The city of True Prairie is massive, larger than any city I've ever seen. To be fair, I've only been to a few different places. There are complications when it comes to traveling as an underage individual. Or, there were. People here treat age as a stepping stone at most, and a mild inconvenience at worst. Due to mana, deterioration through age is far different. The body remains resilient, the mind sharp. Nothing short of powerful disease or natural disaster could kill a person here. Of course, age does kill here just like anywhere else. The longer one lives, the more life force they consume. When your life force bottoms out, game over. The reason people want to level up so bad is for 2 reasons. Power, and lifespan. Every single level increases your life force, and every tier evolution massively increases it. At level 13 I will likely live to see 120 if I play my cards right. Someone at tier 2 can live for upwards of 500 years. Though, accounts differ as to how long it is, since in this world, dying of old age is like winning the lottery. Most die to monsters, dragons, other people, violent magical viruses, and far more.

  “This was, Mr Akabis.” The lady, Trista, says, guiding me to the roof. Awaiting us there is a sleek, black plane. She opens the door for me and I sit down in a plush seat. She sits down next to me, giving me a professional nod before closing the door. The plane lifts off soundlessly.

  ‘How do these work?’ I ask her, looking to the wings with curiosity.

  “I am not entirely sure.” She says.

  “I am.” A man in the front says, leaning back from his position beside the pilot. “Youre the other worlder kid, ey? Feel bad for you, being stuck in a world you don't know. We got your back.” Trista glares at him, but stops when I smile at his words.

  ‘Thank you.’ I say, chuckling. ‘It's a bit confusing, but not too difficult to understand. What can you tell me about these planes?’

  “The way they work is simple, really. Mana is pushed in from the pilot to assume control. The mana battery does the heavy lifting for the power, while the pilot manages the intricate controls. See those jets right there?” He points to 2 large spherical holes on the wings emitting energy as the plane floats midair. “That's where the propulsion comes from. The wings turn as needed for direction, and the pilot manages both the direction, speed, and power inputted. One mistake and you spin down to your grave.”

  People must get training for that then, right?’ I ask him. He nods.

  “Takes years to learn.” He pauses. “Why aren't your lips moving?” I pause, then lift my hand up to my face, my fingers brushing against a long scar.

  ‘Corruption got my vocals. Luckily I got mind magic, so I just broadcast my thoughts out.’

  “Thats convenient, yet inconvenient.” The man says. “Must eat mana like nobodies business.

  ‘Less than you would expect, but more than is ideal.’

  “Just like all things, I suppose.”

  The plane shoots forward.

  <{(0)}>

  The largest building in True Prairie is, without question, the massive bloody palace floating far above the sky. Who would have guessed? However, its not where we are going. We are going to a large, but not as large, warehouse building. Apparently, according to Trista, the Grand General is there with an offer of some sort for me. I don't know what to think of the man, in truth. I don't believe his intentions for me are malicious, but I only just met the man. I won't know until I've had a few interactions with him.

  We arrive at the warehouse at the same time as what seems to be a shipment of multiple vehicles coming from the south. Inside are… people. Thanks to my improved vision, I can clearly see the chains, and what look like collars around their necks. I frown.

  ‘What's up with those people?’ I ask.

  “Slaves.” Trista replies without looking over. “You will find that to be a common occurrence across the multiverse. A harsh truth, but still the truth.”

  “Did your home have slavery?” The copilot asks as we step out of the plane. All around are cargo, people, and people that are apparently cargo.

  ‘On paper? No. But behind closed doors? Absolutely. Some people are just sadistic fucks.’

  “Amen to that.” The man says, chuckling. The man removes his helmet to reveal green eyes and blonde hair. “Name's Jace.”

  ‘Jak- no, Pyro.’ I correct myself. ‘Nice to meet you too.’ I shake his hand, then look back to the slaves. They seem to be wearing an almost tribal garb, if not for how sturdy and practically futuristic it looks. Each vehicle seems to have entire groups of people. A quick count leads to around 500 people. One vehicle, however, stands out for having only one prisoner. A woman with long red hair and orange eyes, beaten and bruised. Her eyes are hollow, with a spark of defiance still flickering within. She glares at anyone who gets too close.

  “Do you disapprove?" A voice asks behind me. I turn, unsurprised to see Grand General Brennen there.

  ‘Just tell me what your offer is.’ I say, turning back to look at the woman.

  “You are an other worlder.” Brennen says, standing beside me. “I want to make you strong and give you what you need. I will make you strong, and help you along. In exchange, you will receive money, citizenship, a seat of power, and a comfortable home.”

  ‘What are my other options?’

