I decided to put this shit here because the pre-chapter note was getting long as hell.

Ok, well, I tried out first person for the first time and what I discovered was I couldn’t decide between past and present tense. For narration, past tense works best for me. For internal thoughts, present tense works best.

Therefore, I switched between past and present a lot.

So I was torn over what to do about this. I didn’t want to italicize the past thoughts because there’s too many and honestly, an abundance of italics is rather distracting.

Then again, switching between past and present is also a bit jarring for some, so I didn’t know what to do. Since this was merely an experiment, as every other piece of my writing is, I just left it the way I originally wrote it. So if it’s jarring, sorry to the, like, fifteen people that will read this. I made an executive decision and I will live with the consequences.

Chapter 28.5

The Capital of Harrelson

Present. Sunday 6/5/119

***

Chris’s Perspective

The plan was in motion. As Michelle moved towards the city wall exit to wait for me, I lugged Ethan on my shoulder to that guy Harrelson’s mansion.

Since I needed to resume my tough-street-kid performance from earlier, I removed my glasses and re-dirtied my clothes. I also scowled for effect … yeah right. Actually, I was just squinting my eyes because of my shitty eyesight.

It’s not that I couldn’t see at all, but everything was so blurry that I couldn’t comprehend my surroundings very well. It was annoying, so my eyes just kinda squinted on reflex. I forced Ethan to act as my eyes instead. He could sense objects which I couldn’t make out at all, so we ended up developing a cool little system for navigation.

I christened it “Shoulder Code.” Basically, it was a shoulder tapping system.

All right, I’ll explain. A tap on my shoulder from his index finger meant ‘go left’ and a tap from the pinkie meant ‘go right.’ The number of simultaneous taps from the index and ring finger told me how many steps to take in a given direction. A flat palm meant ‘stop’ while a fist meant ‘go.’

With this, I was able to walk through the city rather quickly. It was probably a good thing I couldn’t see since I would’ve gotten distracted by other stuff if I could. I mean, this is a new place. I wanna check it out!

Eventually we turned onto a large road which was a straight shot to the mansion.

After, like, fifteen minutes of walking, a super large house finally came into view. It was blurry as expected, but still humongous. The windows were so large, even my shit vision could see them fairly clearly (relatively speaking of course). It was by far the largest house I’d ever laid eyes on.

To be honest though, it was intimidating. Overwhelming, to say the least. Especially when surrounded by a city comprised of one-to-two story buildings.

It really screams, ‘I’ve got power! See!’

After another minute of walking, I reached the front gate. There were two guards outside and I was sure they would stop me. I mean, that’s what guards are for, right? They ask questions and check IDs, right?

Guess not.

The guards, without hesitation, opened the gates for us to pass through. I frowned slightly out of confusion, but my face eventually went back to normal. After all, there’s really no need to overthink life. They were just expecting me. Let’s go with that.

I gave the guards a reserved, cool-looking nod as I passed through in order to stay in character.

I continued on up the massive-ass driveway that led to the front door of the mansion. Standing at the door was a figure. I couldn’t tell what he looked like until I got closer though.

When I did, the figure turned out to be a rather uptight dude in combat clothes. There was a blurry black lump on his hip, which I’ll safely infer is his gun in a holster. Well, I’m not too sure what else a black hip lumb would be. A bear’s foot hanging from his pocket? Not likely.

I approached him while attempting to keep in character, which turned out much harder than I imagined. As I arrived in front of him, my mind decided to fuck me over and blank on what to say to him.

So, I ran away.

Just kidding. I waited for him to initiate the conversation, or at the very least, say something which I could respond to.

“Boss is waiting for you inside,” the uptight dude said.

To his statement, I nodded my head in cool fashion once again. Oooh, I’m getting good at this.

I followed him into the mansion. Upon entering, there was a … what do they call mansion lobbies? A foyer? Yeah, I think that’s it.

The foyer had three different hallways leading further into the mansion and two staircases leading upstairs.

Two staircases. Side by side. Leading to the same place. Talk about redundancy.

The dude started walking up one of the staircases, so I followed. When we reached the top, he started walking down a large hallway with two wooden doors at the end. So, that’s our destination, huh?

The dude was walking overly fast, which was infuriating but I tried to keep up with him. What pissed me off is that he constantly looked back to see if I was keeping up. Don’t walk so fast if you want people to follow!

Reaching the doors, the dude gave an unnecessary loud knock. There was no reason to do so. Are his knuckles okay? Maybe it’s because the doors are thick. But every kid in school learns that sound propagates through wood well.

