I stopped in my tracks as I looked at the first notification.

(ding) Tail of Poison Empress reaches lvl 5

“What...when?!” I muttered, confused and panicked. Wondering where I used the skill, I hoped I didn’t unknowingly kill anyone. I struggled to remember just to realize I was in a foul mood in the morning, and I didn’t want to be bothered as soon as I opened my eyes. So I did not read the notification.

The realization that this must have happened at night as I slept, hugging my tail, that I was the only one who was poisoned, calmed my mind. No one died, and according to the absent death system notifications, neither did I.

With a smirk on my face, I looked at the rest.

There were a lot of them!

(ding) Spatial Domain reaches lvl 6

(ding) Spatial Domain reaches lvl 7

...

(ding) Perfect Equilibrium reaches lvl 4

(ding) Perfect Equilibrium reaches lvl 5

(ding) Perfect Equilibrium reaches lvl 6

...

(ding) Painless Agony reaches lvl 7

...

(ding) Tireless Machine reaches lvl 10

(ding) Tireless Machine reaches Tier II

This is unexpected! I had to push my limits during training more than I thought. Tier II, Hmm? Suppressing my curiosity, I looked at the rest of the notifications first.

(ding) Swift as a Whip reaches lvl 7

(ding) Swift as a Whip reaches lvl 8

...

(ding) Inner Perception reaches lvl 6

When I saw how many levels I had gained in just two hours of training, I would almost say it was worth the money, almost. Despite the progress I made, it did not relieve me of the awkward feeling I had, the feeling I had now every time I had to pay something. I was very reluctant to do it. Well, when I thought about it, the food was an exception, but it still bothered me.

It was not in my nature. Although I didn’t spend it in vain, I wasn’t stingy or a hoarder. I thought twice before I bought something, but when I decided to do it, I bought it and did not regret my decision later.

“Ha...” I breathed in frustration.

It bothered me, perhaps because I was still too attached to what I used to be, hoping to return to my old life unchanged. Shaking my head, attributing this indecision and a reluctance to give up money to the imprisonment trauma, I looked at the last notification.

(ding) Beast reaches lvl 8

“Of course,” I chuckled.

A few more skills approached level ten, but contrary to the curiosity I felt about these skills’ progress, I was more cautious with the second tier of [Beast]. I must admit that I was a little worried about how it would affect the changes. Not worried enough to get rid of the skill, though.

Lost in thought, I intended to look at the description of the new tier of [Tireless Machine] when a man appeared at the edge of my perception. If I didn’t pay attention to my surroundings while I slowly went to Enola, I would bump into him.

Instead, I took a step back in time and looked at the man who had deliberately got in my way.

A head taller, muscular, oval head, shaved with short dark hair and eyebrow piercing, gave me the impression of goon. That was my first impression of him. What he was missing was just some tattoo and a cigarette in his mouth, and it would be perfect.

“Tss, you avoided it,” he laughed, his hands in his pockets.

Unlike him, it didn’t seem funny to me at all. My heart pounded in fear at the thought of what this guy might want from me. Though, I calmed down a bit when I remembered where I was, in city hall, more precisely at the exit from the training halls. I wanted to believe he wouldn’t dare to do something to me in this place, but I wasn’t sure. Hence the fear and caution!

“I told you it was stupid to do it!” spoke terran, leaning against a wall a few meters to my right.

I couldn’t tell exactly what he was, just that according to his ears and tail, some kind of feline. His fur was gray with black spots, his eyes golden, and as most terrans I saw in the city, he had digitigrade legs and walked barefoot. Barepaw?

By this, they differed greatly from the half-terrans, who had human legs. Although often covered with fur as terrans.

“Fuck you, Jack!” the goon who stood in my way barked at him.

I took two steps back, looking around for the best escape route, for the nearest clerk, as the woman’s voice entered my ears from behind me.

“Don’t worry, slave girl. We’re not here to hurt you, are we, Mauricio?” she asked the goon.

Bulging veins appeared on his forehead as he frowned in rage, “Fuck you too!! I told you to call me Maur!!”

