Selecting the Darkness Born

"Listen up. You're here because you belong to nobody; you belong to me now. You have no one to return to since your families sold you off for their own gain. So forget any notion of leaving this place," a soldier addressed a long line of bare-chested children, young men, and women.

"Each of you will be assigned a supervisor. Listen to them and ensure you don't slack off, because trust me, you don't want to know the consequences if you do."

The children, young men, and women looked like rejects from society. Their bones were visible through the thin layer of skin covering them, their pain and hunger evident. They were what people called slaves in the world of Quinox. From most people's viewpoint, even domestic animals held more value than slaves.

It was a harsh reality. Most slaves were the product of their families' greed. Parents often sold their children into slavery for a few gold coins. Though considered barbaric elsewhere, in Quinox, it was normalized.

The long line of slaves standing is the latest batch shipped to the Slave mines. They are there to work for their masters, spending the rest of their lives mining for rare gems and gold that will fill the pockets of the rich and powerful. It's just the way it is, and there is no stopping it.

"Except you. The rest of you can follow my men; they'll assign you to your designated work area," the soldier added, gesturing toward a frail-looking young man who appeared to have not eaten in years.

"You, my friend, won't have the privilege to have it easy like the rest of them," the soldier said, describing the barbaric nature of the work the slaves have been doing as normal and easy. "Your family killed five of my men. It's a slap to my leadership, so for your punishment, you will spend the next 10 years in the 'Pit'." The frail-looking young man just stared at him with an indifferent look. However, a murderous intent could be seen behind those innocent blue eyes.

Yet, he did his best to suppress it. After the soldier said a few more words, the young man was dragged away. On their way, all the old residents there kept giving him sorrowful looks. They knew what the pit was and how many had survived it - none.

Throughout the discovery of the part of the mine described as the Pit until now, nobody had been able to survive a week there. The fact that the young man who had just arrived was being dragged there prompted the veterans to cast sorrowful looks at him.

Time passed, and the new batch started adapting to their new life. Some were there because their families sold them, while others ended up there because of bandits. However, within the most dangerous area of the mine, there was a young man who was there because his whole family had been slaughtered by their business rivals.

He survived because, at the time of the slaughter, he was away on an errand. By the time he returned, the scene of the lifeless and headless bodies of his parents and siblings greeted him. He didn't even get to mourn then, as the moment he surfaced, their enemies captured him and sold him to the slave buyers.

He was just 17 years old but couldn't cultivate because of his faulty meridians. Four of the nine pathways that facilitate Mana or energy flow were blocked, preventing him from harnessing Mana. While others might be able to work continuously for hours, he couldn't. Unluckily for him, he was assigned to the most dangerous area of the ruin.

There was no supervisor, as they all knew nobody would be able to survive in that place. However, weeks passed, and the young man remained alive, albeit barely. Months passed, and soon half a year had gone by, yet he remained alive, still thriving.

====================

"That is the best I can do for you," the being said to General Karsha, who was gazing at the projection of the frail-looking young man who was about to die. The whole scene of what happened to the young man named Austin was played like a movie to him by the mysterious figure standing behind him.

He told him about transmigration and the benefits that come with it if he managed to rise to the top as a powerhouse. Unable to return him to Earth, he gave him the choice to select from three individuals in three different worlds who were about to die.

The being promised to transmigrate his soul into the body of any of them. The first two were ideal choices since they were both cultivators. However, to the being's surprise, General Karsha rejected the two and opted for the frail young man who couldn't even channel mana.

"Transmigrate me into that young man or let my soul go," General Karsha said with a determined look. He had made his choice, and there was no doubt in his voice. "How are you going to become my opponent if you can't cultivate?" the being asked in an annoyed tone. However, General Karsha just looked at him with a curious gaze before answering.

"You are about to reincarnate me; don't tell me you can't do something as simple as fixing meridians. If you are that useless, then I don't think you are worthy to be my opponent now or ever," the being was taken aback by the arrogance and fearlessness of the mortal in front of him. Once again, the mortal surprised him. It takes someone with bottomless courage to even look him in the eyes, yet this mortal classifies him as a weak entity. And if that wasn't bad enough, he looked him in the eyes while saying it.

'This mortal has some balls on him. It seems I have found the right one. I only hope he doesn't disappoint me,' the being had a surge of emotion pass through his body as he could tell the mortal standing before him was not a normal human. He was way too courageous, and for once, he was tempted to hand him a sword so they could have a quick spar. But in the end, he just sighed and spoke.

"I will grant your wish, Mortal. But bear in mind, you have 1000 years to rise to the level where we can have our duel. Don't disappoint me, Mortal," the being gave in to his demand before gazing into the far distance. "Your time has come," he said as he waved his hand and a small portal appeared.

"Walk through that, and the next time we meet, make sure you rise to the level where we can have our duel," the mysterious figure commanded before vanishing, leaving General Karsha behind. With a determined look, Karsha gazed into the portal. After a few seconds of calming and collecting his thoughts, he stepped into the portal.

However, just before the portal closed, a red light flew inside.

=================

Back in the Pit, the frail-looking young man could be seen digging for food. Inside the Pit, he could sustain his thirst and hunger by feeding on small insects that lived in tiny holes in the ground. These insects were rich in water and protein, so without any other choice, he had been surviving on them for a whole year.

He hadn't seen the sun all that time, and for a non-cultivator like himself, that wasn't easy. The first few weeks were the hardest for him. However, after a few months, he started adapting.

He spent his days just digging for food since nobody expected anything from him. He was literally in a pit, and since he wasn't a cultivator, climbing out was just a pipe dream. Because of that, he didn't even attempt to try. He just continued to live.

However, today was different. The area where he was digging was about to collapse. The collapse wouldn't kill a cultivator but would easily kill a non-cultivator like him.

"Come on," he muttered as he continued to dig, oblivious to the danger looming over him. Just as he was about to uncover the insect, a crack resonated through his leg. He tried to move back, but it was too late. The 2-meter radius around him sank, falling 30 meters.

He slammed hard on the ground, instantly snuffing out the pitiful life he had been holding on to. His body lay lifeless on the floor, surrounded by debris, with a few chunks of solid sand burying his right leg and left hand.

The body lay there for almost 24 hours without any reaction. However, a few minutes after the 24 hours had passed, a reddish light started enveloping the body. Beneath the light, a dark reddish smokey aura began seeping out.

The wounds on his body instantly healed, and his physical appearance underwent a slight change. His previously dark brown hair turned slightly longer and milky red, framing his now perfect cheekbones.

His blue eyes turned golden, giving him a much more handsome appearance. It would take a keen observer to identify the now sleeping body as the previously frail-looking Austin. Although he still maintained his frail physique, that wouldn't be for long, as the mana around the surroundings started entering his body at a fast pace.

Despite all this, there was no visible reaction from the body. It remained still for another 24 hours until suddenly, a burst of mana erupted from it. When it subsided, the body slowly stood up, looking more energized.

He stretched his body for a few seconds before raising his head and looking at the 70-meter-deep pit he was in. "I should have picked the other two sect geniuses since they were bound to die on a flat surface," he shook his head and then sat down.

However, the moment his buttocks touched the floor, a message appeared before his vision.

Ding...

< God Killer System Initializing...>

< God killer System Rebooting >

< Note: The system will take 24 hours to fully boot up so the host is advised to remain still throughout the process>

"What the F****..."