My Life As A Reborn Monster

I was stunned by how well he thought all of this out. I had thought it would be easy just to break the bars and escape, I knew I could survive a bit if I used my vampirism skill and If I had enough mana I could probably set off a small Spatial bomb, but I did not know whether the other prisoners could get out unscathed. 

"Hey Vexsus, are you sure we can escape? Are your friends really going to come back for us or maybe they just left you here to die." Gaia said with a tone of sadness in his voice.

"Gaia man, you gotta look on the bright side of things. We were reunited because of this asshole, which I want to know how you came to be here, but that's for another time. Right now I need you to go to the back of the cell and start using what little power you have left and start digging."

He was a bit wide eyed as he had never thought of that idea. He was so beaten down and broken mentally that he held no motivation for living after being captured and used as a battery.

After he got to work on doing that, I went back to the bars and used my claws to test the bars and see if there was any difference in power between the bars themselves. I was hoping that maybe one of them was weaker in strength when it came to the rune power, I also wanted to figure out the speed of regeneration in the hopes that if it is broken enough times maybe the rune would break and crumble.

I also tried cutting the organic cable itself but as soon as I touched it a Royal guard came and tried to attack me through the bars. It was almost like the cables itself sent out a signal for protection. I was starting to get more questions than answers. I had to take a step back from investigating and think about what resources I had on hand.

First, I had the prisoners themselves. On one hand I could eat them and gain what little power they developed before becoming slaves, which didn't sound to bad as I was starting to feel hungry again, or I could not be a monster and help them out and maybe gain some new allies in the process.

I walked up to the huddled masses that was in the farthest corner of the cave away from the dreaded bars and I knelt down in front of them.

"So, I have an idea, I can either try and help you guys out to survive when I break out, or you can stay here and suffer. What are you choices, Be aware that if you do a good job I'll help out whatever family you have with you, but right now I will only take the strongest to help me." I said as I looked at the slaves directly into their eyes to be sure they knew I was serious.

At first none of them stood up but after a few minutes of them looking at each other, the young Raccoon Beastman that yelled at me for almost killing his brother stood up and walked to be in front of me. He had Grey and brown fur, but what drew me was how deep his brown eyes were almost like he had a hidden strength residing deep down inside. He stared at my eyes, searching for any hints of dishonesty, before sighing and nodding.

"Ok, if you promise to help my brother aswell if I help you than I'm in. My name is Jasper, My job before becoming a slave was a Scavenger." He said, but I was a bit confused why he told me his previous employment? Was this supposed to be a good thing? I didn't know so I had to ask.

"Um, ok thanks for sharing, but real quick why did you tell me what you worked as before now? Is that something important?" I said in utter confusion.

"Ummmmm?" He didn't know what to say as he looked back at the others then to me. "That was my job title? It gave me the ability and skills to find better drops while in dungeons? I really don't know what else to say man I figured everybody knew about jobs." 

'HOLY FCK, THIS WORLD HAS A JOB SYSTEM ASWELL! That's awesome, that means that along with my power of gaining skills through experimentation and eating various lifeforms, I could gain a job title that could boost my abilities. Yes, But I had to get back on task and calm down.' I took a deep breath and smiled at him.

"Oh yea well, I just didn't know what a job was as I was never given one before I was taken away from my family. But that doesn't matter, right now we need to focus on the task at hand. Is there anybody else who wants to help out in exchange for me helping out their families later on?" 

After Jasper volunteered it was like the spark that was needed in the others to stand up, as there was his brother, who despite Jasper wanting him to stay safe and out of danger, volunteered saying that if Jasper was going to fight than so was he. His little brother looked almost like him except he had grey and black fur, and his eyes were green. I found out his name was Victor, which for a beastman that was awfully human but I wasn't one to judge so I just let that one be.

There was also a small human girl that volunteered as she stood up from next to a male and female that after looking for a few seconds my heightened senses could smell the faint stench of death. I already knew they were her parents and my heart instantly melted. I couldn't just stand here and be a bastard when she was forced to lose her whole world to Diggers experiments.

I knelt down in front of her and gently wiped her tears away as I brushed her shoulder length blonde hair back. 

"Little one, what's your name?" 

