Chapter 202 - Underground Safe House

"What are you doing here?!"

Everybody's eyes went to a ragged man with a white beard and eye patch.

"I thought I told you not to return once you leave this place." He then swiped the others with his piercing gaze. "And you even brought so many newcomers with you?!"

He looked like he wanted to punch Kai in the face.

"Whoa. Easy there, old man Ric." Kai raised his hands and attempted to shield the others. "We're just here to hide and regroup. We'll leave as soon as we can."

"No." Ric adamantly refused with a hard shake of his head. "The rules are clear. If you want to go, then go, but don't ever come back here. This isn't your place or headquarters where you can just barge in here when you face dangers on the surface.

"Don't you know that one wrong move, you can lead a horde of zombies here! And everything we've built would be for nothing! All because one little human couldn't follow the rules!"

Ric's loud voice scratched his throat, and he looked like he would come out from his skin if Kai and the others wouldn't leave.

While everyone in the underground stopped what they were doing and pointed glares at Rosa and her companions, they weren't welcome here, and it was palpable in the air.

"Uhm . . . we were careful on our way here and made sure that no zombies followed us." Fjord attempted to dissipate the situation but only an angry vein popped on Ric's face.

"Shut up, kid!" he growled, and Fjord jerked from his feet and hid behind Myla for protection.

"You get out from here while we're still asking nicely," warned Ric, and the others at his back draw their weapons. There were elves and demons as well in the group, and fighting them was out of the question.

They were outnumbered to one, and it wasn't the best choice to fight in this situation.

"Alright, enough of this." Rosa stepped forward, and with a flicker of her hand, she drew out dozens of meat from her traveler's ring and dropped them on the floor. "How much time can this buy us?"

. . .

. . .

At the sight of the dozens' mouthwatering meat, all the inhabitants of the underground's throat went dry, and they licked their lips in an attempt to sate their hunger.

How long has it been since they had meat?

Too long!

Since nearly all animals died and the remaining turned into beasts or mutated monsters.

Seeing so much meat on the floor all at once, they hallucinated its taste.

". . ." Try as he might, Ric couldn't get his eyes on the delicious food on the floor.

Rosa smirked in triumph while she slapped Kai and Fjord's hands when they attempted to steal one. 

"The underground is still safe. No zombies followed us here, and you can have this delicious meat to feast tonight while we're out on your nose before you know it. Not a bad bargain, eh?" Rosa said with her more than enticing voice.

Kelly's eyes watered, and saliva hung on her lips. "C-can we have some? Even a little?"

Sensing that everyone was coveting the meat, Ric glowered and immediately grabbed all the food on the floor.

He then cleared his throat and looked at Rosa and the others with pointed glares. "An hour. After an hour, you leave this place."

"Wha . . . that so low!" complained Fjord.

"I'd rather we get out of here and eat those meats instead," said Kai, still hypnotized by the promise of delicious food.

The others nodded at his words. Good food was simply a luxury nowadays! One that they were willing to bargain their life to taste again.

"Shut up. My food, my rules," Rosa spat and faked a sweet smile at Ric. "One hour is fine with us."

"Egh? If you give that to the sanctuary, it already could land you a month of stay!" Fjord interjected once more, and Rosa slapped his hand again when he attempted to take the food from Ric's hand.

"One hour," Ric reminded and signaled the others to get back to their jobs before he gave Kai and the others one final warning. "Don't steal anything or attempt to make trouble."

Rosa beamed. "We won't."

When Ric and the others left, the underground inhabitants continued their work of operating the place.

Kai rounded everyone onto a quiet corner and discussed their next plan.

"I-I felt unfordable here." Kelly stuttered. There were still some of the underground inhabitants who were glaring at them. Impatient on their faces for them to leave.

Rosa rolled her eyes. "It's either that or the mutated monsters on the surface."

"Who could blame them?" Kai shrugged. "They mostly followed the rules, and they haven't seen the sun's light for years. And then came us who was an exception . . . though for only an hour."

"That's not important," Fjord interjected, "We have to get to city x and meet up with the others."

"Is Ryu going to be there?" Seraphina asked, voicing her thoughts for the first time. She misses him terribly so.

While Rosa sneered to herself. From the looks of it, the halfbreed had snagged the beauty's heart. How deplorable of him. She had mixed feeling about it, but looking at Seraphina's beautiful face, it wasn't a happy feeling.

"I'm sure that halfbreed has the best time of his life in the protection of the sanctuary," she said, voice sarcastic.

Seraphina's positive hallo warded off Rosa's venomous tone. "Oh, I'm sure he is put in the fighting group since he didn't need mana to fight. He's the best fighter in here as far as I know."

"Ara?" Rosa placed a hand over her smirking lips. "That halfbreed isn't good in a fight as much as you think. Without me, he'd be dead right now."

Seraphina's smile faltered. "Are you sure you're not the one hindering him?" 

Rosa's eyelid twitched. "I was pretty sure that it was me who got us out of the dungeons in one piece and made it this far."

"I doubt it since it was you who got him stuck in here in the first place."

"Uhm . . ." Kai raised his hands and uttered, "I'm good at combat too."

"Shut up." Both women spat at the same time.

Kai cowered behind Fjord's back. There was static between two women, and it was dangerous to go in between them at the moment.

Kai got to hand to Ryu. Even he was not present, he was causing trouble between two women. 

I wonder what he is doing right now.. Kai thought.