Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 248

Chapter 248: Rescuing

Aiden forced himself to remain calm, though the anger bubbling beneath the surface was clear in his tight expression. He knelt down to Millie’s level, his voice soft despite the storm inside him. “Can you tell me where your friends are?”

Millie looked up at him, her small, innocent eyes filled with hope. “They’re in a house… but it’s made of metal bars.”

The air around Aiden shifted, darkening as his hand clenched the nearby wall. Crack. The stone buckled slightly under his grip, but he didn’t let go, forcing himself to keep his voice steady. “A house… made of metal bars,” he repeated slowly, as if trying to absorb the weight of her words. He took a deep breath to calm his rising rage. “What else, Millie?”

“It’s… in a dark place,” she said, her voice trembling slightly as if remembering something painful. But before she could finish her thought, the sound of splintering stone echoed through the room. The wall that Aiden had been gripping shattered fully, bursting apart with a loud crash as his clenched fist tore through it.

Aiden paused, staring at the debris on the ground. His voice came out forced, a strained attempt at staying composed. “Hmm… seems like this wall is old. Falling apart on its own,” he said, his tone carrying an undercurrent of barely restrained fury.

Nexus and Myne exchanged glances, their fists clenched in silent fury at what they were learning, while Aiden pulled himself back from the edge, resisting the urge to ask any more questions in fear of what he might hear next.

“Let’s go find your friends, but for that, I’ll need a drop of your blood,” Aiden said softly to Millie. He gently pricked her finger, careful not to cause her any pain, and only allowed the smallest drop of blood to surface.

Taking the blood, Aiden stepped outside the hotel, his face twitching as a dark chuckle escaped his lips. “Ahahahahaha…” His laughter grew louder, and a sinister aura began to emanate from him, uncontrollably spreading. The air around him thickened with tension, and for a brief moment, chaos began to stir without his conscious command.

The Authority of War seeped into Aiden, his eyes burning red with rage. The fury he felt inside swelled, as though the very world should crumble beneath his wrath. But suddenly, it all stopped. In an instant, the storm of emotions was replaced by eerie calm. His composure returned, cold and calculated.

“Let’s go hunt,” Aiden muttered under his breath, holding the blood in his hand. “Blood trail.”

The drop of blood rose from his hand, transforming into a fine mist that drifted in the air. The mist formed a trail, leading Aiden forward. He followed it closely, his steps quiet and determined.

The blood mist led Aiden back to the spot where he had found Millie, but this time it veered in a new direction, leading him out of the city. Unbeknownst to him, someone was quietly following in the shadows, observing his every move.

“Leader, I’ve found something strange,” the man whispered into a communication device while keeping a safe distance behind Aiden.

“Go on,” the leader’s voice responded.

“Remember yesterday when we raided the slave traders’ hideout?” the man asked.

“Yes,” the leader replied, his tone serious.

“I was keeping watch over the site when a blood mist suddenly appeared out of nowhere. At first, I thought it was someone nearby, but it hovered around the cages for a moment, then started moving in a different direction. The weird part is…someone’s following it,” the man explained, his voice cautious.

“Where are you now?” the leader inquired, sensing the tension in his subordinate’s voice.

“I’m following the man who’s chasing the mist,” the follower replied, his eyes never leaving Aiden.

“Good. Keep tailing him. We’ll meet up with you soon,” the leader ordered.

“Yes, but…wait, leader. Something strange just happened. The mist suddenly changed direction, and even the guy following it seems confused. No, wait—he just attacked someone out of nowhere, and it looks like he’s revealing some hidden location!” the follower’s voice quivered with disbelief.

“Keep updating us; we’re on our way,” the leader said, a hint of urgency creeping into his tone.

“Leader…I don’t think this guy is with the slave traders,” the man said after a brief silence, his words tinged with confusion.

The leader, who had been strategizing with his men, paused and asked, “Why do you say that?”

“Well…he massacred all the remaining slave traders. Then, he notified our department about the hideout’s location. It’s like he’s cleaning up the place,” the man explained.

The leader froze, deep in thought. After a moment, he asked, “Where is he now?”

“He’s still following the blood mist,” the follower repeated, his mind filled with unease about Aiden’s true intentions.

“Keep on him,” the leader instructed, and the man nodded, staying close but undetected.

