SPLASH! 

A jolt of coldness woke me up. I was yet inside another barren room. This time I was facing a tall man that was looking down on me, His long coat and indifferent expression made him look intimidating. I was still feeling the same pain in my head ⁠— a headache. 

How long was this going to continue? At this point… I didn’t care anymore…

“What happens now? I die… haa… just do it already…” The pointless and fruitless struggle was not for me, I wanted to live at that moment, but now… It simply is helplessness. 

“Drink.” He forced a small cup onto my lips, my hands were unable to move for some reason. He did not say anything but kept pushing it. 

“You know I am not gonn⁠— afgh…” He started to pour the liquid without a previous warning. Ended up swallowing it by mistake and shock. “Cough!” 

After my body bounced from coughing, I realized that I was tied down to a chair, and the only source of light was the skylight on the small room. This was literally a torture room, and I was the victim while he was the torturer. Ha… 

He sat in a chair that was in front of me. 

“What are you going to do to me?” 

“Nothing, I will just make you pay for what you owe. You will work for me.” He nonchalantly informed me as he stared coldly into my eyes, this man simply didn’t care. I could tell, he simply saw me as an object. 

“Just kill me already… I am quite done this…” I muttered in annoyance. 

I saw a vein bulge on his head. “You made me lose a lot of money today, you know the person you killed was really important right? I can tell, you are not a kin, so make the right choice.” 

“I killed him?” Frankly, I did not believe him. The man stared at me like a predator, making me shy away. ”... I will work…” At this point, I didn’t know anymore… 

Whether I wanted to live or die, neither felt like a choice, I suppose I wanted to live. That’s why I struggled so much, because of fear. But now that that’s gone, it’s just… nothing… Sudden happiness and cheerfulness can be nice, but in the end I think I should know about the underlying fate that awaits me, even in this new place… The man continued to stare at me.

“I will work…” I said with more decisiveness. 

“Good…” The man smirked and stood up, undoing the rope on my hands. “Get up.” 

“But my leg…” Even if I wasn’t feeling it, I knew I was going to fall. 

“Get up…” I sighed, he should know it was going to happen. I stood up placing strength on my legs and…

“Eh… it doesn’t hurt…” What? Was the liquid similar to the one I was given earlier? 

“Follow me…” I could already tell, he was a man of few words. Although I could sense no hostility coming from him, but no affection either. It made me feel a bit more secure and calm, even if I wasn’t under ideal circumstances. 

We walked out of the room through the door. It seemed like we were in some type of big house, although it had little to no furnishing. I followed the man through the hall and went up some stairs. It led to a big room full of doors, he opened the first one that was right next to the stairs and gestured me to go inside. 

It was a small room with a bed, a little desk. Yet another skylight and a cube-shaped protrusion that was coming out of the corner of the room. 

“This will be your new living space.” Eh… 

“Thanks… You are um… the collector?” I asked as I recalled his name. He wordlessly nodded as he looked at me, it was weird since he wouldn’t speak much. 

“What will I be doing? You know… to repay... “ I nervously asked, the last thing I wanted was to end up in the same situation, once again…

“You will help collect.” Ha… how specific. “I can tell you have a talent for collecting already…” He was making no sense. “I can see you are quite hungry.” I wasn’t feeling particularly hungry…

Grrr… Maybe I was… How did he? 

“You have a lot of questions I won’t answer, remember, you are nothing but a worker. He said as he left a box on the table. “Rest for today, I am impressed you are still alive.” He said as he left, what did he mean by that? 

He left the room before I could ask something, I was left inside the room with my hand hopelessly extended into the air. 

“Ha… Well, I wonder what’s in the box?”

I opened it with curiosity. It was divided into a small and a big section. One of them was filled with small crystal vials containing some muddy liquid. It had a small note alongside it. 

Drink one a day starting tomorrow, otherwise, you really might die. It seems that cores are different from us humans. Eh… I mean, i knew that he knew… but how could he know so much…

‘Let’s see… The only time I saw my status was through the stone tablet, it was when I first saw my black blood. Wait… if the blood contains my um… data if that’s how you would call it, then... ‘ I froze as I vividly recalled the room of nightmares, biting, chomping, leg… Black stains everywhere… Haa…

My mood worsened in an instant. 

“Still… I didn't even ask to get in such a situation…” I was upset. “Sigh, what’s left in the box?” I tried distracting myself by looking at the contents of the other side of the box. It had yet another small box that was snuggly fit into the compartment. 

I shook it and moved it around, it was hard to get it out. After a few seconds of slight struggle, I managed to get it out. It was a box in a box, would there be yet another box? That would be funny… I think…

As my thoughts scattered I opened the box without thinking much about it. An aroma instantly struck my nose and permeated it with a rather overwhelming smell. My tongue started to salivate as I tasted my dry mouth. The rich fragrance and hit of recently made food, how long had it been? 

As I salivated I got a closer look at the contents. Two pieces of fluffy-looking bread and meat, it wasn’t the best but it was warm and recently made. Maybe the collector cared for me even the slightest bit? Well regardless… 

Grr… I was hungry.

“Thanks for the food!” I cheerfully muttered as I started eating it with my hands, there was nothing left in the box, so I had no other choice. I was starved… I tore away a chunk of the bread as it separated with bounciness and minor resistance. 

The warmness and buttery taste of the bread overwhelmed my senses, the meat was tender and smooth to chew, it was perfect and yet simple. How long had it been… My eyes were closed, the food was just so good. I was glad...

I put yet another piece of the bread in my mouth. “Eh…” It tasted slightly salty. I glanced down once again. My tears were dropping all over the bread, there was no point in trying to stop ⁠— they wouldn’t stop.

“I am… crying?” 

I was feeling relief as if I had something less to worry about. I finished my food with happiness, I didn’t know how much time had passed, but it was an enjoyable experience, and more importantly. It was delicious.

I spent a few minutes contemplating things. 

“Although… I do wonder why did he say impressed by the fact that I was still alive? Did something happen in between fainting periods? Ha… I don’t know. 

I laid on the rather stiff bed. Although for some reason he gave me food and not clothes. I was still wearing the same thing I stole from Mr skeleton. It was a memento and a reminder of how not to go about things with the dead. 

As my mind and body relaxed that lingering feeling returned⁠— exhaustion, tiredness, general nausea… ‘I see what he meant with surprised now…’ I did not think it was humanly possible to feel worse than when I was taking a pill cocktail… I was wrong… 

I shuffled around in the bed, light was still coming into the room, but my eyelids felt heavy. The bed wasn’t so bad actually. It offered the right amount of resistance while at the same time providing enough comfort to my body. 

Everything was so comfortable and warm, I was feeling dizzy and oddly rested. I fell asleep.

Azrie

The promised break is here, although as of writing this I have no idea about the poll results haha. Hope you all enjoyed the chapters. I am not going to comment too much on the following mini-arc, but at least the start of it is a nice break from the past few chapters.