Chapter 4: Zenis

Perseus POV

"We're Sam Wyatt's descendant."

"Correct." He nodded

"Why are we still slaves then? It looks like it's been going on for too long."

"It's because of Sam Wyatt's lover," he answered with a sad expression, "She bore his child while he held onto the remnant of the demon god. That child, and all of us who came after, inherited superior traits like physical prowess, magical abilities, the gift of breathing underwater, seeing through darkness, and heightened senses."

"Do we have that too?"

"Of course, that's why they're starving us. The Hawks fear our potential...our strength, our abilities...They starve us to weaken us, to prevent any chance of rebellion or uprising."

"But we've done nothing wrong."

"But in the eyes of the Hawks, our very existence is a threat to their power. And so, we suffer, condemned to a life of hardship, all because of the sins of our ancestors."

"Can I ask a couple more questions before I go to sleep?"

"Sure, looks like you're not going to sleep till you're satisfied." he lightly chuckled

"Why the lab? If they want us to suffer, won't they have our parents give birth to us out here? Where there's nothing but rocks and stone?"

"It's a twisted scheme really. The lab was created to encourage women to reproduce more. Pregnant women are relieved of their duties temporarily, allowed to sleep in great facilities, and treated well within the confines of the lab.

"It's a despicable move, using the promise of comfort and care to manipulate them into giving birth to more laborers, ensuring a steady supply of workers to fuel the empire's insatiable greed." he then nervously laughed and ruffled my hair, "But we keep falling for it, we all want children of our own after all...and if we all collectively decide not to have them like my grandpops generation...they'll force ya."

"I see...can I see my parents then?"

"You're a stray, kid, all kids raised in the lab are."

"What do you mean?"

"Most kids are brought to their parents after a while, but...a stray..." he then stopped to think for a moment, "The incentives of the lab can be very tempting to some women, after all, they'll get relieved of their duties for a good while and get treated well instead of being whipped or spat on.

"So some...well...they'll keep having kids to stay in the lab...not that it's a bad thing...but...most of these women would most likely not want responsibility for their children...you get what I'm saying?"

"Yeah...I think that that's enough question for today...good night, Harold."

A stray...and a life born into slavery...this is fun. How am I supposed to help the hero if my life is messed up from the get-go? Despite the odds stacked against me, I refuse to be a victim of circumstance. I may be a stray, born into slavery, but that doesn't define who I am or what I'm capable of.

[A: You don't have to type, I can hear what you say.]

[I rather type, no one can see this and I prefer my privacy.]

[Is there a way to go back to my old world if I succeed?]

[A: I'm sorry, but I'm unable to provide a definitive answer to your question at this time.]

At this time...maybe I'm not at a high enough level. But no wonder the surroundings don't look that dark to me, I just thought that the crystals were that bright and the lab rooms were well-lit.

And breathing underwater? I'm an idiot to not have discovered it thus far.

[Ability tab unlocked]

[Abilities: Water breathing, Night vision.]

Woah. My vision got even better. The lights were probably made for just the guards because I can see way too clearly. Were my abilities suppressed?

Let's hope that whoever is behind this system has a good reason for it. Hopefully, they're some death god or something, I would love to summon the undead.

*****

I woke up from a hardass bed that was just well...a super thin and hard single-person mattress on the rock. I then headed to the closest adult and asked where I could shower and use the restroom.

Shower? The water below, and somewhat fortunately, we do have actual toilets whose wastage is being flushed away to somewhere else safely to not dirty the waters below. Apparently, this was made to appease us and to lower the chances of a rebellion.

Not only that, the water below is really important for something and that's what the 'whale team' is responsible for. I just went and asked around a bit and I pieced them all together. The 'whale team' is responsible for gathering glimmerite, a glimmering ore at the sea and ocean floor that is highly sought after by nobles and is one of the empire's most valuable exports.

We're not really told what exactly it's for, but so far all we could figure out is that it has really potent healing capability if ground into a powder and turned into lotion.

Smarter kids get picked for this, even though it's less likely we'll be whipped or hurt by guards. But that doesn't mean it's safe. Down there, in the deep, we face sea creatures that could kill us in an instant. And we're always hungry, which makes it even worse as we're risking our lives every time we dive.

In a way, this can help me level up...but if I get too noticeably strong, I'll be killed, so I have to find a way to hide it.

"Hey little boy," a woman called out to me, "Come get geared up before you either jump in or go down with the elevator."

I turned to see the first woman who wasn't a guard and had a very fair complexion, she was a woman who looked to be in her late 60s, about 166 cm tall, with brown hair and green eyes. 

Do they mix others in with us too? 

"Ah, good timing." Harold exclaimed, "He's the one I told you about, the Silver kid."

"Ah, that one." she nodded, "Hey little one, my name is Zenis, nice to meet you."