Mature Content Warning: Mention of naked assess.

Author's Note: I'm hopped up on tramadol and ibuprofen. I will try to get out a chapter of origin (probably a small one) later today. Galataea will be out tomorrow sometime along with maybe another section of this. I think this is supposed to make sense, but as I am all drugged up it might be just the word fart written 2000 times for all I know.

This chapter begins the rest of the first volume. Enjoy.

Chapter 7.1: Please Insert Tokens

The world was aflame with rainbow fire. The grass and weeds that grew along the side of the road were alive with potential. A bird chirping on a power line radiated a bright burning radiance. The insects buzzed about with tiny flames all their own. Scott loved every moment of it, but he was also saddened.

“So, that probably proves it.” He had spent most of the morning walking the road in this manner. After work he had spent several hours doing the same thing. He had walked along the side of the road in an effort to try and raise his mana sensing skill. It had not increased even once. Either the experience necessary to increase skills in real life was much higher, or he could not increase his levels while awake.

He was not alone in his new upgraded status. Most people at work, and many of the guests, had babbled incessantly about their cool new abilities. One of his co-workers even claimed to be level two; though there was no way to prove it that anyone knew of at the moment.

“The dream world, there must be a way to grow stronger through using that place.” Scott nodded his head slowly. He was off tomorrow and intended to stay off. He had no worries about losing a few hours if they called him since he had verified the authenticity of his monetary compensation. The snack machines had accepted his dollar bills and that was good enough for him.

Scott stopped mana walking, as he called it, and headed home. The Internet called to him and he wanted to be ready for his epic grinding session. It was possible that he had acquired the only game-like abilities that he ever would in real life.

If that changed in the future, that would be great. For now, however, he needed to focus on the place that had his interest most.

Once he reached his house, he stripped down to his underwear then turned on his TV. While random television shows and the occasional weird commercial played in the background he settled in to check the forums that he liked to search.

It did not take long before people had jumped all-over the most recent world update. Most people asked about whom it was who had bought the planet. Many seemed incensed that someone claimed to have purchased the planet. Scott merely shook his head. Shit happened. He was curious about that as well, but anyone who could alter reality to the extent that they already had, did not need his permission to do whatever they wanted.

People with power invariably did what they wanted, and the people without power did nothing but complain. It was life, and nothing out of the ordinary despite the fantastic changes.

He read along with mild interest for a few minutes before he ran across a topic that made his eyes go wide. “No...”

Scott shut down his computer immediately then ran over to check on his tokens. They were still where he had left them. “Good...”

The man had just read something horrifying and he intended to check it out. He quaffed a cup of his night time cold medicine then took a quick shower to help calm himself and to make certain that he felt clean.

He had spent a lot of time walking that day, and the combination of walking and cold medicine made him quite sleepy. It was not long until he fell asleep, his gold tokens clutched tightly in his hand.

Instead of awakening in his room at the Screaming Onion Tavern, he awoke in the garden that surrounded his statue. He frowned and then with a sinking feeling he walked toward his statue. As soon as he reached out and touched it a flat blue screen with a crystalline cover arose before him.

<<< Welcome! >>>

Welcome back, Scott Blackthorne!

Our records show that you have completed your free trial period. In order to continue training in the other world during the alpha phase of your world’s reconditioning program you will need to pay a fee at the end of each standard Earth week.

That fee is one gold token. Yes, the same tokens that you use in case of your untimely demise in either world. Please note that if you do not have a token, you may not train your skills in the other world. You will be able to train on Earth once the system is updated and retooled for Earth. However, that is a process that is still several years away by your estimation of time.

This requirement is instituted as a method of rewarding dedicated people who train hard, and perform entertaining feats in the other world or their daily Earth lives. We look forward to what you choose to do in the future!

Thanks, and have a lovely day!

>>

The screen disappeared and a new one arose. This one had a coin slot and an insistent message that blinked urgently.

Please Insert Token(s) to continue.

Scott opened his hand and took out one of his gold tokens. They had come with him when he fell asleep. He placed one token into the coin slot below the screen and a loud noise, like a quarter sliding into an arcade machine, could be heard.

The screen changed to a thank you message and asked if he wanted to bank his remaining tokens for use in either world. He agreed then inserted his tokens into the coin slot. He now had six of them banked. According to the screen they could be used in either reality.

He cleared the screen then nodded. He had to be more aggressive in his training now. At best, he might have six weeks remaining. If he could gain more tokens then great. If not, he wanted to be as strong as he could become in that time period.

He reached out and touched his statue. The world around him faded away and after a brief moment in darkness, his only companion a screen that read: Loading... Please Wait, his room at the inn faded into sight.

Blackthorne sighed loudly when he noticed something that he had dreaded. His cuirass and sword were gone. He would need to replace them with something else.

He checked his Jerin and noted that he had twelve hundred thirteen Jerin remaining. “First stop, the weapon shop.”

Blackthorne left his room at the inn then head out into the streets. He immediately groaned. He had been gone from the world for nearly two days. That meant it was still dark out as dawn was still a short time away.

“Dammit... What do I do, now?” asked Blackthorne. He could not acquire a replacement weapon or armor for hours.

