Eat or Die

"497... 498... 499... Aaannnd... 500!"

Paff!

Panting heavily on the ground as his arms and legs were spread out, Nash stared at the ceiling with a sweat-soaked body while his chest heaved up and down from the previous exercise he just did.

'...' Erys who was still sitting on the side stared at Nash like a complete idiot, not understanding what he was doing.

Ever since he came back from his rest hour, he mined crystals and once he reached the 4 digits he began to do drills like push-ups, squats, jumping, and a lot more like a complete maniac.

All this craziness happened about a week ago and it only got crazier and crazier. First, he started with 50 then 100, and now 500!

Of course, such a task to do 500 push-ups for someone like her, who was on the Warmaster Rank was nothing; it could be even said she was able to do that with one hand on her pinky, but as she was lazy she won't do it.

What's more, she was presently under a power that prohibited her from moving, thus doing ridiculous exercises like what Nash was doing was out of the question!

"Pathetic..." snorted Erys deep inside her heart, her eyes holding a deep grudge whenever she looked at Nash.

"Just wait until my father finds me. Hehe, then you will kowtow before my feet and beg for my mercy!"

Nash lied on the cold and rigid ground, and once his breathing stabilized he pushed himself up and sighed inwardly, "One week and still no change. I didn't level up not even one level even though I feel my body becoming stronger!"

Nash stared at his arms that now held shaped and sharp muscles that could be seen to be filled with great vitality and strength ever since he started to do work out.

Obviously, he was not naive to think that a few days of working out could do such a miracle, as he clearly understood it was all thanks to his Legacy.

Ever since his Legacy was unsealed, Nash was able to feel that every time he did a physical exercise, the muscles inside his body would bulge, grow a bit and get stronger!

The feeling was indescribable but at the same time just as phenomenal!

"I wonder how much time do I need to reach the 5th Level," murmured Nash, but his thought process was suddenly stopped by a strange growl.

"Grrrrr~"

"Huh? A creature?" immediately raising his guard Nash tightened his grip around the pickaxe, ready to use it as a weapon!

"Grrrrr~"

But soon his frown turned a level deeper as he realized that it was not a creature but the sound that came from... Erys' stomach...

'...'

Staring at her in silence, Nash lowered his mining tool and asked, "You hungry?"

"Yes," replied Erys, even though she just wanted to say no, thus her face turned beet red in a flash.

Nash stayed silent for a bit, but after thinking about it in more depth, it was natural. While he was able to eat 'food' every time he successfully completed his dose, Erys didn't, thus hearing her hungry was normal.

Or not as Nash knew that Erys was a princess of a powerful race, thus she got perfect food every single day; it could even be said it's a miracle she survived this long without showing any sign about her hunger.

"I will get you something so try to bear it until then." sighed Nash as even though he despised Erys he didn't want to see her starve to death.

He wanted to use her once he gets out of this place, hence keeping her alive was a must and utmost priority for him.

After taking a break and a quick nap, Nash went outside the cave and handed in his mined crystals.

Once he was inside the rest zone, he went to the area where they gave the food that looked much more than shit, and once no one was looking he put it into his robe.

As taking food out was strictly prohibit and even was a punishable sin, Nash could only take things like rotten-looking bread or apple, as they were things he could easily hide without anyone noticing it.

Once his rest-time was over, he was brought back to his Section, and just like always forced him to start mining.

However, when he went inside the cave, this time he didn't see as the Sky Beast's gaze was fixed on him, seemingly deep in its thought. But luckily, after a brief moment of silence later it just snorted coldly, cursed something under its nose, and continued pretending to sleep.

"Here, take this. I could only take this much, but it is perfectly enough for you not starving to death," said Nash, handing 2 pieces of bread with a bit of green shade and an apple that had black spots on its surface.

"What is this disgusting trash?" asked Erys, her face holding a tremendous amount of disgust, almost to the point where she was about to throw up.

"This?" asked Nash coldly, his eyes even flashing with a sharp glint, and continued, "The 'food' you bastards give me and my people through the hundreds of years! While you eat fancy and delicious meals in your warm and comfortable place, we here almost die thanks to these!"

Erys' body began to subconscious tremble as she felt Nash's ice-cold glare on her skin, her neck shrinking in size in a wink!

"I... didn't know this," muttered Erys, but this didn't make Nash calm down, not even a bit, but simply made him snort even colder.

"No matter if you knew about this or not, your race and every other is the cause of all this. All the deaths, the humiliation, and the torture we had to go through the past years, centuries, and decades thanks to you bastards, can't be washed away by a simple 'Sorry, I didn't know'. Soon everyone will know what real hell is, including you too..."

Erys couldn't help tremble from pure fear, even though she wouldn't be shivering in such a situation if it were in the past. She knew she felt scared not because Nash was intimidating nor did he leak killing intent or a powerful aura, but the Domination Art made her feel like that!

It made her feel scared even though she wasn't!

'...' staring down at Erys with a sharp glare, Nash turned around and began to mine crystals, not caring at all if Erys will eat or not.

He gave her the chance to stay alive, now it only remained her choice if she really wanted to stay alive or not. But of course, if he sees she refused to eat, he can use his Domination Art and force her to eat it, no matter if she liked it or not.

Time flowed in silence and while Nash mined the crystals with relatively fast and strong movements, Erys stared at the 'food' in her hand and her eyes showed a hint of sadness.

"I really didn't know about this..." thought Erys and shifted her gaze at Nash, her eyes now holding a myriad of emotions and confusion.

"Eat it or die. I hope you choose the former one instead of the latter," said Nash without looking back, as if he noticed her gaze on him.

Lowering her gaze at the two pieces of greenish bread and the apple with black spits, Erys swallowed her disgust and raised the bread before her mouth.

"If you think that it is something way delicious, it's not that bad really," exclaimed Nash, his eyes secretly examining Erys.

'...' taking a look at Nash before putting her eyes back at the bread, Erys nodded gently and took a bite.

But when she did, and the bread appeared in her mouth, a taste that she never tasted before appeared, causing her complexion to pale and almost throw up.