Chapter 5

The carriage finally stopped after what felt like a few hours. It dipped a bit as someone stepped on.

The person grabbed onto Drakkel's arm and led him out of the carriage, carefully helping him down the steps and onto the ground.

The area Drakkel was in was colder than the one he had left and he could feel a chilling breeze blow in from his front.

Upon contact, his skin prickled and an involuntary shiver traveled through him.

The person aiding him in walking, led him in the direction that the draft was coming from. Then they let go of his arm and circled behind him.

When the blindfold was taken off, he found himself at the entrance to a mine.

The opening was large and held up by fortified wood.

When he looked to the side, he was finally able to see who it was that accompanied him. The one who was with him was an ordinary-looking man with common features.

Upon meeting his gaze, the man said, “The job is here. I will lead you to the manager.”

Drakkel looked at the large entrance skeptically. “But where are we and shouldn't the chains be removed?”

A corner of the man’s lips turned down a little. “All questions will be answered when you reach the mining manager. If you have any additional questions, you can ask after you talk to him.”

The shift from walking outside to inside was like night and day. The temperature dropped a few degrees and the light of the setting sun was replaced by a stifling darkness. The path was lit only by small candlelights that shone from the cave walls through hanging lamps.

As Drakkel traveled deeper and deeper in, the path began to angle downwards and the temperature grew even colder, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

He found it strange as normal mines radiated heat. Normally the deeper one went, the warmer it got.

However, When he spotted the small opening that led to a bright area and stepped through it, the reason for this became clear.

The area he was in was tall and open. Unlike the brown rocky entrance, the rocks here shone a silver blue hue. With them exuding a chilling cold, this mine could only exist to harvest one thing.

Young women and men bustled about, carrying crates and baskets full of the silvery bluish rocks. Their heads hung in despair and the area of their skin under their eyes took up blue and purple colors, making them all appear much older than their actual ages.

Their clothes were shabby and torn and for many, they hung loosely on their frames as if they were made for someone several times their size.

Cloaked figures stood at certain points around the mine, either ordering the men and women around or standing silently, watching their figures move through the mine. The man behind Drakkel took him to a small group of people who were overlooking the operation.

Once they arrived, the man bowed. “Good evening, Mine manager, The lord has a new recruit for you.”

A tall and large man who towered over everyone, gazed down at him.

After a few seconds, he smirked. “Ahh! A new recruit? We haven’t had one in quite a while! It’s been difficult to keep up with the orders since we keep losing people. Hopefully this is a sign that the Lord will be getting us some more soon.”

The man behind Drakkel nodded. “Then I'll be leaving him here with you.”

The large man waved him away with a motion of his hand.

Once he left, the mine manager looked at Drakkel with a hint of slight annoyance, “I don't care who you are. All I care about is whether you know the rules. They are as follows: don't speak to higher ups unless they request you to speak, don't look for trouble unless you want it to come find you, and I make the rules. If you don’t obey me, you’ll receive any punishment that I dictate.”

The man paused to make sure Drakkel was listening. When he saw that someone was actually patiently listening to him talk, he couldn't help but feel a little happy. Most people by now would have been distracted But he still had to show this handsome man that he couldn't relax.

He continued. “Here, good looks mean nothing. Only those who work, eat. As for pay, we’ll discuss it later. Understand?”

Without saying a word, Drakkel nodded.

One corner of the mine manager's lips turned up a bit. “Good, you already know how to address your higher ups.”

The mine manager glanced at one of the three people that stood near him. “Kin, take this man to Cavern C.”

The man named Kim bowed his head to the mine manager and then gestured for Drakkel to follow him.

Drakkel did as commanded, following him through the dark cold caves. Once Drakkel thought they were out of earshot of the mine manager, he moved his wrists forward

“Sir. It will be hard to mine here with these chains on. Could I have them removed?”

The man shook his head. “Look around you. Everyone else has them on. Besides, the chains are on you for your convenience and safety. What if someone were to harm others because they have free use of their hands?”

