Hazing

I awake with a start, a wetness coating my head, and half naked body sore.

"Not my ideal morning." I take a look around and see i'm in what looks like a small prison cell. The stone brick walls were covered in moss, water droplets occasionally dripping from the ceiling. I stand up from the stone platform I was laying on, a groan escaping me as I feel pain shoot through my body.

From spooky forest to a spooky jail, better than the bloodbath I suppose. The memory shoots through my mind, the look of horror on the faces of those dead men... was quite the wake up call.

Footsteps start to echo down the dimly lit hallway as I sit back down on the hard stones that make up my cell. The echoes stop as I look toward the bars, a familiar face looking down at me. His piercing blue eyes invade my thoughts as my now sweaty body shivers uncontrollably.

"Who are you?" The disdain seeping out of the voice is palpable as it eats into my mind.

*Notification: Skill Unlocked - Pride

I stand and look up at the tall man, "Why did you kill those men?"

His brows raise as he looks at me, surprised. "Were they not your colleagues? You didn't have any I.D so I'd assumed you were an outcast."

"I have no idea what that is, or the context behind it." The cell door opens and the tall man beckons me outwards.

"Then I guess we have to do something about that, come with me." Seeing no other choice, I follow him down the dreary hallway to a spiral staircase going upwards.

I seemed to be walking for quite some time, my body aching from both exertion and lack of food since i'd arrived in this world.

By the time we'd reached the top I was heaving, my lungs burned as I took in the building around me. In looked to be made of some type of wood, but it was far bigger than any wooden building I'd ever seen, being what looked like 200 meters long and 50 meters high. Their were large windows dotting the whole building, letting in more light than i'd prefer but showing the great amount of... stuff in the building.

Not only that, there were only 6 support pillars covered in strange marking to support the structure at certain intervals.

"Welcome to your new prison!" The tall man gestured around himself as he walked towards what looked to be a beautiful lady receptionist in a booth.

"Cassandra, i'll need you to write up a new I.D for this lad here, his name's uh..." He gestured to me standing behind him as I stare at the young lady Cassandra.

"Adrian. Adrian Proushe"

"Aye, Adrian Proushe."

Her pale blue eyes complemented her light skin perfectly, her cheeks were speckled with the lightest dotting of freckles, her dark hair tied up in a bun showed her teardrop face in full, and not a drop of makeup blemished the perfection that was her beauty. Her chest, though not bountiful, was just the size to be alluring for her petite figure, barely showing through her dress.

I break out of my daze as she turns around only to find the man in front of me smirking.

"I'd get the thought out of your head lad, you're not the only poor sod with your eyes on the lassy here." I look around me only to notice the many men sitting in the building, some even eyeing me suspiciously.

A few moments later, Cassandra returned and handed my captor a card, "I hope this one lasts longer than the others." She says throwing a quick glance in my direction. The melodious voice rang in my ears, it was a sound I hope I would never deign to forget.

"Aye, me as well. Buck up lad, we're leaving!" The tall man turns and grabs my shoulder, throwing me towards one of the many doors in the establishment with a surprising amount of strength.

Opening the door, outside seems to be what looks like a large sand pit. Scattered around are around a dozen training dummies, some archery targets at another end, and a spot that has what look like a variety of different weapons. In one corner there were even cages with people caged in them.

Several people were standing around in the center of the sand pit, conversations seemed to halt as we approached and stood before the group.

"Let me introduce our new sla... I mean comrade. This here is Adrian Proushe, Picked him up on the last job, dunno who he is or what he's here for but he's with us for now."

The group seem to grimace as they looked at my sorry figure. I probably didn't cut quite the imposing sight considering I haven't eaten or washed in quite a bit.

"Now lad, time to show us what ye can do." One of the men in the group stepped forward and handed me the wooden katana I had in the woods.

"I think you might need this, hope you can use it." The man seemed to have a sorrowful look in his eye as he stepped back.

"Bring out the convict." The tall man waved towards one of the women in the group who walked up to a cage with a man sitting inside.

He stood in the cage and walked towards the door, looking at me like a predator looks at prey.

"So this is who you're giving me? Looks like freedom is in sight." The man had a toothy grin as the cage opened up and his shackles were unlocked.

He seemed to stretch a bit and looked towards the tall man who brought me here. The group of people seemed to clear out of the way, making a large space between me and the released prisoner.

"Alright lad, here's your one chance, don't disappoint." The man looked serious as he raised his hand.

"What are you talking about though? I don't see why i need to do anything when you just threw me in a prison and now some weird Colosseum thing. Where even is this place?" I threw out question after question to the tall man, who just stood their seriously.

Realizing i'd get nowhere, and I was surrounded, I sighed and looked towards the prisoner, tightly holding my only weapon.

"Good, now FIGHT!"

Seeing the convict run towards me,teeth bared, blood-lust in his eyes, I realize I really hate this whole transmigration thing.