"Zyfir, watch out above you!"

Diana shouted to Zyfir as she drew an arrow from her quiver and quickly positioned it on her bow. Upon hearing Diana's shout, Zyfir quickly looked up and saw that among the leaves of the tall tree, there was a snake with the same coloration as the tree, with the only noticeable feature being the snake's shiny, sharp yellow eyes.

"But what is--"

When the snake saw its prey staring at it, it quickly, not wanting to miss the chance for a surprise and extremely fast strike, opened its mouth wide enough to fit a human head inside, and leaped towards the boy immediately. However, just before its mouth could reach him, at the last moment, its prey managed to jump away.

Before it could attack again the boy who was lying on the ground beside him, an arrow came flying towards it at full speed and struck its eye. Feeling tremendous pain from the arrow and enraged for losing an eye to what it considered a mere prey, the snake began thrashing and lunged towards the archer at full speed, but just as it was about to bite her, a mallet struck its head squarely.

Dazed after taking a tremendously strong blow to the head, the snake tried to attack its new enemy, but when it turned its head, all it saw was a series of afterimages of a dagger piercing its remaining eye.

Now, blinded in both eyes, the once fearsome snake became merely a large prey. Unable to see and completely disoriented, it didn't take long for it to die amidst the onslaught of arrows and blows from mallets and daggers raining down on its huge body.

"Great, another core for us, Zyfir, get up quickly and store it for us."

Falmos said as he removed his mallet from the skull of the enormous snake.

"Y-yes sir, I'm going."

Zyfir quickly regained his composure and began searching for the crystal called a core inside the beast his group had just defeated, a task that wasn't easy, as the snake's body was about seven meters long, and after so many blows, the beast's body was completely destroyed, which made his work quite difficult. Three minutes after starting to search for the beast's core, Zyfir managed to find it and immediately stored it in the large bag he carried on his back.

"Feeling better now, Zyfir? Did you get hurt anywhere?"

Rafael asked Zyfir, who was currently covered in the blood of the snake their group had killed.

"Yes, leader, I was just a little scared, but I'm fine and ready for more!"

"Haha, excellent, kid, that's the spirit. Not bad for your first day of work in the forest."

The group of four settled in the area for a while to have a quick meal and organize themselves to delve even deeper into the forest.

"All right, everyone, I think we've rested enough. Now pack up your things and let's go; the smell of blood will soon attract even stronger beasts, and we don't want to get into trouble. Besides, we still have a whole week of hunting ahead of us."

Determined that everyone had rested enough and also not to put themselves at risk, Rafael ordered them to leave promptly. So, everyone got ready and quickly left the place, venturing further into the forest.

Currently, Zyfir and his group were in the Serpent's Grove, a low-risk area located within the outer region of the famous and gigantic Dawn Forest, a forest so vast that it made even the great Empire of Horus where Zyfir lived seem very small in comparison. In some records, it was said that there were several races living within the forest, and that there, beasts large enough to blot out the sunlight rested in their millennia-long slumber.

...

"I think here is a safe and good enough place; let's settle down and rest for today."

Rafael ordered his group, who seemed very tired, and immediately everyone started putting their luggage on the ground and setting up their tents.

"Today was a very productive day; I think I'm starting to get the hang of it."

While setting up his tent, Zyfir thought about how his first day of hunting outside the walls of the Empire of Horus had gone.

"I'm definitely going to be very strong and famous one day, and I'm going to stop this tide of beasts and make sure no one ever suffers from it again!"

"Hey, kid, stop daydreaming and bring that baggage over here; I want to see what we earned today."

Diana called out to the boy who was packing his things while seeming lost in thought and wearing a silly smile on his face, daydreaming about a future of glory.

"Yes, ma'am, I'll bring the things right away."

Awakening from his reverie after Diana's shout, he picked up the huge backpack he had been carrying all day and placed it in the middle of the camp, near the fire that Falmos was lighting.

"Put it there, and now turn it upside down; let's see what we got today."

Following Diana's order, the boy began to take out everything they had acquired and placed it neatly on the ground while Falmos and Rafael gathered on the makeshift wooden benches around the fire.