“Ups...my mistake, sorry Mauricio,” she chuckled, further provoking him.

The woman who came slowly to me was about the same height as me, her dark blond hair straight and long, falling loosely to her back. Her pale skin contrasted with her dark eyes and full red lips. Delighted with herself, she smiled at the raging man, but as she looked at me, my heart sank with fear. It was the hunter’s gaze, and I was her prey.

My worries were not eased by the fact that they were dressed in casual clothes and had no armor or weapons. At least from what I saw.

Ranger: lvl 138

Her level was not that far from mine, but her experience was undoubtedly greater. Plus, she wasn’t alone.

Goon’s class surprised me a little, as I saw it for the first time.

Warden: lvl 141

His level was no higher than the ranger’s, and the terran’s was only slightly lower.

Rogue: lvl 137

I was thinking about my options, considering screaming for help. However, the question was if anyone would help me. I did not know if there were people willing to intervene in conflicts that did not concern them and help someone in need. Dungreen didn’t set the bar high, so I didn’t want to rely on anyone running to help me. Instead, I considered using [Beast] to intimidate them. If that didn’t work out, then [Tail of Poisson Empress], even though I was reluctant to use it in a closed room full of other people.

“You’re scaring her!” terran remarked, looking at his two companions.

Warden grinned, “I’m not looking for some pussy!”

“Then you should look elsewhere! She’s frightened!” stated rogue.

I did not know if it was so visible on me or if he, as a terran, smelled it on me. Was it even possible to smell the fear, I wondered. Though it was true, I was afraid.

Realizing how I had behaved at the first sign of danger, I felt ashamed. These three were not my masters, they were not monsters or beasts in the labyrinth, I was in the city hall, yet I was afraid of them. What did that say about me?

Was I a coward, or as the warden called me a pussy?

No, I’m not!! I roared in my mind, scolding myself for my behavior.

Feeling scared was natural. Even Rezso felt scared and admitted it. Though, it was important to stand up to your fear and not give in to it. I did that! I stood up to Morton and his mental magic, and even though I was terrified, I tried to resist Blackthorn and Denholm. These three couldn’t even hold a candle to them.

So I calmed my mind, suppressing my panic with [Indomitable Will], and straightened up. My fears and anxieties did not disappear completely, but I was ready to confront them.

“You ... surprised me!!” I told them in defense, my voice a little shaky.

The trio looked at me, but the woman spoke first, “I thought for a moment they cut out your tongue!”

I frowned, horrified at the thought, “W-who?”

“Your ex-masters, slave girl,” she said, wrapping her hands around her neck, indicating a slave collar. She was trying to provoke me like Mauricio with that naming. I didn’t like it, but I ignored it, not wanting to make her happy.

“Why would they do that? Slaves...have the skill [Silent Suffering], you know?” I said, doubting her claim.

This time the terran replied, “[Slaves] yes, but those who became slaves later do not have it.”

So it meant that if the slave was too noisy, when she screamed too much, then her master could cut out her tongue? This was what happened to slaves in the Sahal?

“I’ve never heard of such bullshit!!” declared the goon.

“I’m not surprised, Maur. You’ve never been outside the empire!” the terran shrugged, not further elaborating.

So it didn’t happen in the Sahal, but outside of it. Even so, the idea was disturbing. I couldn’t imagine losing my tongue. It was bad enough when I lost my sense of taste for a few weeks while my eyes were mutating. Although the food we received from Dungreen did not taste very good, the absence of any taste was not a pleasant experience.

Exhaling to calm down, I asked, “What do you want from me?!!”

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, slave girl. I’m here to offer you membership in the Bright Depths,” the ranger told me, pointing to herself.

I stopped, hearing the name for the first time, “I don’t want to offend you ... but I don’t know what it is. I don’t even know your name.”

The two men laughed, but when the woman glared at them, they did not comment.

“My mistake, I’m Harlow,” she introduced herself, but then she looked at me a little confused, “I ... we thought you were interested in becoming a seeker.”

