, Ryan and Cameron were already in the bedding section of the gladiator's quarters, so he had dibs on a corner that was on the opposite end of the room from the toilet. In that space Ryan had plenty of space to roll out a few pieces of cloth on the floor and place a pillow on top. Since he was a new slave the bedding he got wasn't as dirty as the others. Theirs was dirty because none of them got replacements, so he made sure to be grateful for the cleanliness of his bedding whilst he could.

But not long after laying on it he declared having that gratitude to be impossible. The few stretches of cloth did basically nothing to cushion against the rough and icy cobbled floor. Patches of dampness soaked into it, making parts of his body even colder. Even though he was on the other end of the room as the toilet, the stench of it still ravaged his nose and oozed a feeling of nausea through his stomach and up his throat.

He was shocked when a dozen minutes after everyone laid down in their spots, most appeared fast asleep. How could they do it? Was this really something people could get used to?

After three hours of tossing and turning, failing to find a comfortable position to sleep, he finally gave up and just embraced the discomfort. There wasn't much else he could do. He just grit his teeth and let the rough surface of the floor poke and jab his body, and let the coldness scratch his skin.

After two hours, he became exhausted enough to sleep. But when he did, he was in his apartment. He walked in the bedroom. The sights of Dan fucking Vanessa ravaged his mind. Then he was back in the alleyway. The narrow walls pressed on him. The masked thugs leered as they marched towards him, towering over him, and smothering his tiny and vulnerable figure in their shadows. He'd throw bricks, but they'd do nothing. They'd pull out knives, and they'd stab him. His body stung all over. Blood leaked out of his body.

Ryan jolted up and awoke. Eyes wide, he found himself back in the slave quarters. Icy sweat stampeded across his shivering body, drenching his rags. He breathed deeply, in and out. He kept doing that for thirty minutes, trying to calm himself down. He never got calm, but he got himself calm enough to lay back down and close his eyes again. His eyes were so heavy and he felt so exhausted that he was able to sleep again.

But Dan bending Vanessa over, the masked thugs, and their stinging knives slapped him back awake. Sleep was impossible.

Ryan got up and walked out of the bedding section of the gladiator's quarters and into the common room. He remembered seeing a tiny window there, blocked by bars. He hadn't seen the outside sky in a while so he thought staring at that for a bit and getting a little bit of fresh air might calm him down.

But when he entered the common room, someone was sitting on the table by the window, staring out of it instead. It was Zack. Hearing Ryan's footsteps, he turned to Ryan. When Zack saw Ryan, he smirked. "Can't sleep?" He asked.

Ryan shook his head.

"You're a grown man and still having silly nightmares?" He chuckled.

Always looking for a chance to dunk on others, wasn't he? Ryan crossed his arms and leaned against the empty doorway between the common room and the bedding section. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep for weeks after being traumatised by the sight of that malformed ugly mug of yours."

"Me? Ugly?" Zack snorted, rubbing some of the scars on his face. "Don't worry, I get it. Everyone has nightmares after being resurrected here. Cameron did. Even I did."

He wasn't surprised. Who'd have thought that dying would be traumatising? "Have you gotten over it?"

Zack shrugged. "I'm able to sleep. Most days."

"So you still struggle with it?"

"I went through pretty harsh stuff." Zack crossed his arms. "Death leaves no one off the hook. Even yours truly." Zack sighed, distantly staring at the floor. "How did you die?"

"Got stabbed in an alleyway by some numbskulls."

"So a quick death, then?"

Ryan nodded.

"How did you die?"

"Do I have to say?"

"I told you, so it's only fair you tell me."

"Fine," he said with a sigh. "I fought in the military. Me and my buddies were on the frontlines. I was the leader of the squadron. We got captured by the enemy. They tried to beat information out of us. But you know me." He grinned and beat his chest. "I didn't give them anything. Neither did my boys; or at least that's what I like to think." His grin fell. His hand fell from his chest to droop by his side. "The enemy tortured us for six months overall. It started off with basic stuff. Punching, kicking, baseball bats, strangling. But after a few weeks they had enough."

That explained why Zack was covered with scars. His death must've been slow and involved receiving wounds from all over his body. Ryan gulped just thinking about it. Being tortured for six months? After a few blows to the head, he would've given whoever his enemy was a thorough and detailed presentation of his nation's battle strategy down to the food they ate, the times they pissed, and the times they went to sleep.

