(("Drawing it in?"))

Psyche paused for a moment. (("It's hard to describe. It's like throwing a ball towards a goal and it gets caught in a sudden gust, except the gust has a specific target in mind. Maybe a magnet would've been the better example. Though it didnt attract magic per se"))

(("Then how did we get to the Slave Room?")) Mako gently tapped an Aries member on the back as he and Jak passed by.

(("The way Arc Soul Shift works is by linking your magic and soul to a location of my choosing and then cutting the space between them. I created it about a year ago and it's still in development.")) Psyche's tone was dead serious with a hint of confusion. (("Even so, I know I didn't mess it up. The only way this scenario could've happened is if it summoned your souls instead. Though that in itself is difficult."))

(("If such a thing existed in the hideout, couldn't it have been sensed by you or other adventurers?")) Jak frowned as he sidestepped a fallen column.

(("Not if this system was set to capture weaker souls. Specifically newbie adventurers."))

"Then it probably belongs to....." Mako's voice trailed off.

"Right. The one behind the serial killings. The question becomes then, why did he want to send us to that specific room? What purpose does it serve?"

"10 gold says there was an assassin planted in there and it was one of the slaves." Mako laughed as he removed his staff from his back. "It would be quite an awesome plan."

"Then why are we still alive ya idiot?"

Mako smirked. "Maybe they fell in love with you at first sight. Also, you have to admit, this mastermind doesn't do things without a clear reason."

Jak scoffed, but he internally agreed with the latter part of his friends statement.

The one controlling things from the background was scarily intelligent and extremely methodical, not to mention cautious. If Jak were to believe that Obinay was the one behind the Vox Lion trap, then it was likely that he was nothing but a pawn. Setting up Mako to die and then provide multiple countermeasures in case the first didn't work out. Systematically killing off those who witnessed or even talked about the Bird Massacre as well as those associated with the town of Deryipall. Setting up the Bird Massacre in the first place in addition to the other "accidental" Elemental Rookie deaths.

All of that depicted a clever mind and an eye for detail.

That considered, it was unlikely that the mastermind would make himself so obvious and within reach of suspicion or capture. Ergo, it wasn't Obinay but rather someone behind him.

(("Whatever the case is, you both need to watch each other and prepare yourselves. We can't worry about the Mastermind while in the middle of a Quest. Uglio is somewhere dead ahead. He hasn't moved from his room since the beginning. He's alive but I don't know what he has planned."))

"Right." Jak and Mako nodded in tandem, putting on some speed.

Thump!

It wasn't a large sound, but it was one the redhead heard clearly, causing him to turn his head. There, some ways back, was the blue eyed slave from before, the young girl Jak had first released.

The noise Jak had heard was the sound of her tripping over her own feet as she struggled to catch up.

It was hard to say how long she had been following them for, but it was likely that she had trailed them from the moment they had departed the Slave Room. The reason he hadn't noticed was likely due to all the other adventurers bringing up the rear.

Walking up to the fallen individual, Jak knelt down onto one knee.

"Are you alright Meru?" The redhead reached out a hand as the girl raised her head. "Can you stand up?"

"Meh.....roo?" The young woman eyed Jaks hand, eyes just as void of emotion as it had been before. Gently, she took the outstretched hand.

"It means 'blue' in Indoctin, the language of the Spirits." Jak helped her onto her feet. "You dont have a name right? I won't call you Slave and you can still pick your own name if you don't like that one."

"I'm surprised you stopped to help her," Mako noted as he walked over. "You've been acting all hard and edgy since you came back. Nice to see you have a soft spot despite the mission at hand."

"I'll cut you," Jak scowled, glancing towards his compatriot.

"That's more like it." Mako gave a thumbs up.

"Meh....roo." The girl repeated it to herself once more, a little bit of life returning to her sky blue hues. "Meru. My name... is Meru."

"I think she likes it."

Jak let go of Meru's hand. "Can you walk on your own? If so, head back to the Slave Room. There're are people there who can help you. We can't stay with you."

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

(("Wow. You're a cruel one. Leaving a girl all on her own."))

"Yeah man. That's kinda harsh. You sure you still have a soul?"

(("Giving the girl a name and then telling her to get lost, you must enjoy playing with the feelings of others. Heartless monster."))

"Tactless beast."

