Testimonium Noctem | TBATE

Lambs to the Slaughter

There was an undercurrent of worry as I let the beam of pure mana penetrate the slave owners brain. Taking my hand out, I flicked it as the blood went spraying, casting shadows over the room as some hit a light emitting artifact up on the ceiling.

Yet, the undercurrent of worry wasn't something that was caused by the slaughter of the man - at least, not a direct effect. The worry was not about the man who I have killed, or the fact that I just took my first life, or maybe the fact that I just saw a corpse. No, after all, I had a somewhat similar encounter with Kryol, even if I did not see his corpse.

No, the worry was about the fact that I didn't feel any negative feelings about the fact that I just took a life. I knew how traumatizing it was supposed to be, as I overheard from my father who frequently engaged with bandits. I knew it was supposed to, at the very least, stir something within myself. 

But in truth? I simply felt emptiness, something that has been clawing on me more and more as of recent times. An almost unconscious repression of my emotions, something that I have achieved in my frantic quest of strength and revenge, mixed in with a teaspoon of not the best childhood and the must of maturing much faster then I should as a young boy.

I sighed and put the worry to the back of my mind. I could think about it later if it mattered so much to me, but right now I was on a mission - I could not afford to be distracted, no matter what. I had slaves to rescue, after all.

Considering the night fell already, most of the workers should be asleep already, besides maybe a few guards left to make sure the slaves don't get too rowdy, or worse for them, try to forge an escape or uprising rebellion against  them.

Opening the door, I was greeted by a guard. The guard looked down on my shorter stature and was about to open his mouth - perhaps ask me who the hell I was - but I punched him in the crotch before he could do anything. The guard fell to his knees, and I put my hand on his mouth before he could scream.

Here it goes.

Clenching my fingers and focusing on precision rather then strength, I grabbed some of the mans jaw bones, then threw him away, where he hit another guard. They both tumbled, and I almost smiled as I realized this new fighting technique and of how much use it is to me. To grab the users bone through the skin, causes unimaginable pain and gives me a great hold over the opponent.

A guard rushed at me with a sword, but it was extremely slow, so all I did was put my hand up. The sword stopped and I shattered it, then elbowed the man in the gut. He keeled over and fell, dead, as his organs ruptured from the shot. I ducked as I sensed - another useful skill - another guard rushing at me with a sword, aiming for my head. I didn't look back as I shot another beam at him, going through his head and killing him instantly. Blood sprayed over me, but I shook it off with a flick of my hand.

This was much easier then I thought. These guards fought as if they had never dueled in their life, to the point that I, a 6 year old with only a few months of experience fighting against mana beasts was better skilled then they were - excluding the amount of power I had in my disposal.

Perhaps, to make it harder, I can train one of my skills? I closed my eyes, sensing a beam of water coming at me. I sidestepped and flashed towards the man who shot at me, using only my mana sensory to make a mental map of the dungeon.

I hit the back of his knee, shattering his legs to small parts, then ducked as I sensed a spear thrusting at my head. A squelch of flesh was heard as the spear thrust into the man, taking my place instead. The spear wielder cursed, then spun around - body still on the spear - trying to hit me. I let out a breath, then hit his obliques, rupturing several organs and causing him to spit an impressive amount of blood. I didn't finish him off just yet, turning around to summon a mana blast and firing it at a incoming guard. It exploded upon impact, killing 3 more and sending off shrieks from both slave and guard alike.