Rafael began to assess what they had hunted and found it to be a satisfactory harvest for a first day of hunting.

"Three cores from low-level beasts, one core from an intermediate-level beast, all of rank 2, and some rare herbs, as well as valuable parts of the beasts we hunted, not a bad start."

The power of beasts was assessed through ranks, with rank 1 being low or no spiritual power, and rank 2 being those with considerable spiritual power. Within their ranks, beasts were further divided into levels of strength, being low, intermediate, high, and superior. The higher the level of power of the beasts, the more magical power their core would possess, and the more powerful their body would be, making them more valuable.

Falmos and Diana agreed with Rafael's opinion and found the first day satisfactory.

"All these things should be worth about 70 silver coins, not bad."

Seeing this sum of money on the ground, Zyfir was shocked, as for him or any common peasant, 5 silver coins were a lot, but for adventurers, this was just a fraction of a single day's hunt.

"70 silver coins in a day, this is more than double what we needed for an entire month... being an adventurer is so cool..."

"Hey, Zyfir, wake up, what are you doing?"

"O-oh, hi, leader, sorry, I got lost in thought for a bit. It's just that this is so much money that I'm impressed."

Zyfir replied to his leader's call, embarrassed for being so impressed by something simple and silly like that. He lowered his head and began to roast his meat to eat, while the other members of the group, after finishing organizing their things, did the same.

When everyone finished eating, they talked a little more until Zyfir decided it was time to go to bed.

"I'm still quite nervous, but tomorrow is a new day with much more to learn, so I'll rest very well tonight to not hinder my team!"

These were Zyfir's last thoughts before falling asleep in his tent.

About an hour after Zyfir went to sleep, the three members who

were still awake began to talk among themselves.

"Hey, Rafael, should we do it today, or should we wait a little longer?"

"Yes, boss, I can't stand thinking about the amount we're going to get from this kid; let's do it now!"

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Yes, Diana and Falmos, I understand you, but it's not the right time yet. He still doesn't fully trust us, and if he tried to escape or fight back, we'll end up losing or damaging a valuable commodity. It's better to wait a little longer to make sure; we've done this several times before, and in the end, it always worked out..."

As they listened to their boss speak, Diana and Falmos became less anxious and decided to wait a little longer to ensure their plan would succeed. Some time after discussing the details of their plans for Zyfir, the three also went to sleep to prepare for the rest of the week.

...

"Hey, Zyfir, here's another core; come get it!"

"Yes, Miss Diana, I'm coming!"

"Here with me is a beast core too, Zyfir, come get it."

"I'm coming, Mr. Falmos, I'll just store this one first."

"Haha, you're doing great, Zyfir, keep it up."

"Yes, Mr. Rafael, I'll keep trying my best!"

It had been six days since Zyfir joined Rafael's group as an adventurer, and although he found it very tiring to carry a huge bag full of loot on his back, the weight coming from the spoils of their hunts, the boy was enjoying the fact that he was now an adventurer, even if it wasn't official. Still, it filled him with pride.

"Here's your food, Mr. Rafael, and here beside me is the food for Mr. Falmos and Miss Diana."

"Haha, Zyfir, I made the right decision inviting you to our group; you definitely have a bright future as an adventurer ahead of you."

"Do you really think so? Thank you very much, Mr. Rafael!"

After a long and tiring day of hunting, battles, and collecting, the group sat around a campfire during the night, chatting while eating and resting. And the boy, despite trying, couldn't hide the evident smile forming on his face after receiving compliments from his team leader.

"So, Zyfir, how do you feel now that you've been adventuring with us for almost a week?"

"I'm really enjoying being an adventurer, Mr. Rafael; it's very cool to be able to see what the world is like outside the city walls."

"Yes, we agree; being an adventurer can be a bit tough, but these moments of freedom and peace make up for the rest, not to mention the money we earn, haha."

Zyfir, despite having lived his whole life in a village and sometimes traveling to cities with his family, enjoyed being free from the shackles of society for a while and having his moment alone with nature. After all, Zyfir was still a fifteen-year-old teenager, brimming with energy and thirsty for adventure and fun.

