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

CHAPTER 75: Safety Net

"Thank you," said Whindel, resting a large callused hand on Milo's shoulder. "You've all done us a great service."

The grandson and the elderly man who was nearly cast into the pit shared a gleeful glance before turning their grateful gazes toward their rescuers.

While Elena, Rexar, and Milo were being endlessly praised for their monumental feat, Daisuke approached the women who were partaking of food given to them by the others.

"I'm sorry to ask while you're both still visibly shaken up by this ordeal, but is there anything you can tell us about this place?"

Stirred by curiosity, everyone quieted down at the import of the question. The Beastfolk had interrogated the two girls the moment they had joined their ranks, but they were too perturbed to answer.

Daisuke got down on one knee before them, his eyes patient and sincere. "Don't worry, you're both safe now. Whether you answer my questions or not, we'll be escorting you and the others back to Elmridge village."

Elmridge village.

Just voicing the name of their home was soothing therapy; it made them feel relaxed, secure, and a strong sense of longing.

The girls took a moment to assess Daisuke—despite the horrors in the cavern that they were instructed to flee from, the young boy was entirely unscathed, his countenance cool and collected. His physical, mental, and emotional state of being was obviously due to his overwhelming power, and it was incredibly reassuring.

The females exchanged glances and nodded, then one of them—a girl with short-cropped hair and daring eyes—turned to Daisuke and parted her lips.

"Um... I'm sorry but those guards didn't really talk about highly secret stuff while we were around."

Daisuke frowned. "Guards? You mean Vernie and that other guy?"

"Keith, yes," the other girl chimed in. "They were... ordered by their boss to safeguard the mountain."

"The Mhaledictus?"

The girls' ears perked up at the name, and the female with the short-cropped hair spoke. "Yes, that's the name."

"Any idea why they were ordered to protect this place?"

The girls thought about that for a while, sieving through the trauma that clouded their memory. And it was the long-haired girl, the introvert, who was able to trigger the memory.

"Fail-safe!" she blurted out awkwardly.

"Ah! Th-That's right!" the other girl exclaimed, the words evoking her own memories. "Fail-safe is the word Keith used when he said the mountain was being used to store a percentage of the Mhaledictus' funds, just in case anything bad happened."

Whispers rose amongst the onlookers, and Daisuke cupped his chin in thought. "So, essentially, this place is like the equivalent of an offshore Swiss bank account."

Confusion permeated throughout the crowd, and it wasn't until the two girls voiced their befuddlement did Daisuke realize that he was thinking out loud.

"Oh, sorry about that," he said, sheepishly running his hand through his hair. "Based on what I've gathered, the Mhaledictus is an organization of sorts. Their exact activities remain a mystery, but it seems they stashed some of their wealth here as a safety net in case of their downfall."

"And what about us?" asked Whindel. "Why were we captured and imprisoned here?"

"They probably noticed that the mountain was rich with materials and figured they could expand their wealth if they mined it."

Anger and sorrow flared amongst the crowd, but Daisuke knew there was no possible way to quell the storm within that moment, so he turned his attention back to the girls.

"Is there anything else you can tell us?" he asked. "Like where the Mhaledictus has their base of operations, or where the demons originated from?"

Regrettably, the girls shook their heads in denial, and grief finally extinguished the flames that had fueled the anger and hate within the people, casting a somber atmosphere over the crowd.

For an instant, Daisuke's expression crumbled, but for the sake of the people who had confided in him, he maintained the perfectly smooth mask he had molded. "Don't beat yourselves up," he reassured the girls with a measured smile. "Vernie and Keith were just too careful, that's all."

He got on his feet and turned to the people. "Those two men got what they deserved, and I have no doubt that the Mhaledictus will face their reckoning in due time. But for now, let's make our way back to the village. I'm sure you're all anxious to be reunited with your friends and loved ones."