What could he do? The cuirass was not a big deal as it only increased his defense by a few points. His lack of a sword was the real issue. He would have to rely on his jolt spell to defeat his opponents. Hunting was out of the question. He could mana walk near the city for a while.

Blackthorne nodded then headed out of town. On the way out of town he happened to see something interesting. Near one of the guard houses, Jackie gracefully wielded a large wooden sword and struck repeatedly at a straw scarecrow.

The would-be mage walked toward her and called out. She stopped swinging her weapon then turned to him. A smile crossed her features.

“So, you’ve returned?” asked Jackie.

Blackthorne blinked. “Returned?” Had she noticed that he was gone? No one ever seemed to notice that despite the fact that he disappeared for days at the time.

“Of course, you travelers come and go a lot.” replied the girl.

“Ah, yes I returned.” said the man. He had thought that she meant that he had traveled somewhere else and then returned, like a normal traveler. What she said next revealed the truth.

“Really? Everything good on your world?” asked Jackie before she swung her sword in a slow circle then planted the tip of her wooden blade into the dirt.

“Wait, you know I’m not from this... world?” asked Blackthorne.

She laughed softly then nodded. “Of course, everyone knows that. Travelers from various worlds come here all the time.”

“I should have known that.” replied the man. It made a lot of sense really.

“Why did you think that I was so hot to feel your manly steel inside my womanly forge?” she asked with a grin.

“You’re horny and I’m pretty enough to shame a flower?” asked Blackthorne.

Jackie laughed once more then shook her head. “I’ve seen and bedded prettier.”

“Oh, my masculine pride...” said the mage. He raised a shaky hand to his lips and granted her a forlorn expression.

She grinned at him. “So, what brings you out this time of morning?”

Blackthorne shrugged. “I needed a new sword and maybe some armor, but the shops are closed.”

Jackie shook her head. “Just a waste of money anyway.”

“What do you mean?”

She snorted at him. “You’re some sort of magic user aren’t you? Don’t deny it. I’ve seen you using your spells.”

“Magic primarily, but I do dabble in swords and heavy armor... Among other things.” said the man.

Jackie rolled her eyes then smiled. “You should focus on magic and let me be your sword.”

Blackthorne, now curious, asked, “Why have you been so interested in spending time with me? I don’t mind the attention, but I am curious...”

The sword wielding maiden leaned forward. “You’re a traveler. You’ll travel across the world getting into fights, and you’re also a magic wielder. So, even if you focus on swords and armor, you’ll mostly want to do magic right?”

“Eventually, yes...”

“Good. I hate this town and all the damned humans in it. I want out of here. You buy me and I’m yours for life.” said Jackie.

“You’re not human?” asked Blackthorne.

Jackie stared at him sourly. “No, I’m a Valkyrie.”

Blackthorne blinked at her. “You’re a demi-god who flies around battle fields and takes the souls of the valiant dead to live with the gods?”

She stared at him for a moment then snickered. “You must have strange Valkyries where you’re from. No, my people are an all-female race of warrior maidens. The goddess Valkyria created us.”

“If you’re all females, how do you have babies?”

Jackie grinned at him. “We need men for that.”

“Ah, makes sense.” said the man.

The warrior maiden smiled at him then shook her head. “Look, I don’t want to be your eternal sword whore or anything, but I do want to get out of this town and return to the highlands. If you buy me, and take me to my homeland, I’ll give you some basic equipment and even train you in my special arts.”

“That sounds like quite a deal, but how much would it cost me?” he asked.

“One thousand Jerin.” she said with a smile.

Blackthorne stared at her. “No way... You can’t be serious.”

“Why? Aren’t I worth a thousand Jerin?” she asked, an edge in her tone.

He snorted at her. “Not that... You’re telling me that someone like you only goes for one thousand Jerin?”

“Actually, it is twenty-six thousand, but I’ve saved up most of that.” she replied lightly.

“Well, that does sound better... But why would you need me? It seems like you’ll be able to buy yourself free soon.” he said.

“No, a slave can’t buy their own freedom. As long as I remain in this region, I’ll never be able to be free. I can’t run away either, in case you are wondering.” she replied.

“Why can’t you?”

She sighed at him then turned around. “See the small of my back, just above my ass?”

Blackthorne stared at both her naked ass and the small of her back. “Oh, I see it.”

“Place your hand there for a moment.”

He did as he was directed. After a brief second passed a flash of light flared outward and tattoo appeared. It was a stylized set of wings. “What is this?”

“It’s a summon rune. If I run, my master merely summons me back by a simple word of command. If I hurt my master or ignore his commands, I am hurt in turn.”

“Who would want to hurt you?” asked Blackthorne curiously. She looked like a cross between a fitness model and an angel. Now that she had called herself a Valkyrie he could see it. Though, she also looked a bit like a cross between someone of Nordic descent mixed with dusky Mediterranean features.

She blinked at him. His serious sounding tone had been a bit odd to her. It was strangely... pleasant. “My people are considered trophy wives if we can be captured. Everything that happens afterward hurts me.”

Blackthorne looked at her for a moment, and then nodded. “Fine, I’ll help you and you help me.”

“Great! Let’s go wake my old master up so you can buy me!” said Jackie with great excitement. She gripped his arm tightly then dragged him toward the Screaming Onion Tavern. It was time to get out of this damned town.

***