Hsuya stepped into the dark dungeon. The air felt cold and damp, and the walls were rough stone. Right away, the system gave him a warning.
***Ding!***
[Master! The system is detecting human presence in the dungeon.]
Hsuya did not make a sound. He used his mana to hide himself completely and moved forward slowly, staying in the shadows. He went deeper into the first floor. Soon, he saw nine men sitting together. They were laughing and drinking beer from big mugs. Next to them was an iron cage, and inside the cage were people. It looked like three young girls.
Hsuya understood at once. These men were slave traffickers, people who caught others and sold them for money.
As it was only the first floor, monsters rarely spawned there and the few that did were very weak. This made it the perfect hiding spot for them at night. But Hsuya had come to hunt monsters, and these men were now standing in his way. He decided to wipe out the obstacles without wasting any more time.
He spread his mana all over the first floor of the dungeon. It was easy for him because his mana was infinite. He made thin threads from his mana matter skill. These threads were so fine that no one could see them with their eyes. The threads went everywhere — into the air, the floor, and even touched the men without them knowing.
Then he made his cool entry.
Tak. Tak. Tak.
His leather boots made clear sounds on the stone floor as he walked out into the open light of their torches.
The nine men stopped laughing. They turned and stared at the masked figure in the black bodysuit. One of them jumped up and shouted, "Who the hell are you?"
They all grabbed their weapons — swords, axes, and clubs — and ran at him.
But they could not move more than a few steps.
Hsuya had already used his mana matter skill to make those invisible threads. The threads had gone into the lower part of their brains. That part of the brain sends signals to the body to move arms and legs. Now the threads blocked those signals. The men tried to lift their arms or run, but their bodies would not listen. They stood frozen like statues. Their eyes grew wide with fear.
One man, the leader with a big scar on his face, could still move his mouth a little. He shouted, "Who the fuck are you?"
Hsuya took one more slow step. His voice was calm and cold. "Who, me? I am none other than Dark."
He had chosen the name Dark on purpose. It was an alternative name to avoid leaking his own identity.
The leader tried to shout again " Make me free , you piece of shi... "
**Slice**
His head fell down like a ball with a wet sound. But Hsuya didn't even move his fingers.
He had used his mana as a sharp thread made from his mana matter skill. The thread was super thin and so sharp it could cut through anything like a hot knife through butter. It had wrapped around the leader's neck and sliced clean through in one quick move. The body stayed standing because the invisible threads still held it.
The other men saw it happen. They could not move, but their faces turned white with terror. They started to shake.
From the cages, the three girls watched everything. Their eyes were wide, but not with fear. Their cheeks turned pink and they smiled in a dark, happy way. It looked like they were seeing something they had dreamed about for a long time — someone finally making their bad guys pay.
Hsuya asked again, his voice still calm. "Who sent you here? What are you doing with those girls?"
No one answered. They were too scared.
He waited just two seconds. Then he used the sharp mana thread again.
Slice.
Another head fell to the floor.
Now the men were really frozen in fear. One of them, a young guy, suddenly screamed as loud as he could. "M-MONSTER! It's a monster! Help! Somebody — anyone — help me!"
Slice.
His head fell too.
The rest of the men started to cry and shake even more. Hsuya loosened the threads on one man's mouth and body so he could talk. The man dropped to his knees and begged, "Spare me please! We are just workers. It's the Radiants! The Radiant organization told us to bring these slaves to the Kingdom. They gave us gold coins for it!"
Hsuya asked more questions. "Tell me about the Radiants."
The man talked fast because he was so scared. "It is a secret group. They do slave trading and other illegal things. We only know that much. We don't know the bosses."
Hsuya asked about the slaves. The man said, "There are three girls. Two are beastfolk and one is an elf."
The men begged again for their lives. Hsuya listened for a moment, then used the sharp threads one last time. Slice, slice, slice, slice. Four heads fell at the same time. He left only the man who had given the information alive.
"Run," Hsuya said quietly. "Run right now and tell your Radiant basterds that Dark is coming. If I see you again, you will not get another chance."
The man jumped up and ran away into the dark forest outside of the dungeon. His footsteps echoed until they disappeared.
Hsuya walked over to the cage. He made a long mana sword in his hand. The blade was straight and very sharp. With one smooth swing, he cut through the iron bars like they were paper. The bars fell to the ground with a loud clang.
The three girls looked up at him like they were seeing a God in front of them with blush on their cheeks and sparkle in their eyes. They looked like, they might be hardly seventeen or eighteen years old.
Ren-the elf girl was slim and graceful, with long silver-white hair that reached her waist and pointed ears peeking through the strands. Her skin was pale like moonlight, and her emerald-green eyes looked both gentle and sharp at the same time.
While Zena, the older twin, was tall for a beastfolk, with sleek black cat ears and a long black tail that swayed behind her. Her jet-black hair was tied back neatly, and her golden eyes showed quiet strength. Shina, the younger twin, was shorter and more delicate than her sister, with the same sleek black cat ears and tail. Her jet-black hair fell loose around her shoulders, and her golden eyes were bigger and softer, making her look a little more shy.
Hsuya then said "Introduce yourselves."
The elf girl stepped forward first. She bowed her head. "I am Ren. Thank you so much, my lord. You saved us." She pointed to the others. "This is Zena, the big sister, and behind her is Shina, the little sister. They are twins — beastfolk."
Hsuya then asked " How did you all end up here ? " , his voice steady and cold.
Then Zena stepped forward while holding the left hand of her younger sister. "Our parents sold us to the traders for money. There is no home for us now."
Shina stayed quiet and held her sister's arm tight.
Ren spoke again. "I don't remember where I came from. I have amnesia. I don't know my home."
Hsuya looked at Ren's face carefully. He could tell she was telling the truth by the way her eyes looked sad and honest.
He asked them, "Do you want to go home?"
Zena shook her head. "There is no point. Our parents gave us away. We don't want to go back."
Ren stayed quiet. Hsuya understood why and did not ask her more questions.
Then he said, "If you want, you can work for me. I will give you power, a place to live, and money for your daily expenses "
Ren's eyes lit up right away. She went down on one knee. "Oh my lord, if it weren't for you we would be slaves forever. I will help you with all my heart and all my strength."
Zena and Shina looked at each other, then nodded too. "We agree," Zena said. Shina gave a small smile and nodded.
Hsuya raised his right hand. He used his mana sharer skill and sent a small part of his infinite mana into each girl. The mana went into their bodies like warm light. Suddenly they felt full of energy. Their tired bodies felt strong. Their bruises started to feel better. They stood up straighter and breathed easier.
Ren smiled big. "I feel so alive!"
Zena's tail moved happily. Even Shina's ears perked up.
Hsuya nodded. "Good. We are not going to hunt monsters tonight. Follow me."
He started to run, but not too fast. He kept the speed slow so the girls could keep up easily. The mana he had given them made them feel light and strong. They ran through the night forest together. The cool air felt nice on their faces. The trees glowed softly under the moonlight. Behind them, the dungeon entrance grew smaller and smaller until it was gone.
They ran toward the Noxford Manor. Hsuya stayed in front, his mask hiding his face, but inside he felt calm and ready. He now had three new helpers. And he had learned about the Radiants — a secret bad group in the Kingdom of Dian. It was the perfect start for his own organization.
The night was quiet except for their soft footsteps. Hsuya led the way, thinking about the future. The girls followed close behind, their eyes full of hope for the first time in a long while.
*****
A/N : Guys, if I made any mistake then please don't forget to point out those. See you in the next chapters :)