Drakkel put on a fake smile. This wasn't what Rou said.

“You’re right sir. I’m sorry, I didn't think of that.”

The man nodded.

He probably thought Drakkel knew nothing, but naturally, he figured out the truth of the matter. The chains were there so no one could escape. They made this place seem like people were coming for a job, but they were more like servants or slaves than workers.

After a few minutes, Drakkel and Kin made it to cavern C. As Drakkel looked around, he saw more cloaked figures. And the more he saw, the more something felt off.

When they arrived in front of a wall which had mining tools stuffed in a cart near it, Kin said, “This is Cavern C. The place we just walked from is the mining pit. Connected to is the waste dump, sleeping quarters, and a small body of water where miners wash themselves.

When you’re done for the day, you can follow everyone else to find out exactly where these places are. Be careful with every step you take and don’t lag behind. We have people watching you at all times.”

Drakkel gave a nod.

Kin smiled, “You really are obedient. That’s a refreshing sight! Now, go ahead and begin. I’ll return to the mining manager.”

Drakkel went over to the cart to grab some mining tools as Kin left the scene. As he leaned down, he glanced around.

Suddenly, a cloaked figure shouted, “Keep your eyes on your work everyone!”

Drakkel heeded the warning and focused on mining.

But his body wasn’t strong nor used to this kind of work. After a couple of hours, his hands were nearly frozen.

He stopped mining to take a break, breathing into his hands to warm them. However, after a few seconds he heard the sound of something striking the air behind him.

The sound was like a firecracker going off, sharp and high pitched.

A man’s voice shouted from behind him, “Who said you could stop?”

He turned his head towards the direction the voice was coming from and spotted a tall gray-skinned man with a black marking on his forehead covered in a black hooded cloak. His look was akin to something Drakkel hadn’t seen in a long time- a demon.

His body stiffened and his muscles twitched, but he had to suppress his killing intent. He meekly answered, “Sorry, sir. I’ll get back to work.”

The demon shook his head. “Not without a punishment you won’t. How about we remind others of what happens when you take a break on the job?”

Drakkel dusted off his hands and stood up, turning his whole body around so he was directly facing the demon.

Because the demon wore a cloak similar to all the other figures, he suspected that the mine may have been full of demons. At his current level, he couldn't defeat them all, so if the demon decided to punish him he could only endure.

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Drakkel prepared for the punishment, clenching his fists and lowering his face, but it never came.

Someone suddenly approached him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, holding him close as if they were good friends.

The man had a handsome face with shoulder length dark brown hair and a relaxed countenance.

He smiled at the demon before saying, “Look sir. Sorry. My friend here is new and doesn’t know the rules yet. Do you think you can overlook his mistake?”

The demon raised an eyebrow.

The man let go of Drakkel, stepped forward and forced something into the demon’s free hand.

The demon’s hostile energy was subdued in a moment, his angry frown melting into a smile. As he eyed what was in his hands, he said, “I see. Yes, no problem. I’ll be nice today since he’s new. Finish your break and carry on.”

The man bowed his head and the demon walked away, returning to his post. With how happy he was, the man must have handed him some meteoric stones.

Meteoric stones weren't only used to create powerful swords, demons also fancied eating them to gain more power.

Once the demon seemed far enough away, Drakkel let out a sigh and slightly bowed his head to the uninvited yet welcome guest. “Thank you kind sir.”

“Sir is too formal for the likes of me.” The man said with a smile. ‘You can call me Ri’en.”

Drakkel nodded. “Alright Ri’en. Nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you as well.” Ri’en replied. “You're new here, right?”

Drakkel nodded. “I am. And I’ve been looking for some guidance. Do you think you can answer some questions to help me better manage my time here?”

“I can.” Ri’en said, putting his hand to his chin. “But I don't know how much it will help.”

“It's fine. Anything is appreciated.” Drakkel answered.

Ri’en nodded and Drakkel continued, “So, may I ask how long you’ve been working here?”

“I’ve been here for three years now.” Ri’en said.

