I was taken into a cabin in front of the train. Inside, Axel had been pinned to the wall, covered in chains. There was a simple iron desk in the center, with a well-cushioned iron chair. There were no other furnishings.

  The muscles in my jaw loosed, allowing a smile.

  “Nice place,” I muttered, stretching my jaw. “I take it you’re the one in charge?”

  Pura smirked. “I take it you’re an idiot?” She gestured to my mismatched stolen uniform. “Did you seriously expect to get away with that?”

  “Just returning the favor,” I stated. “Though I have yet to kidnap your family and strand you in the middle of a desert, so I’ll put it on my to-do list.”

  “I saved your life,” Pura hissed. “And I took compensation for the deed. As a merchant surely you must understand basic barging.”

  She registered something I said, raising an eyebrow. “Family. Your slaves are family?”

  “Not slaves. Just family.”

  After a moment, Pura sighed. “I should’ve recognized the dreamy stare and blatant moral code. You’re one of them aren’t you?”

  “A decent human being?”

  “A sympathizer,” she groaned. “I get it. Really. So far, you’ve breezed through the first area, and now, with your heart full of love, you are horrified to see all of these people-like creatures puppeted and sold. Here's a quick word of advice. If people are all doing something, there’s probably a reason for it. Something beyond ‘the whole world is full of one dimensional wicked people.’”

  She reached under her desk, pulling out a glass container, filled with water. “As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’m not a player. I’m an Npc merchant.”

  Pura reached over her desk, spinning around one of the pictures so I could see. “This is my granddaughter, Lua.” At her name, the slaver visibly relaxed. She spun the picture back into place. “Monsters are like animals, Players are human, and Npcs are something in between. I understand compassion for animals. Really. But there’s always a point, somewhere in the second area, or the third, or the fourth, where you have to pick a real human being over a fake one.”

  She gave me one of those apologetic smiles that don’t actually make people feel better. “I need your slaves, and I need your money. It’s been a hard year, so I cannot afford to be as merciful as I’ve been in the past.

  I frowned. “You’re one of those people, aren’t you?”

  She glowered. “Care to elaborate.”

  “One of the people with flexible morals,” I grumbled. “They’re really just the worst. At the very least, if you’re going to be evil, you ought to be consistent about it. That makes it a lot simpler to beat you up, and you’re far less likely to get good people confused.”

  Pura snorted. “Then we are at a disagreement.”

  “Yes, it's rather unfortunate, isn’t it?”

  She was a merchant. I had to bring something to the table to trade with, and fast, before she threw me out.

  I nodded to Axel. “I’m taking him, Rose, and Junior with me. You already killed my daughter,” I said. At this, Pura smiled in satisfaction. As long as she didn’t know Sern was still alive, I could potentially threaten court from the union, under pretenses of murder, or something similar. “I’ll keep quiet about this, and you can keep the money and clothes.”

  “And if I say no?” Pura asked.

  Crap.

  “Then I’ll fight you,” I snapped.

  A twinge of a smile appeared on her face. She clicked her tongue, reclining in her chair.

  “You, child, are ignorant,” Pura whispered. “I can see it all over your face. Given time, you will learn about this world, and how it works. Go back to the first area. First, for goodness sake, get some levels, or you’ll never have any power in the second area. Afterward, you may purchase more slave families if you must, build up a network of information, and try for the second area again. But if you continue to ignore all of my nudges into the right direction, you force my hand.”

  “So kidnapping people, taking my money, clothes, and supplies was all for my own good?”

  “Yes, so you would leave.”

  I summoned Crapshoveler into my hand. The hand was still under her spell, so I couldn’t move it, but the familiar handle helped. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that?”

  “If you are strong enough, you can be anything. Perhaps you wish to advocate for the rights of monsters. Advocate with your fists.”

  I put on a grin. “If you want to see me fight, release the spell.”

  She sighed.

  {Pura}

  ~Unmasked~

  [Iron - active]

  Energy swirled around her hand, condensing into a point of scalding black energy. The white light became brighter, and the shadows turned darker.

  ~Unmasked~

  {Void Palm}

  [A basic mana blast]

  [Current force of impact : 1000 Str]

  “Child, you’re out of your league.”

