"Wait!" Igdan called out, Rex's head slowly turning back, his eyes on the older sibling who was helping his sister up, though eyes locked back on Rex as well. "Do you take on job requests?" he quickly asked, realizing the limited time window he was given.
"Depends on the request."
"There is a ring of slavers here in this city. Illegal of course, but they have the authorities in their pocket an too many A rankers for us two to take on. Interested?"
"Let me guess. They have someone you want to save?"
"Yes."
"Do you expect me to do the saving part?"
"Would you?"
"No."
"Just muscle then? Taking out anyone that come to stop you as you go in?"
"Sounds like a pain in the ass. Too much hastle to deal with. Such an operation would be loud, drawing a shitton of attention in a short order. And I am in no mood for murder hobo mode." Rex replied, quickly loosing interest.
"ME!" Danica cried out, joining the conversation at long last, though there was not an ounce of the somewhat arrogant and brash woman in her voice from moments ago She sounded paniced, desperate even, as she continiued. "You can have as much fun with me as you want. Anything, just please, help us."
Rex had noticed that something was off with the siblings, the slight tells even back at Burge's bar, where they interacted with the man himself. He sighed 'I would be particularily annoyed, were I to read of an MC that would reject such an offer from as incredibly beautifull and exotic woman as the one in front of me. And while I am indeed not actively looking for a quick shag, a man has needs, and they are mounting, Guess no hypocracy for me today, at least not now.' he though for a moment, before responding.
"With the added note that you take better care of yourself." he pointed towards Danica, his previous words back at the bar flashing in botth of their minds.
"If you agree to help, Anything." she almost cried out.
"Lay it on me then. The details, and be fast, yet precise. I assume you are out of time as is, yes?" Rex spoke, and then prepeared to listen. And Igdan was quick to lay out the problem at hand. As it turned out, a rather notable number of their tribes young ones were kidnapped, alongside the few adults watching over them, and then then Igdan and Danica tracked their captors here. Unfortunately, the problems started to arise here. While capturing and selling people as slaves is forbiden withing the nation, one could keep the slaves they had bought in other nations, so long as the transactions did not happen withiin the nations territory, alongside numerous rules that forced the owners to take care of their slaves, forbiding some of the more atrocious things that one could expect a slave could be put through. And there was quite the stigma associated with the practice. Most people would look at said owners with distrust and disgust, doing their best to avoid dealing wiith slave owners, if at all possible. The nation would also regularily send some inspectors to ensure said slaves were treated decently well. They were servants in all but name, with a few extra duties they could not refuse.
The first, and main issue was that quite a few of cities enforcers were in the pocket of said slaver group, paid of to ignore their acts and movement of their product, no doubt backed by some nobles quite happy with a fresh delivery of exotic slaves to do with what one wills. Secondly, was the fact that it was a city, heavily limiting their ability to use pure and brute force, lest one draws upon their heads both enforcers, and some parts fof the army. stationed within the city to maintain peace. And while ordinary soldiers were of no significance, there were a few A rankers that would prove problematic.
"Dirrect assault is not an option." Rex calculated the possible paths of advance "The open fighting would draw too much attention too soon, summoning both the law enforcers and giving our target a chance to move the prize away. We must employ stealth. I assume you can't go anywhere near the place without being noticed and snitched upon, what with the rather notable features of yours?"
"Yes. We have noticed a few people skulking around, keeping tabs on us." With gritted teeth responded Igdan.
"A little bit of subterfuge and acting it is then." Rex noted "I need the place where they are cooped up, no doubt something you have already lerned of, yes? As well as a small act on your part." Rex spoke, proceeding to explain his plan once he was given clear location where the slavers had their base. And as it turned out, the place was not too far from this compound.
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Derek and his goons were given a simple task- keep their eyes on the bastkin siblings and inform the boss should they act up. Simple right, untill one becomes aware that aforementioned sibblings were both A rankers. No so simple anymore. Still, they have had worse shit to deal with, so they made it work somehow. It was rather expensive and strssfull, but they had managed to do their job gor a couple of weeks, only a couple of days more untill the latest batch would be moved further, riddling him and his team from the sibblings.
Right now he was staking out near the warehouses that the two had aquired for their own purposes, and he was waiting for them to leave the property, having entered alongside another, new face some time ago. ''He, they must be growing desperate.' he snickered to himself, teh sibblings no doubt have noticed the small leads that gave away the soon to happen transportation, ensuring they would never again find their missing tribesmembers. He could only lick his lips, remembering the taste of that lady, the only addult woman from their kind that was captured. She had struggled quiet a bit, making it all the more fun breaking her in. 'Such a shame we could not have fun with any of the teenagers. Their screams would be even more delicate no doubt.' he mused, a smile on his despicable face.
