"Zaagar, I have brought you another miner," said Lem as we entered the compound which has lines of three-story buildings. The stone skin woman turned toward us; she is the same race as the stone skin man named sart, but taller and fitter. Though she is weaker, despite being on the same level; Sart is stronger than her or Lem, and even Rox. "Good, but one would not be enough if Sart wants to increase the output. I would need at least fifty collared or at least two hundred employed," said the stone skin woman as she looked at me. "Your cousin knows it and he had posted a request in the city; I am sure some people will accept it," said Lem. Snort! The woman snorted, "With the kind of pay, he is offering. Only desperate ones will accept the job. Tell him to find more crashers," said the woman Zaagar, and I felt her pulling me toward her. I could feel the faint killing intent leaking from the Lem, and the women sensed it and smiled at him in a challenge, but he looked away. "I will tell him that," he said gruffly and walked out of the compound while the women's three eyes turned to me. "I am sure Lem had already explained the rules to you. So, I will not do it, but remember, if you broke even a single rule, you would wish you hadn't," she threatened. "I understand," I replied. "Good, I like humble ones like you. Most crashers take time to understand the reality they are in," she said, and I did not say, choosing to remain silent. She looked at me before two things appeared in her hand. One hand had two books, and the other had a ring. "Practice the first method. You have until tomorrow morning. The storage, have the tools you will need to do the job," "Lose them and you will receive the punishment," she said and took me inside the compound. We stopped at the seventh three-story building and entered inside. The building seemed empty, but I did not know why. Soon we reached the top floor, and she opened the third door. "From now on, this will be your home till you earn your freedom," "Every day, you will mine the require a quota of daros crystals. The more you mine, the sooner you will earn your freedom," she said. Though I did not fail to notice the spark of mirth that appeared in her eyes when she spoke the last sentence. She gave me one last look and walked out of the hall while I look at the small room, which had three bunk beds for six people to sleep. I walked toward the one, which had been unmarked. The moment I touched it; it turned green like rest like the storage. It is connected to the collar, as the storage the women gave me. Everything here is connected to the collar. I noticed how it sends and receives the signals from the hundreds of artifacts. With such tight security, it will be hard to escape here. Though I will do it, as I do not, see any other option for my freedom. I am not an idiot not to see the hints, there is no freedom, and even if what they said is true, one wouldn't be alive to enjoy it. Because what they are mining is not a simple thing, but a toxic crystal in its unpure state. The moment they had said the word, my clones had scoured through the library and found all information about the daros crystal. I became even more sure after I opened the first book and look at the method they have asked me to practice. It is a method of detection for daros crystal. After practicing the method, I will be able to send the waves to find the daros crystals and it is extremely dangerous, seeing the waves will enter back in the body with the response, and with them, they will bring toxic energy to the daros crystal. From what I had read, toxic energy is extremely dangerous and sticky in nature. The second method she had given me will remove that. Unlike the first method, the second method is hard to understand, much less practice, but if one did it, then one will survive for at least a decade. If practiced perfectly, then it will be able to not only completely expel the toxic energy but also use it to strengthen one's body. I looked through both methods and handed my clones to study, while I look at the storage. It only contains the mining tools, but also a few books, which had the rules of the mine, as well as thorough detail about the crystals. There is even a book, which has complete detail and ways of earning freedom. The quickest way is to find the highest grade of doras crystals; I would only need a thumbnail worth of it, and I will gain freedom. I do not believe that even for a second; if I find it, the bastards will find some way to keep me in mine and more crystals of the same quality. There is only one way to get freedom, and that is to escape, but it will be extremely difficult. As there is not only their collar which tells them about my every position, but also the powerful guards. Still, no matter how difficult it is; I will escape. Click! I was reading the book, when I heard the door clicking open and two people, in dusty clothes, walked in. "A new mate; I was wondering how long it will take them to replace Dom," said the man. At first glance, he looked like a human, but he is not when you look at the light black scales on his temple. He looked to be in his early thirties. The one beside him was a human, and he seemed to be in his mid-twenties. Both of them are wearing collars like me. The human is on the same level as me, but the man with a black scale on his temple is Primary-III. His energy is in same in line with the Primary stage, he is not level of Lem and others; it is a grade higher. "Hello, I am Michael." I introduced myself. "I am Rim, and this is Jax," said Rim with scales. "I assume both of you are not from the prime world?" I asked, to which they shook their head. "No, we are also minor worlds, had the luck to crash into this prime world," said the human Jax. "I would be really grateful if you tell me about mine and daros crystal I have mine from tomorrow," I said, and a grin appeared on their faces. Click! "Knowledge is not free, you will have to give us something in exchange if you want to know about that," said Rim and I was about to reply to him, when the door opened and what I saw couldn't help but make my eyes widen. Two people had come in, bringing the women in their arms. The woman on the left had blue skin and a tail, while the man on the right looked mostly human with grey skin, but had a red crystal on his forehead. It is the women in the middle that attracted my attention the most. She is bloodied from head to toe. She is the same woman; I saw getting whipped when I entered the mine earlier.