Chapter 128: Scam (3)

Most of the people have taken well of Wrik's advice in the battle. They just wasted the time of their opponents running around. But everyone was not like that. For example, two of the Mah'shai clan were impulsive enough to go all out. And Jacob, who grew well in a few weeks, did not have the proper measure of his strength. Only after he heavily injured a dozen participants did he learn, he was far stronger than he assumed.

With him the two other archers, Aeriel and Sitara played their role incredibly well, not giving a chance to the enemy's archers.

Davin was still in a stalemate with the bald guy—the one once Anton had beaten in the sanctuary. Davin was one of the people who listened to the instruction. He did not go all out, just keep up with the bald guy that had a tattoo of a dragon on his head.

The girls of the group almost did not take part in the battle. Michelle, Tanya, and Byul just trapped a few underlings among them. Lily was more active, but she did not overdraw her strength. She kept a close distance between Dairyl and Lora. Dairyl did not take part in the battle like she told them, but the little girl was one of the people that went all out. Well, she had the blood of the Mah'shai D'borge clan inside her veins. They were quite impulsive during battle. Lily had to go out of her way to bring back the reckless girl. 

In the end, the adolescent girl sat down with a pout with her sister Dairyl.

Seriel of the spear maidens was having fun in her battle. Even though she held back from going all out, she did not perform with the instruction either. She beat down the outlander that came in her way.

All of Wrik's allies were not in such good condition. These were the elites, the cream of the crop. It was convincing that they would go well during the battle. But the other men they brought were not that skilled or lucky. Some of them were fatally injured, where few choose to withdraw from playing their part.

Fraser was one of the men that had an outstanding performance. He was one of the men saved by Jacob. He commanded the others who were having problems, and his abilities were more than commendable. Apart from him, none of them stood well in the crowds.

But the battle was long from being over, but that did not matter anymore. It did not even have been 10 minutes that Wrik succeeded in his plan. In this time, not only he infiltrated the fortress, beat their leader, and then scammed him into signing a maha contract. All this thing in ten minutes. 

"Alright people, the battle is over," Anton yelled towards the crowd. The three of them were on the terrace of the first floor, watching over all the crowd running around and battling.

The people in their group stopped fighting, but the other party did not until Theiron, their master, opened his mouth. 

"Stop the battle," Theiron shouted. "We have come to a truce between us." 

The bald guy with the dragon tattoo was the first of Theiron's underlings questioned. "But why?"

"Do I have to ask for your permission, Oblak?" Theiron glared at his men. "Stop the battle, and all of you enter the fortress, and wait at the hall." 

The men did not complain further, fearing their master's fury. They came in numbers, some holding the injured, some walking alone. Wrik's group entered too. Like they were told, they waited in the hall on the ground floor. It was quite big to hold more than two hundred men. They stood in two groups: one side had more numbers and more injured ones while the other have half the number with even less injury.

Wrik, Anton and Theiron came in without delay, and walked down the middle. 

"Those who are the slaves here stand apart from the other group," Wrik said towards the crowd. 

The crowds were bewildered, and so was Theiron, but the noble son did not stop Wrik. In between, Wrik's friend come and joined him, just as the elite among Thieron's men joined the noble son. 

"Don't worry," Wrik continued. "You won't be put through anything inhuman. It would only make your life better in the trial." 

The slaves could only compile after that. The slaves under Lily were already freed. The ones here now were all under Theiron. The noble son indeed collected quite several of the slaves in just two weeks. It was above thirty in numbers, and they were in both gender. A third of the men under Theiron.

"I give you an opportunity here," Wrik said, looking at the slaves. "You fellows have gone through a lot. You all deserve a second chance. Here I. .. We will give you a second chance. You all will be freed from the slavery and you are all free to go." 

Theiron could not stand still anymore. "Hey, what is he saying?" he asked. "Do you know how much effort it took to bring them here?"

"Shut up," Anton cut him short. "We have already discussed this."

"But if some of you chose to stay, we will take you in," Wrik continued. His voice broke into the hall, into everyone's ears. "We will give you a safe place to ward off the cold, and food three times a day. All you have to do is listen to the instructions well.. . ." 

Wrik continued for a while, but none of the slaves opened their mouths. Even most of them feared to look up. In just two weeks of enslavement, they were in this condition. Wrik did not know what will happen if it continued till the end of Little War nor he wanted to see it.

Words were not enough for the bunch. They needed action now. 

Wrik gestured towards the gentle-looking girl accompanying Lily. "Dairyl, would you mind?"

Dairyl nodded. She walked towards the crowd of slaves, and Wrik followed her. Other than the lesson from her, observing was one of the best ways Wrik learned so far. He was with her whenever she worked on breaking the slave brands. 

Wrik could very well ask Theiron to free his slaves, but that won't have the effect he wanted. He needed the slaves to be grateful to him and his friends, making Theiron do would not achieve that. So he chose to do it the hard way. Dairyl had to break each one of their slave brands one by one, where Theiron could just free them with the stamp.

Dairyl did not need the Designer Disc to break the brand. Her skill was above the level that she could use her will to break it. She put her arm in the slaves' and worked on it.

It did not take long. The slave flinched a little, but within a minute the brand in his arm was gone, and so as the foreign will restraining him. 

"It worked!" the man shouted in joy. "I am free."

"Like I said, we are not lying," Wrik said to him, and all the slaves. "Would you like to stay with us and help us?" 

The newly freed man from slavery did not answer, but looked at the other slaves. He could not decide on his own.

"No matter, you can take your time in deciding."

Dairyl moved to the next slave. Then to the next, and after that. In about half an hour, all the slaves were freed. Dairyl looked quite tired. She exhausted quite some of her will, breaking so many brands at once. Wrik could tell it was not easy. It needs extreme precision and mental strength to break the omega codes inside the brand. Wrik was still far away from achieving that.

Lily took away Dairyl as Wrik stood in front of the slaves. The wild woman did not forget to a say a friendly word to Wrik, "Nicely done."

The slaves stood still; they had a better expression on than before, though most of them were still uncertain. 

"Those who decided to stay welcome to our group. You will have similar reverence in the group like anyone else, and anything other would depend on your performance," he said. "And those that would like to go. Good luck. May you find a safe place to stay in the night and food to fill your stomach in the wilderness."

Wrik moved back among his friend. Theiron was still complaining, but Anton cut him short, gesturing at his hand. The noble son took the gesture well, zipped his lips instantly after that.

In the end, 22 of the thirty-something slaves chose to stay, while the other dozen men departed from the fortress. 

"Look at that," Theiron cried. "Why did you chase to free them? Now we have even fewer men and they were not under any restraint."

The wilderness was not as forgiving as them. They had already learned it being slaves, and will learn further again. They probably had trust issues with what Wrik said, but he can't do anything. Trust needed time to form. He could not make them trust him on just a single encounter.

"Trust me, they will come back," Wrik said. But he did not say out loud the next words that came into his mind. 'But even if they come back, would they listen to you—the cruel slaver or the angel that saved them?'

The answer was simple, and it was only a beginning.

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End of the chapter: Scam. 

Next chapter: Power up. 

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