" Are you sure that this kid lives in the slums? " Hades asked one of the thugs as he cautiously scanned his surroundings. They were crouching behind a heap of garbage which sat in the middle between the outer district and the slums. The wooden houses of the Outer district were located around a couple of hundred metres away but the dilapidated huts of the slums were just about fifty metres away from the garbage. This showed the stark contrast between life in the slums and the Outer district. The slum dwellers were used to the dirt and rot but the outer district was not.
" Yes, I'm sure, We followed him the first time to find out where he lived to ambush him. " The thug replied.
Hades glanced at the speaking thug and asked, " What are your names? "
"I'm Cris and he is Mousa. " One of them replied. The talking thug named Cris had fizzy brown hair and an ugly face with a slightly muscular body while his companion named Mousa had a ratty face with protruding teeth and large ears. They were truly an ugly bunch. Probably the reason they turned out to be thugs. Being born as an orphan was one thing but if you were born an orphan with a face like theirs, then it was a curse.
Hades turned away from them and looked ahead at the numerous huts. There were around forty to fifty huts in the slums. Some of them were deserted but all the others had one person living on it which meant that at least thirty to forty people were living here, scattered all around. Finding a single guy from these tens of small huts was going to be hard. And there wasn't a guarantee that he was even here at the moment. But he had no option other than to try to complete the mission, Boss was already mad. If he failed the mission, Boss might just kill him.
" You said he had some kind of skill? " Hades asked Cris as they approached the Slums. There were some people with hunched back and dirty clothes entering and exiting their huts. All of them were slum dwellers. Most of the people living in the slums were either disabled, old or orphans. The disabled and the old were a hopeless bunch, used to their dirty and miserable lives. But the young orphans were driven. Hoping to get out of this hellhole. Hades used to be one of them and he had succeeded and now he was back here.
" Yes, he has a skill but I don't know what he does. It just happens so fast. when he and Emre were facing off, in just a second, he killed all of the four guys and then appeared ten metres away... It was just too fast... I don't know how to describe it. But if we want to capture him, the ambush is the only thing that might work. " Cris went on a rant, venting his emotions. Their two encounters with Roan had left them with traumas and confusion. But Cris was just thankful that he had managed to survive. Working under the boss was just too stressful. He already lost many of his friends. Mousa was the only one left.
Hades suddenly stopped walking and causing Cris and Mousa to look at him in confusion. Cris was about to speak but Hades cut him off and said, " We will be splitting up. You Cris, go there. Mousa, you come with me. This will save us time. Hide behind the huts and peek from behind while searching. Don't enter from the front door and when you find him, come here and whistle with this. "
Hades handed Cris a small whistle made from wood and swiftly took off with Mousa following behind.
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Hades patted his hands as he approached another rundown hut. This one was even more rundown than the others in the slums. It might even be abandoned but Hades still had to check. He peeked inside and found it to be empty. He turned to another one near and peeked inside. Someone was sitting cross-legged inside. Hades silently walked back and went to get Mousa.
Both of them arrived and Hades gestured for Mousa to take a look. Hades hadn't seen the guy but Mousa had seen him before.
Mousa peeked inside and after a few seconds, turned to Hades and nodded with a slight smile. Hades too smiled under the mask.
Hades quickly rummaged through a small pouch on his hip and took out a small black ball. He then turned to Mousa and gestured for him to go away. Hades watched as Mousa walked away silently and twisted the ball in his hand slightly. He put the ball on the ground near the wall of the hut and followed after Mousa.
"Now we wait. " He said crouched behind a deserted hut far from Roan's hut.
The wooden ball lay on the ground while Roan meditated completely unaware. The ball slowly started releasing thick white smoke which rapidly spread, reaching Roan in a matter of seconds.
Its distinct smell alerted Roan but it was too late. He had already inhaled enough for him to fall unconscious. His eyes rolled back and he slumped down on the ground.
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Roan opened his eyes in a dark room. A pitch-black darkness. Roan's heart leapt to his throat as he swiftly got up from the ground. It was too dark. Roan couldn't even see his own hands. He stood up and extended his hands trying to feel his surroundings. There was nothing but space as he took a couple of steps forward. But a little bit forward Roan's hand touched something. It was cold.
Roan quickly grabbed it. A circular metal. He brought his other hand too and grabbed another one. He let go of both and his hand hit another of that same kind of circular metal stick.
He felt around and found the whole front area to be surrounded by metal. And then it hit him. He was in a cell and probably a dungeon underground which would explain the darkness.
"Who put me here? " Roan shouted as he grabbed the metal bars. It was pitch dark. He could see nothing and it was just as silent. Like he had gone blind and deaf. Roan wanted to shout again but he lost his voice and crumbled to the sticky and cold floor.
"How did I get here? Where is this place? " Roan mumbled as he sat leaning on the cell. He tried to remember what had happened before he woke up here.
He was meditating in his house and then he smelled something. After that... He didn't remember anything.
But it was pretty clear that he was kidnapped. By whom he didn't know.
' It might be that knight. He could be the only one with the ability to do this. ' Roan deduced and then shakily stood up. He had to do something. He felt around the place and reached for the metal bard. He grabbed the bars and stood there as he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.
And it did as slowly silhouettes started appearing in his vision. Roan strained his eyes and looked at the silhouettes. They were bars, cells just like the one he was on. There was a passage between his cell and the cell in front of him. Other than that he saw nothing. It was as if this place had no doors.
"Or it's night. " Roan muttered as he walked back to his cell. He had been meditating in the afternoon but now it was night. Around eight hours might have passed and he had no memory of it.
'Why is he keeping me locked up and not asking me questions ? ' Roan thought as he looked around his cell. It was darker here and after flailing around for a bit, he found his cell to be empty. He wanted to sit down but who knew how dirty this floor was? He couldn't see it and didn't want to risk it.
He stood silently and tried to hear any kind of sound. But it was silent. Dead silent.
'I have to get out of here. ' Roan thought as he grabbed the metal bars. Sitting here, waiting was the dumbest thing he could do. He had to find a way to get out of there.
He had nothing on his body. Not even the money pouch. His heart ached at the thought of losing the expensive sword and his hard-earned money. His life savings were gone just like that. His anger at the thugs mounted as he ground his teeth. He had to make them pay. But before that, he had to find a way to get out there.
He ignored his bubbling emotions and tried to bend the metal bars of the cell. It was sturdy. He tried again and again but he couldn't even feel a slight movement. His hand scraped against the dents made in the bar by corrosion from rust.
'Corrosion? ' Roan thought. And then it suddenly hit him. His dark ether could corrode things.