Some time of walking for a while, they've reached their destination. Which is a warehouse around the commercial district, formerly used for the Deman Slavers.

Luckily he had told his summons to clean some things up before going down and wipe out the next Slaver warehouses and rescue the enslaved humans.

"Were here," He opened the door. He turned his head around just to see that they are still cautious at their surroundings, well except for the kid Jack who seemed to be inexperienced in those kinds. "Don't worry, everything's clear in about a mile radius."

As they went in, he looked at the guy, Ramon, who was sleeping soundly at a makeshift bed.

"Ramon!" The girl Samantha ran towards the sleeping dude without care. Followed by the doctor of the group, no doubt to check his condition. 'She knows him? Huh, she must be a good actor if she hid it that well from before...'

"He's asleep, so like I said, don't worry." He went towards a nearby cooler filled with drinks. "Found the guy among the Slave Warehouses, saved him and some in time, can't say for the others though." He half lied, though all the enslaved humans were malnourished, they will live. And for the others he'd mentioned, there were other humans who have died before he had reached them.

He does have some resurrection items, but only in a limited number.

"He's well, and he's stabilized." The doctor said no doubt she had checked the man's condition. "He is just sleeping."

"Like I said before, don't worry about it." Apoc/Jim said casually. "Perfectly fine."

"Ramon..." With his senses heighten, he could hear the girl whisper. Her tone sounds like he is either a lover or her sibling or just someone related. Maybe a best friend or something.

Who knows?

"Now we found him, we need to move." The soldier man said. "Demans may come around." He was looking outside the window in cover, keeping an eye outside if the area is surrounded, which isn't since like a few miles radius of the area is like seriously clean of life.

With the exception of animals though, not affected.

"Calm down, nothing is around here..." He drank before giving out a sigh. "But you best get out of here as soon as you can. Demans tend to recover this place, and by place I meant the area."

"What makes you say that?" The doctor said with a raised brow.

"Because... You'd never know what's out there better than I do." He grinned. "Truth is, I just want you guys out of this place and go back to... Wherever you came from." He said dismissively.

The group looked at him with uncertainty printed on their faces. "Don't worry, it's not like I have a radio lying around here, report it to the Demans, have you getting chased, and who knows? Get enslaved?" That only narrow their eyes more.

'The truth is quite a killjoy...'

"Again dont worry, once you leave, no one and nothing will follow you back... Except for those things out there anyway..." He thought out loud at that last part, which made Jim slap himself in the face mentally on that mistake.

"What you say?" The middle-aged man said with venom in his tone. "There are still Demans out there!?" He yelled.

"You do know that it was a sarcastic comment right?" He said casually.

"Can you two just be quiet!?" The girl, Sam, screamed. "Please!?"

"..." Silence emerged in the room, Jim glanced onto the soldier man, who was glaring at him before letting out a 'tch' and looking away.

Jim just hummed before slowly walking towards the exit. "And where do you think you're going?" But it looks like he'll be sticking with them for some time...

He stopped and turned around. "What do you think? I'm leaving."

*Click* "I don't think so..."

He slowly turned his head around, it was the doctor, Jade, pointing her pistol at him. "You are going to answer my questions truthfully, and if I feel its a lie, I will shoot you." She said coldly.

He lowered his head and sighed heavily. 'This is going to be one of those dramatic moments huh?'

"J-Jade..."

"Sam, grab him and prepare to leave, this has to be a trap. He wouldn't carelessly lead us to Ramon now would he?"

"Jade, put the gun down!" Henrik shouted. "This isn't going to f**king help the situation!"

"This situation's only going to get more tense if this shit doesn't answer my questions; what did you do to him?" She said with a bit of venom in her tone.

". . .You really don't trust me to do you?" He said plainly. "He is sleeping peacefully, saved him, and did the treatments."

"You did, but how come we haven't encountered any Demans huh?"

He sighed. "As I said, I took care of them."

"Again, bullshit. This area is heavily populated with Demans, and that the place seem to look quite abandoned is unnatural. That would bring the possibility of you killing them all, or you collaborating with them."

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Didn't I just explained this when I just captured you all? I mean, that time was quite an opportunity to like... do things with you guys." He muttered at the last part.

". . .The man's got a point, Jade. Put the gun down."

"He could be lying about that." She darted her eyes around, seeing a rope nearby. "Jack, tie him with that rope next to me."

Jack hesitated before going to the rope. Jade twitched the gun. "Give the bag."

Jim raised his hands. "Alright, just chill." He said before opening his bag and tossing it to her. "Go ahead and look, I got nothing in there." Luckily they didn't see that smirk on his face with that mask he wore.

Jack went to him, tying him with the rope. "Sorry about this man."

Jim shrugged. "Nah, its fine. No harm done." He said cheerfully.

As Jade was searching through his back, all she could find was some metal scraps, a few snacks, and junk. "Where is the rest?" She pointed the gun at him again.

"What rest?" He raised a brow.

"This is all junk, where is the rest?"

"Dunno what you are talking about madam, that's all I got. Although I also have some weapons in me but it seems my hands are restricted."

". . .Jack search him."

Jack looked at her then to Jim, unsure if he will do it. "Its ok, just make it fast though, I don't like someone touching me, makes me kinda ticklish."

The boy hesitated before reluctantly searched him. Luckily for Jim, he only has his [Ranger Sequoia] out.

Not that they didn't count a dagger within his leggings... Didn't check that low of course...

"Kid, kindly mind the gun please? Do not damage it or steal it from me, it is my only weapon..."

Jack looked at Jade, then back to him. Unsure on what do to with the man's pistol, he just placed it on a nearby table.

