The rhythmic clatter of hurried footsteps echoed through the damp, cavernous depths, each "tap-tap-tap" reverberating off the jagged stone walls. The sound was sharp, almost frantic, mingling with the ragged, labored gasps of heavy breathing—"huff-huff-huff"—that betrayed a desperate urgency.
Bonnie ran with reckless speed, her body swaying unsteadily, teetering on the edge of collapse. Her face was a mask of anguish, pale and twisted with frustration and fear. The mission had gone catastrophically wrong. Hank, the overseer, had failed spectacularly, and the carefully placed informants in Sedona City had been rooted out, eradicated like weeds torn from the earth.
"Damn it all," Bonnie growled under her breath, her teeth grinding together in a snarl of barely contained rage. "That useless fool. Such a flawless plan, and he still managed to botch it." Her voice was low, venomous, dripping with disdain for the incompetent ally who had squandered their opportunity.
In her mind, the plan had been perfect, a meticulously crafted strategy that, had it been entrusted to her, would have succeeded without a hitch. Instead, it had crumbled into chaos, and Hank had paid the ultimate price—his life snuffed out in disgrace.
"Stop right there!" A deep, commanding voice boomed, slicing through the oppressive silence of the cave.
Bonnie skidded to a halt, her heart lurching in her chest. Before her stood a towering figure, a man of colossal stature, easily two and a half meters tall. His muscular frame bulged with raw power, his broad shoulders and thick arms radiating an almost inhuman strength. In one hand, he gripped a massive shield, its surface scarred and dented from battles long past. A greatsword, its blade glinting faintly in the dim light, was slung diagonally across his back.
"Yes, sir!" Bonnie replied, her voice trembling slightly as she forced herself to bow respectfully. Her expression flickered with unease, though she fought to maintain her composure.
She had reached the end of the cavern's winding path, where a massive iron door loomed before her, its surface cold and unyielding. Beyond that door lay the sanctum of the Black Iris leader, a figure shrouded in mystery and authority. The giant standing in her way was no ordinary guard. Whispers among the lower ranks spoke of him—a guardian knight of the leader, a member of the rare and formidable Giant Clan. Rumors swirled about his kind, a race so scarce that their entire population numbered barely over a thousand.
Bonnie had only ever seen this one giant, and she wasn't entirely sure if the tales about his people were true. But the stories painted a vivid picture: the Giant Clan, with their towering physiques and unparalleled strength, were a force to be reckoned with. Their innate power surpassed that of humans, beastkin, or even elves. A single giant knight could outmatch ten beastkin warriors, and against humans, they were a one-man army, capable of felling a hundred foes without breaking a sweat. If not for their dwindling numbers, the giants might have ruled the world, their dominance unquestioned, their natural advantages bordering on unfair.
Bonnie lingered in the shadowed corner of the cave, her nerves frayed as she cast anxious glances toward the iron door. She had only recently been released from confinement, a punishment for her own failure in the elf seduction scheme. The sting of that defeat still burned in her chest, and had it not been for the leader's unexpected mercy, she might still be rotting in a cell. The moment she emerged, she learned of Hank's catastrophic failure in Sedona City—a failure so complete that he had lost his life, his name now carved into a public monument as a warning to the Black Iris organization.
Determined to redeem herself, Bonnie yearned to take charge of the human trafficking operations in Sedona City. She wanted to personally capture those elusive elves, to prove her worth and erase the stain of her past mistakes.
"Lord Blackblade," She said cautiously, addressing the giant knight by his name. "I humbly request an audience with the leader."
"Wait," Blackblade replied, his voice cold and unyielding, like the clang of steel against stone.
"Yes, sir," Bonnie responded, bowing her head in deference. Relief washed over her, however faint. He hadn't outright refused her, which meant there was still a chance to see the leader.
The wait stretched on, agonizingly slow, each passing minute gnawing at her patience. After what felt like an eternity—half an hour, by her reckoning—the iron door creaked open with a grinding "creak-creak-creak." A woman stepped out, her presence as striking as a flame in the darkness. She was clad entirely in red—her hair, her flowing garments, even her piercing eyes glowed with a fiery crimson hue.
"Greetings, Lady Red Overseer," Bonnie said hastily, dropping into a deep bow. This woman was not someone to cross lightly.