"Then there was a lot of waterboarding. A lot of finger stuff. Snapping fingers, stabbing pins into the tips of them, cutting them off one by one." Zack frowned. "Then they went to my feet. Did a lot of stuff with my toes. Stabbed my eyes; not like I needed to look to talk. Luckily they didn't go for my tongue."

Ryan couldn't even imagine what such a thing would look like or feel like, yet the thought of it still sickened him. While Ryan asked Zack how he died, he didn't need him to go into so much detail. And he certainly didn't want him to. But at the same time, it's not the sort of thing you want to keep bottled up. So maybe it was good. "Did you really not talk?" He asked.

"I didn't speak a single word!" Zack clenched his fist. He slammed the table. He scowled at the floor. His face softened. His fist spread on the table. "Not sure if it was worth it, though," he muttered.

"It was certainly impressive." He was an arrogant guy, but clearly he earned quite a bit of it. "I guess it wasn't smart, but it was heroic."

"I mean, that's what heroes do, right?" Zack snorted. His eyes moistened. "They lead soldiers to their deaths. They lead their friends to their deaths. They die for nations that barely acknowledge their existence. I'll never be a hero again."

Ryan frowned. He felt awful, not just for Zack, but at his own weakness. To complain so much about his situation in a place filled with people who went through deaths that were probably much worse than his own was ridiculous.

"I couldn't sleep much when I first resurrected. But I was able to eventually." Zack smiled at Ryan, not a hint of derision in his eyes. The sight of such a genuine smile from Zack shocked him. "Don't lose hope. If I can sleep after going through that, then you'd be a fucking pathetic wimp if you can't after a few weeks."

"Thanks." Ryan snorted. "I hope you're right." He smiled. Was that Zack's way of trying to be nice? He could've left out the insult at the end, but he appreciated it. "My understanding of the military doesn't go far beyond Call of Duty," Ryan said.

Zack chuckled.

"But I know enough to be sure that war is complicated. Whilst being the leader of a squadron gives you some responsibility, it doesn't make you all-knowing. Anyone expecting that of you is an idiot. And you're an idiot for expecting that of yourself."

Zack stared at the floor and nodded.

"What you went through was awful," Ryan continued. "But I don't think you should blame yourself. You got unlucky. Considering how you wrecked that expana bear earlier, you're pretty damn strong. If anything, you should be proud of yourself."

"And I'll get even stronger." Zack smiled and looked up at Ryan. "Both of us will." Zack held out a fist to Ryan.

"We'll become powerful gladiators," Ryan fist bumped Zack. "And we'll show those damn elves what humans can do!

----------------------------------------

Ryan didn't manage to sleep so he was exhausted as he sat cross-legged in the Keep's gladiator training yard. The first thing Countess Gladine tasked them with was six hours of meditation.

All of the gladiators sat cross-legged across half of the grassy floor of the training yard. Unlike back in their quarters, Countess Gladine didn't even have the soldier lock Slave Cuffs around one wrist. Their wrists and ankles were wholly free from their burden. But their freedom was still heavily limited.

Cobbled walls nearly as tall as the keep itself rose around the edges of the training yard. It seemed to be at the edge of the keep, so on top of the northern wall were the keep's battlements. Soldiers, who wore much less fancy and more utilitarian looking armour, patrolled the walls, bows in hand, quivers strapped to backs, and eyes darting around whatever was beyond it.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

And the more extravagant and pompous looking soldiers stood at attention around the edges of the training yard, most of them concentrating around the archway that acted at the entrance and exit to the training yard.

Whilst it was Ryan's first time in the open air, he wasn't much further towards freedom. But towards becoming the powerful gladiator he sought to become, he was. Because Cameron and Zack sat on both sides of Ryan, both instructed by Countess Gladine to teach him how to use his Blood Skill. Well, whilst Zack was instructed to, he didn't help at all. He was focused on using his own Blood Skill. Cameron was much more helpful.

"Just like with Items and Skills," Cameron said. "The way Blood Skills are activated is via chanting an incantation."

Ryan stared at his stat screen, but specifically at his Blood Skill called Infernal Meditation. Another blue box containing the details of it popped up in front of his stat screen.

Skill Name Infernal Meditation Effect (Activation)

To activate this skill you need to sit down with crossed legs, have your palms pressed together, and chant the following incantation, 'Haimartia mouhi caughlli thata. Deta specationni mouhi thi thata keppa.'