Drakkel continued, “Then would you say you know a lot about this mine?”

Ri’en frowned. “Quite a bit, sadly. As I said, I've been working here for three years. Unfortunately, most people don’t survive that long. The only reason I have survived was because I learned so much about this place. Speaking of questions, Why are you asking so many?”

Drakkel hesitated for a moment, then answered, “I want to know as much as I can so I can make a living here and earn money for my family.”

Ri’en snorted. “A living? Here?” The corners of his mouth fell as he continued, “I can’t blame you for thinking that. We were all told the same. But the truth is, you won't be able to do that. In fact, you haven’t signed yourself up for a job, you’ve signed yourself up for slavery. We mine for meteoric stones here 12 hours a day. We get 8 hours of rest. Then the remainder of our time is reserved for bathing and eating. For each day of work, we get only one copper coin.”

Drakkel's eyes widened. “One copper coin? But that isn’t even enough to buy a loaf of bread!”

Ri’en nodded. “You understand then. We’ve all been tricked into working here. We left our children, parents and grandparents for the hope that we would find honest work. But by the time we realized that this wasn't what we were promised, it was already too late to leave.”

“Have any of you tried to escape?” Drakkel asked

Ri’en looked down at the ground and kicked a stone. “Some of us have. But those of us who tried were taken away, never to be seen again.”

Drakkel frowned. The situation in this town was worse than he realized. Why hadn't any of the Swords Clans tried to intervene?

“Thanks for answering my questions and thanks again for defending me, Ri’en.” He said.

“It isn't a problem. I’m just looking out for newcomers.” Ri’en answered. “And remember, If you need any more help, I'm here.”

Drakkel smiled and nodded.

Ri’en began to walk away, then he suddenly stopped and asked, “Also, what should I call you?”

“Drake is fine,” Drakkel answered.

“Nice to meet you, Drake,” Ri’en stated. I Hope this frozen hell doesn't kill you too soon.”

After saying this, he continued to walk away until he was out of Drakkel's sight.

Drakkel leaned down and began to pick at the rocks again, silently processing all that he had learned.

Time passed quickly and before he knew it, it was already time to eat.

After turning in what they found for the day, the miners tiredly walked to a long table with large pots that sat atop it and bowls that were dirty and chipped. As Drakkel waited in line, he further observed the state of those who stood around him.

Many wore woven sandals that seemed ready to fall off. Their hands were also red and bruised from picking at stone without proper protection. Their fingerprints were colored white and red- a sign that they were touching the cold stones for too long.

Drakkel counted himself lucky that he was able to circulate his sword energy though his body to keep himself warm during their breaks. He only wished the others could do the same.

When he got to the front of the line, he grabbed a bowl and a spoonful of gruel was plopped into it. When looking at others, he noticed that his was half the amount. He decided not to pursue the matter since he could survive off it, but someone from behind him wouldn't let it be.

“Hey! You should treat my friend more nicely! Look how frail he is! He needs more food than this!”

Drakkel sighed. He appreciated Ri’en for caring, but with him around he really couldn't lay low!

Ri'en’s voice grew louder as it approached him. Then he felt the familiar touch of an arm wrapping around his shoulders.

Soon, Ri’en's body appeared beside him. With his free hand he took the bowl out of Drakkel’s hands and held it out.

“My friend is frail and weak and he's done some work today. He should at least get as much food as everyone else. It isn't fair.”

Like other demons, the man had gray skin and a black marking on his forehead.

He answered irritatingly, “He just got here. He hasn't worked as much as everyone else. He’s lucky he even received half the amount.”

Drakkel could feel Ri’en's body shake and when he looked to the side, he saw that his mouth was forming a scowl. He felt like a fight was about to start and knew who would be harmed by the end of it.

He swiftly moved Ri’en's arm off his shoulders, grabbed the bowl from him and bowed his head to the demon distributing the food. “Thank you for your consideration sir. I’m grateful. Others really do need the food more than me. Also please forgive my friend for his outburst, he’s cranky because he couldn't find much meteoric stone today.”

