MIA? Gaus remembered seeing the term in the library but he couldn't remember the meaning. But if the residents were being evacuated then that would explain why the houses in the avenue looked deserted. Everyone must have been evacuated when Gaus arrived. Just what's so serious about it to warrant all these measures?
"You said curfew and all, is there something I should know about?"
The driver turned his head around and looked at him through the transparent glass that formed the window between the passengers and the driver's seat. "It's... nothing. Let's just not go there today. Maybe tomorrow. Is there anywhere else you would like to go see?"
"Wislon cinema."
"That's barricaded already, mister."
Gaus sighed. There was no point to ask about the other two places involved in the curfew. They would be barred as well.
"Of the four places," the driver said. "Only the auction hall is available for visitors. The auction is still on."
"Let's go there then," Gaus said.
"Okay, mister, but that will cost you an extra thirty ayrids."
Gaus nodded.
They spent thirty minutes on the way. The hall was big, comparable to even the library. Several officers stood guard at the entrance while many others monitored the lines to maintain order. Gaus joined the line and waited for his turn.
Most people around discussed the upcoming tournament and the mages that would participate in it. He registered a few names of the participants - Ilun, Nazára, Ethrek, Fayos, Janasal...
Another hour passed before it was his turn to enter. He put down his name and received plate number 544. No entrance fee was required. The number on the plate determined his seat so it was easy finding it.
The hall was divided into three sections by a wall of transparent glass. The first and lower section had wooden chairs. It mostly housed commoners like him if the simple outfit of its members was any indication. The second and middle sections had metallic chairs. Its members were elites with exotic outfits. The third and upper section had golden chairs adorned with colorful feathers. Only seven people sat there and they were more interested in discussing among themselves than with the ongoings of the auction. Gaus didn't bother himself with any of it. He just wanted to see if it was real.
The presenter, a short man with a dark complexion, stood on the stage holding a glowing tablet in his hand. By his right was one big glass box with a young woman standing inside it.
The presenter pointed at the young woman with a wide smile. "A maiden beauty!" He exclaimed and then started gesturing. "Height 1.71m, weight 56kg. She could dance and play music. We will start the bidding at the low price of 100,000a. Anyone interested should raise their plates."
Although the audience found his actions amusing, if their musings and happy smiles were any indications, Gaus found it very annoying.
An old man from the front line raised his plate number.
"The good sir, number 102, over there has bid 100,000a. Anyone bidding higher?" The presenter asked, sweeping his gaze across the hall.
"Anyone?"
"Anyone?"
Nobody moved a muscle. For a second, Gaus prayed that the presenter would be angry and would refuse to sell the frightened young girl. But then he saw a wicked grin on his face.
"Well, let me at least do the courtesy of showing you the product." He pressed an invisible button on the glass box to open it. "Here we go," he went inside and unceremoniously tore the girl's dress, which was a worn-out robe anyway, from the shoulders down to the waist. Tears ran down the girl's face as she gave a soundless roar of despair, but nobody cared. The hall erupted into... cheers? Gaus had to double-check to confirm he wasn't hallucinating. The men looked at the young woman with lust and the women didn't care, most of them were even enjoying it.
"Look at these glorious proportions. The body of this nineteen-year-old will send you to the heavens. Anyone bidding higher?"
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
"One hundred and fifty thousand."
"Two hundred thousand."
"Five hundred thousand."
The presenter smiled as he swept his gaze over the audience. "Anyone? Then I'll sell the item to..."
"One million." Someone screamed.
"Huh?" The presenter was visibly startled as he tried to find the bidder.
"One million," the man repeated. He was from the second section.
Even the presenter didn't expect the price to go that high.
"Number 660 has bid one million. Anyone bidding higher?"
The hall fell silent.
"Anyone?"
He repeated three times before he hit the drum with a clenched fist. "Item 17 is sold to number 660."
Gaus ground his teeth. This was the most ridiculous thing he had ever seen in his entire life. It was hard to believe that people were being auctioned. Even more ridiculous was how everyone, including the police, seemed to be okay with it.
"The next item is a twenty-year-old young man...." The presenter continued.
