As it turns out, the Union actually had quite a few buildings in the capital.

  The Union actually owns the entire capital.

  There’s actually a city, within the center of the capital, titled ‘the Union.’

  Suffice to say that even with the map it took us a while to find one of the union’s recruitment centers.

  When we came near, monsters in suits pulled the doors open, revealing a hallway plastered in precious metals.

  That wasn’t anything new. In fact, the entire inner city was built from precious metals and gemstones. Which was even more impressive once you realized they had mana currents running through the softer metals, allowing them to support buildings they shouldn’t have been able to.

  “How much money do these people have?” I muttered.

  Inside the agency there was a bit of a line. After a bit of waiting, one of the attendants walked over to us. She skimmed over my party before looking me up and down. When she spotted my arm, the attendant raised an eyebrow.

  “Name?” She asked, summoning a screen.

  “Grind.”

  There was a beeping sound, and the screen disappeared.

  The attendant sighed. “Followed along.”

  As before, we were taken to a large room, filled with trainees and pieces of equipment. Unlike last time, everything was a lot, lot bigger.

  “Now I’m going to be testing you in three areas. Power, Mind, and Body,” our attendant stated. “If you do good, we might also run a soul test, but I find that…” she looked me up and down. “Unlikely.”

  I chose to ignore the comment, instead addressing my party. “Who wants to go first?”

  The guard snorted. “You’re…new here, Right?”

  “So?” I asked.

  “Monsters aren’t worth the time to train. Besides, this is the Union of the Capital. We train players and only players.” She stated. “We wouldn’t give them the places of union members unless we were really desperate.”

  “But in Kizota—”

  “This isn’t some backwater town on the back of a turtle,” she snorted. “This is a real city on real ground, and you’ll find we have much higher expectations than what you’re probably used to, rookie.”

  She gestured to a table filled with small objects. “First, use your mana to activate as many contraptions as you can.”

  I bit my tongue and went along. Even if I didn’t like the system, I didn’t have the power to change it. Not yet.

  Of the ten spheres, the first was moronically simple, requiring only the finest presence of power to light up. The others afterward required more specific patterns of mana and at different levels of intensity to start working, but that wasn’t much of a problem. It was only after multiple steps of careful movement that I started having trouble, failing a sphere three times in a row.”

  In total, I got to five out of the ten metal orbs before she cut me off.

  “I think that’s enough, copper,” our attendant sighed. “You’re below average, but not by too much.”

  She pulled out a small canister. “Second, crush this with your mind.”

  I blinked. “What?”

  “You seriously don’t—” She massaged her forehead. “Fine. I want you to imagine yourself crushing this can with your mind.”

  “Uh...what?”

  Our attendant huffed. “In the second area, mental power can turn physical. Now try it.”

  Wait.

  Seriously?

  I focused the entirety of my mind to a single point, directly ontop of the can.

  “Crush,” I said.

  The can instantly flattened into a thin metal disk.

  “Interesting.” The guard focused and the can popped back into shape. “Try it again, copper.”

  Mental energy into physical energy. This is insane!

  I focused. “Crush.”

  And…nothing happened.

  “Crush,” I said, with a little more force.

  This time, I sensed another presence enveloping the can, pushing back against my will. So I pushed as hard as I could, refocusing my willpower, sharper and sharper.

  A hole blew through the top of the can—without crushing it—almost like a bullet hole.

  The guard frowned. “You’re definitely above average within a mental space, but that really won’t mean as much as power or body would. Not in a fight, at least, and not without training. But hey, you’ve got a neat party trick, so…congratulations.”

  She walked me over to a small dummy.

  “Now this is Greg,” she said, tapping the wooden doll on the head. “He’s going to attack you somewhere, and you need to use third area techniques to absorb that blow and then parry. Ready?”

  “Huh?” I asked.

  The wooden doll burst to life, lunging forward. Its movements were predictable and slow—

  There was suddenly a wooden leg at my side.

  Next thing I knew, a kick rang up from my shoulder, blasting me facefirst into the ground.

  “Stop, stop, stop,” the guard groaned. “Do you know any body-based techniques?!”

  “I don’t even know what those are,” I whimpered, pushing off the floor.

  The guard grimaced. “Below average. Far, far below average. No reflexes at all, really.”

