[Teleporting to safe location...]
He barely glimpsed at the one who attacked him before a blinding flash seized him. The world spun, and when his vision cleared, he was somewhere new.
He blinked, taking in his surroundings. A bustling street stretched before him, with townsfolk going about their day as if nothing were amiss. The murmur of conversations and the scents of food stalls filled the air. He glanced down, surprised to feel solid earth beneath his feet.
His eyes widened. Since his reincarnation, he hadn't seen regular people, this is first time.
he didnt knew what to do he was just simple standing there, he slowly began walking, feeling out of place among the crowd but masking his unease. He slipped into a shadowed alley, away from the watchful eyes of strangers, and took a slow breath.
"System, where am I?"
[Empire of Valtoria]
[It is... a Empire.]
He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I know it's a empire. You just told me it's a empire."
[...]
After a moment of awkward silence, the System finally responded,
[Analyzing... Error: Insufficient data. Location database incomplete.]
He scoffed softly, muttering to himself. "So, you don't know."
[Correct. Current data is limited.]
He leaned against the wall, watching people pass by alleyway, feeling slightly out of place. For a moment, he considered asking someone for information but hesitated, realizing he stood out.
His clothing was ragged becouse of the attack from that unknown being, and he probably looked more like a vagrant than a traveler.
"Fine. I'll find out myself."
As he slowly walked out of the alley, he looked for someone from whom he might get information without raising suspicion. He tried to walk normally, but the crowd seemed to turn their heads to look at him.
"His height is so good."
"Yes, and his face is nice too," a group of women chatted.
"Yeah, but I guess he won't have that pretty face for long," one of them said, shaking her head.
"What a shame! If I could, I'd take him as my bed slave," the first woman joked, laughter following her words.
The others fell silent, glancing around. "Shut up! Don't you know the rules?" one said sharply.
Unaware of their conversation, he moved on, weaving through the people. As he pushed through, the commotion grew louder, pulling him toward a gathering.
"What's happening there?" he wondered, curiosity piqued.
"Burn him! He dared..!" someone yelled.
"Yes, burn him until he's ashes! That filthy outsider needs to pay!" another voice shouted.
At the center, a young man was tied to a stake on a platform. His face and body were covered in red lines, and blood trickled down from broken lips. The pain was evident in his eyes.
"Please! I beg you! I didn't do anything!" he cried, desperation thick in his voice.
The flames ignited beneath him, starting at his feet. The fire crackled ominously, consuming the wood and quickly climbing up his legs.
"No! Please!" Thrainor screamed again, but the heat swallowed his words.
As the flames spread, he struggled against the ropes, but they only dug deeper into his skin. The crowd leaned in closer, watching with fascination. The smell of burning flesh filled the air.
The flames shot up his legs, turning his skin a gruesome black. The first crackling sound of flesh burning echoed through the square.
"Stop! Help me!" he shouted, but no one moved to save him.
As the flames engulfed the young man named Thrainor body, he cried out again, but the pain only intensified. Each flicker of fire felt like knives cutting into him. Tears streamed down his face, mixing with the smoke and ash.
Thrainor's screams filled the air as the flames engulfed him. "Please! I didn't do anything!" he cried, his voice filled with fear and pain.
The fire reached his chest, and his clothing disintegrated.
His voice weakened, turning into a choked sob. The fire climbed to his face, the heat distorting his features.
The crowd shouted, "Burn, traitor! Burn!" The boy's face twisted in pain until finally, it became unrecognizable.
With a final scream that pierced the air, his body went limp. The flames continued their work, consuming the last remnants of his struggles.
"What...?" The sight struck him like a physical blow. His eyes widened in shock. Did they just burn someone alive?
An overwhelming sense of disgust filled his whole body, and he staggered backward, fighting the nausea rising in his throat.
Turning sharply, he stumbled into a nearby alley, desperately trying to escape the horrific scene. He doubled over, unable to hold it back any longer, and vomited onto the cobblestones.
He gasped for air, feeling the bile burn his throat as he tried to steady himself against the cold stone wall.
The horror of what he had just witnessed gripped him, making it hard to breathe.
"System," he croaked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "What was that?"
[Execution. Common practice in Valtoria.]
"Common practice?" he spat, disbelief mixing with the remnants of nausea. "They burn people alive? Just like that?"
[Affirmative. Outsiders are often treated with hostility.]
He leaned against the wall, his heart racing as the implications settled in.
"How can people stand by and watch?" he muttered, struggling to comprehend the casual cruelty of the crowd.
[Survival of the fittest. The strong prevail while the weak perish. It is the natural order of this world.]
"Natural order?"
"Well make's sense.. It is not modern world after all."
[Processing... It is necessary to adapt.]
".. You are right i do have to get used to these things.."
"Whatever, but it felt disgusting to watch that," he muttered as he slowly calmed himself down.
"Well, well, what do we have here? A tall young man?" Suddenly, two figures emerged from the shadows, their silhouettes sharp against the dim light of the alleyway.