"What the fuck are you dazing about?!"
The fat bastard screamed at me again, his voice grating against my ears.
"..."
I remained silent, still confused as hell.
But then—
BAM!
"Ouch...!"
The pig struck me in the head again!
'The fuck…?!'
I cursed in my head, a deep frown forming on my face.
And before I could even think of retaliating—
"Ugh, fucking annoying brat!"
FWISH—
Tap- tap- tap—
The fat bastard grabbed my left arm and yanked me forward!
"Huh?!"
Shock shot through my body as I was being dragged.
He did it so easily, like I wasn't someone who weighed over 70 kilograms.
And also—
'Why the fuck is this bastard so tall…?'
I was over 6 feet tall, yet I barely reached his shoulder.
The hell kind of genetics did this guy have?
But before I could dwell on that thought, still being dragged forward—
"Huh?"
We stopped in front of a cell.
And before I could even ask what the hell was going on—
"Get in there!"
FWOOSH—
THUD!
"Ugh…!"
I was thrown inside like a damn sack of potatoes.
"Why the fuck is he so strong…?"
I muttered, groaning as I slowly pushed myself up.
But—
"Huh…?"
Something felt off.
My body felt weak.
I could barely muster any strength.
It was like all the energy had been sucked out of me.
Then, memories of what happened before I woke up flashed through my mind.
The fight.
The stabbings.
The blood loss.
'I guess… it makes sense.'
I thought bitterly.
I had lost a shit ton of blood before blacking out. It was a miracle I was even conscious right now.
But that didn't explain the most important part…
'Where the hell was I?'
I needed answers.
Fwish—
I looked around.
First off, I was in a cell.
And inside this cell—
"..."
There were four more other people.
They were all skinny, probably between 16 and 19 years old.
And they were filthy.
Like, really filthy.
Their ragged clothes clung to their frail frames, covered in dirt, grime, and god knows what else.
And to make things worse—
'They fucking stink.'
But what caught my attention the most wasn't their appearance.
It was their reaction—or rather, their complete lack of one.
They weren't even looking at me.
Just standing there, lined up like statues, dead silent.
Like… what the fuck?
Some fat bastard just threw me into a cell out of nowhere—probably did the same thing to them—and they were acting like this was normal?
No questions? No confusion? No resistance?
Nothing?
That's weird as fuck...
'Whatever.'
I shook my head and just let it go after a few seconds.
Then instead—
"..."
I continued looking around.
And that's when I realized—
"The fuck…?"
This wasn't a jail cell.
It looked more like a goddamn barn for animals rather than a place meant for humans.
The walls were rough and wooden, reinforced with rusted iron bars. The air was damp and heavy, filled with the scent of sweat and rot. The floor was just dirt, uneven and filthy, like no one had bothered to clean it in years.
'Shouldn't I be in a hospital…?'
I asked in my head, frowning.
If I had somehow survived, shouldn't I be hooked up to an IV or something?
'At the very least, I'd understand if I woke up in a normal prison, but this?'
Nothing about this made sense.
And just as that thought crossed my mind—
"Huh?"
I caught a glimpse of my right hand, planted firmly on the ground to support me.
It was…
Small.
Like it belonged to a child.
"What the fuck...?"
Panic shot through me as I immediately scanned my body.
And as soon as I did—
"...!"
I noticed something else.
The stab wound that should have been in my stomach?
Gone.
Completely gone.
No scars. No stitches. Not even a hint that they were ever there.
Instead—
I was skinny as fuck.
Like I hadn't eaten properly in months. Maybe even years.
'Sure, I had a shitty eating schedule before, but not this bad.'
And even more bizarre—
My entire body was smaller.
Super small.
Like someone who was 14 or 15 years old, not 23.
My arms were thin and frail, my ribs slightly visible under my skin.
Bruises.
Cuts.
My entire body ached, like I had been beaten repeatedly over a long period of time.
These aren't from the robbery anymore…
This was something else.
Something I couldn't explain.
"..."
A chill ran down my spine.
My breath hitched.
And just then—
"The customer has arrived! Line up, you fucking bastards!"
The fat pig's obnoxious voice echoed throughout the room.
And when my head snapped in his direction—
Tap- tap- tap—
I saw him walking toward us.
And behind him—
"Huh?"
There were three more people.
Two of them were wearing full plated armor, like they were knights or some shit.
At first, I thought they were cosplaying—
TAP- TAP- TAP—
"..."
But hearing their heavy footsteps…
I immediately realized their armor was real.
It wasn't just for show.
And in between the two armored men—
There was a man dressed in a fancy black suit.
A top hat sat neatly on his head.
A swirly, obviously well-groomed mustache curled under his long, pointed nose.
He looked funny stupid, to be honest.
Like some rich snob straight out of a cartoon.
But judging from the excessive amount of golden jewelry and accessories hanging off him, he wasn't just for show either.
'This guy's loaded...'
I said in my head, slightly jealous.
Anyway...
Just seconds later—
Tap—
The four of them stopped in front of the cell that I was in.
And as soon as they did—
"You fucking bastard, why are you still on the ground?!"
The fat pig screamed at me again, as if my mere existence annoyed him for some reason.
