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Chapter 067: The Underground People

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High note to low, sharp, long, and distinctive... it was a sound that can never be mistaken. It was a melody created by a violin.

In operas, the violin is one of the most important mood-inducing instruments out there. It can use its sharp tone to induce excitement; its long and lasting 'pitch' can induce a sense of suspense; its short but unique combinations of notes mixes into an elaborate array of emotions... for the violin was an instrument of the heart, higher than a guitar's, and more profound than any stringed instrument.

On some special occasions, the violin's profound music notes can only be appreciated if it was serving as an accompaniment to one or two more musical instruments. Like for example... a piano...

Also called a "pianoforte", the piano was said to be the perfect medium for translating the music of the soul. When accompanied by the violin, these two creates a unique sensation that induces one's emotions better than anything else in between. Of course, it also depended on the musicians playing the instruments but in the hands of a master, their music was just soul-touchingly deep nonetheless.

Here in the 87th floor, such music was playing over and over... but where singers were present, the leader of the kidnappers was there, both eyes closed, and his right hands waving like a conductor having his concerto grosso.

It went for quite some time.

When it ended, his audience looked on with dark-lidded eyes and exhaustion. How many times has it been now? once concerto lasts fifteen or twenty minutes and after one was finished, another would play... repeating tirelessly, over and over.

The speakers were just 10m away from them, max volume, with them tied on the chair unable to even move and get out of place.

Arms, legs, feet were tied in the metal chair and a pair of metal bars on their temples fixed their head in place only looking straight up front. They have been enduring this position for close to an entire day that even when they eat or when they do their thing, they weren't allowed to move away from the location.

The humiliation and anger of having to do it with people watching was mind-torturing. They're only teenagers, but right now, they were receiving the 'primer' mind-tortures meant for continental spies.

Matt was tough, at least, and had endured it all as Rio was even tougher, looking straight at the man in front of her with her wrath painted entirely on her visage.

But Agatha... this kind and gentle young woman, had a distant look as if she had chosen to forget it all and detached herself from the world.

When Agatha tried to close her eyes, one of the guards approached and with a malicious grin, he extended a hand and fondled Agatha's chest from her clothes.

"Get your hands off of her!" Matt and Rio roared as they struggled over and over.

"Don't disrespect my audience, Igorov." Said the man in the front gently that his voice sounded like a woman more than it being from a man's.

The man fondling Agatha clicked his tongue and shot Rio a similar look of lust and licked his tongue before throwing a backhanded slap on Matt's face.

"Igorov!" shouted the man. Who stopped with his concerto-waving and threw a knife at the man who caught it in midair. "This is my final warning."

"Or what?" Igorov laughed with disdain, "Look at them... they're useless. At least one of them could be used but not all of them. The guys at the back are hungry and if it wasn't for you being assigned as the leader of this operation, these two would have been eaten alive since yesterday. It's really disappointing to call you a man considering your voice sounded like a woman and you act like one."

The 'leader' was obviously incensed and stood up from his chair and walked over to Igorov. He then smiled at him with the same seductive charm as a real woman.

"Do you want to know why I am the leader?"

Igorov was a large man with hulky frame paired with an ugly face that could scare a rat to its death, while the 'leader' was quite feminine with a smaller build and pretty boy features.

Igorov was always unwilling to follow this guy ever since he was assigned to this mission. To him who looked like a humanoid troll with over 2m in height, this womanly-guy being the leader of a bunch of large-bodied men was just plain insulting and even downright an affront to his ex-military pride.

Instead of backing down, he hulked over their tiny feminine leader.

"Yes," he grinned. "I wanna know what makes you a better leader to my men than I am."

The man grinned and, with time seemingly going slow, fluidly stretched out his right palm, pushing it towards Igorov's abdominal area.

A light sound of thud and in the next instant, the tall and large man was blasted off the wall and left a dent in it. Meanwhile, the 'leader' with a slim and tiny build was on a kungfu-ish stance; with his legs on a horse riding stance, left hand looking as if he had just released an arrow, and right fist extended where Igorov had just been standing earlier.

From a relaxedly standing position to that stance he had now only took a moment to accomplish.

But it had the power to completely crush Igorov who stood 2m high and weighed perhaps more than ninety kilograms.

The wind of his throw followed next and it was only here that the other guys at the back reacted.

They hurriedly went to check Igorov and are very relieved to discover that he was still breathing and was only rendered unconscious due to the pain.

"Hear this, you imbeciles. The foundations of the World Government are deeper than you can think they are. Those who defy the New World Order will be executed without warning. You're lucky that we have my audience here or if it was in any place else, I would have dismembered you where you all stood. So, with that said, is there anyone else who wants to disrespect my audience?"

No one else spoke. To them, Igorov was already the strongest, but now, someone else was even stronger than he is and can send him flying within a moment with that... weird eastern martial art shit.

