16 Destroyed Building

*CREAK... *

The building's rusty door creaked as it opened, sending a creepy voice echoing inside the sketchy interior.

'What is this place? ' The anxious Adam walked into the pitch-dark area with a heavy heart. The ominous streaks of dark mana floating around the area terrified him.

'UGH! What is this smell?! ' A putrid stench of blood, feces, and death attacked his nostrils, forcing him to back away in disgust.

*Clang! *

*Mmf?! *

*Clang! * *Clang! *

*Mmf! Mmmmmf! *

*Clang! * *Clang! *

*Scratch! * *Scratch! *

....

Sounds of muffled voices, clanging metal, and scratches came from all directions, startling Adam.

"Is someone here? " Adam asked anxiously.

*MMMF! *

*CLANG! *

*MMMF! *

*CLANG! *

.....

The response was a series of muffled screams and screeches.

'No way! ' A terrified expression emerged on Adam's face.

*BOOM! *

He immediately turned to the wall and started punching it.

*BOOM! *

'I need to get some light in the area to see clearly! ' Adam thought as he punched it again.

*CRACK! *

*CRUMBLE! *

The wall got destroyed, allowing moonlight to illuminate the previously dark area.

'What the f*ck is this?! ' And revealing a horrid scene.

Dark walls covered in black mold and lines upon lines of red blood. Thirteen scrawny, naked men and women of various ethnicities sharing the same looks of pure fear, tied with sturdy iron chains and pinned to the walls.

While a single complicated-looking magic circle at the center of the room had two children, a boy and a girl holding the same empty eyes and dazed expressions in the middle of it.

'Why are people in here?! Isn't this an Orc settlement?! ' Adam's mind entered a state of confusion. 'I need to help them first! Asking questions can wait till later. '

"I will help you right now! Just hold on! " Adam's voice echoed throughout the room, silencing everyone inside as they looked at Adam like their new chance in life.

*SLASH! *

He immediately turned to the middle-aged man tied up near the door and sliced his chains.

*SLASH! *

Before turning to the next one.

*SLASH! *

...

After releasing all the captives, the remaining were the two children in the middle. They were the only ones without the restraints on them, but they only sat there motionlessly while looking at the distance with empty eyes.

"Are you okay? " Adam asked in a worried tone while slowly approaching them, "I already got rid of the Orcs, so there's nothing to be afraid of anymore. " He continued before placing his hand on the young boy's shoulder.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!! " The young boy screamed as loud as he could when Adam touched him.

"Woah! " Adam got startled and retracted his hand. "You don't need to be scared. I'm a human, just like you. " He said in a comforting tone. 'What the hell did those Orcs do to the people in here... '

"T-that's exactly what we're afraid of! " The first man Adam helped stepped up and said while shaking vigorously.

"What do you mean...? " Adam said as his eyes knit into a flabbergasted expression.

"W-who are you?! " A woman asked next.

"I'm with the special government forces. " Adam lied confidently. "The government sent me here for an inspection mission. "

"L-lies! T-the government gave up on The Bronx years ago! " Another man denied Adam's answer while backing up with a terrified expression. "W-we're not idiots! "

"Y-yeah, y-your here to torture us! Like they did! " Another man spoke from the back.

"Who?! Who did this to you?! " Adam asked in a shocked tone. 'Did some humans trap these people here? But why?! '

"T-those High Humans! T-that woman tricked us all! They have been t-torturing us! " A young woman cried.

'This is bad! If they don't trust me, I won't be able to help them! Think! ' Adam wrecked his mind for any ideas to diffuse the situation.

"The thing about the mission is a lie, but I am a government official. " He changed his approach. "My name is Adam King, and I came here to rescue my family. "

"W-was your family kidnapped, too?! " A middle-aged woman asked with eyes full of pity.

"Y-yes! " Adam saw the ray of hope and took it. He felt bad, but knew that lying here was the only way he could help these people. "I can help you escape this place. "

"Please help me! " The middle-aged woman pleaded with tears in her eyes. "I will follow you if you help me! I'm going to die if I stay here, anyway! "

"I-I'll follow you too! " The young woman stepped forward.

"Alright! If you want to escape from this place, follow me! " Adam called out to the rest of the people before carrying the two children on his shoulders and moving towards the door, followed by the two women.

The remaining captives all exchanged nervous glances before following the young man.

_________________________

Meanwhile, in downtown Queens,

"I'm home. " James announced as he entered a pleasant apartment.

"Welcome back, James! How was the training with the task force? " A woman answered him from the kitchen with a warm smile while cooking a delicious meal.

"It was exhausting as usual! Captain Yamamoto does not show any mercy! " James complained while walking towards the living room. "Can't wait to have some of my mother's famous steak. "

"Coming right up! But you need to shower and change first. " His mother, Barbara Clint, answered with a gentle expression. "And stop complaining. The captain is training you hard for the upcoming tournament. "

"I'm going to win just like every year, anyway. " James said with an arrogant expression. "High school tournaments are no longer a pond big enough for your son! "

"I'll drown you in a befitting ocean if you don't wash up your stinky body! " The mother threatened with the same gentle expression.

"I'll do it in a little~ let me watch my show first. " The young man whined to his mother.

"Quit your whining and get going! " Her gentle expression turned furious.

"Y-yes ma'am. " The B-rank High Human yielded to his normal human mother and left for the bathroom.

______________

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, James walked into the dining room. Led by the irresistible aroma of freshly cooked steak.

"The best steak in America! " He exclaimed before running to the table and grabbing a fork to wolf the steak.

"Stop it right there! " Barbara smacked her son's head with the book she was reading while waiting for him to come out of the shower. "Prayer! " She shouted.

"If God existed, he would've fought those monsters... " The young man mumbled in dissatisfaction.

"What was that?! " Barbara asked with a frown.

"N-nothing ma'am! " James answered in a timid tone.

.....

After a quick prayer, the two started eating the steak with blissful expressions.

"I can never get enough of this! " James spoke, happy with the food.

"Eat up, there's plenty left, son, " and Barbara, happy with her son.

"Oh! By the way! " James squeezed the words in between chews.

"How many times have I told you not to speak while eating?! " Barbara reprimanded. "What is it? "Before asking.

*Gulp! *

"Sorry, remember Adam? " James spoke after swallowing his bite.

"A-Adam? Y-yes I do. " Barbara replied as her expression turned slightly nostalgic and her eyes stared into the distance as she entered a dazed state.

"He enrolled in our school for this semester! " James spoke without noticing his mother's reaction as he chewed on another bite of steak.

He had never told her about Adam previously because of the rift that was created in their relationship, but now that they were friends, he felt like it would make her happy to see him again.

"... " But Barbara remained silent.

"We're as close as ever! I'm planning on inviting him to dinner sometime. " He said while chewing on another bite, "mom, are you okay? " He asked with a worried expression.

"Y-yes! Invite him as soon as possible! It seems like I need to use the restroom. I will be right back, honey. " Barbara replied while walking to the restroom hurriedly.

"Okay... " James looked at his mother with a sad expression.

"And stop talking while chewing! " She did not forget to reprimand her son.

*Gulp! *