We headed to the circle where the lever was. The cracks on the floor that separated the elevator and the ground floor seemed a lot more obvious than before. The elevator smooth grey floor contrasted heavily with the off-white and slightly dirty floor of the mage tower. I will have to have to investigate this mage tower more.

Liam pulled the lever, and the floor shook as we ascended towards the bright sky above us. The sky shines above us brightly with its yellow tones that contrasted heavily with the bright white light of the mage tower 5th floor.

While we were ascending, I heard pistons and gears moving. The clanking sound of the gears. The thumping sound of the pistons. There was something about it that contrasted the civilization of this world.

When we were ascending, I started to notice that other floors had strange bronze-colored pipes. These pipes were shaking while releasing steam in their cracks. These pipes looked old and rusted. I tighten my face, If Liam was glancing at me, I did not want him to even guess what I was thinking.

These were the ruins of a great fallen civilization and the treasures within this kind of dungeon were legendary if explored correctly.

 When we reached back to the surface above the mage tower. The elevator floor below us locked into play before stopping. I stumbled for a second while the ground shook for the last time below us. The cage that we were in opened.

I took a deep breath and sniffed the air around me. I was finally above ground after what felt like several hours of being underground. The sky was darker than what I remember it being. The clouds were beginning to clear as the sun was setting. The day was over for most people, but for me, this is when it was really beginning.

When I stepped out of the cage, Liam placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw that his eyes were looking deeply into mine.

“Your eyes remind me of someone I once knew. A lost child, a poor lost child, a poor, poor lost child,” he said with a devious smile. “I look forward to working with you in the future… partner.”

I slapped his hand away from my shoulder and stumbled backward. I then glanced away before glancing back at his eyes. It’s fine to work with him, there are more benefits than are negative consequences.

“I look forward to working w-with you p-partner.” I forced myself to say while extending my hand to him.

He extended his arm and shook my hand, “then it's official,” he said in a quiet, yet ominous tone.

I quickly retracted my hand out of the disgust of the tone of his words and ran away from him. I looked back at his reaction. His face reminded me of someone too. Someone who I still hated to this day. Someone who I hope I will see again. Someone who I will kill without guilt. Someone who I will make feel sorry for making me suffer… in my previous life.

When I reached Gordon’s house, I saw the door cracked open. The air around me felt thin and the atmosphere felt different. There was light bleeding through from the cracks of the door and the window. I slowly took a step forward as I approached the door. I felt the dirty sinking into my toes with each step I took. The ground felt harsher than usual for some reason. Was it because I was used to smooth ground of the ruins? Was it because I never noticed it? Or was it because my senses were working overtime from the sheer amount of fear I have at the moment?

I peeked into the crack of the door. I could not see too much except a figure moving inside the house. I did not want to make any more noise than I had too. After all, I was not sure if the figure inside the house was Gordon or someone who was sticking their nose in something that should not be,

I took a deep breath. If I have to take a life, then so be it, this world is cruel, and I need to survive.

I charged up [Fireball] then I kicked open the door. As I was about to shoot my fireball where I thought the figure was standing, I hesitated before stopping entirely.

The figure was in fact, Gordon. He was moving in a daze before he turned around and looked at me. I looked at his face, he was glowing red and blushing as if he had been put under a spell. His eyes were glowing, and his skin looked brighter overall.

I then approached him and sniffed him. The smell of another woman I see.

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I then kicked him on the shin and immediately he snapped out of his daze. While he fell onto the floor.

“W-what was that for?!” he said annoyed as he rubbed his shin.

“You reek of another woman,” I said while pouting. “As someone who is caring for Lord’s daughter, you ought to have more respect.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Tsk… men, I should have punished you more for your transgression.”

Gordon sighed. He stood up from the floor and patted me on the head. “So, what have you been doing while I was away milady.”

I then grabbed a mana potion and a health potion out of my inventory pouch.

“I made these while you were away,” I said with a shy look.

His face then shifted from someone with a gentle smile to amazement.

“Milady, I was never informed that you were well-versed in alchemy,” he said with a sincere tone. “These potions appear to be very high quality. I have never seen any with that kind of bright color before.”

“W-well, I am amazing after all,” I said with a smug face.

“You sure are milady,” he said as he bowed down to me. “I apologize for my previous actions that had angered you and will accept the punishment you had given me.”

