Chapter 38 - Slaves

After Lander bade goodbye to Itzel, it was finally his turn to battle. And the first battle would be the messenger battle.

In this battle, two messenger beasts will be delivering a letter and the receiver would be the Beast Professor of the Wyvern Academy on the topmost tower of the Academy. While delivering the letter, the two beasts can attack each other to subdue the opponent or if they can outclass their opponent through speed. The first one to deliver the letter shall be the winner.

The eagle, Lander's messenger beast lost this round despite having the higher ranking. The reason was, his eagle was a lot slower than it's opponent. It wasn't its match when it comes to speed.

On the other hand, the pet battle would be just like a Pokemon battle. And it was Lander's little dragon that won the battle despite having a lower ranking.

When the two battles ended, Lander went back to the Outcasts Area. Upon arriving, he felt a very severe headache. He felt like his head was being pierced by millions of needles that made him burst out an agonizing scream. The pain was getting intense that when you look at Lander, he was sweating all over while moving around holding his head. You couldn't notice the iris in his eyes, everything was all white.

Yan Yan was very worried of him so she ran towards Lord Kazo's manor asking for help.

Not long, Lord Kazo arrived personally and helped him stabilize by giving him a potion - Soul Stabilizing Potion.

About an hour, Lander who was unconscious after taking in the potion woke up with a little headache, "What happened?"

"The thing that happened to you was similar when a slave was able to successfully removed the slave seal from the master forcefully with or without outside help," Lord Kazo explained but was still shocked even though Lander won't admit it himself. 'This outcast is indeed something!'

"Slave Seal? Then can you tell all your guards whom you stripped from their position Lord Kazo to gather at your manor? Don't worry! I will pay you this time as I have troubled you every single time," Lander said while still holding his aching head. It was this time to execute his grand plan.

Lord Kazo just shrugged his shoulder never minding the payment that Lander was talking so he thought, 'No matter what payment he gives me, it would still not benefit me. But whatever, at least he knows how to be humble!'

When Lord Kazo left, Lander also released the two beasts he has that made the eagle stunned. He never intended to keep them when he felt how aggrieved and pained they are when he became their master. He doesn't need anyone who doesn't believed in him.

After releasing his two beasts, he felt another surge of pain in his head. For Lander, the pain was bearable but he still need time to adjust himself so he rested for a while.

Two hours of rest when Lander went back to Lord Kazo's manor and there he saw the guards, Elizaveta and another woman sitting aggrieved.

Lander stood in front of them, "Today, you will all be lucky as I will make most of you my slaves and some will enter the Dark Forest to be the cook and maid of a powerful necromancer. So before we start, you will either have a choice: to be my slave or to be the necromancer's? So for those who wishes to follow me, move besides me, those who wanted to go to Dark Forest, move to the right side and those who doesn't plan on following either stay at the left side."

It was at this moment that Elizaveta, the woman and the guard who assaulted him moved to the right side as they already knew they were already chosen to be that necromancer's maid and cook, if they desire to go against the necromancer, only death would be waiting for them.

On the other hand, most of the guards went to the left side and only one guard was still in the middle hesitating.

"I don't have all day to wait for your decision," Lander glared at the guard.

"I....." The guard wanted to say something but then shook his head as he slowly moved forward and went beside Lander with bent head not daring to say anything. Everyone from the crowd were stunned even Lord Kazo, the Druid and Great Duke Bobby who were watching from somewhere hidden.

"Oh? I didn't think someone actually wanted to be the slave of an outcast? Say, why chose me?" Lander asked the guard amused.

The guard became nervous when he was questioned but he still answered honestly with bent head, "I actually do not want to be with you despite knowing that you are Great Duke Bobby's disciple. I was planning to go to the Dark Forest and learn from there but my instinct kept telling me on following you."

"HAHA! Instinct huh? Then what is your name?" Lander asked grinning widely.

"The name of this humble servant is Lute," The guard answered bowing his head.

"Do you have a slave?" Lander continued asking.

"I don't have the capability to acquire a slave because no one wanted to be the slave of a coward guard. Moreover, I don't have that much wealth to keep supporting a slave." This time, Lute answered with embarrassment.

