Chapter 24 Move Forward Upstairs

Chapter 24 Move Forward Upstairs
"Huh,"

Nolan opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Nina’s chest above him, along with her face looking down. Both Nina and Nadine’s expressions immediately brightened as they let go of their embrace to look at him.

"Nolan!" both of them shouted in unison.

Nolan slowly sat up, clutching his head. He looked around at the surroundings, seeing everything destroyed and in shambles.

"Huh... what... what happened?" Nolan asked.

"You went boom... blast!" Nadine said, gesturing by throwing her arms wide.

"You lost control... all of your energy surged out. It was the first time I've ever seen gray energy and... it was terrifying," Nina muttered.

"I see," Nolan murmured, pressing his hand to his forehead.

"Yeah... it felt like reality was being sucked into a fourth dimension while all the elements erupted... it was horrific," Nadine added.

"Sorry... it won't happen again," Nolan said softly.

"It’s okay," Nina replied, stroking Nolan’s back.

"Come on, we have to destroy everything here and finish that man," Nolan said.

"Are you... sure?" Nina asked, her hand still on his back.

"Huh... why are you asking that? You want your revenge too, don’t you?" Nolan replied, turning to look at her.

"Um... what if you end up like that again? Sorry, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but after seeing what that man did to your step sister, I can feel exactly what you're feeling," Nina replied.

Nolan went silent for a moment, then brushed his hair back. He stood up slowly and did a few small hops in place before turning to look at the two girls still sitting on the floor. He extended both hands to them.

"Like I said, it won't happen again," Nolan said with a calm, confident expression.

Nina and Nadine glanced at each other, then smiled and took Nolan’s hands as he pulled them to their feet. Nina immediately stepped forward and kissed Nolan on the cheek, followed by Nadine, who kissed his other cheek.

"Uh... what was that for?" Nolan asked, wiping his cheeks.

"Hehe, I just felt like it," Nina answered.

"Yep... why are you wiping it off? Let me do it again," Nadine replied, giving him another kiss.

"Aaah... whatever. Let's keep going," Nolan replied, turning around and taking both girls by the hand.

They kept walking, and as they did, Nina and Nadine kept their eyes fixed on Nolan’s back. They had seen exactly what that bastard Harold had just put him through. A clear look of determination washed over both their faces as they watched Nolan, a silent promise echoing in their minds: "I will be here for you forever."

When they reached the end of the room and stepped through the door, they immediately covered their noses. The stench inside the vast, dark chamber was piercing.

"Ugh... what is that smell?" Nina asked.

"I don't know... ugh... it's disgusting," Nadine answered.

Suddenly, the room lights flickered on, catching the three of them off guard. They found themselves in a miniature coliseum. The source of the stench was clear: dozens of monster carcasses, half-decayed into bone but still clinging to rotting flesh, were scattered across the arena, swarming with flies.

"Damn... that man is truly insane. He has a private arena under his house," Nolan muttered, keeping his nose covered.

"Let's get across quickly, the smell is unbearable," Nina urged.

"Yeah... let's go," Nolan replied.

They hurried across the arena, refusing to look at the massive carcasses surrounding them. The atmosphere was eerily quiet, save for the constant, heavy buzzing of fly wings. Nolan looked up and spotted a glass-walled room above them, like a VVIP box in a coliseum, just on a smaller scale. Suddenly, "bum," the three of them skidded to a halt. Tigra—now fully transformed into a monstrous "Cerberus"—blocked their path, glaring at them with pure malice.

After seeing the Cerberus before them, it finally clicked that the arena was the creature's playground, and the carcasses were likely the rotting remains of its meals.

"Graaaaaaah!"

The Cerberus let out a thunderous roar, spraying saliva everywhere. "Ugh," the trio winced as the stench hit them again, now twice as pungent as before.

"Let me handle him," Nolan said, about to step forward.

"Wait... I'll do it," Nina countered, placing a hand on Nolan’s shoulder.

"Are you sure?" Nolan asked, turning to look at her.

"I’m sure," Nina replied, her eyes burning with determination as flames began to flicker around her.

