The crack of a whip split the air.

  “Get in line!”

  The and rang through the dimming light as a lean, middle-aged man shed out with a Fire Whip. Every strike against the stone floor sent embers scattering like fireflies.

  He stood at the tunnel’s entrance, mail with pte armor c his arms and legs. His dull-red beard bristled from the heat of the whip, but he didn’t move. His reddish eyes narrowed as he watched the Elves hurry inside, his face twisting with disgust.

  "Late again!" His gre fell upo twlers. "Curfew is before su. You missed it!"

  —Smack!

  The Fire Whip snapped against their legs, leaving behind a seared mark. One Elf let out a strangled groan, clutg his leg, while the ritted his teeth, his body already marred by older scars, aher dared to protest.

  “Kkeuk!” The two Elves clutched their mouths as a whip mark seared their legs. The pain was unbearable, but judging by a few more simir marks across their bodies, this wasn’t the first time they were getting punished.

  “Get in line!”

  Rachad snorted as he strode through the tunnel, his gaze sweeping over the line of gathered Elves. His reddish eyes flicked from orembling figure to the —until they nded on Pinaka.

  Uhe others, Pinaka bore no burn marks. For a moment, Rachad frowheiced the blood-soaked bandages where the Elf’s thumbs should have been. His lips curled into a slow, cruel smirk.

  "Another baby Elf has joined us."

  Pinaka stood sixth in line. Mahnaka had pulled him in early, hoping to keep him away from the Fire Whip. Standing just ahead, Mahnaka tried to stay still, but his body wouldn’t listen. His shoulders tensed, hands twitg at his sides. As Rachad got closer, the tremor in his stance became impossible to ignore.

  ‘Please, go away! We didn’t do anything wrong!’ Mahnaka cried inwardly, his stomach ing while his scars acted up in respoo the heat radiating off the Fire Whip.

  "Name?"

  Rachad ignored Mahnaka and turo Pinaka, scowling as he had to tilt his head slightly upward. At 155 timeters, Rachad was short—even newborn Elves stood taller. Pinaka, just born, had already reached 165 timeters, surpassing him by a full teimeters.

  The height difference grated on Rachad, but Pinaka’s sile him off. Without warning, the Fire Whip shed out—crack!—searing a red-hot mark across Pinaka’s cheek.

  "Are you deaf, you little runt?" Rachad growled. "Or do you think you're too good to answer me?"

  “Argh!” Pinaka screamed and colpsed on the ground. His hand shot to his cheek, where raw, scorched flesh sizzled against his palm. The pain was blinding.

  “He’s named Pinaka.” Mahnaka burst out and hurriedly crouched to assist Pinaka. He turned around and smashed his head on the floor, “Please five him, my Lord—he doesn’t know!"

  Rachad sneered. "Do you take me for a fool? You think I am unaware?" The Fire Whip cracked again—owice—searing into Mahnaka’s back.

  Seeing the tter trembling like a withered leaf, Rachad stared at the lock of luscious emerald hair c Mahnaka’s head, feeling irritated as he grabbed them and pulled fiercely, "C for the new kid, are we?"

  With a cruel chuckle, Rachad twisted his grip, f Mahnaka onto one knee—his head bowed just below Rachad’s line of sight.

  “Did you fet your past, Mahnaka?”

  Rachad grabbed Mahnaka’s , f him to face the Elf o the pilr. He said nothing—just let the sight speak for itself—before shoving him away and resuming his slow, deliberate march dowunnel.

  “G-Get up,” Mahnaka crouched beside Pinaka.

  “You’re bleeding…” Pinaka’s hands hovered as he sed Mahnaka’s wounds.

  “It's Nothing."Mahnaka said and turned around, rejoining the line, “Just stay quiet and do what the others do.”

  Pinaka swallowed hard but nodded, falling in line as the procession moved forward.

  ???????????

  Beh the looming pilr, a fully armored soldier stared ahead.

  “Name?”

  The first Elf in liiffened and saluted. "Nunaka. Two tonnes of rice harvested today, sir!"

  A massive, lumberi stepped forward, pushing a stone cart piled high with harvested grain. The creature towered over them, its five-meter frame casting an imposing shadow. Its thick, rhino-like hide was scarred from past battles, each mark a sileament to a lost war.

  It was an Ogre of the Stone Race fierce warriors, now reduced to mere borers. Uhe Elves, they had not been wiped out. Instead, the victors had tamed them, shag their strength for Human use.

