On a dirt road in Mirathel, two carriages and four wagons lumbered slowly over a bumpy stretch where recent rain had left muddy traces. The low vegetation, typically desiccated because of water scarcity, appeared less parched today, swaying in the breeze.
"It looks like more rain is on the way," remarked a person from inside one wagon outfitted with cages.
Among the six wooden, horse-drawn vehicles, the wagons were fitted with cages, while the two carriages led and trailed the convoy, respectively.
The carriages housed well-dressed men, while those outside, either leading the convoy or surveying the surroundings, donned uniform attire: short jackets, loose pants secured at the waist, long coats, and boots—all in black.
The guards of the convoy, wearing masks and remaining quiet, hardly communicated, even during difficult situations.
The eleven individuals transported in the wagons knew the rules well and adhered strictly to them. They could speak in hushed tones but were forbidden from becoming agitated or attempting to interact with the guards.
"Kid, use the rain to collect some water. You'll need to use whatever you can to survive this journey," advised an elderly man among them, his clothes torn and filthy, in stark contrast to the guards' uniforms.
His companions, disheveled and unbothered by his worn appearance, listened attentively.
The young man facing the elderly speaker, just 18 years old, tall and gaunt, with injuries and dirt marking his frame, responded, "What's the point of enduring? We'll just be fodder for the monsters at Violent Lake, old Ellis."
"Don't give up hope, boy," the old man replied, trying to shift his position, but was silenced by a cough from another prisoner, signaling caution.
"Old man, leave the boy. If he wants to give up, let him," a woman interjected, the sole female among the 11 hostages being transported. "He's lost his entire group. What's so wrong about giving up? He's already suffered more than most would in a lifetime."
"Life is precious, kid. It's hard to lose everything, I know, but hang in there. You never know what might be ahead. Sometimes, life offers a new beginning just when you least expect it."
As he listened, 18-year-old Liam Porter, who found himself trapped in this dire situation just six days ago following an attack by the very men now holding him captive, felt lost for words.
Only a week ago, Liam had been safe and sound in his own bed on Earth. Now, he found himself in a brutal, unfamiliar world. That day, he had awoken amid an overturned carriage, surrounded by the dead and his captors.
Thinking he was trapped in a nightmare when he first opened his eyes in this savage place, he inadvertently caught the attention of one of his current captors. Since then, he had been living as a hostage.
'How did I end up here? What will I do?' These questions haunted him ever since he assumed the identity of Liam Porter, a young servant of the Porter family of Espia Kingdom, on his way to the Demonpost.
Demonpost, a major city in Espia Kingdom, was supposed to be his destination to attend the Mystical Beast Academy. There, his past self hoped to gain the skills necessary to one day become a distinguished butler for the Porter family.
Now, Liam found himself far from the Demonpost, his intended destination dramatically altered.
As their wagon jostled over the rough terrain, the wheel of the first wagon snapped off, causing the vehicle to flip in the nearly dried mud.
The guards, witnessing the accident, hurried in, perceiving the incident as a mishap rather than an escape attempt.
"Oh, fuck!" Day, seated next to Liam and Ellis, exclaimed worriedly.
The evening was approaching, and the chill winds stirred their anxieties about the night ahead. This was not the land Liam knew. Here, in the Twin Land, cultivation and mystical powers shaped reality.
Half of the mainland population was born with sensitivity to spirit power, while the other half lacked any perception or control over such forces.
Notably, all the guards escorting them were Spirit Masters, powerful in manipulating spirit power, unlike any of the hostages.
The downside of that interesting statistic was that, followed the rule of 50% sensitive and 50% non-sensitive, all beasts in the Twin Land were born with an innate connection to spirit power, adding a dangerous unpredictability to their surroundings.
The threat to their lives would significantly rise if they had to stay motionless in this remote forest in the middle of the night.
Upon seeing the broken wagon, the hostages watched as some guards approached to secure the area while others began to repair the damage.
As an hour passed, they remained on that road, now enveloped in the darkness of night, casting an eerie shadow over this unfamiliar terrain.
The hostages' greatest fear was not an attack from beasts on their Spirit Master guards; those guardians were more than capable of defending themselves. Their genuine fear lay elsewhere.
"Release the hostages." The command they dreaded most was issued by the leader of the group, the one taking them to Violent Lake. His voice sent shivers of terror through them.
"Not again!"
"Please don't! We can't bear to go through this ordeal again!"
Panic surged as the guards unlocked their cages, thrusting weapons into their hands without offering any semblance of safety. Before they comprehended the situation, half of the hostages were outside their cells, armed with spears, swords, and other weapons provided by the guards.
