Stooping Low

Ouro was quietly sitting, twiddling his thumbs as he heard his peers coming up from the mines. He wondered how his big brother Ro was doing and how his day in the mine faired when he looked to Chang who was reading through a paper, his eyes quickly following each word as Ouro gulped and took a calming breath.

"Sir if you don't mind and our meal is going to be a moment might I go see my brother Ro? I heard the others come up from the mine and I wanted to see how Ro's day faired, I will be quick as not to let the food cool too long if it arrives before I get back" Chang looked up from his paper for a moment and smiled a bit as he nodded with simple grace.

"Bonds through fellowship and loyalty are ones to not disregard, so long as you keep those who have shown loyalty towards you and would follow you into the pits of hell you will be a terrific leader if you show them the same! I admire that quality, hurry off now, and return hastily." Ouro gave a grin, his teeth showing a bit as they seemed to be in amazing condition even if a slave. He stood up, moving away from the table as in his peripheral he saw the nightstand drawer, a gnawing sensation of need ate at him as he moved out of the tent and over to the slaves as his eyes moved over the fifty-plus men until his eyes found Ro who towered over the rest. Groups of friends stood talking and goofing around as they knew that soon it would be mealtime, the next few months were going to be white rice with a sliver of meat and each drooled at the idea of meat. Ouro slipped through the crowd, weaving between the men who paid him little attention.

As Ouro approached Ro stepped towards him and brought him into a massive bear hug, squeezing him hard as he groaned and suffered from the brute strength that dwarfed over his own. A large proud smile sat on Ro's face as he began to sniffle, almost on the verge of tears as they welled up in his eyes.

"My little bro getting rewarded for all his hard work..." He sniffles before letting go to wipe his nose, "I am so proud of you! I remember when after just an hour of swinging your pick you'd be winded and on the verge of puking but now look at you! You work under Chang using that big brain of yours to read and do math! Gods above have blessed us truly from our meeting to you finding those ruins! You've taught me so much as well, I can read basic stuff, spell and do simple math!" Ouro felt a blush hit his face, the praise a bit much but Ro had never skipped on it as he loved to bring a smile to his little brother's face. Ro then looked across the crowd, scanning as he turned his back as well as Ouro's so they faced the corner of the tent as Ro slowly held out his hand and opened it. A beautiful stone lay in his hand, not a spirit stone but a normal gemstone that looked to be flawless, Ouro's eyes going wide as he looked a the stone with amazement. A black opal, the color was magnificent, the shine, the domeing, every part of it seemed to be flawless. Something like this would make a wealthy man piss himself.

Ro smirked as he watched Ouro's expression shift and change. He took Ouro's hand and placed it in the palm before patting his back roughly.

"Judging from all those expressions I'd say this was worth nabbing from the mines huh? It's yours, I can't give you a proper gift so I humbly ask you to accept this gift. It's the least I can do for my little bro" Ouro was almost in tears as he hugged Ro, squeezing him tightly as he gripped the stone in his left hand. Ro chuckled as they kept the conversation short, the slaves' meal came out and Ouro made haste back to Chang as his fingers worked over the Opal in his pocket. When he got back two plates of hot food sat at the table and Chang who was still reading his paper.

"Glad to see you're back! Come and eat with me, I also had them bring us some Baijiu! Today is a day to drink to celebrate not only good health but hard work!" He pulled out an expensive-looking bottle of crafted clay, smiling as he broke the seal and poured two cups of it. He took the metal chopsticks and began to eat. The meal looked to be duck hunted outside the camp, rice and an assortment of veggies sided with some bread. Ouro felt his stomach painfully grumble as he took up a matching set of chopsticks and began to eat.

Chang was adamant about talking of work to come, drinking rather heavily of the Baijiu as they talked. This all added up for a happy drunk Chang who kept threatening to strip, wanted hugs and physical affection but every time he asked Ouro politely declined. The night went on, Chang passing out with a cup in his hand as Ouro began to clean up the mess of dinner before placing Chang in his bed.

"MATCH FOUND; ONCE CONTACT IS ESTABLISHED SYNCHRONIZATION WILL INITIATE. STEP FORWARD AND TAKE HOLD OF YOUR FATE, TAKE WHAT IS YOURS" There it was again, the voice kept calling out to him as he felt his heart racing hard. Chang was asleep, everything was perfect as all the guards but the night watch. Ouro acted, quietly walking to the nightstand and slowly opening the drawer to see a perfectly rounded orb similar to his gift from Ro. Slowly he outstretched his hand, barely gracing the stone as he suddenly felt a searing pain, the orb becoming almost a liquid as it forced itself into Ouro. The orb no longer was there as it crept into his body as an overwhelming weakness spread through his body, he panted as words rang in his ears.

"SYNCHRONIZATION HAS BEGUN! ALLOW TIME FOR FULL INTEGRATION TO HOST BODY" He felt his head throb as he quickly fished out his gift from Ro and placed it in place of the orb. He mentally panicked and felt remorse as he did so, frowning a bit as he quietly closed the drawer and stumbled off to the slaves' quarters as he took another drink of Baijiu and making his way out of the tent. The guards watched him and chuckled a bit as he yawned and made his way to his bed, slipping into a deeply needed sleep aided alcohol.

His heartbeat was in his ears as he listened and found himself before a gate with a seal, a large seal with a 弱 symbol on it as he took a deep breath and tried to push through it as lightning repelled him and sent him flying back. The air was sucked from him as he gasped for air as a small window of purple sat in front.

"%)&#Q)($ has been sealed, in order to erase this seal you must gain 1000 system points. In other notifications, the user has completed two events. Discover of Second Life Sect Ruins, the user is awarded with one hundred system points and search skill Feeble. Second, Holder of the Fate Orb, the user has been awarded seven hundred system points and access to basic system functions. Congratulations on becoming the holder of your own fate"

*Baijiu is a traditional alcoholic beverage in China. It is clear and odorless alcohol comparable to whiskey with its flavor and complexity made from distilling Sorghum that is a grain plant

*弱 means weak or inferior in Chinese