Chapter 65
A Moment To Rest, A Moment To Plan
Climbing up the ladder, Erin came to a large open area with six doors. Looking around, she saw that there were other contestants surrounding her. All of them had some form of injuries on them, most likely due to whatever hellish obstacles they had to overcome in order to get there. Some, like Goldiana, only had a few scratches, while others were seriously injured and barely able to keep going.
It didn’t take long for Erin to realize that this was the place where all the contestants that had survived their trials had come to. She immediately began to look around in the hopes of finding Ryle and Durge, who she had been separated from. When she wasn’t able to find them in the crowd, panic and worry began to take over.
“Erin! Over here!” came the call from a familiar voice, causing the redhead to turn around and feel her body wash over with relief, as she saw Ryle and Durge hurrying towards her. “I was starting to think you had kicked the bucket or something! What the hell took you so long!?”
“It got close to that, I can say that much,” Erin said with a small chuckle, happy to see her friend safe and sound. “As you can see, I didn’t exactly have an easy time.”
“Sheesh! No kidding! You look like you went through hell itself twice!” the blonde said, looking over the redhead’s injuries. “What the hell did they send after you to leave you in such a mess!?”
“Ghouls. A lot of them,” Erin replied. “What about you guys? You don’t seem to be too badly injured at least.”
“It was basically a simple obstacle course that had a bunch of wild animals on it,” Durge replied with a shrug. “As long as you didn’t panic and knew what you were doing, you could avoid most of them.”
“Avoid, my ass! One of those things almost bit a chunk out of that certain part of my body!” Ryle yelled angrily at the orc. “It’s honestly a miracle even one of us got out of there in one piece!”
“I did say “as long as you knew what you were doing,” didn’t I?” Durge pointed out. “YOU obviously didn’t know, which is why I almost lost my arm saving your ass. And I literally mean your ass in this case.”
“Bite me, asshole!” the blonde yelled as she flipped off the orc, who just rolled his eyes in response.
“Durge, thank you for looking after Ryle,” Erin suddenly said with a bow, surprising both Durge and Ryle. “I know that she must have been difficult to deal with, which is something I know from experience, yet you risked your own safety for her sake. I will do my best to repay you for that.”
“Uhh… It’s quite alright. No need for that,” Durge said, somewhat flustered by the humble act made by the redhead. “The way I see it, I was just doing my part. After all, we did join forces in order to get through this, right? Would be kind of shitty of me to just abandon an ally, even if only a temporary one.”
“Still, you did help her out, which in turn helped me,” Erin said. “I know when I should be grateful and this is one of those moments. So once again, thank you.”
“Geeze… You’re really making this awkward for me,” the orc said as he scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit embarrassed by the whole situation he was in. “If you really feel that strongly about this, I guess you could buy me a drink once we get out of here…”
“Consider it done,” the redhead said with a smile.
“...Anyways, grossly sweet friendship between us aside, what’s up with Lex?” Ryle asked, having realized that the kobold had remained silent through their whole conversation. “He hasn’t made any witty remarks at all. He seems almost dead or something.”
Upon hearing Lexton’s name get brought up by the blonde, Erin’s lone eye went wide, as she remembered the one thing she should have been worrying about. She immediately started to look around for someone who wasn’t a contestant but a staff member of some kind. The redhead knew that her only hope of saving her friend’s life was if the people behind these sick games had an antidote for the ghoul venom currently coursing through Lexton’s body. If she could only get them to give her that, the kobol’s life could be saved.
Erin noticed that there was a balcony overlooking the area the contestants were at. There were members of the Laughing Ogre standing there, keeping their eyes on the people who had survived so far, ready to pull out their guns and shoot any troublemakers. The redhead knew it was going to be risky, but if she was going to save Lexton, she would have to go to these people.
“Hey! Please help me!” Erin yelled at the people on the balcony, catching their attention. “My friend was injured during the game and got bit by a ghoul! He needs help!”
“...Okay, we’ll help ya!” one of the armed thugs said with a chuckle.
“Oh, thank God! You have the-!”
