Finally, I'd had enough entertainment for the day.
I called out to him, grinning.
"Stop fumbling around. You can sit down, Steve. You're embarrassing both of us."
He froze mid-step, one hand still feeling along the wall like a lost child.
"Billion?" he asked, squinting into the darkness. "Where are you?"
"Across from you. Two steps back, one to your right. Congratulations, you've passed basic navigation."
He let out a sigh and followed my voice until he found the bars again. Then, gripping them with both hands, he leaned forward.
"This place sucks."
"Yeah, well, welcome to our all-inclusive Holt hospitality suite. We got free accessories too," I said, raising my cuffed hands, though I knew he couldn't see me.
Steve sighed and slid down the bars until he was sitting on the floor.
"How long was I out?"
"No clue. I woke up maybe twenty minutes ago. Head was spinning like a top. You missed my dramatic floor collapse. Would've been a highlight of your day."
"Sounds like I missed the best part."
"You did. I even tried making music with the cuffs. No applause. Tough crowd."
We both chuckled, but then silence settled for a few seconds before Steve asked quietly, "You okay?"
"I'm breathing. That's a win. What about you?"
"I am fine. Some pain in my head but otherwise things looks good. I hate this darkness."
He leaned his head back.
"And I hate smart enemies. Can't we go back to killing Abominations?"
"Careful what you wish for. These guys might have similar plans for us."
Steve groaned. "Don't joke like that. I'm still trying to recover from that weird sleep-poison they gave me. My mouth tastes like old socks."
"You lick your socks often?"
"You know what I mean."
We both laughed again, but underneath it, tension simmered.
Steve sat there for a moment, then grunted.
"Can't see a damn thing in here. Is it just me or is this place darker than usual?"
"Probably just you," I said, letting the smile carry in my voice.
"That so? Then how are you so chill?"
"Because I'm not walking into walls like a drunk duck."
"You could've told me sooner!" he snapped, exasperated. "I've been feeling up walls like some desperate treasure hunter!"
I chuckled. "You were very professional about it. Real stealthy. Would've fooled anyone… blind."
He let out a long sigh. "Glad to know my suffering is entertaining you."
"It's the little things, Steve. Gotta take the wins where you can get 'em."
He huffed. "So. What's the guess? Prison? Secret base? Experiments?"
"Feels too quiet for a normal prison."
"Too clean too," he added. "No smell. No guard rotations. No weird screaming. At least not yet."
"I'll pass on the screaming."
We sat in silence for a while, the weight of the dark, quiet room pressing down on us.
I broke it by calling out again, louder this time.
"Is there anyone else here? I'd be glad for some kind of welcome party."
But both the men in the cells stayed silent.
Steve's voice broke through the quiet.
"You think there are other prisoners here?"
I didn't hesitate. The answer was obvious.
"Yeah, considering how long we walked to get here, there should be more cells. The chances of other people being here are high."
Steve chuckled. "Is that—"
He cut off mid-sentence when we both heard footsteps approaching.
I instinctively tried to stretch my perception, hoping to sense them earlier. But pain flared in my head again, sharp and sudden. I winced and immediately stopped, my focus slipping.
The footsteps grew closer, and then they entered my range. I recognized King Holt right away, flanked by two people I didn't know. I scanned them, but there was nothing—no levels, no clear indication of who they were.
My eyes narrowed as I waited, trying to make sense of their movements.
They all wore goggles, which I guessed were for seeing in the dark. King paused just in front of my cell, a small smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
"I hope both of you are enjoying our hospitality," he said, his voice dripping with amusement.
Even though I'd already seen him, I still let a look of surprise creep onto my face.
"King?" I said, pretending to be caught off guard.
He chuckled softly. "Bingo. So, did you think you'd end up here one day?"
I narrowed my eyes, trying to hold onto my anger. "Did you get us captured?"
He clapped his hands once, his smile widening. "Well, yes and no. Not entirely true, but I'm responsible in some ways."
Then he gestured to one of the men with him. The man nodded and stepped forward. One by one, they flashed into my cell. I barely had time to react before the one who'd been gestured to grabbed my shoulder and yanked me to my feet.
I made sure to fumble around as if I couldn't see a thing, stumbling like a blind man.
From the side, I heard King chuckle.
"You really enjoyed beating me up, didn't you?" he said, his voice almost mocking.
I focused on him again, scanning him quickly.
[King Holt - Level 29]
I raised an eyebrow.
'So, he got his class.'
I didn't respond right away. Instead, I stayed silent, my mind whirring as I considered the situation. I didn't need to say anything just yet. Not with him standing there, enjoying the little game he was playing.
King gestured to the two men with him, a dark smile spreading across his face.
"Beat him up. Enough so that we can enjoy doing this tomorrow as well."
The man on the left raised his palm toward me. A gust of wind shot out, striking me directly in the chest. The force of it sent me flying backward, slamming into the cold stone wall with a loud thud.
Pain exploded in my back, and I groaned, struggling to breathe as I slid down the wall. The blow left me disoriented.
I pushed myself to my feet, glaring at the two men. But before I could even prepare for what was coming next, the man on the right stepped forward.
His body appeared before me and his fist came down like a hammer, striking me in the gut. The wind was knocked out of me, and I buckled, gasping for air.
King's laughter echoed through the dark, oppressive room. "This is fun, isn't it, Billion?"
I spat, tasting blood in my mouth, but didn't say anything.
Then, in a flash of impulse, I jumped.
I launched myself at the man who had struck me, hoping the momentum from the spinning attack would give me the upper hand. My body twisted mid-air as I aimed for him.
But halfway through my jump, something felt wrong. The strength I was gathering suddenly… drained. The familiar strength I relied on wasn't there. The moment I reached the peak of my spin, my vision blurred, and I could feel my limbs growing heavy.
I faltered in mid-flight and crashed to the ground, slamming into the cold floor with a dull thud.
King's laughter grew louder. "You have no power here, Billion," he taunted, his voice dripping with cruel amusement.
I gritted my teeth, trying to push myself up, but the energy was gone.
The two men didn't hesitate. They were on me in an instant, kicking and punching.
Both of them were far too high-level for me, and each punch and kick felt like hammers smashing into my body. I refrained from using any skills; no amount of defense would help against these two men.
Each strike sent a wave of pain crashing through me, and I could feel the energy draining from my limbs with every blow.
The man on the left swung his boot toward my head, catching me square in the jaw. The force made my skull slam into the stone floor with a sickening crack. My vision blurred, and I fought to keep consciousness.