I scanned the room, but my search yielded no results.

Ratska was nowhere to be found, and I found myself deeply unsettled by this situation.

Had they harmed him? Where could they have concealed him?

Vivian was already explaining the circumstances to the more composed hostages, but many of them struggled to process the unfolding events with clarity and composure.

Regrettably, in order to ensure a smooth operation, Vivian had to employ her unique skill to subdue the agitated hostages who were causing unnecessary commotion.

"Alas, I hope their outbursts went unnoticed," she murmured, "We may face formidable adversaries if word spreads, and I wish to avoid shedding needless blood in a rescue mission."

"We still have numerous unreleased hostages, and even with increased pace, it will take time to set them free," I suggested, "I believe we should take a gamble and release some fighters to expedite the operation. It carries risk, I know, but it's either that or allow the hostages to perish if the Intergalactic Troopers catch wind of our presence."

"No, most of the fighters are in an unstable mental state presently, and I doubt they would cooperate with strangers even if they were released. Moreover, they might revolt against us, fearing that we intend to abduct the very people they came to save in the first place!" she objected, "Do not misunderstand me; we will save the fighters as well, but not until we have everything else under control."

Sooner or later, we would require assistance.

The number of hostages was overwhelming, and I doubted Vivian possessed a skill capable of teleporting hundreds of individuals within the limited timeframe we had before the organization's higher-ups arrived to take us down.

Damn it, I don't even know where Ratska is to begin with...

"Do you have an alternative plan in mind? Although I have yet to locate the person I seek, I am determined to do everything in my power to save the others," I maintained hope, prepared to accomplish the impossible if it meant reuniting these innocent people with their loved ones.

Granted, some of these individuals may be despicable, as Karflel suggested, but they do not deserve to be abducted and sold to depraved individuals or cults that practice human sacrifice.

Surveying the vast room, the moonlight too feeble to illuminate the space, I conjured a small flame that significantly improved my vision.

People of various races lay scattered, some atop others. Hundreds, if not thousands, of them.

Those who remained conscious bore lifeless eyes, yet I could sense their profound terror. I did not know the horrors they had endured during their captivity, but the mere thought of being confined in a dark room without freedom of movement instilled fear.

In a way, they reminded me of myself when I was a feeble dismantler, tossed around and kicked like a ragdoll...

"I will employ a skill to broadcast our location to my fellow team members, and I need you to watch my back in the meantime," Vivian whispered, "Protect me, as it is likely that the outer guards have sensed something amiss."

A smile graced my face, rekindling my fighting spirit. The connection between my body and soul deteriorated, and I could no longer ignore the symptoms.

Handling delicate objects was out of the question, and the sudden mental haze refused to dissipate. However, I felt determined to endure these hardships if it meant alleviating the suffering of others.

After discussing the time required for Vivian to summon reinforcements and set her plan in motion, I nodded in agreement and exited the building through the hole she had created in the wall.

The surroundings outside remained desolate, with an eerie silence hanging in the air.

Nevertheless, I stood there without complaint, biding my time and watching my surroundings carefully. Vivian kept doing her thing at a faster face, and she seemed to be

Unsurprisingly, as many as five Warhoogs appeared over the course of half an hour, but I didn’t face much difficulty in dealing with them. Each

I didn’t even need to go all out and it didn’t take me more than a couple of minutes to knock out each one of them. They seemed frightened at the sight of my silhouette, and two of them even tried to run away instantly without confronting me.

Killing them was pointless, so I took away their most important items and left them unconscious.

This way, they won’t be able to call for help even if they wake up.

They must’ve been mere watch-men with the task of running mandatory checks on the surroundings.

The most interesting thing was the fact that all the people I faced were Warhoogs. Sure, they had individual differences, but they were all of the same race.

Suddenly, I heard Vivian calling for me.

“Jason! I want you to take over my duty for a couple of minutes while I activate the broadcasting crystal,” she shouted, but here voice wasn’t that loud, “With this, we’ll have better chances.”

I nodded in approval, and followed her suggestion as she went out of the building.

Untying the hostages was an easy task, and I managed to release eight of them when I heard Vivian screaming loudly.

“Jason, I think you want to see this fellow. I won’t be able to do it on my own, so I need your help.”

After putting the hostage gently on the ground, I went out of the building swiftly.

In front of Vivian was a Warhoog, but not any Warhoog. It was Karflel, the one that was organizing the fights we’ve been participating in so far.

I had a hunch that he knew something about Ratska’s whereabouts and this was a perfect chance for me to find out.

“Oh, a human and the siren herself? That’s interesting,” he said as he walked toward us, “I don’t think I’ll be punished for hurting the both of you outside of the borders of our authorized area, I’ve itching for a for a warm up anyway.”

He seemed to be confident in his capacity to take on both of us, and I didn’t doubt him for one second.

“Vivian!” I shouted at my friend, “do your thing!”

She put the crystal that she’d been charging aside, and stared Karflel dead in the eyes.

Her eyes’ color changed as usual, and I took that as my sign to take him on.

“Make it quick! I can’t disable his system access for too long!” Vivian spoke with anguish.

Roger that!