Chapter 9: Let The Hunt Begin (1)
Chubby hurried towards Victor's workshop. His shallow breaths suggested he had been walking for quite a while which wasn't something he usually entertained. But given the situation, he needed Victor's advice as soon as possible.
He had been trying to reach Victor, eager to inform him about the buyer's approval for the advance payment. The buyer, however, insisted on inspecting the chimaera in person before sealing the deal.
It was a problematic request since it would require them to capture a monster alive or kidnap a diver to fight the chimaera. Both the tasks were equally complex, so Chubby wanted Victor's opinion on the matter before agreeing to anything with the buyer.
However, despite trying a thousand times, there was no response from Victor. Chubby had gotten worried and decided to meet Victor face to face.
"Victor, are you there?" Chubby mumbled to himself, hoping for a response that never came.
"Victor?" he called again, but the result remained unchanged.
"Victor! Hey, Victor! Open up!" Chubby yelled and began pounding on the door. Still, there was no answer. "Fuck! Where's the key?"
Fumbling for a set of keys Victor had entrusted him with, Chubby hastily unlocked the door and pushed it open. But nothing could have prepared him for what he was about to witness.
The once religiously organised workshop was in disarray, with shattered glass and strewn tools everywhere. It didn't take long for Chubby to realise something had to have gone down there.
"Victor! Where are you?" Chubby felt panic as he rushed inside, calling out for Victor. "What happened here?"
Chubby's voice echoed through the dimly lit halls of the workshop, but there was no response. At this point, Chubby knew Victor was in danger and rushed inside the rooms, something Victor had warned them not to do a million times.