Anori Is Covered In The Basement

Meanwhile, Anori woke up in a dark room that, upon closer inspection, appeared to be a prison cell. Realizing she was trapped, Anori immediately used her physical strength to try breaking the bars, but it had no effect.

Anori then activated her skill, Blazing Claws. She attacked repeatedly, but her strikes only left minor scratches, as if the bars were made to be unbreakably strong.

with the highest quality, also infused with magic, as the scratches caused by Anori's attacks gradually faded.

"What is this place? … Let me out!" Anori shouted, her voice echoing through the room and causing it to shake slightly.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached as two people entered the dungeon where Anori was being held. The footsteps grew louder, revealing that it was members of Soge's party—Sena and a swordsman.

"Hey, Sena, why are we the ones sent here? Why bother bringing food for her?" asked the swordsman.

"The boss told us to offer her a deal, so don't ask too many questions… Maybe she'll join our group," Sena replied.

"Huh... She's not even a member, yet we have to give her special treatment? There are plenty of servants in this mansion; why us?" grumbled the swordsman in irritation.

Anori, seeing them approach, tried to reach out to attack them. But in the cage, her reach was limited, and all she could do was shout, demanding her freedom.

"Let me go… You bastards… Let me out… Where's my brother? What have you done to him?" Anori demanded angrily.

"Hello, wolf girl… We meet again… Your brother? Have you forgotten… that your brother is already dead… haha!" the swordsman taunted.

"Stop taunting her, Dawin. Anori, would you like to join our party? We'll provide everything—food, shelter, even plenty of money, whatever you need," Sena offered.

"Never… Even if you try to kill me, I will never agree," Anori replied firmly.

"Hey, little wolf… Don't make this harder on us. Just accept it… Are you still waiting for your brother? He won't come back… Do you know how many people have died from that item our boss used?" Dawin explained.

"If you change your mind, you'll be freed and given special treatment… But if you refuse, you'll just rot in this prison," Sena warned.

With that, they decided not to give Anori any food. They left the room, the door closing behind them with a heavy thud. Anori, left alone in the darkness with nothing to do, chose to sleep.

Night Dream

"Brother, are you still alive? … Are you okay? … I miss you, brother," Anori muttered in her sleep, clutching her shirt over her heart with her small hands.

Tears slowly welled up in her eyes, and her body trembled slightly. She dreamt of Furan, injured and bleeding heavily, suddenly disappearing before her. Although they hadn't known each other long, Anori loved Furan and saw him as her only family member.

Anori, who had lived alone all this time without a home, finally felt she had someone, only to have him taken away. She could not accept Furan's death and still hoped he would return. Her tears flowed through the long night.

When morning came, Anori woke up with dark circles around her eyes and her hair a mess. Her stomach growled in hunger, as she hadn't eaten for two days.

"Grgghhh… I'm so hungry… but has Brother eaten yet?" Even in her hunger, she thought of Furan.

"Is it you, Anori? … Do you want to come with me? … It looks like your brother is really gone… If you come with me, I will—"

"Enough! Leave… My brother is not dead… If you're only here to tell me my brother's dead, just go… grrggghhh," Anori shouted.

"All right… Forgive me… but take this and use it… It contains food; you must be very hungry."

A woman in a black robe appeared before Anori's cage, tossing her a storage ring with a 1x1 meter space filled with enough food for two weeks if rationed carefully. In a blink, the woman vanished without a trace.

Anori hesitated to use it, but her hunger was overwhelming. She put on the ring, and it adjusted to fit her finger perfectly, becoming invisible. Anori was willing to consider using the ring given by the woman because her instincts sensed no malicious intent, although she had dismissed her for mentioning Furan.

*An item, when used by someone unfamiliar with it, automatically transmits instructions into the user's mind, allowing even first-timers to use it, except for items that choose their owners, which only the rightful owner can use.

"Hey, you two, I told you to talk to that crazy wolf girl, right? Did she accept?" Soge asked Dawin and Sena.

"She did, boss, but she refused adamantly and wouldn't listen," Dawin quickly replied.

"Slap!"

"You're useless. I'll give you one more chance. In five days, she must comply… do whatever it takes!" Soge commanded, slapping Dawin.

After Soge's reprimand, he ordered them to feed Anori regularly. However, they planned not to feed her for four days, hoping that hunger would make her compliant and desperate enough to submit.

"Are you sure this plan will work, Dawin? If we fail, we'll be punished… I don't want to go through that again," Sena doubted Dawin's idea.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure no servant gives her food… I won't even let a bug get in to feed her," Dawin assured, confident.

For four days, Sena and Dawin neglected Anori, not even checking on her. They went about their days lazily, enjoying parties. Despite Soge's punishments, they stayed in his party because of the wealth and luxury they gained.

*Four days passed quickly.

"Dawin, let's check on the kid's condition," Sena said to Dawin.

"Let's check… I'm 100% sure she'll be willing to obey now… hahaha," Dawin said, laughing.

They went down to Anori's underground cell and found her napping. Seeing her state, they were shocked. How could someone who hadn't eaten for nearly five days look so healthy and strong? Anori seemed in good shape, with only faint shadows under her eyes. They began to wonder if she was hiding food somewhere.

"Hey, wake up… wake up…" Dawin shouted nervously.

Anori stirred, rubbing her eyes.

"What is it? … Why are you here? … I told you I don't want to be part of your party," Anori said, half-asleep.

"Why aren't you starving? Are you hiding food in here?" Sena asked.

"Forget that, Sena… Hey kid, will you join us today, or do we have to force you until you agree?" Dawin threatened.

"I will not… No matter what you do, I won't join you," Anori replied defiantly.

With tomorrow being the last day given by Soge, they decided to enter Anori's cage. She struggled to fight back, but she couldn't overpower two A-levels simultaneously, especially since she couldn't yet master her transformation into her wolf form. They bound her with a special item, forcing her into a seated position.

Torture???

***