Down in the lower levels, the people were tied up and kept in relative comfort. The look of anger and fear was a good indicator of what to expect eventually. A few visible injuries like cuts and bruises, but nothing major.
The bodies of all the Townsfolk were devoid of anything like the Sucking Plant so it was weird on how they actually had been down here. Leroy postponed his Mission and while traveling once starting it, he did come across a few others doing the same. But not the level that he made it to with this craziness.
"Another brought here, you damn bastard deserve death for this!" An occupant shouted.
"Just come close and will gut you finally!" A little boy shouted with fresh tears. "Pay for my family with your life you filth!"
Lots of outcries could be heard, despite the people struggling just to move for the majority there.
*Schlick!* With a slight turn, Leroy slit the throat of the two disciples who guided him. The heads spurted black blood out that burned against the Fire-lighting Body. Inside the throat of one, several worms stretched out before burning against his Qi and the open air.
"How.. did.. you know?" The disciple looked at him unwillingly but another blow from Leroy ended him. "Kuk!" Blood and worms came out of the mouth but burned against the Qi and air like the other.
Having seen enough horror movies this situation was not remotely ok.
"Filthy things!" Rushing forward he opened the doors and cut the people free. "What is going on in this town!?" If not for the use of the Metal Seed in close proximity, Leroy would not have been doing this just yet. But the people didn't have any worms inside them. Ot the signs of the Demon Plants. "Someone speak!"
"They.. we.. can't!" A young boy said. "They..fed .. us.. something!"
The few that were shouting and struggling before, they moved to help others with one or two crawling with all their strength toward the open cage. The look in their eye was quite clear, they wanted to get out and kill.
Despite their conditions, they wanted payback.
Checking a few over, he couldn't tell what it was at first that made them different. It was not eggs or seeds inside them but the Paralytic of the Sucking Plant itself and something that acted like blood under close view.
It had already been four minutes since he killed the guards so he was running out of time for a typical counter-response.
"I can't treat all of you in time. I am sorry." Leroy looked further in the cell and stopped counting at a thousand or so people. Not a single person looks to be from the same region he came from or like any of those he refined. "Where are we, in what way does Port Tundra and the Northeast Fringe relate?"
A few moved from the back toward the front and to help get each other free. In the last few minutes, the various captives realized a change was going on.
"It does not, just a waypoint." A voice came from deeper in. Another Doctor but a lower Tier than Leroy slanked over. "Greetings Senior, this lowly one goes by Mikado.I came here to complete my Occupation Mission like so many others but was captured. If not for my worth in keeping them alive it would have been over already."
Mikado watched as Leroy continued to cut people free and check them over before writing a number on them. A few were strong enough to start freeing others as a result of not getting subdued again recently.
"What about help itself?" He hoped actual reinforcements were coming.
"About a month ago, my assistant sent something out but we were then taken captive by the cultivators that sided with "that" thing. I never saw so many cowards in my life. I can still hear Hosidos screams as they took him away."
A few healthier people filled in with more information on the situation. Informing they came to continue trade routes they didn't stand a chance with the cultivators rounding them up and subduing them.
What was described caused Leroy to become really angry. This had been going on for months.
More and more started adding information but he found a lot of the people wanted to die killing the creature. A pattern was showing in regard to all of the people here. From the kids to the elderly they wanted to kill the creature and the disciples.
None had the look of giving up. Much different than responses like those on Earth in such a situation. Besides the exception of those who acted in self-preservation faster than others.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
When it said tough, the creature may not have meant physically but spiritually or mentally in some way. Despite the situation only changing a little,
After another five minutes, those who could actually fight were picked out. The others would just end up dead or worse. Mobs tended to get in the way of those who could actually hold up the enemy briefly.
"Yeah..." Leroy picked up two disciples coming to this area. Whether it was a rotation of guards or a response to what has happened he couldn't risk it. "..can only do this."
*Fwwoosh! Fwoosh!* Hands raised, he bathed the entire cell and the adjacent ones in flames while pushing the Metal Seed constantly. Depositing all of the people inside his Internal Space with the cover of fire. Holding the plate he made before arriving here as an indicator like it was a Life Saving Treasure, he looked at those left behind. "You six can fight at least, this is better than the fate of that thing eating them."
Emphasizing that the plate would hold as long as he was alive and keep them safe inside, they calmed down in response to everyone disappearing. Of course, hearing all those people would die if they failed to escape painted a sour mood still.
It was harsh but the others understood. What a bunch of reduced Qi Refining Realm Cultivators could do against some numbers was still devastating, they didn't know how they would really get out, but going out in a bang was definitely worth it.
