Rebirth: Rise of the Slave Master

Chapter Sixteen: Slaver's First Rule

“Wider stance! Lower! Straighten back!” Bai barked the instructions while circling Rick like a hovering vulture.

It was early in the morning and the sun was still below the horizon, but the bright lights of the gym were just as radiant as ever. A few of the wandering gym rats were watching with looks of vague interest, coming up with whatever excuses they could to pass by the strange duo on their way to the various exercise machines.

Rick was currently situated in a bizarre position, holding a wide squat with his arms outstretched while Bai carefully inspected his posture. If he so much as relaxed at all or let his legs soften, the young man would try to knock him off balance, sending a rush of pain through the muscles in his thighs. If Rick cared for things like embarrassment, his face might have been red for a reason other than sheer exertion.

“Is this really necessary?” Rick said through gritted teeth.

Bai’s smug look really was annoying, “Rick is the one who says he wants to learn my foot technique.” he said, “Not regretting the choice now, are you?”

Rick suppressed a groan as a tingling numbness started to creep into his feet. He couldn’t deny that he’d been intrigued by Bai’s movements in their earlier match, but he felt the young man might be taking out some repressed aggression after his unexpected loss. Rick thought he was going easy on him when he decided to let the guy off the hook in regards to their wager, but how was he to know that Bai would adamantly refuse the mercy call?

“Bai’s family always kept their word,” he’d said with a sense of clear self-promotion, “Rick should respect the outcome of his bets.”

In other words, he had been played. Rick thought after his triumph over Old Man Snake Eyes and his duping of the Gobiln shaman, he would always have a leg up on anyone who tried to get the better of him. It was his mistake for being overconfident, so he could only grin and bear it.

“Rick’s body is already so old. Best years already wasted!” Bai preached, “Will just have to work hundred times as hard to make up for lost time.”

This was Evil, right? Bai was earning no shortage of Evil points for this kind of treatment.

“So why am I doing this, then?” Rick couldn’t help but ask.

The man sent another shock through his body with a firm palm slap to his lower back.

“Rick relies too much in game, needs to build up lower body strength for proper control, after this will add some weights.”

“Just give me another chance to meet you in game, and I’ll teach you what proper control is all about!” Rick managed to endure the hellish training by imagining all the ways he could get his revenge in the virtual world.

After Bai was thoroughly satisfied with the state of Rick’s misery, it was Rick’s turn to educate his new accomplice. Although there was no shortage of complaining on Bai’s part when it came to understanding proper body maintenance, Rick couldn’t dock him in points for his diligence. His body seemed almost too thin for a grown man, but he was in great shape and shockingly strong. If it wasn’t for his insistence on following his own archaic exercise regime, he wouldn’t have had any problems in the first place.

“Why would Rick leave all classes behind?” Bai asked him out of the blue, “Clearly not too stupid.”

Rick wasn’t sure whether to take this as an insult or a compliment, but he let it slide.

“You’ve seen me, the only thing I’m good at is video games,” Rick said without ceremony as he corrected Bai’s grip on the rowing machine.

“Rick wants to be one of those professional game types?” Bai asked, “It sounds not stable at all.”

Rick shrugged, “You go where your talents take you, I guess.” he said, “What about you? Couldn’t you make a living with your kung-fu?”

For once Bai didn’t correct him, and only made a sour expression as he considered the idea, “Bah! Spending all day with sweaty men, what kind of job is that? There’s no money in it! I studied hard to take classes and get real job! Family is very proud!”

“They’re not bothered by it?” Rick asked, somewhat shocked, “I thought you were all about the filial responsibility thing?”

This time it was Bai’s turn to shrug, “I am all about many things, unlike Rick who only cares about games! Famliy very important, but my Brother has wife now, can settle down and take care of home. Maybe make a niece or nephew for me to play with when I go back.”

“Sounds nice,” Rick said with a vague tone.

Settling down and starting a family? Rick had considered it back in the day, well that was until he died and went back in time. Now it was the furthest thing from his mind. As for his family? Well, that was a bridge he had burned long before he got hooked on Dream World Online. There wasn’t any point considering a different path now. He was just biding his time in this strange alternate reality until he could see the day of his revenge.

