Apocalyse: Marked by Chaos
Chapter 68 - 67 The Underground World (2)

Chapter 68: Chapter 67 The Underground World (2)

"Hehe. You praise me too much. I didn’t expect to see you soon," he said with a weak smile, his eyes glancing at Olivia. "A new friend?" he asked.

Abigail’s smile stretched into a thin line. "Yes, we are only here to get something important."

"Oh, I see. Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked, mischief swirling in his eyes.

"No," Abigail curtly replied.

But the man only laughed, as if he had heard the funniest thing in his entire life. His shoulder-length curly brown hair fell freely down his face. His beard was like a forest left to grow without care. His clear blue eyes carried hints of wisdom and eerie glints.

Olivia’s eyes scanned his bare chest up and down his 6ft body that seemed to be covered by wounds. She felt shivers run down her spine.

"Why don’t you introduce your friend to me?" he eyed Olivia.

Abigail stiffened at his request. This was getting bad, faster than she had expected. It is never a good thing to get the attention of Gauss. He holds great power in command in the Underground world, only second to the overhead boss.

"She doesn’t deserve your attention, Gauss," Abigail stepped in front of Olivia.

For a second, cold chills filled the air. Gauss’s gaze remained fixed on Olivia, curious, and burning. The silence between them thickened, it was so suffocating that Olivia held her breath.

Then, just as Gauss opened his mouth to respond, a voice rang out from the far end of the room.

"Gauss! The boss is asking for you."

A tall figure strode toward them, his boots clicking against the stone floor with deliberate precision. He wore a long, hooded coat, and a crest Olivia couldn’t recognize gleamed faintly on his belt. His presence shifted the atmosphere instantly, somehow colder.

Gauss turned slowly, the annoyance in his eyes clear. "Can’t you see I’m busy?"

"And the boss doesn’t care." The newcomer answered nonchalantly

For a moment, Olivia could’ve sworn she saw a flicker of something behind Gauss’s smile. Irritation?

He turned back to Abigail and Olivia, his eyes lingering on Olivia a second too long. "We’ll finish this conversation later."

Then he walked away, his laughter echoing softly behind him.

Abigail exhaled, she didn’t realise she was holding her breath all this while. "That... was close."

Olivia gave her a look. "Close? He looked like he was ready to skin me alive with his stare."

Abigail grabbed her wrist again. "We need to move. Now. Before he changes his mind."

As soon as Gauss disappeared into the shadowy corridors of the underground, the tension in the air thinned just enough for Olivia to breathe again. Abigail remained still, her eyes following the space where he had been, her jaw tight.

"That man gives me the creeps," Olivia muttered under her breath.

Abigail didn’t respond. She simply nodded once, her shoulders finally relaxing. "Come on. We’re not here to chat."

They moved deeper into the maze-like interior, past makeshift stalls stacked with odd trinkets, rare stones, glowing charms, and vials of unidentifiable liquid. Creatures, both human and not, bartered and whispered. Every face held secrets. Every glance felt like a transaction.

Abigail stopped first. She nudged Olivia with her elbow. Then she tilted her head discreetly toward a hooded figure seated at a crooked table in the far corner. A lantern flickered beside him, casting broken shadows over his sharp cheekbones and hollowed eyes.

"That’s him," Abigail said lowly. "He trades information."

Olivia looked from the man to Abigail. "What kind of information?"

"The kind no one else has," she replied. "But he doesn’t give anything for free."

They approached the table cautiously.

The man didn’t look up. "If you’re here for gossip, I’m not interested," he said, voice hoarse, like someone who smoked secrets instead of cigarettes.

"We need information about a girl," Abigail said calmly. "Alexa."

At that, he looked up. A slow smirk spread across his thin lips. "Ah... the Flame Wielder."

Olivia leaned forward. "You know her?"

"I know a lot of things," he said. "But knowledge comes with a price."

"What do you want?" Olivia asked, already reaching for the pouch at her waist.

The man chuckled. "I don’t take coins. I want value. Real value. A memory. A secret. A truth you haven’t told anyone." His eyes gleamed. "You give me something raw, and I’ll give you something dangerous."

Olivia hesitated. Her mind raced. What kind of secret was worth a truth about Alexa?

Before she could speak, Abigail stepped in. "Wait."

Abigail folded her arms. "We’re not here to play games."

"I never play," he replied, his amber eyes faintly glowing.

There was a pause.

He looked at Olivia now. His gaze was heavy and invasive. It felt like he was peeling her open with just his eyes.

"I can feel it on you," he murmured. "Chaos. It clings to you like a second skin."

Olivia stiffened. "Are you going to tell me what you want or not?"

Olivia stared at the man’s hand as he tapped his finger, no, it was a claw, black, curved, and sharp like a talon’s nails. Her eyes slowly traced the movement and landed on his hand. The skin around his nails looked cracked.

She frowned. Realisation dawned on her.

She didn’t know what gave it away, maybe it was how his high cheek bone was, or the way his voice occasionally vibrated with low, unnatural rumble, almost like a growl, but she knew there was no way he was human.

"You’re not what you seem," she whispered. Her curiosity got the best of her. She quickly bit her inner cheek, when she realised her tongue slipped.

His lips curled slightly, not a friendly one, but a threat. "Well, neither are you," he replied. "But unlike you, I’m very aware of what I am."

Olivia’s heart pounded. "A transformed monster," she murmured.

Abigail stepped forward, tense. "He’s not just any monster. He used to be something worse."

The informant chuckled darkly. "Don’t flatter me."

"Then what exactly do you want?" Olivia asked, her voice sharper now.

He leaned forward, shadows dancing across his very smooth face. "Something precious. A secret, a memory, a piece of you. The kind of thing you can’t get back once it’s given."

Olivia’s lips pressed together.