Sowed seeds, torn ties.

The moment Oz stepped through the safety portal, Something akin to a cold gust of wind raised the hairs on his neck. Instantly he grabbed hold of the knife in his pocket. But couldn't move beyond that as the invisible wind had enveloped him whole and kept his body static. His eyes darted around seeking something, anything! But there was only darkness around. The prison of wind, as if he were a marionette, took his feet off the ground and bent his body in what could only be called a common forward sitting position.

Like an invisible car, the prison of wind brought Oz through the darkness and rocky ground with speed.

Locked and unable to move the man calmed himself and focused on the path the wind took him through. He didn't know what awaited ahead so he thought it best to have a runaway route in mind. Even if it's a portal to a planet infested with Lizardman.

Not ten minutes later, the wind stopped at a row of people locked in the same sitting position as himself. A few seconds later, though he couldn't see, he felt two more people arrive by his right side. 'Lucia and Malek?' Oz thought and frowned. 'They were the next ones behind me. If we're positioned in order of arrival, then that disgusting pig who came first…''

He tried forcing his neck towards the left, but the wind prison didn't allow it.

"And behold, the last survivors have finally joined us." A light came over the gathered as the voice spoke from above.

At that instant, the people encased in the prison of wind were put in a standing position and were all released when their feet reached the ground.

Oz abruptly looked to his right and confirmed his thought. Lucia was biting her lips and holding her arm, Malek frantically searched the sky for the owner of the voice. While the malnourished child… was standing? Oz looked at the boy who had regained a bit of color and noticed that the child's eyes were full of life as he stared back with an emotion Oz didn't recognize.

'Now that I think about it..' Oz felt stupid by only noticing now, but his body was whole, his broken ribs and twisted ankle were all healed. 'Was it the portal, or the wind?' He pondered for a second before remembering a man much more worthy of his attention now.

His neck turned slowly, and he flashed a gentle smile at his target.

The fat man returned his gaze with apprehension. Oz had no visible changes in his calm smile. Even as the crowd that numbered over a few thousand started getting loud. He still just gazed at the fat man whose face went increasingly oily with sweat.

"Hey there." He greeted.

****

"Please, don't be too excited. If you quiet down I, Bernard Bright of the Bright household, will explain everything." The voice in the air resounded again. This time they saw to whom it belonged. A young-looking man wearing a snow-white robe adorned in golden details was floating above, smiling at them from at least three meters in the air.

Gasps could be heard everywhere. They had seen a lot on earth, but strong as they were, the lizards didn't fly.

Bernard might've said it with a helpless begging tone. But his soundless wind was nowhere so polite and kept everyone from moving their mouth and feet, proving he was indeed not an angel.

"Thank you Pixie" He smiled gently at something on his shoulder, before redirecting his gaze to the people below.

"What happened to your planet? Why did it happen? And what to do now? I'll answer those three questions only."

Seeing all eyes on him, the young man nodded. "This is what I like to see." He snapped his finger and the wind once again went away but this time nobody spoke.

Instinct demanded that if a floating man that could speak to the invisible and encase you in a wind prison wanted attention, you should give it.

"I'll only explain what you need to know, so make sure to listen." He said while raising two fingers up.

"Answering the first and second questions; Your earth has been taken over. That planet is no longer yours. Normally, worlds dry of myriad essence like earth are left alone. But the descendants of the great snake must've found a use for either you humans or the planet itself. So they came, and without competition, took it."

Feeling that it was enough of an explanation, Bernard raised the third finger.

"By the law of the strong, they are allowed to freely invade a dry world, but by the law of life preservation, they must allow awakened members of the same kind of race, to give a few chosen and other survivors a place to run to."

'So they are allowed a part of the loot if they are of the same race or very similar.' Oz concluded and narrowed his eyes "No different from vultures.." The thought escaped his lips. Lucia widened her eyes and let out a chuckle.

Malek visibly panicked and took a step away from Oz.

Oz kept looking calm. He wasn't afraid, the same way the rich won't bother with the poor, the floating man would at most give him some headache. He was, currently so under the radar, that he was beneath contempt.

Bernard paused. The gathered survivors became confused and fearful as the floating man searched the crowd with his eyes. It stopped as he locked on a man and smiled brightly. Every eye followed his and landed on the unassuming survivor standing quietly with crossed arms beside a sweaty fat man and a woman with green hair.

Oz smiled back, he felt the man in the sky was no different than some of the public figures he met in the past. He wouldn't act too harshly in front of the public he's trying to win over. And acting against a miserable survivor in private was also beneath him. At most, there'll be a "Lesson to be taught"

'Though this fat man doesn't seem to know that.' Oz thought.

Bernard's smile widened as the calm survivor, without any shame, raised a hand to point the finger at the fat man beside him. "He said it." That fatty went white as snow and fainted right the moment he met Bernard's direct gaze.

Oz chuckled at the sprawled fatty. Seeing that Bernard was still staring, he flashed a gentle smile and yelled; "Long live the Bright household!"

Some of the fearful ones were quick to follow with their own yell. Bernard's mouth twitched before he decided to continue addressing everyone.

"That's right! We're the light at the end of your tunnel. Here on the resource world D11. A planet owned by the Bright household. We'll awaken your senses to the ethereal myriad essence around and present you with a cultivation learning package according to your evaluated aptitude. You'll be shown a variety of suitable work to choose from. Oh, but don't be too eager. Some of you will be great, but as for others…" He paused, glanced casually at Oz, and continued. "Will end up cleaning toilets for a living."

Oz's expression didn't change.

Bernard laughed loudly. "But even if mediocre, if you're steadfast, and work hard you may advance enough in cultivation and profession to be promoted into a higher tier. Or even another world!"

