Day 6

Astra lay on the cold metal floor of his cell, his eyes fixed on the flap door. He woke up early today with a plan to observe the guard’s routine and perhaps catch a glimpse of his fellow prisoners. Over the past few days, he had tried in vain to communicate with the others, but his calls went unanswered. He hoped that by watching the guard distribute food, he might understand why.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor. The guard came into view, resembling the aliens he had seen in the lab. Through the translucent helmet, Astra noticed a large scar running down the guard's face. This one carried a long metal stick, and Astra wondered why. As the guard approached the first cell, Astra watched intently.

An alien prisoner inside the cell moved too close to the small flap door, curiosity overtaking it. Its head was an octopus, adorned with soft tentacles and glistening eyes, while its humanoid body remained hidden from view.

"Not a human—just another weird alien species," he muttered, disappointment evident in his tone.

Without hesitation, the guard poke the alien with a metal stick that buzzed with electricity, forcing it to retreat. The shock made the creature instinctively withdraw, its tentacles retracting as it distanced itself from the guard's imposing presence.

A metal stick that can produce electricity? Heh, that's classic.

As the guard distributed food, Astra watched him move from cell to cell. Each time the guard opened a flap door, Astra caught a glimpse of the prisoners inside. One by one, it became clear that none of them were human. Disappointment settled heavily on Astra, but he quickly brushed it off. The creatures in the other cells, each one uniquely alien, felt just as unfamiliar to him as the guards.

I don't get it. With our technology, we can see 10 billion light-years away, and from what I see, there are so many alien species. But why have we never found any of them?

Astra thought, as his mind raced with questions. He also noticed a symbol above the alien's cell door that he had not observed previously, indicating that each cell had a different symbol above it.

What do these symbols mean—names, numbers, or something else?

Astra wondered, his eyes narrowing as he tried to memorize the pattern above the cells.

When the guard reached his cell, Astra quickly moved back, ensuring he stayed out of the stick’s reach. The flap door, designed to open both ways for feeding and observation, clanked open with a harsh metallic sound, and the usual piece of meat was thrown in. Astra, still filled with thought and questions, ignored the meat completely.

It's obvious they found a way to achieve light-speed travel—a feat that humans can't replicate. If we found a way to do that and discovered other forms of life, we would definitely capture them for more information as well.

Is that why they captured these alien species—and me? But then how can they have captured me? The last thing I remember is my eyes feeling heavy, and I fell asleep. Did they drug me?

Because that would make sense; I doubt they have a war against us. With the technologies I saw and their lab, they are a century behind us. I'm not really sure about these things, but I'm certain there are possibilities.

After finishing his contemplation, he took the meat and ate it bitterly. Astra then marked another day on the wall with the bone. He began his workout, pushing his body to the limit with each exercise. Despite the setbacks, his determination remained unshaken.

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[You have leveled up! 3 > 4]

⊶☽☬☾⊷

Day 10

Ten days had passed since Astra's capture, and while he had grown stronger, the meat was no less repulsive. His body, now accustomed to the routine, ached less with each passing day. As he lay on the floor, he noticed something different—a pair of guards escorting a new prisoner down the corridor.

Astra peered through the flap door, observing the newcomer. The alien had numerous eyes, scattered across his face. It had three long and thin fingers on each hand. As the guards locked it in one of the empty cells, Astra noted that now there were eight occupied cells and two empty cells.

More prisoners, and not a single one of them is human… Looks like my speculation was right after all.

Later, during his daily workout, a foul smell interrupted his routine. Astra’s nose wrinkled in disgust as he investigated the source. He got up, instigated by the smell, and cautiously opened the flap door. The stench of decay was unmistakable—it was the smell of death. He realized it was coming from one of the cells.

“Tsk. One of them must have died. When will the guards get rid of it?” he muttered irritably, feeling no remorse. He didn't care about the alien prisoners, who weren't even human. All he felt was annoyance at the disgusting smell that lingered after they died.

Despite the odor, Astra continued his daily workout, the smell fueling his determination to escape.

[You have leveled up! 4 > 5]

Day 20

The scratch marks on the wall stared back at Astra, a crude calendar carved out of necessity. Twenty days into his captivity, Astra had grown used to the routine. The food they brought him, if it could be called that, tasted worse every day. The foul, stringy meat seemed to wriggle on his tongue, and he gagged, forcing it down.

Astra sat cross-legged on the floor, his head tilted back against the wall. Each day, he exercised, listened at the door, and kept track of time by marking the wall.

An advanced human can live without water for a month, but damn it, I'm so thirsty. Do I really have no choice but to drink that muddy water?

he thought, glancing at the sink and watching the murky trickle that flowed out when he twisted the rusted knob.

With quick and precise movements, he ripped a piece of fabric from his undershirt. The cloth was worn but still sturdy. Folding it several times, Astra tied it tightly around the spout of the sink. When he turned the knob, the muddy brown liquid gushed out, swirling with bits of dirt, but the makeshift filter caught most of the larger debris.

He cupped his hands beneath the stream and brought the filtered water to his lips. The taste was revolting.

Bleurgh. Disgusting, but at least it tasted better than the wet meat.

Suddenly, an interface appeared, displaying a message:

[Minor toxin detected!]

[Because of Biological Regeneration, the effect has been neutralized!]

Oh? Thank you, Velon Must! Without you, there is no NeuraEye.

He then opened the flap door and glanced at the cell where the corpse had been. The guards had removed it the day after the prisoner’s death.

Sigh. It’s the same old cycle every time. Someone dies, the guards drag the body out the next day, and then they bring in another poor soul. But honestly, most of them don’t last, and they never let anyone out.

I'll be here waiting for the day they finally set us free. I have no idea how long it’ll take, but I’ll wait as long as it takes. I refuse to be just another body tossed aside.

As if in response to his thoughts, an interface suddenly appeared before him:

Daily Quest: [Fitting in Fitness]

- Push-ups: 0/1000

- Squats: 0/1000

- Sit-ups: 0/1000

- Lunges: 0/1000

- Planks: 0/60 minutes

Reward: [229 EXP]

Astra then started doing his daily quest without hesitation. As he completed his workout, his muscles burning with effort, he heard the distant murmur of the guards. He couldn't understand their language yet, but the progress bar on his VoiceSynth Mastery skill continued to inch forward.

VoiceSynth MasMastery: [???? language]

█░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 2.5%

[97.5% left until completed]

Astra finished his exercises and marked another day on the wall. He then called the status, and an interface appeared before him.

[System Status]

Name: Astra Vieux

Age: 18 years old

Race: Advanced Human

Level: 7

Experience: 342 / 1400

Sigh. 20 days, and my progress is still below average. Back on Earth, by this point, I would have already hit level 10.

𓆩✧𓆪