"As for you three... er, wait..." when he saw that Agatha was unresponsive which is different from the two, he approached her and with a few press of his fingers to her body and finally to the head, Agatha coughed hard, screamed, and then panted to chase her breath.

"Please... please... don't kill me!!" Now, that was a normal reaction. It seems that Agatha was just too tired and scared that her mind forced her to hide and retreat into a world.

If something, it was actually a good thing since she doesn't have to remember being almost raped multiple of times already.

Matt sighed in relief despite the bleeding face as Rio cried for her friend's recovery... if you can call it as such.

"Agatha... thank God you're alright... sniff..."

"Rio... what happened? Why did I sleep?"

After she recovered from her confusion, only now did she notice the handsome man in front of her.

"Look at what they did to you people. If only I had arrived here sooner, I could have prevented this kind of treatment to you all." at that, he looked at the group of men behind the three. "Who was the imbecile who did this to them?"

Their eyes looked over the unconscious Igorov as he sighed heavily and clenched his fists.

"I regret not having killed him earlier. You, free the boy and bring him away first. You two, free these ladies and bring them towels and fresh clothes."

The three men followed the orders and the man walked over Igorov who was surrounded by all of his men.

"I only said that you let them hear the music but I did not say that you can torture them and humiliate them like this."

As he spoke, he stabbed a hand on Igorov's chest like a knife to butter and blood spurted out as he pulled his heart and crushed it.

The bloody scene did not leave any expression on his face as if the entire act itself was normal.

"Clean this mess. I don't want any marks of this filth in my sight when I come back. MOVE IT!"

After he roared, the scared men swallowed and didn't dally.

Some of them took their boss's corpse away while some of them took cleaning tools and new carpet to fix the 'area' where Igorov has been dealt. The man left the room with a still blood-dripping hand and went straight for the direction of the elevator.

Matt, Rio, and Agatha saw this scene and although they've been quite used to the sight and smell of it while being around Siva, this was still real life and actually seeing someone with muscle strength to pierce someone's chest with his bare hands was a little too... game-like, isn't it?

Still, now that Matt and Rio have been freed by their head-binders, despite the stiff neck, they did exchange a glance... taking down the words that the feminine man said; that the foundations of the World Government was deeper than they think.

Rex was right all along.

The World Government had everything to do with the death of his family. And because they are also friends with him, whether they wanted it or not, it was all still going down to this.

Since they've already entered the lion's den, why not face it head on and die fighting?

Their experiences of the brutality of Terroa had changed them and readied them for the reality of the world they're living. They've chosen to help Rex and now that they have established the line between friend and foe, they just have to live in it and win... or else, their family will be affected.

Rio and Matt didn't say a word as he left first. The humiliating torture they suffered since yesterday closed the gap between them and they got a small understanding with each other.

"Agatha, come on."

"Eh? EEEEEEHHHH?!!"

While Rio pulled her pants up, Agatha blushed and did the same. Had she really forgotten it all?

Rio realized she really underwent a shock and so hugged the innocent and kind-hearted Agatha and led her to the bathroom to take a bath.

Meanwhile...

*****

TING!

The sound of the elevator's bell arriving at the floor resounded but the sliding door didn't open.

Since almost everything in the world is electronic, this 'bell' is also one and it only sounded inside the elevator indicating that he had arrived at his destination. But with a little manipulation, Rex did not immediately open the door and only felt for the other side with his palm on the sliding door.

Its magnetic locks were secured and there was no reaction. There were sounds on the other side of the metal door... loud... it was a piano and violin accompaniment concerto.

Because of this loud sound, the entire interior of the suite became available for his senses and this was enough reason for him to know that on the other side, there was only a single man standing.

—Why was he only standing there alone?

While Siva was pondering, he saw the man look at the elevator and inclined his head as if he was in a deep thought.

Then, he 'saw' the man make a punching stance at it and ~BOOM!!~ punched out, his fist blasts open a hole in the elevator's sliding panels.

"Since you're here, why not come in?" the man's feminine voice echoed in Rex's ears. He even saw the hand he used to punch the elevator had blood in it. "If you're not coming in, I can just invite you over myself..."

With a yank, the metal doors opened and Rex saw a feminine face but obviously a guy.

Rex was on his mask and his surprise to the man's strength prevented him from reacting fast. In this world, there actually are people who are stronger than I currently am?

"Why so shocked?" the man teased and with a step he lunged at Rex with a kick which he parry with a swipe to his lower right while delivering him a counter punch to his flank.

The man laughed, "Nice reflexes. Nice punch!"

A thud and Rex's eyes went wide in shock. His fist that was faster than normal and his reflex that was faster than a leap was countered with a punch by this man.

Fist to fist, he felt like he blocked an entire wall of metal harder than steel.

"Ho?" he was also amused, "You're obviously not someone from our side. It's surprising that you are able to match up with my physique."

Rex didn't say a thing and although they looked like many seconds had passed, when the man did talk, he jumped out of Rex's fighting range and went back to his original spot outside the elevator.

