After entering through the gates, the layout seems similar to our own village: several dormitory sized buildings surrounding a large mess hall and the smaller settlement interface building right next to it.

Out of the corner of my eye I catch movement, the flash of a dark form rushing a narrow alley between two buildings.

“Got something.” I tell Belina quietly, nodding casually in the direction of interest while informing our non-human friends mentally.

As one, the three terrestrial bound members of our Party rush toward the corner of the building I noticed the shadowy form disappear around, intent on catching a glimpse.

We arrive just in time, seeing just an indistinct blur of the slight form of what appears to be a teenage boy sprinting around the next corner.

Belina and I look to each other with furrowed brows, our curiosity quite thoroughly aroused now.

Giving her a tilt of my head toward where the boy went, I leave her and Artemis to, for lack of a better term, bird-dog our prey while I take the more…. expedient route.

As they rush across the grass toward the boy’s likely position, I leap with a considerable amount of strength straight up and over the building, wind whistling in my ears as I tear through the air before coming to a landing with a satisfying thud directly in front of a wildly running and clearly panicked boy dressed in threadbare robes and preoccupied with frantically looking over his shoulder.

{Human(Adolescent), Trainee, Lv.4}

He faces forward as my landing craters the ground slightly, his panic-stricken expression somehow managing to grow even more panicked still.

I hold up a hand authoritatively in the age-old symbol for stop as he wheels his legs like pistons to come to a sliding stop not but a foot from my hand.

Pretty cool of me, right?

….

Hey, no laughing!

‘That means you too.’ I think with mock outrage as my furred friend giving a short chuff of canine laughter at my actions as she comes up from behind the boy.

Anyway….

“Please, don’t hurt me!” the boy nearly screams, his fear so great he drops to the ground and kowtows, I suppose in expectation of being punished?

Frowning at the implications of his actions and what they mean for the treatment this infernal Clan gave to its lesser members, I reply as kindly as I am able, “We are not here to harm you…?”

“Alex, young master.” He replies with a tremulous voice, head still bowed as if he is afraid to meet my gaze.

I look helplessly at my Party, receiving concerned looks in return before taking the boy’s arm in hand and lifting him to his feet.

“You don’t need to do that. Or call me young master. Nova works just fine. This is Belina, our resident shieldmaiden, and Artemis, the one with the fur. Our other friend Horus is somewhere up there.” I tell him with an upraised finger before continuing, “We aren’t here to hurt you, Alex. We merely came across this settlement and, noticing how deserted it seems, decided to investigate.”

“I am but a simple drudge of this Marvelous Mage Clan, I humbly ask forgiveness for not properly welcoming you, our Clan leadership is currently away. I am far too lowly an existence to greet guests such as yourselves.” The boy replies, head still bowed if not the rest of him.

I frown deeply, the expression mirrored by Belina, as we both realize that some truly troubling things must have happened for this kid to be this subservient after only 3 weeks of living under the System and his ‘Clan’.

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“Enough of that shit.” I say sharply with anger over the clear treatment of him, drawing a startled breath from the boy, who I now notice begins trembling as well, likely expecting me to punish him or something.

Softening my voice, I say as kindly as I’m able, “You are not some slave or servant, you are a fellow human and now, a Player. You have a duty to work hard, to push yourself, but most of all, to be true to yourself. Is this the way to do that?” I ask.

“I—I don’t have a choice, if I want to get the opportunity to gain XP against stronger Beasts, I have to show that I know my place. If I don’t, I often don’t get fed either…” Alex replies sadly, eyes downcast more in sadness now than subservience.

“Your place?!” I nearly growl in outrage, causing Alex to flinch, “The only place that is yours is where you choose to be, be it as pauper or king, and fight for your right to be so! Don’t forget that. But anyway, your Clan is gone now, can’t you go and hunt for XP?”

“If they come back and see my level has increased, they will punish me again. Please, you should go, the leader has taken traveler’s items before and left them unarmed to the mercies of the forest to kill. They should be back anytime!” he tries to warn us desperately, finally looking up at us with eyes devoid of hope.

I suppose we could have just left, let the boy find out in his own time that his Clan is no more, his freedom his, but those eyes….

They remind me of my own in the mirror at the start of this, looking down the barrel of an unfulfilled and miserable life whiling away for others.

Belina and I exchange a look and at a glance, I can see she has sentiments similar to mine.

“Forget your Clan. They will not be returning.” I state simply, awaiting his reaction.

“Wha—what do you mean??” he asks with bewilderment, “The Clan Head was in the Journeyman tier! And I know he would never give this place up.” He states with resignation.

“He has been dead for 2 days now. I split his skull open with my trusty hatchet here.” I say casually, flicking the handle of my weapon hanging at my side.

“You… really?” he asks, hope and fear at war on his features, a new path forward opening up to him with the simple breaking of this news.

“Oh yes, that fucker’s good and dead. Along with the rest of the Clan here. They attacked our settlement; my companions and I ambushed the leader and wiped out the most advanced two parties before the main battle even commenced and the rest of our village was able to take care of the rank and file. So, your life and, more importantly in this new world of ours, your advancement, is your own. Don’t waste it.” I tell him earnestly.

Alex looks at me, gauging my truth, before a small smile breaks out on his face, one that will only grow with time now, I’m sure.

“Come with me.” He says, turning and weaving through buildings toward the mess hall.

We follow behind, Artemis sniffing different areas curiously and Horus content to glide along the air currents overhead.

He soon leads us into the mess hall itself, opening the thick papered door and letting us inside.

Startled, we see a dozen or so teenagers dressed similarly and bearing the same air of desperate depression Alex was until a moment ago.

“Everyone! You need to hear this.” He announces loudly, gesturing to me to speak as his fellow trainees turn their attention to us, all jumping to bow to us.

“Uhh… hi there.” I say tentatively with a little wave, “I’m Nova, the Bulwark at my side is Belina and our furred behemoth here is Artemis, don’t be afraid of her, she is a member of our Party and smarter than most humans, from what I can tell.” I say with a smile, but seeing how unresponsive my audience is, I quickly power on.

“Alex has told us how things were done under the Clan here. Well, I want to tell you right away, you are free of them and their machinations and whatever abuse they put you through.” I tell them with eyes fairly burning with conviction in my statement.

But they still need some convincing…

“That can’t be possible. The Clan Head and his favored two Parties are stronger than anyone! You aren’t even close to tiering up yet!” one stubborn individual shouts in disbelief to the accompanying nods of his peers.

Suddenly, with a rush of displaced air, I appear directly in front of the speaker, my shoes directly under his downcast eyes.

Flinching at my appearance, he falls to his backside with wide eyes.

“Tiers and Levels are not the be all, end all of the System. Power comes in many shapes and forms, I just happen to be fortunate enough to have more than most, much as my companions have as well. Your Clan head barely got an attack off, he just cowered under his shield until I broke it and him. The two parties didn’t manage much better.” I say convincingly, my eyes locked with his so he sees the truth in them.

Finally looking up at me, the speaker, a young man with dark skin and close-cropped hair, has tears pooling in his eyes as he asks with all of the innocent, fragile hope of a child, “A-are we truly free?”

I look back into his glistening eyes and with all of the finality I can muster, I reply simply, “Yes.”

Almost collectively, the group relaxes from their bows, their tense shoulders and tight jaws relaxing under their newfound freedom while the one who asked lets his tears fall freely.