"The... Ugliest?!" - I exclaimed in shock, my jaw hanging open.

Her words were the same as comparing your hot campus belle to that ugly spectacled girl with tiny eyes, a distorted jawline, and a face filled with acne.¹Yes, I'm not mincing with my words. Deal with it. To say it is ridiculous is an understatement.

"H-How?! How is that even possible?! If you are ugly, then all the girls I know are monsters!" - I cried in disbelief.

"I... Hah?" - Kelya tilted her head with a confused look.

Looking at her confused face, it soon dawned on me that she wasn't just devaluing herself. She truly believed what she said.

She believes she is the ugliest woman in her tribe. I felt I must correct her distorted thought process.

"Ms. Kelya, I am not sure about the beauty standards on your planet, but on my planet, I think it is safe to say that if you put on a bit of makeup and have some hair care, you can compete for Miss California award." - These were my unfiltered thoughts, without any exaggerations. Her face was just that naturally beautiful.

To my shock, however, the whites of her eyes began to redden as tears threatened to come out.

"That's... That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me before. Thank you, Eddy. Sniff*" - Kelya said while taking out a white handkerchief from her trench coat and wiping her eyes.

I wanted to add more words, but I couldn't find anything to say or add. I was at a loss on what to do.

At this point, Islea seemed to have calmed a bit and asked.

"You truly think that we are beautiful. Don't you?"

"I do." - I nodded without hesitation.

"Sigh... The eyes of the beholder, hah?" - Islea sighed and said a well-known phrase.

"Listen, Eddy. Do you know of the early history of Mankind? The Vrax empire version of it, I mean?"

"No, I don't. I still didn't read it." - I shook my head.

"I see... No wonder. Look, Eddy. What I say now might be shocking to you, but our looks are deemed only slightly above average even in a contaminated Megapolis world, not to mention our much cleaner home planets." - Islea said with a complex look.

"Absurd! Are you saying that everyone on your planet has a symmetrically beautiful and smooth face, no exaggerated facial features, no obvious flaws, nothing?" - I asked in disbelief.

"Correct." - Islea nodded.

"I... Hah?" - My mind short-circuited, unable to digest this information.

"Listen, Eddy. Every person in the galaxy outside this world is a product of hundreds of thousands of years of selective breeding back in the age of space colonialization and galactic conquest, back when we barely invented warp-space travel. Even though we plebians don't strictly follow it these days, all of us still enjoy the fruits of our ancestors' sacrifices."

"Hundreds of thousands... of years?" - I numbly mumbled.

The first primitive homo-sapiens found on earth are barely from 300,000 years ago. While we were still proud of inventing fire and the throwing spear, the Vrax Empire was advanced enough to colonialize space and enforce selective breeding on its population. The difference is staggering.

"Yes, Eddy. Hundreds of thousands of years. The God-Emperor guided us through his infinite wisdom and cultivated our potential. Through generations of selective breeding, we became smarter, stronger, better-looking, and perfect. It was the golden age of humanity."

"The golden age? Are you not still in the golden age?" - I asked, confused.

From my viewpoint, they are still thriving and expanding.

Islea shook her head, "No, we are not. We already conquered the whole galaxy and reached stagnation in expansion and technological development."

"Wait, didn't you just conquer my planet?" - I asked with a conflicted look.

"Yes, but your planet is a particular case. I don't know the details, but your world is a project of the god emperor to let your world develop naturally and without his divine guidance or colonialization. He only extended part of his divine light to direct your evolutionary pattern towards that of pure humanity and blocked your perception of the galaxy to let you develop on your own. As for the official reason we conquered you, it was already declared, right?"

"... Self-destruction, hah?"

"Yes."

"I... Sigh*, this is a lot to take in in one sitting." - I sighed while rubbing my aching head.

"Want some water?" - Islea pulled out a small plastic water bottle one could find in a convenience store from under the bench and offered.

"Thanks." - I opened the bottle and took a sip while trying to clear my mind.

"No, I should thank you. No one has found me appealing before." - Islea gave me a heartfelt smile.

