CHAPTER 29: GOBINI

"This is the most detailed map of the mines I could find," Robert said as he placed a piece of paper with a drawing on it on the table.

All six members of the group had gathered.

Durgan was still casting angry glances in Ethan’s direction, as if he was about to fly at the young man’s throat at any moment.

Despite this, the dwarf controlled himself, casting anxious glances at the other members of the group, as if trying to confirm something.

As for Eve, she seemed to have fully recovered and was now looking at Ethan like a defeated tigress yearning for revenge.

With more desire than hatred, of course.

"Great... what do you expect us to do?" Ethan asked.

The meeting had gone on for long minutes and apart from exchanging small talk, neither of them had discussed anything productive.

"No rush, Ethan, we still have a day to plan everything properly, but if you want to know that much, it’s simple." Robert pointed to a single house in the center of the drawing.

"This is where the guards and workers stay overnight. Eve is going to go to this house and put on a show as if she were a young lady lost in the forest.

She’ll seduce them and attract the attention of the guards and workers while I cover for her."

Robert then pointed his finger in another direction, this time towards the interior of the mine: "This is where the vault is.

The place is guarded by three or four guards, all at intermediate levels of the awakening stage.

Ethan and Durgan will deal with these guards while Clark and Jhon will take care of breaking into the vault."

"Hm... sounds acceptable," Ethan exhaled upon hearing the plan.

It was far from extremely elaborate, but he shouldn’t have expected too much from something done so hastily either.

In the end, it was decent enough for him to have the confidence to go ahead.

"Perfect! If everyone agrees, I’ve already obtained the runes needed to break the vault’s protection. We’ll plan the smaller details and start the mission at dawn tomorrow."

Robert spoke before picking up a glass of beer and drinking it all in one gulp, smiling as he thought of the riches that awaited him.

***

While the small group discussed how to carry out their mission, an unpleasant acquaintance of Ethan’s was in the confines of a hideout in the sewers of Stormerga.

It was a large, wide room, dozens of meters underground.

Its walls were damp and putrid. On the floor, dozens of rats scurried along the corridors.

In the center of the room was a metal structure and around it, raised in the air, were more than 60 cells, each carrying 4-5 people who were screaming and crying desperately to get out.

But their cries were completely ignored by the men below.

"You know, Stuart... I understand that you wanted to get your money back, I really do... but you made a mistake: you used my men to do it...

Those brothers were not only the most talented but also the most powerful among my forces..."

An irritating voice rang out from a man whose face could only be considered demoniacally ugly, like the fusion of a man and a pig.

His stature was short, no taller than a nine-year-old child, and his body had such a deformed body structure that it could barely be considered human.

Kneeling in front of him was a man who was only slightly more handsome, as if he were a version of the creation of an unholy god who exalts ugliness that went more wrong.

"Please, Mr. Gobini! I didn’t send anyone after that brat, I swear! I only told him about the four gold coins I’d given him! They went on their own-"

Stuart pleaded as he cried, but his despair was interrupted by a loud, dry slap.

"Four gold? I paid over one hundred gold coins on those two and you tell me you had them killed for a mere four gold???" Gobini’s already angry voice distorted even more as he beat the poor man relentlessly.

"Please. Guh... ouch... I... argh... didn’t send them..." Stuart continued to beg, his groan of pain at each blow from Gobini soon turning into a desperate cry.

"Argh... useless thing!" Gobini gave Stuart one last kick and threw him to the ground before turning away.

"Well, what’s done is done, but you’re going to have to pay me, at least half of the one hundred gold coins if you want to get out alive, all of it if you want to get out in one piece." Gobini sighed.

He was clearly still angry, but he wouldn’t be the man he is today if he allowed himself to be so easily carried away by explosive feelings.

"Please... I don’t have anything I-" Stuart knelt down and hugged Gobini’s feet, but his voice suddenly caught and he remembered something.

"Actually, I might have something for you, Mr. Gobini!" He exclaimed in a slightly more animated voice as his mind spun at full speed.

"You do? What exactly hahaha?" Gobini laughed at Stuart’s pathetic attempt to win his forgiveness, but he couldn’t deny being interested in that ’something’ that gave Stuart so much confidence.

"My wife! She’s not very talented, but she’s still a woman from a noble family!"

Stuart spoke, his bruise-covered face taking on a smiling expression as he finally saw a use for the woman he himself considered to be fat, useless trash.