Saintess? Not Anymore! I'd Rather be a Destroyer-Chapter 132 - 118: Underground city 1

"Those bastards," Ostusi muttered through clenched teeth, his fingers conjuring delicate strands of thread.

Aurianna turned to him, her voice measured, "Maintain control over your emotions. We must not expose ourselves."

"Don’t you see how they are casually talking about other people’s lives. The body parts of races being switched with theirs, I don’t even know how that is even possible," Ostusi seethed, his frustration palpable.

"And what would change when you get angry ?" Aurianna inquired, her gaze shifting toward him.

"How can you be so nonchalant about this?" Ostusi asked, intrigued by her demeanor.

"Because I see no reason to care about their lives. If I’m right, they were probably warned to leave their homes by Vatium but they chose not to listen right?" Aurianna stated, a hint of deranged amusement in her smile, followed by a slight chuckle.

Ostusi glared at her, but taking her words into consideration he couldn’t help but agree with her. "That’s true, but how did you know?"

"Just a guess actually," Aurianna shrugged, "So then there’s no one to blame other than themselves. And instead of rebelling and fighting for their freedom they cower in fear and wait to be slaughtered like animals," Aurianna scowled as she pointed at him.

"In these circumstances, how could you expect them to rebel? Could you have done so yourself?" Ostusi’s tone turned chilly as he tightened his grip on her hand.

In an instant, a memory of Aurianna’s past life, confined in a dark cell, flashed across her mind. Despite her kicks, cries, and screams, her lack of strength left her powerless. She roughly hit Ostusi’s hand from hers and pivoted, resuming her stride behind the knights.

"If I were in that situation, and I possessed the strength, I’d make sure to break a few necks before becoming an experiment or meeting my end," Aurianna’s voice had a chilling undertone, though Ostusi couldn’t perceive her expression. "Never again would I lay down and wait for death. I would never rely on someone else to save me! I’d refuse to be a pawn again! I’ll never be used again! I’ll never let myself be deceived by others! Never again, never again, never again!!" she recited as she agressively bit her nails.

Ostusi’s confusion showed on his face as he asked, "What do you mean?"

She immediately turned her face cocking her head backwards as she looking at him for a brief moment and stated, "No more questions in this topic, okay?"

"Of course," Ostusi agreed with a nervous nod. They resumed walking, following the knights.

’Why do her eyes seem so lifeless?’ Ostusi pondered, recalling the vacant look in her blue eyes.

After a while of walking through the long hallways with numerous doors, they finally reached a large grey door being guarded by several knights. On the door was a symbol of a green gem with three swords stabbed into it. What’s more magic circles were spiralling across it’s surface. Video meimus could also be seen hovering around the door, meticulously recording every single movement happening in the halls.

"We’re the slave management knights, reporting for duty!" The knights Aurianna and Ostusi were trailing declared in unison as they stamped their feet and saluted the guards in front of the door.

A burly figure, towering over six feet and clad in platinum armor, strode forward with a grin. He swung his broadsword casually, as if it were a toy. "Good of you ten to show up," he greeted, his voice genial. "These past days have seen an increase of slaves being brought in, and controlling them has become quite a challenge."

"Don’t worry, we’re up for the task!" Fp 534 exclaimed with determination.

"If you say so," the platinum knight shrugged, his expression suddenly turning cold. "Your superiors might keep you safe, but let me offer a piece of advice. Avoid any confrontation or clashes with the slaves in hall 5."

"Why?" Fp 39’s tone held a tinge of anxiety, his apprehension spurred by the platinum knight’s expression.

"Such information is beyond your clearance," the platinum knight’s words carried an icy edge. "Just keep in mind that they could crush your head like a bug," he punctuated, clenching his fist. "For safety’s sake, limit your patrols to halls 1 through 4, understood?"

"Yes, sir!" The response came in unison as they nodded and saluted.

"Open the door!" The platinum knight gestured, and the knights behind him complied. They pressed peculiar keys on the door, which responded by automatically sliding open, allowing the lower-ranked knights to proceed.

