So?

I escaped to the capital of this dead world. Where everyone would eventually return to when they finished their shifts, or when they decided to do so.

The Hole.

Named so because of tunnels upon tunnels that were dug out when they first started their civilization. Where their home was and the only hub for their survival.

The tunnels were dug a little bit vertically down and from there, horizontally, making out the shape of a lying down L. It would be more appropriate to say that the holes were carved instead of dug as the ground here was as hard as rock.

From afar, I could only see the entrance to those tunnels akin to holes. Rows upon rows of holes, all encircling a big black monolith. The lifeline of their citizens.

I rushed towards it as the person who had promised to 'help' me would always be there waiting for me.

It was a long way to the monolith. Over the course of hundreds, maybe thousands of years, their population would naturally increase. This led to more tunnels, resulting in the expansion of The Hole.

Along the way, many people evaded me like a plague. People would naturally do so because of my current appearance. Dirty and bloody. Not to mention my blood like eyes I was infamous for.

Though many of them were headed to the same place, they opted for another route, all the while not hiding their contempt towards me.

Not like they could hide their feelings from me anyway.

I could only inwardly sigh at such reactions. What do I expect? I am 'the Outlander.'

At the centre of The Hole was the only structure erected above ground. Highlighting its uniqueness even more.

This monolith served as an exchange platform for this world's inhabitants. The only currency accepted were these shiny rocks in my sack.

They could exchange myriads of things, all with their own price tag. You could say that they buy things from the monolith and the monolith is the merchant, monopolising the market.

This was what they worshipped. The monolith. A God in their eyes. Supplying them with daily necessities for them to keep going.

This world operates differently from what I remembered of the Worlds. From my memory, I don't even know of its existence. Or I simply didn't remember it.

When I came to, the only thing that greets me was a notification – dull white words on black background.

"Welcome to The Mine"

That notification was so bleak and unwelcoming as if the world itself despised outsiders. Well, that was my two cents on the matter after experiencing their 'hospitality' for a month now.

Now, back to the matter at hand. At some point in time, I slowed my pace and approached the monolith. You can't blame me for that. That tall black thing looked like a bad red flag in my eyes.

It stood out like a sore thumb amidst a wide barren field of nothingness except for the holes on its surface. If you remove everyone from the picture, you will notice its semblance to a beehive.

It spooked me out a little when I first noticed it. Alright, alright! Not a little. It still gives me goosebumps whenever I think back about it.

Usually at this kind of distance, I could already hear chattering of the rich – laughing and enjoying the fruit of labour they had accumulated throughout their life. Or somebody else's labour, in that matter.

High people, is what the inhabitants called them. In my word, they are filthy rich people who could afford to retire early and just spend their life leisurely without bothering to lift a pickaxe ever again.

My benefactor was one such person. He called himself Uncle Rob and boy did I agree to such a name. He was indeed entitled to that name.

It came as a weird thing to me when the usual laughter of rich people was replaced with dead silence. The environment was so somber that I thought somebody had died which was quite a rare occurrence here. As far as I know that is.

Little that I know that my thoughts hold some truth in it.

Surprise, surprise! The dead person is me!

"Kid…" spoke a gruff voice as soon as he spotted me.

It was Uncle Rob. He had a still burning cigarette in his hand, which indicates his high standing around here as that thing was goddamn expensive. By my calculation one of those things could afford me a whole month of expenses.

"I heard you caused some serious trouble this time?" He said as soon as I stood before him, surrounded by other high people. Your usual interrogation formation.

All of them had this evil smirk on their faces. Amusement swan in their eyes. Their feast for the day had been served.

"I don't know what you're talking about?" I feigned ignorance.

"You dare lie to your benefactor! You ungrateful scum!" One of his buddies spatted.

'News sure travel fast in this world.'

Uncle Rob sucked a mouthful of that cigarette and exhaled them in short whiffs. Then he continued, "You should know the penalty for causing trouble around here. Plus your lie earlier."

He held his hand out and as the norm, I handed him my sack.

Every transaction or things that I wanted to buy must go through him. I, myself did not have the access to The Mine system and thus cannot directly exchange items with those ores I had mined. They were useless in my hands.

And so, I need a proxy. Before I even knew about such a barter system, Uncle Rob came forward and offered me his assistance. Gaining him raised eyebrows from his lower circle buddies back then.

Only when they know how much profit Uncle Rob gets from his 'service taxes,' did they bemoan their lack of foresight. They would fight tooth and nail for the spot of my proxy if they knew that the pure profit from those 'taxes' could instantly raise them to the rank of high people.

Much like what happened to Uncle Rob.

With my sack now in his hands, he commented, "It's half the usual amount…"

"Heh, as expected of a thief!" the same man scoffed.

"And thus the pot calls the kettle black…" I muttered under my breath.

"What did you say, brat?!" and apparently those 'high people' heard me.

Deep down I know that arguing with them would do me no good. What happened if you called out to a group of thieves so highly respected nobody ever dared to cross their path.

Nothing! So the expected response was…

"So?" Uncle Rob raised an eyebrow. Unoffended by my earlier comment.

I clenched my fist. Knowing about their response was one thing. Hearing them was another.

"What are you gonna do about that? Begging someone else to be your proxy? Fat chance."

Uncle Rob surely got that point. Better the devil I know than the devil I don't. So the chances of me changing proxy to somebody else was close to zero.

Almost all of the high people here had their hands dirty with something. Robbing and slaving was just their bread and butter.

"Because I'm a very generous man…" he trailed off and a slice of bread popped in his outstretched hand. "You get a slice of bread after deducting two of your sins in this world. And to pardon you for your earlier transgression on your behalf, a pack to all of my fellow friends here.

He threw that slice of bread to me which I caught gingerly with both hands. To his buddies, a pack of cigarettes each.

I didn't even know that simply 'existing' as an 'outlander' was a sin these days. My opinion did not matter here. What matters are theirs since this is their world after all.

When he first bought me my slice of bread, I could see nothing changed to my sack. As if it cost nothing to buy it. But when he bought his buddies the cigarettes, the sack became almost empty.

A very distinct difference in price. One thing that they acknowledge and despise is my potential to become a part of their circle should I have access to the exchange system.

I should also remind you that all of the exchange just now was only with half of my usual earnings. I will give you straight, I don't know why I could mine those ores so easily. For me, it was just instinctive and pure luck that I got their locations right.

But on the other hand, it seems like I was cursed. Cursed by the world. I could earn but not spend. Instead it only profited those with the slyest of mind. Like Uncle Rob.

What a life. Stuck with a Gift more like a curse. Stuck in a world just to be despised. Have the potential for a life of luxury just to be exploited.

And the dreadest thing was…

I still don't even know what happened. And why it happened.