Status

Name: Michael Collins
True Name: Cain Adamson
Race: Human ( G-Grade - Lvl 0 )

Class: Mage ( Lvl 0 )
Sub Class: Slave Master ( Lvl 0 )

Profession: N/A

Bloodline: ????????? ( Suppressed )

Vital Resources
Health Points (HP): 42/90
Mana Points (MP): 87/90
Stamina Points (SP): 62/95

Stats
Strength: 9
Dexterity: 8
Constituation: 9

Perception: 9

Mind: 9
Soul: 999 ( Locked: ???????? )

Mana: 12

Fate: 0  ( Uncountable: ???????? )

Free Points: 0

Alert: Soul is set to Maximum available for Lvl 0 Human.
Alert: Fate is set to 0 for the Lorelyn System.

[ Skills: Unavailable ] / [ Quests: Unavailable ]

He was surprised to see his full name on the screen. Mike did the typical thing, reaching out his fingers to trail through the lines of light that seemed to be roughly an arm’s length away,

But his eyes stopped at the second line. Cain Adamson. How fitting. A derisive snort escaped him as he tried to control the suppressed memories. 

Now was not the time. Things were happening, and all the decompressing that he typically do in his infant year would come later. 

Going over the following lines, Mike stared at the stats. He was a bloody reincarnator, so of course, he’d played countless games. Some even developed by technologically advanced humanity that provided 99.9% of realism.

The stats were a little bit of a hodgepodge from various sources, but he wasn’t unfamiliar with them. Soul and Fate were worrying. One was set to the maximum and the other to 0.

He’d never seen a game with that for a stat but… well, this wasn’t a game, was it? Not really. 

Multiverse. Real Multiverse, from what he experienced after waking up.

He looked at the hovering screen, his jaw set. There were countless questions he could ask, and a saner person might have asked if they were serious, if this was real, on and on.

He could do that, but now that he was oriented, had observed the reality before him, it was time to decide.

And he decided that, if this was all some fever dream or the last dying synapses in his mind giving up the ghost, he would rather dive into the deception and enjoy it for as long as he could.

Besides, he could find all his answers on his own.  

The [ Skills ] and [ Quests ] tabs were unavailable. 

[ Scan Complete: Exiting… ] 

And then he was back in the world. At the same position. Same area. 

Almost as if no time has passed. Clearing his mind, he worked on the present problem. Better to experiment in a safe space.

The mage's body was in front of him. Dead cold.

Thanks, old man. 

He turned his attention to the slaves, staring back at him with uncertainty. They weren’t rejoicing at the death of their captors, fair enough. 

Experienced.

They know about their situation. After all, Mike hadn’t killed them to free the slaves or anything like that.

As far as they knew, he was about to kill all or sell them himself. They just have changed their Master.

Each of them was a variable, possibly benefiting or dooming him. It would have been best just to let them go, but he decided to get some use out of them first. 

The slave traders had spoken with an accent that he had never heard before, but it was English, though they probably didn’t call it that. These slaves must also speak it.

“All of you, I give you permission to speak. Do you all understand what I’m saying?” 

They didn’t verbally respond but nodded in the affirmative. 

“Are there any among you who are familiar with this area?” 

None of them answered.

Much more experienced and Beaten down.

Possessing knowledge could either make them valuable or a liability. They didn’t want to expose themselves unless they knew what awaited them or for a reward. 

And also, no one was using the chance to be close to their new master.

Mike sighed and returned to the old man, patting him down until he found an iron key, likely going to all of their collars. There was a detailed, glowing symbol at the top of the key, unlike anything he had seen. 

As soon as he touched the key, a new screen flashed across his eyes.

[ Slaver Master Key ( Unbound ) ]  

Details: 

Slave Restraints: Grants the ability to use magical restraints, collars, and bonds. Increases in power with the owner's level.

Equipment Sync: Any equipment forged from the key or magically linked to it will automatically adjust to it.

After reading the new screen, he focused on the details. Two functions. Magical Restraints and Master Key for Equipment.

Unbound. Does it mean that it was bound to the old man? 

Can he bind it now? But how even can he bind it? With blood, or maybe there are runes or rituals, as he remembered the magical ring produced when the mage was fighting him. Maybe only mana? Or a combination of others?

There was no answer, but hopefully, he could use it without being bound. After all, the slaves are still here without trying to escape, so the restraints should still work. 

He held up the key for all the slaves to see.

“I need one of you to guide me to a safe area with a source of fresh water, off the road where I won’t be seen. Whoever volunteers will get their collar removed and can ride in the wagon.” 

