The next day matched the first, just without any Thebian or YoungVoice.

Sammy started to feel lonely. By now, it was clear that the other slaves were avoiding her. She didn't know if it was due to something she did or something that happened before she body-snatched. Without anyone to ask, it would remain a dangerous mystery.

For a moment, she wished her friends were here. Samantha could have made friends despite whatever animosity or fear kept the other slaves away. Henry would have at least made the whole situation funny. He would have made it bearable, at least.

She wondered what had happened to her body. Maybe it disappeared. Maybe her sister found her corpse in the morning. That's a terrible thought.

The weather felt more temperate as they marched on, and by the end of the day, the sent of sea tickled her nose.

During day four of her misadventure, YoungVoice decided to test her weakened [Constitution]. She heard one of the other slavers, a green cobra-looking one coiled along a cushioned rod carried by two human slaves, refer to YoungVoice as Contlaire. That was too pretty a name for YoungVoice the Slaver, so YoungVoice the Slaver she would stay.

YoungVoice took out the very scientific Switch of [Constitution] and beat her until she fell down. She managed to get through the first few hits with little more than grunts, but she gave way to screaming by the end.

YoungVoice would beat her, then she would command her to "get up." Her body would stand on its own and take the rest of the abuse. All Sammy could focus on was getting a breath in between hits. The experience seemed to drag on forever until her body finally collapsed. YoungVoice wrote down some numbers. Then, another slave, a burly man with more scars than arms, carried her to catch up to the procession.

Her mind in a fugue, she managed to attach herself to Thebian, who stayed back to give her moral support. She felt better with a familiar face around.

There must be something in the air because her body felt restored before night fell. YoungVoice took the opportunity to deliver another round of beati--testings.

The second time, she cried without shame. YoungVoice scratched out the final numbers with her lips pursed tight.

The burly slave laid her down in the lean-to, and she slipped away.

Day five offered two more beatings. Thebian talked to her in between, but whatever he said was lost to the pain.

YoungVoice scowled as she marked the final tallies for the day. Sammy thought of her lackluster performance as an act of feeble revenge.

That night, the booming voice had an offer.

Class [Unbroken Slave] Achieved.

Sammy was tempted. It would make her stronger, and she would hurt less.

But she couldn't have endured four beatings just to become a slave.

Class [Unbroken Slave] Rejected.

Sammy vowed to escape.

On day six, Sammy found Thebian in that beautiful bit of time between gruel and testings.

"Why don't the slaves try to escape or revolt," Sammy asked, giving up on any attempts at subtly.

"Well, nearly all of them are [Slave]s of some kind, and a [Slave] class can't defy a [Slaver] class. The rest have no hope of escaping all the [Slave]s and [Slaver]s together. It's not a perfect system, but the luck of Gorden is a fickle thing." A sad glint formed in Thebian's eye.

Good thing she didn't get a slave class.

"Are there any places where slavery is illegal?"

"None near here. You ask foolish questions for a lifetime slave." Thebian gave Sammy a challenging look.

Sammy knew this was dangerous territory, but her body was too tired to care. It was unlikely she would have an opportunity to talk to Thebian again before they reached the waters. She needed to escape now before the unknowns multiplied.

"What do they do about escaped slaves? Do they have some way to track them?"

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Thebian scrunched the left side of his face. He stared at Sammy for what felt like minutes. He shook his head and turned away.

That stung Sammy. Thebian was her guiding light, but then he turned the other cheek right out of here. He would have been a great addition to her freedom expedition, but not everyone has a heart for mutiny. Now was her best chance to leave, as her testing wouldn't leave her mobile enough the rest of the day.

The woods may kill her, but she trusted in the times she went camping with her dad in his attempt to tomboy her. It didn't work out then, but apparently in another life...

That's not funny. No family thoughts.

Sammy sauntered to the edge of the clearing, as calm as her deception could muster. The booming voice would probably make her a [Deception Slave] with how good she was at this. She prepared to jog as soon as she left eyesight. It was a simple plan, but that just made it harder for Sammy to fuck it up.

