Clink! Clink! Clink!
As my pickaxe hit the colorful stones stuck inside the earth, it would break off the crystals from the Earth and let them collect on the floor. The floor all over the cave would be filled with soil and colorful stones and crystals of various sizes.
I looked around me and noticing that there were no eyes on me, I moved a colorful vortex towards the biggest crystal. The vortex spun clockwise while I kept mining, showing no change in my actions. I did not know anything about those colorful stones so I just collected some of them in my inventory for the past few days.
'I don't want to regret later if I found out that these stones were precious and still I didn't bring more with me.'
***
It was now lunch time and all of us were moving towards the dining area. For the other slaves, who were moving in a group, this was their first meal of the day. They were going on; chatting casually and some would occasionally look towards me and murmur. On the other hand, I was moving alone. The reason was obvious, I was a criminal and they weren't.
Sigh!
"How does it feel being a dead man?" As soon as I sighed on my situation, I heard a familiar voice from behind me. I turned around just to notice that it was none other than John!
With his towering and muscular figure John stood there with his arms folded. He had a strange smile on his face. It was a very different kind of smile. I could not understand the purpose behind it. Although, it was similar to those bullies I saw on TV. I never actually got the chance to face them on Earth as I was educated in the orphanage.
"Do you think the situation is funny? Why are you smiling like that?" I enquired with annoyance.
"Ha-ha, don't be mad Alex, I just wanted some entertainment." John replied honestly, atleast that's what it must have been. "But look at you sighing with so much melancholy. You're still young so you still don't realize, death is better than a life like this. So accept your destiny with joy instead of useless sadness."
'Just say 'destiny' once more and I'll instantly use my active skill on you!'
I put my intrusive thoughts aside and said, "Are you just here to mock me? If that's so then be done with it quickly so I can have my lunch peacefully."
There was no way an Operator like him was just here to mock me and make fun of me. There must have been something that he wanted.
"Would that be your last wish?"
As soon as John said those words, I realized what was happening!
'How could I forget such an important part of the plan? My schedule got so busy that I was unable to remember something like this! I'll have to check later whether I was also forgetting some other important information!'
"No!" I exclaimed loudly to his question.
John's smile faded and his expression got serious. He then said, "Then, tell me what you want so we could quickly be done with it."
"I want a nice meal with no disturbance."
"Describe in more detail. Depending on what dishes you want, I can accept or deny your request."
I looked around the starlit village. The others have already moved forward to have their lunch. John and I were the only ones standing in this corner of the village.
After confirming that nobody would be able to hear me accept John, I said in a low voice, "I want so much food for today's dinner that could satiate ten hungry slaves. The food should also be tasty and something different from the normal meal we have. That's all the conditions I have, you are free to decide on the dishes."
After mentioning my 'last wish', I looked at the complicated expression John was making. After thinking for a bit, he said, "That will be a difficult wish to fulfill but not impossible. However, your wish is very strange. You will have to tell me why you want those specific terms. Depending on your answer, I will decide what is needed to be done."
'Good. Things are still under my plan.'
I have already created multiple answers for multiple scenarios. I said, "You see John, I never actually got to eat until I was full. I always felt that I was hungry. Therefore, I want to eat as much as I can before I die. I want to die satisfied atleast."
I thought my sad voice will be able to melt his heart but no such thing happened. His expression turned stoic and it looked like he was in deep thought.
After wasting ten minutes of my lunch time, James turned around and left. He left with such hurry and so unexpectedly that I couldn't even comprehend what just happened until he was already gone into the distance.
"Bastard!" I cursed in a low voice and went to have my lunch without even knowing if my wish would be fulfilled.
'If he wouldn't be able to fulfill this wish, I planned many others to ask but he just ran away! That was so annoying!'
I ended my monologue as I entered the dining area to eat a couple of komitas.
***
As soon as I was going to leave for my last dinner after finishing my nap, John suddenly came to the stable and took me to a different area. We moved in the starlit world towards the south-east direction. It was the same direction in the village where the small fruit orchard was.
As we moved towards the orchard, I noticed that the muddy ground changed into a grassy field. In the distance, I was able to see a small wooden hut. It was the same hut in which the old man who taught Alex the harvesting of starlight fruits, used to live.
John had already told me to just follow him quietly without saying anything. I guessed that it was because he didn't want the other slaves to know that I got a last wish.
As we reached the hut, John said, "Since you wanted to have your dinner in solitude, only open the door once I'm gone. This will be the most you can have for your wish so accept it and don't be disappointed. I should also remind you that you should not waste a single thing. If you're not able to finish your meal, you will be heavily punished!
"I have now done my job of explaining everything to you. I have got other works to do so I'll be taking my leave now. Since your last wish is being fulfilled, I now hope that your spirit will rest in peace."
John then left in a hurry. His last sentence made me realize that if I didn't manage to escape, I would really die!
I stood infront of the door, looking at it. Those turn of events didn't feel real, nothing felt real! I felt like I was a pawn whose life was being controlled by someone else. Just like how my death wasn't my own, my life also didn't feel like my own.
'I should focus on the task ahead. These poetic thoughts can come at a later time!'
Putting my thoughts to an end, I entered the hut to have my mysterious dinner, my 'last supper'!
Thud!
As I entered the hut, I closed the door behind me tightly. I looked around and noticed that the hut was actually empty except for a big rectangular, wooden table and a wooden chair. The table was decorated with a variety of dishes.
There were four plates of komitas, with each plate stacked with five komitas. There was a wooden glass and an earthen jug filled with water. On a small plate, there were two of the same fruit. I also noticed two cups of milk placed on the table. There was also that gray colored sauce which tasted like vomit.
I sat down on the chair and picked up the fruit. The fruit looked similar to the yellow starlight fruit. The difference being that the fruit was white in color and its crown was glowing with a reddish hue instead of purple.
Flick!
As I focused on the fruit, suddenly a small chlorophyll-green window appeared infront of me! It surprised me as it displayed the information about the fruit while pointing at it.
[Name: Colorless Starlight Fruit
Info: Due to your skill 'Starlight Harvesting: Level 2', you are able to recognize this fruit. This fruit has a very sour taste when eaten without the crown. It is grown in the same way as the 'Yellow Starlight Fruit'.]
I was feeling multiple emotions due to this new feature of the Status Window. Those were mainly the emotions of surprise, doubt and joy. I didn't know what triggered it so I couldn't really use it at will. After a few seconds of displaying the message, the window disappeared.
Flip!
After processing the information I just received, I placed the fruit back in the plate. Then I called my inventory and with the help of multiple commands, I stored the food inside my inventory. I didn't store everything on the table. I left the utensils, a bit of the sauce and two komitas.
This was my actual plan. I wanted to stock up on as much food as I could before I set on my journey to follow the light. The phrase that the slave said back in the stable still echoed in my head, 'Follow the light and humanity shall welcome you!'
I put my thoughts aside and finished the remaining food. I made it look like a mess so that it would seem like I haven't actually stored the food cleanly but hungrily ate it.
I waited for a bit after finishing my food. Seeing that no one was coming to check on me, I left the hut and went back to the stable to have my last sleep in Bulios.
***