Kapitel 169: New Information
I held tightly onto Rose's shoulder as I felt her body tense. Some people had walked up to the store and the balding man ushered them in. He gave us one quick look to see if we were interested, but seeing us not come over he turned around and walked inside.
The people in the display case looked beaten and broken as they stood there nude and weak. I felt anger at myself for doing nothing but this wasn't the right time. I turned my head slightly to peek at the guards that were roaming around the streets and gripped Rose's shoulder even harder.
Her body trembled for another few seconds before calming down, she turned her anger towards me and looked like she was about to shout. I just sent her a look and a small mental message. Hearing what I had to say she didn't look happy but she didn't blow up then and there.
I felt slightly cold as the cart continued to move forwards towards the pillar. Hunter had sent us a glance during the whole ordeal and had even stopped the cart for a short second, but he said nothing. In the quite that overcame our group I removed my hand from her shoulder and turned to look back at the shop.
My eyes sharpened as I engraved the image in my head.
It wasn't long before we finally reached the pillar and Hunter got to work. He left the cart off to the side where we sat as he pulled out his own small pillar and touched it to the big one. They both glowed shortly and no one seemed surprised that the pillar shone a different light, must happen every now and then.
The next few minutes were spent watching Hunter wave his hands around no doubt buying and selling gear, potions and skills. I thought about going up to get a 'Concealment' item but shook my head. We had barely got any points over the week; I would need a lot more to buy them. And that's what I would do when we went to the dungeon.
Hunter returned to us with a smile as he saddled back up and then turned us in a certain direction. We continued to pass shops as he went towards his merchant guild. He spoke to us just before reaching it.
"Slavery is a pretty hard business. That was probably the only slave shop in town, being in such a remote area. And I would say he has less than 40 slaves inside judging from the size."
I turned to him in surprise at the words, and came face to face with him. He had serious eyes and a glint in them I couldn't determine. But I could tell that he wanted to help me. Rose to my side gave him a big smile as her thoughts drifted to me and we started a back and forth.
Seeing that his message came across we finally made it to his guild. The huge building that was before us surprised me. The 5 story building was like nothing I had seen in a town before and the huge stables and traffic showed its prestige.
A guard stopped us just before we went through one of the entrances but Hunter only had to show him his card to let us through.
"This shouldn't take long. I'll see what I can find out."
Those were his words as he disappeared into one of the buildings. Ella and the kids stayed in the back not to be noticed, so me and Rose continued our talk. After an unknown period of time Hunter finally appeared in front of us again.
I looked up as he approached and I quickly saw the frown he was wearing. I frowned to myself at this and waited for him to talk.
"We'll talk as we go."
Jumping back up we were soon on our way to the west gate. It was on the opposite side to the one we came through and had a direct path to the mountain dungeon that we were after. It was only after we got through the gate that he started to talking, sending a pitying look back at the town.
*Sigh*
Letting out a sigh he began to talk.
"It seems that many citizens have been disappearing recently!"
My eyes shot up and I felt Rose flinch to my side. She was very much attuned to the common folk, or maybe it was just victims?
"For the past few weeks, children, mothers, fathers, the elderly, everyone you could think of has been disappearing. No one knows for sure who took them…"
Rose lowered her head at the mention of children and I showed a stone face. How many were already lost, how many were being treated as slaves as we spoke?
Thoughts ran through my head as I thought back to the slave shop. Should I have done something there?
I broke myself out of my thoughts as he reached a break in his words.
"But…"
I questioned waiting for the answer.
"The towns' people and city lord think that the monsters from the dungeon have been secretly taking people!"
Now that was truly out of left field! That thought never crossed my mind and that was why at his words I froze. I didn't consider that monster could leave a dungeon, none of the wolves in the first dungeon I ran across left it. Or did they?
Would that explain why there were so many in the damn forest? As well as the group that had tried to kill me? Maybe that was where the black wolf had come from!
My mind raced as I thought of the possibilities of his words. I caught the word City Lord and filed that away for reference. It made sense that there was someone running the city that had ultimate authority. Any way I looked at it, to create a society you had to have someone in a position of power. To set up the guards going through town, to make sure crime wasn't rampant.
From that peaceful city, many things had to go on in the background for it to work. So hearing about a city lord wasn't much of a surprise. Plus I didn't want to ask Hunter for more information, the looks he was giving me at the seemingly general knowledge was starting to make me feel embarrassed.
I could always ask a different person later, just for conformation.
What are the monsters in the dungeon? They had to have some type of intelligence if they have been taking people. The thought of sentient monsters didn't fill me with confidence. I sent a small look towards Rose before looking towards the back. The only 2 sentient monsters I had met so far were easily much stronger than humans.
I just hope when we reach the dungeon they are low leveled, or around our level. If they aren't we would have a problem.
"The city Lord went to have a meeting with the other city lords to negotiate what is to be done?"
Hunter started talking again after giving us ample time.
"What towns?"
"My merchant guild has set up into 3 towns that surround the dungeon, Darlt, Jeralt and Praf. There are no more larger towns around here and they each fight each other for resources. They made a pact when they first arrived here to clear out most of the infected, but since then the relationship has been dicey."
I nodded my head slowly.
'What type of stupid town names are these? I could have thought of better names in my sleep!'
'So that's why we had run into less and less infected as we went. Most other towns and cities would also do this.'
"Unlike what I thought, the dungeon is not the whole mountain. A few of my colleges had already gone inside with parties. There is an entrance that we shouldn't be able to miss that we can enter from. Some type of rock monsters inhabits the caves. Their skin is supposed to be ridiculously tough?"
I raised one eye brow.
"How tough?"
"Enough that I'm not sure if your axe will cut through them."
!!!
My axe had cut through the empire gear like butter! Damnit! Just when I thought this shit was getting easier.
I suddenly felt a pat on my shoulder and looked up at Hunter. He was giving me a big smile.
"But here's the good news!"
"Ohh?"
"The creatures should be right around your level!"
A grin appeared on my face, one that I think truly embodied the predator that was raring to get out. If they were at the same level as me, I wouldn't have trouble beating them into a pulp, with or without my axe.
"Bad news is, it's going to take another week and a half to get there."
Hunter pointed to the mountain as he said that, his smile getting bigger.
I deflated like a balloon that had just been popped and he laughed to himself.
"Hahaha. You should have seen your face."
I just face palmed as the cart kept moving.
"Urgh!"
AUTORENGEDANKEN 
Zevren
Zevren Hey guys here's the second chapter of the day, hope you enjoy!
Almost done with the plot threading for what's about to happen in the dungeon and afterwards!
Please leave a comment about mistakes, or suggestions you may have.
Thanks for reading as always :)
Shout out - Yuriy Shuvalov and Bernini
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