By activating this skill, you experience the sensation of intense burning all over your body that will double in severity every six hours (severity resets every 24 hours), but will also receive +6XP per hour (XP increase rises each level).

If you uncross your legs, or pull your palms away from each other, then the skill will deactivate and you will have to activate it again after the 10 second cooldown.

"My Blood Skill is called Inf-"

"-ernal Meditation." Cameron interrupted.

Ryan was confused. Did he have a Skill that allowed him to fully see someone's stat screen? "How did you know?" Ryan asked.

"There are two ways you can fully reveal someone's stat screen," Cameron said. He flicked up his index finger. "You can use what is called an Inspection Skill, or…" He flicked up his middle finger. "...you can be ten levels above them."

Ryan nodded. Levels were even more important than he initially thought. Not only did they have higher stats, but had the advantage of information.

"But anyway, your Blood Skill is actually pretty good."

"For him it isn't." Someone said to Ryan's left. He turned to see that it was Zack. He stared at him, gazing across his stat screen. "He'd be much better off with the Lily Meditation."

Ryan narrowed his eyes at Zack, wondering what he meant by that. Why would his Infernal Meditation be bad?

"That one only gives you 4 XP every five hours," Cameron said.

"Five hours of 4 XP every day is better than 6XP per week," Zack said.

"Why would Ryan only meditate once a week?"

"Look at him!" Zack chuckled, gesturing towards Ryan. "D'you think he even knows what pain is?"

It all finally clicked and Ryan understood what Zack was talking about. Whilst the Infernal Meditation skill provided a lot more XP per hour than other meditation skills, or at least the Lily Meditation skill, the downside was that it also inflicted masses of pain upon the System Herald. Cameron seemed to believe that Ryan would be able to push through the pain, but Zack wasn't as optimistic. Or atleast, pretended to not have hope to anger Ryan into defying his expectations.

"Well," Cameron said, turning to Ryan. "D'you think you can do it?"

Ryan sighed. If the name Infernal Meditation was accurate, then the burning sensation should be equal to the sensation of a flame burning his skin. To be doing that for six whole hours would be excruciating. Especially if he was to push through it for fifty minutes, but then pulls his palms away from each other in a desperate grasp for a reprieve from the agony, causing him to lose out on the 6XP and have to go through another hour of meditation. Then he'd have to experience double the pain if he wanted to go beyond six hours. It was a promising skill that also filled him with dread.

"Of course he can't," Zack said, glaring down at Ryan. "His best chance is to hope he gets lucky in the Continent of Mana by finding a special item that'll level him up fast."

"There's no need for luck," Cameron said. He turned to Ryan and smiled. "Even if you can't do it for six hours, one hour is enough. Me and Zack have the Thorn Meditation skill."

"I assume that inflicts pain upon you as well, right?" Ryan asked.

"Yes, but at a much lower intensity than your Infernal Meditation. Which is reflected in the lower XP gain, because it only gives 3 XP per hour."

Zack shrugged. "It still hurts quite a bit," he said. "You have it easy, Ryan."

Cameron chuckled. "What're you talking about? Of course he doesn't. Most have the Lily Meditation or the Thorn Meditation. Ryan's the only one with the Inferno Meditation." He turned to Ryan. "If you can't last the entire six hours, that's ok. Just try your best."

"Winning and losing is all that matters," Zack said, turning away from the two of them and pressing his palms together again to meditate. Except, he deliberately pushed his pinky fingers away from each other. Was that a specific requirement of the Thorn Meditation Skill? "Trying doesn't get you anything but a pat on the back. Either do the whole five hours, or ask Countess Gladine to make you into a household slave."

Cameron sighed and shook his head. "Just go back to meditating," he said. "You're really not helping."

"Just telling him the truth." Zack closed his eyes and he appeared to focus once again on his meditation.

Cameron turned to Ryan. "So do you understand how to do it now?" He asked. "Your system screen will pop up and notify you when an hour's up."

Ryan nodded.

"Just ask if you need anything." Cameron pressed his palms together and pushed his pinky fingers away from each other. "I need to get back to meditating myself. Just remember to go slow and steady. Don't push yourself too hard and burn yourself out," he said that last part with a smirk and a wink.

Ryan snorted. What a terrible pun. "I'll try my best."

"You got this."