A few seconds later, the door half opened and another dude peaked his head out. He looked at the dude, then at me, and then nodded his head before turning back around into the room.

“Boss, the kid who caught the target has arrived,” he said into the room.

“Ohh … great!” replied an enthusiastic voice. “Let him in!”

Out of the corner of my eye, I could barely see Ethan’s face flinching at the sound of these guy’s voices. He probably knew them.

The door fully opened and we were allowed to enter.

When I stepped in, there were obvious dent marks in the walls that looked out of place in the clean office. Not to mention a part of the floor was cracked. Oh well. I guess they had a fight in here or something.

Ignoring the damages, my eyes were instead drawn to the large conference table in the middle of the room. At the table sat a bunch of middle aged guys in suits. They look important. I’m not sure what important people look like but I think they are prime examples.

At the head of the table sat a guy … oh, he stood up. Is he Harrelson? He has a smile on his face and gives of the ‘in charge’ vibe.

I already don’t like him. Not that he’s done anything to me, but from the limited stuff Ethan said about this guy before we left, he’s clearly a terrible person. I hate him.

Ok, calm down me. It’ll be fine.

“I trust that my guards didn’t cause you any trouble,” he said, circling around the table to greet me.

Ok, keep in character.

“Nah, they just opened the gates without saying anything. It seems I was expected.”

I think that sounded convincing. I could feel the confidence in my voice.

“That’s good. That’s good.” He repeated this twice, but I could see in his eyes that he didn’t listen to a fucking word of my response. Instead, he was just staring, very hard, at my shoulder. Rather, at Ethan, who I was carrying.

I guess he’s only interested in him. Ok, Imma do something to accommodate him. Ethan, don’t hate me for this.

I mercilessly tossed Ethan onto the floor near Harrelson’s feat so that he could look at Ethan’s face a bit more. Poor Ethan, though. He landed with a loud sounding thud. Not that it would hurt him, but he didn’t even flinch!

Good job, Ethan. You’ve played your part as an unconscious guy beautifully.

“T-that’s really him.”

Harrelson’s smile became even bigger. He then turned to the important looking people at the table.

“See,” he said to them. “I told you when we raised his bounty that someone would turn him in.”

Heh, you raised the bounty you say?

Ethan’s impromptu plan worked! I tried my hardest not to let a smile slip out onto my face.

To explain, back in Border Town, instead of running away with me … that’s an oddly romantic way to phrase it. Instead of escaping the mob which had formed outside our hotel, he had chosen to stay behind and wreak havoc. I’m not sure what he did, but it had made Harrelson aware of his presence and caused him to raise the bounty.

Which is good cause now I’m collecting that bounty.

Not only is Harrelson basically handing over money to Ethan via me, he’s also going to die. Kinda pitiful when I think about it like that.

Not that I’m sad. Retribution is a bitch after all.

“I’m glad we didn’t have to use the trap we had set.” Oh, one of the important dudes spoke up. His voice sounded frustrated. He was wearing quite the frown too. Actually, all the important dudes were. Was that just their resting face or were they upset about something?

Did I do something?! Probably not.

“True,” Harrelson answered. “We probably would’ve lost quite a few lives in the fighting, but it still would have been worth it. Well, it doesn’t matter now.”

A trap, huh. If no one had turned Ethan in, they thought they could catch him themselves.

Are they idiots? Or are they just that strong.

I shivered at the thought of them being that strong.

Harrelson then pointed at one of the uptight dudes near the door. “You. Take Ethan to black box for the time being.”

Black box? Sounds ominous.

But before that guy could carry out that order, the one who answered the door placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

“Sir, we’re currently using it to punish a group of house slaves,” the door guy reminded Harrelson.

“Oh right. The ones who were envious of Melissa and tried to harm her. Damn, I would rather not cut their punishment short. Still, put the roof over the box and let it cool down.”

“It will take a while for that to happen if we do cover it now.”

“Remember who Ethan Blade is, Darrell. Unlike when we first met while he was on the brink of death, now, he’ll be able to withstand the heat. Hell, he’ll last far longer than the slaves already in there.”

I agree with that statement. Would heat even affect him at all?

“Understood.” door man released the other’s shoulder.

He bent down and slowly picked Ethan up off the ground. It might have just been me, but he looked nervous to be carrying him.

Your fears are warranted sir!

He quickly exited the office with Ethan draped over his shoulder in the same way that I was carrying him before.

As they left, Harrelson turned towards me. “You’ve done me an excellent favor, young man, and in such a short amount of time too. You deserve a reward. Ms. Ti… oh right. She’s not back yet.”

And she’s not coming back! Serves you right!

