"Unfortunately, I don't have much time to spare." I shook my head as a slim figure of a young man in his twenties, height close to six feet, but not there.
Adorned in a fresh, black trench coat, a top hat, and a silver pocket watch hanging on the coat's pocket by a silver chain, the same silver chain connecting to his silver rimmed, thin glasses.
He nodded casually at me. He didn't look like a slave at all. I took in a deep breath, a cell that didn't smell of human waste. But there weren't any other things a human should need, just a room with a little slab in the top right corner, right where he was sitting without worry.
The only special thing about his room was that it was painted pure black. Every inch of the wall, ceiling, or the stone ground, black.
"I can guess." Jah glanced in the direction where the brawl was happening with a smile. "I can share the routes right now, so no worries. Leave asap," He said, raising his arms over his head. His wrists were embraced by black cuffs. They were nothing like Vanitas's, but more modern-looking, thin, and felt really breakable.
I quickly located the keyhole, opening it as easily as breathing due to how well I understood locks now. Surprisingly, neither were they heavy, nor did they make me lose my strength.
"You can really come in handy when stealing supply crates from competitors…" Jah muttered to himself as the cuffs fell.
"…I guess?"
"Pay is good. I'd pay you top money; three million gold pounds, annually. We always work with the crime ring, and with our ways never get caught."
Never… really now? I looked at the black handcuffs on the ground again.
"That's not the same, brat." He shook his hands like chicken wings, enjoying the freedom they got as he stood up, "I didn't get caught doing that. They don't call me the greatest criminal for nothing, you know. Anyways, think about my offer."
The offer wasn't half bad, to be honest, affiliating with someone this strong, who most likely has a whole organization around his business.
"I will." But I won't. Probably. Only if I needed money or his backing. I wanna live like a king, not a crook, and the kind of thrills that come with living like a king shouldn't come as a crook. Though it also did sound thrilling.
"Hm…" He glanced at me with narrowed eyes for a while before nodding, "Come to the crime ring base in the capital, then. You could find me there."
The fuck is the crime ring? It sounded like something I should know about. Asking him outright might sound suspicious.
"Noted."
"I am sorry…" He whispered, putting his recently freed hands in his pants pocket. My lips parted. Isn't that something people say in movies before killing the other person? Before I could will the echo to be summoned, he added.
"About your mother. Dying, for her, should've been a better fate." He tapped my shoulder lightly. I didn't tell him she's alive. At maximum, he should only know about her execution. Wasn't that supposed to be a Cardinal-level secret?
"Um… You literally mentioned Veilcroft, Desen, and Saint William in the same sentence." He chuckled, "The Only reason for someone like the former holy pillar of the Nocthra Empire, Luci Desen, would work for the church is if it's to kill Frieda. You should be careful, she might wanna kill you too."
He glanced above, "I can feel her presence here… Perhaps, your friends released her."
I noted that name to the depths of my memories. This was the enemy.
My eyes moved to the black ground, my heart beat pounding in my ears. Surely, someone with the title holy pillar of the strongest Empire should be strong as hell. I thought it was only humans I'd need to worry about… And, she was just out there…
"Thank you…" As my head rose back up, my pupils dilated. There was no one there.
A parting, casual voice echoed in my head, "Hopefully, we will meet again. Don't die here."
I sighed. I really acquainted with some great fucking people in this shit hole, didn't I?
But before I could walk out, my eyes widened, "Wait… Where the fuck are my routes?"
My fists clenched. Huh? My hands weren't empty like they were supposed to be…
There was a piece of folded paper, which I quickly opened.
There were three continents drawn, separated by something titled [Demonic ocean]. A simple line with red color was drawn from two continents, titled [Velmoria Empire] and [Solmarn Empire].
The red line clearly showed which state to enter and what path to take to reach the sea, and then which points to travel from the sea.
My lips curled upwards in a soft smile as I pocketed it back beside Saint William's letter as I bolted.
Everything blurred around me, even the light streaks barely visible, like I was literally travelling through time as I moved at sixty percent of the speed of sound.
It only has five minutes remaining… I thought as foot clashed against the wall, the leg, up to to calf, becoming a bloody blend of mashed muscle and bone tissue below as burning pain made me bite my lips hard enough for them to bleed.
By the time my other leg clashed with the wall, it had already regenerated to be broken again.
[Host… You might be insane.]
I think I heard the system's robotic voice, but I might just be imagining.
All in all, it cost around six Vitality and thirteen seconds before I could see my beautiful wife hugging her white robe, trembling, while staring towards me.
Her lips parted when she saw my legs, gasping while placing a hand over her mouth.
She slapped her cheek before shaking her head, and before I could reach her, she appeared before me and pulled me over her back like I literally didn't weigh one hundred twenty kilos.
"We don't have time, and I can't just watch you torture yourself…" She muttered before everything around me blurred even more.
It was just slightly higher than mine, but her body wasn't breaking down. I held tightly to her soft chest, snatched against my will.
It didn't take long to reach the meeting spot with Vanitas at that speed.