Outworld: Awakening

\"Don't worry. We aren't sending you in blind.\" Elliot suddenly paused as he retrieved a second file.

Wordlessly, Adam received the file and immediately opened it.

\"It isn't much, but it should help you a bit.\" Elliot quipped as he watched Adam read the contents of the file.

Unlike the previous file, it had a detailed profile of Adam's targets. From their age to their abilities, fighting style and other miscellaneous details.

'He's trying his best to rein in his emotions. I wonder why the boss changed his mission to this? They might only be Rank C Awakened, but together, they can fight and even kill some Rank A Awakened. Isn't it too early for such a test?'

While various thoughts filled Elliot's mind, Adam continued to read the file. Meticulously going over every detail. Unlike before, a deep frown appeared on his face. The more he read, the more he hated himself for aligning with Vicar.

\"Do you have any questions?\" Elliot asked, breaking the long silence in the room.

For the first time, Adam shifted his gave away from the file. His eyes had an indiscernible gleam in them, while he exuded a frightening aura. However, it only made Elliot smile.

\"What about X? Is she part of—\"

\"Who?\" Elliot suddenly interjected. His brows creased slightly while his probing gave peered at Adam with intense curiosity.

\"What do you mean who? My handler in the Scavengers,\" Adam retorted.

\"Oh... You mean Mo...\" Elliot's words suddenly trailed off before he called out X's real name. \"Don't worry about her. She isn't needed for this. Just concentrate on your mission. After all, you only have two days to do it.\"

\"What? Two days?\" Adam blurted out. The announcement of a deadline surprised him.

\"Two days,\" Elliot reaffirmed while nodding his head.

\"This is the only time all three brothers will gather this year. If you miss this chance, the mission will become at least ten times harder. If you'd gotten here sooner… Well, there's no point talking about ifs and maybes.\" Elliot explained.

Meanwhile, Adam's expression had turn solemn. Each time Elliot spoke, he seemed to only utter bad news.

\"So, where can I find them?\"

\"Don't worry about that. You'll be taken there. Some interesting development happened before you left Dratol. So, it shouldn't be too hard for you to meet them. After all, they're already expecting you,\" Elliot said, sporting a sly grin.

'Huh? What does he mean by they're already expecting me?' Adam thought.

\"What do you mean?\" Adam asked.

\"Don't worry about minor details. You—\".

\"Don't brush off the question. It's my life that's on the line, so tell me what you mean!\" Adam stood up while staring into Elliot's eyes. This time, he wouldn't take no for an answer.

Meanwhile, Elliot sighed softly as he met Adam's gaze. \"Don't let the boss find out I told you about this okay?\"

Saying nothing, Adam nodded. Before he fell back to his seat.

\"While you embarked on your journey here, Bishop Mikan, issued a request to the Cartman Brothers.\" Elliot suddenly paused and a smile bloomed on his lips.

'Hahaha... I can't wait to see how mad he'll become...' Elliot thought.

\"He offered you as a tribute, one to be used as material for the production of Elixirs,\" Elliot said.

Contrary to Elliot's expectations, Adam's gaze softened while his lips curved into a smile.

\"Oh? Could you let me in on the joke? I don't believe I said something funny...\" Elliot said. He hadn't expected such a reaction.

\"Don't worry. You wouldn't get it,\" Adam said. His voice was uncharacteristically low.

From Elliot's point of view, it seemed as if Adam tried his best to suppress his urge to laugh.

'Hahaha... It seems I misjudged him. He might actually be another mad fellow… This will be interesting. I can't wait to see how he handles the Cartman Brothers.'

\"I like your confidence. But remember, there will be consequences for failure.\" Elliot reminded with a smile.

Just then, he clicked his fingers. Within seconds, four mannequins appeared within the room.

\"Since we have gotten the small talk out of the way, I will explain how you'll get to your targets. Please listen carefully, I wouldn't like to repeat myself. Okay? Okay.\"

Deep into the night, Adam listened to Elliot's words without uttering a word. He had to memorize every bit of information if he wanted to take down the Cartman Brothers. Although they had the same rank as him, their combat prowess and experience far exceed his. Any mistake on his part meant certain death. He knew that if he could complete the mission, he would be one step closer to finding Korgrath.

