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Chapter 002 | A Mere Resource Point
🕑 Added 2025-03-25 18:08:25 +0000 UTCPrevious Chapter | Table Of Contents | Next Chapter
Mahnaka paced anxiously across the hectare of farmland, his body flinching every time Pinaka's screams rang through the air. A pang of sympathy and anxiety struck his nerves.
'I'm sorry! It will hurt, but you must bear with it. There's nothing you can do. Please, don't die…'
The screams cut off abruptly. He turned around in a panic.
'No! Did he resist?’
'They will kill him if he does that…Dammit!'
Mahnaka stared at the mortar-covered tunnel leading into a concrete facility. Just twenty meters ahead was the room where the balding middle-aged man would remove Pinaka's thumbs.
A sprint, and he'll reach it in enough time to stop the man.
'I can kill the human…kill?'
"Ha…Mahnaka, you idiot!" His legs locked in place, his throat burning to scream, and tears streamed down his face as his feet didn't budge, "Move, you idiot. Do…something. At least this time..."
"Anything!"
—Thud! Crash!
Moments later, two Humans dragged a bloodied Elf forward and dumped him at Mahnaka's feet. One of them jabbed a finger at him. “You! Get him ready to work by dawn.”
A sharp crack split the air as a whip lashed the ground, making Mahnaka flinch. Unsympathetic, the two men turned and strode to their quarters.
"Taking care of these damn Elves is tiring," the man muttered, loosening his collar. "Prideful, aren't they, for mere slaves?"
His colleague snorted. "Pride? They’re born with it. But give them a few months of ‘education,’ and they’ll be obedient little farmers." He let out a harsh chuckle, and the other man joined in, their laughter echoing down the corridor.
Mahnaka stood frozen like a statue, unable to budge until he heard the Humans' conversation subside. Only after they were out of earshot did he hurriedly crouch to grab the wounded Elf before him, "Pinaka! Are you alright? Stay with me!"
"I'll patch you up—" His words stopped. Despite his body convulsing in agony, Pinaka’s eyes…they were cold—a killer’s eyes.
Tears had streamed down the cheeks, veins bulged, and lips cracked from being bitten raw. Weak yet fuelled with rage, Pinaka's eyes focused on Mahnaka as he extended his bloody hands and clasped his bloodied fingers around Mahnaka's neck.
He leaned in closer, his body swayed from exhaustion, whispering, "You've been here…for a while, right?"
Mahnaka nodded, too stunned to speak. Pinaka let out a weak grunt and then collapsed.
"Then...tell me everything about this cursed world!"
⊱⨷⟐⨳⩥⚔⩤⨳⟐⨷⊰
"The World Tree must have told you this."
It was late afternoon as Mahnaka cleaned and bandaged Pinaka's wounds, "We…died on Earth and were reincarnated here by the World Tree."
"Fucking hell!" Pinaka snorted, then sucked in a sharp breath in pain right after as he clutched his hands and stared at the stumps where his thumbs once used to be, "Are there no damn painkillers here?"
"There used to be plenty." Mahnaka shook his head. "But after our defeat, the Humans took control of all our medicinal herbs. As Elves, we're nothing but slaves now."
"I'm a fucking human!" Pinaka grunted and tried to stand but hadn't recovered enough to move. His breath came ragged as he glared at Mahnaka. "You're from Earth, too, right? We're humans!"
Mahnaka met his gaze, unyielding. "You're an Elf now." His voice was steady, final. "And here, humanity is OUR enemy."
A heavy silence lingered before Mahnaka finally spoke again. "I was born on the fourth day after the Elven Race fell. That makes me one of the oldest slaves at this place."
Pinaka scoffed. "Guess you've made peace with being a slave." His words were sharp, bitter—but almost as soon as they left his mouth, he clenched his jaw and sighed. "Damn it… sorry. That was uncalled for."
"That’s… more kindness than I’m used to here." Mahnaka smiled in gratitude and exhaustion, "I almost forgot what it felt like."