Meanwhile, Aiden continued his relentless pursuit of the blood mist, searching for any sign of Millie’s missing friends. Despite raiding three separate hideouts, none of them contained children her age, leaving him increasingly frustrated. However, at the fourth base, Aiden managed to capture the boss, pinning him down with his blade dangerously close to the man’s neck, drawing a thin line of blood.

“Tell me where you’re keeping the kids,” Aiden demanded, his voice cold as the blade pressed harder.

“W-wait! I’ll tell you!” the boss stammered, raising his hands in surrender. “We keep them in a special location.”

Aiden’s eyes narrowed. “What’s this ‘special location’?”

“I… I can’t—” the boss hesitated.

Slash!

A scream erupted from the boss as Aiden swiftly cut off one of his ears, blood pouring from the wound.

“Where is it?” Aiden repeated, his tone even more menacing.

“I can’t— AARGHH!” The boss’s other ear was severed before he could finish his sentence.

“Where is it?” Aiden asked again, his voice low and dangerous.

“I can’t… AARGH!!”

This time, Aiden took off the man’s hand, causing him to cry out in agony. Panicked and terrified, the boss hurriedly shouted, “I can’t tell you because I don’t know where it is! I swear, I don’t know!”

The man’s voice trembled as he awaited Aiden’s next move, terrified that another part of him would be taken away if he didn’t satisfy his captor.

Aiden’s eyes burned with frustration as the boss continued to plead. The smell of blood and fear filled the air, but the information he sought was still elusive. He grabbed the boss by the collar, lifting him off the ground with ease.

“You better start talking, or you’ll lose more than just your limbs,” Aiden growled, his patience wearing thin.

“I swear, I don’t know! I’m just a middleman!” the boss shouted, tears mixing with blood as he trembled. “We deliver the kids to a higher-up! They never tell us the location—it’s always the same. A masked guy comes to pick them up, then they disappear!”

Aiden’s grip tightened as he processed the information. “Who’s this masked man? What does he look like?”

“I don’t know!” the boss whimpered. “He’s always in a cloak, his face hidden! But… but I’ve heard rumors. They say he works for someone powerful, someone who’s untouchable in this city.”

Aiden lowered him slightly, thinking. The blood mist still pointed in a new direction, but this lead was vital. “Who? Who’s powerful enough to hide an entire operation like this?”

The boss hesitated, coughing blood as he stammered, “I’ve heard whispers… the Red Hand. They control the underground slave trade. They have ties to noble families… and even some Immortals.”

The mention of Immortals sent a flicker of anger through Aiden, but he kept his composure. “Where do I find them?”

“I don’t know! Please, I’ve told you everything I know!” the boss begged, eyes wide with fear.

Aiden let him go, and the boss crumpled to the ground, clutching his bleeding stumps. Without another word, Aiden stood up, his face cold and unreadable. He turned to follow the blood mist once more, now with the name Red Hand etched into his mind.

As Aiden left the base, the man trailing him communicated with his leader.

“Sir, Aiden just left another base. It looks like he’s hunting down the Red Hand,” the man reported.

“Did he leave the boss alive?” the leader asked, his tone sharp.

“Yes, sir. Should I kill him?” the follower asked, watching the boss stumble away in a desperate attempt to escape.

“Yes. Don’t leave parasites alive,” the leader replied coldly.

“Understood, leader—” The follower’s words were cut short as he saw the boss suddenly lunge at a wild beast, his movements feral and crazed.

“Never mind, leader. He’s already lost it. Looks like he’s trying to fight a wild animal,” the follower muttered, watching as the boss, in his desperation, tried to survive in the wilderness. “No need to waste the effort.”

“Fine, leave him to his fate,” the leader responded, dismissing the boss from his thoughts.

The follower continued to trail Aiden, who had made his way into a large city. This city was unlike the others, with crimson stains on the walls as if marked by blood. The ominous aura and the towering gates seemed to silently declare it as the Red Hand’s domain.

Aiden stopped at the entrance, staring at the red-painted walls. His eyes narrowed as he thought to himself, I’m still too weak to fight them all. The weight of the power he would need to confront the Red Hand gnawed at him.

Taking a deep breath, Aiden activated his Chronicle ability, searching for a place where he could train and grow stronger.