My Purpose

I thought this place wasn't as bad as I originally thought since the doctor treated me so well. Those five years in the slums kept me on my toes. I would always take in my surrounds and make a plan on how I would move forward with the others. We always expected the unexpected. I guess having adult around all the time has made me lower my guard.

I bent back down to pick up Lily's dagger.

'I'll take this with me Lily, you can travel outside this place with me this way.'

I walk forward, scanning the arena. Taking in as much information as I can. Looking around, I see that most of the participants are dead. Including myself, only 7 remain.

'Hm. Killing 6 people. That's at least a 6% increase to Death's Aura. I can probably do it.'

Atlas had unleashed only 5% of the total 9.7 % Death's Aura he had. With how frozen everyone was, he figured there was no need to increase it further.

Gathering a giant mass of mana on his back, he forms a giant tentacle. He then pictured splitting that into tens of separate moving, self-thinking tentacle and the giant tentacle did just that. Almost as if Atlas had given them an order, they begin to squirm around and try to reach for the remaining participants. Fortunately for them, there's a limit on how far they can go from Atlas. That won't matter though.

The other six weren't just staying still. They were trying their hardest to move. They released their own Aura to counter Atlas' but even then, they could only move a little bit more than before. Feeling helpless the remaining six move together, knowing who was the greater threat, they agreed to help one another.

Atlas POV

"I can't hear them. Well, it doesn't matter, I just want to finish this up so I can bury Lily. I don't know what they do with the dead bodies here but Lily deserves better."

I set my sight on my current goal, kill everyone. Focusing on the group, my tentacles beginning squirming around. It was as if they were asking me if they could go before me. Ever since I created these things, they only attack whoever I deem as my enemy. I've tested this with the doctor plenty of times before.

I ready myself and run at the group. The tentacle stretches out ahead of me. Lunging at the group. It's unfortunate that they can't go to far from me. I wouldn't need to move from this spot if they could.

Once within reach, the tentacles catch the group by surprise. They had sensed it and assumed that I had to be controlling each one separately. It was a deadly mistake that will cost them. The group of tentacles all lung at and completely pierce the closes person in one move. The group was shocked to see the vanguard of their group fall so quickly.

As this happened, I took advantage of the group's shock. Using Lily's dagger, I coat it in my mana and threw it at the next person, aiming for an instant kill. The man covered his face and protected himself. That didn't matter, it bought me enough time to close the gap between the two of us. I manipulate the mana that coated the dagger to fly back towards me. Catching it in my right hand, I stab into his left wrist. The man couldn't react in time and I sliced his wrist. I only got halfway through it so it was dangling there as the man screamed and tried to keep it from completely coming off. With him distracted, I stabbed him once in the heart. He fell over with a face full of pain.

Right as I finished, I hear a scream coming at me. It seems like one of the girls tried sneak up on me and shouted when she was about to attack me. It seems like the adrenaline she was feeling caused her to make an unnecessary mistake.

I swiftly dodge the girl and made a spear out of mana. I threw it at the girl, aiming for the back of her head. I then prepared to battle the other three. I didn't need to see the girl to know that she was dead.

The other three were being held back by the tentacles. I had been using them to stop the four from interrupting my fight, it seemed the girl slipped pass them.

Focusing on the last girl of the group, I have all the tentacles wrap themselves around her. They then begin piercing the girl. Her screams can be heard as the pain of being pierced over and over again were being felt all over her body. Not wanting to prolong her suffering, two of the tentacles wrapped around her neck and with one swift movement, broke it.

Facing the last two guys, one of them being the one who was the first to kill the poor girl, I have my tentacles return to me and prepare for a fight.

"Stick close to me, we have to face him together. We can't afford to get separated during the fight."

One of them said this to the other. The other one being the first killer. That man seemed scared, he was all proud that he made the first kill but now, standing before uncertainty, he just wanted to leave.

"Hey you hear me? We have to-,"

The man pushes the one trying to get his attention towards me and turns to run away. I react instantly, I have all my tentacles pierce the man that was pushed forward. I then run after the other man.

