Rise of the Eromancer

Chapter 293 A Strum

"We really are in the right place."

The blood dripping from Rhys's arm continued to spatter on the ground; failing to paint it red, however, as it really only just joined with the pool of blood already decorating the rooftop. In the end, Rhys did as he said back in the mission briefing.

He killed them all even though they tried their best to answer his questions.

Unfortunately for them, Rhys and Olga were running on very limited time as they were just taking advantage of the short chaos in the Underworld. With the added pressure from Ayesha and the others, whoever was running things here probably feared that the nymphs would find their way here soon.

"When I interrogated the gorgon who sold the nymph back in the Underworld," Rhys breathed out as he grabbed all the ID Pass from all the corpses, "She told me she sold it to a human with small eyes — I thought that meant it was someone from the East. But it would seem that someone foreign is involved. What do you think, Ma'am? …Ma'am?"

Rhys then turned to look at Olga as she had remained quiet the entire time he was questioning the men in coats, only to see her face almost completely red while staring at his bloody hand; her breaths, slightly stuttering and heavy.

"...Ma'am?" Rhys then leaned his head down right in front of Olga.

"Commander!" Olga let out a small gasp as she woke up from her tiny weird stupor; quickly composing herself and adjusting her clothes and hair, "Good work. We found some crucial intel, but we should probably discuss it while joining in with the chaos."

"Hm…" Rhys nodded as he noticed the noise inside the building getting louder and louder, "...Should we split up?"

"No," Olga quickly shook her head as she gestured to Rhys to enter the building, "It wouldn't be wise to split up. This foreigner with small eyes they mentioned, they said he's also able to talk to the nymph — the same as you. That means…

…we should assume that he might also be as strong as you, Commander."

"...I'll lead the way just in case Aengela wakes up, then," Rhys then carefully entered the building, only to see red flashing lights painting the walls and a somewhat loud siren screaming in the air, "This should be a good enough cover for us."

And with only a nod as their only sign to each other, the two started scouting the building as fast as they could; moving from door to door and floor after floor in no time at all.

"Ma'am."

"Hnh…" Olga let out a small moan as Rhys suddenly pushed her to the wall; slightly pinning her as they finally saw people running toward a certain room, which looked like it just led to another ordinary classroom from the outside.

Of course, Rhys chose to ignore that small moan for now and focus on the mission — and Olga did the same too, remaining professional as the two of them quietly approached the room everyone seemed to be entering.

From their count, there were probably at least more than 70 people who entered the room… but as soon as they took a peek, there was no one there — and there was also no way in the first place that 70 people could fit in the tiny classroom that was filled with armchairs that had their own small desks integrated to it.

"A secret entrance?" Rhys breathed out as the two of them carefully entered the room.

"Only thing it could be," Olga nodded before just suddenly disappearing from her spot.

Rhys could feel the sudden sharp wind that surrounded the tiny classroom; his eyes, barely even keeping up with the streak that was blurring everywhere and across the room. Those with the blood of Hermes are rare, with Olga probably being the first Noble he had met with the blood…

…and it was amazing to watch.

"Found something," and not even a few seconds later, Olga's silhouette finally stopped in one of the chairs inside the room, "There's some sort of gap here."

Rhys approached Olga and inspected the chair — and there truly was a weird gap on the desk. It just looked like it was a scratch made by a pen, but upon further look, there was a slight glow coming out of it.

Rhys glanced at Olga for a few seconds before grabbing the ID Pass he looted from the corpses of the men in coats and proceeding to swipe it on the sharp gap.

And as soon as he did that, the chair in front of them suddenly lowered through the floor — opening up stairs leading to some sort of underground hall.

"Do you think they have access to the Underworld right here?" Rhys squinted his eyes.

"Only one way to find out," Olga once again gestured to Rhys to go first — Rhys did not mind at all, however, as they were just playing with each others' strengths. Rhys had some of Ayesha's durability, already making him one of the most sturdy people in the world — in short, he was acting as a shield.

True enough, however, the passage was leading down — but it did not turn into a Dig at all or cause a gravity shift, as whoever made the passage made sure that the slope down was just at the right angle and width — that meant that whoever created this, spent a whole lot of money, as the entire passage was covered in polished concrete; with light bulbs seemingly every 5 meters.

"Do you still think this is not a project of the country?" Rhys glanced back at Olga, who was making sure their six was clear.

"If it is, then they have some deep explaining to do to the entire world," Olga scoffed, "To not only think of abducting a nymph, but hurting one? Such an act would put the entire world at risk. You've seen the damage a single nymph could do, right?"

"Hm," Rhys then turned to look at Aengela, who was still dead asleep hanging on his waist like a doll.

"A hundred of them could potentially wipe out all life in the Surface and the Underworld in the blink of an eye," Olga snapped her fingers, "And the fact that they still haven't actually run through the Nihons and just killed them outright means that they still have not fully abandoned their kind nature…

…I don't even want to imagine hundreds of them mad. It is always often the innocent that becomes merciless when pushed to their limits,"

"..." Rhys doesn't know why, but it felt like Olga was staring right at him while saying that.

"I believe we are moving in a spiral, Commander Rhys," Olga then halted her steps as she realized, "Judging from the marks on the floor, the people use some sort of vehicle to get to wherever this path is leading — we have no time to waste so…"

"Hm?" Rhys turned around, only to see Olga with her arms slightly stretched to the side.

"I'll carry you," Olga muttered, trying her best to keep a straight face.

"...Okay," Rhys did not really see any reason to refuse, however, as he stood closer to Olga — but instead of wrapping himself in her arms, he moved behind her and hugged her behind above her shoulder.

"Hiii…" Olga slightly flinched as she felt Rhys's warmth. But after a few seconds, she quickly shook her head and kept on a straight face, "...Your… your legs."

"Oh," Rhys then raised his legs and then wrapped them around Olga's waist — suffice it to say, with Rhys towering over Olga, they looked incredibly awkward.

But of course, the two were professionals and just both kept a straight face as Olga let out a long and very deep breath.

"Remember to just look forward, Commander."

"Yes, Commander," Rhys also nodded as he looked forward, and without even warning, he instinctively let out a small gasp as it felt like his organs were being left behind. Fortunately, with Rhys's increased senses and reflexes, he was still slightly able to catch up to the moving scenery around him — and very soon, they reached a door.

"Hm…" Rhys casually got off Olga as he looked at the key terminal beside the door. He then looked at Olga, who just nodded her head and gestured to Rhys to insert the ID Pass.

And he did, with the door opening without any complications at all—no.

The complications came after — because as soon as they stepped inside, the scent of blood instantly filled their nose. They did not even have to find the source as it was already right in front of them.

All the people that previously entered the room, massacred; their heads, all bashed in.

"Hero."

"Hm?" Rhys slightly leaned back as Aengela finally woke up, quickly climbing up his shirt and then sitting on his shoulder,

"You should run."

And as Aengela whispered those words to his ear, the sound of footsteps and a sort of harmonious strum of a guitar harmonized in the air.

"Commander, it's him," Olga quickly put up her guard; her arms, vibrating incredibly fast as she looked at the man slowly approaching them, just casually playing a guitar while doing so. And the man in coats was right — his eyes were incredibly small and seemingly exhausted; his hair, incredibly disheveled, "Is the nymph saying something to you?"

"Yes," Rhys nodded, "She's… telling us to run and mentioned a name."

"A… name?"

"...The Bard of Tragedy, Orpheus."