Riley opened his eyes slowly. The scent of roasted meat filled the atmosphere, but he barely registered in his mind. His mind was foggy, and he could only remember seeing blackness when he was running away from those attackers.
He didn't even get the chance to know the identity of the attackers. If they were the Steel Wings or Someone — or something else rather. After all, there's almost nothing impossible for his Doom attribute to influence. He tried to move his limbs but found that he couldn't.
Riley grimaced.
He glanced downwards, towards his body, and then he discovered he was tied on a chair— at least the chair was a fluffy one. Still he was cold. He didn't really feel uncomfortable.
After gaining his senses, his eyes darted around, trying to make out where he was trapped, and maybe he could finally be able to see his kidnappers.
"He's awake." A voice cut through the air, startling Riley.
He turned his head just to see a girl — lady maybe, she looked at most twenty two years— well Riley judged based on her appearance and height. Beside her was a skinny man, his hand was moving, turning a skinned boar on a fire, he placed the raw side close to the heat.
"Should I seal his mouth with a duct tape?" The lady asked, turning to the man.
"You don't wanna do that." the man murmured "The worst thing you can do to him is make him unable to talk." he added not turning back to face the lady.
He continued his work, rotating the boar on the fire. The sweet scent of roasted meat intensified in the space they occupied.
Riley mind started to race, he had several questions on his mind. Why was he kidnapped? Is it because he read the veritas? Or was it an agenda to rake money from the Raven family? Is it because of his doom attribute? Or was this his real Nexus Trial? Either ways he knew nothing. Still he was hungry.
"Ah! Nothing like watching someone else eat when you're starving—truly a nightmare."
The lady clicked her tongue, she walked towards him, and then something did something Riley didn't expect to happened. The lady unbounded him.
Riley felt his blood flow smoothly as the rope fell to the ground, he had gained his ability to move again. But he couldn't understand why she had untied him.
Was it a trap? Well he didn't care, when he finished eating he will start to think of a way out. It's not every day he gets to eat meat.
Surrounding them, were red rocks, it was as if his kidnappers made a room appear inside a mountain, there was no entrance— at least as far as his eyes could see. It was as if they glitched— and fell into this space from the mountain surface.
He started to wonder if his kidnappers have a way to escape this entrapment, if truly, they glitched. After all he was in a stimulation world, and glitches are likely to occur.
The scene of the roasted boar jolted him back to reality his mouth salivated, the meat he had been eating in the alley— filled with abandoned MWP robots— were rat meats.
Sometimes birds and earthworms— well if it was classified as a meats. Even in the broken swords clan, they eat chicken meat once in a while, usually when one of the main children conquer a Nexus Trial and advance to the next Nexus Series; which was basically ascending in rank.
He rubbed his hands together, the temperature was slightly cold.
It was as if they were in winter season, but he was sure it was summer, at least when he was kidnapped, was he put to sleep for several months? Or were they in another part of earth that was cold? Maybe they were in the north.
Whatever it was Riley had no idea, so he made his way towards the fire, warming himself. Soon several footsteps resounded above them, Riley wondered if they were being pursued, but he quickly dismissed the idea since his kidnappers didn't look anxious nor were they scared of being found.
Soon the meat was ready, the skinny man tore off one of the limbs of the now roasted boar, he passed it to the lady, he took one for himself, and he seemed to have forgotten Riley was squatting opposite him.
"You forgot me! Well I didn't forget myself. " He grumbled silently, as he tore off the remaining two limbs and started to devour it. To be sincere, he found the taste heavenly — it was the most delicious thing he had ate in years.
"YOU THIEF!!!" The lady screamed. Even the skinny man, who was expressionless, frowned, his eyes showing murderous intent, but for some reason, they didn't make any move to collect the boar laps from him, not that Riley cared anyways.
If they had wanted him to only have one, then they should have given it to him themselves.
"I didn't know kidnapping came with complimentary meals—too bad it's not a buffet." He said sarcastically, his mouth full of meats. "But I have to ask, why did you free me?" he asked, facing the lady.
The lady didn't meet his scrutinizing gaze. She sighed, "It's fair we exchange information, don't you think?" she asked. Finally meeting his gaze.
Riley shrugged. "You kidnapped me just to exchange information?" He asked. Sneakily tearing off meat from the tender ribs of the boar.
"I know you know I can see it in your faces. Don't play games with me. Don't ever ever thing you are capable of that!". he gave them a slight warning.
The skinny man and lady sighed in tandem.
"Let's introduced ourselves" The lady began, "I am Allison and this is Orion"
"Oh, what a beautiful name you've both got… my name is Riley Ross, I'm a madman with a sense of humor, but don't tell anyone." Riley introduced himself.
"We know." They replied in tandem. "Our boss will arrive soon." Alison announced.
"How does he look like?" Riley asked, subtle shifting to fill the revolver he had kept hidden.
"You will be surprised when you see him. But let me warn you. If you want to live, don't say anything about his height." Orion advised him.
Riley nodded like a five year old child. He continued to tear more meat from the boat, exposing the pale white ribs bones.
"Damn it, thief!" Alison shouted. Orion also had his eyes wide opened, he suddenly chocked on the meat he was swallowing, and started to cough violently.
Alison grabbed the remains of the boar, a pained expression on her face, her eyes were watery, and she tried hard not to blink, not once. The whiteness of her eyes were slowly replaced by crimson color, her mouth quivered, she was lost for words. Riley had almost finished the boar.
Orion had a surprised look on his face, he couldn't fathom how a lean boy had managed to almost eat a whole boar— at least it was supposed to be impossible.
And at that moment, he realized that Riley was different from their boss. Their boss was also a foodaholic, but his food consumption was not as abnormal as that of Riley.
The space shook slightly, and a stairs formed out of the red rocks, a passage opened up, almost automatically, reveling another space behind it.
A figure almost as tall as the barrel of water standing by the door stood still with his hands behind his back. He was several meters shorter than Riley.
With white hair and oval face, he stood at the entrance, his icy gray eyes was fixed on Riley. He was wearing a white shirt and pant, accompanied with his silver white hair, he looked like a portable angel...
in short... he was a dwarf.
Riley stood up, looking straight at the figure, his eyes was wide opened. "You… You are me!" he exclaimed. "But I didn't see you here when I woke up—guess I should have looked down." he added with a sarcastic tone.
The other Riley didn't reply him, obviously he missed Riley sarcasm. He was quiet, calm and collected. He glanced at Riley with indifference.
"I'm not you… You are a lesser version of me." The other Riley said. His voice filled with arrogance "I'm smarter, I'm stronger... I'm ... I'm Better!"
"Oh!" Riley was shocked.
"Let me introduce myself to you." The other Riley said, walking inside the room, "I am Riley Ross, the storm, a calamity, the predator and conqueror. And you shall bow to me." He added.
"Of course, I'd bow to his majesty— the conqueror." Riley responded quickly, "It would be a disrespect to make his highness strain his neck just to see my face.
I don't believe in equality— well except gender equality but I believe the one closest to the ground should bow." He said with a shrug, his tone laced with sarcasm.
He turned towards Alison and Orion.
"Between me and my sprout." Riley said pointing to the other Riley. "Who is the closest to the ground?"
Of course, the duo didn't reply him, they turned they attention away from him, to devouring the remaining boar, they pretended not to hear Riley's question. After all they had warned him and he had decided to trigger a calamity.
And then Riley felt a shiver run down his spine. And then he realized he had done what he was warned about.
"Who knew ignoring solid advice would backfire? Oh, wait—everyone." he mumbled and then his world descended into pain.