Gaus glared at him. He turned to the girl next to him only to see her enjoying the show like everyone else.
Gaus grabbed the man on his other side. "What are you, people?"
"Mister, did I offend you in any way?"
"You damn well did. Tell me the hell is going on here?"
"What?" The man was stunned.
Gaus had a strong urge to punch the man but he resisted. He didn't know any of the people being auctioned but he felt bad as a human. Consequently, he couldn't watch any longer and he bolted out of the hall, fuming.
There were a few other people who left the hall with him. But, unlike him, they left for the arena where the tournament was taking place. Gaus headed eastward in the opposite direction to nowhere in particular. He just wanted to get as far away from there as possible.
Several minutes later, he found a corner far from the hall and secluded himself. There was something wrong with this world; why else would they be auctioning humans? If he didn't see the officers there his first action would be to inform them, but now he couldn't even do that. Slave trading and auctioning were legal there just as it was on Earth in the sixteenth century. And it was all under the so-called primordial calls imposed upon all countries by the world government.
He spent the rest of the evening walking around the city. After ten, he returned to his room and lay on his bed. He'd seen the world and read about it in books, and now it was time to ponder.
First: he was currently in a place called Multiverse. In this world, there were both magic and magical powers, just like in all the fairy tales he used to read on Earth when he was a boy. A typical manifestation of this magic was the wristwatch on his hand and his ability to teleport. Every inhabitant of the world had their magiwatch just like him. And some watches had an ability which would be used by the owner of the watch just like his ability to turn time back.
In one book, the Multiverse was mentioned to have seven composite worlds linked to one another by something called a water dungeon. The uppermost world was called the First World. Below it was the Second World. Then the Third World beneath it and the Fourth beneath it, up to the lowermost Seventh World. And the inhabitants of these worlds knew nothing about Earth. You could say that nobody in the entire Multiverse knew about the existence of any other world besides this one. Both Earth and Multiverse sat on different planes of existence. But on this fateful day, some unknown phenomenon had brought Gaus to Multiverse.
Every year, on the 6th of April, the inhabitants of Multiverse came together in the holy city of Fydeba to celebrate the three primordial calls. A pilgrimage that preached the worshipping of a floating stone. A tournament where countries would provide slaves as an entrance fee and then fight for them; the winner took all the slaves. And a slave auction that sold humans like chickens.
Fydeba was currently filled with visitors, foreigners who came from different parts of the Multiverse to take part in the call. This made it easier for him to blend in. If anyone asked him about his identity, he could just claim he was a pilgrim here to worship.
Gaus inhaled deeply and looked at the sky through the window facing him. He saw a starry sky with two full moons, instead of the usual one on Earth. He was far away from home, his return all but uncertain, if at all possible. But he wasn't going to miss Earth any time soon. He'd no living relatives, the business of milking cows for a living had been dying ever since the advent of yogurt, and he was facing an imminent crisis with his landlord. He'd a fairly useful skill here that would give him a good life and lots of money, probably. All he needed was a job and he might just enjoy his stay in the Multiverse.
He didn't get a job today because of his low level. How about he remedied that? He'd 1033 exp from knocking the brute out. It was supposed to be a mental command so he pushed the exp toward save library.
Save library has reached level 2/100 (200)
+2 CP
*
Save library has reached level 3/100 (300)
+3 CP
*
Save library has reached level 4/100 (400)
+4 CP
*
Save library has reached level 5/100 (500)
+5 CP
*
Rewind has reached level 2/100
Rewind has reached level 3/100
Rewind has reached level 4/100
Rewind has reached level 5/100
Specialization at level 10
He used CP to activate the two skills he copied from the mustache woman.
Mana sense activated for 1 CP.
*
Stealth activated for 1 CP.
*
Total CP remaining: 12
He didn't put any exp into Rewind but it leveled up in response to leveling up the save library. Was that what it meant to be the primary skill? There was still a lot he didn't know about the watch and he intended to find out about it sooner rather than later.
Sigh.
He'd enough for one day already. He swiped the tabs away and closed his eyes, falling asleep almost immediately.