***

Noon. The next day.

In a underground cavern hundreds of feet below the bustling city, a large carriage journeyed along a well lit tunnel. Ten horses neatly arranged in a parallel formation pulled the large vehicle. At the rear, one could see an even larger, perforated steel cage. As the light in the tunnel fell on the cage, it illuminated the hands and eyes of those trapped within.

\"Please let me go! I promise I will return Marquis Loban's money today! Please! I have a daughter!\"

\"... Do you know who I am?! You bastards will pay for doing this to me!\"

\"... I don't want to be a slave! Please don't sell me! I didn't know she had a husband!\"

Despite the cries of those locked within cage, the carriage continued its steady pace. Within the cage, ten people sat on the cold floor. With both their ankles and wrists bound by black chains. A despondent air filled the cage, and the darkness hid the crestfallen expressions on the faces of the prisoners.

\"... Marquis Loban, please don't—\"

\"Give it a rest, friend. No one is going to answer you. And, to be honest, you might piss them off if you keep shouting.\"

Just then, most of the prisoners turned their attention to the man who had just spoken. None of them knew each other or how they got to the cage. But they all knew he arrived before them.

\"What do you mean? I'm not supposed to be here. I am—\" Before the middle-aged man could finish his statement, a slight chuckle interrupted him.

\"Oh? You think you're the only one who isn't supposed to be here?\" Anthony asked, his sarcasm evident.

\"If you keep on shouting, you will end up as that guy over there,\" Anthony said. He pointed towards a particular section of the cage.

Although no one could see his pointed finger, they all knew what he talked about. Because, a few hours earlier, the occupants of the carriage had thrown a half dead man into the cage.

\"He kept on shouting. Proclaiming his innocence like the rest of you. Unfortunately, he didn't heed our advice. And that's the outcome. If you want to be like him, I encourage you to keep on shouting,\" Anthony said.

Utter silence followed Anthony's words. However, the silence only lasted a moment.

\"But, why are they doing this to us?\" A young lady asked.

Just like her, several others shared the same sentiment. One minute they were minding their business, the next they had found themselves imprisoned like livestock. It made no sense to them.

Anthony, on the other hand, simply laughed. Unlike them, he had accompanied the carriage for ten days. He had witnessed several people disappearing during that period, only to be replaced a few hours later. And that was only the tip of the iceberg.

\"What's so funny? If you know something, then tell us.\"

Anthony's laugh lessened as he heard the elderly voice, \"You people don't understand anything. We would have been really lucky if this cage belonged to slaver traders. They're angels compared to the people in the carriage.\" Anthony declared.

His words had already caught the interest of everyone present.

\"W-What do you mean?\" The young lady asked. Anthony's words had already increased the tension in her heart.

\"It's simple. Have any of you heard about The Scavengers?\" Anthony asked.

His words drew different gasps from stunned prisoners. In Vihir, was it possible to be ignorant of such an infamous guild?

\"How do you know this?\" The agitated voice of the elderly men echoed.

\"A few days ago, one of the prisoners was a low ranking member of the guild. He kept on shouting he didn't want to be used as material. That he could be useful,\" Anthony said.

\"Material? What does that mean?\"

\"I don't know. We asked him the same thing, but he only laughed in our faces. He said he wouldn't speak with mere materials. He also said something about us being turned to Elixirs.\" Anthony explained. Unlike before, his voice was low.

\"Oh merciful Emfer. Have mercy on my soul...\" The young lady cried out.

Although no one in the carriage knew whether Anthony told the truth. They knew anything involving The Scavengers guaranteed death.

Just then, the prisoners noticed the scenery outside had gotten darker. At that same moment, the cage came to a stop. Dread instantly gripped the hearts of those present. Some even pissed themselves. They could hear incoherent chatter coming from different directions, which only further stressed their anxious hearts.

\"It seems we have gotten to the end of the road...\" Anthony whispered. However, is words thundered in the hearts of those present.

