Zeke found himself in the very same hall where he had negotiated with Naida and Hilda a few days earlier. Now, it was already time to say goodbye.
Ever since that day, he had spent all his time conducting interviews with the Slaves of the Blackthorn Covenant. The offer he extended to them mirrored the one he had given to the members of the Ember Scar Cartel: three meals a day, decent pay, and a place to rest their heads.
To him, it felt like a relatively modest offer. However, tears welled in the eyes of most of the Chimeroi as they hurriedly agreed to his terms. Idly, he wondered how they would have reacted if they knew that he planned to increase those benefits significantly in the future. After all, he was soon going to make more money than he knew what to do with. There was just one last hurdle standing in his way before such a future could come to pass…
Even though he already controlled three out of the four organizations that ruled Undercity, the last one was anything but an easy nut to crack. Unlike the Blackthorn Covenant, force and logic wouldn't get him anywhere; such was the nature of zealots.
While he waited for Naida and Hilda to arrive, Zeke recalled everything he knew about the organization that ruled over the north: The Venomous Cabal.
Their organization was comprised solely of Chimeroi, and the entire northern district reflected that policy. It was a hostile place to humans, where only the brave or foolish would venture, and most wouldn't return from such a trip. They didn't just reject humans; they actively hunted them.
Zeke had thought of several ways to persuade them, but none were certain or without danger. If he tried to force them, they would resist. If he tried to reason with them, they would ignore his words. No matter what attitude he took, people who were set in their ways wouldn't change easily.
It was really frustrating. The storm had nearly passed, and the date of the auction was just around the corner. Zeke had hoped to finish his plans for Undercity by then, but he had no idea how he was going to accomplish that.
The only certainty he had was that he wouldn't be able to rely on any of his people if he wanted to communicate with the Cabal. The mere presence of slaves or Archmages would make it nearly impossible to initiate a dialogue.
But what else was he supposed to do? Go alone?
Zeke halted his steps, his expression turning thoughtful. He had thought of the idea as a joke, but now that he was thinking about it…
Should he really go alone?
It might be the only way he could actually get through to them. Of course, he would have to take precautions to ensure his safety, but that was something he could handle. The longer he thought about it, the more appealing the idea seemed to him, and by the time Naida and Hilda arrived, his whimsical idea had already turned into a full-fledged plan.
He turned to them with a grin on his face and immediately gave his orders: "Call everyone. There is something to discuss."
***
"Everything is as you've instructed, Master," Soria said from beside Zeke.
They were standing on the wall separating the central and northern districts. Behind them, dozens of figures could be seen, former Slaves, one and all. After Zeke had taken over the Ember Scar Cartel, Soria was put in charge of administrative tasks.
Zeke smiled at her. "Right. I guess I'll be going then. You know what to do, right?"
Soria nodded, but she seemed to have more to say. "Master…" she eventually started. "Is this really the best way? What if something goes wrong?"
Zeke waved her off. "It's fine. With the changes I made to the Slave Contracts, none of you would be harmed even if something were to happen to me."
Soria shook her head. "You think that's what I'm worried about?"
Zeke smiled awkwardly. "Then, what is it?"
The Chimeroi looked away, not willing to say anything more. Instead, she quickly changed the subject, "Never mind. Just… be careful."
Zeke nodded seriously. "I will, but I don't think I'll be in that much danger."
Soria shook her head, frowning. "You don't know what the northern district is like. It… it really isn't a place for humans."
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing." With those words, he lept off the wall, disappearing into the darkness. It wasn't a long fall, and his feet soon met solid ground. He absorbed the impact by bending his knees and immediately rose to his full height, warily scanning his surroundings.
Despite his confident words, he would be a fool to let his guard down in such a place. He strolled down the street, scrutinizing the buildings on either side. It was a desolate area, even by Undercity's standards. There were no shops, no decorations—everything appeared abandoned. Despite walking for some time, he didn't encounter a single person.
More than once, Zeke thought he saw movement in the corners of his eyes. However, when he turned to look, nothing was there. They remained beyond the reach of his spatial awareness, leaving him feeling helpless. Nevertheless, he couldn't shake the feeling that somebody had been watching him ever since he entered this place. Raising his guard even further, Zeke advanced deeper into the northern district.
Zeke halted his steps. There! That shadow had definitely moved. He swept his gaze over his surroundings, carefully scrutinizing every inch. There was somebody nearby; he could feel it.
While he was scanning a nearby alley, a shadow approached from behind. It moved at an incredible speed. Zeke would have had no chance to react without the warning of his spatial awareness. Even so, the figure moved too fast, a pace far surpassing that of a regular Grand Mage.
Fortunately, Akasha had been ready.
Just before the assailant reached him, Zeke disappeared from his spot and appeared a few steps to the side, just in time to see the figure before it could disappear around a corner. It was a humanoid with droopy ears and massive, furry paws.
"A rabbit?" Zeke murmured, but he wasn't given time to ponder what he had seen. A moment later, a second assailant charged at him from the side. This time, Zeke managed to dodge, but he was intercepted by a third figure even before he could stabilize his footing. He teleported once more, appearing in midair.