"If we make it to where they are keeping the resources maybe I can make something to take care of the drugs." An Alchemist said in a helpful tone.
"We have some here already." Leroy moved to the charred remains of the bodies and took away the Storage Pouches. "I convinced the creature.. it was better to let me live and treat everyone down here. Hopefully, it gave a lot."
The Alchemist checked everything over first, everyone did a second check afterward before using the material.
As they started to treat one another as best as possible, Leroy and Mikado went to go and deal with those who came down the path. The others were thankful as they really needed to have it out of their system but not all of them sought to do this.
One member waited until they were refining medicine inside their bodies then ran to the back of the cells. Unlike the rest of them, he was an Earth Martial Artist, and the opening someone had been digging out the last few days, a big enough hole was already there.
'Hehe, defend for me and I Philip will remember to offer prays for your souls!' Chewing the herb he knew would work, the cultivator shifted the dirt and shot out through the ground. 'I will escape this blasted hellhole and notify my father to wipe this place out!'
As he dug through the ground, several alarms were triggered. Not people's alarms but that of the Demon Plants that originally plagued the area. The stirring of the dirt leads them directly toward him.
"Here we go!" Shouting as he was free despite being stupid as anyone could hear him, the joy didn't last long. "What the hell is that moving over there!?" Some shrubbery moved and out walked a few Demon Plants. "Nooooooo!"
The demon plants attacked him in fervor. The screams did not last long and the plants did not get to increase their strength before several cultivators came over to deal with the situation.
A fight between the cultivators and demon plants helped to make a great distraction. As the creature reacted to the information and ordered them to wipe out the plentiful creatures.
Leroy and company had made it out of the building and outside because of the distraction. It was starting to look up for the group.
.
Fight for your life-
.
Stepping into the forest and running, the group was feeling pretty good about the situation. Leroy was about to feel the same way as most were out of his range of the Metal Seed and was pretty clear to the area he needed to be.
However, a rising spiritual pressure and Tribulation Clouds back at the Lord's place signified they were wrong. The creature was breaking through and that was not good at all for their situation.
'Tch!' Leroy felt the Metal Seed feedback became completely absent. Even just using Spatial Sense was getting harder to do. "What was the creature Cultivation Realm when any of you met it?'
"Just at the Foundation Establishment Realm last month." Boki, a Blacksmith voiced from behind. Looking at the Tribulation Clouds she felt true fear seeping in. Enough that she slowed down a little. "With all it could do before it will definitely be stronger than any normal Nascent Soul Realm Cultivator."
"We just need to keep moving!" Mikado shouted. Leroy may have trouble with his detecting abilities but she recovered enough to tell them of the danger. "Don't let them catch us!"
As she recovered enough of her cultivation, the specialty of her Sects Manual helped in these situations. Seeing as they were already surrounded, she popped out a talisman and threw it into the air.
*Shine!* It flared up and then burned higher into the air. Muffled by the growing Thunder Tribulation, she hoped it at least helped her Sect members make it here. Or help with guidance.
Running deeper in, they were assailed on all sides. The Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators were able to catch up for the outer areas. Not a single Qi Refining Realm cultivator in the group.
"Hehe! It's you, doctor!" It was Meng Sao from before. To have broken through all the way to the peak stage proved he was actually pretty good. In his face, a few bulges wiggle around. "Because of you, I had to eat my Sect brothers!"
"So not my fault!" Leroy threw a few sharp rocks over his shoulders and whipped out from his waist. "You people sold out your fellow humans for what, just some help in cultivation!?"
"You just don't understand what it takes to get real power!" His voice was extremely loud and slightly distorted from the worms around his throat. "Soon you will come to the same conclusion and step on others to get stronger!"
"Your wrong!" It was not Leroy that got a chance to speak but Boki shot into the group shouting. "Keep going doctor, I think this is where I sign out!"
Leroy almost stopped to go back, but self-preservation and the fact he carried all those people he needed to keep moving. As someone who paid close attention to all the lingo spoken around him and certain words, this was a flag!
"Maybe I will wake back up in my computer chair!?" Boki said and Leroy felt his blood run cold despite how hot his muscles burned. The language was English and came in clear. "Best kind of Hammer time there is!"
*Boom!* The hits caused by the hammer was devastating. and sent a shockwave that pushed Leroy and the others away. Smacking into a few bushes, Leroy jumped up and dashed forward like he thought the rest would do.
The plan was to get out of here after all.