Chapter 55 – First Place

You have earned a skill point

+1 Endurance

Jack let himself a satisfied smile at the notification. He swung his pickaxe into the rock wall as he continued to mine his way deeper into the cave. He wasn’t after anything in particular. They weren’t searching for ores, or precious gems or anything of the sort. When he came across a patch of iron ore, they instructed him to keep mining straight through it. Someone else would sort it out for him. They just wanted him to mine deeper and deeper into the mountain.

What for? Jack had no clue.

He’d been stuck in the mines for four or so days now. The only real way he had to keep track of time was when the Taskmaster stopped by to give him food. Stale bread and some sort of porridge that was more maggots than actual food. It tasted okay.

The taskmaster was a menacing draugr who looked as if someone had pumped him full of steroids from the day he was born. He wore large pauldrons covered in spikes and walked around with a cudgel and whip that he was not shy about using.

Jack found that last part out the hard way. Apparently, the Taskmaster wasn’t interested in making friends. Jack just wanted to know the guy’s name. What he got was his skull nearly caved in by the monstrosity's cudgel.

Jack kept swinging his pickaxe into the wall and spared a glance down at the manacles wrapped around his legs.

He tried to inspect the item but [Error] was the only thing he got, which bugged the hell out of him. The second they gave him a pickaxe, he immediately swung it straight at the manacles, which caused them to more or less set his body on fire. When the taskmaster found him screaming in pain, the draugr simply beat him some more for trying to tamper with them.

The manacles were strange. They completely suppressed his urge to kill. He thought about burying his pickaxe in the Taskmaster’s head about a thousand times over, but he simply couldn’t will his body to follow through with it. There was some sort of stop gap the manacles supplied. Eventually, he stopped thinking about it entirely.

The second more annoying thing about them is they forced him to follow orders. Not well, mind you. It was more of a “If I don’t follow through on this order, the manacles are going to cause searing pain throughout my body that gets worse and worse” kind of situation. He didn’t have to do a good job at following the orders though. Which was why the Taskmaster existed.

The first day they gave him a pickaxe, he had mostly refused to do manual labor on principle alone. He would occasionally swing at the rock wall anytime he felt the manacles start to burn and that would stop them from setting his body on fire. That’s when Jack found out they were keeping track of how many loads of rock he was sending out of the mine. He was dead last.

The Taskmaster beat the ever-living shit out of him for that one. It was so bad that he ended up having to give Jack a greater health potion, something which only served to annoy him even further.

Jack tried a little harder on day two while he tried to figure out the lay of the land. Several other hard working draugr surrounded him, all chained up like him. They were the ones with glowing blue eyes, and despite his best efforts, they refused to talk to him. Likely because the manacles didn’t really like talking, and if you did it too much – you guessed it – burning pain.

Jack was in pain a lot.

Jack came in dead last on day two again. A fact which he thought was bullshit because he had tried his hardest, sort of. The Taskmaster's beating was a little less severe the second time around. Likely because he didn’t want to have to waste another health potion on Jack.

By day three, Jack had dedicated himself to the task. Not because he didn’t want to get beaten again, but because he finally got one of the glowing blue-eyed draugr to speak. His silent partner, who loaded up all of Jack’s rocks and hauled it off for him, who he had dubbed “Richard” was the one who clued him in.

“So what happens If I mine the most rocks?” Jack asked Richard, who was shoveling loads of rock into the mining cart.

The draugr stopped and stared at him for a long moment.

“Mead…” he finally said in a voice that was dry and raspy from disuse. “No more talking…” he said, returning to his work.

Jack perked up at that. Now that the manacles had suppressed his urge to kill, he was starting to remember all the other things he loved. Alcohol being one of them. He really wanted that mead. So Jack set himself to the task with an unrivaled will.

He still didn’t get first place.

He was shocked at first. He had actually tried this time. Jack figured with his stats alone, he would have blown every one of the enslaved draugr out of the water.

