Survival to Godhood 6 Cell Mates

"Oh, look who is waking up," said a middle-aged African male. The man was a dark-skinned male with a greyish-black beard and hair. His eyes were sharp and had the look of a veteran soldier. He wore a brown jumpsuit with holes in it.

Wincing from sitting up, Leo looked around and then at himself. Both shoulders were wrapped up in rags, and his left arm was in a sling. His hand and his back were wrapped up too. All of his cuts and bruises were throbbing.

"Your fancy watch told us how to bandage you up. My name is Joseph Brown II, but you can just call me Joe." Leo nodded at him.

Leo spotted another man in the corner. He was a canine beastman. Black fur was all over his body and a lot cumulated on his floppy ears. Two top canine teeth could be seen over his bottom lip, and he was giving Leo a judgemental look.

The beastman in the corner growled and walked over. "I am Unit 9345. I was a part of your capture party until the beastman 9110 started killing us. After he left, I tried to escape, and my own brethren captured me and put me in here with you two."

"He seems scary, but he is a good man. I nicknamed Unit 9345, Claws."

Finally, Leo spoke up, "How do you speak our language?"

"Since arrival, we lower leveled beastmen were trained to learn the native human tongues." This answer surprised Leo and then heard a familiar voice.

Sprite interjected, "Sir, I'm glad to see you finally awake. You slept two whole days."

"Sprite, do you know where we are?"

"Yes, Sir. All of us are currently located in the 3rd basement floor of a beastman's spaceship. They have converted it into their base."

"Can you find us a way out?"

"No, Sir. I have already talked to Unit 9345, and he doesn't know either."

The beastman looked down and Joe mentions, "well Leonardo with the three of us I think we should be able to come up with some kind of plan."

"I go by Leo."

"May I correct you, Joseph? You meant the four of us."

Joe chuckled and rephrased himself "Yes the four of us."

"Excuse my manners, but I haven't had a conversation with another human in over ten years."

"That is alright," Joe responded. "Sprite explained your situation a bit."

"Well since you know about me, what about you guys and what do you do?"

"Well, I was trained by my late father. He was a trained fighter in marksmanship. I also picked up a few piloting lessons from him. If it can fly or shoot, I'm your man."

"Have you trained using mana at all?" Leo felt zero mana fluctuations around him.

"Until your watch explained it to me and Claws confirmed, I didn't know mana existed at all."

"Oh, that makes sense. Sprite and I looked all over for materials into how to train using mana."

Claws grunted and interjected. "Broken human, you are a rare exception. You are the first human to be aware of mana before capture. No other human in this base use mana."

Joe heard humans and had to ask Claws. "Claws is there other humans?"

"No most of them have perished from imprisonment or labor."

Changing the subject, Leo asked, "so, are beastmen also aware of mana?"

"Yes human. We train in the Beastman Reaper Arts. It allows us to absorb large amounts of mana into our skin and claws. This allows us to execute claw strikes such as Iron Reaper. I'm currently at the 5th stage of Tempered Body."

"Wow, I learned from an old training cultivation art called the Dance of the Sun and Moon. It was an old Egyptian art that was used many years ago. I learned a few martial arts from it and made up a few of my own."

"That explains how you defeated my fellow beastman before we showed up."

"Alright now that introductions are out of the way we need to come up with a plan," said Joe.

"Joseph, my master needs at least a week to heal by absorbing mana. Until then I say our chances of escape are less than 10%." Joseph looked Leo up and down and agreed with that statement. Until the boy was healed there would be no way for them to escape. "In the meantime, Joseph you should learn how to absorb mana from Unit 4345 or my master."

With all agreeing to put the escape off, Leo started to meditate and absorb mana. Learning the beastmen's way of embodying mana was more natural, so Joseph began to learn from Claws how to feel mana and draw it into the skin.

After three days, Leo was still in a sling, but most of his minor injuries were all healed. His slashed-up shoulder was also healing up very nicely. That morning though the three men were awakened by a prisoner that was being locked up next to them. The mana fluctuations made Sprite react. "Warning Sir, a peak level Mana Fighter is next door."

"Peak stage Mana fighter!" It wasn't Leo that was caught by surprise, but the beastman in the corner.

"Claws that's just the next level up from us, right?" Leo asked.

Claws surprised look finally disappeared, and he explained, "Most of the primary races on earth now have hundreds of thousands of Tempered Body warriors. Only a thousand or so make it to the Core Building Level. "

"With the warrior next door, it must be pretty close to breaking through," Leo responded. He sat there and wondered what it would be like to have that kind of strength.

Joe interrupted, "What if when we escape we let that warrior out as a distraction?"

Claws were in deep thought when Leo's smart-watch responded. "Joseph that might increase our chance of survival. Good plan. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Sprite it's not the time. Joe now that I'm starting to heal up we need to formulate this plan."

"Claws tell them what we talked about last night while he was asleep."

"So, our beastman ship has 39 upper floors and 4 basement floors. The cells on this floor are usually meant for warrior detainment. They do not use electronic containment as mana manipulation could fry it."

"The doors are made of Ancient metal and several measurements thick. It would take an Avatar Establishment level warrior to break through. Even if we do manage to get out, we would have to fight our way through three floors of beastmen."

"Sir, Ancient metal he refers to is the element metal called Iron."

"Well let's focus on escaping the cell first then Claws. We will worry about the horde of beastmen next."

The three men and machine tossed ideas around until they all went to sleep. The next two days were spent throwing ideas around and meditating. Joe was on the brink of stepping into the first stage of Tempering body. Most humans naturally absorb mana into the skin. It only takes knowing if it is there and training to make that first step. Leo, on the other hand, was healing up nicely. Two or more days and Leo wouldn't need the sling anymore. The benefit of cultivation wasn't always extending longevity but also healing. On day three Leo finally had a crazy idea that just might work.

Chapter end