"I see. Since you believed in your instinct. I want you to have a slave contract with me," Lander casually said as he was welcomed by Lute without resistance. The slave contract went easily and a slave seal was seen in Lute's arm.

"How can I offer my assistance to Master?" Lute asked after the slave contract. Although, deep inside him was still the feeling of unknown of the future, he resolutely followed his instinct and got rid of other thoughts. And that for Lander was bravery and not cowardice.

"Your first task is to sell these guards to the Slave Market!" Lander said casually tossing the responsibility to Lute.

Everyone were shocked to Lander's words. The guards who went to his left side even cursed at him, "This outcast is really annoying!

"He really thinks he can do everything because he has the backing of the Great Duke Bobby!"

"What an arrogant bastard!"

Someone was about to challenge Lander to a duel when another guard came late, "I'm sorry for being late!"

"Why late?" Lander asked.

"Well you told us to gather information about someone and I just did, that's the reason I'm late." The guard who came late spoke with arrogance even despising Lander.

"Really now? Since you were late, let Lute tell you about things I have discussed," Lander gave Lute another responsibility.

Explaining everything, the guard who came late said with arrogance, "To think that an outcast wanted to make us slaves and even tried to sell us to the Slave Market? As an elite guard of the Wyvern Capital, I won't bow down my head to such insolence! Who do you think you are? Was just because you are the disciple of the Great Duke Bobby?"

Lander was now pissed pointing at the arrogant guard, "Do you think I cared about your Great Duke? Do you think he is a God to be praised and feared? I, Lander have never accepted such man as my Master. Since you disagreed to my plans, then let's have a Death Battle!"

The arrogant guard was stunned, "Death Battle? You think you are capable of defeating me?"

"You? You are just an ant to my eyes!" Lander said with arrogance. He never feared a battle, he has faced death multiple times and was never scared of it. If death will come to him someday without achieving his plans and dreams, then so be it! For him, he tried his best!

"Insolence! But why don't we make a bet? Let's just make it a Battle where in the loser has to follow the opponent's words without question?" The arrogant guard was not actually afraid of Lander but was afraid of his Master. He wanted to play it safe to have an escape route.

"Let's just get it on!" Lander said as he dashed forward and aimed a straight punch towards the guard but was evaded.

The arrogant guard snapped his fingers and a bow with an arrow attached to it came out from his storage ring and aimed at Lander shooting three arrows consecutively.

Lander evaded every arrows as he followed towards the guard who was maintaining a distance from him. He wasn't pissed that his opponent was better than every opponent he faced but Lander was calm. He was analyzing every situation, geography and skills of his opponent to get the upper hand.

Then after following his opponent for a while, he noticed stones and rocks scattered in some areas of Lord Kazo's manor, that was when he smiled, 'A battle of distance."

While the guard was shooting arrows, Lander was picking stones or rocks throwing at his opponent everytime an opportunity arrived.

The guard was stunned and everyone else watching. There were times when the guard chose to evade the thrown stones at him rather that shooting, that was the time Lander was able to minimize their distance.

Not long afterwards, due to Lander's constant throwing, the guards wasn't able to further distance himself from Lander but was instead getting annoyed due to the distance closing in.

Being pissed, the guard never intended to evade the incoming stones and rocks but instead still shot his arrows but when the stones and rocks hit him, he felt an immense pains that made his shots missed.

Lander noticed it until he was at a distance where he gave consecutive punches to the guard, then the guard dropped unconscious with lots of bruises from his face while blood dripping from his nose and mouth.

Everyone was stunned at how the battle happened. No one said anything while Great Duke Bobby was grinning from ear to ear and the two, Lord Kazo and the Great Druid was awed.

Lander walked to the unconscious guard and stepped on his arm, "Aarrggggh!"

A shrieking was heard, it was the guard who woke up from the immense pain.

"Be my slave or die!" Lander said casually with poker face.

"I will.....!" The guard answered without hesitation. It was the feeling of fear that blew his arrogance.

Then Lander made another slave contract and he was somehow getting weaker, he thought 'How is it that I felt weak? Was this the effect of having a slave contract?"

Still, he never showed his weakness and asked the other guards with an air of pride and arrogance, "Anyone else wanted to battle it out against me?"