"Found it." Arath cancelled Wandering Eye and announced the news to the rest of the group. " There is one guy keeping watch and a hidden door embedded with dalactan."

"What exactly is this dalactan thing?" Ben couldn't help but finally ask.

"Bane of elementalists. It is a very rare metal found in the higher floor, which is highly resistant to elemental power. I doubt you want to hear more specific details." Ruby explained and Ben nodded understandingly.

The team casually approached the alleyway, acting as if they wanted to pass it by. Having almost left it behind, the kidnapper lowered his guard and started to pick his nose. Ruby, on Arath's signal, pulled out her crossbow and shot with a hawkeye accuracy. The bolt pierced enemy's chest, rendering him breathless and defenseless. Arath jumped forward like a wild animal and finished him with one, precise strike at the neck. Now that he could manifest his element freely, he could sense any weak points, as if they were given to him on a golden plate.

They dragged the body out of sight and covered small pool of blood that formed with surrounding garbage. With that dealt with, Arath approached the door and looked for any way to open it, lack of any kind of key by the guard's side didn't make the job any easier.

"Quickly, Ben, help me with the door."

Together, they found the weakest spot of the wall and left with no other option, crushed it to pieces. Surprisingly it was very weak and easy to destroy, as dalactan was one of the most fragile metals.

Behind it, a spiral stairs, shrouded in dust and dimmed light, led to a tunnel with rooms on it's side. It seemed to be human-made because of the rough edges and perfectly rectangular shape. The floor was covered in dried blood-stains, spilled drinks and rotten food. The further they plunged themselves into the corridor the more voices they could hear coming from many different directions.

"Did we just walk into a wasps' nest? I thought my death would be more heroic." Ben mumbled under his breath.

"Cover your faces in case somebody sees us." Ruby warned the others while pooling

After two turns and over two dozen rooms passed by, the conversation was finally loud enough for Arath and his improved senses to understand most of the words.

"I won't ask again, how did you escape? Who helped you? Where are the others?" A hoarse voice asked in a demanding tone.

The only answer was silence, followed by a punch and a pain-filled 'ugh'.

"You insolent bitch, do you really think I enjoy beating a small child? It would be so much easier if you weren't so stubborn. You tell me what I want to know, and I let you free, what is so bad about it? Sounds like a fair deal to me." The voice was tired and bored more than anything.

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"I really don't know. Please, just let me go." Hearing the pleading cry blood started to boil in Arath's veins.

It was Anga. There was no mistake, it was her voice. That was it, this bastard was already dead in Arath's eyes. He unsheated his sword and run towards the room conversation was taking place in. He kicked the door with all the strength he had and jumped forward without even looking around. Having achieved the level of outside-the-body elemental manifestation, he knew exactly what the room looked like, even before he set his first step in it. Every little detail, like the color of the bastard's shirt, the injuries Anga received and her eyes slowly becoming less and less a child's ones.

'Unforgivable.' Arath thought while plunging his sword deep in enemy's chest.

Although his actions caused quite the ruckus, and alarmed other residents of the underground complex, he paid little attention to it. The only thing that mattered to him what that Anga was still alive, he quickly grabbed her and hugged with all his strength to make sure she was there.

"Move it, we don't have much time before his friends get here." Ruby hurried the two and once again made sure her crossbow was ready to shoot.

They all jumped running and tried to get out of the tunnels as soon as possible, but the way of retreat was already blocked by five thugs and one person, who seemed to be in charge here. On top of that, three more people were just at their footsteps.

"Forward!" Arath didn't slow down even for a second, moreover, his momentum only increased with every step he took.

He activated his ability to perceive his surroundings and immediately time slowed down for him. He dodged an incoming slash from above, cut the handle of an axe, striking from his right, in half, and prepared to parry and counterattack. By the time it all happened, Ruby only managed to aim her crossbow while Ben strengthened his skin and covered Anga. The thugs once again renewed their attack but before they could properly carry it out, the axeman was hit with a bolt and two others had their weapons thrown off course. A second later, a sword pierced one of them and in a blink of an eye slashed across the chest of another, spraying blood all around.

"Hey, stop it! We had a deal with you! Your leaders said they wouldn't interfere in our business, what do you think you are doing?" The guy dressed like leader spoke with a panic in his voice.

"Deal? Who do you think we are?" Arath jumped back stunned.

"Heroes, but of course, only you could deal with my men so quickly. Now give the girl back and I will forget what happened here." The guy gulped and tried to peacefully deal with the situation.

"I'm no Hero." Arath laughed as he cut down the last guard and approached the leader.

"Lying will be of no use here." The enemy smiled. "I have innate ability to detect magical energy."

"So what?" Arath snapped at him.

"I can see the Summoner's Seal on you. Don't you know you are all marked? Just like cattle." He laughed hysterically and took few steps behind. "You and that guy, without a doubt were summoned, the girls on the other hand, probably not. Now, please let me go, I won't tell boss about it." Tears slowly carved their way down his cheeks.

"Boss? Who is he and what is he boss of?" Arath looked at his sword threateningly. "If you tell me, I can forgive you for trying to kill me."

"He is the ruler of Free Underground, we are just a branch of his organisation. We deal in slavery, that's why we caught the girl, we wanted to know how she escaped and why were our scouts slaughtered." He spoke without even taking a single breath. "I don't know the boss, I only contacted his agents, but they seem to call him 'Liberator'. That's all I know, I promise. You said you would forgive me, right? Can I go now?"

"No. I promised forgiving you for trying to kill me." Arath thrusted his sword in the enemy's guts with a single move, too quick for an untrained eye to see. "But there are two things I cannot forgive nor forget. You are a slaver and you kidnapped my friend. "