Six slaves raised their bound hands. 

“You.”

He had selected a scrawny girl that looked to be around his physical age. Around eighteen. The smallest of everyone present.

She was dirty and underfed, but appeared healthy enough to be useful to him, and he could undoubtedly overpower her if she tried to betray him. 

It was hard to gauge her appearance in this state, as she had a pitiful look permanently etched into her face, like a basset hound. 

If he cleaned her up, she might be a real cutie, but right now, she was so dirty that he couldn’t even tell her natural hair color.

"All of you move to the side. If anyone tries anything, there will be only death." His voice, edged with a steely resolve, cut through the air like a cold breeze. 

He needed to establish his position, make them understand that, for now, fear would keep them in check. Until he could navigate this world's treacherous waters, it was the only card he had to play.

The group of slaves visibly tensed, a shiver rippling through them as if his words were a physical blow. They quickly rearranged themselves, leaving the girl standing a few steps apart from the rest.

“What's your name?”

“Cinder, sir.” She didn’t make eye contact. None of them did.

Hmm. Bleak name for a slave. And unimaginative. Maybe a slave from birth…? 

Mike narrowed his eyes slightly. “Cinder,” he echoed. “I need you to speak up. Don’t make me ask twice.”

Her frame tensed, a visible swallow tracing the line of her throat as she gathered the shards of her courage. Lifting her gaze just enough to catch the edge of his shadow. “Yes sir,” she repeated, louder this time.

“Do what I say, Cinder, and you’ll earn your freedom. Go against me, and I’ll kill you.” 

He turned his attention to the collar encircling her neck, made of the same metal as the key. Iron. There was also a faint glowing symbol at the center. 

Thankfully, the key worked easily. With a satisfying click, the collar came loose. 

He didn't miss the slight stiffening of her shoulders, the shallow breath she took as the weight of her bondage was, in part, lifted.

He left her wrists bound but removed the chains connecting her to the wagon, clattering softly to the ground.

He met her gaze, finding the eyes filled with apprehension. “Now help me take care of these bodies.” His tone left no room for disobedience.

Mike searched the corpses of the three slave traders, taking everything of value. 

Cinder also moved to assist, her actions hesitant but soon gained speed.

Along with their swords, he got a couple of daggers, some ropes, and three makeshift wallets. They were snake skins with stacks of coins inside, tied to their belts.

The weapons and the three strong people instilled a little worry in him.

Mike glanced around the dense forest beyond the clearing, his gaze finally landing on Cinder. "Cinder, is there any danger of wild animals in these woods? Anything that I should worry about?"

Cinder, her eyes on the bodies, turned to him and answered in the same dull voice. “Monsters will surely be drawn by the smell of blood here. It would be best if we keep movin'.”

Mike's brow furrowed, a silent curse under his breath as he huffed in annoyance. Great, now he had monsters to worry about. This certainly was a world unlike any he had seen before. “Very well. Remove the clothes from the bodies and put them in the wagon.”

She wordlessly obeyed, proceeding to strip the corpses without unease or discomfort. Most girls her age would be too squeamish to do anything like this. 

As she worked, Mike searched the wagon and found a canvas bag, smelling too rancid to be used for food. He soaked it with a wineskin, and while it wasn’t ideal, it was good enough for him to use to put out the fires that the old man had started.

He and Cinder completed their tasks, leaving three naked bodies on the road and a few charred trees. Mike retrieved one of the swords, just a crummy machete, but sharp enough to get the job done. 

He showed no discomfort in decapitating the bodies and storing the heads in the canvas bag.

“Drag these bodies into the woods, out of sight from the road. That should satiate any beasts that search this area.”

There was no telling what the value of these slave traders was. If they were even slightly important to someone, their disappearance might lead to an investigation. 

On the other hand, three nude, headless bodies devoured by monsters wouldn’t leave any evidence. They couldn’t even be identified. Plus, if they were criminals, then their severed heads could be used to collect a bounty. 

He had been in a lot of bad situations and chaotic timelines, so this mindset was a skill he knew he could rely on and use as he needed.

Once the bodies were dealt with, Mike took his seat at the front of the wagon, and Cinder joined him. 

The two extra horses were tethered to the wagon’s sides and would follow along. 

"So, where is this place that I asked you about?"

“Not far,” Cinder pointed down the winding path, “Few miles, that way.”

Mike cracked the reins, and the horses pulling the wagon began moving forward.

“Until we get there, I have questions that I need answered. Where am I? What country is this?”

“This is the Verdantwood Province of the Dracaryan Empire.”

