Chapter 13 New Comrade

Chapter 13 New Comrade
"Kyaaa... help me, Nolan!" Nina screamed in a panic.

Seeing Nina already half-submerged in the bubbling black puddle, Nolan didn't waste another second thinking. He teleported instantly, appearing right in front of Nadine. Naturally, Nadine was caught off guard, craning her neck up to look at Nolan standing over her. Her face seemed dazed for a moment, tilting her head as if she were trying to process him, but suddenly that smile crept back onto her face—wider than ever before.

"Monarch... grey," Nadine chanted.

Several puddles yawned open right next to Nolan, putting him on high alert. Then, he remembered the words of the robotic female voice from inside his tower.

"That's right... whoever you are, I'm sorry... lend me your energy, White Tower," Nolan said in his head.

He raised his hand, shaping it into a blade. Pure white energy from the White Tower began to gather in his palm until it grew into a blinding light that filled the entire room. Then, "thump," Nolan delivered a sharp chop to the back of Nadine’s neck. Her body tensed for a split second before her eyes rolled back and she collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Immediately, all the dark energy from the outside surged back into her body and every puddle snapped shut. The room fell silent and still once again. Nolan let out a sigh of relief now that the threat was over.

"Nolan... how am I supposed to get out?" Nina shouted.

Nolan turned to see Nina’s body trapped from the waist down, fused right into the floor. Then he looked over at Rico, who was still pressed against the wall, pale, though his face finally showed some relief.

"Rico, help get Nina out," Nolan said.

Rico looked at Nina, whose body was half-buried in the floor as if she had become part of the tiles, then looked back at Nolan.

"Huh... how am I supposed to do that?" Rico asked.

"Just smash it with your fist, idiot," Nolan answered, annoyed.

"Oh... right," Rico replied.

Rico hurried over to Nina’s side and "crack," he punched the floor until it fractured. He hammered the ground repeatedly with his fists until a small crater formed, finally revealing Nina’s buried waist.

"Thanks, Rico. I’ll take it from here. Step back, please," Nina said.

"Got it, backing up," Rico replied.

Rico immediately moved away as a fiery aura began to surge through Nina’s body. "Crack," the sound of the floor splitting echoed as Nina’s heat successfully fractured the concrete until it finally shattered. Nina leaped out and landed at the edge of the crater, brushing off her clothes, which were covered in concrete dust. Afterward, she turned to see Nolan, who was now standing by the window looking out.

"The tower is gone," Nolan said.

"Oh? Really?" Nina asked.

Nina and Rico immediately joined Nolan and looked out the window. It turned out Nolan was right; the massive, terrifying Dark Tower that had been looming outside—the one previously emitting that suffocating dark aura—had vanished into thin air. The three of them then turned their gaze toward Nadine, who lay unconscious in the distance, and stood there stunned. Rico handed the folders to Nolan.

"Here... take them," Rico said.

Nolan looked at the folders, which appeared damp, crumpled, and rolled up, then looked back at Rico.

"What now... don't tell me you expected me to keep these folders neat and tidy given what we just went through," Rico protested.

"Not at all. Thanks," Nolan replied, taking the three rolled-up folders.

"So... what about her?" Nina asked, pointing at Nadine.

"Just leave her," Nolan answered.

"But... she’s a slave too, isn't she?" Nina countered.

"She was just trying to kill you... did you forget that already?" Nolan asked.

"No... but for some reason... I feel like she wasn't trying to kill me. It was more like she wanted to capture me. Maybe she was being controlled by the tower, which was trying to protect her because she was in danger. But I don't know... the point is, I don't have the heart to leave her here," Nina answered.

"Whatever you want... I have more important things to worry about," Nolan replied, too tired to argue.

"Nice, thanks," Nina replied, immediately rushing over to Nadine.

Nolan opened his folders. He saw the profile of a man named Otis, who had purchased Heidi, along with a sales receipt for 92,500 gallars on Harold's orders, dated six months ago. Harold’s address wasn't in there, but Otis’s address was clearly listed. Then, he opened the other folder containing his mother's debt certificate—a total of 35,000 gallars with a 30% monthly interest rate, with only Heidi as collateral. It was written on the paper and stamped; this explained why only Heidi had been taken back then while he hadn't.

Nolan realized that since the moment she took the debt, his mother had indeed used Heidi as her guarantee, and Marvin had clearly made a massive profit by selling her. Nolan squeezed the folder until it crumpled, but then he realized that despite his anger, he couldn't do anything because it had already happened. Finally, he tried to control himself and shifted his attention by opening the last folder. His eyes widened when he saw a debt certificate for 20,000 gallars with a young girl named Nadine as the collateral. Nolan immediately looked at the photo and then at the real Nadine, who was currently being helped to a seated position by Nina and Rico.

"So... she’s a victim too... just like Heidi. But she’s clearly dangerous. Why the hell did Rico even grab her folder? Now it’s making me think... damn it," Nolan muttered in his head while looking back at Nadine’s photo in the file.

Nolan rolled up the three folders and tucked them into his back jeans pocket. He then walked over to Nina, who was helping hoist the unconscious Nadine onto Rico’s back. Rico looked clearly overwhelmed but couldn't exactly refuse. However, they had only taken a few steps toward the elevator when—

"Ugh."

Nadine stirred. Rico, who was carrying her, went deathly pale, his legs beginning to shake. Meanwhile, Nolan and Nina instantly leaped away, leaving Rico behind. They jumped in front of him and spun around, dropping into their combat stances, ready to face whatever was waking up on Rico’s back.

"Hey... why are you guys leaving me... this is messed up... I’m a dead man... damn it," Rico whispered.

"Take it easy, dude. I’ll always remember your sacrifice," Nolan replied.

"Like he said, you’ll be our friend forever," Nina added.

"Damn you both, that’s so cold," Rico shot back, trembling even harder.

"Uh."

Everyone tensed as Nadine lifted her head and rubbed her eyes while still on Rico's back. Rico was now drenched in a heavy cold sweat and closing his eyes, ready to accept whatever happen to him. Nadine opened her eyes; her face was partially hidden by her hair, and she looked dazed. She glanced around at her surroundings until her gaze finally landed on Nolan and Nina.

"Um... who are you? Where am I?" Nadine asked.

Nolan and Nina turned to look at each other, seeing that Nadine appeared completely lost, her face painted with genuine confusion. Nolan took a step forward and dropped his combat stance. Nadine stared at Nolan intently, her mind seemingly gone blank.

"You’re in a loan shark’s building named Marvin’s, and you’re safe now. I’m Nola—"

Before Nolan could finish, "Grey Monarch!" Nadine slid off Rico’s back in an instant, lunged at Nolan, and threw her arms around him. The force sent Nolan thudding onto the floor with Nadine clinging to him, looking genuinely cheerful in his embrace.

"Huh... what the hell," Nolan said, clearly stunned because he never expected her to hug him.

"Grey Monarch?" Nina asked, staring sharply at Nolan beside her with an expression that was hard to read—a mix of anger and confusion because Nolan hadn't explained himself, or perhaps something else: jealousy. Rico, on the other hand, was so relieved that he collapsed onto the floor and let out a long, heavy sigh.