"Ow? What do we have here?" he muttered, his gaze refocusing on the entracnce, noticing the activity there. Soon, the door opened and the stranger exited the premised, scoffing at the wolfkin called Igdan. Igdan seemed rather roughened up, and his sister was nowhere to be seen.
"Fuck off old man. Aint interested in some charity!" the new guys scoffed, spiting on the ground and leaving. 'They actually ran into another A ranker? Unexpected. Them getting roughed up and rejected though? Yea, thats about right. Humans are like that. He he.' Derek snickered, a stray thought crossing his mind. 'Should I go and report the dudes existance anyways? Better safe than sorry, right? Might as well have another roound with that woman as well. Yes, lets do that.' he decided and slowly sneaked away, on his way towars the base of his employer. Though he was not that lucky, as before he reached teh exit of the darkened alley, an abrupt pain the back of his head sent him to sleep.
"Well, well well. What do we have here?" Rex asked in a relatively quiet voice, standing atop the unconscious body of Derek. "A rat, and a rather nasty one at that." he added, noticing the scratch marks on his hands, reminiscent of those of nails. "Lets tuck you away. I might need you later." he noted, ensuring the bastard was well bound and could not get away without his notice before he proceeded with his plans.
It was rather easy to find the building complex in question. 'Bernards emporium' sign hanging over the ratehr large gate like a sore thumb. The fat, wobbly and grinning facial painting next to it even more sticking out, the slogan 'Bernard will fulfill your every heart's desire' rather telling as well.
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"Why dont we have a peak at what I have to work with?" Rex whispered to himself, using a rather powerfull mana pulse, mapping out the entirety of the property, gaining quite profound insight as to the happenings inside. Over thirty guards, positioned all over the property, with four having some traces of mana strenghtening. 'Those must be the A rankers' Rex noted, mentaly pinging them to be aware of their movement at all times. Be then used his mana pulse a few minutes later, noting the changes in the guard positions and then a few minutes later once agaiin, doing the same.
Once he had a general understanding of their patrol routes, he got to work. Finding a rather dark and unobserved corner, he used his blood chain to drag himself over the large fence, landing unnoticed. Utilizing the smallest trace of space concept, he conclead himself, making it much more difficult to not only notice him, but any traces he might leave behind. Then, with practiced ease and precision, he proceeded to visit teh patrolling guards, incapacitating them with a single and swif tstrike to the back of their necks.
It took him more than thirty minutes to clear out the perimeter, not a single of A rankers having moved as of yet, not having the slightest idea of teh infiltration happening at this very moment. Well aware of the rather high difficulty of incapacitating the quartet without rising any commotion, Rex proceeded to head towards the captives, who were being held in a rather well hidden secret basement.
The four guards down here were not so lucky, since Rex needed them all out of commision instantly, thus his blood chains had wrapped around ther necks in an instant, breaking them at that very time, snuffing out their lives, terrified and paniced expressions marring their faces in the fast moments of their lives. Rex was aware of the situation here, thus, he first wwalked over to one of the rooms, reinforced cells to be precise. Opening the first doors, quite dark room came into his view, only a couple of monster core supplied lamps barely illuminating the room. He could still see the ten or so teenager girls, no older than fourteen, cuddled together in the very center, a few, sad excuses for blankets wrapped around them.
"Who's Swei?" he asked, his tone relatively hushed, yet clear enoough to be heard. Nor was it late enought for the girls to be sleeping, so his words were easily heard. he also noticed the girl whose ears twitched at his words.
"Well, does not actually mater all that much, but I have limited time and patience. Danica said you have seen some shit and can help others out, if needed, so get out here and follow me." at the mention of Danica, teh entire group of wolfkin girls stirred, their gazes now actually moving towards Rex, from their previous positions, staring at the ground.
"H-how do you know D-danica?" asked on of the girls, her hair, ears and tail just slightly darker than the blonde of the sibblings. "Reika, was it?" Rex replied and seeing the girl slightly flinch, he continiued "I am here to deliver you all to her and Igdan. So, once again, Swei, get your ass out here. Need you to fix someone up. ASAP."
"Whats asap?" asked the girl with dark brown hair and tail, moving towards him "I'm Swei."
"As Fast As Possible. Now follow me. The rest of you, get dressed properly, as muc has you can and wait here. You dont want to see teh stuff out there. Trust me." Rex explained and then pointed his thumb in the dirrection of the guards, their bodies drained of blood, reminding old mumies by now.
Swei quickly followed Rex, her ears though pressed against her head. They had heard the screams and cries before, and while she was worried, Danica's name had calmed her just the tiniest bit.
