Rueben looked at the writings on the walls before looking at the sealed shut door just a few meters away from him. The room was large and there were many cells and such littered everywhere, he concluded that this was an illegal slave market in the past with only one(Possibly two with the hole he just got dragged into) way in and out.
There were plates, spoons, forks, food cans, rotten meat, barrels of water, wine and alcohol… You could see that this place was once bustling with people. He took a cuff tied to a chain and pulled it, unsurprisingly, the chain didn't break. The God's Blood could improve one's lifespan and physical prowess but the physical prowess here mostly isn't what you think of.
If you get injected with a lot of God's Blood, that doesn't mean you can one punch people all of a sudden. Yes, it improves your physical strength and such but it mostly improves your reaction speed, reflexes and muscle movement as well bone enhancement.
This is why most Hunter's could react to any situation and instinctively move, with the muscle movement being capable of moving your body to keep up with your mind, Hunter's could hunt beasts and monsters. This is also why God's Blood was highly sought after in the past but now, only Hunter's and people crazy enough to use God's Blood were the only people left to use it. With the large supply of God's Blood, practically anyone could become as strong as the First Hunter and The Lady but using God's Blood beyond your capabilities would only lead you into turning into a beast instead.
Hunters and people that used the God's Blood were cursed the moment they injected the Blood inside them. It slowly infects your mind, turning you into a mindless beast who only thinks of hurting and killing, this state is called Blood Drunk. One of the symptoms that lets you know that you are turning, is being more aggressive and the like, it doesn't matter when, as long as you don't kill yourself, you will turn into a beast even if it takes years or even decades.
Being Blood Drunk was insanely scary for Hunters. They never know when they would turn into a mindless killing machine that would hurt even their loved ones. Though, once a Hunter, you can never retire until your death and sleep in Eternal Dream.
Rueben looked at his hand and clenched it, he knew that he took in many God's Blood to get where he is today, probably making the "Beast" inside him even more hungry for control, he could feel that he was more bloodthirsty than before. A sign of someone that will go through the unescapable fate that all Hunter's would eventually go through.
Rueben was scared. The man who hunted Blood Drunk Hunters as well as Hunters that lost their minds…. It was ironic that he too will succumb to being just like every one of them.
He closed his eyes before opening them again and pressed forward.
Looking at the door infront of him as well as according to the scribbles and notes he found that were not destroyed, he could somewhat guess that this place a slave market with a lot of people buying and selling slaves. This must've happened a little over 30 years ago, just before everything went into chaos.
The slaves that they were selling here were mostly women and children. That didn't make Rueben's heart tug in pain or anger as it had happened over 30 years ago, the women and children were better off being either being used as toys or playthings than living in this decaying world where you would turning into a mindless beast if you are infected by a disease and kill off anyone you love without any hesitation.
He pushed the door open and found out that it wouldn't budge. There must be something blocking the door from opening. Just as he tried to take out Eve and shoot whatever was blocking the door from opening, he heard a child's cheerful laughter. He then felt a tug on his coat and he immediately reacted by aiming the gun at the thing tugging his clothes.
He looked down and saw a little girl laughing, giggling while putting her hands to cover her mouth, grinning mischievously as she looked at him with her wide eyes. Rueben looked at the little girl who then tugged his clothes again, he cautiously took a couple steps back as he felt chills running through his spine.
If it was anyone, he could've detected them immediately as soon as they stepped 5 meters away from him. With the little girl, however, he didn't even detect her until she tugged his clothes. True, he was physically exhausted from 3 consecutive battles and that might wear him down a little but still, a professional like him should have detected a little girl.
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'No, this isn't a little girl… Nor is it a human, must be a monster or a beast in disguise, though very rare, there were cases of monsters or beasts being humanlike in appearance before letting out their true form.' Rueben looked at the girl who then smiled and giggled.
"Hey, mister! Are you one of the hiders? Hehe, I found you! You are the first one I found for the last 2 hours and that means you must help me find the others too!" She giggled childishly and grabbed his hand pulling him, Rueben could've not move but his thought that this little girl could lead him to the exit.
