Atreo stirred, feeling as if he could take his last breath at any moment. Pain pulsed through every inch of his body, and the very act of opening his eyes seemed beyond his control. A feeble groan escaped him, only to be met by a gentle touch.

"Quiet," the stranger whispered gently. "Don't let them know you're awake."

The touch radiated warmth, easing his discomfort and coaxing him back into unconsciousness.

After what felt like an eternity, Atreo regained awareness, cautiously opening his left eye. His body still ached, but it was far less than the initial agony he remembered. He stayed silent, recalling the stranger's advice. Confined within a metallic structure reminiscent of a kennel back on Earth, he took in his surroundings. Tilting his head, he glimpsed an empty cage nearby, with remnants of clothing hinting at recent occupancy. The area was shrouded in darkness, with only distant torchlight providing any illumination.

The air was thick with the smell of damp stone and decay, suggesting the age and neglect of the place. The occasional drip of water echoed in the distance, accompanied by the rustling of unseen creatures. Shadows danced on the walls, cast by the flickering torchlight, adding to the oppressive atmosphere. The cold metal bars pressed against his skin, a stark reminder of his captivity.

As he absorbed the grim environment, a surge of curiosity and determination spurred him to check his status. Intrigued by the recent events and his own condition, Atreo mentally accessed his character sheet. A notification blazed in bright yellow, accompanied by a sound like distant applause.

A surge of energy coursed through Atreo's body, heightening his senses and vibrating his muscles with newfound strength. He took a deep breath, feeling the power settle into every fiber of his being. His mind buzzed as that familiar, ethereal voice resonated within him.

“Level-up!”

The words echoed in his head, followed by a strange sensation of awareness. His vision sharpened, and an invisible menu of his attributes appeared before him, glowing softly.

* Dexterity: 1

* Strength: 1

* Intelligence: 1

* Luck: 2

* Will: 1

* Constitution: 1

He blinked, noticing the faint shimmer around his luck stat, now showing a value of 2. His thoughts drifted back to the intense battle with the half-giant, recalling the lucky discovery of the sword lying just within his reach.

Atreo stared at the glowing menu, the five points hovering before him like a puzzle with too few pieces. His eyes darted between the six categories, knowing he couldn't balance them all. His hand hovered over the "Constitution" option, the throbbing pain in his ribs a harsh reminder of his vulnerability.

Grateful for the boost in luck, he contemplated the inherent difficulties of leveling up in typical games. Lower levels were always easier to obtain than later ones. The fact that he’d increased his luck naturally gave him pause.

As a notion took root in his mind, a surge of pain in his ribs prompted him to allocate two points to constitution. Witnessing his health bar double and then some, he wished in vain that those points would’ve restored some of his lost health, considering he had 25 out of 310 health remaining.

He decided to reserve his remaining three points for later, intending to learn more about the enigmatic world he found himself in. Not but a moment later, he succumbed to the soothing embrace of unconsciousness once more.

A hushed voice whispered in his ear, rousing him from unconsciousness. A light fog permeated the surroundings, suggesting morning, but Atreo could see the night sky above.

"Hey," a girl's voice murmured, "wake up."

Opening his eyes, he realized his health was about halfway restored. His ribs throbbed with pain, and the vision in his right eye remained blurry, but a renewed strength coursed through him.

In the dimness, Atreo discerned a woman with raven-black hair confined in the adjacent cage. She was roughly his age, if not younger, with streaks of white in her jet-black locks. As he focused, surprise and curiosity took hold. Her skin displayed two distinct hues — patches of a lighter shade juxtaposed with deeper olive tones.

Despite the evident bruises and grime, Atreo found himself captivated by her intricate features. Her eyes held a mixture of defiance and weariness, speaking volumes about her resilience. Her eyebrows furrowed as she noticed his stare, giving her face a striking intensity.

"Oh," she remarked, waving her hand exaggeratedly in front of him, "you must've suffered brain damage."

Atreo, still daydreaming slowly processed her words, which broke him out of his trance. Blurting out an apology, his cheeks began to flush with embarrassment.

"Where am I?" he asked, squinting to survey his surroundings.

"You're in a cage obviously," she replied simply, her voice tinged with resignation. "Same as me."

"No," Atreo insisted, emphasizing his words with a sweeping gesture. "Where exactly are we?"

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She sighed. "We're in a hamlet named Hellholm, seemingly in the middle of nowhere."

"And were in cages? Sick.” responded Atreo.

“Yup” she responded.

"What’s your name?" Atreo inquired, eyeing the nearby structures, comprised of modest brick and wood homes.

"Kore," she replied, offering a fleeting smile. However, as she smiled, Atreo caught a glimpse of her damaged teeth, stained with blood and grime, sending a shiver down his spine.

Immediately concerned, he asked, "What happened to you?"

Kore noticed his gaze and quickly closed her mouth, looking away.

“Nothing,” she said. But her subsequent action, spitting a stream of blood and wiping her mouth with her tattered shirt, spoke volumes.

Realizing his potential intrusion, Atreo retreated, murmuring an earnest apology. She met his gaze briefly, offering a slight nod in acknowledgment.

Taking in his surroundings, Atreo discerned they were in a courtyard of sorts. Ahead, about 200 meters away, stood homes constructed from dark stone, evoking a medieval aura. To the east, Kore remained confined, while behind her loomed an impenetrable brick wall. Slowly pivoting to the west, Atreo observed another towering wall, hinting at the hamlet's confinement. The pervasive stench hinted at neglect, a stark reminder of the grim reality they both faced.

Kore finally turned and looked back at Atreo.