"Stop the match bastard! You told me that all I need to do was get them to kill each other!"

Suddenly a heavy pressure hits me, it was Death's Aura coming from somewhere in the arena. I could no longer move my body. The man that was running turned around and looked at me. A sense of relief washes over him. He would no longer be killed.

Then an older man, maybe in his late 50s to early 60s appears before me. White hair, balding all around. I was 5 foot 7 (170.18cm) He was about an inch taller than me (172.72cm). He also had coat on that the doctor had, making him look like a doctor as well.

"This ends here son. You've done more than enough to prove your worth to the kingdom. That man behind me is a guard. I only had him added so that he could force you guys into fighting."

The man peaked over the old man's shoulder. I was furious, this man was a rat set to trigger the trap.

"Old man… your Death's Aura may be stronger than mine. But keeping my body from moving is the only thing that Death's Aura can do. It seems like you underestimated me.

Just like that, I moved my mana over to the man and engulf him entirely. I raised the man into the air and prepare to pull him apart.

"Wait… I was only doing what I was told. I had to get you guys motivated."

"That's right son, just put the man down."

Both men were shocked. Usually, the stronger someone's Death's Aura is, the stronger their mana control is as well. When Death's Aura is activated, it keeps the victim from moving while the mana of the user suppresses the victim's mana by creating a bubble around the victim, preventing any of their mana from reaching the user. If the mana reaches through then that means the victim has better control over their mana. The victim's mana found a hole in the bubble it could squeeze through, if they had weaker mana control, the mana wouldn't be able to find the hole.

"You're both wrong. I'm just doing what I was told, don't you remember? Be the last man standing. So, could you please just die?"

With those words, Atlas rips the man's body apart, showering the old man in blood.

"Alright old man, I'll be back. I'm going to go bury my friend. I'll meet you back in the arena once I'm done."

I then left, not waiting for a reply.

Shocked, the old man stands there. He hasn't met anyone who could have a weaker Death's Aura but better mana control. If you had to put a percentage on mana control then the old man had a 30% Death's Aura then he would also have one roughly around 30% in mana control. They usually grow together, side by side. Like his did. With each battle they grow at the same rate. The only person to have ever done this was Dragon God Kai… but that was because he had near perfect mana control by the time Death's Aura was unleashed onto the world.

Still shocked, he didn't see that members of the facility had approached him.

"Sir, should we lock him up now?"

"No, let him do what he wants, when he comes back lock him up in one of the rooms in the underground bunker. Make sure that room has plenty of thunder cores and plenty of mana running through them to keep them constantly active."

The group seemed to understand what he was doing. He wanted to torture Atlas. One of the guys asked him.

"But… what if he dies? Constant torture will kill him. What about his training?"

"Yeah… it will kill him, so that's why I need a team to watch him at all times. Make sure he doesn't die on your watch. When it's close to his training time then I want you to stop the cores at least a day before. Let him rest. We only need him to listen to us, we aren't monsters."

The old man turns to the rest of the group.

"Listen! That boy will lead us in restoring our kingdom! Make sure he succeeds in his training!"

"Yes sir!"

"Alright your dismissed. You, get the people ready to capture him when he comes back."

The old man gives orders to the group and then leaves.

'Sorry boy. We will be shaping you into the perfect specimen to take back the Beast Kingdom.'

After I left, I headed for back of the arena with Lily's body. I remembered a lake with some beautiful black flower planted everywhere close by.

Once I picked a spot for her, I began digging a place for her to rest. The spot I picked was a rock I use to sit on after training with the doctor. I'm sure she would have liked this spot as well. It overlooks the lake.

After laying her to rest. I say a few words. Once again promising her to take care of her family. I pick a few of the black flowers and lay them next to the rock. Using my mana, I carved Lily's name and her age into it.

'I promise that I'll be back someday. Well, I am taking your dagger with me so it'll be like you left with me.'

Heading back to the arena. Atlas wonders why he feels some weird attachment to Lily. They were strangers.