Though, if the girl turns out to be a beast or a monster, then he could try and kill her here and then. Following the little girl, she pulled the heavy door like it was nothing and ran forward first. Rueben looked at the door, awkwardly pinching himself before following the little girl who yelled at him to hurry up.
The door wasn't meant to be pushed. It was meant to be pulled to open it…. It was a simple solution to a simple problem that even a child could solve after a few tries… He was a failure as an adult….
The little girl arrived at what seems to be a wine cellar. She looked at him and said in a serious yet quiet voice, "Okay, I haven't checked this room. You go look on that side, I'll look on this side. If you see someone, then immediately tag them… Be quiet and move slowly." She then gave him a thumbs up and sneaked around to the right.
Rueben looked at the little girl before frowning, then it turned into a helpless look and silently walked the other way. Whatever this child is doing, he hopes that it would not lead into him putting a bullet in her head.
He diligently looked around, though he doubted that there would be anyone in here, who hides in the wine cellar anyway-
He found a doll inside one of the barrels. He looked at the doll in silence when in suddenly turned its head to look at him, he almost took out Adam and shoot the cursed thing when a voice sounded out from the doll. He stopped for a moment to hear what the doll has to say.
"Ah shoot! You got me, mister! Darn it…. Well, even if im on your side now, I won't snitch on where my friends are hiding!" A little doll said as it moved its mouth as if it was speaking. The voice sounded childish and full of energy but the doll was unmoving and expressionless, like a doll.
Rueben already aimed Adam on its head the moment it started speaking. Just as he was about to shoot, the little girl suddenly appeared.
"Ah! Jus! Hehe, I found you!"
The doll then said, "No, mister found me! Stop acting like you were the one who found me, Sara! Anyway, how many people have you caught?"
The little girl, Sara said proudly with a v sign hand on the hair, "Just you two!"
"…"
"…"
Looking at the little girl, Sara, or presumably her name is… Rueben knew that this little girl was a monster disguised in human skin. He could have put a bullet in her head right now but something was holding him back from doing so, his body wouldn't listen to him and shoot the girl. As if it instinctively knew that he would do something he would regret dearly if he does shoot the girl during this time.
"Whaaat?? Just the two of us? That's lame.."
Sara pouted and looked at Rueben, "Hey mister, Jus is bullying me! Go scold him…."
The doll snickered and said, "No way mister will do that, after all, mister looks nice!"
Rueben looked at the little girl and doll squabbling infront of him and let out a sigh, "Okay, okay, you two, play nice."
Sara pouted and opened her mouth, "Mister, have you tagged Jus yet? If you have not, then touch him so he could go seeking with us!"
The doll snickered and said, "Well, I did get found so I deserve getting tagged. Come, I'll help Sara find more people! She sucks at playing hide and seek."
"I do not!"
"Do to."
"Do not!"
Rueben looked at Sara, who was already on the verge of crying and touched the dolls head, "Okay, stop that…"
Just as he was about to say more, the doll suddenly turned into ash and a screen appeared within the ashes. Something was playing in the screen, it looked like 6 children as well as 3 adults were in a garden somewhere, one of the kids suddenly suggested playing hide and seek in the cellar as the adults hurriedly agreed as if they were desperate.
The adults led the children into the cellar and locked the doors, even going far as pushing the furniture to block the door as they held the children and told them to hide. Behind them were the doors banging as if someone was knocking hard.
The older middle aged man let out a smile that seemed forced and pushed them into rooms, one child a room, telling them to not get out until someone found them before locking the door and leaving the keys in the door knob.
Then that was where the scene ended. Rueben looked at the ashes on his palm and looked at Sara, who suddenly grew a lot taller and more feminine, she was at first at the ages of 6 now she looked like an 8 year old child.
Shocked at her sudden transformation(aging) he took out Adam and shot the tentacle that was about to wrap itself around her. The tentacles blew into blood mists before the remaining parts disappeared into the cracks of the walls.
"…"
"Hey, mister. When are we going to find the others?" As if the gun shot didn't faced her, she looked at him innocently.
"…" Rueben looked at her in silence and put Adam back before standing up and walking away, forcing the little girl to follow after him.
"Mister?"