“I-I” WHAT DO I SAY NOW?! UHHH SHOOT COME ON MARY THINK… “I-Is that so. W-well seeing that you recognize me as your superior that you can’t easily sidestep, raise your head now.”

"Yes, milady.”

“Ahem… now back to official business, did you get the tomes that I asked you to get?”

“Yes, I have.”

“Give them to me.”

“Yes, milady.”

He reached into his satchel and pulled out three orange books, a brown book, and a white book. He placed them on the floor.

“All the ones you wanted in fact,” he said with a smug face.

There’s that face again.

I then reached for one of the orange books and placed my hand on the cover of the book.

“Gordon,” I said with a serious tone.

“Yes, milady?”

“Whatever happens next, please do not be alarmed.”

“Don’t worry, milady, I already know,” he said as he gave me a thumbs up.

Well, at least he’s back to normal.

“[Transfer Knowledge]”

The pain that I had previously encountered from transfer knowledge had returned. I placed my left hand on my forehead and used to my right hand to catch my fall as I collapsed onto the ground. The headache was immense that my legs could no longer hold me up.

Gordon then approached me.

“Milady…”

“I-I am fine,” I said while staring at him with pain in my eyes.

“I don’t think you are milady,” he said as he swept me off the floor and carried me onto the bed. “You shouldn’t push yourself more than you have to.”

“I-I guess I need to rest now,” I said as I closed my eyes. “It’s been a long day after all…”

“Yes, you should milady.”

I then slowed down my breathing as I felt the warmth of a blanket covering my body.

“While you’re resting milady, I will make us dinner,” said Gordon as I fell into a state of slumber.

----------------------------------------

When I opened my eyelids, lights flashed into my eyes suddenly. Was I dreaming? I then looked at the world around me. It was pitch white and a barren landscape. I then pushed myself up and looked at my body. My body was naked except, it did not reveal anything.

I tossed the blanket that was still on the lower portion of my body and got out of bed and placed my feet on what I assume was the ground. The ground felt light and soft, while the world around me felt. Am I dead?

“You are not dead,” said a familiar voice.

I looked towards the direction the voice was coming from. There was a beautiful lady standing there. She was wrapped in a beautiful white silky toga. Her skin looked fair and smooth. Her red hair contrasted tastefully with the darkness of the black blindfold covering her eyes. Her cheeks were plump and her lips were a bright, yet natural color.

“D-did you just rea-”

“Don’t worry I cannot read your mind,” she said with a gentle and sincere voice.

“Who are you?”

“Do you not recognize me, my child?”

“A-are you my mother?”

“Ye-wait what?!”

“You’re my mother, right?”

“N-no.”

“Oh… well then who are you?”

She then chopped at my head gently.

“All those hours sank into those games, yet you do not recognize me,” she said while pouting.

“Well, I’m sorry, if I forgot about you, it's not like it was intentional or anything, after all, there’s my brain can only fit so much when you have two lives worth of information.”

She sighed, “I am Rose the Deva of Death.”

“Rose huh… but how am I your child again.”

She then chopped me in the head hard.

“Sheesh, I gave you my blessing, therefore, you are my child,” she said while pouting even more.

I rubbed my head on the spot where she chopped. “Well now that, that’s established, I assumed you brought me here for a reason?”

She then sat down on the ground using her feet as rest for a butt. She then used her hands to pat on her laps while looking at me.

Is this what I think it is?

“Come my child, it’s been a long time since I had a chance to do this.”

I slowly walked over and laid down, placing my head on top of her thighs. As I placed my head on her thighs she began to gently caress my head like a loving mother.

“I will now answer all the questions that you have.”

“Did you bring me into this world?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Why did you bring me into this world?”

“Because I saw that you were suffering every day.”

Her gentle voice combined with the warmth of her body and the feeling of love from her rubbing my head was calming. I felt like this familiar feeling before… I was about to cry again… but I needed to ask more questions… I stopped myself from crying as I felt tears form in my eyes.

“D-did you bring other people into this world too?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Then who did?”

“The other Devas.”

“But why?”

“Isn’t it obvious? She said with a disappointed face. “Because I brought you here.”

“I didn’t expect the Devas to deal with equality…”

“They aren’t,” she said with a grim tone.

“For allowing me to bring you here, the other Devas wanted to do a little experiment.”

“So, the others are just lab rats?”

“No, they are just sacrificial pawns to ensure your survival.”

“I see… so what is this experiment anyways?”