  ~Unmasked~

  {Void Palm}

  [A basic mana blast]

  [Current force of impact : 10,000 Str]

  She clenched her hand, and the orb vanished. Despite the sudden dissipation of mana, the wagon barely rocked, and the air wasn’t nearly as hot. The world in the second area was obviously a lot stronger than the first.

  Pura brushed the faintest bits of dust off her hands. “Now, do you still expect to win a fight?”

  “What if I do?”

  “Then you must be stupid, or insane.”

  “And if I win?”

  Pura laughed. “You’re trying to trick me, aren’t you? Trying to put me into some sort of game, for the lives of your slaves. One where you have some sort of an advantage?”

  “Yes,” I said. “If you win, I swear, for the rest of your life Crapshoveler will be yours. I’ll give him to you. If I don’t, you won’t ever be able to have him.”

  “The shovel?” she asked.

  It twisted in my hand, crackling with energy.

  A sparkle showed in her eye. “A legendary weapon with a personality.” She hesitated. “It looks like a piece of junk.”

  Crapshoveler exploded with energy, wrenching my arm. The pain shot through the rest of my body, and I was freed. Of course, the next moment, she re-applied the spell, and at a much stronger rate, where the slightest movement would probably kill me.

  How strong was this woman?

  “Starting to see the difference in power?” Pura asked. “The shovel is a gimmick. Nothing more. That said, a legendary gimmick would sell well. And you will give it to me. No games. Right now.”

  I huffed. “Or you’ll kill all my family? Well doesn’t that sound like the kind of demand a perfectly rational moral person would ask?”

  “You are in dire need of a change in perspective,” Pura hissed, her eyes locked onto Crapshoveler “I saved your life not once, but three times. For this, I am owed compensation.”

  “Please tell me you’re joking,” I groaned.

  “First, I gave you water when you would have died. Then, I moved the questling as far from you as I possibly could. Third, I put you in a position where the only reasonable option would be to abandon the second area and return when you have grown stronger, thus saving you from the desert monsters, Frills, and sandstorms.”

  “I could have paid for the water if you hadn’t stolen my money, the questling was my daughter and you tried to kill her, and you put me in a position of incredible risk not once but twice, with the second being right now. And then you framed the whole thing to make yourself look good, which is just rude.”

  Pura twitched.

  I smiled back. “While I appreciate your relatively level head compared to the typically evil people I run into, you have wronged me, and I expect restitution.”

  “And I say that you have wronged yourself, and you deserve nothing.” She crossed her arms. “I will let you know that your ‘daughter’ has power beyond the secondary area. Her quest will certainly result in your death, whether by her own hand, or through your foolishness. You marched into the desert at level zero, moments after spawning in. should you have continued, you’d try to head into the third area, and the journey alone would’ve killed you.”

  “Is that all?” I asked.

  Pura leaned forward. “I can see into your mind, child. I know you better than you know yourself. You have no fear of death, so I will give you one.”

  “Gee thanks.”

  The lady sighed. “You lack common sense. If you actually had the power to fight me and win, perhaps this would be a different conversation. But you do not. You couldn’t fight a copper, much less a tin.”

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  More rankings. Maybe I’d find a book with all the information I need on the second area.

  She held up her hand. “However, it is clear to me that you see what I have done in a very different light than I see it myself. Thus, I am willing to let you go with one slave of your choosing.”

  And that was another moral compromise.

  “Sure.” I pointed to the hanging mass of chains. “Give me Axel.”

  Pura bristled. “Boy, do you seriously expect to free him, then fight me, and then save every Npc in this wagon train.”

  “Worth a shot,” I said, shrugging. “You think fast, and are probably about to explain that I can’t have Axel because he’s too dangerous, and subtly avoiding how he’s also worth a lot more money than the rest of the other slaves.”

  “Axel is mine,” Pura stated. “And yes, as a third area monster, he is worth more than the rest of the wagon train combined, and for that, I thank you. You may choose of the lesser slaves, ‘Rose,’ or ‘Junior.’”

  I let out a breath of air. “That’s not acceptable.”

  “No?” She glowered. “Exactly what makes you think you have a choice in the matter?”