Wait, wait, wait, how did they know I was interested in becoming a seeker? Fortunately, before I opened my mouth, I thought about it. I’ve asked Enola several times about this job at the counter. If the terran’s ears were only half as sensitive as mine, it shouldn’t be a problem for him to hear what I asked Enola.

Bright Depths must have been the name of the company.

“Bright Depths, labyrinth company?” I asked to make sure.

She smiled, “I’m surprised you’ve never heard of us. We’re on the floor one hundred thirty-two!”

Wow, I had no idea what to say. If I remembered correctly, Falens Cry, as the labyrinth in Castiana was called, had confirmed 165 floors. This meant that one of the companies had to reach that floor. 132 wasn’t that far, or should I say above.

“And...you’re all from Bright Depths?” I asked, looking at everyone.

“Don’t lump me together with this harlot!” goon objected, offended that I might have thought something like that. “I represent Falens Might. We’ve reached floor 135!”

Aha, so ... I looked at the terran.

“Whiskers! Jack at your service,” he said and bowed his head slightly.

Really? Whiskers? “I don’t have any,” I pointed to my face.

He stroked his whiskers and smiled, “Don’t worry, having them is not a condition for admission.”

Everyone was from different companies, but thanks to terran, I realized they were interested in me despite the way I looked.

“You don’t mind that I am a woman, a slave, and what I am?” I asked, not telling them I was a mutant, a hybrid of human and beast.

Feline terran shook his head, “I don’t see why that should be a problem.”

I wondered if he also smells beasts of me, like Rezso, or if the trainer’s sense of smell was exceptionally good as this terran mentioned nothing.

“Personally, I like cute things like you. Bright Depths is open to everyone, though,” Harlow winked at me.

I looked at the goon who snorted, “What matters is your might, not what you have between your legs!”

Subconsciously, I looked at his crotch, immediately cursing myself for it as blood rushed to my cheeks. Concentrating hard on [Indomitable Will], I tried to suppress my emotions while attempting to distract the trio with another question.

“But you see that I am [Slave]?” I asked, knowing that I was selling myself short.

“One of the best Falens Might use to be [Farmer]. I can promise you the full support of the company, and if you have the talent, you can make it as far as he did.” said goon, according to whom my class was not a problem.

The second replied terran rogue, “If it was a problem, I wouldn’t be here. The Whiskers are willing to help you become a seeker. Lend you weapons and armor to conquer the first floor!”

“Don’t listen to those two!” Harlow said, pointing to the goon. “Might is full of muscleheads, and Whiskers are only on floor 93. BD will make you a real seeker, no matter what you are!”

As it turned out, they were recruiters for their companies. All three began to compete over me and slander the others. It threw me completely off. I didn’t expect anyone to be so interested in me, not this much! Which was also why I was cautious, suspecting that they wanted to deceive me.

From what I knew, labyrinth companies could only officially accept certified seekers. By the looks of it, that did not prevent them from helping newcomers. All three offered me weapons and armor for loan, as well as training if I signed a four-year contract with them.

Falens Might and Bright Depths were labyrinth companies concentrating on advancing as deep as possible. Among the slander they threw at each other, I figured Might was more focused on individual strength. Yet, that did not mean they did not fight in groups. They just valued the strength of the individual more, muscleheads as Harlow called them. On the contrary, Bright Depths was more organized and paid attention to cooperation. According to Maur, they were pussies.

Whiskers was a company focusing on collecting and trading raw materials, especially from the 80-93 floors.

They were relentless and hard to reject, but I signed nothing and only promised to think about their offers.

When they finally let me alone, I felt more exhausted than after two hours of training and more confused than when I woke up on the banks of the River Traim. I couldn’t find a regular job in Castiana, but now I had four offers related to the labyrinth and another involving combat.

I wondered if it was the attack on the barracks, if it was what happened there. However, I do not remember showing anything that deserved such attention. I was just trying to survive that night.

Strolling to the front desk, lost in my thoughts, I stood in a never-ending line.