  “2 other options. Firstly, I give you citizenship and set you up in a simple job with a simple starter home and a small amount of cash to kickstart your life. Secondly, you leave the city and find your own way. However, I want you fighting with me. You are valuable, which means you are worth the cost.”

  ‘That woman.’ I turn to him again. ‘Give her to me.’

  “Done.” He says with a nod. “I assume this means you pick the first option?”

  ‘For now, yes.’ I say. ‘I'm not an idiot. I see what you're offering me and the strings attached. I can deal with it.’ Trista gives a nod, stepping up one step behind me. She holds out a contract to me. I take it and read it over. The terms, the pay, the benefits, are all very good. I can tell this is a standard contract for someone like me. An other worlder.

  I look down at it.

  ‘Do I need to sign this now?’ I ask, frowning to myself.

  “You do not.” The Grand General says.

  ‘Then I’ll take the time to think this over properly.’ I nod to him. ‘I'm not ungrateful for this. Thank you.’

  “Your new acquisition will be delivered to your home tonight.” Trista says, then turns, beginning to walk towards the cage containing the woman. I look away, sighing.

  ‘Fucking choices.’ I mutter. ‘I'm going for a walk.’

  “Mind if I join you?” Jace asks, then pauses. He turns to bow to the Grand General. “If you would allow it.”

  “Go ahead.” he says, waving a hand dismissively. I turn to Jace for a moment, then nod.

  <{(0)}>

  This is fucked up. So incredibly, entirely stupid. I don’t know why I told them to give that woman to me. But when I saw her, I heard whispers in the back of my head. Like… a prayer, of sorts. Someone begging. It made me want to save her.

  “What are you thinking about?” Jace asks as we move through the square.

  ‘Differences in the histories of morals and application of morals within different universes, as well as how they differ between individuals of the same groups.’ I say simply, stopping at a stall. I hand the man a coin I pull out of my spatial pouch. ‘One grey bull skewer please.’

  “Make that two.” Jace says, setting a second coin down beside mine. The stall owner nods and turns to grab 2 skewers off the stove.

  “What were you saying about morals?” Jace asks.

  ‘What's your viewpoint on slavery?’ I ask him, taking one of the skewers and giving a thank you to the stall owner. Me and Jace both keep moving.

  “Don’t really have one.” Jace says. “Don’t have the money for a household slave, and don’t have a job that requires much interaction with the enslaved. I know it's a bit cynical, but I have a quite undeveloped viewpoint on it.”

  ‘I guess that's fair.’ I say, biting into the skewer. ‘These are good.’

  “Yeah, I stop by there for one all the time.” Jace agrees. We walk forward through the streets, through to a park with large trees and benches shaded by their canopies. We both sat down at an unoccupied bench.

  ‘What do you know about those people?’ I ask him.

  “More than I think I should, given my pay.” Jace replies, ripping a chunk of meat off the skewer. “A tribe down south of here. Don’t know much about why they were taken, but I know that woman you got was their leader figure. Didn't catch her name, though, but I know she uses fire and a spear. She's a tier 2 High human.”

  ‘High human?’ I ask, curious.

  “Evolution of humans. It's a generic evolution all things considered, but provides a well rounded stat boost. She got quite a few tier 1 soldiers before the tier 2s subdued her.”

  ‘Yikes.’ I sigh. ‘She got a family?’

  “Not sure. Go ahead and ask her. Anything else you want to do?”

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  ‘I guess not.’ I shrug. ‘Wanna come to my place and see if she's there yet?’

  “Yeah, sure.” He nods. “Where’s your place?”

  <{(0)}>

  “You live here?!” Me and Jace enter the lobby of my apartment complex. The entrance hall is huge, filled with plush chairs amd couches. A chandelier hangs from the high roof, and theres a door in the back to a pool. “This is where all the rich old farts live!” Jace chuckles. “The Grand General must really see some shit in you to put you here.”

  ‘Guess so.’ I say absently as I press my keycard to the elevator door. It dings once, then the door closes behind us, and we start to ascend to the 29th floor.

  “Worried?” Jace asks. “Thats not a bad thing. You're 16, and thrown into a world you don't recognize with no friends or family to reach for. I'd be more worried if you WEREN'T panicked.” Jace says. I sigh.

  ‘Not so much worried as trepidatious.’ I reply. The elevator door dings and opens again. ‘I'm just trying to figure things out. Gotta get my ducks in a line before I start teaching them tricks, you know?’

  “I get what you mean.” He says as we step out of the elevator onto the tile floor of the 29th floor. I walk to the door straight in front of us, room 2915.

