We stood on top of an old department store as we gazed at the city in front of us. None of us could believe what were seeing. It was New York or rather a small piece of it but this piece might as well have been Eden. It was like the devastation and monster attacks were a fever dream. If I couldn't feel my spiritual energy I would have thought I had been asleep this whole time. Of course, there were small signs of the truth. The buildings that would normally be lit up with advertisements were dead. The streets that should be filled with cars were filled with people. The central piece in all of it though was the former United Nations building.

The building I saw and the building in my memory were incorrigible. The usual American Flag had been replaced with a new one that held a globe in the center of black. The other flags and flag poles were gone. The metal fence that used to feel formidable now just seemed pathetic. I doubt it could stop anyone above level three or four. Of course, the building was defended. Several army soldiers stood around the main entrance, sandbags and machine guns were set up throughout. At this distance, I couldn't tell who was and wasn't a cultivator.

"It's almost surreal isn't it?" I asked no one in particular.

"Yeah, it's a good reminder that this world and the one we knew are different."

I scoffed. "Guess the conspiracy theories were right. A new world government was coming just not the way anyone thought."

"We should get down there. It would make us look bad if we were late." Azariah added with only a little bit of snark.

"Azariah and Desbera stay close. We weren't exactly good at getting along with our kind so I don't know how you will do." I activated Apportation. The swirling portal opened up a second later. When it next opened we were in the middle of the street just outside the main city. Two groups of four guards drew and leveled rifles at us. They all wore black uniforms with body armor and helmets that hid their faces. I cocked my head at the group before taking the most forward position. I was ready to expand my tao field but I didn't think it would needed. We were only kept waiting a few seconds before the guards parted and a tall man in a black two-piece suit stepped forward. He was around my height with a shaved head and no facial hair. Dark skinned and looked every bit the distinguished henchman from a movie. I sensed an aura from him but it was controlled surprisingly well. It was hard to say for sure but I placed him around level seven or eight.

"Hello, I apologize for the introduction but we hadn't expected anyone to arrive from this side. You must be from one of the nearby settlements. Commonwealth?" The man had an impressively deep voice that was almost melodic to listen to. When I processed the question he asked I shook my head.

"No, I am Amari Jackson. We come from Amara." My announcement earned me more than a few shocked murmurs but the soldiers didn't lower their weapons. They would fight me if they needed to.

"I see, Greetings Mr. Jackson. Amara is that settlement in the large building? I do recall being told about that but we hadn't thought you would come. Nor did we know who you were at the time. If we had we would have sent a person to guide you. Although it doesn't seem like you needed that."

I smiled politely and played the role of visiting dignitary. "Of course, we wouldn't want to be imposed on you and your hospitality." He nodded and gestured for me to follow him. I didn't move until the guards lowered their weapons of course. I felt the others fall in behind me. "I must admit I am impressed by how well you all have performed here. It's almost like being in the old world."

The man stiffened slightly before calming himself. "We will bring this to the rest of the world soon enough. We are quite impressed to see that you all have worked hard to bring order to your settlements."

"If you don't mind my asking but what is your name?" Keshaun added.

"Derrick, Derrick James." The man replied and I had to resist the urge to pull up the standings right in front of him. It was unlikely his name was on level one but the wealth or tao could be a different story altogether.

"So Derrick is the auction starting promptly or should we expect a bit of a wait? Also, do you have a list of items up for sale?"

He shook his head as we made our way up to the doorway of the UN building. "I do not someone will come and meet you here. They will be able to explain things further and provide you with anything you need." No sooner did Derrick walk away did a woman exit the building. She wore a beige suit and held a walking cane in one hand. Her dirty blonde hair hung down to her shoulders. Her left arm was missing below the elbow and based on the aura she emitted it was likely an injury she received recently. Unlike a lot of the people we've seen so far she had She moved with a clear limp and smiled when she saw us.

"Hello there you must be cultivators. Can you please present your name? My associate—" She gestured to a man who stepped out behind her. "Will look up your rank. The highest members will be afforded—" Her words trailed off when she saw Azariah and Desbera. The momentary look of shock was worth the entire journey here. The woman was a professional and the smile returned to her face a moment later.

