Will my plan succeed?
I didn't know, but I had confidence that I would survive.
The reason I was so hasty was to save Aurora before she really became emotionless.
I didn't want that to happen.
And so, I waited for the Boss.
The old man gave me a weird look, perhaps suspicious, but he didn't say anything.
"Did that work?" Aurora asked, as she wiped her mouth.
My eyes lingered on her bloodied mouth and hand before saying, "The Boss will be here soon. Let me do the talking."
"Sure thing."
Soon, I heard the door slamming again as a few people rushed down the stairs, led by a middle-aged man with a crooked face.
As the guards surrounded the Boss of this settlement, the other slaves cowered away in fear.
I observed it all silently.
The Boss gave a long look to Aurora, who stared back in silence. No emotions on her beautiful face or in her eyes.
"She's completely fine." The Boss growled. "Who wasted my time?"
"The Whispered Mark!" I said, my voice echoing in this silent basement.
The Boss froze on his track, as his murderous eyes turned towards me, "What did you say, boy?"
His hulking presence or murderous presence… neither had any effect on me.
Not just because of my passive skills, but also because of everything I endured in my previous life.
This was nothing before it.
"The Whispered Mark is still on you, Antonio," I said, trying to sound casual. "How close are you?"
The Boss Antonio took heavy steps towards me and crouched close to my cell. His eyes were really frightening, but I couldn't care less.
I wanted to survive. For that, I needed to step on this land mine.
In the next second, his hand reached towards me so fast I couldn't even react.
Only when I felt air being blocked in my lungs did I realise his big hand was clutching my neck tightly.
Yet, I didn't panic.
Instead, I flashed a smile to him and said, struggling to pull out my voice, "Go on... kill me, you coward."
"What do you know?" Antonio growled. "Speak quickly, vermin, otherwise I'll snap your neck like a twig."
"Do it then," I said, staring directly into his eyes. "Just remember... Selena is in Markus City."
Antonio's eyes trembled slightly, his grip on my neck tightening for a moment before he threw me back.
Damnit! The metal rods hurt!!
Antonio brought a chair and then sat down right before me. His eyes were searching for something in mine, but I obviously wouldn't give him anything.
This was my only chance at survival.
"Speak!" Antonio said, gesturing the guards to back away.
Good! The fish was in the net.
I stabilised my breathing, my lungs still felt like burning. Damn it! I'll kill this guy later.
"I have a way to remove Whispered Mark," I said, putting the chips on the table. "In return, I want you to release me and this girl beside me."
"Little Vampire Vermin, do you know your current status?" The Boss sneered in disdain. "You're my slave. You do what I say."
"No, not really. I can refuse your commands, which will bring me pain. I'm fine with that," I shrugged and said. "Pain is my old buddy."
"You will tell me everything unless you want yourself tortured to death," Antonio punched at my cell, his sheer strength bending thick metal bars easily.
What a monster!
But not enough to scare me.
"I've already told you my demands. Unless they're fulfilled, I'm not saying anything," I said, still staring in his eyes.
Perhaps he felt my fearless defiance, as he turned towards Aurora and said, licking his lips lewdly, "Then, how about you watch your friend here getting ravaged to death?"
"Then you're dead too," I said, suppressing my anger.
How I wished I could punch his face to oblivion!
"Who's gonna kill me? You?" Antonio once again sneered, and even the guards began laughing.
It was laughable really to think I could kill him.
"Nope! If you do anything to her, our deal is permanently broken, which also means you'll have no way to remove Whispered Mark."
I laughed and continued.
"Oh, we'll both be dead. But then Selene will come here, destroying everything you hold dear while you watch in regret. Regretting not taking my offer."
Antonio turned silent. He was a coward, a thorough one.
This was why he had been running away. Sadly, the Whispered Mark allowed his enemies to chase after him.
Unless he managed to remove it, which was impossible for him.
I was speaking everything through my knowledge of that VN. I've played it repeatedly, so I knew even these smaller details.
"We have other methods," Antonio finally broke his silence. "Let's see how you keep your secret before the Truth Orb."
Truth Orb.
An item which allowed one to search through another's deeper consciousness to find the truth they seek.
"Stop bluffing, Antonio!" I chuckled. "Your coward poor ass doesn't have a Truth Orb."
Antonio paused, fear of the unknown passing through his eyes.
Yes, get scared. Get desperate.
That's how I'll live.
Antonio stayed silent for a longer time this time. He was getting desperate about this. His fear of death was taking over his mind.
Finally, he gestured others to leave, and only when we were alone with other slaves did he speak.
"How do I believe you're telling the truth?" He asked.
"Morningwood Grass, Twin Dragon Flowers, White Spirit Lily, GrayWind Rhino's Horn." I smiled, seeing his face stiffening on those words. "You already found half the formula, right?"
"All you want is me setting you two free?" He asked, finally believing in my words. "I can do that."
"Nah uh! Don't be oversmart." I said, having a smile. "We will take a System oath. In one week, I'll give you the full formula of the potion which will remove your Whispered Mark. In return, you'll let us out now and swear in an oath that you or anyone you know wouldn't order to attack me or my friend."
"Continue!" Antonio seemed interested.
'Hehe, moron is finally taking the bait!' I smiled and said. "We'll be in this city, trying to balance ourselves before leaving. If I break the oath, I'll suffer a fate worse than death. Same for you. I think it's a fair deal."
Antonio thought over a bit before nodding, "Alright, I'll agree to your offer. But only because I'm interested in that formula."
"Then, do it!"
Then, Antonio removed the collars from our neck, which made some kind of restrictions lift up from me.
I felt free, as if the world was embracing me again.
'It went easier than I thought.'
But it was only because of the bait I threw.
I don't know what would have happened if I asked to be completely free, so I tried this.
Guys like Antonio were greedy just as much as they were cowards. He wouldn't easily give up on two commodities he's selling to nobles.
This is why I gave him an opportunity to get both us and his formula.
This was the bait, and he took it so happily.
Aurora had been observing me silently from the start, perhaps she was also confused by my actions.
But for the first time in months or years, she got hope. She wouldn't ruin it. I knew it.
"Let's take the oath and set you free then."
Yes, once we're out of this basement, we would have one week to escape this hell completely.
But I have other plans.
Plans to destroy this whole facility.