"Its not gonna be pretty." Rex warned, stopping in front of another door. He pulled out some blankets from what was obviously a spacial storage ring. He too was an A ranker. Swei thought, though seeing as he was here, it had to be the case. As the door opened, strong stench waffed out, causiing Swei to cover her nose. And the sight before her eyes nearly made her throw up. A few women, including Wirsha, who was the only adult within their group who was captured, were in a terribel condition. Tied to beds, like some pets, with chains around their necks, mostly torn clothing and bruises on their limbs and faces. They had clearly been assaulted and abused, then used to exually relieve their abusers. It was despicalble sight, rage filling Swei's heart. Thought somewhere, deep inside she was a little relieved she had not experienced the same, even if she felt strong grief in regards to Wirsha.
"Clean them up a bit, then cover in blankets. Once they are in bearable condition, we call over the others, help them to the carriage that you will take to leave this place. I will take you to Danica then. While you do this, I will go colelct the few boys in the room a bit further." with that said, Rex lef tSwei to her job, something she quickly got to. Danica was right, Swei had seen some things, though nothing quite as repulsive as this. Still, learning from teh tribes healers had prepeared her for some shit like this.
By the time Rex had freed the boys, five in total, Swei was also more or less done and with the help of her friends, they managed to get the abused women moving. They did look much like dools right now, their minds closed off, trying to cope with the suffering they had experienced.'We will have some fun gentlemen. It is only fair.' Rex thought as he remembered the captured guards, He needed names. Seeing his, he was quite heavily inclined to doll out some old fashioned justice.
Sure, he was familiar with slavery on a rather personal level. The main body of his having quite a few slaves himself, Thought there was a notable difference. While, for all intent and purposes, the people under him were his property, at least as far as the world, and he himself somewhat saw it, they lived life much better than most nobility, having access to luxuries no mortal should. It was his belief that one had to take care of his supposed property, only egriegious criminals deserving such animalistic punishements and suffering.
With the entire basement cleared, Rex turned towards the group, asking "Anyone missing?"
"N-no, though we did hear that they were ready to transport us within a few days." ansered Swei, still somewhat aprehensive about the state the few woemn she had to somewhat clean up, though she also believed that with enought care and support, they might be recoverable. The slave collars and the like had also been removed by Rex, none of them in danger of a shock due to them being disobedient.
"Now, I need you all to wait here for a while. Taking down the A rankers will take some time and make some noice, but not to worry. Not onlyw ill I do that, there will also be a guardian in front of the doors, so just sit tight, yea?" Rex warned, and due to his activities so far, there was no reason for them not to believe him. Thus, after a few nods, Rex dissapered outside, leaving the mall waiting.
"All right then." Rex cracked his neck, prepearing for quick, yet decisive and rather rutheless aproach. "Snek, be a dear and protect this entrance." and with his request, his pet snake left the sleeve it had comandeered as its sleeping space, slightly growing in size as it landed on the ground, reachin the size of a horse just moments later. yet another unique trait of the blood serpent, something that Rex had been utilizing quite a lot and to a great effect.
Stealthily, Rex once again utilized all the tools in his arsenal, aproaching as close to the four A rankers as possible, and after a short deliberation, he decided for the stealthiest approach aviable to him. Stealthy in execution that is, not so much in lack of evidence left behind. With slow motion, he summoned his blood blade, amd after a short moment of concentration, he drew it with speed, creating a slash that seperated everything in its path. Walls, furniture, armor or flesh and bones. Nothing stopped the generated strike, infused with the concept of sword cut. After soem twenty or so meters, teh move simply dissipated, leaving a rather devastated sight behind. From his position, he could see the hole he had created, as well as the four bodies, split in parts. Sadly, he had also destroyed their storage rings, no doubt loaded with some goodies. The rings themselves were no doubt valuable, though there was little reason to cry over spilt milk. What was important however, was the relatively quite execution, leaving him with plenty of time to get out of there, and so he did, quickly returning, ushering the captives out of the basement and into some carriages he found stationed withing the property.
When asked, why he was collecting the bodies, of the still living, mind you, guards, he simply replied that they should be able to disclose the names of the ones financing and employing their services, even if some of the information was undoubtedly lost with the deaths of the A rankers. There was none of his blood, something he had to spit out after the move performed, as he was rather meticuluous in erasing any traces of his own presence within the property and once the three carriages were loaded and had their own coachmen, as questionable as their skills were, they lef tthe property through the back gates. Rex ensured there were no one watching the place, and before they actually arrived at the destination Danica and Igdan waited for him, he also ensured that no one was there to notice the three carriages entering the property, not forgetting to pick up Derek along the way, something he would be quite happy with a bit later.