My Gacha System: Starting with a Divine Talent Tree.-Chapter 26: The Ravencourt Town [3]

Eden’s chest heaved, the smell of burning oil filling his nose.

The reality kicked in for him.

...He just killed someone.

For a moment, the world shrank to a single point...the sound of Eden’s own heartbeat.

Thump!

Thump!

Thump!

The man collapsed at his feet, fingers twitching weakly before going still.

’...Ah, fuck.’

Nausea hit him like a boulder as he moved back to lean against the wall.

"...I..." Eden’s voice cracked before he even realized he was speaking. "I killed him."

His back scraped as he fell down, his buttocks hitting the floor.

He covered his face as he stared at the dead body.

Despite his thoughts of not killing anyone...he had already killed one.

Though, Eden knew it was his fault.

He wasn’t aware how much strength he possessed.

But still...the pain of killing someone hit him hard.

≤You humans are really out of my understanding.≥

On the other hand Abel didn’t even flinch; he walked over the dead body like nothing.

He grabbed Eden by his arms and pulled him up.

"Get up, Eden." He said, forcing him to stand on his feet. "We don’t have time for this."

Eden blankly looked up at him. "...I killed him?"

"So what?" Abel scoffed. "He was going to enslave you and then he was going to enslave others after you."

"But still—."

"Oh shut up." Abel said, glaring at him. "We need to get a better look at this place."

Eden drew in deep breaths as he got a hold of himself.

He nodded as he looked at Abel. "...Alright."

Abel let go of his arm only when Eden’s legs finally stopped shaking.

"Good," Abel muttered, brushing dust off his ragged cloak. "If you collapse again, I’m leaving you behind."

Eden scowled weakly. "...You won’t."

"I will absolutely do it." He replied. "Walking out of the cell. Now, let’s go."

Eden forced himself to look away from the corpse.

He wiped the sweat on his forehead and straightened his back.

"We need to help the slaves first."

Abel shook his head immediately. "No. We need information first."

Eden blinked. "...What?"

Abel tapped the lantern on the ground with the tip of his foot.

"The moment we start freeing people, the entire underground will panic. They’ll alert every guard in this nest."

Eden hesitated... then reluctantly nodded.

He hated that Abel was right.

"We find the ringleader," Abel continued. "The rest can wait."

A voice suddenly whispered from the cages beside them.

"P-Please... don’t leave us..."

Eden turned sharply.

A young woman, maybe eighteen, clutched the bars with trembling hands.

"Please... don’t let them brand us again..."

Eden stepped forward instinctively, but Abel grabbed his shoulder.

"Don’t," Abel whispered. "Not yet."

"But—"

"You think you can fight dozens of them at once, down here, with no space?" Abel glared. "Use your head."

Eden swallowed his frustration.

He crouched beside the girl’s cage, lowering his voice.

"I promise we’re coming back for you. For all of you."

Eden didn’t look back as he followed Abel out of the congested area.

The tunnel turned left, then right, growing darker with each turn. The lanterns here were dimmer, barely more than dying embers.

"Stay alert," Abel whispered as he crouched near a bend. "We’re close."

Eden leaned against the wall next to him. "Close to what?"

Abel pointed with his chin toward ahead. "Listen."

Eden strained his ears.

At first, he heard only distant shuffling... murmurs... the faint crackle of a torch.

"...Line them up properly. The new batch needs inspection."

Then he heard an authoritative and cruel voice echoing within the place. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"That’s the ringleader?" he whispered.

"Probably one of them," Abel murmured. "A place this big doesn’t have just one snake."

Eden peeked past the bend.

His breath caught in his throat.

The tunnel opened into a massive chamber...wide enough to fit a mansion hall.

Torches lined the walls. Wooden tables, chains, branding irons, shackles, crates of numbered tags... And people.

Dozens of them, forced into a line, all thin and shaking.

Guards patrolled with whips at their sides, barking orders.

A tall, broad-shouldered man stood at the center...a black coat draped across his shoulders like a cape.

He held a clipboard, inspecting the frightened captives as if they were livestock.

Eden drew in a deep breath as he called Tosin out.

His shadow flickered and Tosin glanced up at the place.

"Do you know him?" Eden asked, pointing at the man.

"Yerrick." Tosin said, anger clear in his voice. "Lord Cavell’s right-hand man."

Eden drew in a deep breath as he nodded his head.

"Do you have any idea where they held your daughter?"

Tosin’s shadowed face stiffened.

For the first time since Eden met him, the man hesitated.

"...Yes," Tosin finally answered, voice tight. "But it won’t be easy to reach."

Eden felt his throat tense. "Where?"

Tosin’s eyes flicked toward the far left side of the chamber...toward a narrow iron door half-hidden behind crates and guards.

"Through there," he whispered. "The ’private wing.’ That’s where they keep the girls... the ones Mirth wants intact."

"...I see." He whispered as he moved his face back.

Abel stood there looking at him confusingly.

"What?" Eden asked.

"Nothing." Abel said. "Do you have any idea where the others could be?"

"I think there." Eden pointed at the place Tosin told him. "....The girls should be kept separately."

Abel followed Eden’s finger toward the half-hidden iron door.

His brows pulled together. "...That place?"

"Yeah," Eden whispered.

"Then that’s where we go first," Abel said quietly. "If they’re keeping the girls separate, they must be more guarded."

"No kidding," Eden muttered.

He peeked again around the corner.

The large chamber was a nightmare.

Yerrick kept walking down the slave line, grabbing chins to check if they were intact.

Another soldier moved by his side, forcing terrified faces upward.

’...Hmm?’

It was only then Eden noticed something.

There was a young boy, same age as him, in the line.

But what took his entire attention was the broken glass that the boy was holding.

A grin was on the boy’s young face as he glanced up at the soldier.

’....What is he thinking.’

Yerrick didn’t notice him at first. He was too busy inspecting the older captives.

"Eyes up," Yerrick snapped, grabbing another woman’s chin. "You, four marks. Put her with Group C."

The guard next to him shoved her aside and moved to the next.

And that’s when the boy made his move.

He stepped forward, lowering his head like he was about to be inspected.

When the soldier moved closer to check him, the boy moved.

In the split second, the jagged glass punched straight into the soldier’s throat.

Blood swept over, covering his entire face.

The soldier gagged, choked... clutching at his throat as he fell to his knees.

Gasps rippled through the chamber.

But the boy... he only smiled.

"ONE DOWN!!" he roared with a heartfelt laugh. "THE REST WILL DIE—."

Yerrick punched the boy, knocking him out in just a split second.