He looked a little frazzled to not have his trusty secretary (I think that’s what she was) around and was forced to fetch my reward himself.

Wait, reward?! Hell yeah! I almost overlooked that detail. Mission accomplished.

Harrelson walked back behind his desk and pulled out a briefcase, presumably full of money, and set it on top of said desk.

Wait, he was going to make his secretary fetch the briefcase when he was only eight steps away from it?

Lazy! Entitled! Kinda jealous though. I want someone to fetch me stuff as well.

He opened the briefcase with a satisfying click and spun it around on his desk to show off the contents.

Hmm. Looks fine to me. I’ll take it!

“500 grand for you, kid,” he suddenly said. “I imagine you could probably use the money, given the state of your clothes.”

Rude, but true.

“Ha, tell me about it,” I said in a jokingly nonchalant manner while letting out a faked chuckle.

“No, you tell me about it,” he suddenly fired back with a serious glare. Eh? Did I do something to make him mad?

“What’s your situation?” he asked. “Someone powerful like you should be working for me. How about it?”

“No thanks. I just came for the reward.”

“I see,” he said in a dejected tone. “That’s a shame, really. And to think someone your age could take down Ethan Blade, the only slave powerful enough to give me a scar.”

A scar? He pointed at the scar under his left eye, as if to answer my curiosity. “Man, you two’s fight must’ve been something else.”

“It wasn’t that tough,” I replied back with a smirk while shrugging his shoulders. I wanted these actions to give the illusion of confidence, but deep down, what I was saying kinda killed my ego and spurred a sense of guilt.

I mean, though I like considering it a draw, I got my ass beat during my fight with Ethan. But now, I’m saying I won easily.

I feel fraudulent. Pinoccio, eat your heart out.

“Really?!” Harrelson gave an impressed smile. “You must be quite powerful then, huh? What are you? A 5th tier? At your age? You must be one of those freaks that grow stronger extremely quickly without working too hard.”

“Maybe.”

Ehhhhh?! 5th tier = freak?! Then what am I? I’m a 7th tier who hasn’t trained a day in his fucking life. What does that make me?

Aberration?

Monster?

The wielder of excalibur? I personally like this one.

Man, his comment really contextualized the world for me. Ethan had said I was strong, but since he’s stronger than I am, his statement wasn’t too convincing.

I understood now. I guess even the 5th tier is considered freakish, but yet I’m way stronger. Oh yeah, that reminds me. Ethan had said both Michelle and Alex while on the enhancement serum were both 5th tiers. I exceeded them in strength by a large margin. The only reason they were able to fight me was because they had weird abilities.

I just have to accept it. I really am a monster. I’m not sad, but in a bit of shock.

“‘Maybe,’ huh?” Harrelson murmured, repeating my words to himself. “It sounds like you're unsure. Damn, your strength would be invaluable to us. Right, Darrel?”

Door man, I guess his name is Darrel, nodded his head.

“That’s right. If I’m being honest, it’s tempting to put a slave collar on him.”

Huh? Come again?

Harrelson creepily smirked at his statement. “You took the words right out of my mouth, Darrel.”

Gulp.

A tense silence overtook the room.

W-what are they saying? I just came here for a reward but now it feels like I’ll be attacked at any moment.

I began frantically checking my surroundings. Even without my glasses, I could tell that Harrelson and the other combat gear guys were ready to pounce on me at a moment's notice. I felt like a gazelle in the middle of a cheetah herd.

Should the order be given, I would have to fight for my life. Well, not that they could actually succeed, since they consider people at Alex’s level as freaks.

In other words, they were weak. However, that wasn’t the problem. If a fight did break out, it would ruin Ethan's plans.

Fuck these guys for putting me in this position!

No one moved from their positions, especially me. I told myself that I wouldn’t make the first move under any circumstance. Harrelson continued to smirk at me while the others in the room were slowly readying themselves for a fight with me.

Right as I felt they might finally commence their attack, I narrowed my eyes and widened my feet into a battle stance.

“You can try it, but you’ll die for sure,” I said to Harrelson’s face with absolute confidence. There was real power in my voice.

I don’t know if what I said scared him or amused him, but his smirk turned into a normal, friendly smile.

“Of course. I’m sure you are fully capable of making that a reality. Besides, I wouldn’t dare attack someone who had done me such a favor. It wouldn’t do well for my image.”

What the fuck is he talking about?

His image?

So that’s how he wants to play it. I assume he talks like this to my face because he doesn’t realise I know the wolf he is under that thin sheep’s skin.

Until now, I’ve never met someone so skeevy. Though I know what he said was complete horseshit, a bystander would've been totally convinced by that genuine smile he gave me.