Jim feeling satisfied on the boy's action, Jade appeared out of nowhere in front of him and pressed the tip of the pistol onto his head.

"Shut up..." She growled.

"Would you kindly not, please? I mean, why wouldn't you just kill me already?" He grunted.

"..." She didn't answer as she just smacked him at the neck using the pistol's handle, which made him collapse...

Or did it?

"What?" She said incredulously.

"Hmmm, nice try but no. You cant knock me out." He smiled.

She growled with a scowl on her face. "Get over here..." She grabbed Jim by his collar, dragging him to a chair nearby and forcing him down to sit. "Now, start talking."

"About what?" He said confused. "I can't talk anything unless you-"

"Where are the others?"

"...Who?"

"The other prisoners, where are they?"

He glanced around, noticing the others seeing him in suspicion. "Gone... Found several buildings that were supposed to be full of people? Gone." He said plainly.

"What the hell do you mean 'gone'.?" She pressed the pistol hard onto his head.

"Hey, that hurt!" He said.

"Tell me!? What the hell do you mean 'gone'?" She asked again. "Tell me or I swear, your brains will be on the floor."

"Gone, vanished, ain't there no more. No traces of them being dragged out forcefully, and go ahead and shoot me. I got nothing to live anyway..." He said, as he stared at her eyes coldly.

Jade could swear that she saw a glow on the man's eyes.

"Go ahead, I either told you a lie or the truth, so go on. Shoot me in the head, do it twice; make sure I'm really dead." He dared.

Jade narrowed her eyes as she actually seem to look like she is really going to shoot.

"J-Jade, don't do it. If you do, who knows what might happen?"

"Jade, put the gun down." The old man said calmly, trying to defuse the situation. "If you kill him now, and like the kid says; who knows what will happen... So if you kill him now, it will release a trigger to whatever the hell is out there, planned..."

Tense silence was on the scene right now. Jim is quite calm, even on what is happening right now. He'd panicked if he were still normal person, but his senses of knowing that his body is practically powerful against almost anything; he is still certain there is something out there that can definitely f**k with him.

He is quite tempted to say: "Come mon motherfucker, I dare you. I fucking dare you. Come mon, shoot me, shoot me!" That kind of talk.

Jade just stared at him before putting the gun down. She then leaned forward, and whispered into his ear. "I'm not making your wish come true..."

'Oh please, you will...' Jim held back his tongue from sprouting those words.

----------------------------------------

After some moments later, for Sam's grace with her reunion with Ramon, they moved.

Henrik was carrying Ramon on his back, whilst Sam keeping Jim with them, gun pointed at him; in case he runs away. The rest held their weapons at ready, having guard down deep in hostile territory, which they didnt know has been obviously swept clean.

'Why do I have a feeling I've been forgetting something?' He thought for quite a while before a light bulb just clicked.

'Oh my god...' He hung his head. 'Why did I forget my horse...?'

He then made a mentally command for his horse to come to him. Its actually just several blocks far from them.

Though, if his mount made contact with the group, they might shoot it. But since he had a feeling that their weapons, likewise, wouldn't be able to put damage to it? That's just guessing.

"Would you guys just chill?" He spoke up. "There ain't no more Demans around this area, got abandoned, so just put your weapons down before you start shooting at maybe a human, who knows?"

"Just be quiet, you're lucky were gonna bring you back for questioning."

He turned to the girl, and as if he rose a brow. "What do you mean, questioning? You know that you could just ask me several moments ago?"

"This place was too dangerous to interrogate, and were deep in Deman's territory, and just shut up traitor!"

"Traitor? Oh please, that'd be my friend." He said it was a fact.

They all turned to him with a suspicious gaze, except for Jack. "Where is he then?" Jade said dangerously.

"Somewhere, not here of course. Just... Somewhere." He said before turning to where his horse should appear.

Before anyone of them could speak, Jack had a small chill he felt, he looked around and saw something moving from the corner... "Uh guys, theres something moving at that corner."

They all looked to what direction he mentioned, they froze almost instantly when they fully saw the figure.

It was a horse...

Not just a normal horse.

It looked like the devil's horse. Everytime it walked, it leaves a trail of smoking footprints.

They all instinctively aimed their weapons at it out of fear. "Wait! Don't!" Jim shouted in worry. "Dont shoot at it!"

"What are you saying!? That is NOT a normal horse!" Jack almost screamed in fear.

"What do we do!?" Sam almost panicked.

The horse was moving towards them, not seem hostile, but it's monstrous enough to be a threat.

The group still stood their ground, they couldnt move their feet as they seemed to be glued onto the ground.

Jim just slowly walked towards the horse.

"H-hey! Where do you think you're going!? Get back here!" Henrik shouted.

Jim slowly turned towards them, he ripped the ties off, making them more surprised. "You got what you wanted... Go back to where you came from..." He said darkly...

As Jim and his mount drew closer, Jim patted the horse's head several times, to which his mount seem to like it.

This only caused the group to be more... You know... Dumbfounded shocked.

Jim got on it, taking one last look at the group. He simply draw out his [Ranger Sequoia] he had secretly snatched it back when they weren't looking quite well.

"I'll be taking my weapon back... And this may be the last time that you will see me... And people may not believe what you saw here, so... Adios." He said before turning his horse around.

The group tried to move, but as they struggle, they couldn't. Their bodies refused to move.

At that moment, all they could do is watch as the man, no, the devil rode away with his horse... They would try to shoot back at him when they could move again, well able to, but sensing dread from that devil?

No, they couldn't...

All they could do is let fear take within them...