MMORPG : Ancient WORLD

Chapter 263 Hidden Shop

The large warehouse exuded an aura of darkness and gloom, its dimly lit interior casting shadows on the worn and weathered stone walls.

Elara expressed her gratitude to Alex for his business before leading him into the dimly lit warehouse. Inside, she introduced him as the new owner to the gathered individuals, and after the introduction was made, she left him alone with the group.

Now, Alex stood before rows of weary individuals who stood in silence, their expressions a mix of fear and cautious hope. The weight of the situation hung heavy in the air as a brief silence enveloped the hall.

After using appraisal on everyone standing before him, Alex reached into his inventory and took out eight dark badges, each radiating an eerie aura.

The dark badges were the control medallions connected to the slave seal, binding each individual standing before him, and the medallions were intricately tied to Alex's mana signature, granting him sole authority over them.

"You are no longer slaves, but you need to accomplish a task to gain your freedom," Alex said, his words cutting through the tense silence.

Upon hearing Alex's words, a ripple of emotions spread through the group, with some staring at him in disbelief, unable to fathom the idea of their freedom being offered, a glimmer of hope sparking in the eyes of a few as they cautiously allowed themselves to consider the possibility.

While numerous faces contorted with anger and mistrust, perceiving Alex's statement as a twisted lie intended to further humiliate and manipulate them.

As the weight of his statement settled in, Alex spoke the names of the eight individuals strongest among the group and asked them to come forward, and swiftly, eight individuals separated themselves from the crowd, their eyes locked on Alex with a mix of anticipation and uncertainty.

"Now, create eight balanced groups, each with fifty-six individuals," Alex said, and the eight individuals did what they were told without raising questions.

As the group leaders moved to form their teams, Alex retrieved eight space pouches, each containing a million gold coins, and when the groups were assembled, he handed the space pouches to the leaders, meeting their astonished expressions with a smile.

Alex then activated all eight control medallions, and as his mana flowed through them, the medallion's power interacted with the slave seals on every individual, making it appear on their skin, resulting in them flinching with momentary pain.

"Your task is to arrive at the human continent to gain your freedom, and every one of you will work as a group toward that goal, meaning no infighting or intentionally creating problems for your members," Alex said before withdrawing mana from the control medallions.

Alex used the control medallions to give them the order to make sure that no one would sabotage others for their own selfish reasons, which had a great possibility of happening.

"Use this money to buy clothes, food, and shelter for your group members, and then arrange the travel service for your group to the human continent."

"Once you reach the human continent with your group, contact me using this, and then your duty will end, and every one of you will have your freedom," Alex said before handing each group leader a communication slip with his contact information.

The group leaders accepted the communication slips with a sense of newfound hope because even though they still didn't truly believe they would gain their freedom, at least now they would be leaving this god-forsaken place, which was freedom in itself.

Alex didn't simply free everyone because he knew the harsh realities of the world and understood that the majority would suffer on an island filled with criminals, would get killed, become a criminal, or worse, be turned into a slave once again.

It wasn't just a matter of releasing them but about giving these unfortunate individuals a real chance at a better life.

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After addressing the gathered individuals and forming groups with their leaders, Alex left the warehouse while everyone else remained, discussing their newfound situation among themselves.

Alex felt a sense of satisfaction for what he had done and continued to explore through the labyrinthine alleys and bustling plazas.

Alex's first stop was a renowned blacksmith's shop, where he procured various top-tier weapons, armor, and other accessories of high quality to fill up his organization warehouse, as currently, there were hardly any other items available except for the ones from the Ruler treasury.

The members were contributing items to the organization in exchange for shadow points, but with every member being on a smaller Rank, those items were vanishing faster than they appeared.

Continuing his exploration, Alex meandered through the bustling night market, occasionally stopping to acquire items of interest before reaching the end of the market with hardly any shop, with giant warehouses being the only thing in sight.

Alex continued forward and entered one of the alleys in search of a hidden shop located somewhere within this intricate web of dim passageways.

Alex was looking for a shop that had gained fame due to a lone adventurer from his previous life who stumbled upon it while running for his life from the thieves, and even though he didn't know the exact location, he had a rough idea of how to locate it.

Alex mentally mapped out his route, ensuring he wouldn't get lost in the labyrinthine pathways as he went deeper.

After around half an hour of navigating the alleys, Alex was at the end of the city boundary with a towering dark wall clear in the distance when his eyes caught sight of a crumbling dome-shaped building with the front of its massive roof half collapsed, showing the dark inside.

The half-destroyed building with everything around it looked abandoned, with no living individuals in sight, but Alex paid no heed to the eerie atmosphere that hung over the area and walked toward the door.

Alex pushed open the worn and weathered door, the faint creaking of the hinges echoing through the silence. The interior was dimly lit, with faint rays of moonlight filtering through cracks in the walls, creating an ethereal glow.

As Alex walked further into the building, he reached an open area cloaked in darkness with hardly any light from the moonlight passing through the broken section of the building.

Alex used his eyes of the ancient as he walked forward, and moments later, his eyes caught sight of a set of stairs that descended into the earth, half-buried under a pile of rubble.

A grin played at the edges of Alex's mouth as he took in the sight before him, confident that he had located the exact location he sought. Filled with anticipation, he wasted no time and started to clear the rubble obstructing the path.

Once the path was clear, Alex began his descent down the stairs, the cool and fresh air enveloping him as he moved further underground.