That’s when he realized what was going on. He had forgotten for a brief moment that none of this was real. It was all Tower generated bullshit. The draugr just existed because the Tower likely created them for his benefit.

Jack had to sleep and recover. They didn’t; they were just Tower generated constructs.

Jack could push himself pretty hard, and for a while, but without mana, he had to rest and recover. A fact which the Taskmaster thought was complete bullshit. Nonetheless, he did give Jack a few hours’ reprieve every day.

While he was sleeping, the draugr were pounding away in the mines, outpacing him.

If he wanted to get first, he couldn’t stop.

Jack had been hammering away at the rocky wall, digging a tunnel deeper and deeper into who knows where with a singular focus. He had pushed himself so hard he even got a skill point in Endurance. Jack didn’t stop to celebrate. He just kept on swinging. He had been at it for fourteen hours straight at this point.

His ears perked up as he heard the lumbering steps of the Taskmaster approaching from behind.

He dropped his pickaxe and plopped down on the pile of rubble as the Taskmaster walked up to him.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Yo chief.” Jack said in mock salute, flashing him a grin.

The Taskmaster scowled at him, and Jack grimaced as the man’s grip tightened on his whip.

“I almost didn’t believe a mouthy shit like you was capable of working hard. But here we are, you’ve moved the most rock. Follow me.” He said with an annoyed grimace, turning and walking away from Jack.

Jack followed the Taskmaster out of the caves and into the camp. It was daytime, and Jack basked in the warm sunlight with a chipper grin on his face. Finally, something good. The two moved into the encampment of tents and shoddily built structures, moving past a large one that had draugr scooping hollowed out horns into a large barrel and taking long pulls of what Jack hoped was mead. His mouth was practically drooling as they walked up to the Tavern.

“What do you think you’re doing?” The Taskmaster asked. He flashed his whip out and it licked Jacks back in a searing line down his back.

“I thought-“ Jack grimaced in pain.

“You thought wrong. Follow me.” He said again, a cruel smile on his face.

Jack groaned, throwing a forlorn look at the tavern as the Taskmaster commanded him to follow, the manacles burning as he tried to stay.

I’ll come back for you, Jack thought.

Jack followed the Taskmaster to a small clearing outside the camp. Onem was standing there waiting for him.

The Taskmaster gave a deep bow and then walked away, not saying anything. Jack stood there, staring at Onem with a confused look.

The menacing draugr flashed Jack an almost nice smile.

“Took you long enough. I thought you would never beat out the rest of my slaves.” He offered.

“I thought the prize was mead… Wait… This isn’t some weird sex thing, is it? Like If I do well, I get to sleep with the boss? I’m telling you now. You aren’t my type.” Jack said matter of fact.

Onem cocked an eyebrow at him. “For the other draugr, a simple offering of mead is more than enough to keep them motivated. But I have something far better for you. An opportunity.”

Jack watched with curiosity as Onem produced two daggers. His daggers. He threw them across the clearing, and they landed on the ground right in front of him.

“I know what it is you really crave. The thrill of battle. Of putting your life on the line. I saw it in your eyes. I know it to be true because I feel it too. The undeniable ecstasy that comes with a life and death fight. I recognized it the second we fought. You made me feel it again. You made me feel alive.” He shuddered, an ominous smile on his face.

“You sure were remembering the same fight? It’s a bit blurry, but I seem to recall you kicking my ass. It was sort of one sided, really. Also, this prize sucks. I want the mead.”

“You weren’t at your best. Why didn’t you use mana during our fight? Certainly, you have techniques capable of forcing my hand.” Onem countered.

“Not really an option for me. Channels are destroyed. You know how it goes.” Jack shrugged.

Onem stared at him for a long moment. Well, not at him. It felt like he was staring through him, inspecting him.

“I would be quite interested to learn what insanity drove you to do that. Your mana seems very … odd.”

“A life-or-death battle.” Jack offered.

“You truly are like a young Gurthok.” Onem mused, his face taking a considering gaze.

