NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: Shadow knight (1)
Chapter 7
In the dimly lit underground arena, the air is thick with tension. A line of children, their ages ranging from 9 to 15, stand perfectly still, eyes glazed over with an unnatural calm. Their faces are blank, devoid of emotion. They are dressed in simple combat attire, each one standing in a rigid, soldier-like stance. The faint hum of the magical crystals embedded in the stone walls surrounds them, casting a cool, eerie glow across their faces.
At the center of the arena, two figures are locked in a brutal clash. On one side is Yuto, a 10-year-old boy with striking features—his handsome face twisted not with rage, but with grim focus. He moves with precise skill, his body reacting faster than his conscious mind can process. Opposite him is another child, a hulking 15-year-old who has been transformed into a terrifying beast—a werewolf-like creature, his massive form rippling with unnatural strength. Despite the savage appearance, the beast too is just a child, brainwashed like the rest.
Their movements are fast, a violent dance of blows and counters. Yuto darts in and out of the beast's reach, his smaller frame granting him agility. But each time he strikes, his eyes betray no emotion, only the mechanical reflexes drilled into him through torture and suffering. The werewolf-child roars, its claws slashing through the air with brute force, but Yuto dodges, sliding under a heavy strike and retaliating with a sharp punch to the beast's ribs.
The arena floor is scarred from previous battles, and every thud of the children's blows echoes off the walls. The magical crystals flicker, their eerie glow intensifying as the battle rages. They seem to feed off the conflict, pulsating in time with each collision of fists and claws.
Yuto's body moves like a weapon, finely tuned and unstoppable, while the werewolf-child lashes out with feral fury, a tragic blend of innocence and violence. Both are victims of a fate beyond their control, kidnapped, tortured, brainwashed, and forced into slavery.
The children standing in line watch silently, their expressions vacant, waiting for their turn in the arena. They are all trapped in this living nightmare, forced to fight, to survive—until they can find a way to break free, if that's even possible. For now, Yuto and his beast-like opponent continue their brutal clash, two children locked in a battle neither of them chose.
(Few minutes later)
Yuto stands still for a moment, his chest rising and falling as he catches his breath. His expression remains unreadable. He gazes down at the unconscious werewolf-child at his feet, the hulking form no longer moving, its breath shallow but steady. For all its ferocity, it was just another child like him, trapped, brainwashed, and forced to fight.
The arena is eerily silent. The other children, lined up in their soldier-like poses, do not react. Their eyes remain fixed ahead, staring vacantly as if nothing significant has happened. The magical crystals embedded in the walls dim slightly, no longer feeding off the energy of the intense battle that had just taken place. Their soft glow bathes the arena in an unsettling calm.
"Bravo, bravo! I guess we found our new knights' order's leader," the director says, smiling. Then he turns his gaze to the werewolf child, who is unconscious, and says in an indifferent voice, "And new vice leader."
He then turns toward the children who are standing expressionless and speaks as if he is a father whose daughter is getting married off. "I am so proud of all of you. At first, you couldn't even stand properly in front of me; now you can stand firm and strong." He wipes a fake tear.
"As much as I would like to celebrate and go through four hours of happy time together in the toy room, you all will be having your first mission tomorrow. So, cha-cha," the man says, and in unison, all the children split and are gone to their cave in a few seconds.
As Yuto goes to his cave to get a shut-eye
(First-person POV)
Fuck, fuck! I will kill that bastard, twist his balls off and shove them down his throat....
Sorry about the little rant; it's been about two years since I woke up in this hellhole. In here, in the name of training us to become great tools, they torture us, break us apart little by little, filling the empty holes with what they deem should be there. I still remember that time in the training field after three hours of torture training when a boy snapped and went crazy.
(Flashback)
In the training field, a group of children could be seen surrounding a little boy who looked to be 9 years old, writhing on the floor, muttering something about the patriarch, mom, dad, and some other incoherent stuff.
A few seconds later, a man who seemed like a circus clown approached the boy and started punching him. After punching him until he was an inch away from death, he muttered, "This one is completely lost," and looked at us. "Kill him , cut him up into 2 section and feed him to Borys" he ordered, and left. (it is a magical beast)
Did you know what hit me harder? It's not the fact that they beat up one of us to almost death and left while we watched with such calmness. No, it's the fact that , i was wondering if we could borrow a sword or something.
