Ch3 – Captured
Dustin after deciding his priority list immediately started planning his resource acquisition strategy. Map showed he was in an alley, behind him was wall and on his both sides houses with no windows or doors which opened on this side, the only way was to go forward in the street and risk being discovered. It was not the main Street though just some backwater neglected street.
He looked above to see if he could somehow climb the houses or get inside of the one, there were no opening this place was definitely was the classic dead end street used in anime's by petty gangsters, complemented with a big dustbin, being only problem with it being a classic dead end street was that there was wall with a hole, a perfect escape route. It would be useless to corner someone here as there was no way someone could be cornered here. They would be able to escape.
Thinking about it care fully though he figured that it was a good place to be cornered for the inhabitants of this city there ridiculous body proportions would ensure anyone trying to escape through the hole would get stuck and be at the mercy of the people who cornered him. The hole he came through now looked evil, a deliberately created trap.
“Focus Dustin Focus, damn it, it’s hard to concentrate when I am starving”.
It would had been far more easy if map showed other creatures he would just avoid them and roam the whole town undetected.
It’s not going to be easy Dustin thought, trying to approach the town inhabitants was not an option, even if they were friendly and didn’t kill him on sight. They will definitely hand over to him to the law enforcement’s or whatever it’s equivalent was here, no one trusts a naked man, to them he could be an alien. On earth if a alien suddenly appeared on street government would capture it, and all witnesses would be bribed, silenced or declared conspiracy theorists. Video recordings wouldn’t do much good as deep fake technology has already dropped a videos validity ratings. Even if he popped right in the middle of a crowed square, first people would think wow what a sexy cosplay this looks realistic, and then government would come with full force and capture him giving ridicules reasons, like he is dangerous he would fart and destroy half of the share market. Dustin laughed his brain had not stopped wasting energy on ridiculous shit.
He didn’t wanted to admit the only option which seemed viable to him was to find a house whose inhabitants were not present and get everything from there. People after crossing to a different world became hero's or demon lord or did something awesome fighting against foes many times stronger than them and still winning against overwhelming odds, and here he was. His second achievement after coming to this world would be, naked burglary with a bent pipe, first being surviving till now. Dustin laughed thinking if it were a game system how the achievement would sound like, you earned the title naked shameless robber, requirement- rob a house butt naked.
He had decided a route to a house two streets across, it was at the edge of his map. Actually not just the house he was technically targeting every single house there in which ever he would be able to get in. Why did he selected that specific area it was simple he discovered the original power of his map. He had somehow displaced the dustbin he was hiding behind and viola the dustbin disappeared from the map, based on this he draw a conclusion. it was simple map didn’t showed non living things or terrain but anything which had not been displaced in some time be it house a table or a mountain, as for the time by which it determined what need to be shown was undetermined, he will still need some time to figure out his actual abilities. His broken status had clearly not done a good job explaining. Map also showed inside of the houses within 200 meter radius but not the second floor or anything below only the level he was on.
All the houses in the streets he selected were probably deserted all of the inside furniture showed on the map and of his theory about his ability was correct then no one had used any of the furniture for some time.
Now that his target was clear and within his range he need to reach there undetected that could pose a problem as he would have to cross two main streets. Dustin prepared himself mentally for the operation, he moved from his position where he was hiding till now towards the first Street. He took a quick peak and ducked back inside there were few individuals on the street.
What should I do wait for them to move on or just make a run for it Dustin thought. He decided to wait as it was already getting dark. He would easily reach those houses taking cover of the darkness. He waited for some time but it was painful to wait his stomach was eating itself he couldn’t wait any longer. It was dark enough already. Dustin started moving towards the next street. He peaked there was not a single soul present on either side of the street, he started jogging toward the next alley.
“Hey you stop there”.
Dustin hadn’t even reached the next alley when he heard someone shouting. He instinctively know the voice was directed toward him. His ability amateur linguist had clearly activated, he felt it, it was a totally new sensation for him. It didn’t help much the only information he got through the ability was that, a question had been directed towards him threateningly.
“It’s curfew time, ha ha now you are in trouble”.
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Dustin had completely stopped, his hands were grabbing his pipe. He cursed under his breath, before moving out he had diligently checked both sides, he had never forgotten his parents advice, “always look to the right then to the left and then you can cross safely” he sighed mentally at the lousy advices he had received, never working when he needed them. He had been addressed once more. He looked backwards in the direction of voice.
“Oh shit”
In front of him, was a hulking figure clad in what appeared to be some kind of armour. Walking slowly toward him. He appeared to be intoxicated as he looked swirling and barely maintaining his balance. Dustin rejoiced he had a chance, he checked his option’s, fight or flight. Looking at the hulking 2 meter figure clad in armour Dustin decided it was unwise to get in a melee brawl even though it looked like this person was drunk and would collapse any second himself. He had seen drunken people showing astonishing strength.
