Chapter 01 (Awakening)

I woke up by the cold water pouring straight to my face. A clean water, cold like her last winter without a shelter. Dizzying, and its make her lethargic.

"Wake up ! All of you will be sold today." An unidentified man, unkempt beard with swollen belly wearing strange looking clothes but better than her own clothes which had many holes to sew. He was holding an empty bucket, probably thrown to her.

CLANG-

A chained limbs, small soft hands. Not the usual hands full of blisters, this one smaller. I saw the other in the closed space, mainly girls, shivering and only wearing rags attached to their body.

She was trapped inside the cage, iron bars but not jails... at least they had better facilitation. Some of the girls lay in fetus form, some of them crouched on the corner cage, like her domestic days but not this worst.

It felt alien, weird, and it pulling her hard on the brain.

'Where the fuck I am ?'

Feeling confuse, I was silently observing the wailing girls.

The muffed air made her think that they're in the basement, this place wasnt event her last base. No familiar face among the chained girls, but there's someting similar. Same hunger, and the dry throat feels awfully similar.

Examining the bruised hand, legs, and body. Mint pastel colored hair [A1] smeared with dust and dirt, 'a mild malnutrions' she thoughts coming up with the possible answer. The hands that holding her throat was unfamiliar.

'I didn't die? Body possessing ?' She felt compelled to swallow the unknown situation. 'atleast... they died.' Recalling the previous event, she was a bit comforted deep down inside.

Leaning on the iron bar, her eyes didn't stop to asses what happen. The bruises ached but she keep it without groaning a single bit stress.

Soon, another man came inside. Quite different, but they are similar in appearance. A typical third rate gang, with rugged beard and a big stomach. He opens the locked gate to the cage, ordering all of us to come out in line.

"Wench, walk in line!!" He shouting with his dirty mouth.

We're all walking a bit unsteady, weak because the abuse but they still whipped some of them. The cries annoys them, as I watched the man in charge of beating.

They bringing us walking along the corridor, on her left and right side were caged beast or several goods in glass. She's technically assumed that they're inside an auction or store, the ones who keep whipping them continuosly branded them as a 'slave'.

A familiar terms once she ever labeled in the goddamned place.

"Where are we going to?" She's questioning an average looking man who in appearance was more amiable than the rest of the man who led in front.

His posture, way of walking, and the hands who keeps touching the sword hilt unsconsciously was way too noticeable. He keeps his face neutral, that was one of several reasons she brave enough to asks. This man probably from different place, or he's the one who stay on the sideline as a watcher. A complete normal person or a nutcase in disguise, either way She's sure wont get hit at the very least.

"..."

She and him staring each other just before the man averting his face.

Ignoring her.

'Ah yes... there's that to. A mute boy who thinks its cool for not answering.'

I gave up asking him, and just following the other. Reaching the luxurious door, the man who whipped us before, glaringly stare at us.

"Get inside the room, but dont you fucking cries while in front of the customer. I'll beat each one of you if they didn't buy even one." He threathened everyone with the his low tones.

Once relaxed situations suddenly turns grimm again with his demands, he then opens the door and ordering us to come inside. Everyone walking inside the room. We stood in line, practically became goods to sale.

There are several people, mostly men. A tough and strong bunch with armor on their bodies. Four people that act like a guard are standing nearby, and a man who sat leisurely facing the middle-aged man was probably the customer they keep mentioning.

"Dear Sir, here is our latest product. They came from several regions before arrived at this branch." The middle-aged man handing the list of everyone file, some of details are unknown, and some was clearly sold by their family because of debt.

"They're all eighteen years old and most of them were a virgin, isnt it a good criteria ?" He continued while smiling triumphantly.

"Mr. Mayhem, Are you sure they aren't defiled by your men ?" He asks in joking manner, pointing how rough they treating them. He then began approaching the girls, examining all the girls face.

Most of them looks tired, afraid, and in bad shape. A usual condition in every slave auction.

"O-of course not! We didn't do anything to them, simply just disciplining their behavior." Mayhem hurriedly denied his accusations.

"Hmmm?" the man saw the last girl covered by dust and dirt, dirty but a bit peculiar. Althought she was badly bruised, she looked bored for a slave. The girl was rather calm and undisturbed by her own situation.

