This routine persisted for the siblings throughout the week, work, eat, sleep, repeat! Number 54 had made new and creative attempts to get the siblings to work for him, however, the siblings were unfazed by his repeated efforts!.
One day, during lunch, he even tried attacking Number 102, which made him explode in rage! However, his siblings, albeit with great struggle, held him back as he cursed and roared!
He looked scary to everyone! His anger was so sudden and explosive that Number 54 fell to the ground in fear and surprise! As he should've, humph.
Had his siblings not held him back, Number 102 would've killed him with his bare hands! Number 102 had always been a scrapper, he would often fight with their father, after all!
He wasn't very strong, or all that calculating, he was simply good at understanding combat itself, for someone untrained, he was skilled enough to fight adults!
The guards came over, having witnessed the entire situation, and swiftly apprehended Number 54 and his lackeys before dragging them out of the cafeteria!
Eventually calming down, Number 102 went back to eating.
At the end of the week, Number 102 with his unwavering determination, managed to amass the highest number of stones! It wouldn't have been possible if the siblings hadn't started their work on the first day of the week!
In that sense, they got a bit lucky.
Waking up on the first day of the next week, the same guard that beat Number 102 on the first day was once again outside his cell!
His siblings had already gone to mine, leaving Number 102 here, alone.
The guard wasn't happy to be here, any more than Number 102 was to see him. The two glared at each other before the guard disdainfully remarked, "I don't know how you managed to get the reward despite being injured"
The guard was here to escort Number 102 to the head butler, Daniel! He wasn't happy about the fact that the brat he had decided to hinder managed to get it, nor about the fact that, through some a*inine twist of fate, he was the one being forced to take him there!
Number 102 smirked as he mocked the guard's incompetence, "Simple. I'm not pathetic, like you"
The guard felt a vein burst in his forehead as he grit his teeth and opened the cell door.
The guard clicked his tongue and spat, "Follow me, p*ick, I am assigned to take you to receive your reward"
Chuckling, Number 102 followed the guard to the same huge, metal door that he saw on the first day here.
Standing in front of the door was the butler!
He bowed slightly seeing Number 102; his expressionless face betrayed none of his thoughts.
"Your reward is this [Poor grade: Body nourishing potion], enjoy" The butler spoke briefly, seeming disinterested.
He also didn't seem to recognize the boy before him, or at least, he didn't show it.
Finished talking, a bottle with a slightly glowing green liquid appeared in his hands out of nowhere!
Number 102 was shocked, having never seen something like that before! It was like magic!
The butler placed it into his hands and walked away before Number 102 could ask any questions.
So, he turned to the guard, "What use does this strange liquid have?"
He looked at the bottle in his hand, swirling the mysterious liquid around in curiosity.
The guard ignored him and spat, "Get to work!" Before walking away from Number 102.
Number 102 clicked his tongue but started walking, debating whether or not to drink it.
In the end, he decided to drink it, thinking, 'They wouldn't give me something that would hinder my ability to work'
Of course, it could always be something to mind control him, after seeing numerous occurrences of magical phenomena he wouldn't dismiss the possibility.
However, 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained' He thought as he popped the cork and chugged it.
*Gulp*!!
Nothing felt different immediately, however, after a few seconds, number 102 felt a warm feeling in his heart and veins, almost like a gentle flame.
As it passed through his body, he felt extremely full and strong! His previous malnourished and skinny figure had now filled out a bit as a surge of energy and vitality coursed through his being!
This potion gave one a recovery from things like built-up stress in the body, malnourishment, and deformities!
Although it's a poor grade, the weakest effects of the weakest version of this potion were enough to boost number 102 strength to new heights because of how weak he is!
His previous physique had his ribs showing through his skin and bruises and cuts across his entire body!
Thanks to the cafeteria meals, the potion was able to use the hard work from mining along with the nutrients from the food to make Number 102 healthier!
He clenched his fist in amazement as he felt something he'd never felt before! The feeling of energy and strength!
'I could get addicted to this feeling' he thought, chuckling as he noticed how easy it was to lightly jog back to the mines.
Seeing everyone already hard at work, Number 102 got started with his own mining.
He easily doubled his rate of mining, knowing that he would once again get the potion!
It was strange how strong number 102 was, however. Others had gotten the potion as well, after all. And even with the potion, Number 102 bested them!
It was Number 102's ability to endure pain, which is above average because of his upbringing, that allowed him to emerge victorious!
Now that he had one as well, it was likely that nobody would catch up to him!
Seeing how energized and fast number 102 was mining made number 54 and his clow–cough—lackey's, burn with envy!
The siblings' time continued in the dungeon as week after week, Number 102 was rewarded the [Poor grade: Body nourishing potion]. After using it twice more for himself, his figure now looked like the average 10-year-old, with a bit of budding muscle and losing the remnants of baby fat.
His strength had shot up to levels unseen by the siblings before as he tested how strong he was and found he could do 100 pushups without being tired!
That, along with the mining and basic but healthy meals, Number 102 was becoming an athlete!
However, for the next two weeks, which he won the [Poor grade: Body nourishing potion], he gave one each to his siblings!
They had also started to fill out and look healthier! Seeing that Number 102 was willing to share the reward and not horde it for himself, Number 54 and his lackeys tried to get into his good graces by kissing his a**!
However, they were all ignored after Number 102's initial grunt of annoyance!
Overall, the siblings had been in the dungeon for 5 weeks now, and honestly, they all felt better than they had ever before! Number 104 did miss their father sometimes, but Number 102 and 103 took good care of him.
Number 102 felt like the best decision their father ever made was to drop them off here. As he was retro-specting, his thoughts drifted to something else he had been thinking about a lot lately.
'Why is that da*n noble allowed to own people like this? Why is he allowed to cheat and hurt people as he pleases? It's because he's strong'
'Why are my siblings not suffering as everyone else would in this hellish place? Why do I feel so energetic and strong? Because I was the strongest in the mines'
'Why was my father able to beat us siblings as he wished? Because he was stronger than us. Why did he give us to the noble? Because he was weaker, and forced to obey'
His eyes narrowed as he clenched his fists, resting alone in his cell after working all day.
'If I want to be free, then I need to be strong, I need to become the strongest!!!' He thought as his eyes displayed a fiery passion that threatened to burn the very dungeon to ashes!
He wanted to be free of this place, of this horrible place!
He wanted it more than almost anything!
Thinking this, Number 102 found his resolve to escape this dungeon and punish those who wronged his family, and he'd accomplish that through overwhelming strength!
There was only one problem, 'How exactly do I do that?' He thought, calming down enough for a more rational thought process.
In the end, he decided to speak to his siblings about his plans tomorrow.
Meeting in his cell during their lunch break, Number 102 sat them down and looked them in the eyes.
They were allowed to be in their cells during the lunch break as long as they were back to work in time. The reason most didn't was that the cells were too far from the mines to make it during the bell!
They simply didn't want to take the risk.
"I want to be free of this place" Number 102 started, determination and resolve roaring in his eyes!
Number 103 and 104's eyes widened as they heard number 102's words! Not because they were surprised, or didn't feel the same, but just because he actually said it!
Which of them didn't want to leave this place? But deep down they were afraid of getting killed or worse for attempting to!
However, seeing the dead serious look on their brother's face, they listened intently to his next words!
...
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