Also, can we talk about how overconfident these guys were? Despite what he said, they fully believed they could enslave me if they so desired it. This might be arrogant of me to think, but these guys should take their pride down a notch.

Excessive pride is a sin after all, and someday it will burn them.

The important looking guys began shuffling back into their chairs. Wait, were they going to escape if a fight broke out. I didn’t even notice them sneaking over to the door. They must be experienced at this kind of thing.

Do fights happen a lot? It would explain the state of the office walls.

The uptight combat gear guys relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed they didn’t want to fight me either. I’m glad y’all understand! Peace is good!

It’s all this guys fault. Harrelson. I can’t believe this asshole threatened to enslave me to my face.

I aggressively marched over, grabbed the case of money off his desk and scowled at him while doing so. I couldn’t help but vent some of my anger in that scowl.

I then walked back towards the door and was about to leave when I heard Harrelson apologize to the important guys at the table.

“Sorry about that gentlemen. It wasn’t my intention to cause a scene. Now, let’s restart our discussion from earlier. I’m quite eager to continue, given the great opportunity we have.”

“‘Great opportunity?’ Is it really wise to attack Arbhar? It is still empirical territory.”

I froze in my tracks.

What … did you say?

I didn’t turn my head to face them, choosing to just listen instead.

“Why wouldn’t it be wise?” Harrelson asked.

“If a take over were truly an option, then we would have done so already. However, we always ruled that it would be disadvantageous. We would have to travel down Sucker’s road, which would put our army at great risk. And then, even if we were to arrive in one piece, the empire would surely do battle against us. We wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“But you see, that’s where you're wrong,” Harrelson said as he began pacing around the table. He failed to contain the excitement in his voice. “Recently, a terrorist group rampaged through there and killed off many of their law enforcement. Yet, the empire was nowhere to be seen. Once upon a time, this territory was also empirical land, yet my grandfather claimed it as his own and defended it with only a rag-tag group of mercenaries. While he did so, the empire never intervened. If they didn’t care about this land then, why would it care about Arbhar now? We’ve always though they would, given how little Territory the empire still owns on the continent, but now … now its clear that they don’t give a fuck what happens to the Territories here in the north.”

My eyes widened with shock and confusion.

HUUUUUH?!

Terrorist group?! What terrorist group?! The fuck is he talking about? It was just a small thief gang that became desperate and killed a few policemen. Where is he getting his info?

The empire doesn’t care? According to Ethan, our Sheriff called the empire for reinforcements since the police force had suddenly become understaffed.

Is he retarded? He must be retarded. He’s not making any sense. I mean, there’s no way these guys could win if Empire soldiers were already stationed in Arbhar. It would just be a mass suicide.

Ha, I shouldn't let it get to me.

But if they did show up, what about the civilians. There would surely be a ton of casualties among the residents. Someone I know could be killed.

Huh? How long would it take for the empire to show up? What if … what if Harrelson’s army arrived before they did. What then ...

Before I noticed, my heart rate had doubled and my palms had become slightly damp.

Stop talking.

“T-that’s true … I guess.” One of the important guys answered.

No! Don’t agree with him!

Stop talking!

“Arbhar is a cash-cow for us,” Harrelson continued. “If we can wrestle control away from the locals, then we …”

Stop talking!

Eh? He stopped talking.

“Hey, fucking get him out of here!” he yelled at the one named Darrell.

Oh, he noticed I’m still here. But if they continue, I need to listen more.

I can’t let him attack my home. Everything and everyone I knew was there. If he attacked and won, my friends would become his slaves. My parents would probably be discarded as useless since they’re getting older.

Just thinking about that possibility makes my blood boil. I curled my fist and began to turn around, but I stopped myself short.

If I do this, Ethan will probably come to hate me. He’ll abandon me and continue on with just Michelle. I don’t want my travels with him to end here. Not when they’re just beginning. I can’t navigate this world on my own. I’m too stupid.

I don’t know what I was thinking either. Why did I let Harrelson get me so riled up? After today, he won’t be alive to attack anyone else. My family is still safe.

Ethan, I leave this to you.

Clenching my fist, I turned around to exit the office on my own, but before I could do so, the one named Darrell violently shoved me out.

“Get moving, boy,” he said with a tone of self importance.

Dude, I was leaving! That was unnecessary!

I stumbled out into the hall and began to walk away, death glaring Darrell on my way out.

Honestly, just fuck that guy! He’s the one that suggested they enslave me in the first place!

After taking a few steps, the uptight guy who guided me before ran to catch up. He joined me at my side and wordlessly followed me off the property.

