22. Chase

Mwahahahaha... Hahaha... ha... ha... I'm back. I'm finally back. Hahaha... ha... cough... cough...

Ahem... welcome back, readers. If you've read the previous chapter, you must know who I am.

Yes, you guessed it right...

It is I, the one and only, the greatest, and most amazing NARRATOR of this story.

Damn you, author! How dare you put me on hiatus for the last few chapters? You'll definitely pay for such heinous deeds...

You readers must have been bored just listening to Sid and that system banter.

But worry not, my dear readers. As the great narrator, I have freed myself from the captivity of this evil author...

Now... now, I'm finally able to reach you guys. Hahahaha...

{Author: F*ck off, you're disrupting the flow of my story.}

Huh? Am I really? ... Alright, guess I'll see you later, dear readers.

But as for you... you damned author, just you wait for me to make my true comeback. You'll definitely regret it... Mwahahaha... cough... cough.

{Author: Get lost... Sorry, guys! Ignore him; he's a pest.

At any rate, I've already delayed you quite a lot. It's time to get back to the story.

(If you find this creep of a narrator annoying, just let me know. I'll kick him out and hire a new one, just for you guys.)

In any case, bye...}

.....

"No use trying to hide, kid! Did you really think you'd be able to run away being targeted by the black market?"

"Let's go—turn over the entire house if need be. We must find him!"

Sid crouched in a shadowy corner of the kitchen, his eyes locked on the entrance door. Every muscle in his body was coiled, ready to spring into action, as his eyes darted briefly to the escape route he'd already mapped out.

"Dammit, I knew it! They're from the black market. Guess I really messed up this time. Gotta run out of the slums, or else this will never end."

"One, two... five! Damn, only five? Do they take me for some easy target? Heh... guess they'll learn it the hard way. I'm gonna kill 'em all. Maybe that'll tell them not to underestimate me..."

[I think that's an excellently stupid idea. What would you do if they sent someone strong after you because of that? Or might you prefer being surrounded?]

"Dammit, system, don't lecture me! Don't you see, these bastards are underestimating me? Do they think any dog can break into my house? Ahhh... it's so annoying!"

[Well, what did you expect? In their eyes, you haven't even awakened yet. This is already a luxury treatment.]

"Ugh... well, when you put it that way... just for this once, I... guess... I'll forgive them. But just you wait, when I return stronger, I'll make sure to f*cking kill each and everyone in that shitty black market..."

Umm, sure, but why not first try to escape? They are already nearing you guys. If you keep up this useless banter, you won't have a choice but to fight.

Ah? Who? It's me, you guys. Just your narrator, don't worry about me. Continue reading...

.....

The intruders searched through the entire shack, turning over every nook and cranny. As the shack was not very large, it didn't take much time for them to near the kitchen.

Seeing this, Sid's heart turned cold, a murderous glint flickering in his eyes. The urge to lash out, to kill them all on the spot, surged within him. But he fought to keep his temper in check—he knew it would be troublesome if his evaluation in the black market rose any further, just as the system had warned.

Quietly, he took a step back, careful not to make a sound as he slipped into the dark shadows of the kitchen. Soon his back hit the cold surface of the wall, causing his retreat to halt abruptly.

He moved his hands with exceptional precision, unlocking the back door with ease. The door creaked; although not loud, the noise was amplified significantly in the eerie quietness of the room, alerting the intruders.

A ray of light passed through the opening of the back door, attracting their attention, as they saw a figure bolt out of the door at exceptional speed.

"Dammit! He's running away! Quick, go after him," a bald man shouted at the top of his lungs, startling his underlings into action.

"Boss, you sure we shouldn't call in? He's not as simple as we thought. Just look at the way he moves; he's definitely awakened."

It was a young man with blue eyes and blonde hair. The bald man turned, glaring at his handsome face, making it instantly be covered in cold sweat.

"Shut up, rookie! You think I can't see it? So what if he's awakened? Call in? Are you such a wuss that you're saying we can't handle five on one?" There was a loud shout as the nerves on the boss's head bulged out in anger.

"That's not what I meant... Of course, we can handle it... but we should still—"

"Shut up! If we can handle it, then we will. What's the point in calling in those snotty higher-ups for a stupid matter like this?"

Before the blond guy could finish explaining, he was cut off by the boss, being reprimanded once again.

"Just do as the boss said, that's how we work around here. Ain't no one giving a damn about hierarchy behind the backs. Besides, what's to argue about? The boss's always right anyway!" Another one intervened, explaining to the blonde man how things worked around there.

"Ugh... yeah, sure..." The blonde guy said dejectedly, unwillingness clearly visible in his eyes.

"Boss! Lookin' at the direction he's running into, this guy's definitely planning to run away from the slums." Suddenly, there was a loud shout, attracting everyone's attention back to Sid.

Unbeknownst to them, they had already run toward the border of the slums. Beyond this point stretched the no man's land, following which the main city of Mumbai resided.

"Dammit! Does this guy wanna die? Why is he runnin' to the main city? Quick, hurry up, we gotta catch him before he crosses half of that barren land. Or else, once caught by the main city, we're all definitely dead," the boss shouted, his eyes popping out of their sockets as he looked in the direction that Sid ran.

And so the chase continued...

.....

Outside the slums

The clouds gathered, forming a dark cover contrasting the clear day that had suddenly disappeared.

Sid looked up as the tiny filtered rays of light gradually dimmed down, completely disappearing within the growing darkness. He wasn't at all surprised by the sudden change in weather, as it was a common occurrence after the awakening.

He ran forward at a steady pace, maintaining a speed that was just enough for the chasers to keep up with.

Looking forward, he was gradually nearing the halfway point of the barren land that was considered the real border of the slums. His steps gradually slowed down, his breathing becoming more and more chaotic by the second.

"Hahaha... Look, he's at the end of his rope already. Quick, let's catch up to him. We're gonna make it big this time, hahaha..."

The bald boss roared in excitement, as if looking at helpless prey about to be caught by him. His steps involuntarily sped up, and so did his teammates'.

Soon, Sid's steps came to a halt as he looked at the group still fast approaching him. A strange mocking smile escaped his lips, which was soon suppressed, his face returning to the look of panic.

The dark clouds swirled in a chaotic blend; it was as if looking at an extremely disturbing artwork, their domineering presence overpowered everything beneath.

The group reached the place where Sid was sitting casually, panting heavily, eyeing them from the corner of his eyes. His one knee was propped up in a casual stance while the other leg stretched forward, folding slightly to cover the other leg. His palms rested on the ground as his arms carried the weight of his entire body.

"Boss, something's wrong. I still think it's not too late, we should call in the higher-ups, quick," the blonde man said, his eyes flashing with a touch of worry.

"You wuss, what are you doing backing down now when we are so close to our target? Besides, it's just a single perso—"

"Huff... huff... he... hehe... hehehehe... hahahahaha....."

Someone else tried to reprimand the blonde guy, but his words were immediately cut short by the sudden change. The panting sounds coming from before gradually morphed into laughter, growing more and more maniacal by the second.

Sid lifted his face, looking up at them. His mouth cracked open into a large creepy smile as he laughed non-stop, looking at them.

A flash of lightning streaked past, lighting his face momentarily. His creepy smile seemed to have been enhanced by the vibrant blue light outlining it. His laughter grew louder and louder, even overpowering the roar of thunder that followed.

"Hahaha... hahahaha... welcome, to your graves. Hahahaha...."