Amon's eyes were fixed intently on Avic. Eliisabet and Custos had also made it into the room just in time to hear Avic's frightening proclamation.
"Avic, what do you mean you're going to become a Sicarius..?" Asked Eliisabet in disbelief.
"Avic, you do understand what you're saying, right!?" Added Custos eagerly. "To become a Sicarius means that you're willing to risk your life, fighting on the frontlines! Are you sure that's what you want?!"
Avic knew that becoming a Sicarius was a very dangerous decision. Despite their bad reputation, Sicarius were usually the ones that fought on the frontlines against monsters, demons, and many other powerful entities. Every Sicarius had their own unique reasons to fight. Some fought simply because they wanted to, others for personal reasons, and some were honorable enough to fight for those who couldn't.
"I'm aware of how dangerous becoming a Sicarius is," began Avic calmly. "But I can't let that stop me..! As much as I hate to admit it, Bolton was right about me... I'm just a guy who's all talk and no bite. But I want to change that... I know that for a long time, I've done nothing but cause trouble for those around me. That's all I've ever been good for... And it took a good ass whooping and a kick from life to the balls to finally acknowledge that! But that's why I want to make my dream of bringing my family back to life a reality..! And that can only happen if I genuinely work for it. I know it's a dumb dream that has little chance of succeeding. But if I don't try then I'll never know if it was possible to make that dream a reality!"
The room was immediately bathed with silence. Avic's determination was admirable. The look in his eyes was different from before. It was clear that he still had the same lazy attitude but there was now something different within him that made all the difference.
"Avic..." Muttered Eliisabet, not knowing what to say.
Amon then picked himself up, looking Avic in the eyes earnestly. He could sense it too—the will Avic had to finally achieve his goals.
"Avic, come with me," began Amon. "I believe it's time I showed you the secret I've kept hidden for 10 years now."
"A secret? What secret..?" He asked.
"Just follow me. Eliisabet and Custos, you're free to come along as well."
The three then looked around at one another with confusion before quickly following Amon. They didn't know what to expect but there was only one way to find out. A few minutes later, they were led a few blocks away from the house, to the tavern.
The tavern was still very much in shambles. Wood, stone, broken chairs, and other items and materials were scattered along the side of the road. Almost an entire half of the tavern had been destroyed. There was no doubt that repairs would be expensive. This made Avic's face burn red with guilt.
"Don't let the tavern's condition bother you, Avic," quickly stated Amon, taking notice of Avic's guilty look. "You made a mistake but it seems you've learned from it. That's the most important thing. Learning a lesson means that growth has been promoted in you. And the value of growth is worth more than a single tavern."
Amon's words soothed Avic. He still felt bad about the tavern's destruction but he was happy to see how forgiving Amon was to him. That meant more to him than anything else.
"Thanks, Old Man Amon..." He muttered softly.
"By the way," interjected Eliisabet. "Why did you want to bring Avic to the tavern in the middle of the night, Mister Amon? Was it just so you could tell him that?"
Amon shook his head in denial, "Of course not. There's a special reason why I have been protecting this tavern. It wasn't only for the sake of my business. In fact, my business is the second most important thing to me when it comes to the tavern."
"Your second? Then what's your first?" Queried Custos.
"Come along and you'll see."
They then allowed silence to settle in once more. This was when Amon walked towards the back of the damaged tavern before moving behind the counter. He then pushed his hand underneath the counter and grabbed an old bottle of whisky. It was cold to the touch and felt quite dusty due to how long it hadn't been used. However, this was when Amon pulled the bottle towards himself like a lever.
Avic, Custos, and Eliisabet jumped in fright as the sound of old gears and stones creaked to life. This was followed by the appearance of an old wooden staircase from behind the counter. It led down into a dimly lit passageway that was located underneath the tavern.
"What is this..? I didn't know that there was a secret entrance located under the tavern!" Exclaimed Avic.
"That's why it's called secret," replied Amon before prompting them to follow once more.
The three couldn't help but look at one another in shock before proceeding any further. They had worked at the tavern for years and had failed to realize that a secret entrance was beneath them the entire time.
"I feel like my whole life is a lie now..." Mumbled Custos.
"Lie is an understatement..." Agreed Avic.
"Well, let's not wait around. We should go see what else we don't know about," prompted Eliisabet.
Everyone then agreed before following Amon down into the dimly lit passageway. A few minutes after descending dozens of stairs, they arrived at a solid concrete wall that looked like a dead end. There were no doors or secret levers that any of them could see.
"We're finally here..!" Rejoiced Avic, almost out of breath. "I've never walked that much in my entire life... I... I think I need to take a quick nap... Give me a moment, please!"
"Denied, Avic. Sometimes I can't tell if you're faking it or if you're really just that unfit..." Murmured Eliisabet. "Sigh... Anyways, Mister Amon, is this a dead end?"
"No, stand back," quickly warned Amon.
Just then, Amon slowly braced the palm of his hand against the concrete wall and closed his eyes. He then began concentrating before a red glow appeared on the wall where his hand was touching. Before anyone knew it, the concrete wall slid to one side like an automated sliding door.
"Was that Hemo Energy? I didn't know you could use Hemo Energy so well, Old Geezer!" Declared Avic in shock.
"Well, that's part of the secret I've kept hidden for the past 10 years. Come along and I'll give you an explanation."
Amon then prompted them to continue following him into the dimly lit room. Not knowing what else to expect, the three walked inside before the concrete door slid back into place, locking them all inside with a heavy bang.
Before they knew it, a bright red glow appeared on the floor, ceiling, and wall, abolishing the darkness around them. This allowed them to see just how big the underground room was. It was just as large as a gladiator's arena and the walls, ceiling, and floor were made out of reinforced concrete and glowing red Hemo Energy.
The room had a soft buzz like the small wings of a honey bee and it was surprisingly cool. A variety of different weaponry lined certain sections of the room as if Amon had been secretly preparing for war. It was also quite notable that there were a few other sections of the room that seemed specialized for combat training which came as a massive surprise.
Avic, Custos, and Eliisabet were left in awe. They couldn't believe that Amon had something like this hidden underneath his tavern for so long. It seemed like the training center of a seasoned Sicarius.
Finally, with the red glow of Hemo Energy illuminating his background, Amon turned towards them with an intense look in his eyes.
"Welcome to my Room of Proditio. This is the secret I've kept hidden for the past 10 years, Avic. Just like Bolton, I too was once a powerful Sicarius!"