Even with the great and sad tragedy he had suffered, losing his parents and friends, the poor boy never lost his always lively and grand spirit of fighting and adventure.

"What will I do with my first payment? I think I'll buy a lot of delicious food and some clothes; these ones I have are filthy."

Lost in thoughts about his first payment and thinking about the adventure he had lived so far, he didn't even notice time passing, and when he came out of his reverie, it was already late at night.

"Uaaah, I think it's time for us to rest, especially you, Zyfir; there's still a lot of work to do tomorrow."

"Yes, leader, I agree; it's past time to rest, but I can't help but feel excited about tomorrow..."

"Haha, relax, kid, we've all been through that. We understand you. You can go rest assured that tomorrow will be a great day."

"Yes, you're right! Tomorrow is going to be a very important day for me!"

Being late at night, Rafael encouraged his group to go rest to have the most productive last day of work possible.

After hearing their leader, all the members of the group grabbed their sleeping bags and went to bed to recover their energy and wounds for the next day.

"Tomorrow is going to be a big day for me; I'm so excited and happy!!"

Having a quick happy and expectant thought for the next day, Zyfir rested with a smile on his face, awaiting the day ahead.

............

In the silence of the early morning, while Zyfir slept, Rafael, Diana, and Falmos discussed the plan they had devised for the gentle and innocent boy who had always trusted them.

"Hey Rafael, do you think the boy will wake up?" Diana whispered to Rafael.

"And what if he tries to escape or fight back? It would be a shame to lose such a quality commodity like him," Falmos whispered as well, so as not to awaken Zyfir.

"Relax, he won't wake up anytime soon. While he was distracted talking to you guys, I put a good amount of sedative and paralyzing poison in his food. I guarantee he won't wake up for at least a day, and even if he does, he won't have the strength to escape from us with all that poison in his body," Rafael said to reassure his companions, as he also wouldn't want to lose his merchandise or have to lower its value.

"You're still as cunning as ever, Rafael. Now let's take the boy to our client already; that fat bastard hates waiting," Diana urged Rafael, as she, like him and Falmos, was eager for the money they would earn from selling the boy.

"Yes, you're right. We should be quick before the effects of the poison start to wear off. Falmos, carry the boy, and let's go. We must finish everything tonight," Rafael instructed.

"Understood, let's go."

And so, the three treacherous adventurers took the sleeping and innocent Zyfir to a dark alley on the outskirts of the great Bassim, where a fat, bald man awaited them with his hands on his large belly, draped in a luxurious cloak.

"You've come again, huh, hehehe. And it looks like you brought a new commodity today," the fat, bald man said to the group of three in front of him.

"Yes, Mr. Carvalho, here's the boy we promised you. He's in perfect condition, and we guarantee he's very hardworking. He's definitely of excellent quality," Rafael said.

"I trust you, Rafael, after all, we've done this a few times before. But still, I'll check for assurance. Hey, servant, bring the boy here for me to evaluate," Carvalho said to the burly servant behind him, pointing to the unconscious boy on the ground.

After his servant brought the boy closer, Mr. Carvalho, a skilled slave trader, began to assess the boy's body thoroughly.

"Hm, yes yes, excellent dental arch, great arms too—neither muscular nor skinny, extremely proportional just like his legs...hmm, about 1.65 meters tall and 54 kilograms, not bad," Mr. Carvalho commented.

"Moreover, he has a superior appearance compared to the rest, black hair and eyes, and a good facial and bone structure. Truly, an excellent slave. I'll give you 40 gold coins for this boy," he concluded.

Hearing the offered amount, the three members, who were extremely eager and practically drooling, were clearly very happy and couldn't help but internally laugh, as 40 gold coins were a great value for a simple common slave who wasn't even a One-Star Mortal Warrior.

"Yes, sir, excellent. We're very happy with that and hope you enjoy your new slave," Rafael said, reaching out to grab the bag of coins tossed in his direction.

"You can count on it; I'll make good use of this slave. Now, farewell, and I hope to see you again someday," Carvalho bid farewell to the group and disappeared into the dark alley, along with Zyfir, who was being carried by the burly servant.