  After marking up a slip, she handed it toward me, holding the end with two fingers as if the piece of paper disgusted her.

  “You’re accepted. Good…luck.”

  I snatched the card, noticing three little notches at the bottom. She hadn’t seemed too impressed by my mental control, yet she had marked it with a ten. My power rating was only five, but that added up to fifteen points : the bare minimum rate for acceptance.

  I’d also gotten a zero on my body techniques, which I couldn’t help but feel wasn’t particularly fair. How could anyone fresh out of the first area possibly know about these things?

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “So when do lessons start?” I asked.

  The attendant just looked at me. “You passed the evaluation.”

  “Yeah, so I’m wonder—”

  “You need a Master to back you, Rookie. If you don’t get one, you’re not worth teaching.” she stated. “There'll be a simple combat and defense exam tomorrow, and one every week from that date.” Now, if you get a Master then you’ll be let into general studies with lessons from the master on the side. If not, you will be given one week to get stronger. “During this time, you will have food, lodging, and a very small income, as consolation from the Union. If you fail a second time you will lose your license as a union citizen and be forced out of the city, in order to grow stronger.”

  The guard cleared her throat, putting on the fakest smile I’d ever seen.

  “Enjoy the rest of your day.”

  She then put the instructions into our cards and shoved us out the door.

  “So, did we win?” Junior asked.

  I blinked. “I guess? I’ve just got to get somebody to teach me.”

  My stomach growled.

  Rose smiled. “Let’s get something to eat first.”

  Our apartment was in a small Union-owned lot just outside of the recruitment center, so the walk wasn’t too bad. Better still, somebody had set out a large basket, overflowing with all sorts of meat, cheeses, and breads, along with an assortment of vegetables I didn’t recognize.

  Junior grabbed a length of salami and bit into it.

  Rose immediately snatched it out of his hands, berating her brother for wasting food and eating like a hog.

  Within three minutes the two were screaming at each other.

  “Axeeeellll,” Axel groaned, running his hands on the walls of the apartment.

  The place was small, with only two rooms. One with a basic kitchen, and one room with a single bed. There was a bathroom down the hall to be shared by all the people living in the apartments.

  It felt a little like college dorms.

  “Hey, I’m going to go for a bit of a walk, okay? I need to clear my mind,” I called over one shoulder. “I’ll keep close to the apartment, unless Sern wants to come too?”

  Sern shook her head, burrowing into a stack of blankets from the closest.

  I put on a smile. “Be safe.”

  I didn’t want to leave them alone, but I had to go out and see the city. Last time I was stuck in too small of a space for too long. I had no understanding of the different factions and organizations working within Kizota. So when the cultists attacked, I was helpless.

  But, if nothing else, a time loop is awfully good at teaching you to learn from your mistakes.

  Since we were on the first floor, I could go about a couple blocks before Sern would have to start following toward me. That still wasn’t a lot, but it was way more than in the first area. I’d manage.

  There was a stop sign just outside of the union’s area, and here, hundreds of people milled about, moving through to wherever they were going.

  But they all seemed to be moving toward a central area. A place just a couple houses away from the Union’s acceptance center.

  There was a scream, echoing off the streets. While a few people glanced in that direction, most everyone ignored it.

  So I ran closer.

  A young man stood over a younger woman, grabbing her face in his hand. “What’d I tell you?! Don’t you listen to the things I tell you?! No!” He leaned close, sneering at her. “You’re too valuable to listen to your master…that it?”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  He struck her across the face and she hit the floor with a sickening crack.

  “Now look at what you made me do!” he barked. “I’ll have to get that blood cleared up before the tournament!”

  Honestly, what was wrong with some people?

  The woman shivered, unable to push herself off the floor.

  The man raised his hand again.

  He looked over his shoulder and growled. “Mind your own business, boy,” .

  I didn’t even realize that I had his wrist in my hand. I didn’t realize that I’d crossed the entire alley in the blink of an eye, either, nor had I register just how much force I was actually using to hold him back.

  I was just angry.

  “LEAVE HER ALONE!” I shouted.

  He gave me a flat stare. “Eh? Just…shut up…”

  I didn’t even see the punch.

  And then I was on the street. Black blood ran from my mouth, filling gaps in the stone paving.