She stared up at me with tears still escaping from her crystal blue eyes, She stared at me with such sadness that I couldn't hold on for much longer before my walls crumbled. She muttered something but her voice was so low that I couldn't even hear her. 

"Honey speak up I can't hear you." I said as I got closer to her level. I even sat on the ground in front of her to help her not be so afraid of the giant Dragonoid that stood before her.

"My.... My name is Hannah. That-That Evil MAN TOOK MY MOMMY AND DADDY BWAAAAAH" She yelled before breaking down and rushing and grabbing onto my body as tight as her little body could manage. I couldn't stand it anymore and a fire burned inside of me filled with anger and rage at how despicable Digger could be, I knew he had done horrible stuff but to actually see a young child like this who was barely seven years old, be put through something so traumatic. I held her as I walked over to her parents bodies. 

"I vow to watch over your daughter. I will get vengeance for your lives. Please be at peace." I said as I knelt down and bowed my head. Hannah did the same after giving them one last hug despite the smell. I picked her back up and held her close to me, I was reminded of so many memories of my son back on earth. I knew I could never see him again but I never stopped missing him. 

After a few minutes of holding her while she cried and sniffled, I sat her down and looked at her.

"Hannah, my name is Vexsus, I will be taking care of you now is that ok? I know I won't be able to replace your mommy or daddy but I will do my best to protect you." I didn't know what else to say to such a young child but I could only feel the need to protect her as my paternal instincts rose up within my soul.

"I....I....I want to go with you Vexsus, The evil man wanted to hurt me. are you going to stop him?"

"Yes my dear, I will stop him no matter what. I need to stop him so other little boys and girls like you won't have to ever go through something like you did here. Now sit here with the others and be a good girl for me so that I can talk with the others to figure out a way to break us out of here, can you do that for me little one?" 

"Wait Vexsus, I know a way to escape." She said as I was standing back up. I looked down at her in surprise.

"Oh you do? What's that Hannah?"

"Well before when my momma and daddy were alive, the evil man opened the door and came inside to look at us. Maybe if we wait he will do it again? But..... That was when he took them away, and when they came back they were already.... Dead." She said as her little eyes started tearing up again while she looked at the bodies.

"Oh dammit, Hannah honey that is such a good idea. Thank you so much for helping me. Hey do we have a blanket or something to cover them up with? I will go grab us some more food for everyone."

Thankfully a few of the families that watched as this happened gave up their blankets to cover up the bodies. What sick bastard killed a child's parents only to bring them back and let them rot in front of them. It made me angrier than ever at just how depraved and soulless he was.

I had to calm myself down before I acted irrationally and that was why I volunteered to get the food. I was wanting to trap another ant to feed on aswell. But as I neared the bars I found a Royal guard staring into the cell, With none other than Digger standing there smiling like he just watched the best show on earth.

"Oh, man that was pure gold, I loved how emotional you got Vexsus, I can tell you got real potential as a dad. Maybe if you survive my experiments I might make you a royal breeder for the queen. AHAHAHA you idiot do you think you can protect these people while also escaping? I command legions of mutated ants that are ready and waiting for you to try." He stared at me for a moment but then snapped his fingers as if he got a great idea.

"Ahh so I'll make you a deal, I will let every one of the prisoners go, in exchange you stay here and serve as my battery while also once a day you become my gladiator and test out my creations. It's a win-win for you Vexsus. You can keep your promise to that little girl while also helping the others escape, what ya think." He laughed while looking at me as if he had won and held total control.

After seeing how weak everyone was with a quick glance I knew that no matter how much time we took in this cell, none of them besides maybe Gaia could gain the strength needed to escape.

"I'll let you think on it for a couple hours. But oh first I almost forgot, here I brought you a gift." 

He pulled out an object that was wrapped in goblin leather and threw it on the ground in front of me. I picked it up and unwrapped it to reveal a large and well toned muscled leg along side a familiar staff with a green jewel resting on top.

"You remember that staff right? You should since it helped to heal you and the rest of our group hahaha, also maybe this leg looks familiar, I know your not really a thigh man but that green skin is obviously goblin, My latest group of warrior ants that was modified for attacking found an interesting and worth while hunt and brought me back a couple souvenirs. Hope you enjoy them ahahahaha." He continued laughing like a madman as he and the Royal guard walked away.

"Oh no, Konna, and Shorunt.. Please tell me your ok."