'I guessed being forced to kill someone really messed up my brain.'

Trying not to dwell on it any longer, I reached the entrance to the arena.

"The old man told me to meet with him here."

Then, like on cue. I feel a single heavy hit on my head. Fading in and out of consciousness, I hear some faint words. Thunder core, training, torture and Beast Kingdom. I don't know what is happening but I need to get stronger so that I can escape from here. It's obvious these people are going down a different route compared to the doctor.

Waking up, I'm in a well-lit room. There's nothing in the room except for me, the chair I'm strapped to, which seemed to have a bunch of cores imbedded into it, and all the white walls and floors are empty. Not a single window in sight.

The door to the room then opened. The one who walked in was the old man I saw earlier.

"Hello there. Ah, I never introduced myself. My name is General Killian. General of the Beast Kingdom Army…"

I wait for him to continue; it seemed as if he had a whole speech prepared. Well, I was correct, seemed like he paused for a dramatic effect. Killian continues on.

"I know who you are Atlas. Born and raised in the slums of the Nova Kingdom. At five years old, the nun raising you passed. Within a month of her death, you and four other children lost the church to some thugs. Raised yourselves on the streets, picking your fights and saving one another…"

Killian walks closer and closer to where I was sitting.

"That's what I need in the Beast Kingdom Army Atlas! Someone who had nothing! Someone who knows the true value of living! Join me. Join what I am creating."

Of course, I don't want to join whatever this crazed man was trying to build. Taking advantage of people who are struggling to live day to day. Training them just to have them kill one another. I guess I can try to get some of my questions answered.

"Tell me, what do you do with the people who you buy that has an affinity for the elements?"

"They join the Beast Kingdom Army of course. We train together, sleep together and we become brothers and sisters in arms."

I look at him. Nothing indicates that he is lying to me. So, it's most likely those who have no affinity are the only ones here. I continue on with my questions.

"Why go through all that trouble of training someone with no affinity, just to have them possible die in the future? Do you do this in the regular army as well?"

"Easy, we want the strongest of the bunch. Who doesn't want the strongest ally by their side during times of war. And do we do this in the army?"

Kilian takes a breath in. In his eyes, I see nothing but insanity. I feel that insanity rant coming.

"No… people like you are different, you are just like the original humans from before the Fall. You were born natural like the past humans. The past humans became strong all on their own without magic. Could you imagine what their ceiling would be if that bitch Salina didn't teach them magic? If we had discovered it on our own? Oh, the capabilities, the potential humans could have had. You know I've found an ancient text that talks about evolution. Affording to it, each generation learns something from the previous and build upon it. A rat living in water learns that legs are useless, so the generations born after start to lose their legs and they are replaced with something more useful for life in the water. A bird learns that it's easier to eat sap from a tree if its beak was longer, so the next generation grows longer beaks. Doesn't that interest you? What if humans did it naturally? What if that Goddess never taught humans anything? I'm using this place as a way to bring that to life… Now Atlas. Won't you take my hand? Won't you full fill your purpose and become the monster that humanity was meant to evolve into?"

I knew it, this bastard just went on a insanity rant.

"Take your hand? Purpose? I was KIDNAPPED AND SOLD OFF to you! Do you think I wanted to take part in this? You think I wanted to satisfy your curiosity? I thought the doctor was a good person but all of you are crazy people. Playing with human lives? Treating us like dogs that would bark when you tell us to? Fuck you."

The General just looks at me and smiles.

"That is unfortunate, not only are you strong but you are one of the only people who could probably match Kai in strength one day. But it's alright, a dog will eventually yield to his master. Stay alive son."

With those final words, I feel a rush of mana blow through the room. The mana cores on my chair light up yellow. Then at different intervals, I felt a shock hit me on my body. It wasn't even to hurt me but it was enough to make me react to it.

"Goodluck, oh yeah, you don't have to worry about breaking those straps. Those were built to block your mana flow. But you can be like the dog you are and try to break free of a new collar."

With that, the General leaves.

I think back to that day and wonder if I should have just accepted his offer and join him.