PREVIOUS CHAPTER
Ahead of him, an open passage to the street shone with the light of freedom, seen from one of the building's upper floors.
— It's good to see the light after so long... — Louie murmured, watching the opening in the concrete. — I'm sorry, Mom, sis, and Kael, but I still have something to do before going back home...
His eyes scanned the dark corridor, slightly illuminated by the sunlight coming through the building's opening.
— There's someone... I need to find — he said, with a brief memory of the girl with purple eyes. — And no matter who's in my way, I'll crush everything that stands between me and my goal!
With renewed determination, Louie advanced down the corridor — once dark, now bathed in the sunlight streaming through the passage — ready to face any challenge that came his way.
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Louie continued walking down the corridor — once dark, now slightly lit by the sunlight entering through the broken wall.
As he moved further inside, darkness returned to dominate the environment.
To the point where even Louie couldn't see himself.
— And now? It's pitch black as hell... — Louie sighed. — Oh, how I wish I had a flashlight...
He kept walking like that, running his right hand along the wall, unable to see a foot ahead.
— It's going to be hard to find a way down to the lower floor in this darkness. — he lamented, walking somewhat carelessly. — Judging by the height compared to the floor of the broken wall, I must be around the tenth floor.
In an instant, his relaxed gaze and casual walk shifted into a brief flash of anger.
— It's going to take some time to find someone. — He unconsciously changed his voice as he spoke. — Since I can't even find the damn staircase to get out of this dump!
He took a deep breath, calming the sudden, brief outburst of rage.
— Well... looking on the bright side, I'm alone here. — Louie said, letting out a slight laugh. — Imagine how shitty it would be to get hit by a surprise attack out of absolute nowhere in this place—
CRASH!!!
Without warning, the concrete beneath his feet gave way.
Louie reacted instantly, purely by reflex.
He propelled his body backward, diagonally to the right. It was a quick jump, but poorly calculated.
THUD!
He hit his back hard against one of the concrete walls, which cracked from the impact.
— What the hell... — he stopped mid-sentence as he looked ahead.
The floor where he had been seconds before now displayed a massive hole, opened with absurd precision.
It stretched about ten meters along the large dark corridor.
— I get it... what a treacherous mouth, huh... — Louie got into a defensive stance, eyes fixed on the huge opening. — "The precision and timing were too perfect to be natural. This was clearly a... surprise attack."
He continued staring at the hole, as if expecting, at any moment, another possible attack — or someone emerging from it.
— "I can't say what power it was exactly... but judging by the way the concrete gave way, it doesn't seem to have been an impact."
Then, moving lightly, he calmly stepped out of his defensive stance, walking slowly toward the edge of the hole.
When he reached it, he looked into that bottomless pit, which seemed swallowed by pure absence of light.
— Looks pretty deep, huh... probably leads to the ground floor. — he said, bringing his right hand to his neck. — Judging by the way these holes were made, they almost seem... like an invitation.
With a considerably calm gaze, seeing the situation he was in, Louie—facing all of it—yawned.
— So there must be someone down there, huh... Well, somehow, they know exactly where I am. — He relaxed his hands. — I don't think staying in a long-range fight is very advantageous anyway.
Louie stared at the "invitation" without excitement.
— It might be risky, but if I really want to find the girl with purple eyes, this is also the fastest route. — A smile formed on his face. — So let's finally see what I'm capable of!
And so, with a confident smile, Louie leaped into the unknown.
As he plummeted in free fall through the dark floors of the abandoned building, the wind made his black hair with white streaks dance wildly in the air.
The darkness around him seemed like a black hole, swallowing all the light in the place.
And finally, with a brutal impact, he landed on the ground floor, forcing all his superstrength into his legs. The entire building shook at his arrival.
The floor around him cracked, and the wind that accompanied him escaped through the old building's crevices.
Rising quickly, Louie scanned his surroundings. Even though it was dark, the light coming through small holes was enough to illuminate part of the collapsed room.