It was mesmerizing. I felt myself blushing.

"Eddy? Are you alright?" - Islea asked, looking concerned.

"I-I'm fine. That reminds me, what do you think about me? How do I compare with the men in the galaxy?" - I smiled and had an expectant look.

I didn't know why, but I wanted to know how I fared against other males in the galaxy.

"You are... eh... special, I guess?" - Islea said with an awkward look.

"Special?" - I narrowed my eyes as I looked at her awkward look, a bad feeling surfacing.

Being called "Special" was usually not a good thing.

"How do I say this... You look so unique it is a marvel?" - She had a bitter look, not knowing what to say.

"... I'm unbelievably ugly in your eyes, aren't I?" - My face crumpled, almost crying. My pride is cracking.

Although I wasn't exactly Mr. Charming, I was confident enough that I would be rated a 7 out of 10 by most unbiased girls.

"No, no, no! You're not ugly. You merely remind me of the ancient humans in ancient records?" - She gave me an uncertain look.

"..."

"She sees me as a caveman, doesn't she?"²Ouch...

I always wondered what it would be like to see a living caveman. Now, it seems like my wish came true, just in reverse. Now I am that caveman.³Laws of relativity

The irony.

Seeing me turning sour probably made her feel guilty, so Islea turned to her two colleagues.

"Hey, miss first lieutenant, stop sulking already!"

"Alright..." - Kelya replied while putting away her handkerchief.

"And Mirah, by the holy throne, wake up! Snap* Snap*" - Islea snapped her fingers in front of Mirah's still-smiling face.

"Mya!!?? Oh, Islea! Sorry about that, I was having this wonderful daydream..." - Mirah said while rubbing her sore cheeks.

"..." - Both Islea and I looked at her blankly.

"It wasn't a daydream, Mirah. Eddy did genuinely say that we are all pretty." - Kelya smiled and said.

"What?! Really?! Thank you, Eddy! You are such a darling! Lick*" - Mirah leaned over and licked my cheek with her slightly rough tongue, sending shivers down my spine.

"Did a cute catgirl lick me just now?! But damn. Three girls out of my league are so easy to please with such a simple compliment. What's wrong with this world? Not that I am complaining or anything..."

"Alright, enough idle chatter. We wasted a good half an hour. I still need to debrief you about your situation." - Kelya said, her face turning serious.

"You mean that game show you were talking about?" - I asked, my face turning more serious.

From their previous words, I could lose my life and freedom in this "game show." It was hard not to take it seriously.

"Yes. The name of this game show is SURVIVE. It is a once-in-a-century event in the galaxy, and it is a great privilege and opportunity that many seek but few obtain." - Kalye explained.

"How is this an opportunity? You just said a few minutes ago that 99% of the people who participate in it die or get enslaved and worked to death! And that's just the preliminary round!"

No matter how I see it, this sounds more like a death sentence than an opportunity or privilege.

"No, you don't understand! If you manage to survive the preliminary round, you can start receiving rewards that one can only dream of!" - Kelya said with excitement.

"... I'm listening." - I said with some intrigue. 

"For starters, wealth! Lots, and lots, of wealth! More than you can ever imagine! The winners of this event can even buy entire planets!" - Kelya said with excitement.

"Entire... Planets?! Like my planet Earth?! Ouch! Stop hitting me!" - I winced, getting an elbow on each hand and a kick to the shin.

"It's Harelion XK-98 Zeta! Remember that!" - Islea reprimanded.

"Yeah! Earth and Terra are names reserved for Holy Terra only!" - Mirah added, a hint of fear on her face.

"Eddy, please remember not to say that ever again. I am obligated to execute you if you repeat saying that. I don't want the only person who called me pretty to die in my own hands." - Kelya said with a pleading look.

"It's... That serious?" - I doubtfully asked.

"YES!" - All three of them said in unison.

"OKAY! I surrender! I won't say that again. I promise." - I raised my arms in defeat. 

Kelya and her two guards sighed in relief before she continued explaining.