Zeke realized his mistake when he saw an assailant flying right at him. In the blink of an eye, a powerful blow struck his head, sending waves of dizziness crashing over him. With a dull thud, he crumpled to the ground, consciousness slipping away as darkness enveloped his senses. The last image he saw was that of his three attackers standing over him, each grabbing onto one of his limbs.
***
"Wake up!" somebody ordered. A slap to his face accompanied the command.
Zeke woke abruptly, his body heavy and head throbbing as if he'd indulged in a night of heavy drinking. Blinking away the haze, he found himself face to face with a person—or rather, a creature with a snout so close it nearly touched his own nose.
He tried to back away but soon noticed that each of his arms was being held in place.
"What happened, Akasha?"
No reply.
"Akasha?"
Nothing.
It was then that Zeke realized that his spatial awareness wasn't working either. He tried to rouse Mana, but his Core didn't react. He grimaced. They must have fed him Supra Root while he had been unconscious.
"Where am I?" Zeke rasped.
The only response he got was a punch to the face, hard enough to make him taste his own blood. "Silence, filth!" the man ordered. "You'll only speak when spoken to. Do you understand?"
Zeke nodded.
"Good. Did you come from the central district?"
He nodded again.
"Then, do you know why the roads were blocked?"
Another nod.
"Why?"
Zeke licked his cracked lips, trying to moisten them a little. "Because I ordered them to be closed."
For the first time, the man seemed genuinely surprised, and his confident facade took a noticeable hit. "…you ordered it…"
Zeke nodded stiffly. "I have come to negotiate."
The man stared at him for a long moment, his hide-like skin contorting into a frown. Then, slowly winding up his fist, he spat at Zeke. "Don't speak out of turn again," he warned before delivering another blow to Zeke's face, sending him into unconsciousness once more.
The next time Zeke awoke, it was to a splash of liquid hitting his face. The lukewarm, murky substance emitted a pungent smell, filling Zeke with dread about what it might have been. Despite his disgust, it managed to rouse him, and he looked around with wild eyes.
Kneeling on the floor in the center of a large stone circle, Zeke found himself bathed in the light of a lantern positioned directly above his head, while his surroundings remained shrouded in darkness. Despite this, he could discern the outlines of figures moving around him—there had to be a dozen. Meanwhile, his arms were chained to the floor, forcing him to remain in his current position.
"Who are you?" a voice asked from his right. He strained to make out the speaker, but without his magic, there was nothing he could do to penetrate the shadows.
"They call me Blood Dragon," Zeke said.
"Pah!" another man spat. "You call yourself a Dragon? The arrogance!"
Zeke frowned. He wasn't easily insulted, but that comment strangely touched a nerve. "Not as arrogant as criticizing a man while hiding like a coward!"
Zeke noticed that the figures stopped pacing and turned toward him, an eery atmosphere filling the scene. Then, the man who had spoken emerged from the shadows. He was much taller than a human, with scaly skin and reptilian eyes. He looked like a lizard walking upright, but the sheer power radiating off him made him seem quite dangerous. He was most likely even stronger than Gravitas or Vulcanos.
"My name is Elder Dragon, little human," the Chimeroi hissed before piercing one of his long claws straight into one of his legs. "Remember that." After his warning, he retracted his claw and retreated back into the shadows.
Zeke looked down at his leg. Without his Magic, there was nothing he could do to stop the flow of blood. Fortunately, the man hadn't hit an artery, so the wound wasn't bleeding too intensely. Even so, it was clear that his situation was quite dire. He didn't speak anymore, waiting for them to address him first.
"Do you know who we are?" the first voice asked again.
Zeke shook his head.
"We are the council."
Zeke's eyes widened. They were the council? The same council that ruled the Venomous Cabal? The people he had come to see?
In this moment, he deeply regretted his decision. He had not expected even the leaders of the Cabal to behave like deranged lunatics. Even so, the die was already cast. Now, all he could do was stick to the plan.
"I see," was all he said.
There was a moment of pause before a third voice spoke up. This time, it was a woman. "You told Elder Boar that you were the one who ordered the roads to be closed. What did you mean by that?" Unlike the previous speakers, her tone didn't seem as hostile. Even so, she sounded anything but friendly.
Zeke gathered his thoughts, well aware that he couldn't afford to say the wrong thing. He might not get a second chance in this place. "That is correct. I ordered the roads leading to the East, West, and Center to be sealed. At least one Archmage guards each route."
His proclamation was met with a heavy silence that lingered for a while. Whatever they had expected, it hadn't been that. Zeke momentarily savored this small victory. Even in his current state, he had managed to silence the high and mighty council with a single sentence.
"Impossible," a new voice broke the silence. "There is no such force in Undercity."
His declaration was met with murmurs of agreement; most members seemed to support the speaker. However, some disagreed. "Some of my people tried to break through the center," a woman said, "only one returned. He said they encountered Moros."
This declaration came as even more of a shock, resulting in another wave of whispers. Zeke was content to listen; the more he could learn, the better his position would be. However, all too soon, the first voice resounded again, calling for silence. The man seemed to be a leader, even within the council.
When the surrounding voices had quieted down, he addressed Zeke once more and asked the same question anew.
"Who are you?"
This time, Zeke detected a hint of caution in his voice.