...

"Hmmm....hm...uaaaahhh, good morning, Mr. Rafael, good morning to—"

"What?! What the hell is this? What the hell is going on?"

When he woke up, Zyfir was extremely startled and perplexed by what he saw. He was lying on a dirty cloth that seemed to serve as some kind of bed, and as he looked around, he realized he was in a huge stone room with many other beds like his.

Without even having time to process the situation he was in, he heard a man shout at him.

"HEY, YOU LAZY IDIOT!"

"It's time to get up, don't you think?"

Still confused and completely unaware of the situation, Zyfir turned his head and looked at the man shouting at him. By his side stood a large man with a mug of drink in his hand and a huge scar on his left cheek—Giggs, one of the guards responsible for watching over the slaves.

Zyfir looked at the man, bewildered and at a loss for words in the strange situation, simply staring at him for a few moments as if he had seen a ghost.

--Who the hell is this guy? Where did I end up?

--Where are Rafael, Diana, and Falmos?

--Did I die, and is this the afterlife? But it's so dirty and ugly here; maybe I've ended up in the hell the Radiant Church talks about so much?

--Or is this all a dream?

Seeing the idiotic look the slave in front of him was making while staring at him, Giggs thought the slave was mocking him, especially considering the significant scar on his face.

So, being a complete neurotic and extremely explosive, and being drunk as always, Giggs couldn't contain himself and punched the boy in the stomach, who had no idea what was going on.

*THUD*

"THERE, YOU IDIOT SLAVE!!"

"Enjoy that, huh, you retard?"

Having taken this completely unexpected blow and feeling a growing pain throughout his body, Zyfir was thrown about five meters backward. When he managed to stabilize himself after being thrown, Zyfir vomited a large handful of blood, along with everything he had eaten on the day he was simply camping with his companions.

"Ugh, what the hell is this, what happened?"

After taking the blow and feeling a growing agony that ran through his entire body, Zyfir seemed to wake up from his reverie. In extreme agony from the pain he felt, he turned his head up and asked the extremely irritated man who was staring at him.

"I'm sorry if I did something wrong, sir, but what is all this? I don't understand anything."

Seeing the pathetic state of the slave in front of him, Giggs felt that he had done enough to alleviate his anger. So, he decided to explain to the boy the situation he was currently in.

"You idiot, it seems like you don't even know how you ended up here HAHAHA," Giggs said mockingly while laughing at the slave.

"Your situation is quite simple, you little piece of crap. You were bought by Mr. Carvalho, and now you're his slave. So from now on, you'll do everything I tell you to do, when I tell you to do it, without a word of complaint," Giggs said.

"What the hell is this guy talking about?"

"But what about my companions? Rafael, Diana, and Falmos, where are they? What happened to them? What happened while I was asleep?" Zyfir obviously still didn't understand anything that was happening, as his last memories were simply about going to sleep to prepare for another day of hunting.

"Hahaha, this

is getting better and better; my stomach hurts," Giggs said, finding the whole situation very amusing, and laughed at the slave again.

"Rafael, Diana, and Falmos, right? Well, it seems they're still very good at what they do. Let me tell you something, kid, those three are nothing but dirty adventurers like many others; they simply deceive all kinds of people, play with them for a while, and then sell them to Mr. Carvalho."

"WHAT?! But we're a team, so how could this happen?"

"HAHAHA, really good. It seems like you were just another idiot target of theirs."

Giggs found the whole situation very amusing and laughed at the slave again.

"Now, GET A DAMN PICKAXE AND GO TO WORK!"

Saying this and seeing the pitiful and purely confused state he left the boy in, Giggs turned around and left the dormitory with a smile on his face.

"They deceived me...but I thought we were a team...I trusted them, I was good to them, I helped them, so why, tell me, oh god, why do I have to go through this suffering, tell me why all this..."

"I just wanted my home back, my family, I just wanted to be happy in peace..."

Lost in depressing thoughts, Zyfir cried like he did when he was a baby in his parents' arms.