“How are you feeling?” she said, Looking him over.

“I won’t lie to you, I feel worse than I’ve ever felt in my life”.

“How long was I out for?” he continued.

“It was around 30ish hours,” replied Kore.

“Somehow, I’ve managed to heal 4 broken ribs, almost fully repair a damaged eye, and overcame a blood toxin?” Said Atreo raising his eyebrow at Kore questioningly. “I'm not a medic or anything, but that seems a bit off.”

Kore looked at him for a moment before speaking up again.

"I healed you," she said quietly. "The others don't know exactly what I can do, but it's how I've survived this long. My parents were healers too. They always helped others, but until today, I’ve only used my power to keep myself alive... for reasons I don’t even fully understand.” She paused. “After everything I've been through, I should have given up long ago, but I can’t.” Her words trailed off, eyes distant and haunted.

Atreo released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "I'm grateful you took the risk, even for someone you don't know. You’ve probably saved my life... again this week. It's strangely comforting."

Kore’s eyebrows knitted together. “Again? What do you mean, again?”

Atreo recounted his story, detailing events up until the moment they had met. Kore listened intently, her eyes never leaving his. There was a primal glint in her eyes, a hunger for understanding that made him stumble over his words more than once.

As he finished, silence settled between them. Kore’s expression softened slightly, though a flicker of skepticism remained.

"You know, if what you're saying is true, it means you're straight out of a fairytale."

"What do you mean?" inquired Atreo.

"Well," she explained, "I've been a captive for about ten years now, but before that, my parents shared stories about outsiders coming from a place called Earth, where there was no magic or monsters. Millions, if not billions, of people lived together in near harmony. I always thought they were making it up, but your presence here proves they were telling the truth.”

"I don't know about near harmony," Atreo added, "Most people didn't even get along with their neighbors, but the rest of what you said is correct. Earth is real."

Atreo noticed a man leaving one of the houses and walking toward them. Kore followed his gaze and whispered, "Quiet." Atreo tensed, the pain in his ribs momentarily forgotten as adrenaline surged through his veins. Kore’s eyes flickered with fear, but her posture remained defiant. She leaned against the bars, her body language a carefully crafted mask of vulnerability.

As the man moved into closer range Atreo made note of the greasy grime that covered him. It reminded him of a slug from back home and for the briefest of moments he wished he had a pile of salt to throw on him.

the man's once-off-blue pants had faded to brown due to caked dirt and grime.

His disheveled hair, possibly blonde at some point, added to the unkempt appearance. As he neared the cages, he spat a chunky glob of viscous yellow saliva towards Kore.

“Well, looky here, our resident hero has finally woken up,” he said winking at Atreo. “I'll make sure to let the boss know after i’m finished with this slut here.” Atreo felt a simmering anger. Though he had learned not to be swayed by mere words, this man was already pissing him off. There was no fucking way he was going to sit here if what he thought was happening to Kore might actually be real.

“Back up” the man said to Kore kicking her cage like some sort of beast causing her to react in kind. Her eyes had gone wild like a cornered animal. She hissed through her broken teeth. This girl was something entirely different than the one Atreo had previously talked to.

The man unlocked Kore's cage and reached in to grab her. Which is when Atreo made his move. Being just close enough he shot his arm through a gap in the metal grill and got a hold of the man's shirt ripping it further. With the man off balance due to his arm reaching into Kore's he stumbled in a little further giving Kore exactly the opportunity she needed.

Kore lunged for the man's hand, swiftly seized two of his extended fingers and snapped them with incredible speed. At the same time, she simultaneously sank her jagged teeth into his wrist, piercing his radial artery. Blood spurted out like a majestic hot spring, yet Kore wasn't finished. She climbed his arm like a spider and dug her long nails deeply into the side of his face leaving bloody gashes.

The man caught himself with his other arm and fought to pull away. Even though Kore was determined to cannibalize the man, years of starvation had left her weak and frail. The man, No longer surprised, regained his balance and used his uninjured hand to slam Kore’s head against the metal frame of her cage once, twice, three times. The meaty thud turned into a sticky sucking sound as her head tried impossibly to form around the bars.

Stunned by the wild violence, Atreo tried with every ounce of his strength to reach the man, to reach Kore, to help her. But it was to no avail. He could only watch as the man kicked Kore back into her cage and slammed the metal frame.

Atreo’s heart pounded in his chest, a mix of fury and helplessness overwhelming him. The metallic clang of the cage door echoed in his ears, a harsh reminder of his own captivity

“Fucking bitch” he said screaming, cradling his right hand and wrist.

“And you,” he said, looking at Atreo. Even through the blood continued spurting from the man's wrist, he still grasped the lock to Atreo’s Cage, fitting his key in to open it.

Atreo’s cage popped open and Atreo immediately tried to force his way out, but the man was too strong. He slammed the cage right back onto Atreo’s face before opening it fully and dragging Atreo out by his leg. Atreo landed a kick on the man's good wrist which caused him to drop his leg for just a moment. However, it was short lived because a boot immediately slammed into Atreo’s face causing his almost healed eye to burst with fresh pain.

Atreo felt another kick to the face and then the boot rested on his throat stripping him of breath.

"Yeah, you piece of shit," the man sneered. "Who's the hero now?"

Atreo struggled to remove the man’s boot from his throat, but it felt impossible. The leverage the man had and sheer difference in their strength left him as helpless as he’d been when he tried to save Kore.

“This’ll teach you,” said the man, as he unzipped his pants and let loose a stream of dark urine all over Atreo’s bleeding face, spelling out his initials like a boy in the snow.