Thanks to this, he could clearly see two men with a striking presence in that ruined room.
— What a dramatic entrance, huh... — a voice echoed through the room.
It came from a tall, muscular man with red mohawk hair and slightly pinkish eyes. He wore a simple white shirt.
— But tell me something, kid... how did you get out of that cell of the Technicist? — he said, narrowing his eyes. — They told us you couldn't even control your power.
Louie faced the man, without fear or excitement.
— Technicist? Who's that guy?
Before the red mohawk man could answer, the other guard calmly stepped forward.
He was shorter and leaner, with spiky black hair and bright green eyes like two emeralds. He wore a stylish black suit, impeccably clean, accompanied by a red tie perfectly adjusted around his neck.
— Gorthok, it's impolite to speak like that to a guest of Master Sethros — he said, in a tone far too polite for the situation.
Louie clenched his teeth, his eyes burning with anger.
— "Guest?" — he thought, clenching his fists. — "I was literally kidnapped! How is this a 'guest' thing?!"
Louie sighed, trying to keep calm despite his anger.
— So, the red mohawk guy's name is Gorthok... what a ridiculous name. And these voices... I didn't hear them very well, but they're not the same guys who brought food to me in the cell, are they? Maybe it's just them here?
Gorthok muttered, turning to his partner.
— But, Vorgath, that cell cost a fortune! It even had diamonds mixed in, bro! Diamonds! Imagine the freakout the Technicist will have when he finds out his creation was destroyed by a kid who can barely wipe his own ass properly!
Vorgath calmly adjusted his tie.
— Patience. There's no use crying over that now. — he said, calmly finishing adjusting his tie. — We were going to change buildings anyway, remember? Master Sethros told us to meet him in the other building, taking the brat along. He has the third hostage. Said the base where the second one was held was attacked... probably the next target is here.
— No way! You're telling me something this important just now?! — roared Gorthok, spitting in frustration. — You're kidding me?!
— I was going to tell you, but you were too busy fixing that impolite hairdo of yours...
Gorthok opened his mouth to retort, but before any words could escape, Louie charged.
In a sudden impulse, driven by superstrength, he planted his feet on the ground and shot toward Gorthok like a hypersonic missile.
The punch hit the guard squarely in the chest, sending him flying several meters and smashing through multiple walls of the building as if they were made of pure styrofoam.
Smoke and dust rose slowly, delayed, as if Louie had already vanished before they could catch up.
Vorgath watched the trail of destruction left by the impact, then turned his eyes to Louie and sighed.
— It's not very elegant to attack someone in the middle of a conversation, you know?
Louie cracked his neck, a mocking smile on his lips.
— Why don't you shove that elegance of yours up your ass? — he replied sarcastically. — I don't have time to listen to two grown men argue about irresponsibility and hair.
From the ruined walls, Gorthok emerged. His red mohawk was now covered by a thick clay armor around his chest, molded like a shell.
★ Clay Manipulation (Natural Element)
› Gorthok's power allows him to control, mold, and transform clay into various states — even extracting it from structures like the concrete around him. He can create armor, weapons, shields, or deform the environment to trap and crush the enemy, making him extremely versatile and dangerous, especially in urban ruins like this. ‹
— You're kind of a hothead, aren't you? — Gorthok provoked, pounding his chest hard. — Your parents never taught you manners, huh?
Louie let out a light laugh and responded with a big, ironic smile.
— My father, I don't know, but my mother probably did teach me... — he said, while for a second, his eyes lost their shine in the blank memory. — But, unfortunately, I don't remember.
He stepped forward firmly, entering a combat stance. His muscles tensed, and subtle, unconscious sparks ran across his hands.
— And, you know... I'm having a bit of a rough day...
Louie knew the risk. The strength Gorthok and Vorgath carried was visible, along with the advantage of terrain, numbers, and experience — all against him. But at that moment, hesitation was no longer an option.
And retreat... was out of the question.