  “Oh there’s no choice at all,” I stated. “There really are only two possibilities here. Either I free the people you’ve captured, or I die. I should clarify. All the people.”

  A heavy air of mana settled on my chest, before it faded away. “You’re serious,” Pura muttered.

  “Yes.” I nodded. “It's fairly clear you’re more reasonable than I expected, and I'd like to think you’d prefer to let some additional ‘merchandise’ go before you resort to killing an idiot child.”

  There was a long moment of silence as Pura pulled over her options.

  Finally, she clicked her tongue, rising from the table. “Normally, you would be correct. However, you have come into possession of an asset which I simply cannot let go of. Not for your own safety.”

  “Bingo,” I chuckled. “At least be honest with your reasoning. Axel isn’t dangerous. He’s a real softie. Aren’t you?” I called up to the mass of chains on the ceiling.

  Axel gave me a half-conscious grunt.

  Pura sighed, massaging her forehead. “You are exceptionally stubborn, and that is commendable. I will give you back some of your supplies, as well as both Rose and Junior. But—”

  “No.”

  “Do not press your luck, boy!” Pura shouted, slamming her hands on the table. “This is my final offer.”

  “And I say no,” I said.

  She ripped her scarf off her neck, fusing mana into the fabric. It coiled into a whip. Oddly enough, it almost looked shiny, as if the wool had turned metal.

  She leaned over her desk, staring me in the eye. “I want you to understand something. I am a good person. I have a family. I am well respected within many towns.”

  “Pity the towns.”

  She clenched her jaw. “However, some of the larger guilds have been taking up my business. I am currently in need of resources, which I would only be able to afford if I sold your friend. You can believe yourself to be as high and mighty as you like, but I am not in a position to refuse.”

  “So you’ll kill me?” I asked.

  “If necessary. I’d rather it not come to that. So don’t make it come to that.”

  “Now it's my fault?” I summoned Crapshoveler, breaking myself from her hold. “Then we’ll fight—”

  An explosion of pain tore into my shoulder, knocking Crapshoveler from my hand.

  {Grind}

  [(-1) 2 Hp]

  “It doesn’t matter how much health you have in reserve,” Pura stated. “With the level of suppression acting on you, your body will break before I land ten hits. But even if your body survives, then your mind will not—why is your blood black?”

  I flashed a grin, ignoring the tarish liquid running down my shoulder. “Willing to bet on that?.”

  She gritted her teeth..

  “Twenty hits.” I whispered. “If I can survive that, then I’ll take everyone here somewhere safe if I give you get Crapshoveler, and I won’t press charges.”

  The edges of her mouth curled up. “Who do you expect to press charges to, idiot child? But if this is the only way to make you understand, I will go through with it.”

  Her hand blurred, followed by another bolt of pain on my cheek.

  {Grind}

  [(-1) 2 Hp]

  The wound itself was small, but even then, the pain coursed through my entire body as it weathered the blow. Unfortunately, from what I understood, the less actual Hp you had, the less you weighed, and the more attacks hurt your actual physical body. Even a single point of damage stung.

  Another blow.

  [(-1) 2 Hp]

  Pura tightened her grip.

  [(-1) 2 Hp]

  My arm started to feel numb, like I’d slept on it. The air she’d been hitting was ragged and bruised, with angry black dots of blood running down the length of my arm onto her expensive wooden floor.

  That brought a smile to my face.

  [(-1) 2 Hp]

  Pura sighed, and the energy in the room began to spike.

  “You are a stubborn boy,” Pura muttered.

  [(-2) 2 Hp]

  [(-2) 2 Hp]

  My vision went black, just for a second, before turning again, and I sat on the floor, gasping in pain.

  Pura wound her whip around her neck, clicking in disgust. “You can't seriously expect to go beyond this, do you?”

  “Two options,” I muttered, noticing the blood that fell from my lips. “Either I save everyone, or I die.”

  She sighed. “Very well.”

  The next attack struck my stomach, tossing me against the wall, slashing across.

  [(-2) 2 Hp]

  Searing pain.

  [(-2) 2 Hp]

  A cracked rib.

  [(-2) 2 Hp]

  Numbness throughout my side.