(("Maidenless Child."))

"Cruel-"

"OKAY!" Jak shot Mako a scowl. The redhead let out a heavy breath before refacing Meru once again. "Follow close behind us. Don't get separated or we'll leave you behind. Understood?"

Meru nodded, glancing from the young Rookies sheathed katana towards the cape on his back.

Without another word, Jak took off once again, this time with Meru in tow. Instead of going all out like before, the redhead had slowed down significantly, allowing the former Slave to keep pace without too much difficulty.

(("Do you think we went too far?")) Psyche sounded genuinely concerned. (("He clearly already has mental blocks. Maybe we made things worse?"))

(("Not at all.")) Mako smiled as his friend jogged on ahead. (("Deep down, past all that asshole-ish exterior, he's a kind and caring guy. That's why he stopped and helped Meru when she tripped and fell. While he may have sent her back, he probably only did that for her own good. If he truly didn't want her around, he wouldn't have given in to our insults."))

(("I suppose."))

(("The best thing for him now is to have something worth protecting. I'm no therapist but it's likely that he's suffering from Survivors Guilt and probably feels responsible for the entire Bird Massacre. Having someone in his life besides me will help him grow tremendously back into the person he used to be. Trust me. I know my brother more than anyone."

(("I hope you're right."))

Mako grinned. (("I'm always right."))

(("Of course you are."))

"That.....is one big door."

Obinay glanced up at the giant structure before him, an enormous double door that nearly reached up to the ceiling some twenty five meters up. Unlike the rest of the building which was made of pure beige colored Afthrafstos, the doors were pitch black and seemingly much thicker than the rest of the walls. Running his hand over it, Obinay summoned a bit of magic but quickly pulled back after receiving a painful shock.

"A nasty one as well." Obinay laughed before glancing back out the corner of his eye. "What do you think of it young Yanda?"

"It seems to be made of Umendra, the metal found on Avarron. It has absolute magic negating properties. Any form of magical energy that comes into contact with it is rendered useless regardless of what it is." Jak walked up to the door, Meru following close behind him. "It's said that not even a high ranking God could destroy it. Obtaining the materials is almost impossible without significant connections to the WGC, the one who controls the ins and outs to Avarron."

"Correct." Obinay rapped on the door with his knuckles. "Which the Mapel line has considering their connection to the Water Hero. Luckily, there's more than one way to open a locked door. A simple way."

The Aries Guild leader flexed a little as he moved a half step backwards.

BOOM! BOOM! BANG!

One of the doors fell inwards, buckling under the ferocious kick Obinay had just delivered to its lower half.

"See? Simple."

"Yeah. Simple." Jak stepped past the Rift Hunter, walking into the room.

The difference between the rooms though almost made Jak back out to ensure he had actually entered the correct area.

"Wow. It's really nice in here." Mako glanced around, a wondrous look on his face. "This must be his personal quarters. Certainly fits the noble lifestyle."

The room was the exact opposite of what the hideout had been like for Jak and Mako. Instead of a cold and lifeless hunk of metal, the room gave off an air of comfort and relaxation.

The floor was made of a lush, maroon colored carpet, almost bordering on some kind of fur, the kind that you could sink into and relaxed with like some kind of blanket. The walls had paintings of various animals and landscapes while the ceiling had an array of constellations drawn onto it, some even being magically lit in place of actual lights. On it, Jak could make out the major ones such as the Vox Wolf Nereus, the Vox Lion Merlon, and the Vox Bull Demeter, all named after the prestigious Elemental Heroes from long ago.

Just like the walls and floor, the objects within the confines of the room were quite impressive.

Desks made out of rare wood all the way from Frogalia. Jewlrey with unreal levels of craftsmanship. Painting made by worlds renowned painters as well as intricate sculptures that would've gone for tens of thousands of gold coins individually. Trinkets and baubles that Jak was unable to identify but figured was expensive based on everything else that he had seen. Even the very bed in the far corner of the room was worth a lot, jewels embedded into its Rubendal frame.

Perhaps the largest and most superfluous item in the room though was the large throne situated at the front of the room, a throne that was built from numerous types of rare metals.

Seated in this very seat was a slumped figure, a figure with a head of bright blue hair.

Uglio Mapel.

