Chapter 85

The men stood around Ichiro's unconscious body, their hunting rifles still raised, eyes locked on the massive white snake coiled protectively around him. Albi's body was tense, its red eyes glowing in warning as it swayed menacingly, hissing at anyone who dared step closer.

"That's… not a normal-sized snake," one of the men muttered, gripping his gun tighter.

"Let's take the boy and leave the snake," another suggested, shifting uncomfortably.

"Yeah, let's do that," the leader agreed, taking a cautious step forward. But before he could get any closer, another man spoke up, his voice laced with hesitation.

"We don't even know who he is," he said, his brows furrowing. "He could be dangerous."

The leader glanced at the unconscious Ichiro, then at the massive snake still standing guard. He exhaled, adjusting his rifle. "We'll decide that once he wakes up."

With that, he lifted his gun and fired.

The tranquilizer dart embedded itself into Albi's thick white scales. The snake recoiled slightly, its long body thrashing, but even as the poison spread through its system, it refused to move away from Ichiro. Its red eyes flickered, its hissing growing weaker.

Then—after what felt like an eternity—Albi collapsed with a heavy *thud*, its massive form lying motionless beside Ichiro.

The leader stepped forward, grabbed the snake's limp body, and with a grunt, tossed it away into the bushes.

The man who had opposed taking Ichiro clicked his tongue. "Why throw it away? It's valuable."

The leader shook his head. "I know, but albinos don't survive long in the wild. The boy here was taking care of it… and I don't think it's right to take it from him. My gut tells me so."

The opposing man scoffed. "You and your damn gut instincts…"

The leader ignored him. "Let's move. The kid's coming with us."

And with that, they hoisted Ichiro's unconscious body onto their shoulders and disappeared into the forest, leaving the unmoving snake behind.

**Ichiro's POV**

Darkness.

That was the first thing that greeted me when my consciousness stirred. My head throbbed like it had been split open, my body felt heavy, and an uncomfortable tightness dug into my wrists.

I shifted slightly, and the cold, rough texture of stone pressed against my back. My arms were stretched behind me, bound to what felt like a pillar. I tugged at my restraints, only to be met with resistance—ropes, thick and coarse, biting into my skin.

"The hell…" I muttered under my breath, my voice hoarse. My throat was dry.

I forced myself to stay calm, blinking to adjust to the suffocating darkness. There was nothing—just an endless void stretching in every direction. No sound, no movement, only my own breathing and the faint pulse of blood rushing in my ears.

Then, suddenly—

*CLANK.*

A metal door groaned open. A harsh beam of light sliced through the darkness, forcing me to shut my eyes for a moment. Heavy footsteps echoed as someone entered. The air shifted, and I could hear the rustling of fabric, the faint creak of leather boots pressing against stone.

I opened my eyes, squinting against the brightness. A silhouette stood before me, their face obscured by the blinding contrast.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then, the person took a step forward.

"So… you're finally awake."

Their voice was deep, measured.

I clenched my fists, the rough rope scraping against my skin. My body tensed.

I didn't know who they were. I didn't know where I was.

But I knew one thing.

I was in trouble.

The man stepped closer, his shadow looming over me as I remained tied against the pillar. I kept my breathing steady, my mind racing for a way out of this mess.

"Who are you?" His voice was sharp, commanding. "And what were you doing in the forest?"

I stayed silent, refusing to give him an answer.

He clicked his tongue, clearly unimpressed. "So that's how it is, huh?"

I exhaled, feigning confusion.

A second of silence. Then—

*BAM!*

A sharp pain exploded in my stomach as his boot slammed into me, knocking the wind out of my lungs. I gasped, my body instinctively curling forward, but the ropes restrained me.

"Ahh… damn," he sighed, shaking his head as if disappointed. "Not as useful as I thought."

I coughed, trying to mask the pain, but my body was screaming from exhaustion. The days of wandering through the forest, the battles, the injuries—it was all catching up to me.

Then, suddenly, he smiled.

A thought flickered in his eyes—like he had just realized something.

He crouched down and grabbed my face, forcing me to look at him. His grip was strong, fingers digging into my jaw as his gray eyes studied me like I was some kind of prize.

That's when I got my first clear look at him.

He seemed young, probably in his early twenties, with dark green hair that was slightly messy but still well-kept. His gray eyes gleamed with amusement, a predator staring at his catch.

"You've got a fabulous face," he mused, tilting my head from side to side. "That'll fetch a fabulous price."

My jaw tightened, but I didn't react.

"Oh?" He smirked. "White hair and golden eyes… That's rare. What are you, some kind of runaway royalty?"

He let out a chuckle and suddenly shoved me back against the pillar. My head slammed into the cold stone, sending a wave of dizziness through me.

"Nice," he whistled, standing up. "Very nice."

I gritted my teeth.

"Edward!" he suddenly yelled over his shoulder.

A voice from outside the room responded, "Yeah?"

"Take care of our **money bank** here," the green-haired man said mockingly. "I think Lady Gloria will like him a lot."

Lady Gloria?

That name meant nothing to me, but I had a feeling she was someone I wouldn't want to meet.

The man flashed me one last smirk before walking toward the door. He didn't even look back as he disappeared into the light, the door slamming shut behind him.

I exhaled slowly, the darkness swallowing me once again.

I needed to get out of here.

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After some time:-

*The best course of action would be to locate where I am… but how the hell am I supposed to do that when I'm tied to the same damn spot every second of the day?*

I picked up a piece of stale bread, biting into it slowly as I let my mind wander.

The room was empty except for me, this pillar, and the bowl of food they tossed at me twice a day. No windows, no decorations—nothing to give away my location.

*Not even a damn clue. No way to tell if I'm near a city, a village, or the middle of nowhere. This isn't Mars…*

I chewed the tasteless bread, my eyes shifting toward the guard standing five feet away. He was silent, but his presence was a constant reminder of my situation.

They were taking precautions. A lot of them.

From the moment I woke up in this place, they hadn't let me move freely even once. Always tied up, always watched. That green-haired bastard's words kept echoing in my head—*money bank*—like I was some prized merchandise they needed to protect.

*That means transportation.*

I had to assume they weren't planning to keep me here forever. If they were so cautious, that meant they had somewhere to take me. Somewhere more secure.

And that…

That was my best shot.

I scooped up some of the soup with my fingers, bringing it to my mouth while keeping my expression neutral. The guard was still staring, not saying a word.

*They think they have me completely contained. They think this place is foolproof.*

But the moment they moved me—whether by carriage, cart, or whatever the hell they used—that would be my opening.

It was the only sensible option.

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