Chapter 117 - An Old Friend

"There's a farming zone?" Miles asked in surprise, glancing at the boy.

"Of course there is," the boy said smugly. "Even though this base is underground, it has all the basic industries. But most of them are still in the early stages, so production is limited. Only the higher-ups get to enjoy those resources."

"And what about us?" Miles inquired.

The boy spat on the ground, his face darkening. "We're just cattle, here to feed the fattened pigs at the top."

Isaac, sweating as he worked, asked, "With all this oppression, hasn't anyone tried to rebel?"

"Rebel? You must be joking," the boy scoffed. "The soldiers' bullets don't care who you are. One 'peanut' shot, and everyone else falls in line." He turned and lifted his shirt to reveal a scar on his lower back. "I tried to run once. They caught me. Those bastards aren't human."

Miles leaned closer, his voice dropping. "What if I said I could get you out of here?"

The boy froze, his eyes narrowing. "What are you planning?"

Miles didn't waste words. He waved a hand, and a handgun materialized out of thin air. "We're here looking for someone. Help us find him, and I'll take you with us."

"You…!" The boy stared in wide-eyed amazement. "You're an ability user?"

"I am," Miles admitted, unbothered by the revelation. He knew ability users held a certain status within the base. Even if his identity were exposed, the higher-ups would try to recruit him rather than kill him.

"Then why are you here—"

"We're not here to join these people," Miles interrupted. His voice lowered conspiratorially. "We're here for our friend. We'll leave once we find him."

The boy nodded, understanding. "Makes sense. Someone like you could thrive anywhere. Why would you want to work for someone else?"

Miles grinned. "So, what do you think? Help us, and I'll reward you handsomely."

"What kind of reward?" the boy asked, cautious.

"Roast chicken," Miles said with a wink.

After seven or eight grueling hours, the end-of-shift bell rang.

Exhausted workers staggered out of the mine, their faces ashen, gasping for fresh air like drowning men breaching the surface.

"God, I thought I was going to suffocate down there," Isaac muttered, collapsing in a corner. Even with his enhanced physique, the stifling environment had pushed him to his limits.

"Headcount!" Davis, the hulking overseer, barked as he strode forward, a flashlight and clipboard in hand.

"One!"

"Two!"

"...Ninety-seven!"

When the last miner called out their number, murmurs of discontent rippled through the group.

"Another three dead," someone muttered.

"No, five—don't forget the two new guys," another corrected.

"Goddamn it," a third worker cursed. "When will this nightmare end?"

"Maybe it's time to grab a gun and fight back!" someone else hissed.

"Fight? And then what? Where would you even go?" The silence that followed was deafening.

The boy leaned close to Miles and whispered, "The guards will switch shifts soon. That's when security is the weakest. We can rest for two hours before making our move."

Miles and the others were ushered into an adjacent cavern to rest. The space was dim, damp, and reeked of mildew and decay, punctuated by the occasional stench of rotting flesh.

Once in a quiet corner, the boy spoke again. "There are two guards at the entrance. They barely patrol because this is the lowest level of the base. If we take them out quietly, we'll have a chance."

"Not a problem," Miles assured him, clapping Isaac's shoulder. The latter nodded silently, his expression grim.

Isaac's raw strength was terrifying. He could lift a car with ease—dispatching two guards would be child's play.

The boy glanced at Isaac with suspicion but continued, "After the mines, you'll reach the power plant. You probably saw it on your way in. Guards are stationed every ten steps there."

"Guards aren't the issue," Miles interrupted, his tone serious. "We're not just escaping. We're taking our friend with us."

"Your friend is lucky to have you," the boy murmured. Then, with a sigh, he added, "If your friend is just a regular guy, he's probably on the second underground level. The weak always get stuck with the worst jobs."

Miles scratched his head awkwardly. "He's… capable. Just not very lucky."

"Then he's even worse off," the boy said with a wry smile. "In times like these, you can afford to lack anything but luck. Without it, you're already halfway to dead."

Miles chuckled despite himself. "You're not wrong."

Isaac, growing impatient, snapped, "Enough chatter. What's the plan?"

The boy leaned closer. "The second level has about three hundred guards spread across the different zones. I know a route to bypass most of them and reach the supervisors' quarters."

If they wanted information, they'd need to capture someone in charge.

"Two supervisors will be resting there while Davis is on shift," the boy continued. "But if they don't know where your friend is, there's nothing I can do. This base is massive—tens of thousands of people. Finding one person won't be easy."

Half an hour later, the overworked miners were snoring soundly, their snores echoing through the cavern.

Miles, Isaac, and the boy crept toward the entrance, crouching low. As promised, the two guards were dozing against the wall, their rifles resting on their laps.

"Isaac," Miles whispered.

Isaac moved with the silence of a predator, his powerful hands closing around the guards' necks.

Snap!

Snap!

The guards crumpled, their lives snuffed out in an instant.

"Whoa!" The boy's eyes widened in awe. "You're a beast! Were you in the army? Do you take apprentices? I'm strong and don't mind hard work!"

Isaac's lips twitched in a restrained smirk. "Let's focus on getting out of here alive first."

The trio slipped through the dim corridors, their footsteps muffled against the cold, hard ground. After about ten minutes, the boy stopped outside a doorway and gestured inside.

Isaac entered without hesitation. Moments later, his voice echoed from within. "Come in."

Miles and the boy stepped inside to find two supervisors bound and gagged on the floor, their eyes wide with terror. The speed and silence with which Isaac had subdued them were beyond their comprehension.

The boy gaped, his jaw slack. "Holy crap! These guys are elite soldiers! How'd you take them down so fast?"

Isaac ignored him, glancing at Miles. "Start questioning."

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