As I left through the front metal gate, the guards closed it behind me. Once outside, I finally dropped the persona I had tried to maintain and let out a face which seethed with anger.

“Tch. Ethan, you better make sure he suffers.”

I can’t help but feel that way. I originally wasn’t the biggest fan of Ethan torturing this guy to death, but honestly, I don’t care anymore. I’m not killing anyone. Morally speaking, I’m in the clear. Ethan has taken it upon himself to give this guy what he deserves, and I have zero qualms with evil shitheads like him being wiped off the face of the planet.

I glared one last time at the mansion before putting on my glasses and jogging towards the city gates.

***

Michelle’s Perspective

I hadn’t been waiting there long, for maybe fifteen or twenty minutes, but I was already antsy. I wasn’t impatient but I just couldn’t sit still.

That has always been a problem for me. I’m not sure if it was nature or nurture, but my Father is also like that. Neither of us could ever endure a moment of stagnation. We always had to be on the move, working on something. Time is money after all.

To pass the time, I tried to observe the surroundings down to the smallest detail. Details that no one would ever need to notice. Like how the dirt of the ground was shaped or how many times a passerby would blink.

Another reason why I did this was because I was trying to take my mind off of my day so far. I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

Ethan is alive. That single fact was on repeat in my brain this entire time. For over three years, I blamed myself for his capture, constantly telling myself that I could’ve done more.

I should have done more.

I investigated his wearabout the entire time, but a year ago I received a report that he had died. I had suspected as such so it wasn’t surprising and I’m sure that’s why my info guy reported it. He was sick of looking for Ethan and used a perfectly sound lie to end the search.

Now, after finding Ethan, fighting some kid and being severely injured by him, now I’m about to carry out a stupidly reckless plan to set a bunch of slaves free. This is not how I envisioned my day going.

It’s not that I don’t sympathize with these slaves, but to set them all free will surely cause pandemonium. I wanted to advise against doing so but it wasn’t my place.

Worst of all, this plan involves Ethan needlessly putting himself in harm's way.

It’s the first time I get to see you in years and you're already putting yourself in mortal danger again. I understand that you're strong now, but it wouldn’t kill you to walk away from a grudge every once and awhile. Not that I’m one to talk. After all, now I’m also helping you with this.

I wondered if I would be capable of carrying out this plan. My ribs were still broken and I wasn’t anywhere near full strength.

Also, my gun. That damn kid broke it in our fight.

Looks like I'll have to steal a firearm off one of the slave-watchers. I think Ethan called them Leashers.

Hmm. What’s the sound?

My ears perked up to the sound of a commotion coming from the Harrelson mansion. Turning my head to see what was happening, the kid skidded to a halt in front of me. Was he the cause?

I looked behind him and saw the people on the streets looking around for the fast moving object that passed them. The sight made me chuckle a little.

“Looks like you scared the people with that speed of yours,” I told him.

“Eh? Really?” It looked like he had no idea he was causing such a ruckus. He turned around to see what I was talking about. “Oh, guess your right. Sorry, street goers.”

Ha, even apologetic. Man, this kid’s the exact opposite of Ethan. I can’t imagine how these two managed to meet.

“So, did you hand him over to Harrelson?” I ask.

To my question, his expression darkened. “Yeah. That asshole won’t know what hit him.”

There was quite a bit of hostility laced in his voice. It seemed something happened while he was there. I wanted to ask, but I held back in case he was uncomfortable talking about it with me, who was practically a stranger to him.

We exited the city gates and away from the guard’s earshot, just in case they overheard our conversation. Maybe the decision was slightly paranoid, since I doubted that even if they had caught on to what we planned to do, they’re knowing it had little influence over the outcome.

I turned to Chris. “If we want to do this, then we should split up.

“Aight. I’ll take the mine.”

“That’s a bad choice. Your talents will be wasted there. Instead, use your speed to free those in the fields. You can cover larger distances than I can.”

“Ohhhhhh. Smart.”

Smart? It’s just common sense to assign roles that fit that talents of the individual. Just as he’s fast and can travel across the large area of fields in a short amount of time, I can clone myself and work effectively within the potentially maze-like location such as a mine.

“Remember, take out the guards first before you try to free anyone,” I advised him. “While I think you could rip apart the slave collars with your hands, the guards should have the keys. Give those to the slaves. It’ll make your job easier if you allow them to free themselves.”

“Roger that,” he said with a smile as he took off down the road towards the first field. It seemed he was quite enthusiastic about helping these people. It’s clear that he lacks understanding about his own actions. I wonder, if he knew that, by setting these resentful, bitter, desperate slaves free, a riot would ensue and would result in the pillaging and destruction of the city, would he still consider his action to be correct?

