Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Chapter 33.
Eddie opened his eyes in the pitch-black darkness and prayed fervently.
His small home, furnished with diligent savings, his warm bed.
…He prayed to be awakened upon it.
But what he felt against his back was the damp, cold stone floor.
As soon as he inhaled, a terrible stench pierced his nostrils.
“Ugh…”
Agony coursed through his body.
It was from the injuries sustained during the brawl with the gang members.
And on top of that, as 'revenge' for the ones he killed then, the guards beat him whenever they were bored.
If it weren't for the 'god' protecting him, he would have been a corpse long ago.
But more painful than all these hardships was something else.
Ignorance.
What time it was.
Where he was.
Why the gang members had kidnapped him.
Whether Dorin, that bastard, had managed to escape safely.
He knew nothing.
The only facts he had learned over the past few days were that there were several people in the same predicament as him beyond that darkness, and that at regular intervals, one of them would be seized by the guards and disappear.
He didn't know by what criteria or in what order they were called.
However, a few minutes after the movement ended…
“Kiiiiiaaaaaaaah-!”
A scream, terrifying even in dreams, echoed faintly.
The sound of teeth crushing bone, of flesh being chewed.
‘Fuck… what the hell is going on.’
He didn't know what it was, but he knew one thing clearly: if he stayed put, he would die a dog's death.
Therefore, whenever Eddie regained even a minimal amount of Stamina, he persistently rubbed the leather straps binding his wrists against the protruding stone fragments on the floor and walls.
Blood streamed down, flesh peeled away, but—
‘Got it!’
Right now.
Taking advantage of the perfect opportunity, when the guard's snoring could be heard faintly.
He freed himself by removing the ankle restraints and blindfold, and was able to look around the cell.
‘There must be something, something.’
Even if the sky falls, there's a hole to escape through.
Even if dragged into a tiger's den, one can survive if they keep their wits about them.
Eddie muttered these phrases incessantly as he scanned the interior of the cell he was trapped in.
A loose iron bar.
Or a small gap leading outside.
Even, if the guard had carelessly dropped a fork!
Anything, anything that could give him hope in this damned situation.
“……”
But that desperate search didn't last long.
As his fingertips fumbled beneath the iron bars, he felt a strangely smooth texture.
‘What is it?’
Eddie lowered his posture and stared intently at the narrow gap.
And finally, he recognized it.
‘A magic circle…?’
Beneath the iron bars.
Complex formulas and bizarre shapes were densely drawn.
It wasn't just a doodle.
It was a special sealing magic circle, the kind used in the detention facilities of the Public Security Bureau.
Eddie's eyes wavered.
‘Damn it! Why is something like this here….’
A Magic Tool.
It was a truly wicked piece of equipment that would sound an alarm and emit an electric shock on its own if a shock of a certain level was detected.
Having spent a lot of time in detention in his youth, he couldn't mistake it.
‘…I can't get out of this.’
Strength slowly drained from Eddie's body.
It was a Magic Tool that would remain unharmed even if cut by refined Aura.
Unless he could break it with his bare hands.
Escape from this cell was impossible.
It wasn't for nothing that the guard was sleeping so peacefully.
‘…Is this, is this the end.’
Strength slowly drained from Eddie's body.
He collapsed onto the floor, groaning.
The pain in his entire body, the blood flowing from his torn wrists, no longer mattered.
He would die soon anyway.
He saw the frayed wrist straps in his eyes.
If the guards saw them, they wouldn't leave him alone.
They would either beat him to death.
Or drag him away to be fed to the 'monster.'
Eddie let out a deep sigh and buried his face in his palms.
In the pitch-black darkness.
He recalled a face he had tried to forget.
‘Miss….’
Yor Radenbach.
How wonderful it would be if he could see her one more time.
It was at the moment moisture welled up in Eddie's eyes.
Click—
With a small mechanical sound, the iron bars began to slide open slowly.
“……?”
He blinked several times, wondering if it was a dream.
But it was reality.
The Magic Tool iron bars, boasting impenetrable security, were opening without any warning sound.
‘What is this?’
Eddie, with a bewildered expression, pushed himself up from his spot.
