After slipping through the barricaded walls, they were able to see the condition of the people in the shelter.
"Goodness… what the fuck?"
Sylvia spoke before she realized it. Thankfully, her voice wasn't loud, so they weren't noticed. The shelter was an utter mess. People slept outside on cold, hard ground. Some were fighting each other over meager food without care in the world. Some were even having sex in the open while others enjoyed the scene.
Sylvia's eyes trembled as she watched the definition of a world without laws for humans. Silently, Alex held her shoulder with quiet support.
"Let's check around. We can't dilly-dally."
Jayden sighed, unwilling to stare further.
No one objected as they sneaked around the camp while trying to catch wisps of information from the talkatives.
Sitting on a broken car, two guys smoked, their eyes red. They had just finished drinking alcohol so they were pretty high.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Those evolved are foolish. Pathetic guys." one said, his disdain evident.
"Why would you say so?" The other asked, his words slurred.
"Didn't you hear? They tried entering one of those weird portals that appeared yesterday. Bad luck, almost all of them got killed."
The other guy burst into laughter. "Kukuhahaha! Those idiot bastards!"
"You know what again? This morning, the boss organized a raid and entered again. But I heard they returned with only two deaths and conquered the, ah… what did they call it?"
"Dunshon?"
"Whatever. I just know that the boss might have become a Third Level Evolved right now. Sick bastard."
"Ah, he should have just died."
"You're right. Forget that, do you still have a drink?"
"Fuck off! The last one got snatched by one of those evolved!"
"Really? Che. I'm off then. I need to give my brother's wife some bones. Hehe."
"Hey, wait! Let me watch!"
The two men quickly left the scene, saving the evolved from listening to further unnecessary details.
"Is that netori?" Alex casually whispered.
Jayden's face twitched and he smacked him. "Just shut up. Let's focus on the main information."
Jones nodded. "Their boss is Third Level. That's even higher than Boss Leon."
"What do you know? Boss Leon's strength is on par with Third Level already."
Sylvia snorted, displeased.
"Eh??? Is someone crushing on boss?" Jones snickered, casting a suspicious glance at her.
Immediately, the girl was flustered. "W-w-who's crushing? Tch."
Although she indeed liked Leon, she knew her place. With strong women like Anna, Cassie, Amelia, and even those two, Rebecca and Aisha, she knew she had zero chance.
"Stop bullying her. We need to gather information on Elena Holmes."
Jayden said, reminding them of their mission.
Together, they sneaked around while trying to find any clues about the woman. When sneaking around showed no results, they decided to capture one of the residents. Their target was a relatively sane man, at least.
"Who are you guys?!"
He immediately asked as he was pulled into a storage room.
"Shut it and answer our questions."
Jayden crouched before him, his expression cold. He slowly unsheathed his sword, allowing the man to see the dangerous blade.
"E-evolved-!"
"Good. Now tell me. Have you heard of Elena Holmes?"
The man hurriedly shook his head. Seeing the silver sheen of Jayden's blade made him pale in fear.
"You're not lying to me, are you?"
"N-no! I swear! I haven't heard of her!"
Suddenly, Alex spoke. "Do you know what happens to the ladies brought by evolved?"
The man tore his gaze from Jayden's blade to Alex.
"W-well, I think t-they're offered to the boss. Though I'm not sure. I only know they're taken into the big building."
"Offered to the boss. I don't like the sound of that."
Jones grimaced. That was a Third Level Evolved, if the drunk man's words from earlier was true.
"Alright, we've got what we need from him. What do we do to him?"
Jayden said as he stood up, pointing his sword at the terrified man.
"Kill him?" Alex casually suggested.
"That's true. To avoid him alerting the others." Jones agreed.
"Eek! Please don't kill me! I swear I won't say a word."
Sensing his life and death being decided, the man hurriedly pleaded.
"Let's just tie him up." Sylvia suggested, her eyes softening. Although she dispised the people in the shelter, she couldn't bring herself to ruthlessly kill a harmless man.
"Alright."
Jayden agreed with her, then tied the man while taping his mouth.
"Let's go."
Leaving the relieved man behind, they left the storage room. As soon as they left, the man's eyes changed from relief to a mocking look.
'Heh~ I was right blending with those scum today. I really got a few fishes.'
.....
The group of four evolved stealthily approached the residential hotel in the industrial village. That hotel was the main base of the evolved.
When they reached the hotel, they realized it was heavily guarded. Six evolved stood outside, manning the main entrance while every other entrance was barricaded.
"We can't barge in. We're not sure if she's even inside." Jayden frowned, not liking the situation.
"Looks like we'll have to split up and in fifteen minutes, rendezvous here. If anyone finds her, bring her here. Don't delay past fifteen minutes."
He warned, feeling a foreboding premonition in his heart. It felt like they had made a mistake somewhere. Still, he didn't put much thoughts into it. It was better to work without worries.
The four of them took a corner of the hotel each, then infiltrated through the windows.
Sylvia opened a bathroom window and carefully removed the burglary. Ensuring it didn't make unnecessary noise, she set it down.
The light was surprisingly on, though it was probably a solar generated electricity.
She placed her ear on the door and carefully listened to see if there was anyone passing outside.
After confirming the silence, she slowly opened the door, then stepped into the hallway.
'There's no one here. That… is a surprise.'
She had expected bustling activity and all, but it seemed the evolved were asleep.
Sighing, she began walking around and trying to check for the sound of humans. It took a while, but in the fifth room, she heard a faint groan and the sound of someone turning.
Curious, she slowly opened the door and took a peek.
Inside the luxurious bedroom, a man was sitting on the bed with a faint smile.
His eyes narrowed as they locked with hers, then his smile bloomed.
Seeing him, Sylvia's eyes trembled. Why?
He was the same person they had bound in the storage. And now, she could suddenly feel his energy signature. It was much higher than Cassie's own, meaning he was higher than a Second Level Evolved.
'Fuck-!'