A moment later, the doors of the cage creaked open.

Just then, a guttural voice filled their ears, \"Get down, now! Don't waste our time!\"

Wasting no time, nine prisoners exited the cage. They comprised six men and three women, the young and elderly among the group.

Compared to the well lit tunnel, they felt as if they had entered the abyss. Darkness swallowed everything surrounding them. They couldn't even see the person who had spoken. However, they noticed a neon glow flickering within the darkness at odd intervals.

\"Pick up the bastard in there. Hurry!\"

Saying nothing, Anthony and another young man carried the prisoner who had been beaten within an inch of his life.

Just then, a small candle appeared in front of the group.

\"Follow me. Anyone who strays will die! Is that clear?\"

Finally, the prisoners could see the face of their captor. He had bland facial features which were mostly hidden behind the hood of his black robes.

However, his sardonic smile and the eerie silence from the darkness stirred the hearts of the prisoners.

\"I will take your silence as a yes. Follow me.\"

Saying nothing further, the man walked into the darkness. Not daring to linger, the prisoners hastily followed behind. With their wrists and ankles bound, walking required three times the energy.

***

Ten minutes later.

The group continued their long trek in the darkness. Although they walked bȧrėfooted, they didn't know what laid underneath their feet. It felt like a mixture of steel, stone and jelly.

Most of the group had damp spots at different parts of their robes. The temperature around them increased the further they walked.

Over the last ten minutes, none of them had tried to escape. Who would, when they was no guarantee of survival?

\"Halt!\"

'Finally. I was about to reach my limit,' Anthony thought.

His eyes scanned his surrounding, however, only a familiar sight greeted them.

'Huh? What's he doing?' Anthony suddenly noticed the cloaked man fiddling with the darkness ahead. Like Anthony, none of the other prisoners understood what was going on.

A moment later, a loud click echoed.

'What was that?'

\"Step through the door. Someone will receive you at the other end. Hurry!\"

Despite the shout of the cloaked man, the prisoners remained standing. They couldn't see the door he talked about. All they saw was the darkness.

\"Move!\"

Just then, the youngest member of the group ran forward. Before the rest of the group could react, they heard a creaking noise, as if a rusted metal door had opened. Right before their eyes, the young lady disappeared.

\"If there's still anyone here by the count of ten, don't blame me for being ruthless.\"

A second flame suddenly appeared within the darkness. This time, however, it appeared on the finger of the cloaked man.

'An Awakened?!'

All the prisoners had the same thought in mind. Wasting no time, they ran towards the spot the young lady disappeared earlier. They would rather take their chances in the darkness than suffer the pain of being burnt to death.

The same moment the group stepped forward, a blinding light ȧssaulted their eyes. Within seconds, they found themselves a large factory. They could see different machines which were both familiar and unfamiliar. At that same moment, a putrid smell filled the nose of those present.

'Where the hell is that smell coming from? It is even fouler than a decomposing corpse.' Anthony thought as he covered his nose. Being a former grave robber, he was used to the smell of corpses.

Just then, his eyes fell on the young lady who ran ahead earlier.

'What's wrong with her?'

Like Anthony, the other also noticed the young lady quivering on the ground while sobbing. It confused them.

A split second later, a loud whistle echoed. To Anthony and the others, it felt like a thunderous explosion. Before anyone could say anything. The floor twenty feet away from them parted, revealing a glass chamber.

Anthony's eyes widened as he stared at the chamber, because he could see dozens of people within. However, they didn't seem to be able to see him.

Just then, the whistle echoed again. This time, two metallic pipes attached itself openings at either ends of the chamber. A second later, a sickening scene followed.

The prisoners watched as pressurize gas filled the chamber. Although they couldn't hear the screams of those within, the prisoners could see the agony etched on their faces.

Within seconds, everyone within the chamber had turned to a gooey mess of blood and bone.

Anthony and several others fell to their knees, with some vomiting uncontrollably.

Then, the whistle echoed a third time. This time, the blood filtered through several openings on the floor. A minute later, the chamber disappeared into the ground. At that moment, everyone understood why the young lady sobbed.

