The next day Elk woke up from a horrible sleep and saw the door to the cell was open.Bob came to him and stood there.
"Come on boy it's time to eat."
He and James walked out while Elk hesitated but decided to follow anyway.They walk for a while and came to a large hall filled with poeple sitting and eating while making noise.
"Welcome to the pit kid here we eat to build up stamina for what's to come."
"What's to come?"
Elk looked at him with a confused expression,why would they need to build up stamina?
"Let me ask you,have you ever watched a show called Bloodbath?"
"No."
"It seems you were not a rich kid then.Well in simple terms it is were we the inmates get thrown in a survival area made on this level where we have to kill everyone that gets chosen to complete until only ten are left. It's a sick and sadistic pleasure for the rich while at the same time a release for us."
Elk was startled when he heard this.He couldn't fight in fact he didn't even have an ability.He needed to get out of this place and go home.
Suddenly he realized.
Go home? To what?A ruin of a house without anyone there.
It was only then Elk realized he had been so preoccupied with his own situation that he forgot about the death of his mother and unborn sibling.
He suddenly laughed to himself.
Human emotions are fickle.No matter how sad or angry you are you forget about those emotions the moment you fall in to a precarious situation.
"How truly unworthy humans are."Elk muttered to himself without realizing as a shadow streaked across his eyes then he forgot about his thoughts and returned to normal.
"What did you just say?"
He was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when he heard James speak.
"Did I just say something?"
James looked at him weirdly then shook his head.
"Must have just been my imagination."
They then continued to the line got their food and went to sit down ton eat.
"Oh yeah I was meaning to ask,do you have an ability kid?I mean you don't even have an ability dampening bracelet."
"No,I don't think so?"
Wait,then what was that gas back then?Maybe...
Elk then lifted his hand and concentrated on the emotion from back then.He suddenly felt something move in the palm of his hand and looked over.a black fog like tentacle was moving from the center of his palm and wrapped around his wrist.
What is this emotion?Anger?Sadness?No it feels to fickle for this.It's more like...
Before he could continue Bob interrupted him.
"Woah kid put that away!"
Elk's thoughts where broken and the fog disappeared.
"What?Why?"
"It seems they did not know you had an ability that's why you don't have a bracelet,how lucky for you and us.See you do have an ability it just wasn't discovered."
Bob suddenly laughed heartedly and James' eyes glistened.
"It seems you are going to be of use boy but first put this on."
James suddenly took out a bracelet similar to the ones they were wearing and gave it to Elk.Elk wanted to refuse however James looked at him coldly and he hurriedly put it on.
"Now you won't be discovered.What you just put on his a dampening bracelet that we can control separately from the prison.It's to keep up appearances you see,as for where we got it just think of it as I know a guy."
"Since it seems you don't know how to use your power yet it means you only just awakened which is bad since the weakest on this floor is a Refinement 4 stage.However if you stick with us we'll help you when needed but it won't be free of course,right James."
"Hehe...right."
Elk smiled wryly as the corner of his mouth twitched and he looked around,it was only then he realized the people around him looked at him like a fresh piece of meat.The only reason they haven't done anything was probably because of James and Bob.
"Ye...yeah thanks."
"So tell us about your attribute what did it feel like. Personally I think it looks like the darkness attribute which is rare for a human."
"No it looks more like the variant shadow attribute which probably means his ability will be an EX rank."
Elk looked at the two of them as they discussed and suddenly had several questions.
"Right can I ask you something?"
They suddenly stopped talking and looked at him.Bob then gave him a look to continue and ask.
"What is this ability dampening bracelet and what do you mean when you say EX rank?"
They looked at Elk weirdly.
"Didn't you learn this in school kid?"
"No,since most people awaken their ability before the age of 13 only those who awakened has the opportunity to learn about everything pertaining about it.All we ever learned were normal subjects and sometimes we heard about the war of different planet sections however never in depth.My father took part in the war as an non-awakend logistics worker so I learned some things but not much."
James then furrowed his eyebrows and stroked his nonexistent beard.
"Well if that's the case education has gone tits up these past few years.Anyway the bracelet is something that can suppress our abilities that is made out of void stone. Void stones are dark colored stones that exist in myriad mines that absorb myriad energy and after a long time turns into myriad energy stones that can be used to cultivate.Void stones are those mined before they are turned into myriad energy stones.But after it has been filled once and used it will crumble to dust,so it is not a reusable material.
"So basically we here at DJL(1) are batteries used to change void stones while it makes us unable to use our abilities because of lack of myriad energy."
Bob then said comically while James frowned at him for interrupting.He then scratched his head while laughing and gestured James to continue.
"As I was saying we can't normal use our abilities unless they use their system to switch off the bracelet by disconnecting it from the transfer mechanism."
"How does that even work?"Elk asked confusedly.
"Don't ask me do I look smart to you?I only know it involves runes from a beginner rune master or above.Anyway,EX is when you ability is undetermined so it goes Unranked,some are strong while some are not even as string as a F rank ability.The ranks were decided because some people have the same ability however the power varies like for instance someone with an F rank fireball ability can never hope to win against someone with a A rank fire ability unless he is multiple level higher."
"Like someone who just awakened their ability against a veteran at the Armament teir,even if that person's ability is of a higher rank it would be a hopeless fight for him against the veteran. However a higher rank ability means greater potential and faster cultivation."
Elk finally understood.He regretted only listening half-heartedly to his father back then and not paying attention since he never awakened.
"I see.Wait what is the Armam..."
Before he could continue the bracelet on his wrist suddenly lit up.
"Alright ladies you know the drill,those whose bracelet lit up it's time to play!"
Suddenly he heard a shout and turned around.It was a man in a military uniform decorated in all manner of medals.He was the warden of the third level.
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(1)Davey Jones Loker