“Just put him on the ground and step back a bit!” the guard said as he readied his rifle. “We’ll make sure to pump him so full of bullets that he won’t have any chance to get back up as a ghoul!”
Erin could feel her face turn pale, as the thugs on the balcony began to practically roar with laughter. Her only chance at saving Lexton’s life seemed to be slipping away from her hands.
“B-B-But he survived the game! Doesn’t that mean he gets to continue!?” the redhead desperately tried to argue. “Just give him the antidote and he can keep going! It’s only fair that he is allowed that much!”
“Idiot! Do you think we give a shit about what’s fair!?” one of the guard’s asked mockingly as he kept laughing. “The only things we care about here is that we get paid and that we get to enjoy a good show while doing our job! We couldn’t care less about some worthless kobold that’s about to drop dead!”
“You bastards sure like to talk a big game standing there with your guns, but what will you do when your boss hears about this!?” Ryle yelled, having followed after Erin and listened to the current situation. “Do you think he’s gonna be happy once he hears you idiots let one of the contestants just die like that!? I’m sure he will be freaking pleased to hear you screwed up his show!”
“Do you really think this is the first time some loser bastard has come to us begging for a cure!?” another guard asked, laughing even harder than before. “The way we see it, if you’re too shit to get through the game without getting injured like that, you can only blame yourself for sucking so hard! We could let a dozen of you die here and it wouldn’t matter one bit!”
Erin and Ryle were about to keep arguing, but Durge came in and gently pushed them to the side. He looked up to the balcony in order to speak with the guards.
“Listen here, you guys. I get that the kobold over there doesn’t seem much in your eyes, but is it really okay to just dump him like this?” the orc asked. “I’m sure the people watching this crap would greatly enjoy watching him struggle more in these games of yours. So instead of doing it for him, why not do it for the ratings? I’m sure your boss wouldn’t mind that.”
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Ryle, angered by the fact that Durge talked about Lexton like he was just some object, was about to lash out at him. She was stopped by Erin, who put a hand on her shoulder to keep her in check.
“I know you’re upset, but we have to focus on what’s actually important. And that’s saving Lex,” the redhead said quietly so that only the blonde could hear. “Durge is trying to get the antidote we need by persuading those guys using logic that should work on them. Let’s swallow our pride for now and hope that it works, okay?”
Despite not liking it, Ryle knew that Erin was right and that getting worked up would only serve to make things worse. This was something they couldn’t afford, as Lexton’s life was on the line, so the blonde wisely decided to stand back and let Durge do his thing.
Unfortunately, the orc’s words weren’t getting through to the guards.
“Well, if it isn’t big man Durge himself. How the tables have turned,” one of the guards said as he grinned at the orc’s predicament. “You know, we always hated you. You were always acting like you were so much better than the rest of us. Now look at you. The mighty warrior at the mercy of some lowly thugs. Life has a funny sense of humor, doesn’t it?”
“Look, you can hate me all you want. I don’t give a crap about that. Just get the antidote for the ghoul’s venom to the kobold over there,” Durge said as he tried his best to remain calm. “I can guarantee your boss will be pleased with your actions, so-”
“SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU ARROGANT PRICK!” the guard yelled in a sudden burst of anger. “You’ve got some balls coming up to us and making any demands! We should just shoot you right here, except that would be too kind for you! Do you have any idea how many of our buddies got killed by your tribe!? The fact that you’re not bowing down and begging us not to kill you is already arrogant enough, so don’t push your luck!”
“If you want to talk about casualties of the war, let me remind you that my tribe was nearly wiped out by your people. There’s blood on the hands of both sides, so I don’t see how you get to act like you’re victims,” the orc said in tone that barely managed to contain his anger. “Besides, that has nothing to do with this. I’m trying to suggest something that will benefit both sides-”
“Screw your benefits! We are done listening to your crap, so get out of our faces, before we decide to-!”