Noticing something, Mayhem shifted the conversation towards the girl that the man observing.

"S-she was sold three days ago by the travelling merchant, unknown background, and a little bit strange. Hey, what's your name ?"

But the girl just stood and looking at him, and its scratching his pride. He was walking to her directions angrily with glaring brown pupils.

"What's your name ?" But a different man asking her, stopping Mayhem in his track.

"Sir Allen ?"

The girl was obviously looking around the rooms while paying attention to their conversation. One thing she found out that the girl they are talking was the body she was in. Suprisingly, the girl has unclear origin and she didn't inherit the body memories.

"You don't have a name ?" He asks me again, gauging my responses. He looked at Mayhem directions, panicking... Mayhem rushed to hit her.

'I don't fucking know this body original name or why did she ends up here.

Did she flip over shit, or stumble on shit to be sold as a slave.'

"Mellisa" deciding to use her real name, Mellisa stopping Mayhem advance to hit her. Her already bruised body will worsened even more. All the while that happen, Allen smile amusedly.

"We'll buy all the slaves." Stated the man named Allen, while lit up something like a burn tobacco leaves from earth except their different shape. Allen, the man has short curly brown hair, sharp hazel eyes with full lips and strong jaw line. well-built body and tall, his tanned skin gave him impression who goes outside often. His over all appearance takes after Mellisa dead crew's, who died after saving a little kid.

Allen thrown a pouch full of gold and silver coins to the nearby guard, instructing further.

"You, go settle the bill." He swiftly wrap it up, turning the gaze to the man who owns the slavery. "Can I took them all now ?" Allen asking the zoned out Mayhem.

"S-sure! Pack them up!" Mayhem resolutely ordering his lackey to bring the iron cage again, and put it on the carriage top. The guard patiently waiting him to do his job before they're talking about the payment.

"Also bring this girl, and the rest to the priest. We can't go against the clock." Allen commented, his finger pointing the girls that need to be healed first.

Allen subordinate's took all the slaves out of the building, the slave trader lackey led them into a three iron carriage bars for the slaves. There are thirty girls, and each cage enough for ten people at most. Mellisa honestly thinks that she cant be suprised again after the walkers phenomenon ransacked humanity into a small community.

The sceneries outsite was greatly different from her expectation. The ruins of modern building was nowhere to be found, instead the ruined world she once lived this one were filled by human and half-humanoid beast. Strange like creatures that you can find only inside a fictional literature or myth, moreover their architecture building close to past century or medieval era.

All of them move based on their own business, some wield weapons, selling food, begging on the street, and another ones pickpocketing thief from the careless passerby. the land of milk and honey that she always wished to come back, even a portion of it.

"Where are we ?" Mellisa asks the guard behind her, confirming her whereabouts for second time that she was indeed in another world.

"Chaos city." The guard answered.

Mellisa accept it as reality, not a dream she always had at night. Standing still looking at the sun, the other girls getting put in an iron cage one by ones. Midday on this land for the first time felt warm as if her tension loosened. The horror of being hunted and eaten gradually eased, and she felt grateful at this moment.

The guard pushed her inside the cage, and locked the door. Mellisa was inside the iron cage along with nine girls of her age (not really), the girls tried to covering their faces, some of them had brightened complexion. They thinks that future prospect will get better.

"They're going to be a war prizes for the soldier, isn't it ? will they get their freedom's after that ?"

"Yes. They likely will. Lioness Kingdom last war were doing the same thing, some of them might be taken as a wife or lover by a generous soldier, or sold, freed, and even came back here."

"As expected of Lioness, even Norland Kingdom couldn't win the war."

The crowd murmur could be heard by not only her but the rest did catch people words. Almost all of them had determined face, they steeling their resolve.

"Excuse me..." One of the girl near the cage spoke to her.

"Yes ?" I responding her, She was quite beauty. Enough to have many men desiring her. In my opinion she'll have a hard time in the future.

"C-can I call your name and become your friends ?" She's hesitantly asking Mellisa, when she saw her before piqued the man called Allen who bought them all. She thought, sticking with her will open another chance to rising herself for a better life.