"Amari, Amari Jackson. The rest—"

"I am sorry are you saying you are the man in the first place? Uh, would you be willing to show your status screen to verify? We have had a few who would seek to tarnish the name of one of humanity's guardians." I couldn't help but chuckle at the recovery. I pulled up my status screen and shared the name and level with the pair. The woman's pleasant smile became visibly strained as she nodded. "Of course, of course, please follow me." She turned and led us into the building. What we found inside was much more interesting. We weren't the first people to arrive. The majority of the people were soldiers or other government officials based on the old world clothes but there were five groups of cultivators. The largest of the groups wore brightly colored African clothing. About half of their group wore a traditional garment in all colors ranging from greens, reds, and blues. In contrast, the other half were robes and armor that came from the System. Of this group two people held prominence. One was a dark-skinned older man with a shaved head and white beard.

Seated on a bench next to him was a dark-skinned woman with long micro braids that cascaded down to her hips. She had piercing blue eyes and wore a blue dress that reminded me of the ocean. There was an ornate sigil on the front just below the bust that looked like some kind of mermaid. The quality of the design almost made it seem alive. Unlike the old man, the woman looked bored. That is until she saw me. She stared back at me and then I felt something. It felt like someone poured chilled water over my head. Only the sensation didn't go away, if anything it got stronger and stronger until I figured out what was going on. She was trying to use some kind of skill or spell on me. I flashed her a playful smile as we were led into the main hall.

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The room took my breath away. I remember coming here with the Model UN team. Imagine what it would be like to make serious agreements. Agreements that would affect millions of people. The room felt so massive back then now, now it wasn't. The wooden tables seemed dull, the blinding lights felt distant and fake as if the light bulbs needed to be replaced ages ago. "Your seat will be first row to the right. You can take all the seats at your table. If your party is too big then some people would need to wait out in the hall or may visit one of the smaller side rooms. The main exhibition will have the best items but there might be things of value."

"Right, are we required to stay here until the start or can we spend time with the others?" I asked.

"You are free to do as you please until the auction begins. Make sure that you and your party are here at the start or you will have to wait until the intermission." The woman added.

"Last question, I am afraid I didn't get your name?"

"Ah yes, Jennifer, Jennifer Page. I will be your attendant from now until the end of the gala. If there is anything you need please let me know."

"Of course." I waited for her to leave before I turned my attention back to the room. My attention was focused on the raised platform in the middle. "It's a bit ironic, isn't it? This was supposed to be the meeting place for the world. Where problems could be solved with peace and equality." I said after a few moments of silence.

"It never was equal though. Nothing ever is." Keshaun added and stepped up next to me.

"Going to tell us what was going on between you and that woman?" Aaliyah asked. "It looked a bit like you two were about to start making out right there."

I rolled my eyes. "I think she was trying to either see my status screen with a skill or affect my mind somehow. Didn't work so it doesn't matter. I think she is the second strongest person here."

"How the hell could you possibly know that," Christopher asked as he leaned against the railing.

"One, she and her group were getting similar treatment to us. Two not many people are going to go around throwing out spells and skills. She would either be stupid or confident in her abilities. Lastly, her group's fashion was old world but older. The last name of the person in second place sounded African maybe Kenyan. Putting that all together makes me think it's her."

"So what should we do about it? I would prefer it if you didn't get into a fight with her now. That would probably make us all look bad. The last thing we need is another incident." Aaliyah replied.

"I know that. I don't think she wants a fight anyway. At least not until after the auction. They might have fun things for sale and getting kicked out would suck."

"So should we split up? Going to the smaller auction rooms does seem like a good idea. Especially if we can get some items cheaply." Christopher added and looked at the guards we brought with us.

I nodded. "Hmm Christopher do you mean going with them? I would ask Aaliyah but she is in the top 25 so it might cause problems. Especially since they seem to be using the World Standing like a literal hierarchy."

"If it's alright with you young master I would like to go with them," Desbera added. "My job doesn't require me to make money, but to help people learn and I believe that would be easier with lower leveled individuals."

Alright, in that case, Azariah you can stick with me along with Aaliyah. The rest of you can check in with the other auction rooms."

We made our plans and returned to the main atrium and found that several more groups had arrived. Not only that but things had become a bit more intense. A trio of Asian men were staring down a quartet of white men. Based on what I could see it looked like they were about to come to blows. Which only made the lack of guards more interesting."

