Rebirth Of Abium 22 Chapter 22: Clues I

When the warming sunlight washed the darkness, Abium, along with Helena and Peter, arrived at the entrance gate of the village. It's an isolated village followed by empty gra.s.slands and woods. Abium noticed a guard carrying a spear on his right hand, obstructing their path at the entrance. He was smaller than any others had barely met the height requirements, but he was as muscular as any other. When they moved closer to him, he stopped them.

"State your purpose?"

Helena stepped forward and shown her guild card to that guard and answered politely.

"We came here to see if there is any clue about slave merchants."

That guard stared at them for a second then moved his eyes went to Peter, then suddenly his deep, earthy brown eyes widened only for a minute second and returned to normal. Abium didn't miss that slight change but didn't show it like he noticed anything and asked.

"We request an audience with the village elder."

That guard silently stood for a moment and answered his request.
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"Follow me."

They accompanied the guard and went forward. Abium saw there were a total of only 100 houses in that village. In the center where they were heading, he noticed a big house.

Once when they reached there, all of them halted their footsteps near the door. Then, the guard told them to wait there for a few minutes and went ahead to inform them about their request. Within a few moments, the guard returned, accompanying along with an elder who carried a staff on his right hand. Abium bowed towards him and requested.

"Elder, we need somewhere place to keep this child safe. So we request you to protect him till we come back."

Elder nodded his head and stared at Helena's purse greedily and responded towards him.

"We will accept that request if you give us some payment."

Abium narrowed his eyes at the elder's greediness but didn't make any complaint.

Both accepted the elder's request, and Helena gave a gold coin to the elder.

They said goodbye to the kid and moved out of the village. Once they ran out of that village, big bear trees and Thulasi trees were the only trees that caught their sights. Both continued their walk towards the Brifell mountain direction. Suddenly small plant needles laid on the ground caught Abium's eyes. He stopped his step and glanced around his surroundings and noticed some people hiding behind the trees. Because of their poor hiding skills, he quickly found their location and roared.

"Come out!"

A total of five peoples emerged from there and encircled both Abium and Helena.

All of them dressed as normal adventurers' clothes and black caps with sword marks on their heads.

"Well! I didn't expect our cover to be exposed to that easily. Boys, you all take care of that half-elf. I will handle that woman myself. Humph."

"Boss, B-but Bob said that girl is an adventurer with second-tier warrior strength."

"Do you think I won't be able to match against her? I am the leader, so obey my order, you hear?"

The bandit leader walked ahead and glanced at both of them, then continued to talk.

"Umm, anyways, capture them quickly. We need to send both along with that red-haired boy to our hideout within nightfall. Hahaha, we may receive extra payment for that girl."

"Boss! Where should we celebrate the party tonight?"

Abium stared at those bandits and shook his head. Meanwhile, the leader of that group kicked the guy who asked that question and ordering them to capture him and Helena.

"Idiots! Celebrate after capture both o-"

But his words were cut off by Helena as she dashed forth in front of the bandit leader and gripped his neck. Her sudden movement made others to halt their progress and moved two steps backward.

'Crack.'

A cracking sound echoed, and the bandit's body fell slowly on the ground. Her action made others frozen in fear. Helena mercilessly stumped on his neck and moved towards the nearby fellow who carried a knife on his right hand, slashing everywhere in a frenzied state.

Without waiting for him to say any word, she pulled her dagger and stabbed right into that guy's heart. Another pitiful yell echoed inside the woods. At the same time, the other three guys were scared s.h.i.tless. A bandit with a shaved head already p.i.s.sed his pants.

Abium didn't prevent her from killing them; instead, he stood a few meters away from the area and waited silently. He didn't know why she hated bandits that much, even when in his previous life, but she killed every bandit who appeared on her sight.

Helena finally halted her movement after she killed four of the bandits and kept the bandit who p.i.s.sed his pants alive. That bandit was shaking all over whenever he noticed Helena. Abium stepped ahead and placed his sword on that bandit's chest and asked him.

"Who ordered you to come after us?"

"T-That guard is the one who told us about you, sir. His is one of the slave merchant's minion."

"Where is that slave merchant?"

When he heard about slave merchant whereabouts, suddenly, his body tensed up a bit then replied in a nervous tone.

"I-I d-don't know sir, B-boss is the one who trades with that merchant. We always waited outside the hideout."

Abium stared at the bandit's body and shook his head. He shifted his gaze towards the bandit and asked in a threatening tone.

"If you don't want to die, then lead us there."

The bandit nodded his head repeatedly and led both of them towards the hideout.

"What about Peter? That guard may capture him again. We need to rescue him."

Abium shook his head at her question and spoke.

"I think that guard may already capture him, and they are on their way to the hideout."

Abium responded to her and followed the bandit, but suddenly he stopped his footsteps. A trace of anger appeared on his eyes.

'Where is he leading us? It is not the path towards the Brifell Mountain. He is leading us in the opposite direction. I think it is a path towards a nearby village. d.a.m.n bandit! Trying to trick me.'

Without asking any question, Abium unsheathed his sword and chopped that bandit's left hand. Blood splattered from his hand everywhere, and his scream reverberated inside the trees.

"Don't try to trick me! Show me the right path; otherwise, you won't be able to see the next morning."

The bandit nodded his head and wiped his tear using his right hand and guided both of them towards the Brifell mountain direction. There was a trace of fear surfaced in his eyes.

