Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended

CHAPTER 121: The Gladiator Candidate - Daisuke VS Lekton

Garrett turned away from Ribbit's desperate cries for help and faced Daisuke with gleaming eyes as the feline sat atop his shoulder. "Are you a summoner? Man, I can't believe you managed to learn magic!"

"That's so amazing!" exclaimed one of the other kids.

"Incredible!" another one chimed in.

"Are you really a summoner?" asked a third.

"Well, I wouldn't really say I'm a summoner," Daisuke clarified modestly. "I'm more of an all-rounder, but I still have a pretty long way to go."

"Wow~"

The kids looked on in wonder, clinging to each and every syllable that left his lips, all while Brek looked on with an indecipherable expression.

After carefully opening the cage, a clever use of Daisuke's Magic Chains enabled the kids to escape without needing to drop roughly twenty feet into the freezing pool below.

Similar to their days in Dusthaven, everyone hovered close to Daisuke and carefully adhered to his instructions, even more so now that he had demonstrated a portion of his abilities.

As they all hid behind one of the many large wooden crates in what appeared to be a storage room, one of the kids regarded the canine and feline perched upon Daisuke's shoulders.

"So... do they have a name?" he asked. "The cat and wolf, I mean."

"Oh," Daisuke paused his scan of the dreary chamber to address the question. "This is Zephyr and Midnight," he informed with a smile. "Midnight's actually the newest member of the team."

Ribbit was covered in bruises—now, he was suffering from an additional type of pain. Surreptitiously, he stole a glance at the vicious monster that had just bullied him. In the same beat, Zephyr's head slowly swiveled around like a creaking door, fangs bare, his eyes flashing menacingly.

Ribbit blanched and immediately looked away.

"By the way, Haxks," Garrett began, "how did you manage to find us? You couldn't possibly have known we were captured?"

"Yeah," another boy added. "I would imagine these guys didn't leave much of a trail behind."

"I went back to Dusthaven," Daisuke informed candidly. "That's where I learned what had happened to you guys. I was also able to get some valuable information too. One thing led to another and I ended up here."

"...How's the village holding up?" Garrett asked while everyone listened with a trace of indifference.

"Well... I think it's on the verge of an incredible change," Daisuke said, noting as everyone's expressions gradually shifted from disinterest to surprise. "Turns out the lord isn't as big of a jerk as we thought. He's taken notice of the slum folk and has proactively been participating in the development of agriculture and improving the welfare of the people. The next time we visit, we honestly may not be able to recognize the place."

"N-No way!"

"That's great news!"

"You're kidding?! The lord was actually a good guy?!"

"That means Rob and the others must be okay!"

While the children celebrated in hushed voices, Brek huddled close to Daisuke and whispered, "So? What's the game plan?"

"...The plan's to clobber the guy who imprisoned us here," Daisuke responded, his eyes stirring with a gleam Brek had never seen before. "If we don't teach him a lesson and figure out who he's working for, they may come after us again in the future."