Sammy fucked it up.

Before she escaped the stragglers, YoungVoice grabbed her arm. YoungVoice hissed, "what is your class?" Her eyes alternated between barring into Sammy's soul and gazing in every conceivable direction.

YoungVoice gave Sammy the crazy eyes, and it was wicked effective.

She must have figured out something was wrong with the passive. It would take an idiot to miss, so she hoped she had another day before YoungVoice caught on.

"[Slave]. Same as it's been all my life." Sammy quietly thanked Thebian for that piece of knowledge, even if he'd been rude about it.

It's the little details that hold a lie together.

Sammy didn't have time to react as YoungVoice's fist connected with her cheek. The blow rocks Sammy's head to the side, and she had to take two stumbling steps not to fall over. YoungVoice gripped the back of Sammy's hair and dragged her over to the burly slave. He curled his arms under her armpits and braced the back of her head. He lifted her in the air. She was unable to do anything but flail her legs.

YoungVoice slugged Sammy in her exposed stomach, shoving the air out her lungs. Right as Sammy felt she would never taste air again, her stomach relaxed. Sammy gasped for air that was soon driven from her again.

Every few punches, YoungVoice would ask Sammy what her class was. Sammy resolved to stick to her story. That lasted another round of fist interrogation.

"I don't have a class!" Sammy cried out. YoungVoice glared at her before turning away to sit down. Apparently, using Sammy as a human punching bag tires one out. Fuck her.

When she turned around, she said, "take the slave class." Sammy may have been beaten, but she hadn't been broken.

The booming voice chimed in.

Class [Slave] Achieved.

Sammy always knew she would go out with a bang. She yelled, as loud as the bruised body could muster. "I am no [slave]! Slavery is wicked and vile, and it only exists because of scum like you! Where I walk, there will be no--"

YoungVoice managed to overcome her shock and signal the brutish slave to drive Sammy into the dirt. Dazed, Sammy managed to make out the sharp voice of Bootman berate YoungVoice. Served her right.

Class [Slave] Rejected.

Sammy ignored most of the diatribe, following her own. Still, she tuned in enough to hear that "public torture and humiliation" waited for her at the docks. Sammy forgot that there were things worse than death or slavery. She fucked up.

But, she would revel in the last of her glory while she could. Brought to a world of magic, and her mouth got her killed in a week.

Bootman left YoungVoice to stew, and she stewed her fists right into Sammy. Sammy realized she wouldn't die until tomorrow at the soonest, but her body refused to believe it. Every time air left her lungs, mortal fear flooded her system. She can't imagine ever getting used to this feeling, but they have plenty of practice in store for her.

The brute walked her through the beatings, but Thebian never came. She understood, but she couldn't help but resent him for it.

At camp, chains wrapped around her neck and feet through a stake in the earth. The chain gave enough slack to sit but not to stand or lie down. Alone, every breeze drove the chill deep into her core.

She managed to slip into sleep for a moment when the booming voice forced her back into the world.

Class [Slave Abolitionist] Achieved.

Class [Slave Abolitionist] Converted Itself To Class [Abolitionist].

Class [Abolitionist] Achieved.

Accept!

Class [Abolitionist] Accepted.

Waves of pain visit Sammy. The changes kneaded Sammy's brain like dough as a tidal wave of pain slinkied through the rest of her body. She rolled around in agony, choking herself against the chain until she passed out.

The sky was still dark when Sammy awoke. She felt the same except for an undercurrent of power beneath her fingertips. It prickled like the instant before a static discharge. When she wondered what changes this had wrought, a knowledge flooded her mind.

Name: Samantha Morgan

Class: Abolitionist

Level: 1

Active Skills:

[Abolishing Touch: Remove [Slave] in the class of anyone touched]

Passive Skills:

[Iron Will: Negate any passive mental or bodily control]

Sammy laughed until the tears stopped flowing.