Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended [Part One]

CHAPTER 70: The Mhaledictus

Whindel regarded him wearily. "Well... you've mostly grown."

Rexar's once glorified pose withered, and for the first time in weeks, the people who were forced into labor eased into a fit of laughter.

"I may have healed your wounds," Milo began, "but you're all still overworked and malnourished. Even if it's just laughing, try not to overexert yourselves too much."

"I can help with that," said Daisuke as he leisurely walked over, pulling the overseer behind him like a mutinous dog on a leash. "It's not much, but we have a bit of food left over from yesterday."

The Beastkin sniffed the air and looked around in anticipation, but the only thing in Daisuke's possession was the miserable human who had tormented them for the past few weeks.

They were utterly struck speechless when, at a mere hand gesture, a bed of leaves materialized on the ground upon which a generous amount of bread, vegetables, and fruits appeared. A large pot held what was left of yesterday's stew.

"I-It's still warm," said a man as he sniffed the air, his mouth salivating as he inched closer.

A woman, presumably the most dehydrated of the lot, lunged toward a large pale of water instead. Using the wooden ladle resting next to it, she desperately had her fill before surrendering the utensil to the next thirsty folk.

Whindel tilted his head back and emptied a bowl of stew into his mouth with a deep but contented sigh. "I don't know your name... but you've saved us all from starvation."

Everyone bowed their heads in gratitude, including the little boy and his grandfather who almost had their time together in this world cut short.

"This is Haxks," introduced Elena. "We owe him our lives. Without his aid, we wouldn't have found this mountain, let alone rescued all of you."

Daisuke raised his hand dismissively when everyone began to express their generosity. "More importantly, how did you all manage to get captured?"

Whindel lowered his head, recalling the horrid memory. "While we were all out hunting and foraging for food, we were ambushed by demons and taken prisoner."

Elena, Rexar, and Milo exchanged shocked expressions.

"I know," added Whindel, his eyebrows furrowed as he mulled over the thought in his head for the thousandth time. "Low-level demons aren't any different from a crazed monster, but the group that took us hostage were different."

"Is it really possible that they were being controlled?" asked Milo.

"I know I said this before," Rexar began, "but is it even possible to control demons?"

"Putting that aside," Daisuke interjected, "is there anything you can tell us about this place? The layout of the cavern, the location of the demons, or..." He tightened his grip on the overseer's hair and jerked his head back. "How many more guys like him are lurking around?"

The rest of the Beastfolk exchanged puzzled expressions, but Daisuke kept his gaze on Whindel. Elena, Rexar, and Milo looked on with expectation as well, but the man's response was disappointing.

"Our limbs were bound and our heads bagged when we were transported here. When the demons left," he gestured to the fuming man on the ground. "He was all who was left. We've been mining ever since, so we never got a chance to explore this place."

"Well, that doesn't tell us anything," murmured Rexar.

"If their vision and mobility were impaired," said Daisuke, "then I highly doubt they would've been able to climb a rope."

Milo's eyes lit up at that revelation. "Which means there's another path into the mountain."

"Bingo," chimed Daisuke as he crouched down before their scowling hostage and flicked his forehead. "Okay, so here's the deal: you're going to shamelessly spill your guts by telling us everything you know, or one: you'll be thrown to that monster in the pit. And something tells me he won't show you an ounce of compassion for all the times you fed it. Or two: I'll hand you over to these guys so that they can pay you back for everything you've done."

Wide-eyed and sweating bullets, the man shifted his gaze toward the Beastfolk who wore a scowl far more sinister than his own. Some bared their teeth while others flexed their arms and cracked their knuckles.

"Y-You fools have absolutely no idea who you're messing with!" he threatened pitifully.

"Precisely. We don't, which is why we're trying to find out," replied Daisuke coolly.

The man's eyes widened, thrown for a loop by the nonchalant response. "T-The Mhaledictus is the most powerful organization in the western hemisphere! If you mess with me, you mess with them! And don't think that the guilds will be enough to protect you from their wrath!"

"...Mhaledictus, huh?" Daisuke replied casually as he raised his shoulders. "Doesn't ring a bell. But more importantly, about the mountain and your buddies hanging around..."

"I-I don't know anything!" the man gushed anxiously. "I'm only responsible for mining; the demihumans and I aren't allowed any farther into the mountain."

Daisuke didn't need the Eye of Verity to know that the swine was telling the truth. Beds of moss could be seen along the walls, which indicated that's where the Beastfolk were forced to sleep when they weren't being forced into labor.

"I've already told you everything I know!" the man snapped impatiently, bravado evident in the unyielding lines that creased his forehead. "Now release me! The Mhaledictus will be at your throats if anything happens to their people! Don't you get it? You idiots made a big mistake stepping into this place!"

Daisuke scoffed, a hand cupping the side of his face. "What threatening scumbags like you never seem to realize is that—" he started finger flicking the man's forehead repeatedly— "you'll probably be long dead before word can get to your corporate overlords."

"W-Wait!" the man stuttered, fruitlessly squirming against the magic chains that were wound around him. "You promised to let me go if I gave you information."

"Sorry, I lied."

The man's eyes quivered in shock.

Daisuke smiled. "Oh, so the bad guys can lie and torture people but I can't? What kind of logic is that?"

The man let out a pathetic squeal and shrunk back as the Beastfolk encroached upon him like an ominous blanket of thunderclouds.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you're looking for advanced chapters and wanting to show your support, be sure to check out the links below. Also, volume one and two (Chapter 1-78) of the series is out on Amazon! Be sure to check it out, especially if you prefer the physical copy of a book:

» Linktree: https://linktr.ee/vaughnrrschneider

» Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/VaughnSchneider

» Discord: https://dsc.gg/vaughnschneider

» Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/vaughnrrschneider