Chapter 23: A Lost Opportunity

Chapter 23: A Lost Opportunity

In a rather dark but well-lit area above the lower prisons, a few slaves walked with towels on their shoulders, heading to take a bath. Their ranks were slightly higher than others, granting them the privilege to bathe once a week. This was in contrast to the low-ranked slaves who could only bathe once a month, or on special occasions if any arose.

"Hey! Hey, Hok!" A voice accompanied by a waving hand from a distance caught Hok's attention.

"Den?" Hok asked to himself, his voice barely audible as he quickened his pace.

Half-naked, with his upper body exposed, the cuts on Hok's body were visible in the moonlight, catching the attention of many of his fellow slaves. Some smiled leeringly, but one particular man who waved at him showed nothing but sympathy.

"More scars..." the man murmured as Hok approached him.

"Can't help it," Hok said sarcastically in response to Den's concern.

Den was a charming slave, the same age as Hok, and one of his few friends. Although brought in as a slave just a few years ago, he had already gained a higher ranking than Hok.

"Indeed... but at least complain to the leader. I'm sure she will listen-" Den suggested.

"Listen? Listen to the words of a slave? You're quite funny today, Den," Hok interrupted, speaking his mind bluntly.

Den could only shake his head, realizing that his suggestion was indeed foolish.

"My bad. Come, at least heal the fatigue in the bath..." Den added as they neared a small hot spring.

There were many more male slaves already enjoying the bath. Den removed the towel from his shoulder and placed it on a nearby stone. Then, he took off the little ragged pants he wore, setting them in the same spot before jumping into the spring.

Hok stared at the necklace he wore for a moment, as he usually did. Then, he removed it, placing it carefully under his towel, and walked calmly into the spring.

A different hot spring was located just in front of the current one. It was reserved for lower-ranked slaves, and today wasn't a designated day for them to use it. Despite that, there was one person utilizing it - Demitas.

Although the rising steam made it difficult for him to see clearly, Demitas managed to spot Hok who swiftly placed his necklace on the ground.

'Perfect...' Demitas thought as he began to pull himself out of the water, moving towards the closest edge. His plan was to get out and then sneakily steal the key by hiding in the nearby bush, right next to the towels.

Unfortunately, he was forced back into the water when he heard some people talking.

"Ah, come on, we can use this as well," said a high-ranking slave with a mole just above his lips and a mustache as thin as a thread.

Demitas was forced underwater as two approaching high-ranking slaves neared the spring and eventually entered the water. The greenish hue of the water made Demitas underwater appear as nothing more than a shadow. However, the timely appearance of clouds covering the moon concealed him perfectly.

'I must escape right now…' Demitas thought to himself as he slowly pulled his head out of the water and moved to the side. In the absence of any light source, he believed he could easily slip away unnoticed. But just as he emerged from the water, the moonlight once again bathed the area, directly illuminating his body.

Reacting quickly, Demitas immediately lowered himself back down, but it was too late. The slave with a mole on his face spotted Demitas' exposed back.

"Who!?" the slave raised his voice, startling his companion.

"What happened, Kenna?" his friend asked.

"Jess, there's someone there. Check," Kenna pointed towards the spot where he had just seen Demitas.

Thinking it to be a joke, Jess stood up a little and looked at the area Kenna had indicated, but he found absolutely no one there.

"Uff, come on Kenna, stop fooling around," Jess said, dismissing the idea.

"No, really!" Kenna insisted, his voice serious.

"Haha, are you drunk?" Jess teased, laughing.

"Ah… I did have a bit to drink…" Kenna admitted.

"Guess you must've seen a ghost then," Jess joked, laughing even more.

"Sigh, I must stop drinking those cheap-ass alcohols," Kenna said, scratching his head, letting go of the matter.

Meanwhile,

"Ha…"

'That was close…'

Demitas, now hiding inside a bush, tried to steady his heavy breathing. Getting caught by either of the slaves would be troublesome, as they might take out their anger on him.

He felt grateful for the timely arrival of the clouds when Jess tried to look around earlier. However, he knew he couldn't rely on chance alone.

Demitas hid within a cluster of bushes connected to each other. His mind raced with a plan to steal the key he needed. But the bright moonlight made it challenging. He peeked through the little space between the leaves, observing his surroundings. The moonlight seemed to only get brighter, and there were no more clouds appearing to darken the area. Even if they did, they dissipated too quickly, leaving him no opportunity to make a move.

What could he even do?

For a moment, he thought about utilizing the system, taking an item or something from the shop.

'Hey, do you have a cloack of invisibility or something?', Demitas asked.

[Of course I do, but the likes of you cannot afford it. Hahahaha.]

"…"

After hearing that, Demitas was compelled to push the idea away. What else could he have done? Taking a little time to think about it had made it impossible now, as Hok stood up and got out of the spring.

"Hok! Why are you leaving so early today?" Den questioned, raising his voice.

"I don't know… I just don't feel good today," Hok replied.

"Aish, take some more dips. You will feel better," Den advised.

"Nah, maybe next week."

He pulled out the towel, first checking the necklace that was underneath, and then wearing it around his neck. Afterward, he whipped himself with the towel, put on his pants, and walked away.

'Ugh, I missed one good opportunity I had! Fuck!'

'Next week… I don't have time…' Demitas clenched his fist in anger, still hiding inside the bush.

Den, who had been enjoying the bath, paused for a moment as he noticed something.

"Ah…" He merely smiled as his gaze remained fixed on the bush where Demitas was hiding.