Ryan appreciated Cameron's sentiment, but Zack was correct. He had no intention to pat himself on the back with trying his best nonsense. All that mattered was success or failure. It wasn't like the meditation was actually gonna burn his skin, so this was a great opportunity to surpass his limits. It was a great opportunity to destroy and abandon his attachments. His attachment to comfort. His attachment to momentary happiness. He'd need to in a world with such an extreme abundance of discomfort unlike his previous life. He needed to adapt.

As Ryan crossed his legs, slammed his palms together, and tried to remember the incantation, his mind was focused on winning. A thrill and thirst for success was the only feeling that wafted through his body, overriding his dread of the incoming pain.

"Haimartia mouhi caughlli thata," Ryan chanted. His heart rattled at the thought of the pain he was about to endure, but visions of himself standing tall and mighty in a coliseum spread a smile on his face. No matter what, Ryan was gonna go for the entire six hours. If he couldn't do it on that day, then he'd try again the next day. And then the next. Until eventually, he could do the whole six hours and levelled up faster than anyone. That would be the only way he could win the gladiator tournament. There was no room for trying in his mind. There was only room for success or failure. "Deta specationni mouhi thi thata keppa!"

Ryan grimaced. His body shook. His knees rattled against the ground. His feet squirmed. He ground his teeth together.

He was in Hell.

The skin scraping sensation of searing flames blazed all over his body. It smothered every inch of it. Even the junk down below.

It only took what felt like thirty seconds for sweat to stampede across his body, drenching his rags.

After what felt like a minute, it felt like he took a shower in the devil's bathroom. He thought the pain would get better. But it only got worse as time went on.

Ryan felt the unconquerable urge to scream but he kept his mouth clenched shut. The soldiers would never let him meditate if it resulted in him squealing the entire time. He needed to learn to face this pain whilst keeping it quiet. And there was no need to shout. He wasn't in danger. Nothing was actually burning him.

But he certainly felt like it. When he'd close his eyes the pain only felt worse. The burning sensation only felt more real. He could see the flames licking at his body, ripping skin, and blackening flesh when he'd have his eyes closed.

So he spread them wide and open, having them stare down at his hands, arms, and legs, reminding himself that the feeling was just a feeling, his body wasn't getting ravaged by flames. He repeated it to himself over and over again.

After what felt like an hour, he started to embrace the pain and get used to it. It certainly didn't hurt any less, but he wriggled less. The initial shock of how it felt to be burned faded away. Now it was just a matter of waiting for the notification.

Which he should've gotten by now considering how long it felt, but feelings and instinct aren't the most accurate of measures of time so he really shouldn't have been surprised to be wrong. He just wished his feelings were right for once. He needed this to be over immediately.

His face ached from how long he grimaced. Stinging pangs surged through his mouth from how much he ground them together. His heart rattled his sternum, worried about the prospect of having to repeat this for another hour if he pulled his hands apart, but also excited by the prospect of his having this done.

What felt like an hour later, his fingers squirmed, begging him to pull his hands apart. How could the notification not have popped up yet? Could he really do this four more times? Could he really do this every day of his life?

It's not like this was all the training he was gonna do that day either. He had skill learning and sparring after this. Could he really afford to expend so much willpower on meditating like this? Should he pull his hands away from each other and ask Cameron if there was another way of getting levels? Why not just spend his time killing magical beasts? Yeah, that'd be a better option. Pulling his palms away from each other; such a small, easy, and quick action to get rid of such large, hard, and long-lasting agony.

No.

Ryan bit down harder and tightened his grimace. He wasn't gonna give up. There was no other way of getting stronger. Like Zack said, he had it easy. Whilst this was painful, he had a major opportunity here. If he could suck up the pain he could become strong. He could become stronger than all of them. With it, he had a chance of qualifying for the tournament. Maybe even a tiny chance of winning it. There were no valid excuses to allow him to give up.

So he kept going.

His eyes stung. His eyelids fluttered. It was so painful. Whilst the pain didn't shock him anymore, that didn't matter. It felt like he was getting tortured to death. But he wasn't dying. His body wasn't getting damaged. It was just a feeling. If he couldn't conquer this then there was no hope of him becoming a powerful gladiator.

So he kept going. He didn't give up.

And then finally…

… two blue boxes popped up in front of him.

Congratulations! You have performed the Infernal Meditation Skill for 1 hour!

Reward 6XP