"So, this is where they house the slaves," Aurianna’s voice remained composed.

Stepping through the door, they entered a vast hall, even larger than the dining area, containing multi-tiered cells visible from the ground floor. The setting was reminiscent of a prison. Over three upper floors were visible from the ground floor. Elegantly suspended luminous chandeliers adorned the ceiling. Burly knights dressed in black guided slaves through teleportation portals, leading them into the hall.

"And there’s an overwhelming number of them," Ostusi’s lips tightened as he struggled to contain his frustration.

Aurianna and Ostusi gradually distanced themselves from the group of knights, opting to explore on their own. They examined the hall with intense focus.

Various slaves or diverse races arrived through various teleportation portals, appearing as either fresh arrivals or bearing signs of dust and injuries. A common feature among them was the slightly oversized mechanical collar adorning their necks. They moved swiftly, a sense of urgency preventing any sluggishness, well aware of the consequences they might face for any misstep. Occasionally, they were directed into a room nestled amidst the cells. A group of slaves emerged, their bodies damp from water, as they were guided back to their designated cells.

But what perplexed Aurianna the most was the mechanical beings around. Some of them could be seen in cages cleaning of the dust and dirt in the cages and serving abandunt food to the slaves.

Over 50 of these machines loomed above the cages, standing at an imposing height of 10 feet. The cages before them were unlocked, and with swift actions, each of them seized a slave. A cacophony of screams echoed throughout the hall. The captives who were grabbed pleaded for mercy, but their cries fell on deaf ears. The slaves were flung towards a group of knights donned in gray armor.

Ostusi, unable to restrain his anger, made a move to attack. However, Aurianna instantly materialized a saber and positioned it at his throat.

"Control your emotions, or the entire plan will collapse, resulting in more deaths," she cautioned.

"I can’t bear to witness them slaughter innocent people like this!" Ostusi’s anger resonated in his words.

"You’d better learn to bear it," Aurianna’s tone turned icy.

"You feel nothing because you’re human!" Ostusi yelled at her.

"Keep my race out of this discourse! Whether human or not, I couldn’t care less! Let them perish for all I care. I’m assisting you solely because Vatium asked me to. I owe him! So don’t you fucking jeopardize this plan due to your emotions! Endure it. We’ll rescue them all! Why else do you think we’re here?" Aurianna asked.

"Tch," Ostusi clicked his tongue, his silence reflective of his subsiding emotions. He took deep breaths, centering himself. Just then, a sudden voice diverted their attention.

"Arghh!!!! Please, I beg you, spare me! I’ll do anything! Please, don’t subject me to experiments! I’m begging you!" An elf woman’s hysterical screams reached Aurianna and Ostusi as she was dragged away by passing knights.

"And what would you do, anything?" A knight asked in a mocking tone.

"Fp 392, let’s not indulge her," another knight intervened with a reproving tone.

Fp 392 raised his hand, signaling his partner to hold back. "Hold on, let’s hear what our dear elf here has to offer if she wants to spare her life."

"I’ll offer you my body, become your personal mistress!" The elf woman’s voice trembled as she spoke, her expression a mix of fear and desperation.

"Hah, you’re joking, right?" The three knights burst into laughter, leaving the elf woman baffled.

"Why the laughter?" She asked, a wry smile forming.

"We might be human, but we’ve got enough decency not to engage with lower life forms!" One of the knights retorted coldly, his disgust evident.

"And according to rule 468, any knight under King Girsal who indulges in such activities risks castration. I’d rather not be an eunuch thank you very much," Pf 392 added with a hint of disdain.

The elf woman looked at them petrified, tears welled up in the elf woman’s eyes, and she trembled in terror. The knights tightened their grip on the chains around her neck, one of them speaking coldly, "Why don’t you just accept your fate? Your entire race in this continent would be slaughtered anyway. So you might as well contribute to the growth of our future Promise Land!" He proclaimed with a maniacal grin, sending shivers down her spine.