"So, back on topic. Yes, you can buy entire planets, but you can't buy Paradise worlds, Agri worlds, Industrial worlds, and Megapolis worlds. Those kinds of planets are restricted and limited goods that are essential for our survival as a species. However, you can buy any other type of planet, including my planet."

"Well, that's just because your planet only has tons of sand, massive reserves of Dotrite ore, strictly controlled underground water reserves, egomaniac water barons, a shitton of slavers and bandits, and giant and almost unkillable teeth-filled sandworms!"⁴A shoutout to DUNE. - Mirah pointed out.

"Eh... True. But what about your jungle world? Isn't it filled with constantly mutating dangerous man-eating flora and fauna? Don't you need to fend off hordes of beast-tides?" - Kelya retorted.

"Never said my world is better." - Mirah shrugged.

"On my planet, we have this tasteless, odorless, invisible, deadly, but valuable gas called Estrialium that can leak from under the crust. Because of that, we have evolved special senses to perceive and resist it." - Islea said.

"So... Basically, just uninhibited, artificial, or dangerous planets?" - I asked with a bitter face.

"Eh... Yeah, pretty much. But still! Whole planets!" - She said with a longing look.

"Right... Anything else?" - I skeptically asked.

"Oh! Of course, you can buy a lot of property, including houses, slaves, exotic foodstuff, spaceships, planetary titles... you name it." - She listed with her fingers.

"Wow, slavery is rampant in the empire, hah?" - I asked, hearing the sensitive word too many times for my taste.

"Not really. Isn't your society also based on slavery?" - Kelya said.

"Hah? What? NO! Of course, it isn't! We are all free people!" - I said righteously.

"Being a factory worker that works 14 hours a day for bad wages is not slavery?" - Islea asked by the side.

"Eh..." - Being hit by a curveball, I didn't know how to respond.

"And doing forced or manual labor in certain zones of your world for scraps not tantamount to slavery?" - Mirah made another gut-hit.

"I..." - I started imagining all those poor African salt miners and those child laborers sewing clothes in Taiwan.

"And let's not forget that you are all slaves to the credit-based system called Money, and you are working for the top percentile of your population like slaves?" - Kelya threw the knockout.

"Ugh... Fine! You win! My world is slave-based! Happy?!" - I conceded and stopped being an apologist for my horrible society.⁵This part made me laugh a few times. Because it's true.

"As long as you know!" - Mirah said triumphantly.

"Right. What we covered was only the wealth part. But that's not the best reward you can get." - Kelya said, piquing my interest.

"What? Really? There are better things than buying a planet?"

"Yes, genetic and bionic enhancements." - Kelya nodded.

"Genetic and bionic enhancements? Can't you buy it with money?" - I asked skeptically.

If on Harelion XK-98 Zeta⁶Yes, he stopped calling Earth Earth. you can buy genetic therapy and bionic implants, I don't see why you can't buy them in a civilization a few hundred thousand years more advanced.

Kelya shook her head and explained.

"Only the low-level civilian and unofficial black market goods can be bought with wealth or barter. Advanced genetic enhancements and cybernetic augmentations are strictly controlled technologies and are limited to the holy emperor's judgment. What is offered in SURVIVE is the finest quality goods you can find in the galaxy, not even accessibly to world rulers and even the holy Emperor's kin and close subordinates."

"... Hah... Is it like a controlled weapon?" - I asked, my interest piqued.

"Yes, it is. The emperor has deemed it too dangerous for us to wield and has claimed a monopoly on the advanced variants. Now they are only obtainable in SURVIVE and are administered on the spot." - Kelya explained.

"Okay, cool. But what can these enhancements do?"

"For starters, you can get the expensive Genetic Foundation Enhancement Therapy or GFET for short. It can correct and reinforce your genetic coding to the most perfect form, bringing your foundational potential to that of a peak human being. It wouldn't do much to most of us, but for you, it might do wonders, bringing you to a level that is the result of thousands of generations of effective selective breeding. After the treatment, you will gradually become stronger, smarter, faster, and more perfect. An overall improvement." - She explained.

