I knew how to do it: I would pretend to be a slave. I took off my pants, tied them around my thigh, took off my shoes and tucked them under the pants, tying the pants tightly. I smeared my face and clothes with dirt.
I saw a huge truck stop near a store, and the driver went inside, leaving the vehicle. What an amateur! I would fire him for leaving children alone.
While the truck driver was in the store, I approached the back of the truck and opened the tarp. Small children were sitting there, their hands and feet tied and gags in their mouths.
I put the "Bottle of Wind" and "Chain with an Arrowhead" into my underwear. I untied one boy and tossed him out of the truck; when he hit the ground, he ran away.
"Hand woven from a phantom, I call to you, fulfill my will."
A hand burst from my chest and tied my hands and feet, then placed a gag in my mouth. Five minutes later, the driver opened the tarp, counted the children, and left. The truck started moving, and we drove for about 20 minutes.
You displayed "Wisdom."+1 Transcendent Point.You have infiltrated the Dark Bazaar.
So that's how it works. My Wisdom characteristic:
Wisdom 11: Perception 10 Survival 11 Medicine 9 Insight 12 Animal Handling 8 Wisdom Experience Points: 3
The tarp was opened, and we were led down the street; we weren't chained. All the children were under some kind of hypnosis; their eyes were hazy and their movements sluggish. I tried to act hypnotized too. One fat Gnome led us from behind, and another Gnome led from the front.
There was noise and commotion all around. There were wooden boards underfoot, and the place smelled awful. The stalls sold magical resources, weapons, and the meat of various races. But I couldn't look around properly.
We were led into an old barn. A tall man stood there, looking about 29 or 31, with black hair, a black coat, and a white aristocratic shirt. The two Gnomes gave each of us a pickaxe. The tall man pierced me with his gaze.
This man staring at me was a character from the game: Balinor, the right hand of the mafia boss, Akadi. A devoted son to his stepmother, and a strong believer in justice.
He suddenly grabbed me by the throat. My face twitched with fear, but I immediately suppressed the emotion.
"Who gave you this coat?" Balinor asked.
My coat—even though I'd smeared it with mud, he recognized that it was a popular brand. But I didn't flinch.
"My father gave it to me, his last gift before he died," I said slowly, not taking my eyes off the ceiling, as if hypnotized.
He let go of me. "Go."
I obediently lined up with the other children. The Gnomes led us away, and I saw the teleport: a metal capsule with thousands of pipes screwed into the ground. First, one Gnome teleported, then they started transporting us, one by one. My turn came. I entered the capsule, and a white light blinded me. Afterward, I woke up in a small house made of sandstone.
A Goblin in bright attire threw me out of the house. Outside, there were the same small, sandstone houses. This place looked more like a prison.
Mission Completed:+30,000 Dinars.+Potion of Rapid Absorption.+2 Transcendent Points.
We were led to a mine by Goblins in identical, bright uniforms. Children were working there, digging up various ores: yellow, brown, blue. A Gnome in ornamental clothes whipped them if he didn't like something.
"Hey, you! Go and dig a new passage. It's in the central tunnel," the Gnome said.
I slowly walked toward the passage right in the center of the mine and started digging. Now I need to climb to the other side again and use the Bottle of Wind. The sounds of the pickaxe hitting stone filled the mine.
Meanwhile, at the mine entrance:
"Why didn't you take that boy's coat?" the Gnome asked. "His father gave it to him before he died," Balinor replied. "So what? It's a 'Golden Line' brand." "He's a slave. If his coat wasn't taken, there's a reason. Goblins live here; they would have stolen it immediately." "What are you getting at?" "Either he's not hypnotized, or he knows how to fight..." "You want to make him a fighting slave?" the Gnome said, smirking. "Yes. I'll take his coat and promise him a great future. And then Boss Akadi herself will figure out what to do with him."
While Balinor and some Gnome were talking, I found a cave passage beneath the stones. I told a boy to my right: "Hey, you need to go to the man behind us and tell him we found a cave," I said.
"Okay," the child said dryly.
Balinor isn't that strong in this part of the game, so he probably won't descend into it. There could be strong monsters, danger level 1 to 10.
"What did you find there? Ouk, bring me a rope and a lamp," Balinor said.
The Gnome next to him left the mine. Balinor threw me into the cave. Luckily, there was water for me to fall into. Balinor jumped in after me.
"What do you think might be in here?" Balinor asked.
Why is he asking me that? I'm just a hypnotized boy. "I don't know," I said dryly and slowly, unconsciously swallowing.
"I see," he said with a smirk.
He began to mumble something to himself and raised his hand. A flame appeared above his hand. The cave lit up. The floor was wet, and stalactites grew from the top and bottom, joining to create improvised walls. And this feeling... I wasn't a hunter and hadn't been hunting, but even I understood that we were not alone.