Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended

CHAPTER 119: The Slum Sprites' Predicament & Reginald's Dark Legacy

Brek cleared his tears, sniffed, and turned around with a wan smile, his eyes still red. "It's a cruel twist of fate that we finally reunited, but now we're probably going to be sold off into slavery and separated again."

Ribbit farted at the import of that grim reality.

"I see some things haven't changed," Daisuke murmured drearily, lacking the strength to even fan his nose.

"I can't help it," Ribbit whined, snot bubbling above his upper lip. "I get the runs whenever I'm nervous."

"Can't you just puke and pass out like a normal person?" Garrett chided.

Pretty sure that's not entirely normal either, Daisuke remarked internally, poker-faced.

Brek stepped forward, his highly sensitive nose wrinkled in displeasure. "If you don't find a way to somehow control your... orifices, then forget working in the kitchen, or even in the fields, the slave traders may actually ship you off to the Colosseum."

Ribbit slumped to the floor in utter despair, clinging desperately to Daisuke's leg. "No! Anything but that! Haxks! What're we going to do?"

The other children inched closer, turning to their leader to weave another miracle like he always did whenever they were caught between a rock and a very hard place. But Brek knew he would merely be setting himself up for disappointment if he allowed himself to follow suit.

"Don't worry," Daisuke reassured with a smile, struggling to maintain his equilibrium. "I'll get us out of here."

"You can barely even stand," Brek argued, somewhat annoyed that his rival would invite even a modicum of expectation within him. "So how exactly do you intend to possibly get us out of this predicament?"

"Whatever your method," Adrian approached while nonchalantly fanning his nose. "I would strongly suggest against it."

The cornered Slum Sprites watched in terror as the dashing man who had orchestrated their kidnapping stepped into the dim chamber, followed closely by the hulking brute who served as his enforcer.

"Do you see that metal sphere above you?"

Daisuke, Brek, and the others immediately glanced up at the curious device in the ceiling of the cell. It was roughly ten inches in diameter.

"The bars of the cage are equipped with pressure sensors that will trigger that sphere to explode. When it does, you'll all be skewered by poisonous needles and suffer a slow, painful death.

And if you tamper with the lock, the cage is rigged to drop into the pool below, where you'll drown like dogs. So take my advice—don't try to escape."

While everyone instinctively took a step back at the stark warning, Daisuke simply frowned at the man and his burly henchman. "How exactly did you manage to find me?"

Adrian causally ran his index finger along one of the metal bars of the suspended cage. "After you fled the mansion, I assumed you'd seek refuge in the nearest town and focus on earning money to support yourself and your friends. Joining one of the guilds seemed like your best option, so I had scouts keep an eye on both buildings."

"And what made you so sure that I would choose Wonderelle?" Daisuke argued condescendingly. "Wouldn't it have been smarter to settle in another town much farther away?"

Adrian regarded the blemish on his index finger and proceeded to replace his gloves. "The corpses of the soldiers found at Reginald's manor suggest they were attacked by some kind of beast. This led me to believe you fled in a hurry during all that chaos, without time to grab anything of value. Without gold, how could you have managed to relocate to another town?"