  “That's a convenient door.” Jace comments as I unlock it with my keycard, then open it. We entered into my living room. “The place is spacious, though clearly only meant for 1 or 2 people to live in.” I take quick peek into each room before nodding to myself.

  ‘They haven't dropped her off yet.’ I say. ‘How am I supposed to present myself to a spearwielding pyromaniac turned slave?’

  “With grace and dignity?” Jace offers, unhelpfully. I give him a flat look.

  ‘Real great advice.’

  “Got any better advice?”

  ‘Not really, no. I plan to do exactly that.’

  “Hypocrite.” He mutters. I sigh and sit up, walking over into the kitchen and pulling out a few root beers.

  ‘I'm beyond glad this world has root beer. Doubt I could live without it.’ I say, tossing him a bottle. He catches it easily. ‘What level are you at, by the way?’ I ask. He gives me a look, then seems to remember something and chuckles.

  “Asking people their level, unless youre their superior, is usually frowned upon.” He says, removing the cap from the bottle.

  ‘ah. Good to know.’ I say, sitting beside him. ‘So, what now? Do we just wait for Trista to bring her by?’

  “Its your house. We can do whatever you want. I'm just happy for the payed day off in a luxury apartment.” He says with a grin, taking another sip of root beer before setting the bottle down. “How much of that stuff do you have?”

  ‘Like, 10.’ I say. He blinks in mild surprise at me.

  “10 bottles? thats a bit much for one person living alone.”

  ‘Not bottles. Boxes. I have 120 bottles.’

  “You have what now?”

  The doorbell rings.

  ‘Forget I said anything!’ I way cheerfully, hopping up and moving quickly to the door. I open it to see Trists there, with a cage on wheels behind her. Inside is the woman from before, now cleaned up and dressed in a basic T-shirt and pants, the collar still around her neck.

  “I brought the woman for you, Mr Akabis." She says. I nod and step aside, letting her wheel the cage in. Seeing a person in a cage… ugh. reminds me of those pricks I was always hired to kill. Human traffickers were not uncommon, unfortunately.

  ‘Thanks, Trista. By the way, does she have any children or family?’

  “I believe she does.” Trista responds. “I could arrange for them to be sent to you.”

  ‘Thank you.’ I say. I reach into my bag, which I had bought from the market, and pull out the contract. I press it against the wall and sign it with a pen.I then hand it to Trista.

  “I shall take my leave then.” With a respectful nod, she turns and leaves, the door closing beside her.

  “So…” Jace says. I wheel the cage into the living room where the holo tv usually is, though its off so it takes up no space. The woman seems to have been sedated in some way, but the way shes twitching suggests it might be wearing off.

  ‘Lets just wait for her to wake up.’ I say, sitting down on the couch. Jace nods, but sighs.

  “I should get going. My sister is making dinner, and I can’t be late. Have fun with whatever you choose to do.” He gives me a pat on the back, then leaves. I sigh.

  I look into the cage, frowning. Jim, what do you think?

  {Jim: I am unsure. I have not had any encounters with slavery, and tend to avoid forming any emotional connections with things so I can be more efficient.}

  I guess thats fair. When do you think she will wake up?

  {Jim: By my estimations? Maybe 20 minutes. You have some time.}

  Sounds good. Might as well put my best face forward for her.

  <{(0)}>

  The woman opened her eyes to find herself wearing unfamiliar clothing in an unfamiliar environment. She tried to sit up, but her head banged against the roof of the cage, making her wince. Her eyes darted frantically around, searching for a threat. She seemed to be in a living room of sorts, though not one anything like her own home. Or, former home, she thought to herself. Then her eyes locked onto a boy sitting on the couch. The boy had messy black hair and piercing black eyes that stared at her with curiosity.

  “Who…” Her voice was raspy, hoarse from disuse. The boy reaches into his bag, pulling out a water bottle and holding it out to her.

  ‘Here.’ He said. Or, didn't say. His lips didn’t move when he spoke.

  “Why would I take anything you offer me?” She snaps, backing as far away as she could from him, which wasn’t very far.

  ‘Because you don't have much choice to the contrary.’ The boy responded simply. ‘Are you going to take it or not?’ She hesitated, but eventually reached through the bars and took the water bottle. She unscrewed the cap and downed it in one go.

  “What do you plan to do with me, boy?” She asks, her eyes narrowing. Perhaps if I can get past him, I can escape and find my children. Then we can escape these accursed lands.

  ‘No idea.’ He says, making her pause. She wasn't expecting that answer.

  “What? You just saw a woman and made her your property without a plan? Please, I've heard better lies from babies.”