I’m against doing so, but I understand his point of view as well. His only connection to this place is through Ethan, someone who had directly suffered at the hands of the slave culture here.

I feel I understand him a bit better. From what I could discern from my brief conversations with him before those two departed for the mansion, he wasn’t someone concerned with right or wrong. He understood that, due to his own ignorance, he could only view the world through the lens Ethan presented to him. All he had come to know about this Territory is it’s cruelty, and thus has decided that the correct solution is to destroy the aspects creating said cruelty without considering the consequences of doing so.

A naive outlook on the world to say the least.

I sighed as I turned North towards the Batrock mine. I’ve already decided I would help, even against my better judgment. If nothing else, I must see this through to the end.

I didn’t want to run there, so I started jogging to preserve energy. My ribs ached every time I took a step, but I powered through since it wasn’t intolerable.

***

Ethan’s Perspective

As Chris and I arrived at the Harrelson mansion, after forcing me to guide him through the city via a strangely efficient tapping system, the guards, without hesitation, immediately opened the gates to let us pass.

As I thought, the city wall guards had informed Harrelson of our arrival and he had then informed his property guards to allow our entry.

Chris carried me up the driveway. As he did so, I could sense a presence near the front door of the mansion. I predicted that it was likely a Leasher, and when closing the distance between us, I found that I was correct. The required distance in order for me to accurately sense details of a person’s figure is much closer than if I was just to try to sense their presence alone. That is why it took me getting closer in order to sense the man was wearing combat gear, thus informing me that he is indeed a leasher.

Arriving in front of him, I expected Chris to start speaking but he instead stayed silent. For what reason, I’m unsure. Normally he’s talkative to pretty much everyone. Perhaps it had to do with the character which he was portraying for the occasion.

“Boss is waiting for you inside,” the leasher said, speaking up first.

Good. Short and simple. We are getting directly to business.

Chris followed the leasher into the building where he led us to the second floor. If I remember correctly, Harrelson spends most of his time on the second floor as his office is located there. That must be our destination.

As we advanced down a long hallway, one which, despite my extensive stay here, I had never been down, I could sense the presence of over a dozen people within a single room. That was likely his office I thought, but I wondered about the number of people within.

At first, I considered they might be leashers intending to ambush us, but most of the Geinta signatures were not only of normal human level, they also felt dull. The owners of the Geitna signatures were not warriors to say the least.

Ah, they’re probably committee members. This idea struck me and I quickly realised how probable the possibility it was. I hadn’t met any of them personally, but I had heard stories before; murmurs and gossip here and there from the house slaves.

As we arrived at the door, the leasher gave a solid knock. A second later, someone answered by sticking their head out.

This one’s strong. In fact, he was the strongest within the room.

Don’t tell me ...

He looked back into the room and said aloud, “Boss, the kid who caught the target has arrived.”

“Ohh … great!” replied an enthusiastic voice from inside. “Let him in!”

T-those voices. Even after all these years, I found them taxing to even listen to. They seemed to grate on my nerves in a way which I couldn’t describe. These voices had shown up many times in my nightmares.

The former was Darrell while the latter was Harrelson.

I wished they would disappear from existence.

I could tell that my face held an expression of grimace once Chris turned his head to look at my reaction. I quickly released my expression as Chris carried me into the room.

While in there, I couldn’t have even the slightest reactions since I was feigning unconsciousness.

Although I thought about dropping the farce and wrecking havoc alongside Chris, I wanted a slow revenge without the presence of someone who would most likely disapprove. I’m positive he would not attempt to stop me, but since his perception of me could potentially sour, it would make future cooperation with him all the more difficult.

Chris carried me into the office. Inside, there were a group of people sitting in a circle-like formation. Even with my eyes closed, I could tell they were sitting around a conference table or something similar. For some reason, the conference table itself slipped past my detection and thus I had to infer. Maybe because it was flat?

My guess was correct. Harrelson’s committee was present, but for reasons I do not know. The man who sat at the head of the table stood up and circled around to greet Chris. I had guessed his identity, but I only confirmed who he was once he started speaking. The reason I couldn’t tell from his Geinta alone is because I did not possess my sensory abilities three years ago and thus never memorized how his energy felt.

“I trust that my guards didn’t cause you any trouble,” the voice of Harrelson had said.

“Nah, they just opened the gates without saying anything,” Chris replied. “It seems I was expected.”

“That’s good. That’s good.”

