The colossal Ogre's grip propelled Jinx into the cold, unforgiving floor of the cell, eliciting a guttural growl of pain from her as impact reverberated through her body.
"Get in there!!" he bellowed, his voice thick with menace.
"Now sit quietly with her and wait for the Boss!" He hissed at Jinx, the clang of a heavy lock echoing as he secured the cell door. With a final, chilling glance at Jinx, he lumbered away.
With a pained grimace, Jinx slowly raised her left hand, fumbling with the hood that obscured her face. She blinked, her eyes struggling to adjust to the dimness that enveloped the cell. A sharp, piercing pain shot through her head, originating from her right hand. She lowered her gaze, exhaling a ragged breath.
'Who would have thought that green pig buffoon would break my hand?!!' she fumed inwardly. Her bone was completely snapped, beyond repair. The only option was to sever it, a thought that sent a shiver of dread down her spine.
"It is broken."
A meek voice, barely a whisper, sliced through the silence. Jinx's head snapped towards the dark corner of the cell. Only then did she discern a small figure, a girl no older than twelve, huddled there, her knees drawn up to her chest. Jinx strained to see the girl's face, but the pervasive darkness and the rags she wore made it impossible.
"You...? Aren't you just a kid? What are you doing here?" Jinx asked, her voice laced with confusion.
Silence.
"....?!"
Jinx, bewildered, pressed again. "How did you get in here?"
Silence.
"Where are your parents?"
Silence.
Jinx's eyebrow shot up in irritation. "Hey, you can't be mute, I just heard you say something!" she snapped, a sharp grimace flashing across her face as the movement aggravated the pain in her shoulder.
"Okay... Okay..." Jinx took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She tried a smoother tone. "Where are we?"
The silence stretched for a few tense seconds before the little girl's voice finally broke it.
"Ogre City."
Jinx's gaze swept around the grim surroundings. Rats scurried across the filthy floor, their tiny forms disappearing into the shadows. The air was thick with the stench of dirt and stale blood, a heavy, oppressive presence.
"Ogre's City? Then why are you here?"
"They want my blood."
"....?!"
Jinx's confusion deepened. "Your Blood? Why?"
Silence.
Jinx shook her head, adjusting her sitting posture to face the girl's direction more directly. "Look... I need to get out of here... I don't know what happened here, or what they did to you... But if you help me, I will help you."
"How can I help you when I am in here with you?" the little girl responded.
"Okay... We are getting somewhere," Jinx said with a small, hopeful smile. She continued, "How long have you been in here?"
"I... I don't know."
Jinx frowned. "Would you show yourself to me?" she asked, her gaze fixed on the dark corner where the girl sat.
"He is here."
"...?!"
With a confused expression, Jinx turned her attention to the cell entrance. The guards, who had been lazily positioned some meters away, suddenly jolted awake, snapping to attention, weapons poised.
TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP!
Light footsteps echoed through the dungeon, a chilling rhythm that silenced even the other prisoners. A profound stillness enveloped the entire area, as if the very air held its breath.
"No! I... I won't go with you! No! I won't! It hurts!"
".....?!"
Jinx spun back to the girl, who was now stammering in a mix of horror and dread, her distress only adding to Jinx's bewilderment.
DING! DING! DING!
Jinx turned to the entrance once more. A towering Ogre, his skin as black as obsidian, stopped before their cell. He stood a formidable eight feet tall and possessed only one natural hand; the other was a menacing metallic prosthetic. The metallic hand's claws, sharp and glinting, were the source of the chilling "DING" sounds.
".....?!"
Jinx rose to her feet, clutching her injured shoulder. Her gaze was fixed on the black Ogre, or rather, on the two Ogres standing behind him. The one on the right was the very Ogre who had broken her hand.
"Hmm..." The black Ogre scrutinized Jinx for a few seconds, then asked, "When are you planning on taking your true appearance?"
"That's none of your business, you black pig!!" Jinx spat, her words cutting through the tense silence and catching everyone off-guard. This black Ogre was the Boss, personally placed there by the King himself. He was practically royalty in Ogre City; his word was law. Yet, this new prisoner had not only yelled at him but had insulted him to his face.
"Oh... How did you catch this one?" The Boss asked, completely unfazed by Jinx's outburst.
"We caught her at the mineral mine... We suspect her target was the minerals," the Ogre on the left reported.
"I told you countless times! I don't want any minerals! I don't even know what it is!" Jinx yelled, grimacing from the throbbing pain in her shoulder.
The Boss shifted his gaze to Jinx's broken hand, an eyebrow raised. "Who did that?" he asked, pointing one of his metallic claws at her injured limb.
"This... I... I did it," the Ogre on the right stammered, his voice filled with fear.
'Huh? Why is he so scared? Although I can't detect this so-called Boss's strength. His strength shouldn't be higher than a half celestial rank, right?' Jinx mused.
The Boss looked over his shoulder at the stammering Ogre. "Who will buy damaged goods?" he asked.
The Ogre was speechless for a moment. After a brief pause, he blurted out;
"Of course! They will buy, Leader! Look at her, she can take the form of anybody, a good fit for both men and women! Not only that, they will have a taste to feel countless people! Meaning, she can take the form of anyone... She will make a priceless sex slave!!" He yelled the last part, desperate to calm his leader.
"Hmm... Having her will be equal to having tens of people," the Boss mused, considering the Ogre's words. He slowly nodded. "Although one of her hands is broken, she will still make us money."
"You!! I thought slave trading had been destroyed and banned! How are you pigs operating it?!!" Jinx screamed at them.
"Ban?" The Boss nodded. "Indeed, it has been banned in most of the nations."
"Most? What do you mean by that?" Jinx was confused.
"Meaning, there are still nations selling slaves," he elaborated with a smirk.
"Aren't you scared of offending the People's nations?!" she demanded.
"Oh... We only take criminals, and those banished... Just like you."
".....?!!"