GLITCH

Dark Market and its Destruction

DARK MARKET, Maiden's Gloss City

December 1

10:53 pm (moments earlier)

"Urk! Guheehrk…"

I'm still astonished after knowing that Natalie is in a cell full of corpses.

I appraised the side behind the bars and I saw multiple bits of humans scattered about in the cell, with only four living beings including Natalie.

"Who did this?"

"…"

"Speak to me Natalie!"

Damn. There's no time to waste here! I need to get them out of here fast!

I used the master key Rylai has given me and it worked. Using my [Appraisal], I know their whereabouts within the cell even though it's so dark. I carried Natalie first and will come back later with companions to get the rest. This is all I can do for now.

"Put…me down Travis."

"Heck no Natalie—let's talk later after you recover. This current you isn't the real one so you better stick to me than lurk in that hellish place."

I can't let her continue living in this state.

I won't!

I'm at the entrance of this secret pathway when I heard a husky male voice.

"Oh? So you saw my dinner hall eh?"

Shit! I've been found!

In front of me is a guy half-naked, wearing pants on the lower half and an apron stained with blood. On his right hand is a bloody chainsaw. He possessed maroon hair and he has his eyes covered with a sunglass.

"You…! Don't tell me you're the one who tormented my friend?"

"Tormented? What are you talking about? Anyways, put down my food and get away from here."

"Food…you say?"

You…

You piece of trash…

"Damn you!"

"Come to me so that I can devour you my dear food!"

Cursed cannibal…

…

"Won't you mind if I butt in?"

With a preemptive strike, someone just slashed the guy from head downwards.

However, the man didn't cut in half but instead just fall to the ground like a puppet having the strings cut off. With that, I finally saw the one responsible of saving us.

And the shock I had right now is incomparable to the shock I felt when my enemy falls to the ground without even having a fatal wound.

It's the lab coat lady.

But her outfit and her aura isn't the same as what I saw before.

Her lab coat has now black patterns serving as outlines with fume-like substance oozing out of it, and from her now glowing hair falls some silver flakes. Her eyes are glowing too. The gloves she's wearing aren't the ones she equipped when I first met her.

"Travis, is that the last one?"

"…"

"Travis!"

"Huh? Ah! No, there are still three of them at the end of this passageway."

"I see. Here, use this."

She tinker her watch for a bit and then a floating board appeared beside us.

"I can assure you that that board won't fall down regardless of how many people you'll place on it—use that guy's flashlight since it is dark in there. Now go and get them. I'll wipe this place out so you better scram immediately."

"Eh...ah..."

"What's wrong?"

"N-nothing! I will rescue the others! Thanks once again!"

She just nodded at my response as I started running towards outside. I gave Natalie to my companions and went back to get the others. When I came back to the hidden passageway, Rylai is no longer there.

Trying to neglect the remains of people lying around, I fetched the other three who were shaking like a leaf.

As soon as I went outside, the building started to collapse.

But the crumbling facility isn't falling like how gravity does the trick. It's akin to debris swirling around on a single point. It's similar to a skill my mother knows.

"[Void]…?"

I used appraisal to know what's going on, and it seems that my guess is only half-correct.

[Gravity Sphere]

- A skill that pulls any objects using intense gravitational pull

It's my first time seeing a superior version of my mother's skill first-hand.

It's a majestic yet terrifying display of power in front of my very eyes.

•••

"Eh? Why is my hair long again? Ugh, I loved my haircut!"

And yet here we are, watching a dumbfounded lab coat lady while holding strands of her hair—a lady that may have forgotten what she did there. Well yeah, her hair length did change. At first, it's only at shoulder-length, but now it's now few inches below her shoulders.

"Er, Miss Rylai…"

"Yes?"

She not going to ask why I know her name—despite her not telling me?

"What's with that face? Are you perhaps shocked to see mine? Is there something on my face?"

"Ah, no. I want to give you my thanks for saving me."

"Ah that? That's a normal thing to do right?"

She stood up and looked up in the sky—no, perhaps she's looking at the barrier.

This particular barrier is invisible to anyone outside but inside it can be seen, clear as day. She then sighed and raised her left arm up in the air and clenched her fist as she puts it down like she's pulling something. Then what happened next is making me shiver.

Just how much power this lady possesses?

The barrier which is comparable to the Hollow Earth's South African Barrier is shattered like a glass.

"Mmm. I guess that should do it. You guys are free now. You may go now to your families and friends."

The former prisoners are now exclaiming with glee and were hugging each other as they cry for joy. The people of the red light district heard the noise and came flocking here and saw unfamiliar scenery in this place.

"There's a place like this in here?"

"Who are those people?"

"Don't tell me this is a hidden facility?"

"To think that they were able to hide this wretched place is making me sick."

"We need to call the guild! Hey, are you guys alright? "

And our nightmare just ended like that. However on the other side, I could hear Miss Rylai mumbling while looking the palm of her hand.

"Strange…I was able to familiarize using my gloves without me noticing."

It seems like she isn't lying too.

So is the Rylai who's in that outfit (her lab coat changed back to normal now) a different persona? Or is it just her in her subconscious state?

Of course, all of these are just educated guesses.

"Miss Rylai, thank you for saving us all. However, may I ask for your assistance once more? I know it's unreasonable but…"

"It's fine. What is it?"

I led her to where Natalie and the others are.

•••

After I followed Travis I saw four females with status condition 'mental breakdown'.

That is to be expected, the thought of being restrained and having their lives at the mercy of a villain is traumatizing enough for them to act like this.

"Travis, do you still have that medicine I gave you?"

"Ah, yes! Here it is."

"Please have them intake it."

"Would this save them from their condition?"

"No."

"Then why?"

"This medicine, as you may know, replenishes one's strength and neutralizes any effects coming from any foreign substance. However, traumatic experience isn't under that category and so their condition can't be cured as of now. The reason why they need it is because they need necessary nutrients to live. I'll contact someone I know to come here and ask for assistance."

I may act cool and all, but I fear that they may be beyond help. I need to defeat the person liable of doing this.

Curse of Fallen – the casted will suffer from mental distraught and the ones who'll eat it will be bestowed with [Blessed by the Fallen]. The curse will never be lifted until the caster will be eliminated.

What's with this cannibalism-associated scheme? Well, this is the Fallen we're talking about. Of course, everything they do is pure chaotic.

I contacted the inn manager and asked for his assistance to take them in. Of course they're more than willing to help and did as what I asked. For now, I need to proceed to the next city. I got some leads that tell me that a Fallen is living there.

Hmm…? How and when did I obtain such information?