Chapter 107. Floor 7 (2)
The sixteen remaining mercenaries stood in the bloody corridor, breathing fast, eyes wide as they stared at the four dead bodies at their feet. The kills were fast and brutal—too perfect, even for guys powered by the cult’s red pills. Their weapons gripped in their hands.
A huge mercenary, bigger and tougher than the rest, turned to them, his voice a loud growl. "Don’t be scared! We can take him! He’s hiding in this maze. Four blocks, four groups. Split up, check every cell. Yell if you find him. This is for our freedom!"
The mercenaries shouted back, "Freedom!" lifting their weapons high, their fear buried under the hope of escape. In moments, they split into four groups, each heading into a block of the seventh floor’s dark, twisty halls, their steps echoing off the wet stone.
In Block 3, four mercenaries moved carefully, checking the empty cells. One, a thin guy with a scarred face, whispered, "Should we really call the others if we find him?"
Another, holding a mace, grinned nastily. "Why? The boss said freedom’s for whoever brings his head, not all of us."
A third laughed quietly. "Yeah, first one to kill him gets it all. No sharing."
They stopped at a corner, the scarred guy pointing. "Split up. We’ll cover more ground." They nodded, breaking into pairs. Two went left, moving slow, peeking into each cell.
The scarred guy went ahead, looking into a dark, dirty cell, its rusty bars covered in grime. Nothing there. He started to walk away, but a weird feeling made him stop. He turned back, squinting into the shadows, the darkness moving slightly.
Suddenly, Leo emerged from the dark, fast and deadly. He kicked the rusty cell door hard, the weak bars snapping like sticks. The door slammed onto the mercenary, pinning him to the ground with a loud crash. The man gasped, clawing at the metal, his spear fell aside.