"So, if I get that treatment, you will stop seeing me as a caveman?"

"Yes, we will stop seeing you as a... HEY! Don't say that about yourself!" - Kelya said in a hurry.

"So they DO see me as a caveman..." - I want to cry. Seriously.

"Cough*, anyways, GFET is a treatment that the nobles can also get for an exorbitant price, but they can't get their hands on more higher-end goods." - She coughed and said.

"Higher-end goods?"

"Yes. For example, a known one is Muscle Potential Enhancement Therapy or MPET. It can raise your muscle potential, making your muscles stronger, tougher, and more flexible. Not only will your explosive strength and carrying capacity increase, but your muscles will form a natural body armor that can protect you from kinetic blows. It will even enhance your heart and blood veins, increasing the amount of blood pressure your body can withstand and the amount of blood your heart can pump out."⁷The heart and blood vessels are muscles.

"Holy cr- I mean, by the holy throne!" - I wanted to say crap, but I didn't want to get another elbow from a certain glaring pink-skinned beauty.

What Kelya said was the same as getting superpowers, IE, superhuman strength. What kind of man can resist the temptation of getting superpowers?

"But wait, if the muscles are stronger, wouldn't the body be under greater pressure and require a greater energy intake?" - I quickly thought of a problem and asked.

"Yes, quite observant of you. It is why you will need a series of other genetic enhancements before proceeding to the next level, or your body won't be able to handle the pressure." - Kelya smiled and nodded.

"I figured as much. Then, what about bionics? Can you turn into a cyborg?" - I blinked and curiously asked.

"Yes, you can! There are many cyborgs currently in the service of the empire, but the parts they use are cheap civilian goods that are only slightly better than human strength. We also have some more advanced bionics in the army, the kind that can grant superhuman capabilities, but those are restricted to the elites and high command. Our general, Madam Maaveola Bollite, has a bionic eye that has heat vision and infrared sensors, and can even shoot a laser." - Kelya pointed at her eye.

"That's hardcore..." - I mumbled.

What kind of boy didn't dream of shooting lasers out of his eyesockets?

"You can also have brain augmentations, turning you into a super genius and able to operate giant robots with your thoughts alone." - She pointed at the back of her head.

"What, like the power rangers?"

"What's a MUSCLE RANGER?" - Kelya, for the first time, mispronounced what I said.

"Eh... I think your translator didn't work right. I said power and ranger, not muscle and ranger."

"Ah, damn. This translator isn't perfect." - Kelya said tapping on her earpiece.

"Well, a Power-Ranger is a fictional character in a stupid kids' TV show." - I tried to explain as simply as possible.

"WOW, you have fictional tv shows? That's so inefficient and wasteful. We at least had imperial education channels, weather forecasts, fighting tactics, and instruction channels. Hah... The good ol days." - Mirah reminisced.⁸Chinese propaganda at its finest. I know. I'm evil.

"You at least had a TV. I didn't even have a TV at home. I was too busy working in the factory and not dying from saying the wrong thing at the wrong time as my brother did then to waste my time watching some useless channel."⁹Sigh... Nothing like the good ol' 19th century.

"Woh, woh, woh! You worked in a factory since you were young, and they killed your brother for saying something bad?!" - I asked in disbelief.

"Yes, they did. He was ten at the time, and one of the superiors ordered us to work another hour to cover for one of the kids who collapsed from Estrialium sickness. My brother cursed him with a big "FU" and earned another hole in his forehead, right in front of me. We were all made to work two extra hours that day." - Islea said with a tepid look.

"..."

"HOLY SHIT! Talk about curiosity that killed the cat! I want to forget this already!"

This was getting dark. REAL DARK. Victorian England dark. Just darker.

For the first time, I understood just how expendable human lives were in the Vrax Empire.

My opinion of it dropped to a whole new low.

At the same time, I ironically felt thankful that she kept jabbing me all the time. This meant that she truly cared about my well-being and wasn't treating me like some Neanderthal.

At least, I know I wouldn't be as nice as her. I would have ignored myself in her shoes.

That means something.