  The Ogre stopped before the soldier, who methodically ied the quality of the rice before making a checkmark on his list.

  The line moved forward.

  The soldier’s eyes narrowed as he barked, "Status."

  Nunaka iffly, and a glowing green hologram appeared before him. It was a Status S.

  The moment it appeared, Pinaka’s breath caught—he could see it. His eyes darted around, searg for doubt, but there was none. Everyone saw it. His stomach twisted. ‘Dammit! s, then!’

  The soldier’s frown deepened. "Your Weight Factor is up by one unit."

  Nunaka stiffened. "I… I apologize, sir."

  The soldier’s gaze lingered on him—cold, assessing. Then he gave a slow nod. "It’s still within limits."

  A pause.

  "But if it rises again, you’ll be transferred to the potion factory."

  “Y-Yes, I uand.” Nunaka stammered and then saluted, “Glory to the Human Empire!”

  “e here,” The soldier beed for Nunaka to e closer. He then grabbed Nunaka's , inhaling deeply near his neostrils fring before he scribbled something onto his notepad. “Alright, you may return to your cell.”

  “T-Thank you, My Lord!” Nunaka bowed without any hint of resistand dragged his limpio a cell on the ground floor.

  The prison stretched ten stories high—rows upon rows of cages, each housing a reinated soul.

  Oer ahe Elves in the line performed the same as as Nunaka and reyed their pleted tasks while an Ogre hauled their respective harvest for the soldier to check.

  “Say 'Status,' and it’ll appear,” Mahnaka leaned in slightly, his voice barely above a whisper, ao report to the soldier. Soon, it inaka’s turn.

  The soldier stared at him and judged that Pinaka was a newborn. He eyed Mahnaka ond asked Pinaka, “Did that Elf teach you the basics?”

  “Yes,” Pinaka rying his best to mask his emotions, ‘Dammit! I should be obedient for the time being. It’s foolish to act out without knowing everything.’

  "Proud little thing, aren’t you?" He tilted his head, scrutinizing Pinaka’s expression. "But at least you’re not as mouthy as most newborns. Let’s see if that sts."

  Then, with an impatient wave of his hand, he ordered, "Status."

  Pinaka inhaled sharply, remembering Mahnaka’s words. He whispered the and.

  A flickering green hologram materialized before his eyes, its translut glow casting faint shadows across his face. Lines of glowi scrolled across its surface—strange, unfamiliar symbols he uood effortlessly.

  He blinked. How? The nguage was alies meaning slid seamlessly into his mind as if he’d always known it.

  ‘A side effey rebirth…? Or does every living thing i this knowledge?’

  [Name: Pinaka]

  [Race: Elf]

  [Authority: Wood]]

  [trol Factor: 1]

  [Weight Factor: 1]

  [Volume Factor: 1]

  [Range Factor: 1]

  [Speed Factor: 1]

  [Spell: -]

  "Step forward."

  Pinaka obeyed, keeping his expressioral as the soldier sed his Status S. The man shen frowned slightly.

  "You havee?"

  "No," Pinaka answered, f himself to stand still.

  The soldier barely g him. "You’ll get food in your cell. Move along. o Mahnaka."

  “Yes,” Pinaka nodded, puzzled by the entire exge. He didn’t act out and instead kept to himself. His head swam, his body teetering on the edge of colpse. His cheek burned where the fire had licked it, and his hands—where his thumbs had been—throbbed with a dull, crawling pain. Too much had happeoo fast. He still wasirely there.

  ‘Bsted hell!’ He swore in his head and forced his legs to move, climbing the stairs to the fourth floor.

  Pinaka’s gaze darted around the prison. His exhaustion faded for just a sed as something caught his attention.

  One soldier.

  A single guard.

  He blinked, disbelief crawling up his spine. More than a hundred Elves packed this pce. Outnumbering the guards a huo one.

  Ahey obeyed.

  ano fight. No desperate whispers of rebellion.

  Why?

  His fists ched as he stepped closer to Mahnaka’s cell, l his voice. "What… is the deal with this pce?"

  Mahnaka didn’t look at him. "Wait until the soldier is gone," he muttered. "Then you’ll uand why we don’t fight."

  …

  1

  Gangnea Daily Article #3

  When maed, every living being that isn’t blind see the Status S of the maed individual. There are s on Gangnea!

  Anvelope