“Sure, whatever. So, since I can’t fight you, how about we go swap stories back at that tavern?”

“No. If you can’t use mana, then neither shall I.” Onem said matter of fact. “Now, show me the thrill of battle once again.”

Onem snapped his fingers, and the manacles around Jack’s ankles fell to the ground.

The suppression faded in an instant and everything came rushing back to Jack so quickly, he let out a gasp. It was like breaking the surface tension of the water and coming up for air after having held his breath to the absolute limits. He was blind, but now he could see.

He stared at Onem, forgetting everything, a smile returning to his face. Onem fell into a stance, matching Jack’s menacing smile. Jack fell forward, grabbing his daggers and launching off the ground towards the draugr. His daggers flashed out in blinding speed aimed straight for Onem’s skull.

Onem caught both his arms moments before Jack’s daggers made contact. He proceeded to throw Jack around the forest clearing like a rag-doll. Slamming him into the ground and hurtling him into the trees.

Jack grimaced, shrugging off the pain as he pushed back in. Onem was ready and waiting. He now had his bulky black staff in hand. He swung it at Jack, who met the attack head on, lashing out with his daggers in an attempt to deflect. Onem’s swing proved too much to counter as one of Jack’s daggers went flying upon impact. Onem spun around, aiming his staff at Jack’s now exposed stomach. Jack noticed as the Draugr pulled back on his swing moments before impact.

It was still enough to send Jack toppling over in pain. Jack threw up all over the ground as Onem used his staff to give him the Heimlich from hell.

“Get up.” Onem commanded.

“Why did you hold back?” Jack asked, a rage building up inside of him.

“I can’t have any fun If I kill you.” Onem said matter of fact.

Jack pushed off the ground to go retrieve his dagger. He wasn’t really mad that Onem held back. He was mad because it reminded him of a fifteen-year-old Jack getting the shit kicked out of him by Rodeo in the name of training.

This felt all too familiar to him. He hated it. Rodeo had tricked him. He didn’t learn until it was far too late that his love for fighting, for killing, was wrong. Rodeo had homed in on that love. Nurtured it, grew it into something grotesque. He had turned Jack into a monster.

This was all too familiar to him. History really does repeat itself, Jack thought, leveling his gaze at Onem, unable to stop his urge to kill. Onem smiled at him. Jack charged in again.

The afternoon went a lot like that. Jack charging at Onem, and Onem beating him up. Jack sat on the ground panting, completely worn out. Onem looked nonplussed, almost bored.

“This was an ok first attempt. But you can do better.” Onem said in a critiquing manner.

“We’re going to do this again?” Jack said, nursing his broken ribs.

“Every time you get first place in the mines.” Onem said, smiling.

The wheels started turning in Jack’s head. He wasn’t positive he could beat Onem. The draugr hadn’t even broken a sweat. But he was out in the open, and the draugr has released his shackles. He was also fast. Jacks’ eyes scanned the trees, a plan forming in his head.

Onem slammed the ground with his staff, and dark shadowy walls erupted up around him.

“I can see you putting a plan together. Please don’t do anything that might… upset me.” Onem said.

Jack rolled his eyes at the draugr.

“I know you’re a diligent worker and will likely get first place in the mines no matter what, but I’ve informed the Taskmaster that should you get any place other than first – he is to beat you.”

“What? Why?” Jack asked, shocked.

“Consider it motivation. I quite enjoyed this little duel and wish to do it again. Don’t disappoint me.” He said, producing a health potion. “Who knows? You might even manage to kill me.” He said, a menacing smile returning to his face. He tossed the health potion across the clearing at Jack.

Jack watched as the health potion sailed past him.

His hand flashed out.

He caught it.

Jack popped the top off and chugged it down in one go. Standing up and walking towards Onem as he felt his body rebuild itself.

“Be careful what you wish for.” Jack said, a vicious smile on his face.

“Don’t forget your shackles. Slave.” Onem said, returning the smile.