'I... I have to get out of this place. I can't die here.' Anthony thought.

With his survival instincts kicking in, he scurried on all fours. But his eyes still lingered on the spot the gas chamber emerged.

Just then, he collided against something.

\"Where do you think you're going to? Didn't you just arrive?\"

Anthony's heart sank into the depths of despair as he saw who had just spoken.

A figure at least 6ft 7icnhes came into view. He wore a long lose fitting robe which could bȧrėly cover his massive stomach. The lights in the factory seemed to bounce off his bald head, while his beady eyes shifted between Anthony and the other petrified prisoners. And a shady smile bloomed on his thin lips.

\"Hahahaha... Aren't I the most amazing person you have ever seen? That's expected after all. Who wouldn't tremble at the presence of Morton Cartman?\"

Contrary to Morton's thoughts, what frightened the prisoners was the item he hung over his shoulders. There, Morton causally hung the upper half of the corpse of a young man.

\"Who is in charge of this batch. How could you let our materials esc—\"

Before Morton could finish his statement, a fist landed sweetly on his flat nose. Morton's head jilted backwards, however, it was quickly steadied by two hands. Within seconds, a barrage of knee strikes landed on his face. Sending him crashing to the ground.

'Him? How?' Anthony stared wide eyed as he saw the ȧssailant. He believed his eyes played tricks on him. If not, how could an old man move that fast and strike that hard?

Just like Anthony, the others also stared at the old man before them in disbelief.

\"Now is the time to escape! Hurry before reinforcement arr—\" Before he could finish his statement, hundreds of icicles perforated his body.

Anthony could see the shock in his eyes as the old man's corpse fell to the ground.

\"Morton, how could you let that fool hit you so much? Even if you're the slowest among us, you should have been able to handle that.\"

The prisoners titled their heads to the side as they heard the voice. Instantly, they regretted their decision. Because, two figures perfectly identical to Morton's, approached with gallant steps.

The Cartman Brothers had revealed themselves.

\"Eric, I was just playing around. It was obvious there was an ȧssassin among them. I only lowered my guard to find out who it was... Hahaha... Thanks for your help, though. I hate dealing with those agile ċȯċkroaches,\" Morton said. He gently rubbed his nose while adjusting his jaw.

\"You have to be careful, Morton. This is the third one this month. We have to find out who is sending these flies after us,\" Eric said. We a firm push, he adjusted Morton's jaw.

None of them even bothered with Anthony or the others.

\"Sedo, what's the matter? Do you recognize him?\" Morton asked. He noticed that Sedo, the last of the Cartman Brothers, focused on the corpse of the old man.

However, Sedo slowly shook his head while saying, \"He would have made a fine material. Too bad.\"

\"Hahaha... Don't worry. When we catch the Mastermind behind these ȧssassins, you'll have…\" Eric's words suddenly trialed off.

The brothers had sinister smiles etched on their lips as they stared at one prisoner.

\"Hahaha… It seems you won't have to wait long, Sedo,\" Morton teased.

\"Let's find out who sent him before we kill him this time. I'm tired of these files disturbing us. It would be a problem if they followed us to the Walls,\" Eric said.

Morton laughed as he heard Eric's words. The trio had their eyes on an ordinary-looking youth who had several injuries on his body. Any other day, the youth wouldn't have piqued their interest. However, the youth giggled while the trio discussed earlier, and it wasn't subtly either.

\"Boy, I hope you're ready to squeal?\" Morton said.

However, a rancorous laugh greeted his words. Instinctively, the prisoners turned their heads towards its source.

'Him, too? What the hell is going on here?' Anthony didn't understand what was going on anymore. First, it was the old man, and now the man who seemed he was on the verge of death earlier.

\"What's so funny? Who sent you here? Tell me if you—\"

\"I believe you have our roles reversed. Between you and me, who do you think is more likely to squeal? When a butcher slaughters a pig, it doesn't ask why. It only struggles in vain, like the filth it is. Its death, however, is inevitable. Since we both know our roles, let's not waste each other's time.\"

[Establishing Connection to The Omen...]

[Connection Successfully Established.]