  ‘Not a lie.’ I say, shaking my head. ‘What's your name?’

  “Phoebe.” she says. “Phoebe Akabis.” The boy… locks up. He blinks at her for a moment.

  ‘My name is- or, was Jakob Akabis.” He says. He stands up and walks up to the cage, crouching down in front of her. ‘I'm not from this world. I'm an other worlder. It makes no sense that we share a last name.’

  “You share my family name?” She frowns. “Prove it.” He waves a hand and a system screen appears in front of her.

  {Pyro Akabis, level 13}

  ‘That proof enough for you?’ He asks, standing back up again.

  “This says Pyro, not Jakob.” She frowns. This name is so similar to… no, that thought is blasphemous.

  ‘I said my name WAS Jakob, not that it IS Jakob. When I found myself here the system identified me under that name instead of my own. I don't understand why.’

  “You took me because you wanted to find out?” She asks, still wary of the boy. Level 13, at that age. That can't be possible. He shouldn't even have a level yet.

  ‘No, I took you because when I saw you, I heard voices in my head begging to save you.’ He says. That stopped her cold again. Begging to save her? Who would- wait. She turned and scrutinized him more closely. Red eyes. Black hair. And… her breath caught in her throat when she saw the soul core. The core was the shape of her god. But how…

  ‘You ok?’ He asks, and she looks him over again. Things weren't adding up.

  “Yes… I think I am.” She says, nodding.

  ‘If I let you out of here, can you promise you wont immediately try to murder me?’ He asks, and she snorts a laugh.

  “Couldn’t if I wanted to, boy. This collar takes my powers, and seals away my soul weapon. It will also punish me for attempting unauthorized violence of any kind.”

  ‘Wow, thats fucked up on so many levels.’ He mutters, giving her a third round of whiplash.

  “You disapprove of slavery?” she asks.

  ‘Fuck yeah I do.’ He says. ‘We were over that in my world. Well, for the most part. there were still closed door human traffickings.’ Oh, right, he did say he was an other worlder. Most other worlders tend to see the world from a different perspective. Perhaps I could convince him to free me…

  ‘I talked to Treena.’ He said, opening the cage door. ‘They are looking into giving your kids to me too. I don't have a tone of room, but I do have a spare bedroom and a pullout bed for now.’

  “Wait… really? You're doing all that for me?” She asks, shocked as she hesitantly gets out of the cage. She stands and stretches, letting out a satisfied groan from her regained freedom of movement.

  ‘I am, yeah.’ He said, walking over to the kitchen and opening the fridge.

  “Why?” She asked, more confused than suspicious.

  ‘Because I can.’ He responded simply, pulling out 2 bottles of a bubbly, brown liquid. ‘And because I want to. Call it some twisted desire to maintain some semblance of the humanity I left behind years ago.’ He tosses her a bottle and she catches it. Root beer?

  He sits down on the couch. She stands in front of him. She stares at the couch for a moment.

  ‘You can sit.’ He says, and she nods, slumping into the cushions. She looks at the boy for a moment.

  “Why say that? About your humanity, I mean.” She asks him.

  ‘I could tell you, but it would be a story. Do you want to hear it, and if so, long or short?’ She smiles nervously.

  “Give me the long version. I imagine I'll be stuck here a while.” She says, looking down at the peculair boy who holds her leash.

  ‘Alright…’ He says, sitting up and turning to her. ‘How about an exchange of stories then? I tell you my life story and you tell me yours.’

  “I can agree to that.”

  ‘Great. So, where to start…’ He tapped a finger against his knee as he considered. ‘My world is at least a thousand years less technologically advanced as this one is. No magic, either. I have no idea what really brought me here. And honstly, I didn't leave much behind. I worry for my friends, but they can survive on their own. When I was little, my mother died in a housefire, along with most of my things. My dad survived, and remarried a year and a bit later.’

  “I'm sorry for your loss.” She said, and she meant it. She knew what it was like to lose someone she deeply cared for. She lost her husband, and it nearly broke her.

  ‘Thanks.’ He gave a small smile before continuing. ‘Me and my father moved in with my new stepmom. Their parenting style was… not something I want to relive. My mom was always the mitigator and the calming force in the house. Without her, things changed a lot, and changed fast. I got some small jobs and payed to learn how to fight. I learned more about people and how they work, how they think. At some point I became detached. So detached that I didn't feel much even when my father died in a car crash, along with my stepmother. I found myself alone, with barely a job, and a large, empty home all to myself. Things changed when someone approached me with an offer. That offer was to kill for pay. I took the offer, and suddenly found myself a lot richer.’ He looked away, down at his own hands. ‘I only took the jobs for the real scum of the world, and only the highest paying ones. I could slip in and out of a room unnoticed, and nobody would realize I was even there until the body was found. That went on for around 4 years. Despite having enough money to live the rest of my life in luxury and retire, I chose to still go to school. Its what my mom would have wannted for me, so I still went. I only had 2 actual friends. Marco and Becca. They are the only ones I regret leaving behind.’ He paused, leaving the room to enter into a temporary silence. Eventually, she spoke.

