Five days later...
In this instant, Tenur was lying on a rock inside a cave of the mine he had arrived in days ago.
He was sweaty, almost without clothes, using only a few rags to cover his private parts. Yet, simultaneously, he was pale, tired to the limit from this 'endless' work.
He had worked almost continuously since he had arrived at this mine, stopping only to eat and to meet his biological needs.
However, even for this, he and the other slaves there did not have the chance to leave this dark place where they worked.
They had to urinate and defecate in the same place where they had their few meals and where they had 3 hours to sleep and rest daily.
When they did not work according to the orders of the mine administrators, they were punished with whippings and other kinds of torture that did not threaten the lives of the captives.
Tenur was so exhausted because this was his rest hour after more than 15 hours of working without a minute's rest.
"Hah... Hah... Hah..." He breathlessly breathed, barely noticing the terrible smell of the area due to the cramps and other types of exhaustion-related pain.
'What's wrong with these people?
Don't they know that animals are more productive when they rest?
Three hours is not enough for this place's workload and conditions!' He thought, wondering how idiotic the people behind this system of operation were.
There was slavery in Rinia, but no enslaver would let their captives starve or not get the minimum necessary rest.
They could even do atrocities with their slaves, like using them as guinea pigs in experiments. But they would never uselessly waste their captives' strength.
If a man were good for breaking stones, then for breaking stones, he would be prepared.
That would mean that he would rest and eat enough to not get sick and still, if possible, improve his strength and stone-breaking abilities over time.
With the experience of having had slaves for himself, Tenur couldn't help but be annoyed at the folly of the people of this world.
'And what's with time?
It feels like I've been in this place for years!
The two weeks they promised won't pass!' He lamented, feeling the effects of time on those suffering.
He was not well. Wisely, he had gone from a state of tranquility to becoming totally miserable.
He weighed over 120 kilograms when he arrived at this place. But in just a few weeks, he was already weighing 86.
On the one hand, this was good, considering that he was fat when he arrived in this world where even nobles were not that overweight.
That was a technologically poor world.
To get an idea, the people of this world didn't even know how to combine sugar and fat to produce calorie 'bombs' that were extremely tasty but also responsible for the elevated body fat rates of animals. Thus, even a nobleman of this world would have a good diet with balanced amounts of protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
As such, Tenur could be considered a fatty pig in the view of the locals!
But losing all this weight in such a short time was not healthy. Besides the physical pains he had been experiencing, he was also experiencing severe sugar abstinence.
His headaches were frequent, and he felt exhausted, even disregarding the intense work.
Tenur knew the extent of his situation and worried whether he could endure this torture.
"I think I'm going to die..." He muttered amidst his agitated breathing, catching the attention of number 321, another slave coming from Amri's human market.
"Hey, 346, don't give up yet." That person sitting next to Tenur commented as he tried to enjoy his rest time. "Man, you have improved a lot in the last few days.
Your strength has increased, and your movements are more efficient... Not to mention your physical stature!
If you continue like this, you could become minimally attractive to our future master...
So just when things are getting better, you can't give up!" This person smiled at the light-skinned young man lying before him, being courteous to Tenur as he had been helped by Orfeo 2 days ago.
Tenur was weak and would die in this place if he didn't get help. But fortunately, he was brilliant and helped those closest to him to disguise his weaknesses.
That is, the mine administrators did not care if some slaves produced more and others produced less. All that mattered was reaching the daily goal that their leaders gave them.
So besides checking that everyone was working, the men watching the slaves didn't distinguish who did more. They just checked the results at the end of each shift.
If the results were minor, they would punish all the slaves. If they were greater than necessary, they would let the slaves rest without punishment, as was happening now.
Tenur had taught some tricks to the slaves he had talked to in the previous days to compensate for his lack of strength.
Because of these tips, these men were being more productive, and on no occasion had they been punished, as was often the case with other captives in that mine.
More than one individual in Tenur's group had some level of gratitude for him and was trying to help him in some way if that didn't get in their way, of course.
"Sigh...
You're right." Tenur commented upon hearing that fellow's voice, again holding onto his will not to give up, even considering his desolate state.
"I'm going to get some sleep. If you can, wake me up by the time we have to start our next shift."
"OK." The other individual closest to Tenur commented before seeing that fellow falling asleep easily.
After exhausting himself mentally and physically, it was not difficult to fall asleep. Thus, not only did he sleep, but soon, several captives were experiencing some of this.
...
Eventually, Tenur would wake up from his short sleep to return to work, having been awakened in time by one of the two slaves closest to him.
With that, he would continue working in that mine for a few more days without major commotions, reaching the end of the two weeks still alive.
But of all the slaves that went into that mine, some had died.
Not every slave was in this situation of their own free will, as Tenur was.
Most were forced into it; because of this, some did not have what it took to survive the worst imaginable living conditions.
Physically exhausted, death was inevitable if they did not have strong minds!
But Tenur had survived and lost another 10 kilograms, reaching a mass of 76 kilograms, a weight close to ideal, considering his 1.7 meters tall.
Finally, on the fourteenth day in the central mines of Dark Basin, Tenur and the survivors were led out of that dark chamber, having the opportunity to see daylight for the first time since they had arrived.
They were then loaded into a carriage similar to the one they had been sent to this area after being washed and given 'new' clothes.
With that, they finally departed that area, heading back to Amri, which was not far.
'Sigh...
Time to get a master and put my plans into practice...' Tenur closed his eyes, imagining the day when he could live minimally well.
...
Two days later...
After neither a better nor worse trip than the outward journey, Tenur's group arrived in Amri for the auction that would take place early the next day.
Unlike special auctions with valuable items that usually occur in the evening, human auctions occur in the morning.
Usually, slave masters wanted to make them work for at least a whole day before giving meals, so buying captives in the morning was better.
Because of this, as he watched the local sunset, Tenur prepared his last meal as a product of Amri's human market while maintaining good relations with the captives in his group.
When one of them asked him for help or sought advice, he would do whatever was necessary to gain their kindness, even though he didn't expect anything in return.
If this worked and he gained something in return, good. Otherwise, he at least tried to keep as many doors open in his way as possible.
He would also be auctioned off with these slaves, so having them have favorable opinions of him might help him in the future.
So he spent his last night beside these individuals in a small cell, but he could not sleep due to anxiety for the next day.
...
As the sun rose over the local horizon the next day, Tenur and the other captives to be auctioned were already duly prepared at the auction site, a local public square.
There, wooden stands and a small stage were set up and prepared for the event next to the local river, where cargo ships departed.
Before six o'clock in the morning, many nobles were already crowding around, talking loudly, while waiting for the auction to start.
But that did not take long!
"Dear customers..."