And that's when I snapped—
I was done with this guy.
He'd been messing with me ever since I woke up earlier, treating me like garbage!
"SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU FUCKING PIG!!! I'LL PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE WHEN I GET TO YOU!!!"
I shouted from the bottom of my lungs.
"Huh?!"
The fat pig was too stunned to speak.
His face instantly turned red with anger, veins bulging at the sides of his forehead.
"...?!"
Everyone around me froze.
Their widened eyes all locked onto me, expressions filled with shock.
"..."
Even the man with the stupid top hat was looking at me, surprised.
I knew I had probably just done something really stupid—
But I hated being treated like pushover, like an idiot.
Not by anyone.
And especially not by some oversized pig bastard that I didn't even know.
That's actually the reason why I fought back before when I was being robbed.
Then, at that moment—
"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!"
The fat bastard snapped too.
TAP—
He stomped toward the cell door, fumbling with the keys in his rush to unlock it.
"Ugh...!"
I immediately stood up, bracing myself.
'BRING IT ON, FUCKER!!'
I exclaimed in my head.
And just seconds later—
"HAAAAAA!!! DIEEEEE!!!"
The pig burst in the cell and threw a punch at me!
"...!"
I frowned.
But fortunately for me—
He was slow as fuck.
Swoosh—
I sidestepped to the right, dodging his fat fist with ease.
Fwip—
And clenching my own right hand into a fist—
"I SAID... SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!"
BAM—!!
I swung with everything I had and landed a clean hit right on his jaw!
"Gurgh...!"
Pain shot up my wrist immediately—
'Shit...!'
My hand was too frail, and his thick-ass fat absorbed most of the impact.
But still—
"GAHH?!!"
THUD!
The fat bastard collapsed onto the ground!
And the moment I saw him down there—
"FUCK YOU!!!"
Swoosh—
I followed up with a hard kick—
BAM!
CRACK!!
And drove my foot straight into his groin!
"GYAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!"
A high-pitched scream tore from his throat.
But I didn't care!
"HAAAAAA—!!!"
I was about to go for another hit—
But at that moment—
"Stop!"
BAM!
"Urgh?!"
The two armored men from earlier tackled me to the ground!
For guys wearing metal armors, they sure moved way too fast.
THUD—!!
"GUGH...!"
They pinned me down with their sheer weight, knocking the air from my lungs.
And before I could even react—
BAM!
"GRGH?!!"
A fist slammed into my nose!
Crack!
Pain exploded through my face—
I felt the bone in my nose break.
Warm blood immediately started dripping down.
And the next moment—
FWIP-
The two of them lifted me up, holding my ragdoll, weakened body up.
"Ugh..."
I groaned in pain.
And when I opened my eyes—
"I-I'll kill... you... Haaaah...!"
The pig stood in front of me, panting and drenched in sweat.
His face was still red, his breath ragged, and his bloodshot eyes burned with rage as he glared down at me.
'Ugh... Guess I'm dead again...'
I thought, but strangely, I felt indifferent about it.
I was already supposed to be dead anyway.
I still had no clue where I was, why I was here, or what the hell was even happening.
So instead of pleading or feeling afraid—
"Ptu!"
I spat blood from my mouth right on the fat bastard's face!
And with whatever strength I had left, I forced my lips open—
"Rot in hell, bastard... Heh..."
Then I muttered that with a smirk.
"...!"
The fat pig's whole body tensed.
For a moment, I thought steam would start coming out of his ears from how furious he looked.
His teeth clenched so hard I swore I could hear them grind.
Then in anger—
"That's it!"
Fwip—
He took out a small knife from his pocket!
'Ugh... Again?'
I frowned, already so over this shit.
"..."
I didn't struggle.
I didn't beg.
I just glared at him, silently preparing myself for what was about to come.
"...!"
The air in the cell grew thick.
Tension pressed down on everyone.
Especially on the four other kids inside the cell with me.
They all looked like they were barely breathing.
Then—
"Die!"
Fwoosh—
The pig drove his knife forward—
Aiming right for my stomach!
"...!"
I flinched instinctively, my muscles tightening in anticipation of the pain.
My face cringed at that very moment.
But then—
Just before the tip of the blade reached me—
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA—!!!"
A loud, maniacal laugh boomed through the air!
And with it—
"Huh?"
"...?!"
"...!!!"
Everyone froze.
Even the knife stopped—mere inches from my skin.
Just a second more, and it would have sunk deep into me.
"haaa... haaaa... haa..."
Still catching my breath, I turned my head toward the source of the laugh.
And there—
"HAHAHAHAHA—!"
The man in the funny hat was laughing so hard that tears were rolling down his cheeks.
"...?"
'What the hell is his problem?'
I asked in my head.
"S-Sir?"
The fat pig hesitated, wiping the spit and blood off his face as he called for the man.
For the first time, he actually sounded... polite.
Then, as the laughing man finally composed himself, he wiped his tears and grinned—
"I'll take him."
He said with a big, satisfied smile on his face.
Then—
"He'll make a fine entertainment piece."
He added.
His eyes glinted with something unsettling.
Meanwhile me—
"...?"
I just stared at him, still utterly clueless about what was going on.