"Pardon the intrusion," Obinay waved towards the hunched Uglio, of whom was quite a ways away. "We're here to rearrange your guts."

"Maybe don't say it like that." Mako stifled a laugh.

"Rearrange his vocal chords?" - Obinay

"A bit better." -Mako

"Rearrange his face." -Obinay

"Now you're getting it." - Mako

"Hey. I think he's knocked out." Jak poked the side of Uglio's head with the butt of his sheath, doing it a few times.

"How'd you get over there so fast?"

Jak ignored the shout and knelt down onto the floor next to the unmoving Mapel, crimson hues giving the man a once over. Little by little, he ran his hands over the body, checking the neck, wrist, eyes, and so on.

(("He's alive. That's something at least. However he's not sleeping. Even the heaviest sleeper couldn't stay that way after getting their door kicked down. He also wasn't knocked out with conventional means. No signs of a concussion."))

"What's the status Doctor Yanda?" Mako asked, making his way forward. "Will he survive?"

"He's been put to sleep with magic that affects the soul."

Before Jak could open his mouth to answer Mako's question, Meru took the initiative to speak up for perhaps the first time since the two of them had met. Seemingly just as surprised as the redhead himself, Obinay, Mako, and a few other nearby adventurers fixed their gazes onto her. However, this sudden influx of attention only served to silence Meru, causing her to move closer to Jak.

"Can you elaborate for us?" Obinay asked gently, keeping his voice polite.

Silence.

Letting out a sigh, the Aries Guild Master looked towards the Rookie.

"Meru. Can you answer?" Jak glanced towards the cowering girl.

"....Okay. He's been put to sleep with a kind of magic that targets the very soul. Instead of him being simply asleep, his entire soul has been sent into an irreversible slumber."

"An irreversible slumber huh." Obinay frowned, glancing towards the unconscious body. "Maybe it was the work of Psycho?"

(("Oi. Don't bring me into this. Also, it's Psyche Cho!!"))

"I don't know. Psycho is kinda catchy." Obinay grinned.

Jak ignored everyone else's bantering and continued his own investigation, rummaging through the slumbering Mapel's various pockets. It took him less than a second to find something, namely a small piece of paper with some Ornernian symbols scribbled on it.

(("Read this verse aloud for an escape route?"))

"Encase the world in darkness. Let nothing survive. Endless Chaos."

"You okay Jak?" Mako stepped forward, looking over his friends shoulder, curiosity all over his face. "Whatcha reading?"

Zwooo!

A wave of magical energy suddenly erupted outwards from Uglio's unconscious frame, throwing Jak and Mako backwards into Meru. Everyone else was knocked off balance, forcing them to their knees or onto their rears as yet another pulse of concentrated mana spread through the area. The magic itself didn't hurt, but the pressure of it was definitely increasing with each passing wave as well as getting further and further.

"What the heck is happening?!"

"Is everyone okay?"

"Be careful of enemy attacks!!"

Shouts and calls rang through the room, the members of the Coalition panicking in the ensuing chaos.

"What's going on?" - Mako

"I read from a sheet of paper." -Jak

"What? That doesn't make sense!!" -Mako

"Nope."

"Anyone ever told you that your luck is total garbage?" Mako asked, placing a hand on Jaks shoulder.

"It's an Antimatter Necklace." Meru clasped onto Jaks cape, moving closer to the two of them. "Master Mapel aquired one eight days ago from a stranger. As well as a Teleportation Stone. He kept them close for emergencies. I don't see the Stone but that's the necklace!!"

"Antimatter?? But thats...."

"Yeah." Jak frowned as yet another blast slammed into them, one even stronger than before. "We're as good as dead here. Us and the entire hideout. Not even our bones will remain."

(("It's okay. I'm here remember. I can at least teleport all of the non Rift Hunters to safety. Don't worry. I won't let any of you Rookies die!!"))

(("But what about you?"))

Psycho smiled to herself, knowing they couldn't see it. "As for me. I'll get to see my dear old friend again. I can tell him about the capable young man you've become, Jak Yanda."

(("Psyche? Psyche? You there?"))

Tink.

Before Jak had time to send another message to the Buttermoth Rift Hunter, an object fell from above them, passing in front of his crimson hues. There was a powerful magic pulse, a bright light, and everything went black.

BOOOM!!!!!