"The Elf King won’t stand for this, he’ll save us all!!" She retorted, the glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"If he even manages to find you," Fp 392 chimed in, laughter following.

"Ha-ha-ha," the knights laughed once more.

"Time to move, boys," another knight declared, tugging at her chains.

"No, please!" The woman’s anguished scream echoed through the hall as she was led into a portal along with the countless other slaves.

"I could have saved them if you didn’t stop me!" A glare from Ostusi was directed at Aurianna, who appeared unreactive to the scene. Her gaze held disdain as she observed the slaves, further making Ostusi’s more angry.

"Then go save them and risk being slaughtered yourself!" Her tone remained cheerful, almost mocking. "Same goes for Vatium and the rest. Chi, chi, chi," she added in an affected innocent voice, provoking him further.

"The plan won’t fail if I save them now!" Ostusi declared confidently.

"Oh, you think that, huh?" She raised an eyebrow, stepping closer. "Well, good luck taking on the Church of Paige. Rescuing these slaves now would trigger a response from Paige’s followers, and they’d wipe out every demon on this continent. Paige, the beauty goddess – in her eyes, anything that doesn’t match her image is simply ugly. Chi lalalala!" Aurianna laughed.

"You don’t mean..." Ostusi’s voice trailed off as he started piecing things together.

"You haven’t figured it out yet?" Aurianna tilted her head. "Think about it. Why do you believe no one questions Sandeph about the influx of slaves into their domain? Do you think Sandeph would carry on with this if they didn’t have a powerful supporter? With a high-ranking goddess like Paige and her church backing this operation, who’d dare to oppose Sandeph? Not even the Elf King is willing to challenge this country, and you know why. So, do you see the risk in our plan now?" She posed the question.

Ostusi swallowed hard, absorbing her words.

"By rescuing these slaves, we’re essentially challenging Paige. And not just that, we’d also be making an enemy out of the Sacred, a Primordial Human! Chi alalala. Does it make sense now? I won’t tolerate any reckless emotional decisions from you," she declared with an intense gaze.

"A Primordial Human," Ostusi mumbled, his body shuddering, yet he quickly composed himself. "I get it now. So, what’s our next move?"

"I’m pleased to see you’ve sorted things out," Aurianna remarked, a contented smile playing on her lips. She continued, "Our next step involves deploying these little gadgets across all the prison cells." With a mischievous grin, she displayed a round, technological device to Ostusi. Tapping the center of the device caused it to sprout tiny legs and crawl across her palm.

"What’s that thing?" Ostusi’s curiosity got the better of him, his eyes fixed on the peculiar creature.

"It’s a Sucker EMP!" Aurianna declared proudly.

"Sucker? What does it do?" Ostusi inquired, intrigued by the enigmatic device. He was curious by the peculiar creature on her hand, a mixture of confusion and intrigue on his face. Acting on instinct, he poked it gently, prompting a shudder before it clambered onto Aurianna’s head, where it quivered.

"It’ll gather everyone in a designated area and transport them through a portal to a safe location in the Willow Woods, outside of Sandeph. Vatium recommended this spot as there’ll be people stationed there to rescue the slaves on the designated day. Plus, the devices will disarm the collars on the slaves’ necks without harm," Aurianna explained, her grin growing smug as Ostusi’s surprise became evident.

"Do these things actually work?" Ostusi’s skepticism was palpable, his doubt aimed at the efficacy of the "Sucker."

"Without a doubt!" Aurianna replied enthusiastically. ’Eva wouldn’t fail me,’ she thought with confidence.

Ostusi pointed at the Sucker. "Where did you even get this device?"

Aurianna’s expression soured slightly as she contemplated how to reveal the origin of the device. Her mind drifted back to her interactions with Eva after their encounter with the Orc express, their discussions and negotiations vital for the plan’s success.

"It’s too expensive, so reduce the price!" Aurianna exclaimed.

"No chance," Eva shook her head, her defiance clear.

"Why do you even need more Quest Points? You’re already a goddess with a treasury!" Aurianna sneered, sizing up Eva.