With how magical things have become, OZ knew the heart of the people has shaken, some might've even already forgotten the fact that those people stood by as a bunch of lizards massacred the world of their fellow men to pick up their part of the loot.

Throwing Oz another amused glance, Bernard turned back and examined the eyes of the now alive-looking survivors, some of them were still skeptical. He chuckled. "Of course, you'll attest to and learn the complete value and the meaning of what I said later."

He clapped his hands. "For now, you'll make do with that bit of information. Any other doubts will be cleared through your stay here. The official evaluation is ten days from today. Use that time to mingle and adapt. After your evaluation, you'll officially be required to work and fill a quota."

Bernard subdued his smile and gazed at the people sternly.

"I'm Bernard bright. Of the great Bright household. I"m the manager of this resource world. If you work hard and follow your path faithfully, you'll eventually be managing worlds and galaxies under the Bright household banner like me."

Recovering his smile the man finished. "So long then, may your path be great." His body flashed like a storm of golden lightning before disappearing.

Oz felt the corner of his mouth go up into a nostalgic smile. There were magical effects and quite a grandiose choice of words but there was no difference in the meaning behind them. It was the same discourse given by corporations towards new hires.

And he knew damn well what a great future awaited dogs who naively worked hard for them.

*****

The gathered survivors divided followed the lead of some of the guides, Leaving behind Oz, Malek, Lucia, the kid, and an unconscious fat thing sprawled on the ground.

"I think it's better if we spread and gather information," Lucia said, breaking the ice.

Silenced and preserved for a few moments, Oz, with narrowed eyes, glanced at her for a second before asking Malek. "Why are you holding your mouth close? I can see it in your face, just come out with it."

"We should go our own ways from now on," Malek said.

Lucia stilled. Oz blinked, and after looking at the purple sky that seemed to be clearing, nodded.

"Wait wait wait!" Lucia got in front of Malek.

"We've been together almost since the beginning. We know nothing and nobody here, are you really going to choose to be alone!?"

Malek gazed at her. Seemingly wanting to say something but chose to walk around her instead.

She tried circling him again.

"Stop, let him go. He's a coward." Oz said aloud.

"Wha-?" Lucia couldn't say any retort as Malek stopped and slowly turned. His frowning eyes staring deeply at Oz's back.

"I'm a coward? Well, coming from a reckless bastard like you, then yes, I must look like one."

Oz turned to him, showing a smile. "I knew from the moment I met you, Mr.deserter. You trembled and nearly peed your pants at every corner we had to turn."

"Shut your damn mouth trash! I saw thugs like you before. You're all about all or nothing, all about that high-risk high reward play. But still, your kind always ends up with a sold wife and no house! Do you think I'll bet my life on your schemes!? You arrived at an unknown place and met the closest thing to a god, and the first thing you do is offend him!" He huffed

Malek turned to the frozen still Lucia "You should leave him too."

"Bu- but Ozzy is not like that at all!" She replied weakly at the man's back.

Without another word, the Malek who lived through the hellish week with them walked away.

Lucia raised both hands and grabbed her head, scratching her scalp roughly. She gritted her teeth tightly. With red-rimmed eyes, and pointed at the silent Oz "It's because you're such a closed book that things go this way! That's why my father always kept you at the bottom hung, he didn't trust you! If you just opened up a little! Just showed a bit of how much you care, then some people might just trust you!"

The man didn't react.

"Why couldn't you just ask him to stay!?"

Oz kept feeling the edge of his knife on the tip of his fingers, sighing lightly he looked at where the people went with the guide. The people that came as guides were residents, some old, some young, they all looked healthy. He understood a bit of how they lived here.

"...You should go too. The guide didn't go too far." He said.

She stared at him in disbelief. "No!" Her teary eyes became completely red. She reached down, grabbed a sizable rock, and threw.

"I won't!" The twenty-three-year-old stomped her feet like a child.

Oz didn't need to duck as it passed at least a meter away from him.

"I'll stay by you!" She yelled. "Until every damn thing gets fed up with your bullshit and leaves, then when you're bitter and dying alone, I'll be there to laugh at your face! Ha! Who knows if you'll die!? Maybe the reason you didn't until now is that lady death didn't want no brooding bastard beside her!"

His glare was anything but gentle.

She snorted and walked towards him. Putting her face right up against his. Her eyes daring him to do anything.

Oz felt something dark inside. having to put up with this girl's bullshit before was one thing, but now he didn't have to. "I don't need useless things by my side."

"Ha!" She scoffed. "What? Are you telling me you don't care about me at all? After years of being my bodyguard!? Do it then, smash my skull in."

He clenched the knife blade and felt the blood flow. 'This is enough, I've never been any decent human being before, I don't need to carry her around. I should just cut all ties here."

Oz looked up, Lucia felt cold on her stomach when she saw his calm eyes.

When he opened his mouth another voice entered the fray.

"P-Please don't fight!"

Women and men froze.

A pair of thin arms pushed them apart, though, it was more of a willing step back.

Not knowing what to do, Oz just blinked repeatedly.

"Haha!" Lucia laughed out loud. She pointed at the boy and sneered at Oz "Oh no, will the big bad thug Oz leave the kid and woman alone?"

Oz glared deeply into her eyes.'Damn it all.' He thought and turned around.

Seeing him walking in the direction of the guides, Lucia felt immense relief inside herself. On that last second, she knew he would be truly done with her if the kid didn't appear.

"Bastard." She cursed and grabbed hold of the kid's hand.

Timid big eyes avoided eye contact with her. 'Is this the same as using pregnancy to hold a crumbling marriage?'

Lucia laughed a the thought and followed after Oz with the kid in tow.

Unknown to him, she already had an ambition since the day she realized what her dad did for a living. And she guessed that working towards said ambition would be everything but useless for the man walking ahead of her.