Before I realized it, the morning light had begun to seep through the gaps in the iron ventilation.
I was already awake, quietly drawing in the surrounding air.
It was unusually fresh—comfortable enough to make me greet the day with a faint smile.
I guess… this time it will be a day just like any other.
I stretched my body, then did some light exercises until my breath became slightly heavy.
After that, I sat down. Some meat was left over from yesterday. I chewed it slowly—it was cold, a little tough.
In between my chews, my gaze locked onto the door.
For a long time.
… Uncle, is he not going to come anymore from now on?
I let my thoughts get trapped in silence.
Until finally…
BAMM!
A violent bang erupted from the door I had been staring at.
I shot to my feet.
The people around me also responded the same way.
My eyes widened, my mouth stopped chewing. "What the—!"
I released the meat from my grip. It fell to the sandy floor. Bouncing lightly a few times before finally stopping and mixing with the piles of sand.
Behind the door that had already been opened, a group of guards I had never seen entered in a row.
After I counted them all, they numbered three people.
Their massive bodies filled the doorway. Shoulders tight, arms rigid. Heavy snorts leaked from behind the black masks that concealed their faces. Each step thudded against the stone floor.
Among them, one person seemed out of place.
His clothes were neat. A book was clasped in his arm. His face looked calm, almost without reaction, even though the shadows of the large bodies surrounded him from all sides.
After their steps stopped, the book-carrying man raised his pen.
The tip of his pen moved, towards one side of the enclosure, then to the other side.
Occasionally, he glanced at the book in his arm. The pen stopped below his lips, as if he were immersed in the notes in his own head.
I narrowed my eyes. "What is that person doing?"
A few moments after I said that, the person holding the book seemed to nod, once.
My eyes widened, one of my eyebrows rose. "Is that person, taking data on us?"
His hand holding the pen was raised upwards. His face was slightly raised. He took a deep breath until his chest expanded.
"ATTENTION EVERYONE!"
The voice cut through the room. My head was also raised.
Around me, the slaves brought their ears closer to each other afterward. Faint whispers began to be heard.
They seemed to be discussing something. I didn't really hear what they were saying. And I didn't really care about what they were discussing either.
Their gazes seemed to narrow, directed at one person there.
A guard near the door looked around, slowly, then locked onto the crowd of slaves who were whispering softly.
A few seconds later, the guard immediately stretched his arms. His neck bent to the side until it made a sound—Crack!
They immediately fell silent. Their faces turned pale instantly.
I watched them, without much reaction, then returned my gaze to the person who was speaking far in front of me.
"ETTO… FOR THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PEOPLE I MENTION, PLEASE STEP FORWARD IMMEDIATELY, YES!"
After that… the neatly dressed person began to tap his pen on his chin, softly, three times. His eyes were busy tracing the book notes he was holding, before finally… he looked back to the front, raised his pen again, then pointed it forward.
The guards around him watched him, looked at each other, then nodded their heads in unison.
After that nod, their steps moved in unison. The stone floor sounded loudly following the rhythm.
They scattered.
One of the guards stopped in front of my enclosure.
The other two spread to the remaining enclosures, each taking a position on the side of the iron door.
A rough snort could be heard from nearby. Their bodies were still in place, shoulders tense, gazes directed forward, and hands hanging at the side of the door.
I swallowed my saliva. "Wow… Their bodies are huge."
Not long after that, the person who was smaller than the guards began to pay attention to them. His brown eyes sharpened, his eyebrows bent inward.
The guards who saw him seemed to nod slightly afterward.
One of their hands reached for the padlock. The other hand went into the pocket of his pants, taking out a key.
The sound of metal clashing briefly simultaneously—then the key was turned, and the padlock in each enclosure was opened.
A few moments later, a hand immediately gripped the bars from the gap in the door. Pulled hard.
The friction of iron screeched long—then the door opened.
I reflexively raised my head. The people around me remained curled up, their bodies stiff, not one of them moved closer.
My gaze returned to the front. Examining the guard who was standing too close to me.
His breath was heavy, going in and out through his nose which was covered by a mask.
The smell of iron and sweat stung my nose.
I couldn't breathe. My throat went dry. My legs refused to move.
What's happening? I looked back, watching the people who looked pale looking at me. Is this their feeling… who once wanted to try to escape?
It turned out that was the reason, which made the people around me not dare to step out of the prison door. This feeling that was so oppressive.
I felt that if I came out of that door gate without being told, then something dangerous would happen to me.
I swallowed my saliva. My eyes returned to looking at the guard who was near me.
My heart was beating faster than before.
My feet reflexively retreated, three steps, no more than that.
And before I had time to calm myself, the short person who seemed to have authority in this room began to open his mouth again,
"FOR THE FIRST PERSON…!"
My gaze immediately shifted towards him.
His eyes were now tracing the notes in the book that he had been holding since earlier. His lips moved without rhythm, mentioning one by one the characteristics written there.
Several people whose characteristics were mentioned immediately stepped forward, passing the guards without obstacles, then lined up neatly in front. Some others remained curled up in place, paralyzed by fear. That attitude provoked the anger of the neatly dressed man, until the guards dragged them forward by force.
From my prolonged observation, I realized one consistent pattern. Those who were called forward, almost all of them showed prominent physical advantages or intellectual prowess. That criteria was too familiar—exactly like the slave selection standards that had been explained in one of the main character's character learning sessions, long before this stage began.
Until before I knew it, several minutes had passed.
The neatly dressed person seemed to already be on the last page. The pupils of his eyes were also already at the end of the writing. And maybe, this was the last candidate to be called today.
Well, it's impossible for me to be the last person called, right?
The neatly dressed person seemed to raise one of his eyebrows, looking at me several times, before looking at his notes again.
He swallowed his saliva. "THE LAST CANDIDATE…!"
My hands were folded. A thin smile adorned my face. "Because… I'm just an ordinary person—."
"BROWN HAIR…!"
Hm hm~ almost everyone here has brown hair.
"WHITE SKIN…!"
My smile began to be slightly damaged. …Well, most people here also have white skin.
"AROUND TEN YEARS OLD…!"
Cold sweat began to pour from my body. …Th-there are still ten-year-old children here… Haha…
"AND THE LAST CHARACTERISTIC…!"
Hm hm~ The last one… it definitely won't be my characteristic, right?
"EYES ARE COLORED…!"
It must be brown.
"GOLDEN YELLOW…!"
"…"
My eyes widened. HA?! IT CAN'T BE ME, RIGHT?!
My gaze swept around, quickly—too quickly. There must be someone else. There must be someone who has the same characteristics… besides me.
One by one I looked at the faces. But from all those faces, no one gave an answer. No one matched. No one flinched even a little.
Instead, there were gazes. Many gazes. Starting from those who shook their heads, to those who raised their heads, as if showing pity.
And it all led in the same direction.
Which was… towards me.
That was when I realized—it wasn't that those traits merely matched me.
It was that… they were pointing at me.
"Ah…" My eyes began to be a little empty.
I knew one day it would be like this.
A day that would ruin my peaceful life, in this place with so many memories.
I took a breath. The air that felt tight, began to enter my lungs.
My eyes closed, to enjoy the last air in this place.
"Hah…"
In the end… humans have to find a new place to be able to develop into something better.
I patted both of my cheeks. Confidence began to return. Alright! Let's just live it first!