Suddenly, I was tossed onto the floor without an indication or warning. Though my impact onto the ground didn't hurt, it was startling to say the least. Somehow or another, I managed to still my face. It took all of my considerably exceptional concentration to not express my surprise.

I assume some would be angry if Chris had done such a thing to them, but since such an action was inline with his current character, I actually applaud the boldness of it.

“T-that’s really him,” Harrelson muttered to himself, as if he struggled to believe I had been returned. I’m sure he enjoyed me being thrown at his feet.

“See. I told you when we raised his bounty that someone would turn him in.”

So, my stunt in Border Town paid off. I was worried that I went through the trouble for nothing.

“I’m glad we didn’t have to use the trap we had set,” said one of the committee members.

I could hear the displeasure laced in his voice. Either, one, he wasn’t elated about not using the trap they set, or most likely, two, he was incensed with my return. I imagine the reason being because he rightly considers me a dangerous element based on the carnage I created last time I was here, like scarring Harrelson, killing numerous Leashers, and emerging as an symbol of rebellion within the slave population. Lastly, I imagine my presence is a distraction for Harrelson, since he appears to have a detrimentally unhealthy obsession with me. An obsession I would assume hinders his ability to work.

“True,” Harrelson replied. “We probably would’ve lost quite a few lives in the fighting, but it still would have been worth it. Well, it doesn’t matter now. You. Take Ethan to black box for the time being.”

Hmm? They’re going to take me to the Black Box before giving Chris his reward. What an arrogant and self centered way of conducting business! Chris, don’t let him! You hold the power in the transaction but if you let him take me before you see the money, he’ll use the opportunity to not pay you! Treat me like a hostage he’s willing to pay for! Once you let me go, he holds the money, myself and the perceived (but not actual) ability to defend himself should you decide to take the reward by force.

Upon being given an order, one of Leashers standing in the corner stepped forward to carry it out, but he stopped after taking only a single step.

“Sir, we’re currently using it to punish a group of house slaves.”

Darrell had stopped him while reminding Harrelson that the black box was currently occupied. Maybe he’ll hold off for the time being and hand Chris the reward before I’m dragged off. That way, I might even be able to kill him right here once Chris leaves.

“Oh right. The ones who were envious of Melissa and tried to harm her. Damn, I would rather not cut their punishment short. Still, put the roof over the box and let it cool down.”

“It will take a while for that to happen if we do cover it now.”

“Remember who Ethan Blade is, Darrell. Unlike when we first met while he was on the brink of death, now, he’ll be able to withstand the heat. Hell, he’ll last far longer than the slaves already in there.”

You’ve got that right. I wonder if the heat will even affect me.

“Understood.”

A second later, I was lifted from the ground and placed atop another shoulder in the same manner as before. This time, however, it was a Leasher and not Chris. I could feel his hesitancy to pick me up. It was, in all likelihood, for fear of waking me. He quickly proceeded out of the room and briskly walked down an elaborate set of hallways to the west wing.

Upon rounding on the corners, altering me to the nearby presence of the black box, a putrid smell entered my nostrils. It was the smell of feces and intense body odor. I had honestly forgotten how horrid the smell was when I occupied it in the past.

I mean, there wasn’t a toilet inside, or even a little hole for the matter. One would just have to have to defecate themselves on the floor in one of the corners and the cleaners only sanitized once a week. Now, according to Darrell and Harrelson’s conversation, there were multiple people inside, which would only add to the smell’s abundance.

Seeing us, the guard standing outside of the box stood from his chair and unlocked the door. The door squeaked as it opened, and inside I could hear meek moans generated from the slaves inside.

The leasher quickly dumped me onto the floor and handcuffed me to the wall. As they closed the door, I quickly took in my last breath of fresh air before it was cut off.

Sure enough, once the door closed, the smell inside immediately multiplied, causing me to have to force down my gag reflex.

The peep hole inside provided zero light, but I did not need it to sense the other’s conditions. Their Geinta signatures were as weak as small children. For grown men and women, who should have nearly three times the amount, this was a testament to how close they were to death. They had probably been in here for over a day, suffering through temperatures of nearly 130 degrees (≈ 54 celsius) without food and water.

On the subject of heat, it was confirmed. The heat did not affect me. At the most, I felt a light sweat on my skin, but I was fairly comfortable.

My training sure worked. More and more, I ran into scenarios where the smaller, and what I once considered inconsequential, skills proved useful. Heat and cold resistance was a petty skill which Genku forced me to learn. Though I’m now grateful, because of the cold, harsh process in which I learned it, I now hold an appreciation for warm clothing.