Rex was very shocked. It is indeed true, that there would actually something that will surprise him in the real world more than his surprise of knowing that Terroa has more than one purpose than being a game world.

This... this is quite a bit surprising.

And then, remembering his stupor that dulled his reaction time, reflex, poise, and strength of attack, Rex felt ashamed of himself greatly.

—and here I was, bathing in the glory of being a former God in Terroa...

——–I became a domesticated tiger and also a conceited cat... I've really lost not only my wings but my own fangs and claws as well.

Rex chuckled and at this realization, the air around him did indeed change. The flustered and empty confused presence had vanished, replaced by a seemingly ostensible walking and talking piece of metal with a dull sharp point.

For a martial artist, a member of the Murim Society of the real world under the control of UNICORN, a sense of 'seemingly ostensible walking and talking piece of metal with a dull sharp point' was enough danger signs to brush away the smile on his face.

It was at this moment that he felt Rex's danger level very clearly.

It was as if the —not actually weak but— man who was easily flustered from earlier was a husk that he himself removed from a sleeping dragon. Did he just attacked someone of the Master Level just now? —No! it shouldn't be. As far as their Intel go, all other Martial Masters have already chosen their sides in the power struggles in the planet.

What more, that fact that the guy 'got confused' in seeing him earlier was proof that this is not some hidden master; although he couldn't deny the fact that the danger level he could sense from him was indeed genuine fear... it was his instinct as a real Martial Artist screaming at him at this moment. This man is a real cold blooded killer.

He may not necessarily be a Master-level being in the contemporary times, but he indeed has killed many people —at least more than his total number in every count— that merely releasing a small part of this murderous intent resulted in this palpable fear he currently is feeling on his skin.

But even so... he had his orders. He can't back out of this impending fight.

He clasped a fist at Rex, a salute of someone who upholds courtesy in the world of the trained.

"I am Koriyama Kanzu of the Tang Sect of the East Alliance. May I ask who you are, your alignment, and your purpose for this entry?"

—Tang Sect? East Alliance?

'Cortana.'

[I have zero results, sir.]

'So it's an underground organization.'

Having known where this guy came from, Rex had a question, "How did you know I was coming?"

The man didn't lower his martial Artist's salute but he frowned at the discourtesy. Still, he smiled his warm feminine smile and replied, "It is indeed very fortunate that your murderous desire can be felt as you rise up from below. From that alone, I knew a visitor had come. So," he pushed his fist again at him. "Can you answer my question? This is the private property of the Duke Levingston of the Christiana Monarchy, a World Noble, and you barging into his domain are a crime punishable by capital punishment."

Rex didn't salute back but took a step forward, his gaze landing on every corner of the suite where his skin became the receptor for the sonar effect.

Thankfully, the piano-violin accompanied played in loud volumes and it resulted in the sound waves bouncing off the walls repeatedly, giving him the echo-location points of the entire place.

[Bodily shape matched, sir. Three subjects taking a bath confirmed with 80% possibility of being our rescue targets.]

'Filter out audio signals while I fight this guy. Know if they are in danger or not and warn me if those other guys cleaning the room will help.'

[Roger sir.]

As he set up the plan, Rex finally looked at the man and gave him stiff salute showing disrespect, and a nod, "My name is Mitra from my house. I'm a straight male and I'm here to give you a choice."

The man clearly felt the sarcastic mockery and the uninhibited disdain he had on his origins. Who in the underground world didn't know about the Tang Sect or the East Alliance?

He was clearly mocking him.

Lowering his salute, his ire tangible, Koriyama Kanzu took out his gloves from somewhere and put it on. Rex let him be as he only made a karate tiger stance; left leg to the front with the right leg as the pillar and balance support, left fist as guide and right fist to his chest. He didn't wear a fancy metallic gloves like Kanzu did but he did arranged his black cloak to not impede his legs.

Rex had downloaded and uploaded many Martial Arts 'knowledge' and 'data' into his brain directly and although he hasn't practiced them to mastery, he still had millions of years of experience top his bones he could pull out from to adjust his bearing.

He was ready. He also wanted to test his current strength to someone who he knew won't break if he put his all into fighting.

What more, although the guy was smaller than him by a hand but his stance had a tangible taste of a trained individual in him...

Seeing Rex's karate stance, Kanzu couldn't help but doubt his earlier assessment; is he really the source of that sense of danger he was feeling?

Karate?

It in is country of origin, it was a sport but it wasn't lethal enough that it can cause him to be scared as he was feeling now. Still, Kanzu didn't dare to look down on Mitra because any Martial Art, if trained to a sufficient level, can still be deadly. One proof of this fact is that the punch he countered earlier in the elevator had a force on them that could be called 'strong' when compared to normal men.

"Let me test your kungfu." Rex said.

"Please." Kanzu courteously replied. He didn't do the first move.

Rex understood this and spoke, "Regarding that choice I mentioned..."

"What about it?"