He thought his fake acting would be sufficient to fool them, but now he knew these two peoples were not normal at all. He now understood if he didn't reveal them right path next would be his head rolled on the ground. Abium started to remember anything from the past, which might help him a little.

'I never went to that ruin named Farms of whispers. I don't know why they even called farms of whispers, but I think the name began to spread after the ma.s.s sacrifices that will happen after a year or two from now on. They even placed that ruin as one of the forbidden places in this kingdom.'

They proceeded towards the mountain for almost 30 minutes and approached near the Brifell Mountain. Abium saw everywhere appear trees and shrubs. Abium saw a walkway that extended into the woods. After a few moments, Abium sensed blood smell seemed to be emerging from inside the trees.

Others might find it hard to notice the smell of the blood, but he was very familiar with that smell. Abium rushed ahead towards the path and observed the tunnel located deep inside. Large rocks were blocking the entrance of that tunnel.

'n.o.body mentioned anything about a tunnel when army soldiers found out about that blood sacrifice. I heard they climbed the mountain to reach another side to arrest the cult members.'

'I think they didn't found this tunnel, or it was kept hidden by higher officers from others.'

'I guess this tunnel will be a safe way to the other side.'

Abium affirmed in his mind and thought of moving forwards inside the tunnel. But suddenly, that bandit tried to run ahead inside, but Abium slashed his sword at the bandit's neck in a swift. A head rolled on to the ground, and his body twitched for a few times and slumped down. The bandit's face filled with panic-stricken, and he died with wide-opened eyes.

Abium performed a few slashes, and the droplets of blood appeared around at the blade vanished without leaving any trace. Abium glanced at his sword to notice any blood remain and put his sword into the sheath. Helena tossed the dead body near the trees and looked at the entrance of the tunnel.

Abium took some clothes from his ring and dipped it with oil placed near the entrance and then tied one of that drenched clothes with a wooden stick he picked nearby and ignited it with fire.

Both advanced into the tunnel at a fast pace. It was so dark inside the tunnel, and the bright light appeared from the fire purified the darkness. There were only walking footsteps and droplets of water which fell from above heard inside the tunnel.

When Abium stepped inside, he suddenly noticed he stumbled onto something and heard a cracking sound. He halted his movement and motioned Helena to stop her progress from advancing and examined his surroundings using the fire.

'What was that?'

He felt something cracked when every time he stepped on to the ground and finally saw human bones spread over everywhere. No, he saw there were various types of bones, and some of them appear to be different kinds of races.

Both explored the place a bit and quickened their movement again. Abium didn't want to waste his time here.

A light appeared on the opposite side of the tunnel. Abium recognized this tunnel was very small when compared to the tunnel he saw at the hidden vault. Both slowly moved at the other entrance of that tunnel quietly.

Abium scanned the opposite side and noticed there were full of trees, and a small path was visible on his eyes. He now confirmed he was on the other side of the Brifell Mountain.

"I think we need to follow that path, I presume?"

Helena pointed a lone path that appeared on their sight and stepped forward to follow that path. That path guided both of them directly to a large house. Once they appear within visible range, both sneaked into the trees, and Abium stared at the map function to scout the surrounding.

'Oh? This house also has another entrance at the backside. Umm, there is a total of four persons watching on both entrances. And each of their strength varies up to first and second tier.'

Abium didn't hesitate to take action after he discovered the enemy's strength. He gestured Helena to get ready, and both flew towards different sides. Abium advanced towards the rear side meanwhile Helena dashed towards the frontal gate.

A sudden crashing noise resounded on the front gate, and with few moments, all four of the guards beaten on the ground motionless. Abium got surprised a little when he saw she didn't kill those warriors; instead just knocked them out.

He let out a sigh and proceeded towards the rear side. Without pausing for them to execute any movement, he beat them out. If their strength were third-tier warriors, he had no option but to kill them, but luckily their power was only second tiers.

He opened the house door and observed inside, then marked no one inside. The house was simply a regular one with a big hall, kitchen, and two chambers. He was confused at first, but he caught a screaming sound from underneath. He stumped his foot on the carpet and cracked it.

A staircase emerged from underneath, and he noticed it was some hidden bas.e.m.e.nt. Stepped ahead without hesitation, he walked towards the inside. After he took a few steps, he heard numerous cries of children from inside that bas.e.m.e.nt.

A large number of prison cells appeared within his sight, and inside were many children enslaved. Some of them mercilessly beaten, and he noticed blood trails near them but barely breathing while others were laid unconscious inside the prison cells.

On the farther ahead, he spied a fat person dressed in an extravagant cloth and ordering someone while he used a knife to stab a girl child's hand. On his opposite side, Abium noticed the guard from the village who accompanied them to the village head.

When they met that guard, Abium a.s.sumed the guard must have some connection with those slave merchants. When that guard noticed Peter, his eyes revealed he previously met him, but that's unnatural for an ordinary guard to suddenly recognize a person because Peter's farmhouse located more than a few kilometers away.

Even If that guard were related to the kid, then that kid would inform him earlier. Abium knew if he took any action, then he had no chance of saving anyone or finding any clue about Helena's sister.

, While he listened to their exchange, suddenly, he noticed Helena advanced towards inside the bas.e.m.e.nt. At the same time, the slave merchant and guard shifted their gaze towards her direction while he hides in the darkness.