After that? What was the point in planning so far ahead? He’d figure it out when he got there.

“Same time tomorrow?” Rick asked as he slipped on his windbreaker.

It was still the middle of February, and the chill in the air wasn’t anything Rick wanted to experience after covering himself with sweat. Unfortunately, this place wasn’t equipped with a shower, and if he wanted to change clothes, Rick would have to wait for the gym’s single restroom to open up.

Bai gave him a funny look, “Did Rick lose his brain in the game too? Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day!”

Rick narrowed his eyes, “I don’t want to hear that from a kung-fu nerd like you!” he said smugly, “Are you telling me you have a date or something?”

Only Bai could compare with Rick’s ego, and triumphantly crossed his arms, “Hmph! Of course! I’m very popular with the other sex. Ha! Forever alone Rick!”

Rick wasn’t sure whether he wanted to laugh or cry. There was nothing wrong with being alone on Valentine’s day! He had to spend every minute working in the game to pay his rent, and it wasn’t like he couldn’t get a date if he tried. He certainly wasn’t going to covet another man’s fortune.

“Fine, I’ll just come here on my own and squat like an idiot by myself,” he said.

Bai smiled, “Good! Rick is a good student after all!”

Feeling the sting of loneliness, Rick stopped by the corner market on the way home and bought himself a cup of hot coffee. He may have been struggling just to get by, but a single dollar was a small price to pay to keep from freezing. When he finally got home, Rick couldn’t help but feel his tiny apartment had grown in size while he was gone. The old futon that he’d never had the time to unfold stared at him and creaked noisily when he sprawled across it.

Rick allowed himself precisely one minute to wallow in his pity and sore muscles but even that small luxury was marred by the restlessness the overcame him.

Instead of logging in to immediately resume the grind, Rick decided to check out Dream World Online’s official forums. The company that published the game, Emerald Axis, was far less hands off than the title’s actual developers, and did everything they could to address the players' concerns. Although he could have logged in with his in-game name and password, Rick didn’t bother since he wasn’t going to post. He was just there to see the other players’ progress. His bank account was relying on them reaching level 10 soon and unlocking the currency exchange.

When Rick saw the number one topic on the new threads page, however, he nearly choked.

Level 10 Player: What is a Slave Master?

“This… this can’t be anyone else, right?” he felt an impending sense of dread as he opened the page.

Maximilian (OP): Has anyone else seen the recent update for the players list in the Adventuring Guild? It was empty until yesterday, but a name finally showed up!

[Theo - Lv. 10 Slave Master - Oasis Branch - Rank: D]

Is this for real? How is there already a level 10 player in the game? I’ve been following IamGameBro’s livestream pretty closely, and I thought he was the fastest at level 8. Who is this Theo guy? Does he even eat or sleep? I’m not mad or anything (much), but he’s even made it to D-Rank already? I call hax!

Rick frowned as he looked further, reading a dozen or so comments that either tried to disprove the original poster or were expressing a range of emotions from rage to begrudging adulation. At first the replies were pretty irregular. Fervor picked up as soon as players started logging in to check with their own eyes and posting screenshots. At the bottom of the first page, another post caught Rick’s eye.

Chareman: Can confirm! I also started in Oasis (desert bros for life!) and was checking out the Adventuring Guild with a couple buddies yesterday. There was a guy making a fuss at the E-ranked counter, but I thought it was just a NPC or something. Lol. It was probably the same person on the list! Did I just witness history in the making?

P.S. Slave Master? I dunno what that means, but this guy is officially my hero! Changing my name to Theo’s #1 Fan, lol.

After this comment was posted, the thread practically exploded. Plenty of people came out of the woodwork to either disown or corroborate the story, with tons of false rumors floating around. A guy who named himself Theos#1Fan even appeared! It had gotten to the point where people started piecing together eye-witness descriptions of his avatar, and Rick was worried he might have to change his character design. Another comment jumped out at him. It was from an Emerald Axis official administrator.

RaizerX: We’re glad to see everyone so excited over the release of Dream World Online. The activity in the forums has been phenomenal so far, and the feedback we’re receiving is greatly appreciated!