Clutching his spear and mindful of his injuries, Liam realized he had no choice but to prepare for battle.
Liam couldn't understand why, but their captors were sadistic, forcing them into deadly combats whenever the chance arose. Before Liam joined, the ten remaining hostages had already endured such ordeals, witnessing fellow captives fall.
"Get ready, kid. These people won't help us. Only our own strength can fend off the beasts that attack us!" Old Ellis said, his words to Liam laden with a protective urgency reminiscent of advice to a grandson.
No sooner had Ellis spoken than Liam heard the eerie howls of wolves. He spun toward the source of the noise.
Gulping in fear, he gripped his spear with both hands, bracing against his pain to take a defensive stance.
A pack of six horse-sized wolves charged toward them. These formidable creatures, far mightier than any normal animal, bore gray fur and blood-red eyes that glinted menacingly. Saliva dripped from their open jaws.
They seemed to disregard the Spirit Masters, as if the guards were mere shadows, while the guards themselves stood by, observing the unfolding chaos.
Just moments after the wolves appeared, screams erupted from the center of the road as one wolf lunged at one of the ordinary people, sinking its teeth into the man's leg.
"Aaaaagh!"
Just as darkness fell, Day found herself in a dire situation, with one wolf pouncing on her as if she were the most enticing prey amongst them.
Two groups of three hostages each formed around two wolves, while Day saw Liam near to her, the only one who seemed unprepared.
She moved with the swiftness of a rabbit, her hand quickly clutching one of Liam's forearms, causing his eyes to widen as he felt his 70-kilogram body being maneuvered from side to side.
Swooish!
As a wolf's paw struck at him, a silver blade flashed between Liam and the beast, halting the vicious attack aimed at his neck.
Liam's survival instincts surged, and seizing the moment, he hurled his weapon at the wolf's eye, too close to the creature to contemplate any escape without making such a critical move.
His spear flew from his hands, aiming straight for the wolf's skull as the beast opened its massive jaws, intent on devouring its foe.
"Stay ali—" Ellis shouted as he suddenly appeared in front of Liam, only for the creature to bite down, swallowing half of his abdomen.
The moment Ellis' body appeared in front of Liam's, the young man's spear reached the right eye of the gray wolf in front of him.
Unfortunately, the moment his weapon penetrated the creature's eye, Liam saw Ellis fall, half of Ellis' abdomen missing, obviously in the mouth of the wolf wounded in one eye!
"NOOOOOO!" Liam shouted as he trembled, his eyes wide, a nauseating sensation rising from the depths of his body.
Ellis didn't last over three seconds after falling to the ground without a part of his body. His light went out, while blood oozed from his large wound at the level of his abdomen.
Ellis' wound exposed his internal organs, including his lungs, heart, and one kidney, to anyone nearby.
But no one but Liam paid any attention to the already dead old man. Of the initial 11 hostages, 3 of them had fallen within seconds of the start of the fight, while half of the wolves fell to the combined attack of two trios and Liam's decisive strike.
A lone wolf took off from the scene, holding the victim's body by one leg, intending to devour the unfortunate individual at a later time.
Of the two remaining wolves, one saw its enemies grow with the fall of some of them and retreated simultaneously with the departure of the last one there, who was carrying the head of a man.
Liam dropped to his knees, facing the lifeless forms of Ellis and the wolf. His vision became hazy as his face contorted, and seconds later, he vomited the meager contents of his stomach.
Following that, he collapsed as he observed Day giving him strange glances.
...
Several hours passed, and the daybreak was gradually appearing on the horizon as the group, comprising two carriages and four wagons, made their way towards Violent Lake at a steady but unhurried speed.
Following the previous incident, the guards repaired the damaged wheel of the previous wagon and resumed their journey.
Liam was now lying in his cell next to Day while he was still unconscious, his expression as grim as the night before.
Day was next to the boy, sitting up as she stared at him steadily, her eyes cold, her thoughts even more chilling.
'I've got to find a way to kill the brat next time,' she saw Liam's eyes move more than they had in the last few hours, imagining he would soon wake up. 'If I don't get another chance on the way to Violent Lake, I'll kill him as soon as they drop us off on one of their islands.'
As Day turned her attention back to the road, Liam woke up from his nightmares, feeling the pain of his old injuries, but much more the sadness of losing Ellis.
Ellis had been a stranger to him until seven days ago. But Ellis was the first person he had met in this world since his reincarnation, a man who, at least in front of him, had been gentle and kind to him.
