Daybreak Medley

(Hell Arc) Chapter 2 - Escape from Slavery

After running around aimlessly looking for food with the little money he had, he was taken in by a local temple at a town in the mainland continent. The purgatory reactor plant he spent his childhood was on an island called Sindurga Island. It was a large island that housed a self-contained city, where he was brainwashed to believe they lived in the best country in the world. He didn't realize he teleported away across the sea. It was a temple that paid homage to the Dioplex Gods. He changed his appearance slightly so as to avoid detection by his former colleagues who might try to take him back after his escape, which was unnoticed.

The temple priest decided to enrol him for the local school. He changed his name to Zonada, which was not too different from Zono, which meant "nothing".

It was a name that was going to earn him ridicule for a large part of his life.

He had no surname, and no proper name.

He was abandoned. He had no parents.

He had a guardian which was the temple priest, but the temple priest's duty was to take care of orphans who had no one to take care of them, and teach them to help out in the temple.

The temple priest also performed a spell to seal away the amber gem on his forehead, as his powers could invite trouble and possible detection by the people from the prison island he escaped from undetected.

From what Zonada heard, the schools were run by fighting gangs, and it was impossible to really seriously learn anything.

He had to build up his strength, and he ate herbs that the temple guardians prepared for him, so that he could fight better without needing to use his hidden powers and blend in.

Of course, he was still no match for most of the gangsters and was often beaten up.

Zonada's first few weeks at school were brutal. The place was a breeding ground for violence, ruled by two main gangs that divided the school into territories. At first, he was a mere victim. He was small, weak, and without allies. The gangs preyed on the new, the weak, and the defenceless, and Zonada was no exception. Every day, his bruises deepened, his cuts stung, and his pride was shattered over and over again. Yet, he learned. Each punch, each kick, each moment of humiliation taught him something: the gangsters' weaknesses, their moves, their hierarchy.

It started with his first victory, which wasn't really a victory at all. One day, while collecting herbs for the temple, Zonada was ambushed by a group from the Grey Rhino gang, known for targeting students after school. Cornered and unable to escape, he had no choice but to fight back. It wasn't his strength or his skill that saved him that day. It was his desperation. He lashed out wildly, his fists connecting with faces and bodies purely by chance. But in the chaos, he found something, which was 'instinct'. One of the gang members slipped, and Zonada, with a rush of adrenaline, pounced on him, raining down blows until the others scattered. Though badly beaten himself, he had, for the first time, won a fight.

The gang leader took note. A skinny, orphan kid fighting off three of his men wasn't something that could go unnoticed. But this small victory was a double-edged sword. Word spread quickly, and soon Zonada found himself targeted by not just one gang, but by both. Each saw him as a potential threat, but also an opportunity. He was offered a chance to join them, but each time he refused. He knew their world was one of endless violence, exploitation, and greed, and he had no desire to become a pawn in their brutal games. Instead, he focused on something more important, which was survival.

The temple guardians noticed the bruises and scars, and though the priest never interfered in school matters, he saw the need for Zonada to grow stronger. The herbs they provided for him began to transform his body. His muscles grew, his reflexes sharpened, and his stamina increased. Day by day, Zonada became harder to push around. He trained in secret, focusing not on brute strength but on speed, precision, and endurance.