(Back to the present)
I could feel myself changing little by little. I am becoming colder and more selfish. Soon, I will also break and become like the others. Emotionless cold weapon.
Ding...
Huh? Wait, that was my system; I completely forgot about it after i noticed after my first torture session that the rate i am getting points is getting slower and slower with people forgetting me and all that.
"Status"
[Skill pain resistance evolved to Mental resilience through continuous torture.]
[New skill gained: Swordsmanship.]
[New skill gained: Marksmanship.]
[New skill gained: Elemental magic.]
[New skill gained: Elemental magic.]
[Skill boxing evolved to hand-to-hand combat.]
[New skill gained: Poison Resistance.]
[Skill Intimidating Presence leveled up.]
[Skill Intimidating Presence leveled up.]
[Skill Enchanted Senses leveled up.]
[Skill Enchanted Senses leveled up.]
[Skill Mana Manipulation leveled up.]
[Skill Mana Manipulation leveled up.]
[Skill Mana Manipulation leveled up.]
[Skill Mana Manipulation leveled up.]
[Skill hand-to-hand combat leveled up.]
[Skill hand-to-hand combat leveled up.]
[Skill hand-to-running leveled up.]
[Skill hand-to-running leveled up.]
[Skill hand-to-running leveled up.]
[Skill hand-to-running leveled up.]
[Warning: Skill running is a minor skill; it can't advance to rank Master.]
[Need 3 or more minor skills in similar nature to evolve, or extreme stimuli.]
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[New skill gained: Limit: Endurance.]
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[Skill running, Limit: Endurance, Limit: Strength evolved to Limit Breaker through the combination of 3 skills.]
[Skill description: Limit Breaker: It allows the user to utilize all of his physical potential at once.]
[System of Perfection]
Name: Tsuki Yuto
Race: Human
Level: 6
0/400 to upgrade
Talent: 2.42
Skills:
House management Job - Level 10 (Basic)
Mana Manipulation - Level 12 (Advanced)
Physical Enhancement - Level 1 (Basic)
Hand to Hand Combat - Level 11 (Advanced)
Acting - Level 2 (Master)
Enchanted Senses - Level 5 (Advanced)
Presence - Level 7 (Advanced)
Swordsmanship - Level 1 (Advanced)
Marksmanship - Level 9 (Basic)
Elemental Magic - Level 1 (Advanced)
Limit Breaker - Level 5 (Advanced)
Power Level: 27 ( Mid class (20-30))
Perfection Points: 174
Remark: Super genius among humans who at the tender age of 10 ,is almost at the peak of mid class being
As it gets higher, it becomes harder to raise. And the difference between 1 point is greater.)
(low class (5-15)
Mid class (16- 23)
High class (25-40)
Ultimate (50-75)
Sata class (100-250)
Super Devil class (300-500)
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that to upgrade a skill, it goes like this:
Basic: 25 points for 1 level.
Advanced: 50 points for 1 level.
Master: 200 points for 1 level.
Grandmaster: 500 points for 1 level.
Now I gotta sleep because I would be waking up in 6 to 7 hours.
(Next morning?)
In a vast, open field, 50 to 60 children stand in eerie silence, their faces expressionless and vacant. They are arranged in neat rows, their bodies rigid. The atmosphere is heavy and still, amplifying the sense of unease that hangs in the air.
In the background, a few adults stroll aimlessly, their murmurs and footsteps the only sounds breaking the silence.
Suddenly, a man stepped onto a podium at the front of the field, drawing the attention of the children and adults. Wearing casual clothes typical of the street, he spoke up.
"Alright, for the first mission, you will be dividing into teams of six. When I call your name and team number, stand in the magic circle behind me. It will teleport you to the location where you will have your first mission. Also, the authority will be the same as before—the highest-ranking knight will have the highest authority."
"A1 4, A2 8, A6 4... B7 1."
When their numbers were called, the children swiftly ran to the magic circle and waited. Yuto, who is B7, stood in the first circle, with several others joining him. But you could notice that others are all few steps behind him . With exception of Yuto , rest is in formation.