  {Grind}

  [-(100) 150 Hp]

  I pushed myself to my feet, wiping my face.

  The man leered over me. “You wanna go?”

  And then another hand grabbed my ankle.

  The woman held her head low, hissing under her breath. “Mind your own business, brat.”

  I froze, and she raised her head toward me.

  “Can I buy her?” I blurted out.

  The man stared.

  “Can I buy her? Can I buy her?!” He threw his head back, grabbing his as he laughed harder and harder, until tears fell from his eyes. “Unless you’ve got a mansion stuck up your rear, then no, I don’t think you can.” Suddenly, his entire demeanor changed, and he put on a mock smile, swinging his arms around the woman, like he would hold a trophy. “This is the fair lady Ulilia, a local favorite. With a little more training, she’ll become the Premio di Bellezza for this year’s Union Championship.”

  This man was a merchant. Probably a slaver.

  Now that I actually looked at the alley way, I noticed the cages, forming a path into the main street, where a stall had been set up.

  I swallowed. “Then I’ll win the tournament.”

  The slaver laughed again, which, fortunately, meant he ignored the woman.

  “Nobody wants your help,” the woman hissed, pushing up to her feet. The slaver struck her down again.

  “Stay where you are,” He grunted. “We have no quarrel, boy. Go home.”

  There was nothing I could do.

  He struck the woman again.

  She didn’t want my help. Not that I could help much, anyway. Even with his stats concealed, the slaver was far stronger than myself.

  I have to leave.

  I have to save her later.

  So I forced my eyes closed, stepping out of the alley. Some things I just can’t fix.

  I was ready to go back.

  But when I opened those eyes, I saw bright rows of stalls and merchants, all set up and eager for new customers.

  It was a place filled with cages.

  “Servants! Servants! Half off or better!” A man shouted, using ripples of mana to push his voice further than it could’ve ever naturally been heard.

  “A beauty unlike any ever seen!”

  “Unimaginable power at your disposal!”

  “A kind gentle soul, fit for a king!”

  There had to be at least a thousand merchants down the street, increasing as more merchants pulled up carts. Within the market, tens of thousands of people muddled about, purchasing, haggling, and selling.

  This was not a tiny little shack hidden away in the city. This was slavery as an industry.

  What was I going to do?

  What was I supposed to do?

  One of the merchants slipped beside me, rubbing his hands together. “Good sir, might you be interested in a servant? Mine is the crown jewel of the capital!”

  Another merchant puffed up. “Imbecile! Mine are!”

  “Shut up Hubert!” the merchant snapped. His smile rearranged itself, but it did nothing to hide the glint in his eyes.

  “I’m new here,” I said. “The union supports this, right?”

  “Of course! They’re our top buyers!” the man chuckled. “And I’m afraid they’ve reserved most of the best. But don’t let that get your spirits down, I’ve got a couple just for folks like you. So what kind are you thinking? War or pleasure?”

  What was I supposed to do?

  Kill him.

  Maybe.

  My hand was tightening.

  No.

  “Go away,” I sighed.

  More than ever, I understood the importance of power.

  If I had a trillion strength, there was little doubt in my mind that I could save each and every person here. I could make real change happen.

  But I don’t have a trillion stats. So I have to acknowledge the evil that was happening…and I have to move on.

  When I got back to the apartment, I saw that most everyone else had fallen asleep. Rose sat on the table with a small candle burning. When I arrived, she blew it out.

  “Glad to see you made it back okay,” she said. “Did you clear your mind?”

  “Yeah,” I lied. “I’m feeling better.”

  She gave me a smile. “I think I’ll head off to bed, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Unless…you want the bed? I could go somewhere else—”

  I shook my head. “I’ll just sleep on the floor.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay,” Rose yawned. “Sweet dreams.”

  “You too.”

  She walked into the other room, pushing Junior aside and getting into bed before immediately falling asleep.

  Axel had bundled himself up next to Sern, sleeping with his head against the wall.

  Everyone was safe and accounted for.

  I pulled the chair away from the table, and sat down.

  I took a breath in.

  I took a breath out.

  And I began to cry.

  // {Notice} //

  Hi! Hope you enjoyed a fantasy story. But as much fun as a fantasy is, there’s things in the real world beyond what writing can fix. That’s where you come in.

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