He reached for a small pouch hidden under the tilled ground and pulled out a vial of dull green liquid. "I made this from the Agri crops here. It’s not much, but it should dull the pain."
Once he had finished dressing the wounds, he said, "I'll explain using Earth terms as simply as I can."
"This world is a vast, singular continent called Gangnea. Regarding landmass, it's about the same size as Earth." He paused and then added, "According to its legends, a Dragon named Bolomere created this world and birthed sixteen sentient races—each with a unique authority."
Mahnaka reached down, brushing his fingers against a blade of grass. "The Elves hold dominion over wood, while our enemy, the Humans, wield fire."
"What type of authority is it?" Pinaka stared wide-eyed upon seeing Mahnaka grab a long strand of grass and weave it into a glove.
"There are four stages," Mahnaka said. "Control, Creation, Relic, and Divine."
He held up the woven glove. "This is Control. We can command the Wood element at will. That is Level 1."
"Level 2 is Creation. Such Elves can create Wood." He explained in a solemn tone.
Pinaka hesitated, "So they... grow trees fast or something?"
"No." Mahnaka said in all seriousness, "They create it."
He let the words settle before adding, "At Level 2, every Race can create their respective element. It’s like holding a fragment of a god within us."
"Suppose I reach Level 2," Pinaka said. "Can I just spam and create as much wood as I want?"
"Yes," Mahnaka nodded, "When too much matter is created, the Gangnea Continent expands to accommodate it. That’s how it’s been growing since the beginning."
"Then, why are we in this mess?" Pinaka asked.
“Elves were the first Race on Gangnea. And now? We’re slaves. We lost the war and became nothing more than resource points—farming food, grains, and plant produce for Humans." Mahnaka let out a bitter sigh, "Wood fuels fire. And that's why we can never win against Humans. We lack the numbers, strength, and elemental advantage to fight back."
Pinaka's expression darkened. "Then, what’s the World Tree’s goal?"
"Exactly as it said." Mahnaka nodded. "It wants us to restore the Elven Race's former glory. If we succeed, it'll send us to Earth."
"Does it truly have such power?" Pinaka wondered.
"If the World Tree can't, it'll call upon Bolomere. Control and Creation, remember?" Mahnaka added thoughtfully, "I think Bolomere might have authority over space-time, so it shouldn't be impossible to send us to our past on Earth. And if anyone knows where he is… it’s the World Tree."
"One last question," Pinaka said after a moment of thought, "What about a peace talk? We used to be Humans. Can't we communicate with the Humans of this world? The language isn’t from Earth, but we understand it. And everyone here seems to speak the same one."
Mahnaka sighed and stared at the sky, noticing it was evening. He got up and motioned for Pinaka to follow him, saying, "It's better to show it to you firsthand."
"Are we allowed to move as we please?" Pinaka glanced around warily. There was too much he didn’t know about this twisted world he’d been thrown into without consent. And Mahnaka… he was the only other Elf in sight. That didn’t mean he could be trusted.
"It's almost curfew," Mahnaka muttered as he walked into the mortar tunnel. His face gradually lost color while his body occasionally trembled. The first few rooms were where Pinaka had been scrubbed and then had his thumbs cut off.
The air was damp and heavy with silence. The corridor stretched for hundreds of meters before opening into a massive cylindrical prison, its walls lined with narrow cells—cramped, dark dwellings for Elves.
Then he saw it.
The moment he stepped inside, Pinaka froze.
An Elf hung nailed to the central pillar.
His chest had been split open, a jagged fang buried deep in the wound.
The Elf stared at them, lips moving soundlessly.
Pinaka didn’t need to read lips to understand.
"He…lp…me!"
Mahnaka exhaled shakily. "He’s the latest one who admitted he was from Earth." His voice was heavy with despair. "These Humans don’t care about us, Pinaka."
He looked up at the dying Elf, his fists clenched.
"To them, we’re nothing more than a resource point."
Gangnea Daily Article 2:
An Elf takes a century to reach adulthood and typically averages a lifespan of 4000 years. Their life expectancy though, was another matter altogether, dropping to a mere 20 years now.
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