  I blacked out again, waking to find several fingers twisted the wrong way on my right hand. The pain had reached the point where it clouded out my thoughts. I felt only a sudden, primal urge to escape with my life. And yet, at just a thought, the urge to live died down. I would survive.

  Another strike cracked against my jaw, denting the wood behind it.

  Pura crouched down, blinking long, and slow. Specks of black blood dotted her perfect white robe, and a good pool of it had gathered on the floor.

  “Boy, do you seriously expect to win this?”

  “I’m winning so far,” I chuckled.

  In the searing pain, my emotions were beginning to unravel, squeaking out one after the other.

  The next five blows came all at once, each on the same arm, and I cried out in white agony.

  My left hand was black and twisted, and the elbow had been set out of place.

  Pura was starting to look disturbed, flicking the black-tipped whip around her floor.

  “Please give up,” she sighed. “Live a little longer, then buy Axle back. Isn’t that a much better choice?”

  “Two…options,” I said, serious as death.

  Pura softened, but her grip only grew tighter. “I’ll finish this.”

  The air ripped out, cracking the desk and scratching floorboards.

  [(-100) 2 Hp]

  My left arm shattered. Every bone pulverised, the arm itself hanging off my shoulder like a sack of meat.

  Then the pain hit like a train. Before it finished, she’d landed another three blows, pulverizing my leg, then my shoulder arm, then my ribs.

  Pura covered her mouth with her hand, and her eyes would no longer meet mine.

  I gritted my teeth. “Nineteen. That was nineteen, right?”

  “You can’t be serious,” Pura hissed. “You should already be dead.”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

  “TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!” Pura shouted, grabbing my neck. “Don’t throw your life away to prove a point!”

  “Is it working?” I cackled.

  “You’re insane.”

  “You did hit me pretty hard,” I said. The pain had started fading, like the edges of a dream.

  Only then did I notice the room was spinning.

  What was wrong with me?

  I glanced down to my arms, and felt nothing. When I tried to breathe there was nothing.

  The edges of darkness curling around me.

  “One more,” I said.

  Pura took a deep breath. “This is cruel.” she flexed, and the full force of her power turned toward me, its presence alone splitting into my skin. “Even if I let you go, it would just be to die.”

  She cracked her whip into my head.

  {Grind}

  [(-10,000) 2 Hp]

  The night swallowed me whole.

  I opened my eyes, to find that they were made of starlight. My body was made of stars. There was a fire the size of a small building nearby. I was in front of a man, wearing a black and purple cloak. He seemed to be playing some sort of game.

  He glanced toward me. When he spoke, there was a sound like static, and energy.

  There was a planet on the ground, separated into four colors. The first was small, like a dot. The second, the size of an apple. The thirst covered the space of a continent. The fourth covered the rest of the entire planet.

  I saw blood.

  One arm was just gone. The other crackled with pain, but it could be moved. My head looked awful, with the jaw shattered and at least a concussion. One leg had been broken, and there was a gaping hole in my chest where several vital organs ought to have been.

  But I was alive.

  Pura staggered backward, white knuckles squeezing the hilt of her whip.

  As long as I had Hp remaining, I would live. Simple as that.

  “How much health could you possibly possess?” She whispered. ‘I have twenty thousand health in reserve, do you understand? It is little wonder that you struggled with the suppression field. To go from the level of power you must bear to this land would be devastating.”

  “Twenty,” I hissed. “I win.”

  As she watched me, her expression hardened.

  “I’m sorry to continue, but I have children to think about. You’ll understand.”

  She braced herself for another strike.

  I relaxed, settling down lower on the floor.

  She was going back against her word, leaving me utterly helpless on the floor. Fine. I’d done all I could.

  Her eyes snapped wide, and she turned to the side of her wagon.

  Only then did I sense the energy leaking in.

  The walls turned lava hot as fire consumed the train.

  // {Notice} //

  Hi! Author here. Want to fight human trafficking? Whether you’ve got money or time there are two organizations I wholly recommend.

  Race Day — Thirty

  Donate - Venture

  P.S : Have any ideas for monsters? I love cool monster ideas. Please give me cool monster ideas.