Something was suddenly thrown from the balcony towards Durge, who caught it easily with his hand. He looked at what it was and saw that it was a small vial with a green liquid in it. He knew right away that it was the antidote used to counter the venom from a ghoul. The orc looked up to see who it was that had given the vial to him and was surprised by who he saw. It was Driz, the dark elf right hand man of Grandall. The dark elf was standing there, looking over Durge and his group with his personal guards.
“Here’s the antidote you asked for,” Driz said. “Take it and use it on that kobold you want to save so badly.”
“S-Sir! Why are you helping them!?” one of the guards asked, shocked that the second in command of their gang was helping a traitor that was hated by every member of the group. “It’s only for the best if that scum dies! We have no obligation to-!”
“Gentlemen, there seems to be a noisy creature that has managed to make its way here,” the dark elf said without even looking at the guard. “Could one of you please handle it?”
At once, one of the people Driz had brought with him pulled out his gun and shot the guard that had been complaining in one quick and fluid motion. The guard didn’t have any time to react as the bullet pierced through his forehead. He then fell to the ground lifeless, terrifying his colleagues that were still trying to process what was going on.
“Now, is there anybody else who would like to voice their complaints and question my actions?” Driz asked without even looking at the guards surrounding him. “I assure you that I will deal with any issues you may have swiftly, so they can be handled right away.”
The remaining guards wisely kept their mouths shut, knowing better than to further anger the dark elf.
“Glad to see there are no further issues,” Driz stated upon hearing no other complaints.
“I don’t have any complaints, but I would like to ask something,” Durge called out to the dark elf while he handed the antidote to Erin. “Can I ask you why you’re doing this? Unless the order came from Grandall himself, I can’t see why you would bother helping anyone here. So why do it now?”
“You leave worrying about Grandall to me. What I am doing is purely for beneficial reasons alone,” Driz said. “There are some big plans going on. Very big plans that YOU are a part of, along with those new friends of yours. That’s why I can’t allow any of you to die just yet. Not until you’ve fulfilled your use to me.”
The orc, knowing better than to possibly make his situation worse than it already was, decided to simply accept the explanation he had been given and move along. He had his suspicions as to why Driz was suddenly helping him out, but dared not to voice out such thoughts. It wouldn’t do him any good.
However, if his suspicions were correct, something interesting would be happening very soon. For now, he needed to focus on surviving and seeing what the future would bring forth.
While Durge had been focused on Driz, Erin and Ryle were focused on giving Lexton the antidote to the ghoul venom in his body. Almost as soon as they got their hands on the vial, they had laid the kobold on the ground and proceeded to force the liquid into his mouth and down his throat. They made sure that he drank the whole thing to the last drop, so as to make sure he didn’t drink too little of it.
At first, there didn’t seem to be any change in Lexton, causing the others to fear that they had been too late in giving him the cure. Just when they were about to lose hope, the kobold started to show signs of waking up. He coughed a bit before his eyes slowly opened.
“Lex! You’re awake!” Erin exclaimed happily. “How are you feeling?”
“Like crap… I think I’m going to vomit,” the kobold said as he sat up slowly. “Honestly, what the hell was I thinking? Remind me never to do anything like that again.”
“Do what again?” Ryle asked. “What is he talking about?”
“Uhhh… Nothing. It’s nothing important,” Lexton quickly said, hoping to avoid the subject. “Anyways, do you guys know what-”
“He actually got bit by a ghoul while protecting me,” Erin said with a smile, causing the kobold to glare at her with an embarrassed blush on his face, while Ryle stared at him in surprise. “The ghoul was about to bite down on me, but he put himself in front of me. That’s how he ended up with the ghoul venom in him.”
“Dammit, Erin! No one else needed to know that!” Lexton said angrily.
“Awww… Is our little asshole of a con artist actually a sweet guy on the inside? That’s adorable,” Ryle said in a teasing tone. “You know, I could almost kiss you. Too bad you’re nowhere near my type.”
“Believe me, that feeling is mutual. Never even joke about such a thing again,” the kobold said.
