What? I Actually Reincarnated As Stepping Stone In Another World?



"Wind Elemental Art: Wind Blades!" Rian whispered, and small, sharp wind blades materialized on his right and left, swirling around him.

"Go!" He called out softly, prompting the wind blades to swiftly lunge towards the two figures.

"Whoosh!"

The wind blades descended rapidly, and in an instant, the bald man carrying the treasure had his head cleaved open.

The short man, who had been smiling until then, witnessed his friend's head being severed, and his expression abruptly shifted.

"Eh?" He gasped in shock, struggling to comprehend the unfolding events before him.

However, just before he could react, another swift blade of wind rushed towards him, cleanly slicing his neck.

His head detached and tumbled to the ground, wearing an expression of bewilderment even in death.

Observing this, Rian and Carina's expressions remained unchanged.

Carina, however, found herself quite taken aback by Rian's strength, with a subtle sense of pressure settling upon her.

"Remarkable control over the wind element," Carina remarked casually.

Upon hearing this, Rian merely offered a slight smile.

The two vanished from the scene, abandoning the headless corpses and the treasure chest nearby.

In a different part of the cave, three figures delved deeper, the man with the sharp features exhibiting an air of indifference.

"Have you secured the belongings they brought in a safe location?" the sharp-featured man inquired of one of the guards by his side.

Upon receiving the question, one of the guards nodded and responded with unwavering determination.

"Indeed, we have transported the items to the prison's deepest chamber, ensuring their optimal condition," the guard responded, earning a nod of approval from the sharp-featured man.

"Both of you have performed admirably; your efforts will be duly rewarded," the sharp-featured man commended, eliciting smiles exchanged between the two guards.

Before long, the trio resumed their stride until they reached a substantial obsidian door, tightly sealed.

One of the guards stepped forward without hesitation, extracting a key from his waist and inserting it into the keyhole.

"Click!"

With that, the resonating sound of the locked mechanism yielded to the guard's actions, allowing the door to creak open slowly.

"Boom!"

The door swung open, granting the trio passage into an unusually spacious chamber.

The room presented itself as dim and clammy, housing numerous individuals within iron enclosures—men and women alike.

These captives were divided into two distinct sections: on the right stood the cells holding male slaves, each confined behind iron bars; while on the left, the female prisoners were detained.

Attired in meager coverings, these captives wore little more than thin fabrics to preserve their modesty.

The women concealed their bodies from breast to thigh, while the men lacked shirts, their lower anatomy veiled by similar cloth.

Their countenances bore an air of despondency, robbed of vitality.

Iron chains clung to their necks and ankles, imprisoning them within their enclosures and impeding any semblance of freedom.

The sharp-featured man's demeanor remained unmoved, his face an unyielding mask.

Progressing with measured steps, he forged ahead, flanked by his two loyal guards.

Yet, as they advanced, an unexpected interruption emerged from the section housing the imprisoned men.

A resounding roar erupted.

"Damn it! Release me!" The plea, laced with a mix of frustration and madness, erupted from a brawny man confined within his cell.

He hammered his fists against the unyielding wall before him, fixing a fierce glare on the sharp-featured man.

"Damn it! You're the reason they threw me in here, damn it!" The sizable, sinewy man slammed his fist forcefully against the unyielding iron bars, his voice reverberating through the chamber.

Once hailed as a renowned martial arts savant, he'd carved a niche for himself as a celebrated underground fighter.

However, on an unforeseen day, he found himself accosted by an enigmatic group shrouded in hoods and cloaks.

Without warning, they descended upon him with ferocious intent.

In the face of this, how could he remain passive?

He valiantly squared off against the cloaked assailants, only to confront a harsh truth: these mysterious figures wielded the might of formidable elementals.

His own martial arts capabilities were swiftly outmatched, leaving him defeated and ultimately consigned to unconsciousness.

Upon his eventual awakening, he was met with a grim reality: a dim, desolate chamber teeming with individuals much like himself, shackled by chains at their necks and ankles.

Among these captives, resembling prisoners, a stark comprehension dawned upon him: he must have been spirited away to an unfamiliar location, ensnared by the clutches of the cloaked assailants who had targeted him before.

Then, an interminable span of isolation, void of any intruders, gave way to the sudden emergence of these three newcomers—figures who effortlessly unlocked the barriers that entrapped them all.

A gnawing suspicion took root within him, branding them as potential orchestrators behind this ordeal!

How could he reconcile such a staggering revelation?

