What surprised me was what was inside those cells.
They weren't normal prisoners. They weren't even people.
Abominations.
Each cell was twenty by twenty feet, and within every single one lay a creature that looked like it had been pulled out of some nightmare.
Twisted bodies, limbs that were either too long or fused into grotesque stumps, skin pulled taut or flaking in patches, eyes sewn shut or glowing dimly beneath lids.
Some were massive, easily thrice the size of a normal human, while others were hunched and twisted, their bodies barely holding together.
Thick chains bound their limbs, wrists, elbows, ankles—anchored deep into the stone floor and walls. Heavy metal clamps locked their mouths shut.
And in each and every one of them… two thick black tubes sprouted from their backs.
The tubes pulsed faintly, and I could observe dark red liquid, thick and slow like syrup, flowing inside.
My perception flared outward. I counted four hundred of them. All asleep. Not one stirred. Not one made a sound.
The air carried a muted, heavy smell. Blood, decay, and something sharp like acid mixed together but dulled by time. There were bones in each cells, piles of them. Shattered skulls. Cracked ribs. Fresh stains painted the floor beneath some of the creatures.
The blue dashed line was the only thing lighting our path, stretching ahead like a silent guide. I didn't glance left or right. I didn't speak. I didn't let my pace falter. But inside, my thoughts were spinning.
There were no doors on the cells. Just thick black bars, sealed seamlessly into the stone. No locks. No hinges. Nothing meant to be opened.
Suddenly, I heard Steve's voice from behind me.
"Hey Grey, any reason you don't have lights down here?"
Grey chuckled ahead of us without turning around.
"It's much better without the lights," he replied casually.
I understood what he meant. The dark made it easier to ignore the horrors on either side of us.
If the lights were on, no one would be able to look straight ahead without flinching.
What struck me most about these Abominations was the sheer range of their power levels—some were barely at Level 30, others reached Level 100 and even beyond.
They came in all shapes and forms, including some I had never seen or even heard of before.
One of them was [Crazed Croc – Level 87].
It looked like a twisted mix between a reptile and a mammal, six thick legs, a body like a bloated lizard, and a single curved horn rising from its head. Its jaws were sealed shut with metal, but I could still sense the hunger in it.
We continued walking in silence, one behind the other, the sound of our footsteps bouncing off the stone walls.
I wondered if those tubes stuck into the backs of the Abominations were pumping anesthetics to keep them asleep—but the bones and dried blood in each cell told another story. They were being fed. Regularly.
A few minutes later, I noticed the cells had changed. Now, there were humans inside.
Their condition was just as grim. Shackles on their wrists and ankles, dressed in the same grey clothes we wore.
Their skin was pale, bodies thin, eyes sunken. Malnourished, beaten down, barely human anymore. Each cell held five of them, lying or sitting in silence, too weak or too broken to move.
As we passed the first human cell, they stirred slightly. I saw one man raise his head and turn toward the glowing dashed line on the floor, but his eyes didn't find us.
It was too dark for them to see. I expected someone to cry out, whisper, or even mutter but none of that happened.
Not a single sound.
I wanted to tell Steve what I was seeing, to explain everything, but I kept my mouth shut for now.
From what I could count with my perception, there were between ninety to a hundred human-filled cells. Close to five hundred people. All of them silent. All of them suffering.
And then I saw something that made my heart race.
Nagas.
They were being held here too.
The first one I saw was in a cell just ahead of us. He was male, humanoid in shape, but his skin was covered in fine deep blue scales that shimmered slightly.
His hair was a mess of dark blue ridges, like ruffled spines, and his eyes slitted and red, were locked directly on me.
He could see me. I could feel it.
Nagas weren't considered Ferans.
The Ferans could fully transform into their beast forms, but Nagas had a half-serpentine heritage that set them apart. There were cultural differences too, old tensions that made them a distinct and proud race.