"Uuuugh... I don't care who does it... just finish it quickly... the smell is awful," Nadine groaned.

Without delaying any further, Nina stepped forward. A massive surge of fiery energy began to envelop her, spiraling from her feet to her head. She extended both arms as she walked. "Clap," Nina brought her hands together in front of her, then pulled a blade made of pure fire directly from her palms. She broke into a light jog toward the Cerberus, whose lava-like veins glowed bright as it growled and closed the distance. The Cerberus swung its massive, human-like arm, raking its claws through the air toward her.

But Nina leaped with lightning speed, leaving the beast’s claws to strike nothing but wind. Nolan looked up to see Nina high above; she dove back down, her flaming sword carving a trail of light through the air, tip pointed straight at the monster. As she neared, Nina spun her body, sending her blade slicing from left to right like a fiery crescent moon that decapitated all three heads at once. "Bum," the Cerberus's body, separated from its heads, crashed to the ground. Nina kicked the air, flipped backward, and landed perfectly in front of Nolan.

"Clap... clap."

"Wow... amazing. Now let's go... the smell unbearable," Nadine said, clapping half-heartedly as she walked past.

"Hey, you! I’m out here striking a pose and you can't even show a little appreciation? Harsh," Nina replied, turning to follow Nadine.

"Alright, alright... let’s move... it really does stink in here," Nolan added.

"Huh... fine," Nina grumbled, looking down.

But Nolan wrapped his arm around Nina and pulled her along, making her smile slightly as she turned and walked with him, catching up to Nadine who was already ahead. After the three of them crossed the corridor, they arrived at a hallway lined with many empty cages that had likely been used to hold slaves. They walked casually past them and finally arrived in front of a door. Nolan opened it and stepped inside.

"Huh,"

Everyone inside immediately turned to look at the three of them. It turned out to be a guard post, likely used by the men stationed to watch over the slaves in the cages they had just passed. About ten guards were in the room. One man stood up and pointed at them.

"Who are—"

Before the man could finish his sentence, Nolan grabbed his face and slammed his head into the floor. Naturally, the other men jumped up and drew their weapons, but suddenly, "Aah... what is this!" the men screamed and writhed. Beneath their feet, pools of thick, frothing black liquid appeared, filled with black slime-like tentacles ending in hands that coiled around the men's bodies and knocked their weapons to the ground.

"Aaaah... what... is this... help!"

The men screamed as their bodies were dragged down into the pools beneath their feet. Once every man had been swallowed, the room instantly fell silent. “Burrp.” Nolan and Nina turned to see Nadine belching, covering her mouth with one hand while lowering her other arm, which was still shrouded in a deep, dark energy.

"Ah... I’m full," Nadine said, rubbing her stomach.

"So this is what you meant by eating?" Nolan asked.

"Yep... let's keep going. It's late, and I get sleepy when I'm full," Nadine answered casually.

"You're a glutton," Nina muttered.

"Don't call me a glutton; we haven't eaten anything since we started, you know," Nadine shot back.

"Fine, fine... whatever you want to do. Let's take the elevator up ahead," Nolan replied, turning and walking away.

"Okay, my darling," Nadine replied cheerfully, jumping to hug Nolan's arm.

"Good grief. Wait for me!" Nina said, jogging up to grab Nolan's hand and hold it.

They stepped into the elevator at the far end, which had only two buttons: up and down. While ascending, the three of them remained silent, preparing themselves for whatever was waiting above. “Ting.” As the elevator doors slid open and they stepped out, “ckrek,” they were immediately surrounded by armed troops dressed in black military fatigues, carbines aimed and ready to fire.

"We finally meet in person. Welcome to my home," said Harold, who was perched on the second-floor railing looking down at them.

Harold was already wearing his dressing gown, but Nolan’s eyes fell on Heidi, who remained completely naked and looked as empty as a robot, held in Harold’s embrace above. His blood began to boil once more, but Nina immediately gripped his hand tightly and Nadine hugged his arm firmly, grounding him to keep him calm, as if saying, “we face this together.” Nolan closed his eyes, then opened them again as he exhaled. This time, he appeared composed and ready to face both his captors and Harold above.