Did Ellis have any ill intentions with his actions? Liam could would never know, so it really didn't matter. What mattered was what had actually happened.
'Damn it! Old Ellis died saving me!'
He looked through the bars of his cell, seeing the beautiful landscape from where the convoy was passing, a large valley from which he could see the mountain ranges to the south.
But as he looked into his own cell, he froze when he saw who was standing next to him.
'Day!'
His eyes sharpened, his heart beating differently, his thoughts flying.
'She tried to use me as a shield yesterday!'
He remembered perfectly how it had all happened. He didn't blame a person for trying to save themselves with everything at their disposal, but there was no way he could agree with what she had done without seeing it in a negative light.
If it hadn't been for Ellis, Day's action would have killed Liam!
'Fucking woman! I knew you were no good. I'll be more careful against you.'
He clenched his fists as he stopped staring at the woman next to him, learning yet another hard lesson in this horrible world.
Liam had read novels about fantasy worlds and the like, played video games, watched series and animes. But his experience of being reincarnated in a magical world was not as good as the journey of many of the characters he had followed.
Where were the beautiful and talented maidens who would belong to him? And the opportunities he would stumble upon without even trying?
The reality was different, dry. He had almost died the moment he arrived in this hellish world, and now he had learned a new lesson in a near-death experience.
'I thought I could trust these people because we were in the same situation, but I see I was foolish. I can't trust anyone.'
His eyes grew cold, his thoughts becoming more and more rational. Feeling death so close awoke something deep within him. He had been depressed until the previous afternoon, with no hope of improving his situation. But death was much worse than he could have imagined. Even though his situation was terrible, he now felt he had to persevere, just as Ellis had told him to.
'I'll live! Old Ellis, I'll try not to waste your sacrifice!'
He thought to himself, a step more mature than when he had arrived in this world. 'I'll have to watch out for that woman and the others. Even if some of them have no intention of harming me, they will definitely kill me if it can help them.
Day probably wasn't my enemy until yesterday. But the people of this world are too violent for an incident like that to go unnoticed. I must prepare to deal with her!'
He stopped his thoughts at this point, feeling that the knowledge of the former owner of his body was affecting his manners.
Without realizing it, he thought about murdering someone, something he had abhorred until a few days ago, while he was on Earth; a side of him which hadn't fully changed until the night before.
He already felt a small desire to kill the people who had exterminated his group and kidnapped him. But that didn't compare to the feeling permeating Liam's body as he thought about Day.
…
At midday, the convoy would pause, and the guards would provide the hostages with their sole meal.
As usual, none of the guards uttered a word throughout the process, giving out old food, leftovers from the guards' own meals the day before. But for the eight hungry people in the four wagons, their food was excellent. It was just a shame that there was very little for them.
Shortly after, the group would continue their journey, keeping the same pace as they had in the previous days. The group would stop three times a day for meals for the guards and the convoy leaders, at which time the group of hostages would drink water or do their business. The rest of the time, the convoy would continue regardless of day or night.
Only an incident like the one that had happened the day before would stop the group at unplanned times. If something like this happened during the night, the hostages knew that, once again, they would be forced to fight the beasts that came at them.
Luckily for the 8 survivors, the journey to Violent Lake would not have any other unplanned stops. With a few more days of the group's grueling journey, they would reach their destination!
...
Once the six wooden and iron horse-drawn carriages halted beside the vast lake—so immense that Liam couldn't discern its edge on the horizon—the guards proceeded to extract the hostages from their confinement.
The leader of the group of guards, a man with no items covering his face, blond hair, tall and strong, looked at the 8 survivors of the journey so far.
Opening his mouth, he swiftly provided a concise explanation to those who remained puzzled about their circumstances.
"Today, we will camp in this area. In three days at most, another five groups like mine will arrive here, and it will be time for us to leave you on one of the three islands of Violent Lake. After that, we'll come back for your in three months. We will take those who survive to the Demon Gate as new outer members of the sect."
'Demon Gate?'
Liam paled when he heard that name, not having noticed before he had fallen into the hands of this terrible group, but immediately remembering the memories of his new body.
'Demon Gate is a bloody sect of demon cultivators!'
He became nervous as he remembered the fame of this great continental sect, a group known for its extreme training and teaching tactics.
According to rumors, every year Demon Gate would select groups of mortals to abandon them to their fate on one of the group's islands. These places were basically inhabited by demons who would try to devour humans like him!
Not only did Liam turn pale with worry, all the other seven hostages looked at the lake with much more fear than they had felt in the last few days.
A few of them still held onto the hope of being sold as slaves!