Chapter 3

The journey was longer and more grueling than he expected. 

"Hey bring those slaves here"

"You there! Follow them"

"Get in a line people!"

In the end, they reached Bakista before the sun was fully set, and he looked at the sky. 

The sky seemed to stretch on forever, and the rotation of the planet seemed to be slower, making time seem to drag on endlessly. He knew that he would have to adjust his sense of time if he wanted to survive in this new world.

A man wearing light blue cloth came up to the carriage's back "Start climbing down and don't do anything stupid!"

The slaves in the carriage did not resist, one by one they stepped down from the carriage, and he too joined them. 

They moved in a line like ants, he surveyed the surroundings, it was as what he expected the slave market to be when he saw the place on the screen. 

"..."

On second thought the reality of it was far more brutal than he had imagined. He saw slaves being whipped and beaten, their cries of pain and despair tearing at his heart.

There are several hundreds of slaves walking, some who just arrived and some who are leaving this place for a new dwelling. 

To a new beginning, if they meet a decent master they can live a decent life, if not..... 

"Ahhhhhh!"

He heard a woman's scream, she was kneeling on the ground covering something with her body and a man wearing leather armour was screaming something at her while wielding a whip. 

He averted his eyes from the scene, he knew what was going on but there was nothing he could do. If it was the game he would have helped her because even if he screwed up big time, he could just restart again but right now he cannot afford to make that decision. 

He cannot make any mistakes, at least that was his thought processes

"You should hand over that child while I am still speaking or else both mother and child will know what pain is!"

Until he heard that, he halted his step. 

"Please show mercy, my child hasn't eaten properly for the past few days, she was just hungry! She will not repeat it!" 

he heard the mother's sobbing voice. 

"Mommy!..... Mommy!" the childish voice filled with fear echoed in his ear

He looked at the sky and let out a sigh of resignation. 

As he stepped forward, he heard the furious voice of a guard approaching, "Why did you all stop? Who said you can stop?" The guard's eyes fell upon him and he barked, "Was it you?"

He met the guard's gaze with a steely determination, his voice cold and unyielding as he commanded, "Unchain me." The guard was taken aback, clearly not expecting such a bold demand. But he repeated himself, his tone even more menacing, "I said... unchain me."

*****

Bakistia was a desolate place, known for being the epicenter of the brutal slave trade. Despite slavery being outlawed in many kingdoms, it remained a vital source of cheap labor for countless nations, particularly in the West. The slaves in Bakistia were sourced from all corners of the globe; people who had lost everything in disasters, sold off by their relatives, or were forced into slavery due to debt.

It was not just a business, but an entire industry that even powerful countries relied on, with Bakistia at its core. The place was not a happy one.

A poignant example of this was currently unfolding before the eyes of the slaves. A mother, her face etched with fear, shielding her young child from the lash of a guard blinded by rage. The slaves knew the mother well. She had been a slave in Bakistia for years, serving them food and quenching their thirst. She was a kind woman. They also knew the child, a bright and innocent flower born into this hellhole. But none of them dared to intervene, for they knew the guard all too well. He was a foul man, known for his viciousness when things did not go his way. Many slaves had met their demise crossing paths with him.

So they watched helplessly and prayed for the gods to give the mother and child the strength necessary to endure the unjust punishments because that was all they could do. 

"I have warned you what happens if you dare to disobey my order, now you will pay the price"

They just watched 

"I show you that I am not a man you should cross with"

The man swung his snake-like whip with all his might, 

the mother further burrowed her child under her body, to protect her child until her last breath leaves her body. 

Many closed their eyes not having the strength to watch this injustice, It was then a figure appeared before the kneeling mother, catching the whip that was in the air

A young man, maybe in his 20's. His long black hair floated in the breeze, and his face was straight and filled with confidence, his beautiful bright green eyes were like the deep emerald sea that hides a thousand mysteries. 

He stood in between the guard and the mother. 

Nobody spoke a word. 

The land was filled with absolute silence. 

Now even the slaves and guards who didn't give attention earlier were interested in what happening right now

"Do you know what you just did?" the guard sneered, his eyes fixed on the tip of the whip that the slave before him had deftly caught in his hand.

The slave's expression remained blank as if the guard's presence was inconsequential, his gaze bored and his body unresponsive.

The guard couldn't help the feeling of unease that crept over him as he stood before the imposing figure. He was bigger than him and held a position of authority, but something about this slave made him uneasy.

"How dare you?" he spat, trying to mask his fear with anger. 

"You said something about proving yourself a man."

The slave's clear voice, cold and menacing, echoed through the space. It was sudden, and it was terrifying. The other slaves present couldn't help but feel fear wash over them, their hearts pounding with anxiety and their bodies trembling with uncertainty.

But the guard was affected the most, he could feel the pressure building up in his chest, an unnatural fear that seemed to fill every inch of his being. He could see the power emanating from the slave, a dark energy that consumed him, leaving him paralyzed with terror.

Why were they scared? What was so terrifying about this young man? They didn't know, but they could sense that he was not a normal person. He exuded an aura of death, one that made their hair stand on end and sent shivers down their spines.

"But where I come from, a real man never touches children and never watches someone touching children," the slave continued, taking slow, deliberate steps toward the guard.

The guard tried to back away, but the slave's piercing green eyes locked onto him, paralyzing him with fear. He collapsed to the ground, unable to move as the slave loomed over him.

"You get what I am saying?" the slave asked, his voice low and dangerous.

The guard could only nod weakly, his mind screaming for him to do anything to avoid hearing the slave speak again. He knew that if he did, he would die

He felt the weight of the monster's gaze lift from him, and the guard breathed a sigh of relief as the slave's attention turned to the crowd that had gathered around them. But none of them dared to make eye contact with the imposing figure, their heads lowered in submission and fear.

The sand, which had previously gone unnoticed, now seemed to take on a new beauty, as if the slaves and guards were seeing it for the first time. They couldn't help but stare at the grains as they shifted and sparkled in the sunlight, anything to avoid  looking at the monster who stood before them