‘Is someone helping me escape?’
Unbelievable, but an opportunity he couldn't possibly miss.
* * *
“…It's damn wide.”
Gunter advanced slowly, surveying his surroundings.
This bunker, formerly used as a secret base by the rebels, was far too vast for just one gang to use.
‘Am I about halfway there?’
Perhaps thanks to the Heart Calming Technique, or perhaps due to the sheer number of heart-pounding experiences he'd had recently.
Gunter's mind was incredibly calm as he walked through the underground filled with gang members.
The fact that the infiltration difficulty was easier than expected also played a part.
‘…What is it?’
Before entering, his greatest concern was the surveillance Magic Tools.
Border City, with its advanced Magic Engineering, had all sorts of tools.
Strange devices that could perform the roles of CCTV, thermal cameras, and motion detectors.
Though expensive, a gang that had attached itself to Rutien and earned a tremendous amount of money could likely have installed a few in their hideout.
That's why he had activated 'Frosty Stealth,' expending precious Magic Power.
But the Magic Tools installed throughout the corridors—
‘What the hell…?’
They were all deactivated.
It was as if someone had intentionally tampered with them, allowing for an intrusion.
For a moment, he thought it might be a trap, but…
‘Does it make sense to lure me in so obviously?’
Gunter pondered for a moment before advancing again.
Whatever it was, now that he had come this far, there was only one option.
After reaffirming that, it became easy.
“Ugh… my finger, my finger…”
“Your finger?”
Gunter held his dagger in front of the gang member's eyes and waved it.
“Hmm, if that gets blown off, will you even care about a severed finger?”
“Eek!”
The gang member's loyalty ended there.
The facility's layout.
The troop size and deployment.
The location of the 'feeding hall' and the prison in the depths.
Even what was happening here.
He confessed everything he knew.
While speaking incessantly, his anxious eyes never left his wound.
“Th-that’s it, right? I swear I didn't lie about anything. So, stop the bleeding… stop the bleeding! I'm going to die if this continues!”
Gunter looked at him with disbelief.
To tremble so much over such a minor bleeding, after participating in kidnapping people and feeding them to monsters.
Sensing the chilling atmosphere, the man pleaded.
“Hey, you promised! You said you'd let me live if I told you everything! You swore on your father's honor!”
Gunter stood up with a faint sigh.
“Yes, I promised.”
His face shone with hope.
Looking at him, Gunter moved his hand.
“…Gulp!”
[Ninety-Nine Overlord Knight King respects your judgment]
[Red Street Pillar adds that that guy probably lived his whole life breaking promises too]
[Addict Saintess smiles with satisfaction at your ruthlessness towards the wicked]
Gunter flicked the blood off his dagger and approached the doorway.
‘I got all the information I needed. Time to pick up the pace.’
Although it was a large gang capable of cooperating with Rutien, there were bound to be fewer guards late at night.
This was because they were busy managing various establishments.
Many of the core executives would also be away.
Having confirmed that, he no longer needed to be cautious; he could break through and go rescue Eddie.
…Thump.
Just then, another set of footsteps echoed from further down the corridor.
It was at the moment Gunter held his breath, preparing to ambush the approaching individuals.
‘Hmm?’
His ears perked up.
He realized the approaching footsteps sounded strangely odd.
The sound of something being dragged.
A limping rhythm.
It sounded like someone was being supported as they walked.
And then…
Ting—!
The subsequent notification sound pushed Gunter’s back towards the corridor.
[Custom Scenario Updated!]
✔ Eddie has been found!
-
Guide him out of this place.
Gunter's expression became peculiar.
‘…How on earth?’
He escaped on his own, didn't he?
.
.
.
Even without wearing a mask, Eddie didn't recognize me immediately.
Perhaps it was due to the dim lighting, or perhaps because the situation was too unbelievable.
“You bastard!”
He charged at me, swinging a sword he must have found somewhere, but stopped right in front of me with a dumbfounded look.
Tok—
As drops of blood fell from the tip of the sword, one after another.
Only then did Eddie's eyes tremble.
“G-Gunter?”
“Eddie.”
Truly, it's a sight to behold.
