Fangs and Fury : Dual System of the Godslayer

Terry stepped through the towering gates of the manor, exhaustion weighing heavily on him after his brutal encounter with the Goblin King. The familiar scent of earth and iron greeted him, along with the quiet hum of the slaves going about their tasks. It felt strange, returning to this place after facing death head-on more times than he could count.

As he moved through the courtyard, he noticed something unusual. A crowd of slaves had gathered near the main hall, murmuring in subdued tones. At the center of it all stood Mr. Wesdon, his imposing figure as calm and commanding as ever.

Curious, Terry pushed his way through the throng until he reached the front. He saw Mr. Wesdon standing at a makeshift table, a large wooden chest beside him. One by one, the slaves approached, and Mr. Wesdon handed them small pouches, each clinking faintly with the sound of coins.

Terry blinked. Payday? That was unusual. Slaves weren't typically paid. Probably, this was Mr Wesdon's fist step to prove his words to them.

---

When it was his turn, Terry stepped forward hesitantly. Mr. Wesdon glanced up, his sharp eyes studying him for a moment before reaching into the chest and pulling out a pouch.

"Here," Mr. Wesdon said, tossing it to Terry. The weight of the pouch surprised him.

Terry caught it and opened it quickly, counting the coins inside. Six hundred.

"Six hundred?" Terry echoed, looking up at Mr. Wesdon. "What's this for?"

"Your work," Mr. Wesdon replied curtly, as if the answer were obvious.

Terry frowned. "Since when do you pay us for our work?"

Mr. Wesdon smirked. "Since now. Consider it an incentive. A way to ensure loyalty during trying times."

Terry bit back a retort, knowing better than to push his luck. Instead, he nodded and stepped aside, letting the next slave approach.

---

Later that evening, after the crowd had dispersed and the slaves had returned to their quarters, Terry sought out Mr. Wesdon. He found him in his study, a dimly lit room filled with shelves of ancient books and artifacts.

"Mr. Wesdon," Terry began, stepping into the room. He had an idea, he could buy himself off slavery and if Mr Wesdon continued to pay then , he was sure he could save up something.

The older man looked up from the ledger he was studying. "Terry. What is it?"

Terry hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I wanted to ask you something. About... freedom."

Mr. Wesdon raised an eyebrow. "Freedom?" Not most slaves had the mind and determination to question their master about freedom.

Terry nodded. "How much would it cost me to buy myself out of slavery?"

Mr. Wesdon leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. "An interesting question. I don't often get slaves asking about such things."

Terry held his ground. "I need to know."

After a moment, Mr. Wesdon nodded. "Very well. If you wish to buy your freedom, it will cost you five thousand coins."

Terry's heart sank. Five thousand? That was an astronomical sum. Even with the six hundred coins he'd just received, he was still miles away from that amount.

"That's... a lot," Terry said quietly.

Mr. Wesdon shrugged. "Freedom is a luxury, Terry. And luxuries don't come cheap."

Terry left in silence, his heart pounding over what he had just heard from Mr Wesdon. Five thousand coins? That was a hell large amount of money. He could literally never buy himself but a flood of determination ignited in him and he vowed to buy himself even if it took his last drop of blood.

---

Terry left the study, the weight of Mr. Wesdon's words pressing down on him. Five thousand coins. It felt like an insurmountable mountain, an impossible dream.

As he walked back to his quarters, he clutched the pouch of coins tightly in his hand. Six hundred wasn't nothing, but it was a drop in the ocean compared to what he needed.

In his room, he emptied the pouch onto the table and stared at the coins. The golden discs gleamed faintly in the candlelight, a stark reminder of the price of his freedom.

"How am I supposed to earn that much?" he muttered to himself.

His system chimed in, its mechanical voice breaking the silence.

***Opportunities to earn coins will arise through quests and tasks. Additional strategies include trading, resource gathering, or acquiring rare artifacts.***

Terry sighed. "The system seemto cooperate with his human mind." he muttered to himself before speaking. "Of course. More work."

---

The next day, Terry decided to confide in Curl and Soden. He found them in the training yard, sparring as usual.

"Five thousand coins," Terry said bluntly as he approached.

Curl paused mid-swing, lowering her blade. "What are you talking about?"

"That's how much Mr. Wesdon wants for my freedom," Terry explained.

Soden let out a low whistle. "That's... a lot."

"No kidding," Terry said, crossing his arms. "I don't even know where to start."

Curl frowned. "Why are you even thinking about this? Do you really think he'll let you go, even if you manage to gather the money?"

Terry shrugged. "It's worth a shot, isn't it? Better than staying a slave forever."

Curl shook her head. "I don't trust him. He's up to something. Why else would he suddenly start paying us?"

Soden nodded in agreement. "She's got a point. This whole thing feels... off."

---

Despite Curl and Soden's doubts, Terry couldn't let go of the idea of buying his freedom. That night, he began to strategize.

His system provided him with a list of potential tasks and quests that could earn him coins. Many of them involved dangerous missions, but Terry knew that danger was unavoidable.

He also considered the possibility of trading. The Goblin King's Ring was still in his possession, and he suspected it could fetch a high price if he found the right buyer.

"Five thousand coins," he murmured to himself as he studied the list of tasks. "It's not impossible. Just... difficult."

---

As the days passed, Terry found himself thinking more and more about what freedom meant to him. He had spent so long as a slave, bound to Mr. Wesdon's will, that the idea of being his own master felt almost foreign.

But the thought of it filled him with hope. He imagined a life where he could make his own choices, where he didn't have to bow to anyone.

"It's worth it," he told himself one night as he stared up at the ceiling of his room. "No matter how hard it is, it's worth it."

---

Meanwhile, Mr. Wesdon observed Terry's growing determination with a quiet smirk. The boy was ambitious, and ambition was a dangerous thing.

"Let's see how far he'll go," Mr. Wesdon muttered to himself as he closed the ledger.