Dustin putted strength in his legs and darted away he hadn’t even moved few meters that he heard booming laughter coming from the same direction he had ran away from.
“Hahahahaha”
”trying to escape, not now you are coming with me”.
Dustin was rooted to the ground he had not even gone 5 meters away, he felt like some force had stopped him completely. He was frozen like a sculpture not able to move a single muscle.
Dustin had underestimated them, he thought he would be able to infiltrate without being captured just using his map and wits. He failed and was now at the mercy of a hulking drunkard. He didn’t know what to do now, Dustin was panicking inside.
The person reached him and stopped and looked closely toward him, after inspecting him the person looked confused.
“You are not a citizen, how did you managed to get into the city?”.
Once more Dustin was being asked something he didn’t understood a single word of, he just felt that a statement about him was made and a question was being asked. Dustin guessed that he was being asked that why was he here as for the statement he didn’t know.
“Oh I forgot I bound you, how would you even answer me”
Dustin felt that whatever the force or magic He was being bound by was removed. Dustin figured by the giants action that clearly that there were probably a species on this planet which looked like humans and that this town was not hostile to them otherwise he would had been either killed or captured forcefully by this person, he won’t bother to question him. Though it also could be because that this person was drunk and barely making decisions.
“Hello, I suppose that English wouldn’t help much. Dustin said to the giant”
“What, uhh just follow me”
The big fellow didn’t understood what he said and by the looks of it didn’t care to listen.
Dustin was instructed something and figured that he was being asked to follow as the person moved gesturing him also his ability told him so.
Now confirmed that these people wouldn’t eat him or kill him on sight, Dustin decided to go with the flow. Anyway he didn’t had much choice he was sure that if he tried to run, then this person would just grab him with that magical ability he used before. He didn’t had much energy left. Also why would he run now it was probably one of the easiest way to obtain information and potentially they would give him something to eat, they looked fairly civilized.
The streets looked clean, Dustin had thought from the condition of outer walls that it was probably some backwater poor hole forgotten by the people of power, but moving inside it didn’t look show. he was being led through the orderly rows of house unlike the street from where he entered. All of the houses were multiple stories high some being as high as his apartment building back on earth. Streets on this district looked rich as all of the roads were lit by lights, though being lit by light was a not very good standard to judge the wealth of the district, but his instinct told so. He was not sure if the lights were magical or worked on something like electricity, there was a high possibility that it was a mix of magic and technology.
The dude he was following didn’t looked concerned about anything as he would be able to handle anything he could throw at him, or probably he had forgotten his existence it could be a possibility as there was a ability which hide his aura.
“Here we are”
“What, I don’t understand a single fucking thing”, Dustin said while making confused face.
The huge fellow didn’t care or didn’t heard him as just grabbed him on the shoulder and started walking like a normal person.
Was he acting drunk before probably not bu now for sure he was. At least Dustin felt so.
He is probably trying too fool the authority or his employer that he is doing his job properly, Dustin thought.
Dustin was lead inside a inconspicuous building, Dustin had failed to notice this building until now, like his mind was always focusing elsewhere. When following his captor he was continuously looking on the map and also was inspecting the surrounding area, he did see the building on the map but didn’t notice it until he was literally on its steps. Dustin smelled some magical bullshit here.
Inside the building was spacious, and looked decent and comfortable. They were using warm yellow light. Dustin looked around and noticed three other people, one behind a counter and the other two sitting on sofa playing some sort of game. Person behind the counter was watching them with a unblinking gaze right from the moment they stepped inside the building as for the other two they were too busy among themselves to notice them or probably didn’t care.
The big fellow he came with walked and sat on a chair and loudly said something to the two fellows who had been busy among themselves,
“Hey, I found this kid in the city, did a bolren convoy came today, he probably snuck out to play”.
“What are you talking about asshole”.
They clearly disliked the intrusion as for what did they said it was clear by their facial expressions.
“I found him breaking the curfew, now it’s a good opportunity for us to get some extra income”.
The big fellow told something to the two totally unbothered by there irritated looks. Though there expression had changed to confusion.
“There is no bolren convoy anywhere within probably a thousand mile. No one dares to pass the valley during this time of the year”.
They told the big fellow something.
“How did you managed to reach the here”.
The big fellow thought something and moving in his direction once more asked him something as for Dustin his ability amateur linguist was clearly helping him in learning the language, but not in the way he thought as he clearly felt the question asked to him was why was he here. They Were clearly asking him either why was he in the city or how did he get into the city
Dustin tried his utmost with his expression and gesture and speaking that he didn’t understood a single fucking word they said and he needed food, as for questions asked they wouldn’t understand anyway, his ability was helping him but very slowly it will take time, still it was better then learning language manually.