"Haa… haaa…"
Heavy breaths, accompanied by loud pants that seemed more akin to a feral wolf or a hungry dog than anything else, filled the stage.
True to his intentions, there was only one last person on stage.
The last survivor had just been stabbed in the face by Rey, while the one before him was tossed to the Chaos Dweller, who ripped him to shreds as he screamed for mercy.
At this moment, a winner had already been decided.
The Nameless Slave, who brutally killed eleven of his fellows with his own two hands.
—Rey!
'So… what do you think, dear Master?' Despite feeling so much exhaustion in his weakened body that he thought he would pass out at any moment, Rey maintained his stance.
The Chaos Dweller was no longer a problem, as mystical chains suddenly appeared out of thin air and dragged it back to the pit it crawled out of. Cheers filled the air as all manner of sounds bombarded his senses at the same time.
The blinding lights from the high ceiling obscured all the spectators from sight, but Rey still cast his gaze up.
He let his cool gaze rest on an empty space, as an eerie smile formed on his face.
Many thoughts ran through his mind at once.
But none of them mattered.
Not at the moment.
For now, he had survived, which meant his Master had secured the prize money gained from his victory. This was already the best outcome he could have reached this night.
And for that, he was not only proud… but quite curious.
He could not see the face of his Master, but he had an image in mind as he pictured his face.
Then, licking his lips, he had one crucial thought.
'Are you not entertained?'
*************
Augustus was stunned.
His eyes were wide open, his emerald pupils flashing with incredulity as he stared below at the bloody arena. His gaze disregarded everything there, from the mutilated corpses to the leftover entrails and bloody innards spilled all over, only focusing on one thing.
One person.
—His slave!
'Impressive!' He had to admit to himself in shock. 'I have never seen anyone like this before!'
It wasn't that the Slave was an excellent fighter or showed any special talents that made him stand out as a major threat. In fact, the lowest-ranked soldier in the Desgarron Manor could easily subdue him with skills alone.
The most spectacular thing about this slave was his unexpected brutality.
He was too ruthless!
Not only were his actions well thought out, from the number of bone daggers he carried, to the kinds of slaves he targeted first, but he also showed no hesitation before committing the act, or remorse after they were committed.
Such cruelty and killing intent was a strange sight to see, even for Augustus Serith Desgarron.
'If he were an enemy, I'd have him immediately executed. Even if he were an ally, I wouldn't trust him at all and would rather find a way to eliminate him as quickly as possible.' The Young Master's eyes flickered for a moment, his expression stern.
However, soon he made a broad smile.
'But, lucky me… he is a slave!'
Not just any slave, but one who was already bound by the power of Curse Art.
'Curse Art is one of the six Arts of Ancient MajiK. Its binding effects are perfect and absolute, and with the conditions exhibited in the contract, there is no way he can defy me.'
If he could, the slave would be a major threat.
In fact, he would already be dead.
But—
'With such a slave in my hands, I can look forward to a more interesting gambling experience, not only in the Chaos Dweller Pit, but in other arenas as well.' Many thoughts ran through his mind at that moment as his green eyes flashed with greed.
'Hehe! I actually wasn't expecting much when I first saw him, but this kid could actually be special… he could be my golden ticket to the big leagues!'
The truth is, despite his high status in the Land of Nether, among his peers… Augustus was actually a bum. He didn't have many special talents, and his aptitude in Ancient MajiK was only so-so. In fact, his younger sister had shown even greater talent than he.
His Desgarron Family was also dead last among the 24 Noble Houses in the Land of Nether.
They were constantly looked down on in high society.
Because of this, Augustus began attending events like this, hoping to make connections and improve his reputation through gambling with slaves. The stakes were low, and his potential rewards were high.
If he could make a name for himself within the Land's Elite, then maybe…
… Maybe he would be more!
'So far, I was only able to win the first few times, and I've been on a losing streak. But my luck has finally turned around with this dark horse. As long as he continues to prove himself, I can keep using him to my benefit and reap the greatest rewards!'
Screw combat talent!
Fuck aptitude in Ancient MajiK!
In the end, what matters is reputation! And what better way to gain a reputation than to win?
'That's right! You just watch out… this is it! It's finally my turn to shine!' Augustus' lips curled upward, stretching to their limits as he cast his gaze on the slave once more.
'You better work hard for me, slave!'
Augustus could feel it instinctively… that this cursed child was the key.
'He has potential! I just need to nurture him, and he'll be able to contest in much bigger ways than currently. If he also wins the prizes, that's a good way to earn extra money for myself.'
Slaves were cheap like grass.
Investments were not expensive or risky ventures.
Augustus was the Young Master of a Barony, so he could clearly afford this much.
"Logan…" He turned to the lanky man with the mustache who sat right next to him, completely silent since he arrived.
"Yes, Young Master."
"I'm thinking of teaching that brat Ancient Majik."
"Oh?" At this point, even Logan showed surprise. "Ancient MajiK… is something only a select few are capable of even learning. Only Nobles and their vassals are given the privilege to do so, and not all have the potential…"
"I know, I know!" Augustus waved carefreely, as if he didn't care about the details.
Instead, he chuckled loudly.
"Something tells me he has what it takes. And if he doesn't, then that's too bad for me. Regardless, isn't it worth a shot? We can use him a lot more if he has the basics down, and it's not like he can defy us anyway. Plus, if he proves too dangerous, I can always count on you to eliminate him, right?"
"Yes, of course… Young Master."
"Hehe! Good!" Augustus clapped lightly, rising to his feet as he realized that some gazes were already resting on him.
He enjoyed the attention because it was clearly his slave who won.
"I'll leave his training to you, Logan. I expect good results." With a flourish, he smirked and walked away from his seat, leaving for the lobby to receive his prize money.
As for Logan, he calmly watched his Young Master leave, but still kept his head bowed.
That way, no one could see the dark and eerie gaze in his eyes.