They came in all colors and forms, but they were united under one leader, the Naga Matriarch.
She wasn't just a ruler. She was a force of nature, said to be the most powerful being in the entire Blue Spiral Galaxy. And she was beautiful, legends described her as the perfect blend of grace and destruction.
The Nagas controlled five planets.
They didn't interfere in the affairs of other races, choosing to stay distant, above the petty struggles of the galaxy. Their no-interference policy earned them universal respect.
But when their own people were harmed or enslaved, even small tribes, they went to war.
And in every single war, they had completely wiped out their enemies.
They were ruthless. Efficient. Unforgiving.
And now, seeing members of that race locked up here, chained like animals, it made my stomach twist. This wasn't just illegal trade. This wasn't some small underground scheme.
This was something far worse.
Because no weak family like the Holts should've been able to lay a finger on the Nagas.
And yet, here they were.
Something was very, very wrong here.
Each cell held only one Naga. When I tried to scan them, all I got were question marks. That alone was enough to raise alarms in my head. There were six cells total and six Nagas.
Compared to the humans, the Nagas looked to be in much better physical condition.
But despite that, or maybe because of it, they were restrained far more heavily. Layers of thick chains wrapped around their limbs, chests, and necks. Even seated, each of them was locked in place like a weapon waiting to be unleashed.
Still, they all sat upright. Silent. Unmoving. But I could feel their eyes drilling into our backs as we passed.
Then, without warning, Grey stopped walking and turned left, following a new line, this one dashed yellow. The blue line continued ahead, and I noticed a third line now, a red one branching off to the right.
Curious, I extended my perception toward the red path... and slammed into a barrier.
My eyes widened slightly. My perception was Essence-based, allowing me to sense through walls, distance, and matter. But this was the first time something had blocked me completely.
I tried again.
Same result. Clean, sudden cut-off.
I cleared my throat and called out, casually.
"Hey Grey, what's down the red line?"
I didn't expect an answer, just wanted to see if he'd slip.
To my surprise, he actually responded.
"Maybe you'll get to see what's there in a couple of days," he said with a grin I didn't need to see to feel.
My eyes narrowed. I had no idea what these people were planning but whatever it was, it was bigger than I'd imagined. Bigger than the Holts. Bigger than the Empire's worst expectations.
This place wasn't just a hidden base.
We followed the yellow path now. More cells lined the hallway, but the layout had changed. Some cells were empty. Others held humans but these ones looked stronger, more alert, better fed.
Each cell held a single man, some older, some middle-aged. When I scanned them, I got the same result as the Nagas.
Question marks.
That meant only one thing: Master ranked individuals. I hoped they were not holding grandmasters.
Still, there were no Ferans. No guards either.
Finally, Grey stopped. He turned around to face me. A slow, creepy smile curled onto his lips, one he probably assumed I couldn't see in the dark.
Then he spoke.
"Extend your hands."
I hesitated, but complied.
With a lazy wave, a pair of stone cuffs materialized in his hands. He brought my wrists together and clamped the cuffs shut.
Next came a collar. Grey pulled it out from his ring, locked it around my neck, and I felt a sharp prick at the back of it.
I flinched. "What was that?"
"Nothing," he said smoothly, still smiling. "Just a little poison to help you sleep better. Not that you'll know when it's night here. But don't worry, we'll explain the schedule later."
He repeated the same process with Steve—calm, casual, like this was just another routine.
Then Grey placed a hand on my shoulder and guided me toward one of the empty cells. Two small circles, engraved with faint runes, glowed softly on the floor.
He made me stand on them.
Then he patted my head.
"All right, Billion. Your vacation with the Holts starts now. Rest for a couple of days, we'll meet again after that."
The engraved circles flared to life beneath my feet.
In an instant, I was inside the cell.
I tried to turn and speak but my head spun violently. My legs buckled beneath me, and I dropped to my knees.
Darkness crept in at the edges.
And then, everything went still.