Interrogation!

The two of them almost pissed their limbless bodies. It was their worst nightmare. Cripled them and didn't even let them die properly. It was most cruel that could happen.

"So, will you talk when I am friendly? Remember my patience is limited!" He said it with a threatening voice. These two will die at the end of the day but they had a choice, how and when. In the worst case scenario, he will devour their souls and get all the information needed.

"FUCK YOU! MONSTER! KILL US IF YOU HAVE BALLS!" One of them screamed, he thought provocation will make him kill them. It was the wrong guess. Neo became little pissed and decided to postpone plan of not devouring the souls.

"As you wish. It's OK. You won't die. I will eat your souls!"

Neo devoured them one after another. The stream of soul energy is always feeling good.

(I am starting overdoing it. If I had some soul purifying technique in my arsenal. I could devour as much I want.)

The circumstances required special actions. Soul devour was powerful but consequences required long meditation sessions to stabilize soul.

(AI display their memories.)

The entire attack on their possessions and Reis's villa wasn't the gang idea. Someone came to them and paid them to deal with Reis and "his alchemist". They thought it's double profit. Their boss accepted without thinking. The job was to kidnap all of these people, later people of that man would save the alchemist and it would make him indebted to them. Their 'easy job' was a complete failure because of Neo. Their mistakes will become profit.

(I know the base and I am quite interested in the certain person. I need to visit their base.)

They created something similar to sleeping gas and its inventor is living inside the base. Besides Aron, he didn't meet anyone that would suit the scientist title. These two thugs didn't interact with this man, so Neo could only take the wild guess that this person is someone with an open mind and great ambition.

Neo was stronger than ordinary person thanks to body cleansing. His body was almost regenerated from injuries however, he couldn't risk. He called Sam and they took few servants with weapons with them.

The body and face of Neo were covered in robes. He was 'dead' so better not let anyone from another family let them see him. The base of bandits was under one of building on another side of the city. Reaching there took, almost hour their group. They didn't run because it could arouse suspicion of ordinary citizens.

There should be some bandits left inside of the base.

(We should be careful!)

He signaled to his people to enter the building. The building was looking like an ordinary abandoned building. Ideal place to hide the bandits base as there were many buildings like this in the city.

Screech. They opened the door but there was none inside. If Neo didn't know the exact location of secret doors, it would be impossible to find it. The doors to the underground base were hidden inside the kitchen, behind the old stove.

There was a ladder leading a few meters under the house. Neo didn't know who created this underground base still, the idea was ingenious.

(There should be at least one guard somewhere near.)

"There!" The boy whispered to one of servants and man sneak attacked person. The guarding bandit couldn't believe that someone attacked their base.

"There shouldn't be many of them left! Let's finish this fast!" He ordered and they split up into 2 groups. There were total five people inside the base. The four of them were bandits and one was 'scientist' that aroused the Neo's interest. As scientist wasn't resisting they didn't kill him and brought him directly to their leader.

"Hmphf! What do you want savages?"

"So tell me? Were you the one who created sleeping bomb?" Neo asked him, with a curious expression.

"You are asking about this toy I created for the group of morons? It was me. See? I knowledge seeking person and I needed the funds. As I helped these idiots from time to time, they would get what I needed for my research." The person was annoyed by fact that he needed explain himself before the kid.

"Show me your research!"

The man was researching the effects of mixing different things. It could be considered chemistry, yet at really beginner level.

(I should make him work for me! I could make him a chemist, with little guidance, he should take care of knowledge gap between the eras haha!)

"You have the two choices! First, work for me as a slave, and continue researching. The second choice will be death! Choose wisely!"

"AS SLAVE? I WON'T BE SLAVE FOR A KID!" The man was quite prideful.

"Are you sure? I can give you some answers, you are searching for!"

"You, give me answers? Who are you mocking.." Neo interrupted him and said.

"Your choice. Death won't bring you any answers. You can risk and work for me or just die! I can find that will do the job I planned for you." He mocked the intelligence of this man.

"Hmmpf! I will do it. Don't think that you succeded because of your childish psychological methods. Anything is better than death!"

They packed things from laboratory and Neo sent his servants for some kind of carriage to move all these things at night.

(They should have a treasury, I cannot find our belongings here.)

He started to search for the treasure room and the best place to protect it was a room of their leader. The safest place would be with the strongest person in this gang.

(From memories of these two. Their leader was always drinking alone in the room beside in west part of the base.)

The room wasn't far from his current position. It was a small room fireplace on the center, few shelves with some wooden jugs.

(So where did you hide treasures?)

He began to search for some kind of switch. It wasn't easy though.

(Fuck this!)

He started punching random places in the walls. Finally, he found a place in where the wall was thinner. The one energetic kick made the hole, confirming his guess! A few more kicks made opening big enough for him to enter.

This place wasn't big. The Neo's belongings were standing on the ground. There was a chest with gold in one of the corners of the room.

(Hahaha. Coming here wasn't a bad idea. Robbing people is quite good business!)

His mood became better because he will be able to concoct medicine and he gained another valuable follower. It was time to leave this place when he saw the small stone on one of the shelves. The plan was to check these items later, however, he had felt, it wasn't ordinary stone. The moment, he picked it.

[Energy source found. Do you wish to absorb it?]

(This stone is an energy source. I struck rich today. Yes absorb it!)

[Absorbing energy. Requiring direct contact with the object. 1%..2%]

(It will take a while. Hmm, let's check other items while I am here.)

Besides Aron's scrolls with the knowledge about herbs. He found that boss gathered a few other scrolls, few maps and something similar to the bestiary. The bestiary was vaguely describing the encounters of bandit's leader while he was mercenary.

(It will be helpful. Someday I will find that wolf and make it pay!)

[99%... 100%]

[Absorption complete.]

[Unlocking the functions...]