  “I understand what you mean.” She says. “though I don't blame you for what youve done, if that is what you're worried about.”

  ‘You don’t? And why's that?’ He asks, turning back to look at her.

  “Kid, you were always meant for this world. This place is dog eat dog, its violent, its somewhere that you can only secure your life by getting stronger. I wasn't strong enough, and this is what happened to me.”

  ‘You don't blame me for basically owning you?’ He asks, confused.

  “I do, though not as much as you would expect.” She grins. “But that's just how this place is.” She sighs. “If only my children didn't have to live it. I wonder where they are now…” Her eyes misted up as she looked away. Her own children, gone. And there was nothing she could do about i-

  ‘Look behind you.’ Pyro says, and she pauses. Slowly she turns her head back to see a woman standing there. She recognized the woman as the woman in the suit who was standing with Pyro when he demanded she be given to him. With her is a small cage, filled with blankets, with 2 small forms curled up inside, asleep. She froze up.

  “Thats-” She slowly turned back to Pyro, who just smiled at her expression.

  ‘Phoebe, welcome to your new, hopefully less fucked up, life.’

  Name:Abhor

  Level:57/150

  Age:16

  Titles:Timebreaker, Barterer, adaptable, Tier 2 evolution, Humanify, TIME, Legendary progenitor

  Strength:150

  Durability:150

  Speed:150

  Stamina:172.5

  Intelligence:150

  Essence: 58,000

  Class:Eternal darkness

  Soul weapon:Eternal darkness

  Timewarp demi-dragon[2/5]

  Skills: Greater Enhanced stamina(High)Rare, Bartering(low)Common, Heat resistance(Low)Uncommon, Breath of time(Low)Rare, Voice of the word(High)Rare, [LOCKED](?)Unknown, Illusion mana manipulation(Medium)Rare, Shadow warp foundation(Low)Uncommon, Demishift(low)Rare, Eternal pierce(low)Rare, Throughout time[Species max]Legendary, Eye of the

  forbidden(High)Epic+, Greater shadow manipulation(High)Epic

  Techniques:Mana manipulation(C), Time manipulation(E), Dark Mana defense(C), Potential(???), Calm(C), Overload(C), Confusion(C), Illusion mana manipulation(C), Shadow warp(C), dark magic claw strike(E), Legendary proficiency(B), Invisibility(C), Illusion mirror(E), false strike(D), Lesser illusionary sight glasses(D), Dark mana manipulation(B), Dark trident(C), Mana sense(D)

  Mutations: Abyssal eyes(A), Time transmuted skeletal structure(A)

  Spells: Rot of time(Lesser), rewind heal(Lesser), Darkzone(lesser)}

  ...

  Name:Snowstorm

  Level:50/150

  Age:16

  Titles:Frostbreaker, knowledgeer, study master, FREEZE, Tier 2 evolution, Humanify

  Strength:150

  Durability:150

  Speed:150

  Stamina:150

  Intelligence:172.5

  Essence:1,009

  Class:Frostbane boxer(Epic)

  Soul weapon:Frostbane gauntlets

  Species:Frostwing demi-wyvern

  Skills: Heat vision(low)Uncommon, Greater enhanced intelligence(medium)Rare, Enhanced knowledge intake(medium)Uncommon, cold resistance(high)Rare, photographic memory(Medium)Rare, swimming(low)Common, split thought(Low)Rare, body temperature reduction(Medium)Uncommon, ice mana manipulation(medium)Rare, Mind magic affinity(Medium)Uncommon, heat shift foundation(Low)Uncommon

  Techniques:Swimming(D), Mana manipulation(C), Mind mana manipulation(D), Ice mana manipulation(C), Mana claws(C), Ice spear(C), Iceout(D), Icicle hail(D), Mind bridge(D), Ice mana barrier(C), Heat shift(D), Mana bolt(D), Mana sense(D), Mind mana manipulation(D), Illusion mana manipulation(E)

  Mutations: Knowledge intake stomach(B), Multi-Mind system(A)

  Spells: Freeze water(Lesser), Frostfield(Lesser), coldsnap(Lesser), amnesia(Lesser), Frost spikes(Lesser)