There, I finally looked at [Tireless Machine].

 

Tireless Machine: lvl 10

Passive II

Sleep is for the weak. Fatigue is just another obstacle that stands in the way of reaching your (masters) goal. Your endurance and its regeneration is increased by 16%(15%) → 27%(25%).

II - When you feel tired, it is the best time to try harder and push your limits. Even torn muscles shouldn’t be an obstacle for you.

Ten percent more endurance was something I liked to see, but my head wasn’t the head of a mathematician, so I had to look at the status screen to see the actual change.

 

Name: Korra Grey

Race: Human

Gender: Female

Age: 29

Class: Slave (Master - none)

Level: 92

 

Constitution: 64 (39)

Strength: 32 (21)

Endurance: 29 ↑ 31 (25)

Dexterity: 23 (23)

Intelligence: 19 (11)

Wisdom: 17 (10)

 

Class skills (6/6):

Indomitable Will (Passive V): lvl 115

Painless Agony (Passive I): lvl 1 -> lvl 7

Tireless Machine (Passive II): lvl 8 -> lvl 10

Swift as a Whip (Active I): lvl 5 -> lvl 8

Master’s Lover (Passive I): lvl 6

Master’s Shield (Active I): lvl 6

 

General skills (8/8):

Eleaden Standard Language (Passive I): lvl 9

Perfect Equilibrium (Passive I): lvl 3 -> lvl 6

Spatial Domain (Passive I): lvl 4 -> lvl 7

Beast (Passive I): lvl 5 -> lvl 8

Never-Dying (Passive II): lvl 23 -> lvl 26

Tail of Poison Empress (Active I): lvl 4 -> lvl 5

Heart of Magic (Passive I): lvl 3

Inner Perception (Active I): lvl 3 -> lvl 6

 

A smile appeared on my face, and I couldn’t help it. My skills grew, and although their levels were still pathetic compared to [Indomitable Will], it made me happy. As a slave, I had more skills in the 70-90 level range, though my general skills were almost useless, now it was different.

My endurance almost reached my strength as it increased by two stat points. I was excited about it, but I didn’t feel any change. When I got rid of [Lover of Work] and lost several stat points in constitution and strength, I felt the difference immediately.

It didn’t happen this time, probably because it happened during training. My concentration was focused on training, not on my stats. There was no stamina bar anywhere to see the change right away, I had to feel it, and two points were not such a significant change. Don’t get me wrong. It was still important to me.

Looking back at the description of [Tireless Machine], I shuddered at the thought of pushing my limits even at the cost of torn muscles. Quite possibly, the description suggested that I could completely ignore the torn muscles, but it was only a guess which I wasn’t looking forward to verifying.

Torn muscles are nothing pleasant, and I say it from my own experience. It was in high school when I played volleyball. I tried to reach for the ball, which went off the field anyway. It was stupid and just my fault, no one else’s. It hurt like hell, though.

Hmm...did they have anything like volleyball on Eledaen? I wondered. I was good at it back then.

“Next!” Enola called and thinking about possible sports events on Eleaden I approached her counter.

“Paying for training?” she asked me when she saw me.

I nodded and handed her a confirmation from Rezso, not asking her about the potential existence of sports. If there were such activities on Eleaden, they would definitely include skills I didn’t have.

With a heavy heart, I paid for the lessons and told her about Rezso’s offer so she wouldn’t be surprised when he shows up. Unfortunately, she didn’t know the man wolfkin was talking about and wanted to introduce me to. Yet, she assured me that I did not have to worry if the meeting took place in the city hall unless I signed something without thinking.

There was one thing that weighed on my mind more than meeting a potential teacher, though.

“I got one offer yesterday,” I said, not mentioning that it was from the city guards, “... and three more from companies a while ago. Is that normal? Because I’m confused, why would so many people be interested in me all of a sudden!”

She chuckled, “Didn’t I tell you that according to companies, there is a lack of seekers? Besides, many of them die in the labyrinth, so they need new people all the time to keep up the numbers!”