That idiot would show me such a happy expression.
‘It’s the face he only shows when he's grinning at Yor.’
Deep relief settled over his face, which was even more disheveled than usual.
I met his gaze, feeling a mix of pity and visual grotesqueness.
“You, you, really, no, how are you here….”
“You have a good cousin.”
“My god, Brody….”
Eddie clasped his hands together as if in prayer.
Blood had dried on every knuckle, but his smile was bright.
I patted his shoulder and said,
“By the way, I didn't expect you to escape on your own. Didn't you need me?”
“I thought I was as good as dead. The prison door suddenly opened… Ah, could it have been you?”
“No, there's no way.”
A hypothesis that had been lingering in my mind became certain.
I looked at his pathetic state, then shifted my gaze behind him.
“……”
Three people stood awkwardly, observing me with wary eyes.
One woman, two men.
All contractors.
“Cellmates?”
“Yes.”
“Then, let's escort them this way for now.”
Even after dealing with the nearby gang members, we couldn't stand in the middle of the corridor indefinitely.
As I led them into the warehouse where I had been hiding, I closely observed the reactions of the offerings standing before two corpses.
“……”
The woman showed little reaction, while the two men's eyelids twitched.
‘One combatant, two non-combatants.’
Naturally, not all contractors are combatants.
[Master of the Small Hearth watches you with anxious eyes]
[One who likes yeast shrinks back]
Judging by the gods they contracted, they seemed to be cooks or blacksmiths.
Moreover, they were injured and appeared to have difficulty moving.
I looked at Eddie without a word.
“What's with that look?”
“Nothing.”
I was just looking at him with pride.
Memories from another world line also surfaced.
“Everyone, get back! It's dangerous! I'll handle that guy!”
“They're my subordinates, I'll take responsibility!”
That annoying old man who always picked fights.
A guy I'd lived with for months, but with whom I had no particular fond memories.
…There was a reason I readily set out to rescue him, beyond the reward.
“Eddie.”
“Tell me. I'll follow your plan.”
“Leave.”
I pointed in the direction I came from and continued,
“I've cleared most of it, so it shouldn't be dangerous.”
“…That sounds like you're not coming with us?”
“What, are you scared?”
A look of reproach, as if asking if this was the time for jokes, was briefly cast my way.
But there was no other choice.
‘It would only be a hindrance when facing the Mother.’
Just then, the other two offerings spoke with expressions that suggested they were about to faint.
“U-um, shouldn't we leave quickly?”
“Let’s… let those who want to stay, stay, and those who want to leave, leave.”
They seemed extremely anxious about the delay in their escape and kept looking down the corridor.
Their appearance made it clear what kind of treatment they had received here.
‘Hmm?’
But surprisingly, the woman was calmly rummaging through the gang members' belongings.
She then found a few daggers and smiled with satisfaction.
With that, she would be sufficient support for Eddie.
Having finished my calculations, I quickly gave instructions.
“You won't be able to go far with these people. Don't wander around and get caught; just find a suitable building nearby and hide. This—”
I tore off a piece of my sleeve and handed it over.
“Hang it by a window, and I'll find you. If the situation becomes unfavorable, you can escape first. You'll be safe once you reach the nearby elevator.”
“Elevator? Ah, damn… this is the lower levels.”
Eddie's expression hardened as he realized that danger still lurked even after escaping.
However, it didn't take long for that face to transform into that of a captain responsible for twenty subordinates.
“Good luck… Oh, and.”
“?”
“Watch out for the guy with the X-shaped scar on his face.”
“Scar?”
“I don't know if he's here now, but his skill is unusual. I was captured by him too. I couldn't even land a single blow.”
Eddie is overestimating my abilities.
He saw me mow down Paladins and the Holy Army in a Divine Possession state.
Yet, he seemed tense.
I etched the information about the Scarred Man into my mind.
“Alright, I'll be careful.”
“Good, then I’ll see you outside.”
Eddie, after bumping fists with me, moved away with the contractors.
Ting—!
[Custom Scenario Failed!]
A completely unexpected message suddenly appeared.
I stopped abruptly and fixed my gaze on the following message.
-
Eddie has died.