Chapter 4

Lieutenant Surk brought Keith and the others to a dried log, where an inconspicuous hole in the sand led to an underground passage. Upon descending, their view widened as the group entered a large base previously occupied by the people from the Elemental Dimension.

When Keith’s team walked in, they saw Innate Nation soldiers providing food and water to a large gathering of elves, dwarves, humans, and orcs. Keith immediately noticed their poor condition, as all the foreigners were skinny and lacked decent clothing.

“Thank you,” an elderly orc teared up and gratefully took a sandwich from a soldier.

Many of the foreigners were crying in happiness. Just earlier, they were held captive against their will by the people who fought Keith and the rest. Some were imprisoned for weeks and had long lost hope.

“I didn’t expect to encounter slavers right off the bat,” a soldier whispered to his friend not far from Keith.

“It’s bizarre,” the soldier’s friend huffed. “I thought demons would be into the slave trade, not people from the Elemental Dimension.”

The soldier shook his head. “Talk about culture shock.”

His friend lowered his voice. “Hey, what are we going to do with them? Let them go?”

“How should I know?” The soldier shrugged.

To the Innate Nation’s citizens, slavery was a foreign concept, and to encounter it now left them bewildered. The soldiers on site had no idea how to handle the unexpected situation, so they waited for someone with authority to show up. In the meantime, they could only give food and water out of sympathy.

A few minutes later, High Commander Markus arrived from another entrance, his appearance relieving everyone. After listening to an officer explain the situation, Markus approached the haggard group of foreigners and clapped his hands to gather their attention. “Everyone, we mean you no harm. We’re simply a mercenary group who happened to chance upon your captors. Before we let you go, are any slavers hiding amongst your ranks?”

At Markus’s question, a few pairs of eyes subconsciously swept over a middle-aged woman sitting in the back. Alarmed, the woman pulled out a dagger and wanted to take the dwarf next to her hostage, yet before she could move, a mage teleported behind her and pinned her to the ground. With a few cracks, they broke her limbs, immobilizing her.

Markus nodded. “Very good. Are there any more?”

The captives looked around uncertainly but didn’t point out anyone else. Markus smiled, “Okay, that’s all. You’re free to go. Just ask if you need provisions or equipment to make the journey back.”

Half an hour later, the previously enslaved foreigners had all left the underground base. Markus spoke with a few squad captains, then found Keith and brought him to the second floor of the compound, where they passed one empty cell after another.

“Are you okay?” Markus asked, his expression softening.

Keith clenched his hands and spoke in a low voice. “I killed people, so no, I’m not.”

Markus fell silent as Keith continued, “You said it’d be a simple escort mission.”

“I know,” Markus sighed, feeling regretful by the turn of events. While there were ways to prepare Keith for the inevitable act of killing someone, who wanted to put their child through such training? Even if Markus wanted to, Mariane wouldn’t allow it.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Coming to a stop, Markus turned to Keith and looked his son in the eye. “We’ve interrogated some of the slavers up ahead. The sight isn’t pretty, but I want you to see it. Are you willing?”

Keith was alarmed when he saw his dad wasn’t joking. Confused, he asked, “What’s the point?”

Markus clasped his hands behind his back and smiled sadly. “I want you to see that sometimes… killing is necessary. Compared to the Innate Dimension, the Grandsky Realm’s filled with violence and cruelty. However, if we work hard enough and have the will, we can turn the Grandsky Realm into a sanctuary of peace.”

Keith felt helpless when he thought of how many people they’d need to kill to achieve that dream.

“So?” Markus pressed.

“Okay, fine,” Keith reluctantly answered, unsure why he agreed.

A few moments later, the Father and son arrived before a cell guarded by two of the Innate Nation’s soldiers, their expressions grim. Behind them were three foreigners chained to the wall – one elven male and two female humans. They had so many bruises and cuts covering their bodies that Keith wondered how they were alive. Not only were their limbs broken, they were missing their fingernails, toenails, and some teeth. Keith was visibly disturbed upon seeing their conditions.

“Please, kill me,” one of the women wheezed, her bruised eyes barely making out Markus and Keith’s figures.

While Keith’s face turned pale white, the soldiers guarding the cell turned to Markus with hardened expressions. “Sir!”

“At ease,” Markus waved his hand. “Give me the details.”

One of the soldiers gnashed their teeth. “They’re slavers, alright. Over the past fifteen years, they captured anyone they found in the nearby zones and sold them to a group of demons every other month in exchange for skills exclusive to the Sin Dimension.”

“I see,” Markus sighed wearily.

“There’s more, sir,” The soldier continued. “The Elemental Dimension’s government is the one backing them.”

Markus raised an eyebrow. “For the skill gems?”

“Yes, since the Sin Dimension doesn’t trade with the Elemental Dimension, this was the method the Elemental Dimension came up with to get the Sin Dimension’s skill gems,” the soldier explained.

Keith looked at the soldier in disbelief, struggling to accept that the Elemental Dimension’s government would go so far as to capture and sell their own people to get their hands on something like skill gems. What was more despicable than that?

Markus narrowed his eyes. “Does this base have any of the Sin Dimensions’ skill gems in storage?”

At Markus’ question, the interrogator inside the cell walked out and answered, “No, they ship out the skill gems they acquire the same day they make the exchange.”

Before Markus could say something, the interrogator flipped their hand and revealed three blood-red skill gems. “However, the scum back there happened to have these in their inventories. Must’ve embezzled them.”

Keith’s eyes focused on the sparkling skill gems, and what he read left him disgusted.

[Mythic] Blood Siphon

Description: There is a small chance to steal stats from the lifeforms you kill. Effect lasts 1 minute. Each level increases the chance to steal and reduces mana cost.

Remark 1: Target must be a lower level than you.

Remark 2: There is an upper limit to the total stats you can steal.

Remark 3: The more stats you steal, the fewer reservations you have to kill.

[Mythic] Harvest

Description: Upon killing a lifeform you have a positive emotional attachment to, steal one of their skills. Each level reduces cooldown time.

Remark 1: Each successful activation of this skill lowers your ability to feel positive emotions.

[Legendary] Life Steal

Description: Upon killing a lifeform, increase your health by a small amount. Effect lasts 1 mintue. Each level decreases cooldown time and mana cost.

Remark 1: There is an upper limit to the health you can acquire.

Remark 2: Lowers your ability to feel pain upon successful activation.

“No wonder,” Markus muttered after reading the skill gems. Turning to his son, Markus questioned, “What type of environment do you think these skill gems will produce?”

“Infighting, deceit, chaos,” Keith responded, finally understanding Yara’s dislike for the Sin Dimension.

“Yes,” Markus nodded and took the skill gems from the interrogator.

As Markus weighed them in his hand, Keith asked softly, “What will you do with them?”

Markus was contemplative, saying, “I’ll publish their details. Our people need to know what type of enemy we’re facing. Unfortunately, skill gems are indestructible, so I can only lock them away.”

A short while later, Markus and Keith returned to the surface when Keith said, “I’m going home. I’m tired.”

Markus clasped Keith’s shoulder. “No problem, you deserve some rest.”

Under Markus’ gaze, Keith rode a griffon into the horizon. Sighing, Markus knew that he was in for a rough time once Mariane caught wind of what had happened. Sleeping on the couch was the least of his worries.