Emerald Axis would just like to take this opportunity to step forward and make an official statement regarding this most recent matter:

The account of the player in question has been reviewed by our investigation board and found to be legitimate and free of any suspicion of hacking, data manipulation, or other improper conduct. We would like to give player Theo our sincerest congratulations for being the first to reach level 10, for single handedly defeating an until now undiscovered boss, and for even unlocking a hidden class! We hope that everyone can strive to reach Theo’s level soon and unearth the many secrets held within the world of Orpheum. We look forward to future stories of Theo’s accomplishments!

Thank you, that is all!

Rick sighed. This wasn’t good. He had expected a little buzz when he signed up at the Adventuring Guild, but how could he possibly expect the publisher to step in and make a statement? They even revealed his solo-kill of the [Desert Serpent Queen] and the fact that he was using a hidden class. He had to give it to them, they were professionals. Taking a small hiccup like this and turning it into a publicity stunt to encourage the players… he shouldn’t have expected any less.

“Crafty bastards,” Rick bit his thumb, “Trying to threaten me? You’ll be watching? You sound just like that old fart, Snake Eyes.”

Was there anything he could do? The answer was ‘no.’ Aside from being more careful about how he exploited his knowledge from the future, he would also have to deal with the problems brought on by unintentional celebrity. Putting aside the fans, his success was certain to arouse the ire of plenty of headstrong players. This was also a way for Emerald Axis to check his advancement. Rick would have to lie low for awhile and try to accelerate his current plans later.

He downed the rest of his coffee and threw his tired body back onto the futon next to his Lucid Lock. After a moment passed, his consciousness faded away and transferred over to his character.

“Stupid humie! Why are you so stupid? Stop being stupid!” a loud screeching all too quickly filled Theo’s ears.

The Goblin, Gobthnora, sat atop Meatshield’s shoulders and was bashing the poor woman in the crown with her little staff. Flaunting her usual stony demeanor, the princess appeared entirely uninterested in the Shaman’s pitiful strikes. It wasn’t until Theo approached that she even turned her head.

“Oh, Master! You have returned! Gobthnora was giving suffer-teach to stupid humie! All day she refused to move or squeal! Her skull is empty like dropped baby Gobbo’s!” she screeched, punctuating the edict with another loud *thwack.*

“Gobthnora, this is an order, keep your voice down. Also, don’t harm the other slaves... without permission,” Theo didn’t waste much brainpower on the issue.

In her usual sycophantic manner, Gobthnora rolled down Meatshield’s back and dropped to her knees to grovel. Theo was still getting used to the shaman’s more eccentric qualities, but she had thankfully dropped the subject of becoming his Lover after yesterday’s lesson. He still occasionally heard her whispers of ‘eventually’ when she thought he wasn’t listening.

The trio camped for the evening in a cave not too far from the Goblin’s hideout. It was little more than a crack along the interior of a canyon-like rock formation. One of many which littered the area. An arid breeze whipped past the entrance, filling the cavern with a persistent whistling, while the stubborn gurgle of a long forgotten spring rose from the bottom of the ravine. After Meatshield managed to leave the confines of her spawning area without dropping dead, which was a huge relief, they’d quickly scouted this location. At first it was occupied by a few monsters, whom Theo mercilessly evicted onto the canyon floor below… in pieces.

Gobthnora had proven unusually capable as she set up a fire for the group, and beyond any expectation managed to provide a useful buff.

[Goblin Campfire]: Increases HP and MP regeneration by 100% while resting nearby. Bathing in the warm flames raises your spirits, Constitution and Willpower increase by 5% for 120 minutes.

According to Gobthnora, one of the Goblin Shaman’s most sacred duties was to keep the bonfire lit forever, even if that involved using other Goblins as kindling. There was no race in all of Orpheum more skilled at making fires, she boasted, and as the firestarter of her clan, Gobthnora could already be considered an Expert in this field. It was a pleasant surprise and let Theo see the little demi-human in a more favorable light, literally.

For the moment, Theo had to concern himself with his other slave. Although both of his new possessions seemed to be competent in their own ways, they were also riddled with odd personality defects. It made him wonder if this was a quirk of being a Slave Master, or if he was just cursed.

