"You bitch!"
Pa!
Though Ash didn't see who was making that noise, he was still certain someone got slapped.
At first, he figured it was probably a group of male adventurers arguing with one another, at least until he suddenly heard a tiny voice respond.
"I-I'm sorry! Please forgive me."
The voice was shaking, quite evidently at that.
"The hell?! Do you know how hard it is to kill a mid-level monster? How can you forget to pick the damn stone?"
Another male voice echoed.
Gbam! Ba! Pa!
The sound of more smacks followed.
'I see.'
Ash had heard enough to understand what was going on.
It wasn't unusual in this world for adventurers to hire willing slaves to follow them on their quest. The job of the slaves varied, but the most popular was having them carry bags and pick up mana stones while the employer kills the monsters.
Knowing how sick the world can be, it shouldn't be a surprise that people tend to abuse said slaves and treat them however they like. And it wasn't against the law either since the slaves themselves were forced to make a pact with their masters beforehand.
The weak preying on the poor—such is life.
'Not that it is any of my business. I know better than to stick my nose in such affairs.'
Just as Ash was about to stand up from the water to dry his body, he suddenly saw his reflection in the mirror, and it was nothing like he expected at all.
How could he have missed this?
His face looked completely different; his brown hair had turned black, his jaws were sharper, and his eyes, once black, now held a grey texture, beautiful and dark at the same time.
'What the hell?! Since when did I look like this?'
His attention moved to the sudden alert from the system.
[The system has run a further analysis on your growth and has detected the trait of slaves needed for your optimal growth.]
[Broken heroines, needing their fate changed.]
[A broken heroine has been detected; would you like to make a contract?]
[Would you like to make a contract with the chosen target?]
'Uhn? The hell?' Ash frowned, 'Why the hell will I do that? If I am going to turn anyone into a slave, it's that bitch Elsa. I'll make her kill the—'
[Your anger is justified.]
[According to the system's analysis, this is the best course of action to ensure you grow stronger. Your goal is not merely to have revenge because you got betrayed. You also want to make it to the top, and shove your growth down their throat.]
Ash paused.
Surely enough, the system was right.
In as much as his rage was leaning towards killing the hero, it wasn't like any other person in the kingdom treated him like a human being. He was weak and useless; there was no reason for them to pay him any mind.
To see the look on their faces when he finally proves them wrong and has them choke on their own ignorance, who wouldn't want that?
Not to mention he needed the strength if he was going to consider demanding a trip back to his former world.
Every man had gone through something similar. To have no one believe in them, only to bounce back with a bigger clapback and tumble the entire table under their feet.
Ash sighed, scratching the back of his head before looking to the distance where the voice was coming from.
'So you're saying, in order to grow stronger, these are the kind of women to make my slave?'
[Precisely,]
[The system feeds off these emotions. If you refuse to carry out this task, the system may no longer have any means to assist you.]
Ash kept staring at the distance; the cries of the girl had gotten louder, and so did the yelling of the men around her.
'Can I even trust anyone in this world after what happened?' Ash sighed again. 'Fine, whatever; let's get it over it.'
[The system appreciates your cooperation.]
…
After he had gotten dressed, Ash walked over to the source of the noise.
It wasn't too far; as such, it didn't take him long to get there.
Upon reaching there, he bent on a rock, his eyes scanning the scene before him.
There, on the ground, was a girl dressed in a dirty brown cloak; surrounding her were three male individuals, each one carrying a weapon in their hand.
Taking a closer look at the girl, Ash was able to spot her pointy ears, alongside the tears dripping down her cheeks.
'An elf? Yeah, that makes much sense now.'
"Come here!"
One of the men grabbed the girl by the neck and pinned her to the ground, his eyes filled with pleasure, enjoying every minute he spent choking her.
The elf girl in question was too scared to even call for help; she kept trying to free herself, but her arm strength was nothing in comparison to the giant holding her down.
"Tell me how you plan to pay us back, uh? You scammed us; your seller told us you were efficient, and yet you just cost us a week of good food."
"I—I am so—"
"Speak up!"
The man lifted her up and slammed her back to the ground. Her eyes widened in pain upon impact as spit flew from her mouth.
"Dude, be careful; we don't want her too damaged." Another one spoke up, "We have to sell her again; she is useless, so keep her in one piece at least."
"Hmm," the man holding her neck paused for a while, his predatory eyes fixed on the scared girl, and then he uttered,
"How about I break her fingers first, that should suffice, no? She has to be punished."
The elf girl tilted her head to the side, her eyes closed in fear, as she knew no matter how much she protested, it wasn't going to change the outcome. She was used to pain anyway; it will pass; it always passes.
However, as she opened her eyes, she spotted a figure staring back at her while seated on a rock close by.
The figure was a man for sure; his eyes were dark and yet held so much ominous power it felt like she was staring into a black hole.
Though she did not know him, there was this urge in her chest, something she had never dared to do.
Hell, even she doesn't know why, but somehow she knew if she didn't do it, she might regret it.
Slightly, she parted her lips to whisper, her voice weak and cracked.
"P-please… h-help me…"
The man who was so close to breaking her finger noticed this and wondered who she could be referring to.
As he turned his gaze to the side, he too could see the strange man seated on the rock.
"Who the fuck are you?" yelled the man almost immediately.
The other two were forced to turn their gazes as well.
In response, Ash sighed. Something he had been doing way too often.
Step!
He leaped down from the rock, both arms in his pocket as he observed the girl for a while.
She looked like a kid, and yet the damage on her body was enough to rival the oldest of warriors.
[Analyzing target…]
Name: Aisha
Race: Forest Elf.
Class: Fighter.
Status: Malnourished, fatigued, injured, scared, paranoid, depressed, hopeful.
'That is quite the emotion, for a little girl such as yourself.'
Ash turned his attention to the men before he voiced out loud.
"I heard you cry for help, but my help doesn't come for free. So I'll give you two options." he pointed at the adventurers. "You can either go with them, and I walk out like nothing happened, or you can come with me, but in return, you become my servant instead."
"Where the hell do you get off talking to my property?!" one of the men angrily stormed forward, drawing out his blade.
"Property? You're calling a human your property?" Ash glared, then looked at the girl. "Make up your mind. I am itching to kill these guys; what is it going to be?"
"I accept," the girl replied softly.
Did she mean it? No.
Was there any other choice? No as well.
For as long as she had remembered, she had been moving from one owner to the other. If this owner was going to at least save her from immeasurable pain before he treated her like a tool, then it was a price she was willing to take.
After hearing her response, Ash clenched his fist, coating his entire arm in his demonic aura.
"Don't be so quick to sell yourself out! " he yelled before charging forward, catching the adventurers unawares.