Chapter 5 Bartender(2)

Ken sat silently in the back of the van, his mind racing with the bizarre events of the past few hours.

Wait, hold on...

So, it wasn't a dream earlier?

Not only could he see that blue interface despite the blindfold covering his eyes, but now he was hearing voices in his head.

And since no one in the van was reacting...

Does that mean I'm the only one who can see this?

The interface disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, and the robotic voice fell silent. Yet, Ken remained frozen, lost in deep thought.

The book...?

His heart skipped a beat.

Shit... It all started when that old man gave it to me...

Even though the circumstances were different, the novel mentioned that the protagonist had seen something similar to this blue interface when he hit rock bottom.

What is this book, anyway...?

And who is this old man?

A brutal migraine hit him like a truck.

Argh...

Ken gritted his teeth.

God, I'm sick of being surprised like this.

His heart wouldn't be able to handle it at this rate.

He took a deep breath and made a decision.

If I make it out of this mess alive...

I'm done asking myself existential questions about this damn blue interface.

Ken was still in the van, struggling to bear the irritating humming of his kidnapper sitting next to him.

The driver, on the other hand, took a quick glance in the rearview mirror, watching the bound boy in the back.

He's way too calm…

This is strange.

He's not panicking, not even struggling.

Has he already accepted his fate?

Or worse…

Does he not fear death anymore?

How could such a young kid give up on life so easily?

What must he have been through to get to this point?

The driver clicked his tongue, shaking off these unnecessary thoughts.

Tsk.

It's life, kid.

With a little luck, you'll walk out of this alive.

Even if it means losing an organ along the way, it's still better than dying, right?

Snapping out of his thoughts, he gradually slowed the vehicle before stopping in front of a massive building. Well, calling it a "building" was generous. With its worn rectangular structure and a half-faded sign saying "Goods Reception" on a rusty panel, it looked more like an abandoned warehouse.

They had arrived at their destination.

Opening the door, the driver stepped out first, nonchalantly tossing a quick command to his accomplice in the back.

"Bring him in quick."

Then, without a second glance, he headed toward the warehouse door.

"Oky, boss!" his accomplice responded cheerfully.

He turned to Ken, flashing a mocking smile.

"You've been good, kid. As a reward, I'm gonna let you admire your new home. You can even scream with joy if you want."

With a brutal gesture, he ripped the tape off Ken's mouth, then removed the blindfold that had been covering his eyes.

The sudden light made Ken squint, but his face remained strangely impassive.

Still so calm…

The man raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

What's his problem?

He quickly dismissed the thought with a shrug.

Everyone reacts differently to danger, after all.

Without further hesitation, he untied the ropes around Ken's ankles, allowing him to walk. Then, gripping the ropes still binding Ken's wrists, he dragged him out of the van.

One hand applied gentle pressure to Ken's back, urging him to move, while the other prominently held a Desert Eagle.

A silent message, but a clear one.

"Be good, kid."

Without a word, they headed for the warehouse.

As they neared the entrance, Ken instinctively assessed the situation.

Two guards. Unarmed.

Big guys in casual clothes, casually chatting, not paying much attention to the newcomers.

When Ken and his captor got close enough, one of the guards casually remarked.

"Hahaha, you're gonna keep your head for one more day."

The man holding Ken growled before replying sharply.

"Oh, shut up…" He paused, letting out a sigh. "Yeah, I'll admit, this time it was close. The doc would've killed us."

The second guard burst into laughter.

"Of course! How much chaos have you guys caused these last six months? Hahahaha!"

"Tsk... Open the damn door, asshole."

"Alright, alright."

The first guard complied, pushing open the heavy metal door with one hand.

As soon as they stepped inside, Ken and his captor entered the warehouse.

The place was enormous and dilapidated.

Broken windows let in a pale light, casting flickering shadows on the cracked, dusty floor. Everywhere, torn crates, pieces of rusted metal, and abandoned pallets testified to the building's decay.

The roof, riddled with holes in places, let moisture in, forming small puddles on the concrete. Every creak of the metal beams echoed ominously in the empty space, while the air, heavy with mildew and rust, assaulted their noses.

Ken was guided to a room at the far right of the building.

Inside, there was only a table and three chairs. Nothing more. He was forced to sit on one of them.

Eight people.

Only one of them is armed.

This is going to be easier than I thought.

Ken swallowed hard.

Wait… "easier than I thought?"

What the hell am I becoming?

A chill ran down his spine.

What the hell am I turning into?

Meanwhile, the two kidnappers continued their conversation as if nothing was wrong. They were alone with him in the room.

"I called the Boss, she'll be here soon. Apparently, she's already on her way."

"Oh, alright… We've dodged a bullet this time."

"Yeah. For now, keep an eye on him, I'm gonna have a smoke."

"Got it, boss."

The night was drawing to a close.

It was now 3 AM.

Tuesday.

The heavy silence was suddenly shattered.

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

Gunshots.

"Huh?! What the hell was that?!"

"Shit, it's coming from the room at the back!"

Why the hell did that idiot start shooting?

The warehouse immediately descended into chaos.

Seven people rushed toward the far end of the building, some arming themselves with whatever they could find along the way, ready to attack if necessary.

---

Holy shit…

Did I just do that?

Ken looked incredulously at the scene unfolding before him, before a sly smile crept across his lips.

"This is insane, the CQC, cousin."