Hmm? I looked towards the door as I sensed that Chris had left the building. Unless something had gone wrong, he had obtained the reward. I wished he had received it before I was taken out of the room, but whatever. They didn’t waste any time locking me up, that’s for sure.

I slightly pulled on the cuffs around my wrists. I hated the feeling. It grinded on my psyche in the same way Harrelson’s voice did.

But still … what a fucking joke.

I accidentally snorted loudly when thinking this, causing a few heads to turn towards me.

“So this is how they intend to keep me locked up. Pathetic. I cringe at the thought that I was ever this weak.”

I accidentally said exactly what I was thinking aloud.

I took in a deep breath and with a quick pull, I ripped the chains from the wall. Then, without wasting any time, I applied pressure and twisted the cuffs off my wrists, generating a plethora of gasps from the spectating slaves.

The broken scraps of Giovantine metal dropped to the ground as I stood, rubbing my wrists as I did so. I tried my best to ignore the astonished stares which were intense enough to burn holes through my person.

Harrelson underestimated me. Best guess, those cuffs could only restrain people 5th tier and below.

Even compared to the strongest of 5th tiers, I was at least five times stronger if not more so. Meaning that the cuffs only sealed around 20 percent of my total strength. Even with only 80 percent of my strength, I was still a 7th tier.

Consider that, hypothetically, if the lowest possible strength rating for a 7th tier was a rating of 100, and at full strength I was 160, then at 80 percent I was still 128.

It’s no wonder why the cuffs couldn’t contain me.

I faced the door and widened my stance. I cocked my fist back, pushing Enhancement Geinta into it as I did so. My fist glowed white as I readied to thrust it forward.

[Geinta Fist]

I launched a solid punch at the door and struck it dead center.

BONG!

The metal door exploded forward into the hallway, where it crashed to the floor with a loud series of clanks.

I casually walked out of the black box and looked to the side, where I saw the guard, who had shot up from his chair, flustered and panicked.

“H-how?!” the guard screamed at me. “That door is Batrock metal! It’s indestructible!”

Hmm? Oh, that’s where his confusion lies. I couldn’t believe he was thinking about such things when a hostile was in front of him.

“Yeah, but the hinges weren’t.” I answered him as I reached out and grabbed his neck. I then crushed it with my single hand and released his lifeless body to fall to the ground.

“Batrock is too stiff. You can’t build hinges out of it.” I continue to mutter towards the now deceased guard. For what reason, I have no idea. It’s as if I’m justifying my escape to a corpse.

Maybe I was a bit more talkative than usual with this guard because Hilbert was always so friendly with me in the past.

To touch on the subject, I don’t regret being the reason for death, since he willingly sacrificed himself for me, but I still think it a shame such a kind man left this world. Maybe my bizarre actions are a subconscious yearning for him to still be alive.

I leaned down, swiped the key off the guard’s body and tossed it into the black box near one of the slaves.

“Use it.”

When I said this, the look in their eyes turned dangerous. As they freed themselves, many of them began professing their undying gratefulness to me.

One of them was especially adamant.

“THANK YOU! THANK YOU!”

“I-it’s fine.”

“NO, IT’S NOT! THIS ONE IS NAMED QWESH! I WILL REMEMBER YOUR KINDNESS AND GREATNESS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. IF THERE’S ANYTHING I CAN …

He was screaming very loudly and prattling on and on about me being his savior or something. The other’s held the same look in their eyes as he did, almost as if he were the mouthpiece for all of them.

A minute ago, they were all dying. Where is this energy coming from?

I found it annoying. After all, I wasn’t planning on setting them free in the first place. I never even planned to be placed within the black box at all. I just saved them cause I was in a convenient position to do so. I’m not magnanimous in the slightest.

Honestly, that level of overwhelming good will is off putting to say the least. I hadn’t the slightest idea how to respond.

Therefore, I escaped. I left them to uncuff the rest. Afterall, I can’t be distracted anymore.

As I started walking down the hall towards Harrelson’s office, I recollected my focus. Freeing them wasn’t my objective. From now on, no more favors. Anyone that stands in front of me gets killed.

I began to sense where the leasher’s were located within a 100 yard radius of myself, which covered the entire mansion. Almost habitually, I filtered out the ones located on the other levels and focused on the Leashers who I would meet along the path back to Harrleson’s office.

There were quite a lot. It seemed they were taking extra precautions when dealing with me.

Around the very next corner, three leashes stood in my way.

I’ll start with them. If they were smart, they would run. I might’ve been merciful and let them go, but I know they won’t run. After all, they would be killed if they abandon their duties.

They chose to work for Harrelson, and they knew the risks.

“It can’t be helped. This will be a slaughter.”