“Meatshi- er, I mean Anastasia. That is your name, correct?” he leaned in and asked the young woman.

Although it was hard to tell with her tattered appearance, the girl’s looks were worthy of being a princess. Theo wouldn’t consider himself a proper judge of what was and was not attractive, but he enjoyed looking at her. Meatshield's face was thin and delicate, with a button nose and large, grey eyes flecked with bits of white. Thicker than average eyebrows accompanied her vacant expression, and she had an unnaturally pale complexion. Her long black hair was charred and frayed and had been thoroughly tangled by the Goblin tormentor.

Even though Theo asked her a question, she just stared at him. He wasn’t sure why, but some level of confirmation was decipherable in that emptiness. Gobthnora looked as if she wanted to slap the girl for refusing to answer her master, but abstained due to Theo’s earlier reprimand.

“Nod if you understand me,” Theo said.

Shockingly, the girl nodded.

“Nod once for yes or shake your head for no,” unsure of what to do, he treated her like he would an infant, “Is your name Anastasia?” he asked.

Meatshield nodded.

“Progress!” Theo’s heart leapt.

He already knew she could follow orders, but it would become troublesome if there was no way for her to communicate. Even if she didn’t want to interact, or simply couldn’t, Theo could still use his authority as a Slave Master to command her. He considered ordering her to use words from now on, but decided Gobthnora was loud enough for the both of them. As long as he was sure she understood, a quiet slave was definitely the better option.

Guuu~

There was a rumbling sound from the girl’s stomach. Without a hint of discomfort on her face, she continued to stare at her master. Theo had forgotten that NPCs needed to eat regularly. Gobthnora was fine since she had almost certainly been pigging out on stolen merchandise only hours ago, but Meatshield had actually been starving for days. While her condition might have improved after becoming Theo’s slave, she still needed food!!

“Alright,” Theo said, standing up and hoisting his spear.

“Master is going hunting?” Gobthnora’s eyes shone as she spoke.

“Nope,” her master immediately shot her down, “Slaver's First Rule: you don’t hunt for yourself, you don’t eat.”

Theo refused to worry about hunting and cooking for his slaves all the time, and he certainly couldn’t afford to buy them rations. Luckily, eating was optional for him. Turning his gaze on Meatshield he motioned for her to get up.

“Understand?” Theo asked her.

The woman stiffly nodded her head.

“Good,” he said, “Gobthnora, I’m leaving this one to you. Don’t beat her up anymore, but don’t help her hunt either. She needs to learn to do it on her own.”

Gobthnora flashed her pointy little teeth in a wide grin, “Yes. Master is most wise. This is the way of Gobbos, as well. Survival of the fittest, Gobthnora likes!”

What a compliant little Goblin he had found, even if she was a bit…

Theo opened his inventory and removed a tattered, makeshift blade from it.

[Goblin Shortsword] - More of an oversized dagger than a shortsword, while it can hardly be called a weapon, it remains lethal nonetheless. The blade seems ready to fall apart at any time.

Quality: Beginner; Durability 40/40

Damage: 8~15

It was a weapon looted from the Goblin horde, and it was even worse than the starting gear. Theo tossed it on the ground in front of Meatshield. It landed with a loud clang.

“Pick it up,” Theo ordered, watching as the princess did so with a delicate motion. It seemed her bows were programmed to be dainty, “Can you use it?”

Meatshield tried to adapt to the weight of the blade in her small hand as she swung it clumsily back and forth. After a moment of contemplation, she shook her head.

Unfortunately, NPCs couldn’t learn skills like players. She could only practice with the blade until she grew accustomed to it, and the system would eventually grant her the [Beginner One-Handed Mastery] skill. It worked the same way when you were training NPC soldiers.

Theo, as the War God, had reached at least the Master-tier in every type of weapon in the game. He had personally trained all of Alabaster Alliance’s top NPCs who would later go on to be commanders of the Guild’s personal army. He was more than qualified to teach the slave how to fight, but that would only come after he got a full grasp of her attributes and habits. He had to be careful in how he raised the NPCs.

These were his precious class features, after all!