"What about the local government, who’s in charge here?" He wanted to know if there was any top brass nearby. 

Cinder shrank back slightly. “Baron Thalion Greenwood... but, uh, I ain’t know much 'bout anyone higher, sir.”

Mike waved off her concern, his mind racing. “Never mind. How large is this Dracaryan Empire? How much of the continent does it take up?”

Cinder’s gaze fell to her feet. “I... don’t know, sir. Please forgive my ignorance. Never learned about the size of the Empire, nor what a continent is.”

Her speaking made it clear she expected punishment, but her answer didn’t surprise him. A slave educated in geography would be an unusual find. 

He needed to get his hands on a decent map, though that was probably a lot to ask for in this era. In a world with magic and monsters, there was no telling what the planet’s topography looked like, even the arrangement of the continents. He had traveled across countless earths, but much of his experience was now obsolete.

“Relax, I’m not about to punish you for not knowing. Just keep answering my questions as best as you can. This place, Verdantwood Province, is it rich or what?”

“I ... don’t know for sure. Perhaps there is rickes in the capital,maybe, but here’s just countryside.”

“And the government? Does it operate under a monarchy? Or do they elect their leaders?” 

Cinder blinked, confusion clear as she looked at him like he had spoken in gibberish. 

“Does it have a king or queen?”

“Oh, no, sir. There is the Emperor and the royal family, but that’s all I know.”

“What about money? What do they use?”

“Coins, sir. Gold, silver and copper.”

Mike retrieved one of the guard snakeskin coin purses and emptied it out onto the seat between them. It was about a dozen bronze coins and a few silvers. He expected the other two held a similar amount. Expect more in the mage purse.

“How much would you say this is? Would you say it is a large amount of money or not much?”

Cinder hesitated, then took the coin, examining it. “Don’t know. I’ve never handled money before.” She picked up one of the silver coins and showed it to Mike. “Five of this is what I’m worth.”

Well, that’s a depressing thought. But he had to know about the value of others, "What about the other slaves?" 

"The males should be around a silver… the females two to three."

Mike didn't need the answer to guess the reason. He had already lived in many medieval eras. Youth, sex, and usefulness. Young slaves are desired, and females could be used for sexual pleasure. The males are only good for heavy work.

“What season is it currently?”

“Mid spring, sir.”

That was good for Mike. To get a foothold in this new world, he’d need ample time with the chances of survival at their highest. Winter would hamper his mobility and possible actions and make life much harder. 

Had he appeared in this world a few months earlier, he could have easily frozen to death before reaching civilization.

“And these monsters, what’s the big threat?”

“The biggest danger is the drakes."

"Is that what making those roar?"

"Yes, but they normally stay deep in the forest. Wolves, are more of a danger to travelers. They travel in packs and kill whatever they see. There are also bears, large spiders that hide in burrows, and goblins.”

Giant spiders and goblins? This world is getting more fantastical by the second.

Mike turned toward her, “Goblins..? Tell me about them.”

“They are small, only about the size of children, and maybe as smart. Small, crafty, armed. They have weapons and often ambush travelers.”

“And that old man, what was his trick with the fireball? I’ve never seen anyone do that before.”

“Magic, sir.”

"And the warrior?" 

“Also magic. But maybe... Of lesser quality. I don't know for sure.”

Was it? Only after the old man was dead he got the system. There was nothing when he killed the other two. Is there a difference between them? “Magic, huh? Tell me everything.”

“It’s... a gift from the gods, letting people call down divine retribution upon their enemies. Fire, water, strength... Different kinds, like make you stronger, and do all kinds of things. There are many different kinds of magic users. Heard of some of them; mages, paladins, warriors, shamans, but don’t know what they can do.”

“What kind was the old man?”

“A mage, I think.”

“So can anyone use it? Or is it passed down through blood?”

Cinder’s shoulders slumped, “I don’t know, sir.”

That was a problem. If it was an ability passed down from parent to child, he was screwed. It means that there would be a larger percentage of population under Lorelyn System.

The other two guards didn't trigger the System, so either it was exclusive to a select few, or maybe something else in play. 

His glitchy reincarnation left him with the normal genes of his last parents. Still, he got Bloodline, even though it's censored. 

Life would get exponentially harder if magic couldn’t be learned or acquired. Then, there was the mention of gods. Either tool used by the Nobility or maybe the gods are really here.

He had spent several lifetimes searching for signs of the existence of God, some presence of divinity that might end his existence, but he always came up short. However, in a world where magic existed, perhaps the gods here might as well.

 

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