Wiktor blinked twice as his vision cleared, the dim light of the cavern coming into focus. He glanced down at his arm—or what remained of it—wrapped in makeshift bandages made from plants.
"J-Joshua... that's you, right?" he said, his voice weak.
I nodded, crouching beside him. "Yeah, it's me Joshua."
Wiktor's breathing quickened as he stared at the stump where his arm used to be. Closing his eyes, he summoned his mana. The air around us grew heavy, charged with his focus.
Placing his hand over the stump, a faint glow emanated from it. Slowly, bone began to form, extending outward, followed by tendons and muscles weaving together like intricate threads. Veins and arteries connected seamlessly, and finally, skin formed over the structure, sealing it.
I looked at him in awe; he was fixing a broken arm with what seemed to be little effort.
As his magic continued, his body seemed to regain strength. The pale exhaustion faded, replaced by steady resolve. He flexed his fingers, testing the functionality of his recreated arm, then stood, his energy fully restored.
I let out a breath. "You really don't know how to quit, do you?"
Wiktor smirked faintly. "Quitting's not exactly in my vocabulary."
I extended my hand to him. He took it, gripping firmly as I helped pull him to his feet. "Thanks, bro," Wiktor said, his tone filled with appreciation.
I nodded, then gestured deeper into the cavern. "Wiktor, we should keep moving. We need to find where they're keeping the kidnapped people. That's why we're here, after all."
Wiktor gave a determined nod. "Let's go."
With renewed resolve, we pressed on into the darkness.
We found an open area—it seemed to be their stash. Gold, weapons, and food were scattered across the floor, but what stood out were the people, shackled to the walls.
Wiktor's gaze hardened. "This is where they've been keeping them."
I nodded, and we quickly broke the chains binding the captives. Once freed, they looked at us with a mix of confusion and relief.
I climbed quickly to the highest point of the open cavern. It wasn't too tall, but tall enough for people to look up at us. Taking a breath, I announced, my voice carrying through the cavern:
"You've been through a lot, and I know it's hard to believe, but you are free now. Free to live your lives as you choose, without fear or chains. The bandits and their leader have been brought to justice and executed. They can harm no one anymore."
I paused, letting the weight of my words settle in.
"If any of this belongs to you, take what is yours. If not, leave it behind. We will make sure that the rest will be put to good use."
A person stood out from the rest of the former captives. "We have no homes to return to. Most of our villages were destroyed, and the ones that remain are vulnerable and have no food to take us back in."
I looked down, thinking about what to do. "Hmm. Then follow us. I will lead you, not as a master, but as your liberator. We will build a new community. We will bring justice to this world, starting with freeing all the enslaved, captured, and oppressed."
The former captive spoke again, his voice uncertain. "But how will we manage? We are just weaklings. Many of us are women and children."
I responded, my voice booming, amplified by something I couldn't explain. "WE WILL TRAIN YOU! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU! IF YOUR TALENT IS MAGIC, WE WILL NURTURE IT. IF IT'S SWORDSMANSHIP, WE WILL DEVELOP IT!"
The feeling of my voice being amplified was strange, but I embraced it and pressed on. "Together, we will become strong. Together, we will take back what was stolen from us. And together, we will fight for freedom."
The crowd cheered in overwhelming support, shouting in unison, "LIBERATE! LIBERATE! LIBERATE!"
Wiktor, at the bottom, smiled at me and gave me a thumbs-up. I smiled back, both of us knowing that we had just taken the first step in making the world realize justice.
We organized them into groups: the able-bodied men, the women and children, and the frail and disabled. There were roughly 150 former prisoners. I was surprised at how the bandits had even been able to get away with that much, and this was just one camp of them. It seemed like whatever ruling power that had control over this area had been letting them do their thing.
"Wiktor, I feel like there is something more sinister going on. This seems like this bandit outbreak hasn't even been attempted to be suppressed. This is just speculation, but I think whatever ruling power controls this region has let them do whatever they want for some reason."
"That is possible, but we still don't know for sure," Wiktor responded.
We got the women and older children to help with the food. We took some of the meat the bandits had stashed around, and they prepared it for the rest of the newly formed group. After we all had food, I signaled Wiktor to follow me. "Wiktor, we should clear up the mess of boulders that you made on the pathway so we can get out of this cave."
Wiktor said, "Joshua, I need to tell you something about what happened right before you arrived."
I responded, "Hmm, what happened? It must be serious based on the way you're sounding."
Wiktor hesitated. "I- I heard a voice. It had authority. It stopped time. It said we were different from the other people he sent to other worlds."
I raised an eyebrow. "Wait, wait, wait. That has to be the being we got messaged by before we got sent to this world."
Wiktor nodded, his face serious. "I'm sure of that now. It seems like we have a new destiny."
I clenched my fists, determination burning in my chest. "We will destroy the institutions of oppression and bring order to this land. I promise—NO, I SWEAR IT, WE WILL CHANGE THIS WORLD."