In the pitch darkness, the Mayor descended the stairs with a blind man's caution. His only guide was the faint bioluminescent glow emanating from Su Jin's Dark Guard ahead. A low, unsettling whirring and humming accompanied each step, echoing eerily in the oppressive silence.
The Mayor could hear his own ragged breathing, the only sound other than the scraping of his careful steps. This underground jail was a secret passed down through generations of Mayors. He himself had never dared to explore its depths, content with the knowledge of its existence.
Curiosity gnawed at him, a constant itch he'd never dared to scratch. But with Su Jin by his side, a strange sense of boldness flickered within him. Perhaps, just perhaps, today he could finally quench his thirst for knowledge.
With each careful step, Mayor Yi Nang descended further, reaching the first floor of the underground jail. However, they did not stop there. They continued descending, down several more flights of stairs until a damp coldness enveloped them. The echoes of water droplets reverberated throughout the surroundings, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the underground depths.
"Is this your first time too, Mayor?" Su Jin whispered, his voice barely audible.
Mayor Yi Nang simply nodded in response, not daring to match Su Jin's soft tone.
He dared not stray, staying close behind Su Jin's Dark Guard as they descended the stairs. He wasn't sure if Su Jin knew the way or not. Finally, they reached the bottom, greeted by a warm, damp atmosphere and a faint stench that permeated the air.
Suddenly, the Dark Guard unsheathed his sword, followed by Wu Yan drawing his dark curved blade, held close to his chest.
"Stay close," Su Jin whispered to Mayor Yi Nang. Suddenly, it felt as though the air itself solidified, and a figure materialized above the Mayor's head. Su Jin swiftly pulled the Mayor toward him, a glint of metal flashing as the sound of metal scraping against leather echoed—a sharp attack aimed directly at Mayor Yi Nang. However, before it could reach him, another sharp, glowing metal sliced through the tight corridor—Su Jin's Dark Guard.
*HMPH*
A stench of blood mixed in with the dampness of the corridor as someone was cleaved in two and cast aside from their path. Su Jin took the charge and came forward as he got down to investigate.
"A Silent Snake..." Mayor Yi Nang pondered the cryptic phrase. "Hired assassins with no tongue, someone does not want us here. Who could it be?" Su Jin asked aloud, breaking the silence, no longer whispering.
Mayor Yi Nang remained silent.
Su Jin smiled and did not press for an answer.
"I will hold them," Wu Yan suddenly said as they reached a wide empty room. Su Jin nodded. The Mayor was not sure if Wu Yan saw it or not in the darkness but they left Wu Yan alone in the empty room. Not far they had gone, but the sounds of a fierce fight echoed out of that room.
They reached a point where a narrow corridor widened, the air becoming fresher and more freely flowing. Mayor Yi Nang couldn't fathom what secrets lay below, pondering the reason for the sudden change in air quality. Before he could finish his thought, they entered a spacious hall.
"Do you recognize anything here, Mayor?" Su Jin inquired, gesturing toward the ancient, broken door of the hall. "Ah! You might not be able to see it properly. Here, use this." Su Jin produced a small, thick, dark stick.
"Press the other end, the one without glass," Su Jin instructed. Mayor followed suit, pressing the unadorned end of the stick. Suddenly, the glass part lit up brightly, emitting a piercing white light that focused straight ahead, rather than scattering like a typical luminous jade.
"What is this artifact?" Mayor asked in wonder.
"It's called a flashlight, and it's not an artifact," Su Jin replied casually, as if it were an everyday household item. "Now focus on what I asked."
Mayor nodded as he focused the flashlight. "These…these markings match with the markings on our Serene Jade City walls." He looked at Su Jin for an answer, accidentally flashing the flashlight bright on Su Jin's face.
"Watch where you point that thing," Su Jin quipped, shielding his eyes from the sudden burst of light.
"I apologize," Mayor quickly said, directing the flashlight downwards.
"Anyway, are you sure?" Su Jin masked his displeasure and switched to the topic at hand.
Mayor, still feeling a little guilty, nodded.
"R1?" Su Jin asked his Dark Guard. This was the first time the Mayor had heard the name of the Dark Guard, Arwon. He had never heard a name like this before, but he remembered it well.
R1's head turned, his red glowing gaze focusing on Su Jin from under his dark hat. "Multiple movements detected, converging on our position," he monotoned ominously.
"Alright, let's ask more from them." Su Jin said, his voice calm yet commanding. "Mayor, stay close and follow my lead."
Without waiting for a response, Su Jin gestured for R1 to take point as they entered the large hall and took a corner to hide.
As they stayed silent, the sounds of footsteps grew louder, echoing off the walls. Mayor Yi Nang's heart pounded in his chest, his nerves on edge as the approaching figures grew closer.
Suddenly, figures emerged from the shadows, surrounding them on all sides. R1 was the only one between them standing tall and menacing without an ounce of fear.
The figures, bathed in the faint glow filtering through the broken doorway, were clad in head-to-toe black, their faces hidden by featureless masks. Short, wickedly curved blades hung from their hips, glinting ominously with a dark sheen. They moved with a practiced silence, their eyes darting around the room, searching.
Their gazes fell on R1, drawn to the eerie glow of his red eyes under his dark hat. He looked like a ghost lurking in the shadows, poised to strike but didn't as they all got alerted. The figures, seven in all, cautiously circled him, their silence broken only by the rasp of their breath and the occasional clink of their blades.