The man’s angry countenance dropped as he gazed at Drakkel.

“Fine. Just make sure it doesn't happen again.”

Drakkel nodded.

After grabbing a bowl for Ri’en, he dragged him to the side.

When no one was around them, he whispered, “There’s no need to defend me like that. I’ll be fine with this amount of food.”

“But you’re so thin and weak, how will you handle the work while eating such tiny portions?”

Drakkel lied, “I was born poor, so these portions are what I usually eat. Don't worry about it anymore.”

“Fine,” Ri’en huffed.

They walked over to an open part of the cave and ate their food in silence.

While eating Drakkel noticed that Ri’en kept glancing his way.

When he finished his food, he asked, “Do I have something on my face?”

Ri’en shook his head. “No, I'm just wondering. You’re so handsome. Why are you working here instead of somewhere else? You could probably get a better job than this.”

Drakkel eyebrows knit together for a moment as the corners of his lips fell.

He sighed. “Sadly, I don't have many skills. I would also not like to lower myself to using my face and body to gain riches. You aren't a bad looking man yourself. Surely, you understand?”

Ri’en nodded.

When they finished, he took their bowls to the water barrel.

Afterwards, it was time to bathe.

The men and women went in separately.

To wash himself, Drakkel didn't undress. He only washed his face and hands.

Looking around, he saw that everyone else did the same. At most, they would remove their tops, but this wasn't surprising. Like the stones in the mine and the mine itself, the water was ice cold. Not many would be able to withstand the cold temperatures if they decided to wash their whole body.

With no warm place to wash themselves and inadequate food, it was no wonder it was hard to survive.

Drakkel exited the washing station with a heavy heart when Ri’en suddenly grabbed his wrist.

“I have the best sleeping spot in this place.” He said excitedly. “Let's go!”

Drakkel went along as he was dragged to a small opening located to the side of the pit. In it, several people were already settling into the nooks and crannies of the large space.

As Ri’en and Drakkel passed, they stared at them curiously. But, having their own things to worry about, their attention didn't hold. They averted their gazes and continued getting ready to sleep.

Ri'en took Drakkel to a spot located a bit higher than the others. They had to walk up a steep and thin incline to get to it.

When Drakkel reached the spot, he realized it was worth it. The ground was smooth and lacked the jagged edges of those below. Drakkel gratefully sat down and leaned his back against a wall.

Ri'en sat on the ground a small distance away from him. Before laying down, he said in a low voice, “What do you think? Not too bad, right?”

Drakkel nodded.

Ri’en returned his gesture with a smile before patting the ground and laying down to sleep.

Ri’en might have been able to sleep peacefully, but Drakkel could not. He was in unfamiliar territory full of hostile individuals and so had to keep himself alert.

Because of this, he decided not to sleep and instead opted to cultivate.

He surged up his sword energy and rotated it around his body. A vast field of grass and flowers extended around him.

He unsheathed his sword and the wind blew. He struck at the air and the grass fluttered. His sword energy encompassed everything, his life force spreading like the blooming of flowers in the early morning. Sweeping through the air, the wind touched all. It influenced the waves and carried the pollen. A soft touch combined with an unstoppable force. Flexible and quick, it chipped away at all that stood in its path.

The more Drakkel extended his sword energy, the more tired he got, the aches and pains in his body becoming more severe with every swing of his sword.

Then, his old injuries flared and the aching pains in his body suddenly became more sharp, forcing him out of his cultivation.

With sweat dripping from his brow, he couldn’t continue. This occurrence was common and happened every time he tried to progress.

After catching his breath, he settled down and worked on maintaining his cultivation instead. Like when advancing in his cultivation, maintaining it kept him in a half-awake state.

Although it wasn't recommended to utilize this state to avoid sleep often as it could cause one to enter a sword energy deviation, it was still common practice to use it to keep one’s guard up in an unfamiliar place. That way, if something were to happen, one wouldn't be caught unawares.