Night time. Radd along with his punished compatriots are slumped around a huge bonfire, unable to move as everyone's back and legs are bloodied.
' I just recovered. Fuck! ' Radd angrily cursed inside his mind. A day hadn't even passed since he recovered and yet he already got himself another set of injuries. He felt like the world is really firm in making his life miserable.
A couple of paces from Radd, Warik and the other men Radd had been buddied with are tending to their wounds. Everyone from their troop was spared no pity, the soldiers who were overlooking the punishment made sure that everyone was 'accommodated' well.
"Karak? " A middle-aged man crawled to Radd's side.
Turning his head, he looked at the black haired disheveled figure by his side. The middle-aged man had a prominent pair of cheekbones, his eyebrows are thick and long while being quite tall. The man's height is a couple of inches taller than Radd.
" Who? Me? You might have mistaken me for someone else. " Radd denied, his head working full time to come up with a plan. It seems like the man knew the previous owner of his body.
" What are you talking about? How would I mistake your face for someone else? Where's your uncle? " The man added " Did your uncle survive? "
" Let's talk somewhere else " Radd said as he started crawling.
The man was puzzled but followed nonetheless.
------
At Radd's dark cubicle.
" I am not Karak, he is no longer in this world. I just took this body. " Radd earnestly said as he looked at the man's eyes. He doesn't have any intention of assuming Karak's identity, even if he wanted to, he lacks Karak's memory.
Why live as Karak if he can just be himself? As for the middle-aged man, if he doesn't submit, he can just die. Although Radd's will isn't firm on killing, if it really came down to it, he can definitely kill someone for his own sake.
" Don't joke around Karak. Where's your uncle? Did he survive? " The man raised his voice.
" You have two options. You can either submit to me or die. " Radd conjured a ball of flame in his right hand.
The ball of fire brought illumination to the dark cubicle. Along with the appearance of light, the middle-aged man's face twisted into one of extreme fright, he was horrified seeing the flame come out of thin air.
" You. YOU! DEVILSPAWN! " The middle-aged man's terrorized voice resounded as he pointed his shaking finger to Radd.
" Submit or die! Choose! " Radd didn't bother to explain himself.
" You! You killed Karak! You devil spawn! This is the world of the living! The heaven is above us! You will be destroyed by the will of heaven! Begone! " The man tried to pull his confidence out of the gutters but his terror-stricken face betrayed his declaration.
" I didn't kill Karak. " Radd then deepened his voice and said " The will of heaven wouldn't do anything to me. I will count to three, submit or face your death! "
The man's face further paled when he heard the devilspawn's words, he inwardly begged the heavens to save his life. But seeing as the heavens wouldn't come to his aid and with the pressure of the countdown, the man's shaken mental state sundered as it fell apart.
" I surrender! O mighty being, please spare my life! " The man capitulated.
A storm of emotions brewed inside Radd as he looked at how frightened the man was. Riding on the momentum, Radd continued his all-powerful act by biting a small wound on his thumb.
" The heavens as a witness, I, your lord, accepts your allegiance. By the power of my blood, you shall be under me for an eternity to come. Treachery shall never have a place in your heart. Complete meritorious deeds and I shall grant you power. COME MY SUBJECT, ACCEPT MY BLOOD! " Radd waved his blood dripping thumb and made random doodles on the middle-aged man's face. He copied how demons in the novels conducted rituals and ceremony.
After making the random doodles, Radd proceeded to offer his still bloodied thumb to the man.
" Open your mouth, accept my blood, and offer me your whole being! "
The man didn't resist Radd's command. With dull eyes, he opened his mouth wide, waiting for his lord's blood.
Drops of blood started dripping down the man's throat while his dull eyes slowly changed to one full of fanaticism. The man's mentality had completely degraded, and he had completely believed Radd's bullshit of a ritual. Even Radd couldn't believe how powerful of an impact he had made to the man's mental state.
" Your name? "
" Wymar. It's Wymar, my lord! " The man who was unable to use his bruised legs moments ago miraculously got on his knees, fanaticism overwhelmed his sense of pain and clouded his thoughts.
" Good, you have a great name. Wymar. Wymar. "
" My lord! "
" Help me get up, we will have a feast here. "
Wymar carefully helped Radd into a sitting position.
Getting his bearings, Radd assumed an image of a generous superior as he waved his hand. With the wave of his hand, different kinds of food started to appear out of thin air.
" Oh, great heavens! MY LORD…. Are these food from the heavens itself? " Wymar's fanaticism was at an all-time high seeing how his lord created food out of thin air, his already non-existent resistance was further cleaned, and his faith strengthened. This kind of power can only be seen in the wildest of legends, Wymar thought.
" Eat. Let us have a feast, this event is worth celebrating." Radd mused at how he had easily gotten himself a helping hand. Its ease can even be said to be on par with casually breathing or drinking.
Not knowing what was inside his Lord's head, Wymar hesitantly took a cooked steak covered with plastic.
" My lord, what is this thing covering the food? " Wymar pinched the plastic covering the steak, his curiousness was like that of a kid.
" That's called plastic, it is not edible. Remove that before eating, that's only used to keep the food safe from the elements. "
" Understood my Lord! " Wymar removed the weirdly named food covering. Afterward, he looked at his Lord and offered the steak. " My Lord, your humble servant will help you dine. "
" No need. Help yourself with the food. " Radd took a bowl of hot beef stew and slurped.
His offer refused, Wymar was left hanging. Still not daring to eat with his Lord, Wymar just bowed his head down, waiting to be commanded.
" I said eat. Help yourself. " Radd's vision turned back to the pitiful Wymar who was on his knees.
Getting second affirmation from his Lord, Wymar started gnawing the steak in his hand. With every bite he took, Wymar's mouth would overflow with juice that contained a sophisticated string of taste. Wymar who hadn't ever eaten something of this caliber couldn't help but hold complex emotions.
In just a short span of time, Wymar had experienced a heart-wrenching roller coaster of emotion. His mental state was in shambles; He couldn't believe that the first time he met a supernatural being, he would be forced to submit. Not only that, the event even took a drastic change, and he is now eating with his Lord.
The food tasted great, Wymar couldn't help but think of his family while he ate. When the thought of his family strayed into Wymar's mind, a huge burden weighed on his heart. If only his family could follow his Lord along with him, they would definitely live a good life.
" Here, drink. " Radd gave Wymar a bottle of Coke.
" My Lord. This! " As he took a sip, the cold and refreshing taste of coke pervaded Wymar's mouth. " My Lord! Is this what the immortals drink? "
" It tastes great right? " Radd didn't answer his question and instead smiled.
" Yes, My Lord. But, how could I be worthy of such a drink? I am but a lowly servant. " Wymar believed that the drink was of immense background.
" Just think of it as a gift. A gift to a new servant of mine." Radd then gave Wymar a tablet of painkiller and antibiotic "Take this as you drink, it will rid you of the pain"
" Understood, My Lord! " Wymar immediately took the medicine to his mouth and gulped down a mouthful of Coke.
After indulging themselves with good food, Radd made Wymar clean the mess, and sold the trash to the system.
" No one's staying at the cubicle nearby, pick one and rest"
" My Lord, I'll stay at the cubicle next to yours. " Wymar headed at the right-hand side and moved the brown curtain aside.
When Wymar left the cubicle, Radd's joy could no longer be contained, he smiled from ear to ear and patted himself on the back for acquiring a servant.
' It'll be easier now that I have a helping hand. ' Radd inwardly thought. Even though he lost most of his CP for buying shitloads of food and medicines, but it was all worth it.
And thus, the night ended.