“This is for your other summonee,” said Minya as she handed over what Ali assumed was a summonee booster pill.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“My father cursed you so you must protect me. I’ll be a tad bit safer if you are slightly stronger, right?”

The teenager stared down at the pill, thinking about the girl’s comment. She was right that he must be strong or he couldn’t protect anyone, including himself. With the pill in his hand, he summoned Tian to consume the pill. Once the air serpent consumed the pill, he readied himself for the pain. Yet, several minutes passed and he felt no pain. He looked to the air serpent who stated that he didn’t know the details of the pill. Given that there were many different recipes of the pill, it was impossible to know what he and Mika consumed. The only thing they could safely assume was that Miniya should have no reason in wanting them weak or dead.

Do you feel stronger or does that come later?

Definitely later.

Do you want to go back or just stick with me for the rest of the night?

It’s nice to smell the fresh air so I’ll choose to stick with you. I'm envious of Mika right now.

With Tian hovering nearby, Ali went to the storeroom to help organize the goods. Kurata and Kamis had more deliveries to make the following day so he could only contribute by making their mornings easier. Until Aok decided it was safe for him to venture out, he would be stuck staying at the shop with lots of boring tasks. Even then, certain tasks like cleaning couldn’t keep him busy all day. He had been asking Aok for more tasks but the man kept making excuses about there not being enough.

Tomorrow, I’ll convince Aok to let me go to Ryu. At least I can work on my wood carving skills while we wait out the storm.

As Ali put down a box, Aok called for him and told him to go to the store counter. The teenager rushed to see what the man wanted with him. When he entered the store, Aok handed him an envelope.

“Early tomorrow, I want you to deliver this to the outpost near the Shark Sector. As soon as you make the delivery, head to Ryu’s place and stay there for several nights. Understood?”

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Ali was about to nod his head when he registered something about the outpost.

“Isn’t that outpost in the lockdown section of the slum? How am I supposed to get in?”

“Take this with you,” said Aok as he handed over a slip of paper. “This will get you into the area. Don’t explore or arouse any suspicion. Simply go in and deliver the envelope. Leave as soon as you can. The longer you stay, the worse it will be for you.”

Ali wanted more details but Aok emphasized that, the less the teenager knew, the higher his chance of survival was. Having lost his desire to satisfy his curiosity, Ali stated that he would get the delivery done promptly. He then headed to bed so he could get up early the following day. As soon as the rooster crowed the following morning, Ali got up and did his morning routine. As a precaution, he unsummoned Tian to avoid getting attention from those capable of sensing his summonees. By the time he left Aok’s store, the others in the storeroom hadn’t woken up yet. The teenager made sure to not wake them, knowing that the three of them all had a lot of tasks awaiting them this day.

I really hope I don’t find out the cause of the lockdown. Aok’s eyes revealed that it’s something I want nothing to do with.

The teenager soon reached the edge of the lockdown zone. There were several guards waiting there, similar to the border guards for the various sectors. He presented the slip of paper which got him through the inspection point pretty easily. The guards didn't even pat him down. If anything, they appeared distracted as though they didn't want to be there either. Then, he did as he was told and went straight to the outpost.

What? What is that?

Ali stopped half a block away as he watched two men carry a sack away from the outpost entrance. Judging from the sack size and shape, he hazarded to guess that this was a corpse. As to why a corpse would be brought out of the outpost, he didn’t want to know as Aok's warning was repeated in his head. Despite his unwillingness to approach the outpost, he still had to make his delivery. Once the two men disappeared down some small alleyway, he hastily walked to the outpost entrance where he was met by a group of men. Ali brought out the envelope and said he was there for a delivery. One of the men walked out and took it inside. Minutes later, the man returned with the proof of delivery. As soon as he received the proof, Ali walked as quickly as he could towards the inspection point.

Once I’m out of here, I can stop to think about that sack. If I stay too long, I’ll end up a corpse like whoever was getting carried away.

The teenager was so busy worrying about his life that he didn’t notice the hands that reached out from an alleyway. Before he realized, one hand lifted him up while another covered his mouth. Despite his struggling, the strong arms easily pulled him deeper into the alleyway. He desperately tried to scream out but the big hands were firm on his mouth, making it difficult for him to breathe, let alone scream out for help. Eventually, he and his kidnapper entered a dark building which made it impossible for anyone on the streets to spot him.

“What a wonderful body we acquired! I’m sure the master will be pleased to have such an offering!”

Before Ali could gather more information, he felt himself blacking out until he lost consciousness.