"What exactly are you going to do about it huh? Your settlement was weak and we weren't. That's all." The tallest of the Asian men said as he ran a hand over the curved blade at his hip.

"You fuckers came out of the darkness like cowards." A linebacker of a man stepped up to meet the Asian man. He had on a suit of half-plate armor that reminded me of something a European knight would wear. The battle axe on his back ruined any semblance of the honorable warrior though.

"Should we do something?" Christopher whispered to me. "It looks messy."

I shook my head and watched the scene play out. The group continued arguing but it felt hollow. No, it felt like they were performing. I scanned the room and found the woman from before. This time she was standing next to the old man. She had no interest in stopping this. A crack resounded through the room as one of the Asian men slammed a fist into one of the white guy's stomachs. The man's armor was likely the only reason the punch didn't break a bone. The man stumbled back a step and a ball of molten rock formed in front of him. The ball quickly grew from the size of a palm to the size of a basketball. He launched with the speed and force of a bullet only for the leader to draw swords and split it in two.

The whole thing looked like something out of an action movie. Unfortunately, it was clear the building wasn't built for literal lava. The atmosphere in the room shifted as both groups began to activate real skills. Genuine killing intent spilled into the room like a wave. The building's guards attempted to enter the room only to lose their will. Keshaun was pale and trembled like a leaf. Once again I checked in with the other woman and when she made no move to stop I decided it was time for a little bit of fun.

I stepped forward and with each step, I unleashed a portion of my aura. There was a brief moment where their killing intent clashed with my own before it was completely subjugated. I felt that caress at the edge of my mind and without thinking I took control over my aura. Instead of letting it rampage, I directed it. I surrounded myself and the combatants and corralled their auras. It took me a few seconds to fully get it down but when I was done the middle of the room had become an arena. I wished I could say that it was the domain of the elite or some other nonsense but the others were forced to their knees almost immediately. All seven of them clutched at their throats as their eyes bulged. The power was almost intoxicating but I was pushing the threshold of what the government could allow. The guards had finally entered the room so I sealed my aura.

The room took a collective gasp as sound rushed back in. "It's rude to start a fight when our hosts have been kind enough to provide a safe place. Would you mind keeping things cordial?" Despite how hard I tried I couldn't keep the smile off of my face. The room had gone silent with all the attackers either kneeling or laying on the ground. "I would remind all participants that the rule of law has returned. Since no one has been too hurt we will consider the incident dealt with. The auction will begin soon so please take your seats." Derrick stepped into the room and leveled his expressionless gaze on me. I nodded and turned to my group who split off. The ones with me stayed near the back wall while the others headed down the hall. I stepped over to my group and waited to see what would happen next.

"What exactly did you do?" Aaliyah asked. "It felt like you took the air out of the room for a moment and then there was nothing."

I flexed my fingers and tried to figure that out. "Not sure, I used my aura to suppress theirs and then kept it contained somehow."

"That's freaky," Azariah added. "Not too many people on the frontier have that kind of control over their aura or killing intent. Especially without a teacher."

Before I could ask for clarification the dark-skinned woman and the old man made their way over. "Hello, I must admit that was an impressive display. Am I to assume you are Amari Jackson? It is rather bold to use your true name. Especially when you lack a powerful infrastructure to support you." Her accent was incredibly thick and was Kenyan.

"Am I to assume that you are Amahle? I am pleased to make your acquaintance." I flashed her and the old man a smile.

"I am, and this is my grandfather, Feye." She gestured to the old man.

"Would you happen to be Kenyan? Amara is a popular name and I can't help but notice the similarities." He placed a hand on his granddaughter's shoulder as he looked me up and down.

I shook my head. "I don't know who my parents were. I am or was I suppose an orphan. The name was with me when I was found so I kept it."

He nodded and rubbed his chin as if I had just said some universal secret. "Interesting do you know what it means?"

"I was told that it meant eternal, goddess, loved, and strength in Hebrew. Is that similar in Swahili?

He chuckled and nodded. "In Swahili it means gracious. I hope you will allow us to continue this conversation once the auction has concluded."

He didn't give me the chance to respond as he said something in Swahili. The group then nodded to me and stepped into the main hall. Once they were gone I couldn't help but chuckle. This was already fun and the auction hadn't started.