While Erin and Ryle were laughing at Lexton, Durge couldn’t help but smile a bit at their antics. He could tell by the way they acted that these were good people, unlike the types he usually interacted with. In a way, he was glad that these were the ones he was teamed up with in these games, but also saddened by it. People like them shouldn’t be taking part in the twisted entertainment of people like the Laughing Ogre. All he could do was hope that as many as possible of them would survive through these games.
Meanwhile, Grandall was sitting with his daughter, observing the games through multiple large screens. They had been able to witness Driz giving the antidote to Erin’s group as well, which had left them quite upset.
“The hell is Driz doing out there?” Grandall asked, as he watched said dark elf walk away after giving the antidote. “He could have just let the damn kobold die. It wouldn’t have been a loss of any kind to us at all. Now we just wasted an antidote.”
“Maybe it’s one of his weird financial schemes or something?” Grazia suggested as she pulled on the leash that was attached to the collar wrapped around Arkay’s neck, forcing him on his knees. “You know how he is. Always looking at whatever data he has collected from somewhere and making decisions based on it, hoping to maximize our profits. My only guess is that this is one such plan.”
“Most likely… But I can’t see how this is going to make us any more revenue,” the gang leader said. “I mean, it’s a freaking kobold… What is it supposed to do for us?”
“Well, he did seem to be interested in Durge’s suggestion of making use of the kobold’s skills. Maybe that’s what he’s after?” the gang leader’s daughter suggested, as she kept pulling at the leash to force her new “pet” to go to his new master. “Come on! When your owner wants you to go to their side, you’re supposed to simply do so! Why is that so hard!?”
“...Sweetie, do you have to train your new pet while we are watching the games?” Grandall asked with a sigh. “Can’t you do that some other time?”
“Daddy, you know it’s best to start as early as possible and keep at it, until you get results. You know as well as I do that it won’t be too long until he’s a good boy that listens to my commands properly. It just takes some time,” Grazia said before a smirk appeared on her face. “Besides, I have all the necessary tools to make it happen.”
The gang leader’s daughter pulled a small remote from her pocket that had a single button on it. Upon pressing it, the collar around Arkay’s neck sent an electric shock to him, causing him to fall to to the floor.
However, despite the terrible pain he was in, the cat boy didn’t scream. No matter what Grazia did to him, he refused to give her that satisfaction, which served to further frustrate her.
“Dammit, stop being so stubborn already!” the sadistic lady yelled angrily. “Just give me what I want and you don’t have to suffer! Why is that so hard to understand!?”
“Honey, can you take your new pet to your room and leave him there?” Grandall asked with a frustrated sigh. “I get that you want to train him and all, but you doing it here is really distracting. I’d like to observe the games in peace, okay?”
“...Yes, daddy,” Grazia said in a clearly unhappy tone. Grabbing the leash, she pulled on it to signal for Arkay to follow her, as she led him to her room.
In the gang leader’s daughter’s room, there was a small dog’s bed on one of the corners with a metal hook that the leash could be attached to, thus preventing Arkay from escaping. Grazia was planning to leave the cat boy there on his own, while she would proceed to watch the games with her father.
“Alright then! Be a good pet now and wait here until I return. I don’t want to hear or see anything that would even hint at you acting up, got it?” Grazia said as she was about to leave her room. Before she walked out, a sadistic smirk appeared on her face. “Just to make it clear…”
The sadistic lady pulled out the remote she had used earlier and pressed on its button, causing another shock to go through Arkay’s body. The cat boy fell on his bed in pain, but remained silent, not even letting out a whimper. With her order now clearly sent, Grazia left, locking the door behind her.
Once the door closed, Arkay listened carefully to the sounds of her footsteps. Once she was gone, he sat up and put his hands on the collar around his neck.
“I’m afraid that if you don’t treat your pets well, they will simply leave you,” the cat boy said as he began to channel magic from his hands into the collar. Thanks to his technomancer abilities, he was able to get the collar to open up and fall to the floor harmlessly. “And I think it’s time for this cat to get back to his original owners.”
image [https://i.ibb.co/LSxpwSv/Ch-65-Pic-1.jpg]