"Oh? If it isn't little Bonnie," The Red Overseer said, her voice dripping with amusement as she raised an eyebrow. She sauntered toward Bonnie, her movements graceful yet predatory. Reaching out, she seized Bonnie's chin with a delicate but firm grip, tilting her head up to meet her gaze. "I heard you botched your last mission. Lost quite a few knights, didn't you?"
"Yes, ma'am," Bonnie replied, her body rigid, not daring to move under the woman's scrutiny.
"Such a pity," the Red Overseer said, her crimson eyes narrowing as a faint, dangerous smile played on her lips. "The leader poured so many resources into you, and yet you failed. Honestly, it makes me want to slit your throat." Her tone was chilling, each word laced with a menace that sent a cold sweat trickling down Bonnie's spine.
"I—I know I was wrong, ma'am," Bonnie stammered, her pupils contracting in fear. She knew the Red Overseer's reputation: when she spoke of killing, she meant it.
"Enough," Blackblade interjected, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. The Red Overseer blinked, momentarily caught off guard.
"Just teasing," She said lightly, releasing Bonnie's chin with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Go on in."
"Yes, ma'am," Bonnie replied, her voice barely above a whisper. Her back was slick with sweat, her heart pounding. That wasn't a joke—it was a warning, and she knew it.
The Red Overseer gave a casual wave and strode toward the cave's exit, her crimson figure vanishing into the shadows. Bonnie later learned she had been assigned a new mission: to meddle in the succession struggle for the throne of the Siacan Kingdom, secretly aiding the new king to pave the way for the Black Iris to expand their slave trade operations openly.
Bonnie watched her go, exhaling a shaky breath of relief, as if she had narrowly escaped death. She turned to Blackblade, offering a respectful bow, then stepped through the iron door. The moment she crossed the threshold, she was bathed in a flood of bright light.
The cave's end opened into a vast sinkhole, a natural chasm known as the Sky Pit. The Black Iris leader had transformed this hollow into her personal chamber, a sanctum where she spent most of her days, secluded from the world. It was said she rarely left the cave, her life intertwined with its shadows.
"Leader," Bonnie called out, her voice reverent as she kept her head bowed, not daring to look up.
"What is it?" The leader's voice was soft, almost melodic, yet it carried an undeniable weight. She stood with her back to Bonnie, her gaze fixed on the sliver of sky visible through the pit's opening far above.
"Leader, I request permission to oversee the slave trade in Sedona City," Bonnie said quietly, her voice trembling with both hope and fear.
"Oh? Still hung up on your last failure, are you?" The leader replied, her tone light but tinged with curiosity.
Bonnie lowered her head further, her silence an admission. The failure in Sedona City haunted her, a wound that refused to heal. She had fallen there, and she was determined to rise again in the same place.
"Sedona City is beyond your capabilities now," The leader said, her voice deepening, a trace of something unreadable—perhaps disappointment—lacing her words. "The situation there has grown complicated."
Bonnie's heart sank. She had heard the reports: another plan had collapsed, with Hank and over a hundred others captured. The ringleaders had been executed, their bodies strung up as a public warning. The leader, however, seemed intrigued by this unseen adversary, a spark of interest kindling in her otherwise inscrutable demeanor.
"I…" Bonnie faltered, unsure how to respond.
"I've already assigned someone else to handle Sedona City," the leader continued, her tone calm but final. "Your task is to focus on securing high-quality goods. Our biggest client is growing impatient."
"Yes, Leader," Bonnie replied, her voice heavy with disappointment as she bowed and retreated.
The iron door groaned shut behind her with a resounding "creak-creak-creak."
The Black Iris leader turned, her eyes fixed on the closed door. A soft sigh escaped her lips. "A bird in a cage, huh…" She murmured, her voice barely audible.
"Seven more top-tier girls are needed this year, and time is running out," She said to herself, stepping toward the edge of the Sky Pit. She tilted her head back, gazing up at the distant sky framed by the pit's jagged rim. "I wonder if what I'm doing is even right. In the end, perhaps I'm just too selfish."
.
.
.
.
You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.
pat reon.com/GreenBlue17
300 Power Stones for 1 extra chapter.
5 New reviews for 1 extra chapter.