"You heard my name, I'm Mellisa what's yours ?" I asked turning a blind eye to her intention, even though she wasnt sure yet. Was it bad or a good thing.

"I'm Amelia, then are we friends ?"

"Let's get along in the future."

Mellisa didn't planning to sit idle and being swayed by the situation she was in. The sex slave was bad enough, she'll need to run away or looking for another solution. Soon the carriages stopped in front of the temple, the priest was mostly wearing full white colored clothes with silver embroidered sigils on it.

The huge pillars align in row supporting the massive roof, a Greek like statue was built to decorate the temple every corner. Flowering plants were planted to add its beauty, even their white walls carved with complicate ornamental.

We're cleaned and healed in hurry, the priest was doing something akin to a miracle in her world. When we're treated, the priest in charge emitting a pleasant energy from their palm. Sparking greenish hue with glimmering dots in air that gradually healing the wound or bruise.

"Um- Priest can I ask what is this ?" Mellisa asks him while being treated to fill her curiousity.

"Oh, is this your first time seeing magic ?"

"Magic ?"

"Yes, this is healing magic... with it we can heal the pyhsical wounds to some extent. Furthermore, the bigger wounds are... we need a higher mana capacity to cast high leveled healing spell. Ah... still not all diseases can be treated with it, some still need doctor treatment for full recovery." The priest kindly explained.

Hearing that, Mellisa remember her past life. If only this power manifested at there, we won't even need to raid the hospital. It will be easy to treat an emergency wounds, and all the good people don't have to died early on.

She talked with the priest [A2] until the bruised part regain its original color.

Mellisa bid her farewell after the treatment ended, thus the carriage resuming the trip. Mellisa's amazed by the enormous gate, an unknown language written on its pillar shone like advertisement sign at night. The center part shown a concentrated energy. It was a warp gate that connecting to a different location according to what the surrounding people commented.

'They're using coins as transfortation fee...'

She's busy observing her environtment, glad that atleast she's still understand what they're saying except for writing and reading their language. She needs to learn as much as common people know.

"Mellisa ?" Amelia called her, catching her from pensive mood.

"What ?"

"Nothing, I thought it wasn't you." She trailed off nervously.

Amelia's just couldn't believe that the girl in front of her is Mellisa, whom previously filled with dirt and dust. She had clear grey with bluish fleek eyes, pale skin, cherry lips, and mint pastel colored curly hair. Although her skinny figure's caused by the of loss weight, it didn't hide her attractive self. Amelia firmly believes that she's alluring woman, as long as she utilizing her appearance to seduce the higher ups. Dreaming a lavish life wont be far away.

Now that she stands in front of staggering beauty, her confidence almost shattered.

"By the way, where are you come from ?" recalled the slave trader words, Amelia's try to get familiar with her.

"I... don't know." She can't reveal about her transmigration, back on the earth when human has adapted to a new reality they treated information about base, supply, even about themselves as precious as ones life. One cant carelessly divulge it, because of the risk of betrayal and more.

Now that she was here, alone and in unfortunate situation. She needs to be careful.

"No way ? you didn't even remember anything ?" Squinting her eyes, Amelia's judging her. "Now that I recall when you're arrived at the store, you look worse. Like someone who gave up on living."

"Really ?" Mellisa eyes lit up, she wants to know about her state before posessing this body without arousing suspicion. "I don't know at that time i was feeling confused about myself, so I'm not in a state to talk with anyone."

"Yeah, you're a bit gloomy but today you seems refreshed." Amelia babbled feeling encouraged.

They talked silently while the guards in charge paid the fee, the two guards following the carriages from behind. After fifteen minutes passed, the gate keeper signaling the entourage to cross the gate.

Mellisa was momentary feeling agitated by the unknown force, the lights pulls people in when the energy come in contact with her. Making her feeling sick, and nauseated as soon as she's inside.

Anyway, it only lasted for a few minutes, and by now Mellisa could see the ends of the tunnel. The first time she saw what was outside the warp gate is a breathtaking palace with a gigantic defense walls surrounding the vicinity, making the warp gate size pale in comparison.

The majestic palace's built at the center of population, considered this place similar to a capital of a nation.

Mellisa was visibly shaken by what she sees.