"Hey, you damn bastard! Are you even paying attention?" The brawny man persisted in his vehement roaring, sending resonating vibrations through the iron confines and echoing through the chamber.

Meanwhile, the sharp-featured man, upon catching wind of the commotion, abruptly halted his stride, trailed by his steadfast guards.

Fixing his gaze on the strapping, bellowing captive, he regarded the spectacle with an air of indifference.

Aware that his outcry had drawn the trio's attention, a spark of triumph ignited within the muscular man.

His countenance transformed into one of audacious glee, fueling his resounding shouts.

"Why the hell did you stop like mute idiots? Answer me, damn it!" Unrestrained, his expletive-laden taunts persisted, aimed squarely at the sharp-featured man and his retinue.

In time, a faint smile curled on the man's lips as he began a deliberate approach toward the imposing, brawny figure.

"Oh, my sincere apologies for failing to catch your words earlier." The sharp-featured man feigned remorse, his expression contorting guiltily as he continued his advance toward the strapping captive.

"What? My plea to be released didn't reach your ears." The muscular man's snarl intensified, his gaze a piercing glare fixed squarely upon the sharp-featured man, the cell bars their sole separation.

With a towering stature exceeding two meters, the brawny figure dwarfed the faceless man who stood before him at a comparably modest one hundred and ninety-five centimeters, appearing somewhat diminutive in contrast.

Absorbing the retort, the sharp-featured man's lips curled into a faint smile, accompanied by a subdued nod.

"I understand your sentiment... Do you genuinely desire to extricate yourself from this place?" asked the sharp-featured man.

"Yes! I want out, and I command you to release me at once!" His utterance resonated with authority, bearing the weight of an unassailable decree.

Yet the sharp-featured man remained imperturbable, a trace of amusement flickering across his features as he granted an unassuming nod.

"Certainly, I shall fulfill your request." The man's response was issued in a composed cadence, his gaze penetrating the depths of the brawny figure.

"Truly? Then what's the holdup?" The muscular man intensified his grip upon the iron enclosure, as if capable of crushing it in his clasp.

Regrettably, the iron structure's construction was of a peculiar kind, impervious to destruction by mundane means.

"However, a stipulation accompanies this offer. To secure your freedom, you must first fulfill a condition I shall set forth," the sharp-faced man conveyed nonchalantly, extending a solitary index finger before him.

Observing this, the muscular man's brows knitted in a momentary furrow, yet he swiftly assented, his nod devoid of delay.

"Very well! Waste no time in presenting your conditions, and I shall adhere to them," he responded in haste, his focus set solely on the forthcoming stipulation, oblivious to the peculiar nature of the man he faced.

A fleeting smile curled on the lips of the sharp-featured man.

With a subtle gesture, he traced his index finger horizontally to the right.

Perceiving this action, the brawny man's comprehension faltered, grappling with the unfamiliar gesture.

Puzzlement overtaking him, he couldn't refrain from inquiring further.

"What in—" His inquiry was abruptly truncated as an unfamiliar sensation emanated from the vicinity of his neck, instantaneously jolting him to alertness.

"What's happening?" His palm darted toward his neck, encountering a viscous substance that sent shockwaves through his senses.

"Eh?" Before he could articulate further, his perception underwent a tumultuous shift, akin to a plummet.

His sight unfurled, revealing his bodily form standing sans head.

"What on earth..." Uttering his bewilderment, he gawked at the surreal panorama before him, wholly oblivious that his own head had been severed in silence.

"Whoosh!"

An extravagant cascade of blood surged forth from the severed expanse, persisting for several beats before the big body succumbed to gravity.

"Boom!"

His colossal frame plummeted, a resounding crash punctuating the moment, juxtaposed with the head resting near the lifeless body, which had slumbered into eternal stillness.

Confronted with the spectacle, the sharp-featured man's countenance remained steadfast, his gaze resting unflinchingly upon the severed head and lifeless body.

"Desire freedom, did you?" The sharp-featured man inquired with a detached air.

"Acquired, you have it." Without a backward glance, he pivoted and strode toward his accompanying guards.

For the slaves, once bereft of life's spark, terror and horror burgeoned as they bore witness—a stark contrast to their erstwhile numb existence.

"Let us proceed," the sharp-featured man intoned, his gaze now fixed upon his guards.

Slowly, he resumed his course, his guards following suit, their expressions unwavering, leaving behind a room fraught with prisoners overcome by dread.